Vine Stake Tongue with V-Groove Chamfer

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vineyard poles with tongue-shaped sections suffer from punching burrs that hinder wire movement and damage protective coatings, leading to premature oxidation and increased production complexity and costs.

Innovation Solution

The introduction of V-shaped grooves on both sides of the sheet metal base body allows for the creation of chamfered tongue-shaped sections without additional work steps, enabling wires to slide freely and reducing material deformation, thus avoiding punching burrs and enhancing rigidity against harvesting impacts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If tongue-shaped sections are punched out from sheet metal to form receiving sections, then the receiving sections can be formed, but punching burrs are created that hinder wire movement and damage protective coatings

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereceiving section formationVSAvoidpunching burrs
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

V-shaped grooves are embossed into the sheet metal before punching out the tongue-shaped sections. This preliminary action creates a chamfered edge that prevents punching burrs from forming, allowing clean wire insertion without damaging protective coatings.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The punching process that creates harmful burrs is transformed into a beneficial process by pre-embossing V-shaped grooves. The grooves guide the material flow during punching, converting what would be a harmful defect into a useful chamfered edge that facilitates wire insertion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If additional chamfering work steps are introduced to eliminate punching burrs, then wire movement is improved, but production time and tool costs increase by more than 30%

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepunching burrs eliminationVSAvoidproduction time
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The chamfering function is merged into the punching process itself by pre-embossing V-shaped grooves. This combines two separate operations (chamfering and punching) into one integrated process, eliminating the need for additional work steps and reducing production time by more than 30%.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The chamfered edge is created in advance through embossing before the punching operation. This preliminary action eliminates the need for subsequent chamfering work steps, directly reducing production time and tool costs while ensuring clean wire insertion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Strength

If the receiving section is bent backwards by more than 90° to form a C-shape, then rigidity against harvester impact is improved, but the complexity of the forming process increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverigidity against impactVSAvoidforming process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

V-shaped grooves are embossed into the sheet metal before bending the tongue-shaped section backwards. This preliminary action creates a chamfered edge that facilitates the bending process and ensures the receiving section achieves the desired C-shape with high rigidity without requiring complex forming tools.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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 method allows for cost-effective production of vineyard poles with chamfered receiving sections that prevent wire oxidation and reduce wear on harvesting equipment, while minimizing production time and tool costs, ensuring smooth wire movement and increased durability.

Implementation Method 1

The punching edge of the tongue-shaped section that occurs during the punching process is provided with a chamfer in the area of a particularly C-shaped receiving section for the wire, which is produced according to the invention in that a first and second groove of both sides of the body introduced into the body, in particular embossed.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPlastic deformation: Plasticity

Data Source

PatentEP2456296B1Vine stake
Publication Date: 2014.12.10 DR REISACHER WINZERBEDARF
  • EP2456296B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2456296B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3d
  • EP2456296B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a stake (1) with at least one hook (6) for retaining a wire (8) for wine- and fruit-growing purposes, the stake having a basic body (2) with at least one limb (4) which is made of sheet metal (32) and on which the hook (6) is produced by means of a tongue-like portion (12), extending from a tongue base (10) to a free end, being punched and bent out of the sheet metal (32), wherein the outer edge (35) of the tongue-like portion (12), in the region of an accommodating portion (18) for the wire (8), is provided with a chamfer (24a, 24b), and also relates to a method for producing such a stake. The stake is characterised in that the chamfer (24a, 24b) is obtained by the introduction of a first and a second groove (38a, 38b), corresponding in shape to the contour of the tongue-like portion (12) and being in particular V-shaped in cross section, into the basic body (2) and the tongue-like portion (12) is then pressed out of the basic body (2).