Sheet Material Adhesive Application Curved Pickup

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for applying adhesive agents to sheet materials, particularly rigid sheets like resin, face challenges in preventing double take-out and ensuring uniform adhesive distribution due to warpage, which affects the quality and stability of the application process.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a conveyor system with adhesive agent application stages and a transfer device using vacuum pads to curve the sheet materials before application, ensuring single take-out and uniform adhesive distribution by applying adhesive to both sides while the sheets are in a predetermined curved state, thereby correcting warpage and preventing double take-out.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a hole tool is used to prevent double take-out of sheet materials, then single take-out reliability is improved, but it becomes difficult to apply to rigid sheets with high rigidity such as resin sheets

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesingle take-out reliabilityVSAvoidapplicability to different sheet types
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The invention uses a curved surface (arc-shaped surface) instead of a flat hole tool. The pickup means is positioned on an arc-shaped surface with a radius of curvature of 50mm or less, which allows the sheet material to naturally curve and pass through the pickup means. This curved geometry works effectively for both flexible sheets (paper, cloth) and rigid sheets (resin), resolving the adaptability issue while maintaining single take-out reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Productivity

If sheet materials are taken out sequentially from a stack, then continuous processing is improved, but warpage of the sheet materials causes non-uniform adhesive agent application

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontinuous processing capabilityVSAvoidadhesive agent application uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The pickup means is positioned on an arc-shaped surface that matches the natural curvature of the sheet material. This curved geometry allows the sheet to maintain a consistent curved state during transfer, preventing warpage-induced non-uniformity in adhesive application while enabling continuous sequential processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The sheet material is curved and positioned on the arc-shaped surface before adhesive application occurs. This preliminary curving action ensures that the sheet is in the correct geometric state prior to adhesive application, preventing warpage-related defects during the adhesive process while maintaining continuous production flow.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Quantity of substance

If multiple sheet materials are stacked in a stocker, then storage efficiency is improved, but double take-out of sheet materials cannot be prevented

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestacked sheet storage capacityVSAvoidsingle take-out control
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The arc-shaped surface with pickup means creates a geometric constraint that allows only one sheet to be properly positioned and transferred at a time. The curved geometry ensures that when multiple sheets are stacked, only the top sheet can be successfully picked up and transferred, preventing double take-out while maintaining efficient stacked storage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

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

This method ensures reliable single take-out of sheet materials, improves the quality and stability of adhesive agent application by maintaining uniform curvature during application, reducing warpage-related dispersion and enhancing the overall process efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

a plurality of vacuum pads (12) which are configured to move in a vertical direction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVacuum: Vacuum

Implementation Method 2

gate blocks (18) which are disposed to face each other on inner wall surfaces of an upper end part of the case (7)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical Force: Mechanical Force

Data Source

PatentEP2903072B1Sheet material adhesive agent application method
Publication Date: 2018.10.24 NISSAN MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP2903072B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2903072B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2903072B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A sheet material adhesive agent application method includes first and second actions. The first action is performed sequentially for stacked multiple sheet materials. The first action is implemented by: taking out an uppermost one of the multiple sheet materials; transferring the taken-out sheet material to an adhesive agent application stage; and applying the adhesive agent to the transferred sheet material at the adhesive agent application stage. The second action is performed in advance to the first action, wherein the second action is implemented by setting an uppermost group of sheet materials so that each sheet material of the uppermost group has a predetermined curvature projecting upward. The first action is completed before the sheet material is restored to a state before the second action.