WO2020028034A1

WO2020028034A1 - Print mechanism slide systems and methods

Info

Publication number: WO2020028034A1
Application number: PCT/US2019/041959
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robert D. JENNINGS
Original assignee: Sealed Air Corporation (Us)
Priority date: 2018-07-30
Filing date: 2019-07-16
Publication date: 2020-02-06

Abstract

A system includes a frame assembly, a slide assembly, and a print mechanism. The frame assembly including a guide rod and a slide adjustment shaft. The slide assembly includes a handle that is biased to a non-actuated position. The print mechanism is fixedly coupled to the slide assembly. The slide adjustment shaft includes grooves and the slide assembly includes a pin that selectively engages two of the grooves. The handle is coupled to the pin such that the pin is engaged with and biased toward one of the grooves when the handle is in the non-activated position and movement of the handle to an activated position causes pin to disengage from the grooves. The slide assembly can slide when the pin is disengaged from the grooves and the slide assembly cannot slide when the pin is engaged with and biased toward one of the grooves.

Description

PRINT MECHANISM SLIDE SYSTEMS AND METHODS

SPECIFICATION

BACKGROUND

[0001] The present disclosure is in the technical field of printing on web material from a supply roil. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to a printer mechanism adjustment mechanism that permits the location of a printing mechanism to be manually adjusted based on a width of the supply roll of the web material

[0002] Protective packaging materials (e.g., inflated structures such as cushions or sheets, foam-in-bag materials, and crumpled paper dunnage) can be used to package products, for example by wrapping the one or more products in the material and placing the wrapped product in a shipping carton, or for example by placing the protective packaging material inside a shipping carton along with the one or more products to be shipped. The protective packaging materia! protects the packaged item by absorbing impacts that may otherwise be fully transmitted to the packaged product during transit, and may also restrict movement of the packaged products within the carton to further reduce the likelihood of damage to the one or more products.

[0003] In some cases, it may be desirable to print on a web of material that will be used as protective packaging material. For example, a printing mechanism may print on a web of inflatable film before the inflatable film is inflated and sealed (see PCT/US2017/066564). In order to print on the web of inflatable material, the printing mechanism would need to be arranged with respect to the material web to print on the material web. SUMMARY

[0004] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in deter ining the scope of the claimed subject matter. \

[0005] In one embodiment, a print mechanism slide system includes a frame assembly, a slide assembly, and a print mechanism. The frame assembly includes a guide rod and a slide adjustment shaft. The slide assembly includes a guide rail block and a handle. The guide rod passes through the guide rail block and the guide rail block is configured to slide along the guide rod in a sliding direction. The handle is biased to a non-actuated position. The print mechanism is fixedly coupled to the guide rail block such that movements of the guide rail block in the sliding direction cause corresponding movements of the print mechanism in the sliding direction. The slide adjustment shaft includes a plurality of grooves and the slide assembly includes a pin configured to selectively engage at least two of the plurality of grooves. The handle is coupled to the pin such that the pin is engaged with and biased toward one of the plurality of grooves on the slide adjustment shaft when the handle is in the non-activated position and movement of the handle from the non-activated position to an activated position causes pin to disengage from the plurality of grooves on the slide adjustment shaft. The guide rail block is capable of sliding in the sliding direction when the pin is disengaged from the plurality of grooves and the guide rail block is prevented from sliding in the sliding direction when the pin is engaged with and biased toward one of the plurality of grooves.

[0006] In one example, the print mechanism is configured to be located at, and held at, a plurality of different locations in the sliding direction and, when the print mechanism is at each of the different locations, the pin is engaged with and biased toward a different one of the plurality of grooves. In another example, the pin is a first pin and the slide assembly further includes a second pin configured to selectively engage at least two of the plurality of grooves. In another example, plurality of grooves in the slide adjustment shaft includes a plurality of upper grooves and a plurality of lower grooves. In another example, when the handle is in the non- activated position, the first and second pins are engaged with and biased toward a first pair of grooves, where the first pair of grooves includes a first upper groove of the plurality of upper grooves and a first lower groove of the plurality of lower grooves. In another example, the handle is capable of being moved from the non- activated position to the activated position to disengage the first pin from the first upper groove and to disengage the second pin from the first lower groove. In another example, the guide rail block is capable of being moved in the sliding direction from a first location to a second location when the handle is in the activate position. In another example, when the guide rail block is in the second position, the handle is capable of moving from the activated position to the non-activated position to cause the first and second pins to be engaged with and biased toward a second pair of grooves, where the second pair of grooves includes a second upper groove of the plurality of upper grooves and a second lower groove of the plurality of lower grooves. In another example, the handle is configured to be moved from the non- activated position to the activated position by rotating the handle in a first rotational direction, and rotation of the handle in the first rotational direction causes rotation of the first and second pins to rotate out of the first upper groove and the first lower groove in the first rotational direction. In another example, the handle is configured to be moved from the activated position to the non-activated position by rotating the handle in a second rotational direction, and rotation of the handle in the second rotational direction causes rotation of the first and second pins to rotate into the second upper groove and the second lower groove in the second rotational direction.

