US20200307846A1 - Machine and Process for Packaging Unique Items - Google Patents
Machine and Process for Packaging Unique Items Download PDFInfo
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- US20200307846A1 US20200307846A1 US16/902,327 US202016902327A US2020307846A1 US 20200307846 A1 US20200307846 A1 US 20200307846A1 US 202016902327 A US202016902327 A US 202016902327A US 2020307846 A1 US2020307846 A1 US 2020307846A1
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- Prior art keywords
- stock material
- making machine
- bag making
- bag
- roll
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B57/00—Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices
- B65B57/10—Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged
- B65B57/12—Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of wrapping materials, containers, or packages
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
- B29C66/40—General aspects of joining substantially flat articles, e.g. plates, sheets or web-like materials; Making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles; Joining single elements to substantially flat surfaces
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
- B29C66/40—General aspects of joining substantially flat articles, e.g. plates, sheets or web-like materials; Making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles; Joining single elements to substantially flat surfaces
- B29C66/41—Joining substantially flat articles ; Making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles
- B29C66/43—Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles
- B29C66/431—Joining the articles to themselves
- B29C66/4312—Joining the articles to themselves for making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles, e.g. transversal seams
- B29C66/43121—Closing the ends of tubular or hollow single articles, e.g. closing the ends of bags
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
- B29C66/80—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
- B29C66/84—Specific machine types or machines suitable for specific applications
- B29C66/851—Bag or container making machines
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
- B29C66/80—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
- B29C66/84—Specific machine types or machines suitable for specific applications
- B29C66/851—Bag or container making machines
- B29C66/8511—Bag making machines
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B70/00—Making flexible containers, e.g. envelopes or bags
- B31B70/006—Controlling; Regulating; Measuring; Safety measures
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B70/00—Making flexible containers, e.g. envelopes or bags
- B31B70/14—Cutting, e.g. perforating, punching, slitting or trimming
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B70/00—Making flexible containers, e.g. envelopes or bags
- B31B70/60—Uniting opposed surfaces or edges; Taping
- B31B70/64—Uniting opposed surfaces or edges; Taping by applying heat or pressure
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B70/00—Making flexible containers, e.g. envelopes or bags
- B31B70/60—Uniting opposed surfaces or edges; Taping
- B31B70/64—Uniting opposed surfaces or edges; Taping by applying heat or pressure
- B31B70/645—Making seals transversally to the direction of movement
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B11/00—Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
- B65B11/48—Enclosing articles, or quantities of material, by folding a wrapper, e.g. a pocketed wrapper, and securing its opposed free margins to enclose contents
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B5/00—Packaging individual articles in containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, jars
- B65B5/02—Machines characterised by incorporation of means for making the containers or receptacles
- B65B5/022—Machines characterised by incorporation of means for making the containers or receptacles for making bags
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B53/00—Shrinking wrappers, containers, or container covers during or after packaging
- B65B53/02—Shrinking wrappers, containers, or container covers during or after packaging by heat
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B59/00—Arrangements to enable machines to handle articles of different sizes, to produce packages of different sizes, to vary the contents of packages, to handle different types of packaging material, or to give access for cleaning or maintenance purposes
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B2150/00—Flexible containers made from sheets or blanks, e.g. from flattened tubes
- B31B2150/003—Flexible containers made from sheets or blanks, e.g. from flattened tubes made from tubular sheets
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B2155/00—Flexible containers made from webs
- B31B2155/003—Flexible containers made from webs starting from tubular webs
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B2210/00—Specific aspects of the packaging machine
- B65B2210/04—Customised on demand packaging by determining a specific characteristic, e.g. shape or height, of articles or material to be packaged and selecting, creating or adapting a packaging accordingly, e.g. making a carton starting from web material
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B41/00—Supplying or feeding container-forming sheets or wrapping material
- B65B41/12—Feeding webs from rolls
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B51/00—Devices for, or methods of, sealing or securing package folds or closures; Devices for gathering or twisting wrappers, or necks of bags
- B65B51/10—Applying or generating heat or pressure or combinations thereof
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B61/00—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages
- B65B61/04—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages for severing webs, or for separating joined packages
- B65B61/06—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages for severing webs, or for separating joined packages by cutting
Definitions
- the present disclosure relates to machines for creating bags from a stock material.
- the present disclosure also relates to processes involving packaging uniquely sized and shaped items within bags.
- Packaging plays a key role in protecting merchandise during transportation, storage and installation. Processes and machines for creating packages, as well as processes and machines for applying the packages to the products, are becoming increasingly automated. Packing of small products produced at high volume often is accomplished using an automated packing process. The small size of these products, the high volume output of thousands of packaged products a day, and the substantial uniformity of these products' shapes, allow for relatively low cost automation of the packaging process.
- Packaging of larger, more unique or dissimilar shaped products typically requires more manual steps.
- a prime example of a lower volume manual packaging process is currently used in the furniture industry.
- Packaging is important to the furniture industry to avoid pulls, tears, or rips in the fabric or leather upholstery of a new item.
- Packaging similarly can help avoid dings or scratches in wood or other surfaces during shipping and delivery.
- FIG. 1 shows a schematic of a furniture packaging line 10 .
- FIG. 2 is a flow chart summarizing a representative packaging process.
- the packaging line 10 typically includes a series of conveyors 12 receiving finished furniture pieces 14 - 18 and conveying them along the packaging line to a shrink bag station 19 .
- furniture pieces 14 - 18 are relatively custom made and often manufactured after an order is received.
- furniture pieces 14 - 18 are added to the packaging line 10 when completed.
- the result is a series of successive furniture pieces 14 - 18 that vary significantly in size and shape.
- FIG. 1 shows a packaged upholstered chair 14 , a dining chair 15 , a sofa 16 , an unpackaged stool 17 and a loveseat 18 .
- Each furniture piece has a furniture length X generally parallel with the conveyor 12 , a furniture width Y and a furniture height Z.
- various packaging materials such as cardboard trays 20 , corner protectors, foam bags, etc. may be added to the furniture pieces 14 - 18 depending upon the construction and/or shape of each piece.
- the furniture piece 14 - 18 is inserted into a shrink bag 22 at the shrink bag station 19 .
- shrink bags 22 are provided on continuous rolls 24 , with perforations between each bag.
- Rolls 24 of shrink bags 22 are also arranged on one or more racks 26 allowing for access to several rolls, for example six distinct rolls. Each distinct roll 24 may have shrink bags 22 of different combinations of bag length and circumference.
- the shrink bags 22 coming off the roll 24 are substantially flat with a sealed end and an open end. In the flat configuration, the distance between the sealed end and the open end would be the bag length L (see FIG. 4 ).
- the side edges of the shrink bags 22 may or may not include gussets (i.e. additional folds of material) that allow the shrink bag 22 to have a larger internal volume. The circumference, is therefore equal to twice the width of the shrink bag 22 in the flat configuration plus any additional width provided by the gussets.
- a packer 28 is tasked with identifying the next furniture piece (a recliner 15 as illustrated) coming down the packaging line 10 , selecting a shrink bag 22 from an appropriate roll 24 that is sufficiently large to enclose that piece, and tearing the selected bag from its respective roll along the perforations.
