EP2673197B1 - Method and device for filling packages with a padding material in bulk material form - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for filling packages or containers with a cushioning material, wherein the cushioning material is supplied to the package or the container with a feed unit, wherein by means of a scanning unit determines contours of one or more packages in the package or in the container of a Logic device processed and determined therefrom a filling amount of the volume to be filled of the package or container and derived therefrom a variable amount of padding material is introduced into the package or the container.

The invention further relates to a device with which in particular the aforementioned method can be carried out.

Especially with mail-order companies, packages are usually filled automatically from a high-bay warehouse individually according to customer requirements. The package will be filled with the items ordered by the customer. Depending on the number of articles to be filled, different package sizes are also used. In order to avoid that the filled articles are damaged during the mail transport, padding material in bulk form is filled into the package. In particular, upholstery flips are used. These upholstery flaps are usually made of a biodegradable material. They are poured into the package. The excess amount is stripped surface plan with the package top. Then the package is sealed, labeled and shipped. The stripped upholstery elements are collected and made available for refilling subsequent packages. This manually performed packaging process is time consuming and there is a considerable effort for the collection of excess cushioning.

In the patent DE 603 06 407 T2 as a translation of EP 1 556 278 B1 For example, a void fill system for automatically providing and dispensing a quantity of cushioning material sufficient to fill the void remaining in a container in which one or more objects have been placed is described. This void filling system comprises: a cushion dispenser ready to dispense a controlled amount of cushioning material, a container scanner having a scanning area, the container scanner comprising a height sensor for detecting a height characteristic of a container, a width sensor for detecting a width characteristic of the container Container, and a contour sensor for detecting a contour property of the one or more objects in the container, and a logical device, which is ready to process detected property information received from the height sensor, the width sensor and the contour sensor, the amount To determine cushioning material, which is needed to fill the remaining in the container cavity, which is not occupied by the one or to instruct the multiple objects, and the cushion dispenser, to dispense the specified amount of cushioning material. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned document, a device for automatically determining an amount of cushioning material which is sufficient to fill the above-mentioned cavity is described.

A method according to the preamble of claim 1 and an apparatus according to the preamble of claim 8 are known from US 5,871,429 A known.

A disadvantage has now been found that initially the volume of the package by means of a measuring device, which requires a variety of additional sensors, must be determined, which on the one hand increases the complexity of such a system and on the other hand can be a hindrance to optimize the cycle time. In addition, it has been found that even a relatively large proportion of cushioning material must be metered in excess.

It is therefore an object of this invention to reduce the complexity of such a system and to minimize the use of cushioning material.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a corresponding device for carrying out the method according to the invention.

The object of the invention relating to the method is solved by the features of claim 1.

The object relating to the device is solved by the features of claim 8

The complexity of such a system can thus be reduced, since a hitherto complex determination of the internal volume of the package or the container can be significantly simplified by this approach. In addition, with the proposed method and the corresponding device, the required cushioning material can be determined more accurately, so that the use of cushioning material can be minimized in the sense. In addition to optimum mechanical protection of the packages, the shipping volume can be minimized, which is advantageous in terms of shipping costs and waste disposal.

If, in a second step, a second filling volume, beyond the highest point, is determined and from the filling volume determined in the first step a total volume is calculated as the sum of the two filling volumes of cushioning material and the total volume of cushioning material is filled into the package or into the container optimum protection of the packages in the package or in the container. This defined excess of padding material serves on the one hand to ensure that sufficient padding material, e.g. for filling cavities between the packages, can be filled. On the other hand, this ensures that enough padding material can still be introduced to the upper end of the package or container.

It can be provided that the second filling volume is specified taking into account a Füllmaterialdichte and / or the nature of the package or packages. Thus, for example, the density of the cushioning material can be increased if, for example, heavy packages are to be packed.

Thus, an optimal fixation can be achieved. For light packages, the second filling volume can be reduced. Customized, the second filling volume can be selected according to the necessary requirements for the packaging of the packages.

