Accompanying Squeezing Unit for Plastic Film Winding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current machines for winding plastic film onto bobbins face issues with rapid bobbin-change cycles, leading to air entrainment and imperfect coil alignment, which result in suboptimal bobbin quality due to the loss of contact with the pressing cylinder during the change phase.

Innovation Solution

A machine equipped with an accompanying squeezing unit featuring a lever mechanism with a motorized or idle squeezing roll that maintains contact with the film during bobbin change, using actuators to ensure continuous pressure and prevent air entrainment between coils, ensuring proper alignment and quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If rapid bobbin-change cycles are implemented using a revolver arrangement of reels, then productivity is improved with bobbin change times of less than 20 seconds, but air becomes entrained between consecutive coils and coil alignment deteriorates during the bobbin-change phase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebobbin-change cycle speedVSAvoidcoil alignment and bobbin quality
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

An accompanying squeezing roll is introduced as an intermediary element that maintains continuous contact with the bobbin during the bobbin-change phase. This squeezing roll acts as a mediator between the pressing cylinder and the bobbin, ensuring that pressure is continuously applied to prevent air entrainment and maintain coil alignment even when the main pressing cylinder loses contact during rapid reel rotation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The squeezing roll is positioned and activated in advance of the bobbin-change event. By maintaining preliminary contact and pressure on the bobbin before and during the reel rotation, the system prepares the film-winding surface to prevent air pockets from forming, thereby maintaining manufacturing precision throughout the rapid bobbin-change cycle

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If the pressing cylinder loses contact with the bobbin during bobbin-change phase, then rapid reel rotation is enabled for quick bobbin changes, but air entrainment and imperfect side alignment occur degrading bobbin appearance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebobbin-change speedVSAvoidair entrainment and geometric defects
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The squeezing roll serves as a continuous intermediary contact element that remains engaged with the bobbin during the bobbin-change phase. While the main pressing cylinder must lose contact to allow rapid reel rotation, the squeezing roll compensates by maintaining pressure through the entire rotation cycle, preventing air pockets and geometric defects from forming on the bobbin surface

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The squeezing roll ensures continuity of the pressure-application function throughout the bobbin-change phase. Instead of the pressure being interrupted when the pressing cylinder loses contact, the squeezing roll maintains continuous useful action by constantly pressing against the bobbin, thereby eliminating air entrainment and alignment defects even during rapid reel rotation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

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

The solution allows for rapid bobbin changes without air entrainment, resulting in perfectly wound and aligned bobbins with improved appearance and functionality, maintaining high production efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

an accompanying squeezing roll (106), idle or motorized, positioned at the end of a lever mechanism selectively actuated for maintaining the squeezing roll (106) on the film (41) in final winding

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical pressure: Mechanical Force

Implementation Method 2

positioned at the end of a lever mechanism selectively actuated for maintaining the squeezing roll (106) on the film (41)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical advantage: Mechanical Advantage

Data Source

PatentEP2941397B2Accompanying squeezing unit in a winding machine for plastic film
Publication Date: 2020.11.18 COLINES SPA
  • EP2941397B2 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2941397B2 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2941397B2 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

An accompanying squeezing unit in a machine for winding plastic film onto bobbins, in which at least two spindles (16, 17, 18) are positioned on a rotating plate (14) around a central shaft (15) constrained to an upright (12) of the machine, the group comprising an accompanying squeezing roll (106) situated on a lever mechanism (107, 109, 110, 111) which is selectively actuated to rotate-oscillate by means of respective actuators (114, 115) in order to maintain the squeezing roll (106) positioned on a film (41) in the final winding onto a bobbin (35) positioned on one of said spindles (16), said lever mechanism being activated when the plate (14) carrying the spindles is rotated to discharge a finished bobbin. The lever mechanism in the group comprises two first levers (107) and two second levers (110) articulated with respect to each other.