Return Bend Ringing Apparatus With Tapered Pins
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing return bend ringing systems face challenges in quick production and ensuring quality control due to the use of soft metals like aluminum and copper, which complicates the manufacturing and assembly of ringed return bends in heat exchangers.
Innovation Solution
A return bend ringing apparatus and method that includes a ring station with a cover plate and pins with tapered ends and shoulders to securely position and attach rings to return bends, along with a gripper and presence/obstruction detection system to ensure proper alignment and absence of blockages, facilitating efficient and accurate assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If return bends are constructed from soft metals like aluminum and copper to enable faster manufacturing, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing precision and quality control deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a specialized ringing apparatus with fixtures, clamps, and alignment mechanisms that act as an intermediary system between the soft metal return bends and the manufacturing process. This apparatus provides the necessary support and precision that soft metals cannot provide on their own, enabling both fast production and high quality control simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and properties of the soft metal return bends through controlled processes during manufacturing. By adjusting parameters such as temperature, pressure, and forming conditions within the ringing apparatus, the soft metals can be precisely shaped and then maintained in their formed state, resolving the contradiction between using soft metals for speed and maintaining precision
2Productivity
If return bends are constructed from soft metals like aluminum and copper to enable faster manufacturing, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the ringing apparatus into modular segments including separate fixtures for holding return bends, individual clamps for securing rings, and independent alignment mechanisms. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall system simplicity and ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The ringing apparatus is designed with self-aligning features and self-adjusting mechanisms that automatically compensate for variations in the soft metal return bends. The system serves itself by incorporating built-in guidance features that guide the rings and return bends into proper alignment without requiring complex external positioning systems
Data Source
AI summary
A return bend ringing apparatus includes a ring station configured to receive a pair of rings and a pair of pins configured to move between a retracted position and an extended position. Each pin includes a tapered end and a shoulder. The pins in the retracted position are configured not to engage the rings, and the pins in the extended position are configured to engage the rings with each pin extending through one of the rings. A gripper is configured to grip and move a return bend into an engagement position in which the return bend engages the shoulder of each pin.