Pressing Unit with Angular Flanks for Hollow Body Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for compacting hollow bodies, such as aluminum cans, fail to securely feed them into a roller unit for cutting and pressing, leading to potential tearing and increased risk of injury from sharp edges, hindering the recycling process.
Innovation Solution
The device incorporates a pressing unit with angular pressing elements having sloping flanks to guide and pre-compact hollow bodies, ensuring a defined flat position for the front end, which is then processed by the roller unit, preventing tearing and ensuring safe feeding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional pressing unit without angular flanks is used, then the structure is simpler, but the hollow bodies cannot be properly oriented and may be fed vertically, causing tearing in the roller unit
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing unit performs preliminary orientation and flattening of the hollow bodies before they enter the roller unit. The angular flanks and forehead of the pressing elements pre-position the hollow bodies in a horizontal orientation, preventing vertical feeding and subsequent tearing in the roller unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressing unit acts as an intermediary device between the feed mechanism and the roller unit. It mediates the transition by orienting and positioning the hollow bodies, ensuring they are properly aligned before entering the cutting/pressing rollers, thus preventing damage.
2Reliability
If hollow bodies are fed without pre-compaction, then the processing is faster, but the front end faces may not be properly gripped, causing tearing and injury risks
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing unit performs preliminary compaction and orientation of the hollow bodies before they are gripped by the roller unit. This pre-action ensures that the front end faces are properly positioned and the hollow bodies are securely oriented, enabling reliable gripping without sacrificing feeding speed.
3Manufacturing precision
If the pressing elements have vertical flanks, then the guiding is simpler, but the hollow bodies cannot be brought into a defined flat position, leading to improper feeding
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing elements feature asymmetric geometry with angular flanks that slope inward toward a forehead. This asymmetric design creates a defined receiving space that guides the hollow bodies into a specific horizontal orientation, achieving precise positioning that vertical flanks cannot provide.
Solution Approach 2:
The angular flanks introduce a new geometric dimension to the pressing elements, creating a three-dimensional receiving space that actively guides and orients the hollow bodies. This dimensional complexity enables precise horizontal positioning, contrasting with the simpler but ineffective vertical flank design.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution allows for safe and reliable feeding of hollow bodies into the roller unit, preventing tearing and reducing the risk of injury, particularly for tinplate or aluminum cans, by pre-compacting the front end region and guiding it into a defined position.
Implementation Method 1
a pressing unit (2) for pre-compacting the hollow bodies (1), the pressing unit (2) having a number of pressing elements (9) which can be rotated about an axis of rotation (D) and which, in a pressing position, press against a lateral surface of the hollow body (1) resting against a counter bearing (7), thereby deforming the hollow body (1)
Implementation Method 2
the flanks (11, 12) serve to accommodate the hollow body (1)
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The device has a roller unit (4) for cutting and/or pressing a hollow body (1). A pressing unit (2) is arranged behind the rolling unit for forming the hollow body. The pressing unit comprises pressing elements (9, 9', 9'') pressed against a lateral surface of the hollow body in a pressing position. The pressing elements are arranged rotatably relative to a counter bearing (7) such that a front face (15) of the hollow body is placed in a flat position in which the front face is extended parallel to the counter bearing. An independent claim is also included for a method for compacting a hollow body.