In this case, a preferred embodiment variant of the device provides that a second filling volume, beyond the highest point, can be determined on the basis of the information on the type and internal volume and from the filling volume determined in the first step a total volume as the sum of the two filling volumes of cushioning material with the logic device calculable and the information about the calculated total volume of cushioning material is transferable to a metering unit of the feed unit. The dosing unit then provides the cushioning material volume required individually for the respective package. The padding material is then filled into the receptacle via the feed device. Subsequently, this amount of padding is introduced into the package, whereby the filling process is completed. If the volume requirement is greater than the maximum volume in the dosing tank, multiple filling is possible.

The second filling volume can be predetermined taking into account a filling material density and / or the nature of the package or packages. The default values can be stored in a memory unit of the logic device in this advantageous device variant, which contributes to a high degree of flexibility, since, depending on the package, the filling amount can be varied.

In a further preferred variant of the method, in a further step after filling with padding material, the package or the container is put into vibration movements for a specific time. Then the cushioning material is compacted, whereby a compact fixation of the packages in the package or container is achieved.

A device variant therefore has a vibrating unit, which can be controlled by the logic device, so that an automated process is made possible.

Optionally, it can be provided in an advantageous variant of the method that the package, which is designed as einritzbarer carton, scratched from the outside, folded in the resulting tabs and a cuff lid for closing the package are placed. Thus, the package can be closed immediately after filling.

To carry out this optional variant of the method, the device may comprise a scoring device for externally scoring a package designed as a cardboard, which is controllable by the logic device. In addition, the device may comprise electromechanical or electropneumatic means for folding tabs resulting from the scoring of the package made as a carton and for placing a forend on the package, which are also controllable by the logic device. A corresponding control logic in the form of a process control can be implemented in the logic device, whereby a complete, largely automated packaging process can be realized. This saves considerable costs and time and in particular offers advantages in the event of a high volume of packages to be packed.

If a machine-readable code in the form of a barcode or a 2D pixel code or an RFID chip is used as the information carrier on the package or container, the type of package or container used can very easily be identified as a particularly advantageous variant of the method become.

The corresponding preferred device variant provides that the information on the type and internal volume on the package or on the container as machine-readable code in the form of a printed or glued barcode or a 2D pixel code or attached to the package or the container RFID Chip and the reading unit are designed as a corresponding reading device, wherein the reading unit is in communication with the logic device and thus based on a stored in the logic device comparison table from the code directly the internal volume can be determined. This type of determination of the interior volume of the package or container is less time consuming. In addition, expensive sensor components, as are common in the device according to the prior art, avoided, which reduces the investment requirement for such a packaging device.

It has been found to be particularly advantageous when padding material from a recyclable foam material, in particular from corn starch, are used as a cushioning material, which is substantially cylindrical and has a diameter in the range of 10 mm to 20 mm, preferably a diameter in the range between 13 mm and 19 mm, and an axial length of 10 mm to 50 mm, preferably in the range between 20 mm and 40 mm. These upholstery flips are easy to dose and do not tend to jam the mechanics of the filling device. In addition, these upholstery flips can be made from plants and are fully biodegradable.

Figur 1

in einer schematischen Darstellung die Schritte des Verfahrens beginnend mit dem Abtasten der Daten für ein Paketvolumen eines Paketes;

Figur 2

ein in der Figur 1 dargestelltes Paket nach dem Befüllungsvorgang; und

Figur 3

das Paket im fertig geschlossenen Zustand.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings. Show it:

FIG. 1

a schematic representation of the steps of the method starting with the sampling of the data for a packet volume of a packet;

FIG. 2

an Indian FIG. 1 illustrated package after the filling process; and

FIG. 3

the package in the closed state.

The FIGS. 1 to 3 1 shows a detail of a device designed as a cavity filling system 1 for filling packages 50 or containers with cushioning material 80, which is in particular made of cushioning material, eg of a recyclable foam material, which is essentially cylindrical and has a diameter in the range of 10 mm to 20 mm mm and a length of 10 mm to 50 mm is formed. The individual steps of the method are shown in the figures.

