Translatable Cord Guide for High-Speed Tampon Assembly
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Accumulating and attaching a withdrawal cord to an intravaginal member, such as a tampon or pessary, is challenging due to the high-speed movement of the member in the machine direction during manufacturing, making it difficult to manage the cord length effectively.
Innovation Solution
The method involves providing an assembly surface with a seat and a withdrawal cord supply, routing the cord around translatable cord guides, and using a withdrawal cord anchor to affix the cord to the intravaginal member, allowing for efficient attachment even at high throughput rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the intravaginal member moves at high speed in the machine direction during manufacturing, then productivity is improved, but it becomes difficult to accumulate and attach the withdrawal cord to the member
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces translatable cord guides as intermediary components that mediate between the high-speed moving intravaginal member and the withdrawal cord supply. These guides actively translate and position the cord, making it accessible for attachment despite the member's high-speed movement. The cord guides serve as a buffer mechanism that decouples the speed mismatch between the member transport and cord feeding processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs translatable cord guides that are themselves movable, allowing the cord positioning system to dynamically adapt to the high-speed movement of the intravaginal member. Rather than using a static cord feeding mechanism, the system uses dynamic guides that can translate and adjust their position to maintain proper cord alignment and tension during high-speed operation.
2Productivity
If sections of withdrawal cord are unwound and routed in the machine direction, then the process aligns with high-speed manufacturing lines, but accumulating the cord length becomes difficult when the member is moving rapidly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent solves the cord accumulation problem by introducing translatable guides that move the cord in additional dimensions beyond the simple machine direction. The guides can translate the cord laterally and in depth, creating a multi-dimensional cord positioning system that allows accumulation and measurement of cord length even while the member moves rapidly in the primary machine direction.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by using the translatable cord guides to pre-position and pre-measure the withdrawal cord before attachment. The guides translate and hold the cord in readiness, allowing the exact length to be measured and prepared in advance of the attachment moment, ensuring proper cord length is available when needed despite high-speed operation.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to methods of assembling a withdrawal cord with an intravaginal member. In some embodiments, the withdrawal cord is affixed to an intravaginal member through the use of an anchor.