Variable reservoir device

A system comprising:

• a reservoir device for feeding loose one-piece fixing ties (OPTs), the loose OPTs each including a cable tie head part with a window, a strap part, a neck part connecting a foot part to the head part, and a foot part with a fixing connector, to an automatic bundling tool device (ABT), the reservoir device comprising a plurality of carrier units, comprising at least two different carrier unit types, each carrier unit type of the two carrier unit types structurally adapted to a specific type of the loose OPT that differs in at least one part of the foot part, the head part, or the neck part, wherein the reservoir device is configured to detachably hold the loose OPTs on the carrier unit, in a row, with the carrier unit having a base and being configured to be moved to or through the ABT in order to have the loose OPTs detached from the carrier unit, wherein the carrier units are units separate from the OPTs, and wherein the carrier units are configured to have the respective loose OPT detachably attached to the respective carrier unit by a respective interface element configured to receive and hold the respective loose OPT on the respective carrier unit by providing at least one of a form fit for the head part of the respective OPT preventing motion of the OPT along a main extension plane of the base of the respective carrier unit or a form fit for support of the foot part of the OPT when it is held on the carrier unit, and to secure the OPTs from unintended release;
• a feeding device configured to feed the loose OPTs to the ABT, with a guiding slot unit configured to guide the reservoir device through the feeding device;
• a stepwise conveyor mechanism unit configured to stepwise move the reservoir device along the guiding slot unit;
• and
• an actuator unit configured to eject the respective loose OPT from the reservoir device holding the respective loose OPT.

A method for feeding loose one-piece fixing ties (OPTs) to an automatic bundling tool device (ABT), comprising:

• attaching one or more loose OPTs to one of a plurality of respective carrier units of a reservoir device, the plurality of carrier units comprising at least two different carrier unit types, each carrier unit type of the two carrier unit types structurally adapted to a specific type of the loose OPT, the loose OPTs each including a cable tie head part with a window, a strap part, a neck part connecting a foot part to the head part, and a foot part with a fixing connector, the types of loose OPT differ in at least one part of the foot part, the head part, or the neck part, where the respective carrier units are flexible with respect to each other by being linked to each other via a mechanical connection interface with a predetermined number of degrees of freedom for spatial movements of two adjacent carrier units;
• holding the attached OPTs individually on the reservoir device by the respective carrier unit;
• pulling the reservoir device to the ABT by a feeding device, detaching the OPTs, one by one, from the respective carrier unit by an actuator unit of the feeding device;
• and
• feeding the respective detached OPT to the ABT by the feeding device.