- the open end of the shrink bag is gathered and taped closed.
- the furniture piece 15 then travels through a shrink tunnel 30 where heat is applied, causing the shrink bag 22 to constrict.
- the furniture piece 14 - 18 exits the shrink tunnel 30 , the furniture piece is ready for loading into a truck for delivery to the warehouse, retailer or customer.
- Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods of packaging a series of differently shaped objects, such as furniture.
- An exemplary method comprises receiving a first object to be packaged, identifying a first length of a stock packaging material suitable for enclosing the first object, and creating, with a bag making machine, a first bag from the stock packaging material having approximately the first length.
- the packaging method further comprises substantially enclosing the first object in the first bag.
- the method then includes receiving a second object to be packaged, the second object having a shape or size different from the first object, identifying a second length of the stock packaging material suitable for enclosing the second object, and creating, with the bag making machine, a second bag from the stock packaging material having approximately the second length.
- the method may end by substantially enclosing the second object in the second bag.
- Embodiments of the present disclosure also include a bag making machine configured to receive a flattened tubular stock material, a longitudinal axis of the tubular stock material corresponding with a direction of travel of the stock material through the bag making machine.
- the machine comprises a feeder configured to draw a desired length of the stock material from a roll.
- the machine also includes a cutter, which when activated, is configured to separate an upstream portion of the stock material from a downstream portion of the stock material.
- the machine includes a sealer, which when activated, is configured to form a seal within the stock material traverse to the direction of travel while substantially simultaneously separating an upstream portion of the stock material from a downstream portion of the stock material.
- a controller of the machine is programmed to alternate use of the cutter and the sealer such that the feeder operates to draw the stock material between each use of the cutter and the sealer.
- An exemplary method comprises drawing a first length of the stock material from the roll and feeding the first length of the stock material past a sealer. The method then includes dispensing a first bag, the first bag having an open leading edge and a sealed trailing edge, by operating the sealer to form a seal within the stock material while also substantially simultaneously separating the first length of stock material from the roll with the sealer. The method further comprises drawing a second length of stock material from the roll and feeding the second length of stock material past a cutter.
- the method continues by dispensing a second bag, the second bag having a sealed leading edge and an open trailing edge, by operating the cutter to separate the second length of stock material from the roll, the sealed leading edge of the second bag having been created by the sealer during dispensing of the first bag.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic of a process of packaging furniture according to a conventional method.
- FIG. 2 is a flow chart for a process of packaging furniture according to a conventional method.
- FIG. 3 shows a bag making machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 4 is a top view of the packaging bags created by the bag making machine according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 5A is a detailed view of the bag making machine with a sealer in use.
- FIG. 5B is a detailed view of the bag making machine with a cutter in use.
- FIG. 6 is a flow chart for a process of operating the bag making machine according to an embodiment.
- FIG. 7 is a flow chart for a packaging process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
- One solution to the problem of oversized shrink bags 22 would be to increase the number of distinct rolls 24 available to the packer 28 .
- the packer 28 By reducing the incremental size difference between each bag size, the packer 28 would be able to select a shrink bag 22 that more closely fits the next product along the packaging line 10 .
- Increasing the number of unique bag configurations, however, would be expected to slow the packaging process by increasing the available choices to the packer 28 .
- Larger racks 26 would be required, increasing the complexity of inventory control, requiring additional floor space, and requiring additional time for the packer 28 to travel between the appropriate rack and the conveyor 12 .
- a bag making machine 50 is configured to create a custom-length shrink bag on-demand during the process of packaging uniquely shaped products.
- the bag making machine 50 receives stock packaging material 52 provided on a roll 54 .
- the stock packaging material 52 is preferably provided in the form of a gusseted continuous tube of material.
- the gussets allow for the diameter circumference of the resulting bag to be wider than the width of the roll 54 .
- a flat tube of material, i.e. without gussets, is also contemplated.
- the longitudinal axis A (see FIG. 4 ) through the tube of material is understood as wrapped around the central axis of the roll 54 .
- the longitudinal axis A through the tube of material follows a path parallel with the direction of travel D as the material 52 is unrolled and passed through the bag making machine 50 .
- the stock packaging material 52 is preferably a shrink film made from linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), which has a melting temperature of approximately 220 degrees F., and which is configured to shrink when heated, as is known in the art.
- LLDPE linear low-density polyethylene
- the material 52 has a thickness in the range of about 3.7 Mil to about 4 Mil. Suitable rolls for use in the furniture industry may be 60′′ wide and sold by weight. While shrinkable polymers are preferred, the bag making machine 50 may be suitable for use with non-shrinking stock packaging material in some embodiments.
- the stock packaging material 52 moves through the bag making machine 50 along the direction of travel D in FIG. 3 .
- the stock packaging material 52 is transformed into a packaging bag 56 by the bag making machine 50 .
- the packaging bag 56 immediately upon being created, i.e. becoming separate from the remainder of the stock packaging material 52 , may be substantially flat.
- the packaging bags 56 , 156 created by the bag making machine 50 may each include a pair of pre-closed edges 58 generally parallel with the direction of travel D.
- An open edge 60 occurs traverse to the direction of travel D.
- a sealed edge 62 occurs traverse to the direction of travel and opposite the open edge 60 .
- the bag making machine 50 generates first packaging bags 56 where the open edge 60 is a leading edge 64 of the first packaging bag as it leaves the machine.
- the bag making machine 50 also generates second packaging bags 156 where the sealed edge 62 is the leading edge 64 of the second packaging bag as it leaves the machine.
- the leading edge 64 is understand as the portion furthest along, i.e. downstream, relative to the direction of travel D.
- a trailing edge 66 is opposite the leading edge 64 and is further upstream relative to the direction of travel D.
- a bag making machine 50 may include a pair of receiver arms 70 configured to hold and position the roll 54 of stock packaging material 52 and allow the roll to rotate relative to the receiver arms 70 so that the stock packaging material can unroll.
- the pair of receiver arms 70 may be provided with a lift function to assist with receiving the roll 54 .
- actuators 72 for example pneumatic actuators may pivot the receiver arms 70 relative to a frame 74 of the bag making machine 50 . Pivoting the receiver arms 70 , as shown in phantom lines, can allow the roll 54 to be more easily placed onto the bag making machine 50 without lifting the roll to a significant height above the floor.
- the leading edge 64 of the material may be initially lead past one or more optional guide rollers 76 .
- the bag making machine 50 Downstream from the receiver arms 70 and the guide roller 76 , the bag making machine 50 includes a feeder 80 , which may comprise a pair of nip rollers 82 .
- the stock packaging material 52 is initially led between the nip rollers 82 .
- one or both of the pair of nip rollers 82 is driven to pull a desired amount of stock packaging material 52 from the roll 54 .
- the pair of nip rollers 82 are configured to press against one another with the stock packaging material 52 tightly sandwiched therebetween. This pressing force between the nip rollers 82 provides the friction to draw the stock packaging material 52 from the roll 54 as the nip rollers 82 turn.
- a counter 84 such as an encoder/counter available from Red Lion Controls, is preferably linked to one of the nip rollers 82 to sense, measure or otherwise determine the amount of stock packaging material 52 that has been pulled from the roll 54 .
