Sheet Laminating Device with Overlapping Clamping and Conveyance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing sheet-laminating devices experience increased cycle times due to temporal gaps caused by the need to ascend clamping devices before conveying sheets, disrupting the movement of conveyance handlers and leading to inefficiencies in the lamination process.
Innovation Solution
A sheet-laminating device and method that incorporate a first and second conveyance handler capable of vertical movement, with clamping devices that move to upper positions while the handlers are in standby, allowing simultaneous descent and lamination without interfering with each other's movement, thereby reducing cycle time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If clamping devices are ascended before conveyance handler conveys sheet, then sheet lamination can be performed, but conveyance handler movement is disturbed and cycle time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping devices are ascended to their upper positions before the conveyance handler arrives at the standby position. This preliminary action ensures that the clamping devices are ready to immediately clamp the sheet laminate when the sheet is placed, eliminating the need to wait for clamping device ascent after sheet placement. The control unit coordinates this timing so that clamping device ascent occurs during the conveyance handler's movement, not after arrival.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous operation by overlapping the clamping device ascent with the conveyance handler movement. While the conveyance handler is moving the sheet to the standby position, the clamping devices are ascending to their upper positions. This eliminates idle time and ensures that both components are ready simultaneously for the next action, maintaining continuous productive action without interruption.
2Ease of operation
If clamping devices are ascended after conveyance handler arrives at standby position, then conveyance handler movement is not disturbed, but temporal gap increases cycle time
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping devices perform their ascent action in advance, during the conveyance handler's movement phase, rather than waiting until the handler arrives at the standby position. This preliminary timing eliminates the temporal gap that would otherwise exist between handler arrival and clamping device readiness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system eliminates idle time by ensuring that the clamping devices are already in their upper positions when the conveyance handler arrives at the standby position. The useful actions of the conveyance handler and clamping devices are overlapped in time, maintaining continuous operation without interruption or waiting periods.
3Ease of operation
If opposite corner clamping devices are driven alternately, then sheet laminate can be held, but lamination efficiency is reduced due to sequential operation
Solution Approach 1:
The first and second clamping devices, which clamp opposite corners of the sheet laminate, are driven simultaneously rather than alternately. The control unit coordinates both clamping devices to ascend to their upper positions and descend to clamp the sheet at the same time. This merged simultaneous operation eliminates the sequential delay and doubles the lamination throughput capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic simultaneous action where both clamping devices perform their clamping cycle together in synchronized periods. Instead of one device completing its cycle before the other starts, both devices operate in parallel periodic cycles, maximizing the utilization of both clamping devices and improving overall lamination efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
This sheet-laminating device is provided with first and second clamping devices, a first conveyance handler capable of holding a sheet with at least a portion of a periphery thereof protruding, and a control unit. The control unit causes: the first clamping device to move to a first upper position while the sheet laminate is being pressed with the second clamping device; the first conveyance handler, which is holding a first sheet, to move to a standby position above the stage from the direction opposite to the first clamping device with the stage therebetween; the first conveyance handler to be descended toward the stage to laminate the first sheet on the sheet laminate, which is being pressed by the second clamping device; and the first clamping device to be descended toward the stage to press the periphery of the first sheet, which is protruding from the first conveyance handler, toward the stage.