U-Shaped Toggling Frame for Hides with Access Corridor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toggling frames for drying hides are inefficient for small hides, making it difficult for operators to reach and stretch them, leading to reduced productivity, increased costs, and lower thermal efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A frame with a U-shaped supporting structure and sliding panels that create a corridor for easy access, allowing for the use of kinematic units and actuators to facilitate the stretching and drying of small hides, improving ergonomic conditions and productivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional coplanar panels are used for toggling hides, then large hides can be stretched effectively, but operators cannot reach the edges of small hides to fix them
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is divided into two coplanar panels that can move independently relative to each other, creating a corridor space between them. This segmentation allows operators to access small hides from the corridor while maintaining the ability to stretch hides across both panels.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a single-plane panel structure to a two-panel coplanar structure that creates a third dimensional space (the corridor) between the panels. This additional space enables operator access to small hides that would otherwise be unreachable on a single large panel.
2Manufacturing precision
If coplanar panels are moved apart to stretch hides, then hide surface area increases, but considerable space is lost on the frame
Solution Approach 1:
The panels are designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing them to be positioned dynamically. During stretching, panels move apart to apply tension to hides; during storage or non-use, panels can be positioned to maximize drying surface area utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The distance between panels is made variable rather than fixed. By changing the panel separation parameter, the system can optimize between stretching effectiveness (larger separation) and space utilization (smaller separation when stretching is not required).
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention is a frame (1; 100) for toggling hides (G) to be dried, comprising: a supporting structure (2; 102a, 102b) provided with rolling means (3) for coupling with guide tracks (51; 51a, 51b) of a drier (50) and panels (4; 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) for toggling the hides (G), each delimited by a perimeter element (5; 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) associated with the supporting structure (2; 102a, 102b). The frame (1; 100) has substantially the shape of a U that defines a corridor (10) arranged in an intermediate position between the panels (4; 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) that comprise: a first pair of panels defined by a first panel (4a) and a second panel (4c) that are coplanar with each other; a second pair of panels defined by a third panel (4b) coplanar with and adjacent to the first panel (4a) and by a fourth panel (4d) coplanar with and adjacent to the second panel (4c), the first panel (4a) and the second panel (4c) being spaced from each other in such a way as to define the corridor (10) in which it is possible to identify an access direction (X) for the operator so that he/she can access the first and the second panel (4a, 4c) in order to load/unload the hides (G). The frame comprises also kinematic units (7), each suited to cooperate with actuator means (9; 9a, 9b) belonging to the frame (50) in order to obtain the mutual coplanar displacement of panels (4a, 4b; 4c, 4d) that are adjacent to each other.