Stock Ejector Assembly with Ring-Style Stripper
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current metal forming dies are labor-intensive and costly to design, manufacture, and maintain due to custom components and small spring plungers that fail quickly, causing lubricant adhesion issues and marking of stock materials.
Innovation Solution
A stock ejector assembly with a large exterior spring and increased surface area contact, utilizing a ring-style stripper to prevent adhesion and marking, while maintaining a compact footprint, and simplifying assembly and installation processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If small spring plungers are used to break lubricant adhesion, then the adhesion can be broken, but the spring plungers fail quickly due to their small size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the spring from the plunger assembly, placing it externally in a recess rather than internally within the plunger body. This allows the use of a larger, more reliable spring that is not constrained by the small internal space of the plunger, thereby resolving the contradiction between spring size/reliability and adhesion-breaking effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The invention segments the plunger assembly into separate components: the plunger body, the spring, and the mounting structure. This segmentation allows the spring to be optimized independently as a separate, larger component rather than being constrained within the plunger, improving reliability while maintaining adhesion-breaking function
2Object-affected harmful factors
If threaded spring plungers with small contact points are used, then adhesion can be broken, but they can leave marks on the stock material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the critical parameter of contact surface area from small (point contact) to large (broad surface contact). The plunger is designed with a broad contact surface that distributes the spring force over a larger area, preventing stock marking while maintaining effective adhesion breaking through increased contact pressure distribution
3Manufacturing precision
If custom-designed components with precision holes and recesses are used, then the die set can be precisely assembled, but the manufacturing process becomes labor-intensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple components into a single integrated plunger assembly that can be installed as one unit. The spring, plunger body, and mounting features are combined into a single assembly that requires only one installation location (the recess in the die member), dramatically reducing the number of precision holes and separate component installations needed
Solution Approach 2:
The plunger assembly is designed as a universal component that combines multiple functions: adhesion breaking, spring force application, and self-positioning within the die member. The single recess design serves multiple purposes: spring housing, plunger guidance, and installation feature, reducing the need for multiple specialized precision features
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 stock ejector assembly extends the lifespan of the assembly, prevents stock adhesion and marking, and reduces manufacturing and maintenance costs by using a durable, economical design with fewer components and simplified installation.
Implementation Method 1
a spring member having a generally hollow interior that is received over the stock ejector body, an outer end oriented toward the stock that engages the inner end portion of the stripper, and an opposite inner end oriented away from the stock that engages the outer end surface of the shoulder of the medial portion of the stock ejector body
Data Source
AI summary
A stock ejector assembly and method for metal forming dies includes a stock ejector with a large spring and a ring-style stripper. The ring-style stripper provides a larger surface area for contacting the stock. The large compression spring is preloaded and when a load is applied, the stripper retracts and the spring pressure increases. When the dies separate, the stock ejector pushes the part off flat surfaces, separating surfaces sealed by adhesion, including, but not limited to, oil or lubricant adhesion.