- the amount of stock packaging material 52 corresponds with the approximate bag length L of the packaging bags 56 , 156 .
- the sealer 90 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 5A and 5B .
- the sealer 90 may comprise a press 92 and a heating element 94 .
- An example heating element is a bare metal wire, whose resistance generates heat.
- the wire may be mounted to the frame 74 by a spring or other tensioning mechanism to hold the wire taut as the wire expands with increasing temperature.
- the sealer 90 functions by closing the press 92 to clamp the stock packaging material 52 into contact with the heating element 94 as seen in FIG. 5A .
- direct contact between the heating element 94 and the stock packaging material 52 results in melting the stock packaging material and fusing together adjacent layers of the material along the length of the heating element to simultaneously form a seal traverse to the longitudinal axis A of the flatten tubular stock packaging material.
- the heating element 94 sufficiently melts, and in some cases burns, the stock packaging material 52 to cause separation between a first portion of the stock packaging material downstream past the sealer 90 and a second portion of the stock packaging material located upstream of the sealer 90 and still attached to the roll 54 .
- FIG. 5A identifies the resulting pair of sealed edges 62 .
- Other sealers 90 may be used that simultaneously separate the stock material and form a seal near the edge of each of the separated portions.
- the press 92 may include a blade centered between a pair of flat sealing heating elements, where the flat sealing heating elements do not cause separation of the stock material.
- the heating element 94 can operate with a wire temperature of between about 240 degrees F. and about 300 degrees F.
- the press 92 can be closed, clamping the stock packaging material 52 between a pair of contact surfaces, for between about 4 seconds and about 8 seconds.
- the bag making machine 50 includes a cutter 100 .
- the cutter 100 comprises a blade 102 .
- Use of the cutter 100 is also shown in detail in FIG. 5B .
- the blade 102 When activated, the blade 102 traverses the stock packaging material 52 substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel D.
- the blade 102 separates a first portion of the stock packaging material 52 located downstream along the direction of travel D beyond the cutter 100 from a second portion of the stock packaging material that is located upstream of the cutter.
- the cutter 100 may be activated to move across the direction of travel D by a pneumatic actuator.
- the cutter 100 may separate the first portion of stock packaging material from the second portion by slicing in a direction normal to the flattened plane of the stock packaging material 52 .
- Additional cutter types may be employed that create bag separation without causing sealing of downstream or upstream portions of the stock material. Examples include punch presses, perforation wheels or low temperature lasers.
- the cutter 100 is located downstream of the sealer 90 .
- the sealer 90 may be positioned downstream of the cutter 100 , but the first attempt to create a packaging bag from each fresh roll 54 may create a small initial segment of waste material.
- one or more additional guide rollers 76 may be provided to maintain the stock packaging material 52 as flat as possible as it travels through the machine.
- the operation of the bag making machine 50 is preferably controlled by a controller 110 .
- the controller 110 includes at least a user interface 112 and a processor.
- the controller 110 operates the feeder 80 , the sealer 90 , the cutter 100 and the receiver arms 70 , if applicable.
- the controller 110 may be programmed such that for each packaging bag 56 , 156 created by the bag making machine 50 , the sealer 90 and the cutter 100 are actuated in an alternating pattern. For each packaging bag 56 , 156 generated, only one of the sealer 90 and the cutter 100 is used.
- the user interface 112 may be provided as a display and a panel of manually operated buttons and switches.
- the user interface 112 may be provided in the form of a touch screen based human machine interface (HMI).
- HMI human machine interface
- a touch screen HMI can provide for adaptability such that the nature of the input can change if the programming of the processor is changed.
- the processor may be able to present a one or more “buttons” upon the touch screen to correspond with one or more preset bag lengths.
- a suitable HMI may include the Graphite® series of hardware available from Red Lion of York, Pa.
- a single controller 110 may be operably linked to two or more bag making machines 50 .
- a single controller 110 may operate a bag making machine 50 with more than one feeder 80 .
- the plurality of feeders 80 may feed into the same or separate sealers 90 and cutters 100 .
- Separate feeders 80 whether in the same or different bag making machines 50 , allows for feeding from separate rolls 54 of stock packaging material 52 , such as rolls with different bag circumferences.
- Use of a single controller 110 would avoid having the operator walk between separate machines to create packaging bags 56 , 156 with different circumferences.
- Operation of the bag making machine 50 may progress according to the following process as also shown in the flow chart of FIG. 6 .
- An operator such as the packer 28 , uses the user interface 112 to input into the controller 110 a desired bag length L of a first packaging bag 56 .
- the operator then initiates creation of the first packaging bag 56 via the user interface 112 .
- the desired bag length L is calculated by the controller 110 upon an alternative input into the user interface 112 from the operator.
- An example of an alternative input would be a product identifier.
- the desired bag length L is input electronically for use by the controller 110 without the operator using the user interface 112 .
- Electronic input may include a scanner or sensor.
- creation of the first packaging bag 56 may be automatically initiated without direct operator intervention.
- the upstream scanner or sensor may provide both a signal that provides both a bag length related input as well as a command to begin creating the associated bag.
- the input into the controller 110 comprises bag length L (see FIG. 4 ), which corresponds to the distance between the open edge 60 and the sealed edge 62 of the first packaging bag 56 in the flattened, i.e. two-dimensional state, as the first packaging bag leaves the bag making machine 50 .
- the bag length L is usually greater than the furniture length X (see FIG. 1 ) of the furniture piece 14 - 18 to be enclosed. This ensures the first packaging bag 56 is a sufficient size to cover each end of the furniture piece 14 - 18 .
- the operator may determine bag length L as a function of furniture length X, where X can be determined by a scale provided along the conveyor 12 . For example, L may equal 1.25*X. In other embodiments, the operator may input the furniture length X of the desired furniture piece 14 - 18 at the user interface 112 , and the controller 110 may convert to the required bag length L.
- determining the appropriate bag length L may be even more closely determined by not only considering the furniture length X, but also the furniture height Z as shown in FIG. 1 .
- the furniture height Z may be the height of the furniture piece 14 - 18 relative to the top of the conveyor 12 , or may include the thickness of the conveyor. Adding the thickness of the conveyor 12 may take into account the method of bagging the furniture piece 14 - 18 by initially wrapping the packaging bag 56 under the end of the conveyor, sometime known as the diving board. A taller furniture piece 14 - 18 in the height dimension Z will require a longer packaging bag 56 to cover the ends of the furniture piece.
- the bag length L may equal (X+H)*(1+N), where N is a tolerance factor to avoid generating a packaging bag 56 that is too small. N is less than 0.25 and preferably less than 0.1. Determination of the bag length L in terms of both the furniture length X and the furniture height Z is most preferable when the dimensions of the furniture piece 14 - 18 are determined by a sensor/scanner, or when the dimensions are pre-loaded into memory of the controller 110 .
- the furniture width Y (see FIG. 1 ) of the furniture piece 14 - 18 may also factor into determining the desired bag length L.
- the width of the conveyor 12 would be a limiting factor, and therefore the furniture width Y may be estimated as a constant value equal to the width of the conveyor.
- the controller 110 is preferably used to determine L.
