Variable-Width Film Slitting Guides for Ventilated Pallet Wrapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pallet wrapping technologies do not adequately address the need for ventilation in wrapping perishable goods, leading to issues such as condensation and spoilage, while also lacking flexibility in adjusting strip widths and posing safety hazards with exposed blades.
Innovation Solution
A device with retractable blades and adjustable guides, allowing for in-situ slitting of film into variable-width strips, which can be retrofitted to existing machines, ensuring ventilation and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If continuous film is used for wrapping, then the load is well stabilized, but ventilation is insufficient leading to condensation and spoilage
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous film is divided into multiple strips by cutting edges that traverse the film width, creating spaced-apart strips that wrap around the load. This segmentation allows air circulation between strips, preventing condensation while maintaining load stabilization through the distributed wrapping pattern.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If pre-slit film is used to provide ventilation, then air flow is improved, but the cost increases and flexibility in strip width adjustment is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The guide position is made adjustable along the film width, allowing dynamic repositioning of the strip formation location. This enables flexible control of strip width and spacing without requiring pre-slit film, maintaining ventilation benefits while adapting to different wrapping requirements and reducing film cost.
3Ease of manufacture
If blades are exposed for cutting film, then slicing functionality is achieved, but safety hazards increase
Solution Approach 1:
The blades are positioned to cut the film before the wrapped load reaches the blade area, and the blades are designed to be retracted or shielded after cutting. This preliminary action sequence ensures cutting functionality while minimizing operator exposure to sharp edges, reducing safety hazards.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If custom pre-slit film is manufactured, then ventilation requirements are met, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The slitting function is extracted from the film manufacturing process and integrated into the wrapping machine itself. The cutting edges and adjustable guide in the wrapping machine create the ventilation strips directly from continuous film during operation, eliminating the need for complex pre-slit film manufacturing while achieving the same ventilation effect.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to wrapping palletised items and loads. A method, system and apparatus is disclosed for stretch wrapping which provides a device adapted to provide strips of material of various widths, the device comprising: one or more blades for slitting a film of material to form two or more strips, a primary guide for guiding the two or more strips, a secondary guide, over which the strips pass, and two or more shaped recesses operatively associated with one of the primary guide or the secondary guide, each recess guiding a strip, wherein the width of the strips can be varied by altering the relative positions of the primary guide and secondary guide.