Wire Forming Apparatus Radial Tool Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wire forming apparatuses face challenges in rotating tools around the wire axis without limiting the rotational position or requiring retracting operations, leading to instability and variations in final product shape, especially with thin wires.
Innovation Solution
A wire forming apparatus with radially arranged tools and a movable table system that allows tools to rotate relative to the wire guide without pivoting the guide, using a two-dimensional movement mechanism and control system to position and drive tools independently, eliminating the need for multiple drive sources and retracting operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the wire is rotated by making feed rollers pivot around the wire axis, then the wire can be formed in an arbitrary direction, but the curving tendency of the wire causes the direction of curving to change every time it is rotated, affecting working precision
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of rotating the wire by pivoting feed rollers around the wire axis, the invention inverts the approach by keeping the wire axis fixed and rotating the tools around the wire axis. This eliminates the curving tendency issue while maintaining the ability to form wire in arbitrary directions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a swivel table as an intermediary mechanism between the wire supply and tools. The swivel table rotates the tools radially arranged around it, serving as a mediator that enables arbitrary direction formation without directly rotating the wire or pivoting feed rollers.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple driving mechanisms are arranged on the forming table to enable tool rotation, then tools can be driven regardless of rotational position, but the driving mechanisms must be retracted when rotating the swivel table
Solution Approach 1:
The invention makes the driving mechanisms universal by enabling them to drive tools at any rotational position through the swivel table mechanism. The radially arranged tools on the swivel table can be positioned and driven by the same driving mechanisms regardless of the swivel table's rotational position, eliminating the need for retraction operations.
3Volume of moving object
If the wire supply mechanism is positioned close to the feed rollers, then the apparatus is more compact, but the wire twists between the wire supply mechanism and feed rollers, influencing product shape stability
Solution Approach 1:
The wire guide acts as an intermediary element between the wire supply mechanism and feed rollers. It provides a stable routing path for the wire, preventing twisting even when the wire supply mechanism is positioned close to the feed rollers, thus maintaining both compactness and product shape stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A wire forming apparatus which feeds out a wire to a formation space at a distal end of a wire guide (333) and works the wire into a desired shape by using radially arranged tools (T1-T4) includes a wire feeder (30) which supports the wire guide (333) and feeds out the wire to the wire guide (333), tool rotating means (230), from which the tool (T1-T4) is detachable, for changing a position of the tool (T1-T4) relative to the wire guide (333) by rotation, tool driving means (240), rotatably supported by the tool rotating means (230), for applying a driving force to the tool (T1-T4) attached to the tool rotating means (230), a table (210, 220) which supports the tool rotating means (230) and the tool driving means (240) and is configured to move in a two-dimensional direction, and control means (701) for controlling operations of the wire feeder (30), the tool rotating means (230), the tool driving means (240), and the table (210, 220) to work the wire into a desired shape.