- the circumference of the stock packaging material 52 is also a factor in determining the desired bag length L based on at least one of the furniture length X, the furniture height Z and the furniture width Y of a respective furniture piece 14 - 18 .
- creation of the first packaging bag 56 begins as the feeder 80 pulls the desired length of stock packaging material 52 from the roll 54 .
- the roll 54 provides a flattened continuous tube of stock packaging material 52 with an open initial leading edge and pre-closed edges 58 along the sides.
- the stock packaging material 52 is pulled from the roll 54 , the stock packaging material is led past the sealer 90 and the cutter 100 with the initial leading edge first.
- the controller 110 may activate the sealer 90 . As seen in FIG.
- the stock packaging material 52 positioned at the sealer 90 is clamped by the press 92 into contact with the heating element 94 .
- the stock packaging material 52 is subsequently separated in two by the contact between the heating element 94 and the material, while a sealed edge 62 is formed adjacent to the heating element 94 on each portion of the separated material.
- the first packaging bag 56 has been created, which has an open edge 60 corresponding with the leading edge thereof as the first packaging bag is removed from the bag making machine 50 .
- the trailing edge of the first packaging bag 56 was sealed and separated from the roll 54 by the use of the sealer 90 .
- the first packaging bag 56 was therefore dispensed without operation of the cutter 100 .
- the operator may then proceed to generate a second packaging bag 156 .
- the operator may input a new desired bag length L, or information sufficient for the controller to determine L. If the operator desires for the second packaging bag 156 to have the same length as the immediate previous packaging bag, the operator may actuate the bag making machine 50 without an additional length related input. Again, the stock packaging material 52 will pass the sealer 90 and then pass the cutter 100 as the material is pulled from the roll 54 by the feeder 80 .
- the controller 110 will signal the cutter 100 to separate the stock packaging material into the second packaging bag 156 downstream of the cutter 100 and a remaining portion of the stock packaging material that remains attached to the roll 54 .
- This separation by the cutter 100 specifically the blade 102 , is shown in FIG. 5B .
- the second packaging bag 156 will be dispensed from the bag making machine 50 bottom first (e.g. having a sealed edge 62 as the leading edge). The leading edge of the second packaging bag 156 was sealed during creation of the first packaging bag 56 , and the open edge 60 of the second packaging bag was created by use of the cutter 100 .
- the sealer 90 had a role in creating the second packaging bag 156 , the sealer was not necessary for creating the second packaging bag at a time after the first packaging bag 56 was made. As such, the second packaging bag 156 may be referred to as having been dispensed without separate operation of the sealer 90 .
- the term “approximately” may be used to describe the length of a packaging bag 56 , 156 relative to a desired bag length.
- the length of the packaging bag is “approximately” the desired bag length if the actual length of the flattened bag is between the desired bag length L as a minimum and the desired bag length L plus the distance between the sealer 90 and the cutter 100 as a maximum.
- An acceptable bag may have an actual length (when initially flat) below the desired bag length L or above the maximum length due to de minimus length variation caused by counter calibration, reduction of material during sealing, etc.
- FIG. 7 The differently shaped objects may be a series of furniture pieces 14 - 18 .
- Other processes faced with the need to package a series of relatively large, different sized or shaped products could be similarly improved using the bag making machine 50 .
- FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a packaging process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
- the process may include receiving a first object to be packaged.
- receipt of an object is the result of the object arriving on a conveyor 12 from an upstream work station.
- a task is to identify the length and/or circumference of a packaging bag 56 suitable for enclosing the first object.
- the bag length L should provide a bag that will enclose the object without using a bag whose length is excessive, thereby minimizing waste in material usage and cost.
- the task of identifying the bag length L may be performed by a human operator.
- the task of determining bag length may be supplemented by a measuring device (e.g.
- a correlation table may be provided with a list of regularly packaged objects correlated with a predetermined bag length for each object. Such a table may be read or memorized by the operator. Alternatively, such a table may be programmed into memory within the controller 110 . The operator would then input a product identifier for the first object into the user interface 112 , and the processor would then identify the desired bag length based upon pre-loaded shape characteristics of the identified product.
- the product identifier could be one or more of the furniture length X, furniture width Y, furniture height Z, an SKU, a product type, etc.
- the step of identifying a desired bag length L may bypass the operator altogether.
- a sensor or scanner may be provided to measure one or more dimensions of the object to be packaged.
- the scanner could read a label on the product that provides the SKU.
- the sensor or scanner could be in operable communication with the controller 110 to determine the desired bag length, and even commence the bag making process without input from the operator.
- the packaging process includes creating, with a bag making machine, a first packaging bag 56 from the stock packaging material 52 having approximately the first bag length.
- the step of creating the first packaging bag 56 may progress as described above.
- the bag making machine 50 may create the first packaging bag 56 with an open leading edge 64 and a sealed trailing edge 66 as a result of operating the sealer 90 as described above.
- Use of the bag making machine 50 as discussed above is one embodiment of the present packaging method. In other embodiments, however, the present packaging method does not require specific use of the bag making machine described herein. In those embodiments without the specific machine described herein, the present process is an improvement over the process shown and described in FIGS. 1 and 2 due to creating packaging bags on-demand instead of selecting pre-formed shrink bags 22 from the rolls 24 .
- the operator packages the first object by substantially enclosing the first object in the first packaging bag 56 .
- the step of enclosing the first object within the first packaging bag 56 may be conducted at least in part by a human operator. In other embodiments, however, robotics or other automation could be used to take the first packaging bag 56 from the bag making machine and applying it to the first object.
- the packaging method continues by receiving a second object to be packaged, the second object having a shape or size different from the first object.
- Receiving the second object is likely to occur in much the same way as the first object was received.
- the step of receiving the second object is, however, not limited to the same steps or processes that resulted in receiving the first object.
- a second length of the stock packaging material suitable for enclosing the second object is identified.
- the identification of the second length may include the same or different steps compared to the process of identifying the first length for the first object.
- a machine is then operated to create a second packaging bag 156 on demand as shown in FIG. 5B , the second packaging bag having approximately the second length.
- the second packaging bag 156 may be created from the bag making machine 50 as specifically discussed above.
- creating the second packaging bag 156 may include dispensing the second packaging bag from the bag making machine 50 with a sealed leading edge 64 and an open trailing edge 66 . This results from operating the cutter 100 to separate the second length of stock packaging material 52 from the roll 54 , the sealed leading edge 64 of the second packaging bag 156 having been created by the sealer 90 during creation of the first packaging bag 56 .
- the operator packages the second object by substantially enclosing the second object in the second packaging bag 156 .
- the step of enclosing the second object within the second packaging bag 156 may be conducted, at least in part, by a human operator. In other embodiments, however, robotics or other automation could be used to take the second packaging bag 156 from a bag making machine and applying it to the second object.
- the method uses a shrinkable polymer as the stock packaging material 52 . After each object is enclosed in a respective packaging bag 56 , 156 , heat is applied to shrink each packaging bag around its respective object. The packaged items may then be loaded for shipment.
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Abstract
Description
- This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/294,831 filed on Oct. 17, 2016, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
- The present disclosure relates to machines for creating bags from a stock material. The present disclosure also relates to processes involving packaging uniquely sized and shaped items within bags.