[0007] In another example, the slide assembly further includes a biasing mechanism configured to bias the handle to the non-actuated position. In another example, the biasing mechanism is a torsional spring configured to bias the handle in a rotational direction to the non-actuated position. In another example, the system further includes a supply roll mandrel configured to hold a supply roll of a web material. In another example, the web material is configured to be fed from the supply roll past the print mechanism, and the print mechanism is configured to print on the web material as the web material passes the print mechanism. In another example, when the pin is engaged with and biased toward one of the plurality of grooves, the guide rail block is prevented from sliding in the sliding direction due to vibrations of the print mechanism as the print mechanism prints on the web material.

[0008] In another embodiment, a method can be used to load supply rolls onto a print mechanism slide system. The method includes loading a first supply roll of a first web material on a supply roll mandrel, where the supply roll mandrel is fixedly coupled to a frame assembly. The method further includes moving a slide assembly from a base location on the frame assembly to a first location on the frame

assembly, where the slide assembly is coupled to a print mechanism. The method further includes feeding the first web material from the first supply roll past the print mechanism and causing the print mechanism to print on the first web material. The frame assembly includes a slide adjustment shaft and the slide adjustment shaft includes a plurality of grooves. The slide assembly includes a handle that is biased to a non-actuated position and a pin configured to selectively engage at least two of the plurality of grooves. The handle is coupled to the pin such that the pin is engaged with and biased toward one of the plurality of grooves on the slide adjustment shaft when the handle is in the non-activated position and movement of the handle from the non-activated position to an activated position causes pin to disengage from the plurality of grooves on the slide adjustment shaft. When the slide assembly is in the base location, the pin is engaged with and biased toward a first groove of the plurality of grooves and, when the slide assembly is in the first location, the pin is engaged with and biased toward a second groove of the plurality of grooves.

[0009] In one example, the method further includes moving the slide assembly from the first location on the frame assembly to the base location on the frame assembly and removing the first supply roil from the supply roll mandrel. The method further includes loading a second supply roil of a second web material on the supply roil mandrel and moving the slide assembly from the base location on the frame assembly to a second location on the frame assembly. The method further includes feeding the second web material from the second supply roll past the print mechanism and causing the print mechanism to print on the second web material. When the slide assembly is in the second position, the pin is engaged with and biased toward a third groove of the plurality of grooves.

[0010] In another example, the first supply roll has a first width and the second supply roll has a second width, and wherein the first width is different from the second width. In another example, when the slide assembly is in the first location, a portion of the print mechanism is substantially centered with respect to the first width of the first supply roil, and wherein, when the slide assembly is in the second location, the portion of the print mechanism is substantially centered with respect to the second width of the second supply roil.

[0011] In another example, moving the slide assembly from the base location on the frame assembly to the first location on the frame assembly includes: (i) manually turning the handle from the non-activated position to the activated position, (ii) manually sliding the slide assembly from the base location on the frame assembly to the first location on the frame assembly, and (iii) allowing the handle to be rotated to the non-activated position while the slide assembly is in the first location. In another example, moving the slide assembly from the base location on the frame assembly to the second location on the frame assembly includes: (i) manually turning the handle from the non-activated position to the activated position, (ii) manually sliding the slide assembly from the base location on the frame assembly to the second location on the frame assembly, and (iii) allowing the handle to be rotated to the non- activated position while the slide assembly is in the second location.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0012] The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of the disclosed subject matter will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: [0013] Figs. 1 A and 1 B depict perspective views of different instances of an embodiment of a print mechanism slide system, in accordance with the

embodiments disclosed herein;

[0014] Fig. 2 depicts a front view of the print mechanism slide system shown in Figs. 1 A and 1 B, in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein;

[0015] Fig. 3 depicts a rear perspective view of the print mechanism slide system shown in Figs 1 A and 1 B with the print mechanism having been removed from the guide rail block for convenience in viewing the rear side of the guide rail block, in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein;

[0016] Figs. 4A to 4G depict are series of instances of rear views of the print mechanism slide system shown in Fig. 3 that show an embodiment of a method of repositioning the slide assembly, in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein; and