FIG. 1 shows the device, which may have a support frame, which is composed of frame profiles. In the support frame, a transport device 10 is installed, which may comprise a plurality of transport rollers over which the packages 50 or containers can be guided. In the support frame is further a filling unit, consisting of a dosing unit and a feed unit (not shown) installed, with which the cushioning material 80 can be filled in the package 50 or in the container.

The package 50 or the container usually has one or more packages 60, which is to be secured and padded for transport in the package 50 or in the container from slipping. Between the packages 60 or due to the geometry of the packages 60 and cavities 70 may be located, which also applies to refill.

By means of a scanning unit 20, the contour properties of one or more packages 60 can be determined in the package 50 or container, from which can be calculated by means of a logic device, for example in the form of an industrial PC, a volume of the packages 60 and from a capacity of the volume to be filled of the package 50 or container. This information is used to control the metering unit of the feed unit, so that a variable amount of cushioning material 80 in the package 50 or the container can be introduced.

According to the invention, the device has a reading unit 40 with which information on the type and, derived therefrom, on the internal volume of the package 50 or of the container can be determined. The type and internal volume information on the package 50 or on the container may be embodied as machine readable code 53 in the form of a printed or pasted bar code or 2D pixel code or an RFID chip attached to the package 50 or the container. The reading unit 40 is designed as a corresponding reading device (e.g., bar code scanner or the like), and the reading unit 40 transmits the detected data to the logical device.

The scanning unit 20 can be embodied as an optical laser scanner or line scanner with which the volume of the package 60 or the packages 60 and a highest point 61 of the package 60 or the packages 60 can be determined by a triangulation method. On the basis of the information on the internal volume of the package 50 or the container and from the information about the volume of the package 60 or the packages 60, a first filling volume 90 of cushioning material 80 can be determined, which for filling up to the highest point 61 of the package 60 or the Packages 60 is needed.

In a second step, as the method according to the invention provides, a second filling volume 100 beyond the highest point 61 is determined and from the filling volume 90 determined in the first step a total volume is calculated as the sum of the two filling volumes 90, 100 of cushioning material 80 and filled the total volume of cushioning material 80 in the package 50 or in the container, as this FIG. 2 shows. The second filling volume 100 may be predetermined taking into account a filling material density and / or the nature of the package 60 or the packages 60, wherein the default values may be stored in a memory unit of the logic device.

In a further step, after filling with cushioning material 80, the package 50 or the container is put into vibration movements for a certain time. For this purpose, a vibrator unit is provided, which can be controlled by the logic device.

Optionally, as shown in FIG. 2 is indicated, be provided that the package 50, which is designed as einritzbarer carton, scored from the outside, the resulting tabs 51 folded and a cuff lid 52 can be placed to close the package 50 ( FIG. 3 ). For this purpose, the device has a scoring device 30, which can be controlled by the logic device.

In addition, the device may comprise electromechanical or electropneumatic means for folding the tabs 51 resulting from the scoring of the package 50 embodied as a cardboard and for placing the forend 52 on the package 50, which are controllable by the logic device. A corresponding control logic in the form of a process control can be implemented in the logic device, so that a fully automatic filling of the packages 50 or the containers as well as a closing of the packages 50 can be realized.

Claims (14)