- Packaging plays a key role in protecting merchandise during transportation, storage and installation. Processes and machines for creating packages, as well as processes and machines for applying the packages to the products, are becoming increasingly automated. Packing of small products produced at high volume often is accomplished using an automated packing process. The small size of these products, the high volume output of thousands of packaged products a day, and the substantial uniformity of these products' shapes, allow for relatively low cost automation of the packaging process.
- Packaging of larger, more unique or dissimilar shaped products, typically requires more manual steps. A prime example of a lower volume manual packaging process is currently used in the furniture industry. Packaging is important to the furniture industry to avoid pulls, tears, or rips in the fabric or leather upholstery of a new item. Packaging similarly can help avoid dings or scratches in wood or other surfaces during shipping and delivery.
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FIG. 1 shows a schematic of afurniture packaging line 10.FIG. 2 is a flow chart summarizing a representative packaging process. Thepackaging line 10 typically includes a series ofconveyors 12 receiving finished furniture pieces 14-18 and conveying them along the packaging line to ashrink bag station 19. Unlike, a uniform process, furniture pieces 14-18 are relatively custom made and often manufactured after an order is received. Thus furniture pieces 14-18 are added to thepackaging line 10 when completed. As shown inFIG. 1 , the result is a series of successive furniture pieces 14-18 that vary significantly in size and shape.FIG. 1 shows a packagedupholstered chair 14, adining chair 15, asofa 16, anunpackaged stool 17 and aloveseat 18. Each furniture piece has a furniture length X generally parallel with theconveyor 12, a furniture width Y and a furniture height Z. - Along the
packaging line 10 various packaging materials, such ascardboard trays 20, corner protectors, foam bags, etc. may be added to the furniture pieces 14-18 depending upon the construction and/or shape of each piece. To provide a final enclosure for each furniture piece 14-18, and any of the optional packaging materials that may have been added, the furniture piece 14-18 is inserted into ashrink bag 22 at theshrink bag station 19. Presently,shrink bags 22 are provided oncontinuous rolls 24, with perforations between each bag.Rolls 24 ofshrink bags 22 are also arranged on one ormore racks 26 allowing for access to several rolls, for example six distinct rolls. Eachdistinct roll 24 may haveshrink bags 22 of different combinations of bag length and circumference. In a typical example, four bag lengths, each provided in two different circumferences, for a total of eight rolls is used. Theshrink bags 22 coming off theroll 24 are substantially flat with a sealed end and an open end. In the flat configuration, the distance between the sealed end and the open end would be the bag length L (seeFIG. 4 ). The side edges of theshrink bags 22 may or may not include gussets (i.e. additional folds of material) that allow theshrink bag 22 to have a larger internal volume. The circumference, is therefore equal to twice the width of theshrink bag 22 in the flat configuration plus any additional width provided by the gussets. - A
packer 28, is tasked with identifying the next furniture piece (arecliner 15 as illustrated) coming down thepackaging line 10, selecting ashrink bag 22 from anappropriate roll 24 that is sufficiently large to enclose that piece, and tearing the selected bag from its respective roll along the perforations. After thefurniture piece 15 is slid into the selectedshrink bag 22, the open end of the shrink bag is gathered and taped closed. Thefurniture piece 15 then travels through ashrink tunnel 30 where heat is applied, causing theshrink bag 22 to constrict. When the furniture piece 14-18 exits theshrink tunnel 30, the furniture piece is ready for loading into a truck for delivery to the warehouse, retailer or customer. - Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods of packaging a series of differently shaped objects, such as furniture. An exemplary method comprises receiving a first object to be packaged, identifying a first length of a stock packaging material suitable for enclosing the first object, and creating, with a bag making machine, a first bag from the stock packaging material having approximately the first length. The packaging method further comprises substantially enclosing the first object in the first bag. The method then includes receiving a second object to be packaged, the second object having a shape or size different from the first object, identifying a second length of the stock packaging material suitable for enclosing the second object, and creating, with the bag making machine, a second bag from the stock packaging material having approximately the second length. The method may end by substantially enclosing the second object in the second bag.
- Embodiments of the present disclosure also include a bag making machine configured to receive a flattened tubular stock material, a longitudinal axis of the tubular stock material corresponding with a direction of travel of the stock material through the bag making machine. The machine comprises a feeder configured to draw a desired length of the stock material from a roll. The machine also includes a cutter, which when activated, is configured to separate an upstream portion of the stock material from a downstream portion of the stock material. The machine includes a sealer, which when activated, is configured to form a seal within the stock material traverse to the direction of travel while substantially simultaneously separating an upstream portion of the stock material from a downstream portion of the stock material. A controller of the machine is programmed to alternate use of the cutter and the sealer such that the feeder operates to draw the stock material between each use of the cutter and the sealer.
- Other embodiments of the present disclosure include methods of making a series of bags from a roll of a flattened continuous tube of stock material. An exemplary method comprises drawing a first length of the stock material from the roll and feeding the first length of the stock material past a sealer. The method then includes dispensing a first bag, the first bag having an open leading edge and a sealed trailing edge, by operating the sealer to form a seal within the stock material while also substantially simultaneously separating the first length of stock material from the roll with the sealer. The method further comprises drawing a second length of stock material from the roll and feeding the second length of stock material past a cutter. The method continues by dispensing a second bag, the second bag having a sealed leading edge and an open trailing edge, by operating the cutter to separate the second length of stock material from the roll, the sealed leading edge of the second bag having been created by the sealer during dispensing of the first bag.
- These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after a reading of the following description of the preferred embodiments, when considered in conjunction with the drawings. It should be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.
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FIG. 1 is a schematic of a process of packaging furniture according to a conventional method. -
FIG. 2 is a flow chart for a process of packaging furniture according to a conventional method. -
FIG. 3 shows a bag making machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 4 is a top view of the packaging bags created by the bag making machine according to embodiments of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 5A is a detailed view of the bag making machine with a sealer in use. -
FIG. 5B is a detailed view of the bag making machine with a cutter in use. -
FIG. 6 is a flow chart for a process of operating the bag making machine according to an embodiment. -
FIG. 7 is a flow chart for a packaging process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. - Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are described below and illustrated in the accompanying figures, in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views. The embodiments described provide examples and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention. Other embodiments, and modifications and improvements of the described embodiments, will occur to those skilled in the art and all such other embodiments, modifications and improvements are within the scope of the present invention. Features from one embodiment or aspect may be combined with features from any other embodiment or aspect in any appropriate combination. For example, any individual or collective features of method aspects or embodiments may be applied to apparatus, product or component aspects or embodiments and vice versa.