[0017] Figs. 5A to 5D depict front views of the print mechanism slide system with the printing mechanism fixedly coupled to the slide assembly and a supply roll mandrel 170 in a fixed position with respect to the frame assembly, in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The present disclosure describes embodiments of print mechanism slide systems that allow a print mechanism to be manually moved between different locations on a frame assembly and to be held in a place at each of the locations. In some cases, the different locations correspond with locations for the print

mechanism for a number of different widths of supply rolls of web material. This allows a user to manually load a supply roll of a desired width onto a mandrel and then manually adjust the location of the print mechanism based on the width of the film. In this way, a user can quickly and easily align (e.g , center) the print mechanism with respect to the supply roll when the supply roll is loaded on to the supply roll mandrel. It also may allow a user to move the print mechanism out of the way to load and unload supply rolls from the supply roll mandrel.

[0019] Depicted in Figs. 1 A and 1 B are perspective views of different instances of an embodiment of a print mechanism slide system 100. The print mechanism slide system 100 includes a frame assembly 110. The frame assembly 110 includes a frame side 112 and a frame side 114. In the depicted embodiment, the frame side 112 is a“closed” frame because the frame side 112 forms a shape (e.g., a rectangle) and portions of the frame side 112 extend around the exterior of the shape. In the depicted embodiment, the frame side 114 is an“open” frame because the frame side 114 forms a shape (e.g., a rectangle) and portions of the frame side 114 do not extend around the exterior of the shape. In other embodiments, either or both of the frame sides 112 and 114 may be an open frame, a closed frame, or any combination thereof.

[0020] The frame assembly 110 also includes tie rods 116 that extend between the frame sides 112 and 114. In the depicted embodiment, the tie rods 116 include four tie rods that are coupled to the frame side 112 at the corners of the frame side 112 and are coupled to the frame side 114. In the depicted embodiment, the tie rods 116 have circular cross sections. In other embodiments, the tie rods 116 may have cross sections of any other shapes, such as squares, triangles, and the like. The fie rods 116 are configured to hold the frame sides 112 and 114 apart and to provide structural stability to the frame assembly 110.

[0021] The frame assembly 110 also includes guide rods 118 that extend between the frame sides 112 and 114. In the depicted embodiment, the guide rods 118 include two tie rods that are coupled to the side of the frame side 112 and to the side of the frame side 112. The frame assembly 110 also includes a slide adjustment shaft 120 that extends between the frame sides 112 and 114. In the depicted embodiment, the axes of the guide rods 118 and the slide adjustment shaft 120 are substantially parallel to each other. In the depicted embodiment, each of the guide rods 118 and the slide adjustment shaft 120 has a circular cross section. In other embodiments, each of the guide rods 118 and slide adjustment shaft 120 may have cross sections of any other shapes, such as squares, triangles, and the like. The guide rods 118 and the slide adjustment shaft 120 are configured to permit a slide assembly to slide in a sliding direction 160 that is substantially parallel to the axes of the guide rods 118 and the slide adjustment shaft 120. In the depicted embodiment, the frame assembly 110 also includes slide stops 122 located on the guide rails. In some embodiments, the slide stops 122 are configured to limit the range of motion of a slide assembly along the guide rods 118. in some embodiments, the slide stops 122 are adjustable to different locations along the guide rods 118 to change the location at which the slide stops 122 limit the range of motion of a slide assembly along the guide rods 118.

[0022] In the depicted embodiment, the slide adjustment shaft 120 includes grooves configured to hold a slide assembly on the guide rods 1 18 and the slide adjustment shaft 120 in one of a number of different locations in the sliding direction 160. In the depicted embodiment, the slide adjustment shaft 120 includes upper grooves 124o, 124i , 124a, and 1243 (collectively upper grooves 124) and lower grooves 126o, 126i , 126a, and 126a (collectively lower grooves 126). The upper and lower grooves 124 and 126 includes pairs of grooves, each of which is configured to hold a slide assembly on the guide rods 1 18 and the slide adjustment shaft 120 in a particular location in the sliding direction. For example, the pair of the upper groove 124o and the lower groove 126o is configured to hold the slide assembly in a base location, the pair of the upper groove 124i and the lower groove 126i is configured to hold the slide assembly in a first location, the pair of the upper groove 124a and the lower groove 126a is configured to hold the slide assembly in a second location, and the pair of the upper groove 124a and the lower groove 1263 is configured to hold the slide assembly in a third location. Examples of how the pairs of upper and lower grooves hold the slide assembly are discussed in greater detail below.

