Tubular Casing Packing via Expansion Plug and Grabber
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods of packing objects in tubular casings, such as rucking, lead to elastic fatigue and plastic deformation due to extended stretching, are time-consuming and labor-intensive, resulting in inefficient use of tubular casing material and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that pre-expand a short length of tubular casing for a brief duration before severing, using an inner expansion plug and a casing grabber to hold the casing open, allowing for automatic feeding and cutting of the casing segment with the product inside, thereby reducing labor and equipment costs and minimizing elastic fatigue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If rucking is used to pack product in tubular casing, then the casing can be stretched to accommodate product, but elastic fatigue and plastic deformation occur due to extended stretching
Solution Approach 1:
The expansion plug is inserted into the casing before the product is packed, pre-expanding the casing to the required diameter. This preliminary action allows the casing to be stretched only briefly during packing rather than continuously during storage and handling, reducing elastic fatigue and plastic deformation while maintaining the ability to accommodate the product.
2Adaptability or versatility
If rucking is used to pack product in tubular casing, then the casing can be stretched to accommodate product, but the process is time-consuming and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The expansion plug is designed to be self-inserting and self-holding. It automatically expands the casing to the required diameter without requiring manual manipulation or complex equipment. The plug remains in place during packing and is easily removed by simply pushing it downstream, making the entire process rapid and labor-minimizing while maintaining reliable casing expansion.
3Adaptability or versatility
If extended stretching is applied to the casing, then the casing can accommodate product, but material waste increases due to inefficient use
Solution Approach 1:
The expansion plug pre-expands the casing to the exact diameter needed for the product before packing begins. This prevents over-stretching and material waste that would occur if the casing were stretched continuously during handling and storage. The casing is stretched only briefly during the actual packing operation, maximizing material efficiency while maintaining product accommodation capability.
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
This approach reduces labor and equipment costs, minimizes elastic fatigue, and ensures the tubular casing can strongly contract around the product, improving packing efficiency and reducing material waste.
Implementation Method 1
the tubular casing having an elastically expansible diameter
Implementation Method 2
grasping the casing upstream end with a casing grabber; moving the casing grabber, with the grasped casing upstream end, away from the expansion plug
Implementation Method 3
cutting the tubular casing at a cutting position downstream of the product to sever an upstream casing segment
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus of packing product in a tubular casing is provided. The method includes providing a continuous length of tubular casing, providing an expansion plug within the tubular casing, grasping the casing upstream end with a casing grabber, moving the casing grabber away from the expansion plug towards an outlet end of a product feed conduit, feeding product from the product feed conduit through the casing upstream end into the tubular casing, and cutting the tubular casing downstream of the product to sever an upstream casing segment from the remaining continuous length of tubular casing.