- Significant improvements can be made to the process of packaging furniture discussed above. As presently configured, the steps of selecting and applying the
shrink bag 22 to the furniture piece 14-18 can create several problems. First, significant amounts of excess packaging material is being used because thepacker 28 often is forced to select an overlylarge shrink bag 22 to avoid the mistake of selecting a shrink bag that is too small to enclose the desired furniture piece 14-18. When the selectedshrink bag 22 is too large, the material costs are higher than necessary. Shrinkbags 22 are typically sold by weight of material. Therefore, ashrink bag 22 that is too big has a higher cost than one that is a more correct size. Additionally, the excess material from anoversize shrink bag 22 can cause other problems. An abundance of extra material may interact with the tape applied prior to theshrink tunnel 30 in a negative way, resulting in theshrink bag 22 opening prematurely. An abundance of extra material can also droop if not properly taped, causing the shrink material to snag or otherwise get caught up in theshrink tunnel 30. Therefore, there is a need forshrink bags 22 that more consistently fit the furniture pieces 14-18, or other large relatively uniquely shaped products, being packaged for shipment. - One solution to the problem of
oversized shrink bags 22 would be to increase the number ofdistinct rolls 24 available to thepacker 28. By reducing the incremental size difference between each bag size, thepacker 28 would be able to select ashrink bag 22 that more closely fits the next product along thepackaging line 10. Increasing the number of unique bag configurations, however, would be expected to slow the packaging process by increasing the available choices to thepacker 28. Larger racks 26 would be required, increasing the complexity of inventory control, requiring additional floor space, and requiring additional time for thepacker 28 to travel between the appropriate rack and theconveyor 12. - Instead, as shown in
FIG. 3 , abag making machine 50 is configured to create a custom-length shrink bag on-demand during the process of packaging uniquely shaped products. Thebag making machine 50 receivesstock packaging material 52 provided on aroll 54. Thestock packaging material 52 is preferably provided in the form of a gusseted continuous tube of material. The gussets allow for the diameter circumference of the resulting bag to be wider than the width of theroll 54. A flat tube of material, i.e. without gussets, is also contemplated. The longitudinal axis A (seeFIG. 4 ) through the tube of material is understood as wrapped around the central axis of theroll 54. The longitudinal axis A through the tube of material follows a path parallel with the direction of travel D as thematerial 52 is unrolled and passed through thebag making machine 50. - The
stock packaging material 52 is preferably a shrink film made from linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), which has a melting temperature of approximately 220 degrees F., and which is configured to shrink when heated, as is known in the art. Thematerial 52 has a thickness in the range of about 3.7 Mil to about 4 Mil. Suitable rolls for use in the furniture industry may be 60″ wide and sold by weight. While shrinkable polymers are preferred, thebag making machine 50 may be suitable for use with non-shrinking stock packaging material in some embodiments. - The
stock packaging material 52 moves through thebag making machine 50 along the direction of travel D inFIG. 3 . Thestock packaging material 52 is transformed into apackaging bag 56 by thebag making machine 50. Thepackaging bag 56, immediately upon being created, i.e. becoming separate from the remainder of thestock packaging material 52, may be substantially flat. When considered in two-dimensions, as seen inFIG. 4 , thepackaging bags bag making machine 50 may each include a pair ofpre-closed edges 58 generally parallel with the direction of travel D. Anopen edge 60 occurs traverse to the direction of travel D. A sealededge 62 occurs traverse to the direction of travel and opposite theopen edge 60. As described further below, thebag making machine 50 generatesfirst packaging bags 56 where theopen edge 60 is aleading edge 64 of the first packaging bag as it leaves the machine. Thebag making machine 50 also generatessecond packaging bags 156 where the sealededge 62 is theleading edge 64 of the second packaging bag as it leaves the machine. The leadingedge 64 is understand as the portion furthest along, i.e. downstream, relative to the direction of travel D. By contrast, a trailingedge 66 is opposite the leadingedge 64 and is further upstream relative to the direction of travel D. - Returning to
FIG. 3 , abag making machine 50 may include a pair ofreceiver arms 70 configured to hold and position theroll 54 ofstock packaging material 52 and allow the roll to rotate relative to thereceiver arms 70 so that the stock packaging material can unroll. The pair ofreceiver arms 70 may be provided with a lift function to assist with receiving theroll 54. For example, actuators 72, for example pneumatic actuators may pivot thereceiver arms 70 relative to aframe 74 of thebag making machine 50. Pivoting thereceiver arms 70, as shown in phantom lines, can allow theroll 54 to be more easily placed onto thebag making machine 50 without lifting the roll to a significant height above the floor. - Once the
roll 54 ofstock packaging material 52 is properly positioned on thereceiver arms 70, the leadingedge 64 of the material may be initially lead past one or moreoptional guide rollers 76. - Downstream from the
receiver arms 70 and theguide roller 76, thebag making machine 50 includes afeeder 80, which may comprise a pair of niprollers 82. Thestock packaging material 52 is initially led between thenip rollers 82. During operation, one or both of the pair of niprollers 82 is driven to pull a desired amount ofstock packaging material 52 from theroll 54. As known the art, the pair of niprollers 82 are configured to press against one another with thestock packaging material 52 tightly sandwiched therebetween. This pressing force between the niprollers 82 provides the friction to draw thestock packaging material 52 from theroll 54 as the niprollers 82 turn. Acounter 84, such as an encoder/counter available from Red Lion Controls, is preferably linked to one of the niprollers 82 to sense, measure or otherwise determine the amount ofstock packaging material 52 that has been pulled from theroll 54. The amount ofstock packaging material 52 corresponds with the approximate bag length L of thepackaging bags - Arranged beyond the
feeder 80 is asealer 90. Thesealer 90 is shown in more detail inFIGS. 5A and 5B . Thesealer 90 may comprise apress 92 and aheating element 94. An example heating element is a bare metal wire, whose resistance generates heat. As is known in the art, the wire may be mounted to theframe 74 by a spring or other tensioning mechanism to hold the wire taut as the wire expands with increasing temperature. According to one embodiment, thesealer 90 functions by closing thepress 92 to clamp thestock packaging material 52 into contact with theheating element 94 as seen inFIG. 5A . In one embodiment, direct contact between theheating element 94 and thestock packaging material 52 results in melting the stock packaging material and fusing together adjacent layers of the material along the length of the heating element to simultaneously form a seal traverse to the longitudinal axis A of the flatten tubular stock packaging material. At the same time, theheating element 94 sufficiently melts, and in some cases burns, thestock packaging material 52 to cause separation between a first portion of the stock packaging material downstream past thesealer 90 and a second portion of the stock packaging material located upstream of thesealer 90 and still attached to theroll 54. When the first portion of the stock packaging material has separated from the second portion of the stock packaging material, a seal has been formed by the melting, bonding, and cooling of the stock packaging material adjacent to theheating element 94 on both the first portion and the second portion. In other words, thesealer 90 effectively forms a seal and splits the seal in two, to form a seal for the first portion and a seal for the second portion. Therefore thesealer 90 may be referred to as forming two seals at once.FIG. 5A identifies the resulting pair of sealed edges 62.Other sealers 90 may be used that simultaneously separate the stock material and form a seal near the edge of each of the separated portions. For example thepress 92 may include a blade centered between a pair of flat sealing heating elements, where the flat sealing heating elements do not cause separation of the stock material. - For use with shrink polymer as the
stock packaging material 52, theheating element 94 can operate with a wire temperature of between about 240 degrees F. and about 300 degrees F. Thepress 92 can be closed, clamping thestock packaging material 52 between a pair of contact surfaces, for between about 4 seconds and about 8 seconds. - Returning to
