Separatable Lower Mold for Steel Strapping Machine
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing steel strapping machines without joints face issues such as loose straps due to large mold size and thickness, strap catching during mold removal, and inability to strap small packages effectively.
Innovation Solution
A separatable lower mold design with two parts that can be closed and opened, featuring cutter edges or blades to create a notch after strapping, eliminating the need for a hook and allowing for tighter strapping and easier removal without strap entanglement, enabling the strapping of small packages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the lower mold is formed as an inseparatable whole with a hook to lift the steel strap, then the lower mold can be taken out after jointing, but the large size and thickness of the lower mold generate a large gap between the steel strap and the top surface of the strapped package, resulting in loose strapping
Solution Approach 1:
The lower mold is divided into two separatable parts: a first part and a second part. The first part remains in the strapping machine while the second part is removed after jointing. This segmentation eliminates the need for a hook, reduces the overall size and thickness of the lower mold, and allows the steel strap to maintain close contact with the package surface for tight strapping.
2Ease of operation
If the lower mold has a large size and thickness to accommodate the hook, then the lower mold can lift the steel strap for removal, but the steel strap gets caught on the lower mold when the lower mold is taken out
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the lower mold into two parts, the design eliminates the hook structure that causes strap entanglement. The second part is designed without protruding elements that could catch the steel strap, allowing smooth removal after the joint is formed.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful hook structure is completely extracted from the lower mold design. Instead of using a hook to lift the steel strap, the patent uses a different mechanism where the first part remains fixed and the second part is simply removed, eliminating the source of strap entanglement.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the lower mold is designed as a single piece with hook structure, then the lower mold can be used for standard packages, but it cannot strap small packages due to its large size
Solution Approach 1:
The separatable two-part design allows the lower mold to be adapted for different package sizes. The reduced size of the first part (compared to the traditional single-piece mold) enables it to work on small packages, while the modular structure maintains ease of removal through the same mechanism.
4Ease of operation
If the lower mold contains a hook structure, then the lower mold can lift the steel strap for removal, but the lower mold has a large size along the length of steel strap and is thicker
Solution Approach 1:
The lower mold is segmented into two parts, with only the essential first part remaining in the strapping machine. This eliminates the need for the hook structure and associated lifting mechanisms, significantly reducing the volume and thickness of the lower mold while maintaining the ability to remove the second part after jointing.
Data Source
AI summary
The steel strapping machine without using joint currently available from the market has three shortcomings. Firstly, packages cannot be strapped tightly. Secondly, a steel strap may get caught on a lower mold when the lower mold is taken out from underside of the steel strap. Thirdly, the strapping machine is not available for small packages. To overcome the shortcomings of the prior arts, the present disclosure proposes a separatable lower mold of the steel strapping machine without using a joint, which is formed as two parts being able to be closed together or separated from each other. The separatable lower mold has advantages that packages can be strapped tightly, the steel strap will not get caught on the lower mold when the lower mold is taken out from the underside of the steel strap and it is possible for the strapping machine to strap small packages.