Ultrasound Welding Rollers for Variable Thickness Hermetic Seals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packaging machines for hermetic sealing of smoking articles face challenges with variable thickness lateral fins, leading to bulky and expensive equipment, limited productivity, and safety concerns due to high-temperature welding elements, which struggle to maintain a consistent hermetic seal.
Innovation Solution
A packaging machine with ultrasound welding rollers that exert variable pressure based on thickness, using vibration frequency and amplitude adjustments, and pneumatic actuation to ensure consistent sealing without high-temperature elements, allowing for flexible adaptation to different fin thicknesses and formats.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple welding stations are provided to weld lateral fins with variable thickness, then the hermetic seal quality is improved, but the device complexity and machine bulk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a single welding station with dynamically adjustable parameters (pressure, temperature, time) that can adapt to different fin thicknesses in real-time, replacing the need for multiple fixed welding stations. The control system modifies welding parameters based on detected thickness variations, achieving reliable sealing across variable thickness without requiring separate dedicated welding zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the welding parameters (pressure, temperature, time) dynamically based on the detected thickness of the lateral fin. By adjusting these parameters in response to thickness variations, the system maintains consistent sealing quality across different fin configurations without needing multiple physical welding stations.
2Reliability
If multiple welding stations are provided to weld lateral fins with variable thickness, then the hermetic seal quality is improved, but the machine bulk and occupation space increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent consolidates multiple welding functions into a single dynamic welding station that can handle various fin thicknesses through real-time parameter adjustment, significantly reducing the space required compared to having multiple separate welding stations arranged along the packet path.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the functions of multiple welding stations into a single integrated welding unit with adjustable parameters, combining what would otherwise require separate dedicated welding zones for different thickness ranges into one versatile station.
3Reliability
If high-temperature heating elements are used for welding, then the welding effectiveness is improved, but safety concerns and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the welding approach by using lower temperature heating elements with extended contact time and controlled pressure instead of high-temperature brief heating. This parameter change maintains welding effectiveness while reducing thermal hazards and improving operator safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The welding process uses periodic application of heat and pressure in a controlled sequence, allowing the material to weld effectively through sustained moderate heating rather than intense brief heating, thereby reducing safety concerns associated with high-temperature elements.
4Device complexity
If fixed welding parameters are used, then the device simplicity is maintained, but the adaptability to different fin thicknesses is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the welding parameters from fixed to dynamic, allowing real-time adjustment based on detected fin thickness. This enables the same welding station to adapt to various packet formats and fin thicknesses without requiring multiple fixed-configured stations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback from thickness detection to automatically adjust welding parameters. The detected fin thickness information is fed back to the control system, which then modifies pressure, temperature, and time parameters to optimize welding for each specific thickness condition.
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 solution enables compact, energy-efficient, and safe hermetic sealing with increased productivity, flexibility, and reduced setup time, ensuring a consistent hermetic seal without damaging the material, and can operate in both continuous and step-indexed modes.
Implementation Method 1
A packaging machine with ultrasound welding rollers that exert variable pressure based on thickness, using vibration frequency and amplitude adjustments
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2
Figure 3~4a
AI summary
A method and a packaging machine (10) are described to produce a hermetic wrapping (100) hermetically wrapped around an organized group of smoking articles (101) which provide to weld, by ultrasound welding, lateral fins (110) of a pre-wrapping (105) that is the precursor of the hermetic wrapping (100), wherein each lateral fin (110) comprises at least two portions (110a, 110b, 110c) each having its own thickness (Sa, Sb, Sc) which is different from the thickness (Sa, Sb, Sc) of the other portion (110a, 110b, 110c), as these are formed by overlapping a different number of flaps (107, 108, 111, 112, 113).