FIG. 3 , further downstream along the direction of travel D, beyond thesealer 90, thebag making machine 50 includes acutter 100. In one embodiment, thecutter 100 comprises ablade 102. Use of thecutter 100 is also shown in detail inFIG. 5B . When activated, theblade 102 traverses thestock packaging material 52 substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel D. Theblade 102 separates a first portion of thestock packaging material 52 located downstream along the direction of travel D beyond thecutter 100 from a second portion of the stock packaging material that is located upstream of the cutter. Thecutter 100 may be activated to move across the direction of travel D by a pneumatic actuator. Alternatively, thecutter 100 may separate the first portion of stock packaging material from the second portion by slicing in a direction normal to the flattened plane of thestock packaging material 52. Additional cutter types may be employed that create bag separation without causing sealing of downstream or upstream portions of the stock material. Examples include punch presses, perforation wheels or low temperature lasers. - In the illustrated embodiment of
FIG. 3 , thecutter 100 is located downstream of thesealer 90. In other embodiments, however, thesealer 90 may be positioned downstream of thecutter 100, but the first attempt to create a packaging bag from eachfresh roll 54 may create a small initial segment of waste material. - As seen in
FIG. 3 , prior to exiting thebag making machine 50, one or moreadditional guide rollers 76 may be provided to maintain thestock packaging material 52 as flat as possible as it travels through the machine. - The operation of the
bag making machine 50 is preferably controlled by acontroller 110. Thecontroller 110 includes at least auser interface 112 and a processor. Thecontroller 110 operates thefeeder 80, thesealer 90, thecutter 100 and thereceiver arms 70, if applicable. Thecontroller 110 may be programmed such that for eachpackaging bag bag making machine 50, thesealer 90 and thecutter 100 are actuated in an alternating pattern. For eachpackaging bag sealer 90 and thecutter 100 is used. - The
user interface 112 may be provided as a display and a panel of manually operated buttons and switches. In a preferred embodiment, theuser interface 112 may be provided in the form of a touch screen based human machine interface (HMI). A touch screen HMI can provide for adaptability such that the nature of the input can change if the programming of the processor is changed. For example, the processor may be able to present a one or more “buttons” upon the touch screen to correspond with one or more preset bag lengths. A suitable HMI may include the Graphite® series of hardware available from Red Lion of York, Pa. - A
single controller 110 may be operably linked to two or morebag making machines 50. In other embodiments, asingle controller 110 may operate abag making machine 50 with more than onefeeder 80. The plurality offeeders 80 may feed into the same orseparate sealers 90 andcutters 100.Separate feeders 80, whether in the same or differentbag making machines 50, allows for feeding fromseparate rolls 54 ofstock packaging material 52, such as rolls with different bag circumferences. Use of asingle controller 110 would avoid having the operator walk between separate machines to createpackaging bags - Operation of the
bag making machine 50 may progress according to the following process as also shown in the flow chart ofFIG. 6 . An operator, such as thepacker 28, uses theuser interface 112 to input into the controller 110 a desired bag length L of afirst packaging bag 56. The operator then initiates creation of thefirst packaging bag 56 via theuser interface 112. - In other embodiments, the desired bag length L is calculated by the
controller 110 upon an alternative input into theuser interface 112 from the operator. An example of an alternative input would be a product identifier. In other embodiments, the desired bag length L is input electronically for use by thecontroller 110 without the operator using theuser interface 112. Electronic input may include a scanner or sensor. In some embodiments, creation of thefirst packaging bag 56 may be automatically initiated without direct operator intervention. For example, the upstream scanner or sensor may provide both a signal that provides both a bag length related input as well as a command to begin creating the associated bag. - In one embodiment, the input into the
controller 110 comprises bag length L (seeFIG. 4 ), which corresponds to the distance between theopen edge 60 and the sealededge 62 of thefirst packaging bag 56 in the flattened, i.e. two-dimensional state, as the first packaging bag leaves thebag making machine 50. As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, the bag length L is usually greater than the furniture length X (seeFIG. 1 ) of the furniture piece 14-18 to be enclosed. This ensures thefirst packaging bag 56 is a sufficient size to cover each end of the furniture piece 14-18. The operator may determine bag length L as a function of furniture length X, where X can be determined by a scale provided along theconveyor 12. For example, L may equal 1.25*X. In other embodiments, the operator may input the furniture length X of the desired furniture piece 14-18 at theuser interface 112, and thecontroller 110 may convert to the required bag length L. - In another embodiment, determining the appropriate bag length L may be even more closely determined by not only considering the furniture length X, but also the furniture height Z as shown in
FIG. 1 . The furniture height Z may be the height of the furniture piece 14-18 relative to the top of theconveyor 12, or may include the thickness of the conveyor. Adding the thickness of theconveyor 12 may take into account the method of bagging the furniture piece 14-18 by initially wrapping thepackaging bag 56 under the end of the conveyor, sometime known as the diving board. A taller furniture piece 14-18 in the height dimension Z will require alonger packaging bag 56 to cover the ends of the furniture piece. For example, the bag length L may equal (X+H)*(1+N), where N is a tolerance factor to avoid generating apackaging bag 56 that is too small. N is less than 0.25 and preferably less than 0.1. Determination of the bag length L in terms of both the furniture length X and the furniture height Z is most preferable when the dimensions of the furniture piece 14-18 are determined by a sensor/scanner, or when the dimensions are pre-loaded into memory of thecontroller 110. - In some embodiments, the furniture width Y (see
FIG. 1 ) of the furniture piece 14-18 may also factor into determining the desired bag length L. According to the conventional method of placing thepackaging bag 56 over the furniture piece 14-18, the width of theconveyor 12 would be a limiting factor, and therefore the furniture width Y may be estimated as a constant value equal to the width of the conveyor. Again, where the furniture width Y is factored into determination of the bag length L, thecontroller 110 is preferably used to determine L. - In yet other embodiments, the circumference of the
stock packaging material 52 is also a factor in determining the desired bag length L based on at least one of the furniture length X, the furniture height Z and the furniture width Y of a respective furniture piece 14-18. - Once the bag length L is determined, creation of the
first packaging bag 56 begins as thefeeder 80 pulls the desired length ofstock packaging material 52 from theroll 54. Again, theroll 54 provides a flattened continuous tube ofstock packaging material 52 with an open initial leading edge andpre-closed edges 58 along the sides. As thestock packaging material 52 is pulled from theroll 54, the stock packaging material is led past thesealer 90 and thecutter 100 with the initial leading edge first. After the desired length ofstock packaging material 52 has been pulled from theroll 54 by thefeeder 80, as determined by thecontroller 110 in connection with thecounter 84, the controller may activate thesealer 90. As seen inFIG. 5A , thestock packaging material 52 positioned at thesealer 90 is clamped by thepress 92 into contact with theheating element 94. Thestock packaging material 52 is subsequently separated in two by the contact between theheating element 94 and the material, while a sealededge 62 is formed adjacent to theheating element 94 on each portion of the separated material. Upon release of thepress 92, thefirst packaging bag 56 has been created, which has anopen edge 60 corresponding with the leading edge thereof as the first packaging bag is removed from thebag making machine 50. The trailing edge of thefirst packaging bag 56 was sealed and separated from theroll 54 by the use of thesealer 90. Thefirst packaging bag 56 was therefore dispensed without operation of thecutter 100. - The operator may then proceed to generate a