[0023] The print mechanism slide system 100 also includes a slide assembly 130. The slide assembly includes a guide rail block 132. In the depicted embodiment, the guide rail block 132 includes three bores through which the guide rods 118 and the slide adjustment shaft 120 are able to pass. In some embodiments, the bores in the guide rail block 132 are shaped and sized to provide a particular fit of the guide rods 118 and the slide adjustment shaft 120 inside of the bores of the guide rail block 132 to increase the ability of the guide rail block 132 to slide along the guide rods 118 and the slide adjustment shaft 120.

[0024] The slide assembly 130 also includes a handle 134 that is coupled to the guide rail block 132. The handle 134 is configured to be actuated (e.g. , manually actuated) to permit the slide assembly 130 to slide in the sliding directed 160.

Examples of the actuation of the handle 134 to permit the slide assembly 130 to slide in the sliding directed 160 are described in greater detail below. In the depicted embodiment, the handle 134 is configured to be rotated with respect to the guide rail block 132 to actuate the handle. In other embodiments, the handle 134 may be pushed into the guide rail block 132, pulled away from the guide rail block 132, or otherwise moved with respect to the guide rail block 132 in order to actuate the handle 134. In some embodiments, the slide assembly 130 includes a biasing mechanism 136 configured to bias the handle 134 to a non-actuated position. In the depicted embodiment, the biasing mechanism 136 is a torsional spring configured to bias the handle 134 in a rotational direction toward the non-actuated position. In other embodiments, the biasing mechanism 136 may be a compression spring, a tension spring, a compliant material, or any other biasing mechanism. In some embodiments, the force exerted by the biasing mechanism 136 to bias the handle 134 to the non-actuated position can be overcome by manual activation of the handle 134 by a user.

[0025] The print mechanism slide system 100 also includes a print mechanism 150 that is fixedly coupled to the guide rail block 132. The printing mechanism 150 is configured to print on a substrate that passes by the print mechanism slide system 100. For example, the printing mechanism 150 is capable of printing on a web of film that is fed past the print mechanism slide system 100. Because the print mechanism 150 is fixedly coupled to the guide rail block 132, the movements of the guide rail block 132 in the sliding direction 160 will cause corresponding movements of the print mechanism 150. in this way, a user can reposition the print mechanism 150 by moving the guide rail block 132. For example, a user may be able to slide the guide rail block 132 between the positions shown in Figs. 1A and 1 B, thereby moving the print mechanism 150 respectively between the positions shown in Figs. 1A and 1 B.

[0026] Depicted in Fig. 2 is a front view of the print mechanism slide system 100. In that depiction, the slide stops 122 have been removed from the guide rods 118 so that the guide rail block 132 can be moved further toward the frame side 112 than would be possible with the slide stops 122 on the guide rods 118. In the depicted embodiment, the guide rail block 132 has been moved toward the frame side 112 so that each of the upper grooves 124 and the lower groove 126 are visible on the slide adjustment shaft 120.

[0027] As noted above, the upper and lower grooves 124 and 126 include pairs of grooves. In the depicted embodiment, the pairs include a pair of the upper groove 124G and the lower groove 126o, a pair of the upper groove 124i and the lower groove 126i, a pair of the upper groove 1242 and the lower groove 1262, and a pair of the upper groove 124a and the lower groove 1263 (each pair of grooves referred to herein the pair of the upper groove 124x and the lower groove 126x) in the depicted embodiment, in each pair of the upper groove 124x and the lower groove 126x, the upper groove 124x and the lower groove 126x are offset from each other in the sliding direction so that the upper groove 124x is located closer to the frame side 1 14 than the lower groove 126x. In some embodiments, the upper and lower grooves 124 and 126 are spaced so that each of the upper and lower grooves 124 and 126 is offset in the sliding direction with respect to each of the other upper and lower grooves 124 and 126. For example, the lower groove 126i is spaced with respect to the upper grooves 124a and 124s so that the lower groove 126i is between the upper grooves 124a and 1243 in the sliding direction. In another example, the upper groove 1243 is spaced with respect to the lower grooves 126i and 1262 so that the upper groove 124s is between the lower grooves 126i and 126a in the sliding direction. In the depicted embodiment, each of the upper and lower grooves 124 and 126 is a rounded V-shaped groove. In other embodiments, one or more of the of the upper and lower grooves 124 and 128 may be a rounded V-shaped groove, a V-shaped groove, a U-shaped groove, or any other shaped groove.

