Thick Plastic Plate with Detachable Card via Single-Face Tooling

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Solution Overview

Problem

The challenge lies in fabricating a thin plastics plate of large thickness that includes a small format card, which is detachable from the plate, while only using action taken from a single face of the plate, as the thickness difference between the large and small formats is too narrow to allow for common thickness, and existing machines are designed to work on one face only.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves using tooling with spotfacing, leveling punching, and pre-cutting means to create a thin plastics plate of large format with a small format card that is detachable, where a spotface is made on one face to accommodate the thickness difference, and leveling and pre-cutting are performed to ensure the card can be flush with either format, using a go punch and return punch in opposite directions to weaken the outline and make the card detachable.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a plate of large thickness is used to accommodate both large and small format cards, then the plate can be used with existing tools and fabrication means, but the thickness difference creates a narrow overlap zone that makes it impossible to satisfy both formats simultaneously

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompatibility with existing tools and platesVSAvoidthickness tolerance overlap

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The plate is segmented into two distinct zones: a first zone with large thickness for large format cards and a second zone with small thickness for small format cards. This segmentation allows each zone to be optimized for its specific card format while using the same plate structure, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and manufacturing precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the plate are given different thickness qualities to suit different purposes. The first zone maintains large thickness for compatibility with existing tools, while the second zone has reduced thickness for small format card requirements. This local differentiation resolves the thickness tolerance conflict.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of operation

If action is taken from both faces of the plate to accommodate thickness differences, then the card can be flush with either format, but existing machines are designed to work on one face only

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecard flush alignmentVSAvoidnumber of faces requiring action

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of taking action from both faces of the plate, the invention inverts the approach by taking all necessary action from a single first face. The spotface is created on the first face, and the leveling punch acts from the first face to level the second face, eliminating the need for direct intervention on the second face.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The leveling punch acts as an intermediary tool that transfers the thickening effect from the first face to the second face. By punching from the first face, it indirectly modifies the second face's thickness without requiring direct action on that face, resolving the machine design constraint.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Manufacturing precision

If the thickness difference is arranged against the face opposite from the contact plate, then the contact plate remains flush, but it becomes difficult or impossible to act on that opposite face

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontact plate flush alignmentVSAvoidaccessibility for machining

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The leveling punch serves as an intermediary that enables modification of the second face (opposite from contact plate) through action taken from the first face. This indirect approach maintains contact plate flush alignment while avoiding the manufacturing difficulty of directly accessing the opposite face.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of directly machining the opposite face where the contact plate is flush, the invention inverts the approach by creating the spotface on the first face and using the leveling punch to indirectly modify the opposite face, making the process feasible with single-face machines.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS10207420B2Fabricating a plate of large thickness including a detachable card of small thickness

Publication Date: 2019.02.19 IDEMIA FRANCE SAS

AI summary

A method and tooling for fabricating a thin plastic plate of large format and of large thickness and including a card of small format and of small thickness that is detachable from the plate. The method, which may be implemented using the tooling, includes operations for making a spotface in a face of the plate to a depth equal to the difference between the large thickness and the small thickness; punching in the spotface zone along a leveling direction facing another face of the plate opposite from the first face, to a leveling stroke (en) equal to the depth of the spotface, in order to bring the bottom of the spotface level with the first face of the plate; and pre-cutting an outline of the card within the leveled zone, in order to make the card detachable.