Automated Ribbon Insertion Machine for Chain Rings
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Solution Overview
Problem
The current manual process of associating ribbons with chains in fashion accessories, such as handbags, is labor-intensive and prone to imprecision, leading to quality issues and high personnel costs.
Innovation Solution
A machine with a sliding guide, controlled chain feed, and insertion units that form undulated eyelets in the chain rings to automate the ribbon insertion process, reducing labor requirements and improving precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual operation is used to associate ribbons with chains, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but labor intensity increases and production speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The machine performs the ribbon insertion operation automatically without continuous human intervention. The automated insertion units push ribbons through chain rings, form eyelets, and create undulated patterns autonomously, transforming a manual labor-intensive process into a self-operating system that significantly increases productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical operation with an automated mechanical system. Motors drive the chain feed mechanism and insertion units, substituting human hand operations with automated mechanical actuators that can operate at higher speeds and with greater consistency
2Manufacturing precision
If manual operation is used to associate ribbons with chains, then operational flexibility is maintained, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to human error
Solution Approach 1:
The insertion system is divided into multiple independent insertion units, each capable of independently inserting ribbons into chain rings. This segmentation allows precise control of each insertion action, ensuring consistent positioning and eyelet formation while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The machine positions and prepares ribbons before insertion, with blocking means holding ribbons in predetermined positions on the chain. This preliminary positioning ensures that each ribbon is correctly aligned before the insertion units act, guaranteeing manufacturing precision without requiring overly complex real-time control mechanisms
3Ease of manufacture
If manual operation is used to associate ribbons with chains, then operational simplicity is maintained, but labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The automated machine performs multiple functions in sequence: feeding the chain, positioning ribbons, inserting ribbons through rings, forming eyelets, and creating undulated patterns. This multi-functional automation replaces multiple manual operations, reducing personnel requirements while maintaining ease of operation through integrated control
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines chain feeding, ribbon positioning, and ribbon insertion functions into a single integrated machine system. By merging these previously separate manual operations into one automated unit, the system reduces the number of personnel needed while keeping the overall operation simple through centralized control
Data Source
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AI summary
A machine for introducing a ribbon inside the rings of a chain according to an undulated trend, comprising - a sliding guide for the chain; - means for controlled feed of the chain on said guide; - means for blocking a part of the ribbon on the chain, with said ribbon longitudinally facing at least in part a first face of said chain, so that one end of said ribbon, opposite the direction of feed of the chain, is free; - a first insertion unit adapted to push, in a first direction, a portion of ribbon into a first ring of the chain it is facing, to form an increasing eyelet (or loop) on the opposite face of the first ring with respect to that of insertion, said first insertion unit being adapted to act until the free end of the ribbon passes through said first ring, reaching the second face of the chain; - a second insertion unit adapted to push, in a second direction opposite said first direction, the portion of ribbon that has passed through said first ring into a second ring to form an increasing eyelet (or loop) on the opposite face of said second ring with respect to that of insertion into the second ring, said second insertion unit being adapted to act until the free end of the ribbon passes through said second ring, returning to the first face of the chain.