Cold Shrink-Wrapping Machine with Rotating Item Holders

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current cold processing shrink-wrapping machines are complex, expensive, and fail to adequately protect the bottom and mouth areas of containers, such as PET bottles, during packaging, as they require significant space and special equipment for efficient operation and often leave these areas uncovered, compromising hygiene, especially for food containers.

Innovation Solution

A shrink-wrapping machine design where the group of items rotates about a horizontal axis, allowing the extensible film to be unrolled from a fixed reel, wrapping around the items to cover both the bottom and mouth areas, while using adjustable guides and rollers to enhance film thickness and handling, and incorporating air jets and motorized mechanisms for efficient film placement and cutting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the reel of extensible film rotates around the items to be packaged, then the packaging speed and efficiency are improved, but the device complexity and space requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepackaging speedVSAvoidmachine complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of rotating the reel around the items as in prior art, this invention inverts the approach by keeping the reel fixed and rotating the items themselves. The holding means rotate the group of items about a horizontal axis, dragging the film around from the fixed reel, thereby simplifying the overall machine structure while maintaining packaging efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention separates the rotation function from the reel and assigns it to the holding means that grip the items. This segmentation allows the reel to remain simple and fixed while the rotation capability is localized to the item-holding mechanism, reducing overall device complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If the reel of extensible film rotates around the items to be packaged, then the packaging process is completed, but the space required for reel rotation increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepackaging efficiencyVSAvoidmachine space

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

By inverting the rotation mechanism so that items rotate around a fixed reel rather than the reel rotating around items, the space requirement is dramatically reduced. The fixed reel configuration eliminates the need for large clearance zones required for reel rotation, compacting the machine footprint

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Ease of manufacture

If the film is wrapped laterally around containers, then the wrapping process is simplified, but the bottom and mouth areas remain uncovered compromising hygiene

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewrapping simplicityVSAvoidhygiene contamination

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention transitions from lateral wrapping only to three-dimensional coverage by rotating items about a horizontal axis. This dimensional change enables the film to wrap around the entire circumference of the item group, covering the bottom, sides, and mouth areas simultaneously, thereby ensuring comprehensive hygiene protection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The dynamic rotation of holding means during the wrapping process enables the film to continuously engage with different surfaces of the items, ensuring complete coverage of all areas including bottom and mouth regions that would be inaccessible in static lateral wrapping

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Speed

If special strong means are used to rotate the heavy reel, then the reel can rotate at sufficient speed, but the device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereel rotation speedVSAvoidholding mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

By inverting which component rotates, the heavy reel remains stationary and is supported by a simple fixed axis. The rotation is transferred to the lighter item group held by the holding means, eliminating the need for complex high-speed reel rotation mechanisms while maintaining packaging speed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

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

Simplifies and cost-reduces the packaging process, ensuring comprehensive coverage and protection of the bottom and mouth areas, improving hygiene and efficiency by maintaining the reel's axis fixed and using rotating holding means to wrap the film around the items, thus addressing the complexity and coverage issues of prior machines.

Implementation Method 1

a reel (6) of extensible film (7)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS10414525B2Cold processing shrink-wrapping machine for items with extensible film, and related procedure

Publication Date: 2019.09.17 FORPAC

AI summary

A cold processing shrink-wrapping machine for groups of items with extensible film includes elements (2) for feeding the group of items (4) to be packaged; at least one reel (6) of extensible film (7) for packaging the group of items (4) by wrapping the film around it; elements (10) for holding the group of items; elements (3) for unloading the packaged items, and elements that put the group of items (4) in rotation about a horizontal axis so as to drag the film (7) around it unrolling it from the reel (6) whose axis of rotation is fixed.