second packaging bag 156. To create thesecond packaging bag 156, the operator may input a new desired bag length L, or information sufficient for the controller to determine L. If the operator desires for thesecond packaging bag 156 to have the same length as the immediate previous packaging bag, the operator may actuate thebag making machine 50 without an additional length related input. Again, thestock packaging material 52 will pass thesealer 90 and then pass thecutter 100 as the material is pulled from theroll 54 by thefeeder 80. When a length ofstock packaging material 52 has passed thefeeder 80 sufficient to correspond with the desired bag length L of thesecond packaging bag 156, thecontroller 110 will signal thecutter 100 to separate the stock packaging material into thesecond packaging bag 156 downstream of thecutter 100 and a remaining portion of the stock packaging material that remains attached to theroll 54. This separation by thecutter 100, specifically theblade 102, is shown inFIG. 5B . Based on the steps described, thesecond packaging bag 156 will be dispensed from thebag making machine 50 bottom first (e.g. having a sealededge 62 as the leading edge). The leading edge of thesecond packaging bag 156 was sealed during creation of thefirst packaging bag 56, and theopen edge 60 of the second packaging bag was created by use of thecutter 100. While thesealer 90 had a role in creating thesecond packaging bag 156, the sealer was not necessary for creating the second packaging bag at a time after thefirst packaging bag 56 was made. As such, thesecond packaging bag 156 may be referred to as having been dispensed without separate operation of thesealer 90. - As used herein, the term “approximately” may be used to describe the length of a
packaging bag sealer 90 and thecutter 100 as a maximum. An acceptable bag may have an actual length (when initially flat) below the desired bag length L or above the maximum length due to de minimus length variation caused by counter calibration, reduction of material during sealing, etc. - Having described the
bag making machine 50 and the operation of the machine for creating afirst packaging bag 56 and asecond packaging bag 156, further embodiments of the present disclosure use a bag making machine within a process of packaging a series of differently shaped objects. This process is summarized inFIG. 7 . The differently shaped objects may be a series of furniture pieces 14-18. Other processes faced with the need to package a series of relatively large, different sized or shaped products could be similarly improved using thebag making machine 50. -
FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a packaging process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The process may include receiving a first object to be packaged. In one example, receipt of an object is the result of the object arriving on aconveyor 12 from an upstream work station. When the first object is received, a task is to identify the length and/or circumference of apackaging bag 56 suitable for enclosing the first object. As discussed above, the bag length L should provide a bag that will enclose the object without using a bag whose length is excessive, thereby minimizing waste in material usage and cost. The task of identifying the bag length L may be performed by a human operator. The task of determining bag length may be supplemented by a measuring device (e.g. a ruler) mounted along aconveyor 12. The operator may then visually take a measurement, for example the furniture length X, as the object passes the ruler. In another embodiment, the furniture length X or the bag length L could be printed on theoptional tray 20 and read by the operator. A correlation table may be provided with a list of regularly packaged objects correlated with a predetermined bag length for each object. Such a table may be read or memorized by the operator. Alternatively, such a table may be programmed into memory within thecontroller 110. The operator would then input a product identifier for the first object into theuser interface 112, and the processor would then identify the desired bag length based upon pre-loaded shape characteristics of the identified product. The product identifier could be one or more of the furniture length X, furniture width Y, furniture height Z, an SKU, a product type, etc. - In some embodiments, the step of identifying a desired bag length L may bypass the operator altogether. For example, a sensor or scanner may be provided to measure one or more dimensions of the object to be packaged. The scanner could read a label on the product that provides the SKU. The sensor or scanner could be in operable communication with the
controller 110 to determine the desired bag length, and even commence the bag making process without input from the operator. - After determining the desired bag length, the packaging process includes creating, with a bag making machine, a
first packaging bag 56 from thestock packaging material 52 having approximately the first bag length. The step of creating thefirst packaging bag 56 may progress as described above. Thebag making machine 50 may create thefirst packaging bag 56 with an open leadingedge 64 and a sealed trailingedge 66 as a result of operating thesealer 90 as described above. Use of thebag making machine 50 as discussed above is one embodiment of the present packaging method. In other embodiments, however, the present packaging method does not require specific use of the bag making machine described herein. In those embodiments without the specific machine described herein, the present process is an improvement over the process shown and described inFIGS. 1 and 2 due to creating packaging bags on-demand instead of selectingpre-formed shrink bags 22 from therolls 24. - Once a machine has custom made the
first packaging bag 56 for the first object, the operator packages the first object by substantially enclosing the first object in thefirst packaging bag 56. The step of enclosing the first object within thefirst packaging bag 56 may be conducted at least in part by a human operator. In other embodiments, however, robotics or other automation could be used to take thefirst packaging bag 56 from the bag making machine and applying it to the first object. - The packaging method continues by receiving a second object to be packaged, the second object having a shape or size different from the first object. Receiving the second object is likely to occur in much the same way as the first object was received. The step of receiving the second object is, however, not limited to the same steps or processes that resulted in receiving the first object.
- During, or subsequent to, receipt of the second object, a second length of the stock packaging material suitable for enclosing the second object is identified. The identification of the second length may include the same or different steps compared to the process of identifying the first length for the first object.
- A machine is then operated to create a
second packaging bag 156 on demand as shown inFIG. 5B , the second packaging bag having approximately the second length. Again, in one embodiment, any known machine configured to make a bag of a given length on-demand would be suitable for this step. In other embodiments, however, thesecond packaging bag 156 may be created from thebag making machine 50 as specifically discussed above. In that case, creating thesecond packaging bag 156 may include dispensing the second packaging bag from thebag making machine 50 with a sealed leadingedge 64 and anopen trailing edge 66. This results from operating thecutter 100 to separate the second length ofstock packaging material 52 from theroll 54, the sealed leadingedge 64 of thesecond packaging bag 156 having been created by thesealer 90 during creation of thefirst packaging bag 56. - Once the machine has custom made the
second packaging bag 156 for the second object, the operator packages the second object by substantially enclosing the second object in thesecond packaging bag 156. The step of enclosing the second object within thesecond packaging bag 156 may be conducted, at least in part, by a human operator. In other embodiments, however, robotics or other automation could be used to take thesecond packaging bag 156 from a bag making machine and applying it to the second object. - In one embodiment of the packaging method, the method uses a shrinkable polymer as the
stock packaging material 52. After each object is enclosed in arespective packaging bag - Although the above disclosure has been presented in the context of exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be utilized without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims (20)
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CN111056075B (en) * | 2018-12-08 | 2023-12-26 | 深圳市领创自动化技术有限公司 | Equipment, method and system for automatically making bags, labeling and packaging clothes |
US11718435B2 (en) * | 2019-04-03 | 2023-08-08 | Westrock Shared Services, Llc | Pack to pouch systems |
TWI700222B (en) * | 2019-09-03 | 2020-08-01 | 黃志雄 | Improvement of automatic bag making and packaging equipment |
CN112185078A (en) * | 2020-08-28 | 2021-01-05 | 南京雷石电子科技有限公司 | Fool-proof device for mobile phone production display screen and use method |
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US10717558B2 (en) | 2020-07-21 |
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