1. Method for filling packages (50) or containers with a padding material (80), wherein the padding material (80) is supplied to the package (50) or the container by way of a supply unit, wherein contour properties of one or more items of packaging (60) in the package (50) or in the container are determined by means of a sensor unit (20), are processed by a logic controller, and a capacity of the volume to be filled of the package (50) or the container is evaluated therefrom and a variable amount of padding material (80) derived therefrom is introduced into the package (50) or the container, wherein an item of information of an information carrier on the package (50) or the container is read by means of a reader (40) and an item of information pertaining to the inner volume of the package (50) or the container is evaluated therefrom,
   characterized in
   that a highest point (61) of the item of packaging (60) or the items of packaging (60) is determined from the contour properties of the item of packaging (60) or the items of packaging (60) and a first filling volume (90) of padding material (80), which is required for filling up to the highest point (61) of the item of packaging (60) or the items of packaging (60), is determined therefrom.
2. Method according to Claim 1,
   characterized in
   that, in a second step, a second filling volume (100) beyond the highest point (61) is determined and, from the filling volume (90) evaluated in the first step, a total volume of padding material (80) is calculated as the sum of the two filling volumes (90, 100) and the total volume of padding material (80) is filled into the package (50) or into the container.
3. Method according to Claim 2,
   characterized in
   that the second filling volume (100) is predefined under consideration of a filling-material density and/or the property of the item of packaging (60) or of the items of packaging (60).
4. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 3,
   characterized in
   that, in a further step, after having been filled with padding material (80), the package (50) or the container is subjected to vibrating motions for a specific period of time.
5. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 4,
   characterized in
   that the package (50), which is implemented as a carton which is capable of being scored, is scored from the outside, the tabs (51) being created thereby are folded inwards, and, for closing the package (50), a slip lid (52) is placed thereon.
6. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 5,
   characterized in
   that a machine-readable code (53) in the form of a bar code or a 2D-pixel code or an RFID chip is used as an information carrier on the package (50) or the container.
7. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 6,
   characterized in
   that padding elements from a recyclable foam material, which are configured so as to be substantially cylindrical and have a diameter in the range from 10 mm to 20 mm and a length from 10 mm to 50 mm, are used as padding material (80).
8. Device for filling packages (50) or containers with a padding material (80), wherein the padding material (80) is suppliable to the package (50) or the container by means of a supply unit, wherein contour properties of one of more items of packaging (60) in the package (50) or in the container are determinable by means of a sensor unit (20), are processable by a logic controller, and a capacity of the volume to be filled of the package (50) or the container is evaluable therefrom and a variable amount of padding material (80) derived therefrom is introducible into the package (50) or the container, wherein the device includes a reader (40), by way of which items of information pertaining to the type and, derived therefrom, the inner volume of the package (50) or the container are determinable,
   characterized in
   that the sensor unit (20) is implemented as an optical laser scanner by way of which, according to a method of triangulation, a volume of the item of packaging (60) or of the items of packaging (60) and a highest point (61) of the item of packaging (60) or the items of packaging (60) are determinable and a first filling volume (90) of padding material (80), which is required for filling up to the highest point (61) of the item of packaging (60) or the items of packaging (60), is determinable therefrom.
9. Device according to Claim 8,
   characterized in
   that the item of information on the package (50) or on the container pertaining to the type and inner volume is implemented as a machine-readable code (53) in the form of a bar code or a 2D-pixel code printed or adhesively attached on the package (50) or on the container or of an RFID chip attached thereon, and the reader (40) is implemented as a corresponding reading apparatus, wherein the reader (40) is connected to the logic controller.
10. Device according to Claim 8 or 9,
    characterized in
    that a second filling volume (100) beyond the highest point (61) is determinable by means of the items of information pertaining to the type and inner volume, and from the filling volume (90) evaluated in the first step, a total volume of padding material (80) is calculable by way of the logic controller as a sum of the two filling volumes (90, 100), and the item of information on the computed total volume of padding material (80) is transmittable to a metering unit of the supply unit.
11. Device according to Claim 10,
    characterized in
    that the second filling volume (100) is predefinable under consideration of a filling-material density and/or the property of the item of packaging (60) or of the items of packaging (60), and the predefined values are saved in a storage unit of the logic controller.
12. Device according to one of Claims 8 to 11,
    characterized in
    that the device includes a vibrating unit which can be actuated by the logic controller.
13. Device according to one of Claims 8 to 12,
    characterized in
    that, for the external scoring of a package (50) which is implemented as a carton, the device includes a scoring device (30) which is actuatable by the logic controller.
14. Device according to Claim 13,
    characterized in
    that the device includes electromechanical or electropneumatic apparatuses for folding tabs (51) created by the scoring of the package (50) implemented as a carton and for placing a slip lid (52) on the package (50), which apparatuses are actuable by the logic controller.

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