[0028] Depicted in Fig. 3 is a rear perspective view of the print mechanism slide system 100. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the print mechanism 150 has been removed from the guide rail block 132 for convenience in viewing the rear side of the guide rail block 132. It will be understood that the print mechanism 150 could be coupled to the guide rail block 132 in the position shown in Fig. 3. The rear side of the guide rail block 132 includes a bore 140 that extends substantially perpendicular to the rear of the guide rail block 132. The bore 140 extends to a rotatable surface 142. In the depicted embodiment, the rotatable surface 142 is located on the front side of the slide adjustment shaft 120 so that the slide adjustment shaft 120 passes through the bore 140 in the guide rail block 132. The guide rail block 132 further includes a pin 144 and a pin 146 that extend from the rotatable surface 142. The pins 144 and 148 are fixedly coupled to the rotatable surface 142 so that the pins 144 and 146 rotate with the rotation of the rotatable surface 142. In some

embodiments, the rotatable surface 142 is fixedly coupled to the handle 134 such that rotation of the handle 134 causes rotation of the rotatable surface 142.

[0029] The pin 144 is configured to engage one of the upper grooves 124 and the pin 146 is configured to engage one of the lower grooves 126. In the depicted

embodiment, the pins 144 and 146 are spaced such that the pins are capable of simultaneously engaging a pair of the upper groove 124x and the lower groove 126x. In the depicted embodiment, the pins 144 and 146 are engaging the pair of the upper groove 124s and the lower groove 1262, respectively. While the pins 144 and 146 are engaging a pair of the upper groove 124x and the lower groove 126x, the pins 144 and 146 deter movement of the guide rail block 132 in the sliding direction 160 because forces on the guide rail block 132 in the sliding direction 160 will be counteracted by the contact between the pins 144 and 146 and the upper and lower grooves 124x and 126x From the position shown in Fig. 3, the pins 144 and 146 can be disengages from the upper and lower grooves 124a and 1262 by rotating the rotatable surface 142 (e.g., by rotating the handle 134).

[0030] In some embodiments, each pair of the upper groove 124x and the lower groove 126x in the slide adjustment shaft 120 defines a location at which the slide assembly 130 is configured to be held in place by the pins 144 and 146 engaging the upper and lower grooves 124x and 126x. In the depicted embodiment, the pair of the upper groove 124o and the lower groove 126o is configured to hold the slide assembly 130 in the base location, the pair of the upper groove 124i and the lower groove 126i is configured to hold the slide assembly 130 in the first location, the pair of the upper groove 124a and the lower groove 126a is configured to hold the slide assembly 130 in the second location, and the pair of the upper groove 1243 and the lower groove 126s is configured to hold the slide assembly 130 in the third location.

It will be apparent that other embodiments of slide adjustment shafts may include two or more pairs of grooves that permit the slide assembly to be held in two or more different locations.

[0031] Depicted in Figs. 4A to 4G are series of instances of rear views of the print mechanism slide system 100 that show an embodiment of a method of repositioning the slide assembly 130. In the embodiments shown in Figs. 4A to 4G, the print mechanism 150 has been removed from the guide rail block 132 for convenience in viewing the rear side of the guide rail block 132. It will be understood that the print mechanism 150 could be coupled to the guide rail block 132 in each of the instances depicted in Figs. 4A to 4G.

[0032] In the instance shown in Fig. 4A, the slide assembly 130 is located near the frame side 1 14 in the base position. The pins 144 and 146 are engaged into the pair of the upper and lower grooves 124o and 126o. In the depicted embodiment, the handle 134 is biased in the clockwise direction (from the viewpoint shown in Fig. 4A) so that the rotatable surface 142 and the pins 144 and 146 are also biased in the clockwise direction. In the instance depicted in Fig. 4A, slide assembly 130 is positioned so that the pins 144 and 146 are aligned with the upper and lower grooves 124o and 126o. The biasing of the pins 144 and 146 in the clockwise direction causes the pins 144 and 146 to engage the upper and lower grooves 124o and 126o. With the pins 144 and 146 engaged with and biased toward the upper and lower grooves 124o and 126o, the pins 144 and 146 deter any movement of the slide assembly 130 with respect to the frame assembly 1 10 in the sliding direction. The handle 134, which is located behind the slide assembly 130 in Fig. 4A, is in a non- actuated position. In the depicted embodiment, the handle 134 is oriented substantially vertically in the non-actuated position.

[0033] The handle 134 can be rotated counterclockwise from the non-actuated position depicted in Fig. 4A to an actuated position depicted in Fig. 4B. The rotation of the handle 134 may be accomplished by a user turning the handle 134 manually against the biasing force of the biasing mechanism 136. In the depicted

embodiment, the handle 134 is oriented substantially horizontally in the actuated position. The rotation of the handle 134 in the counterclockwise direction has cause counterclockwise rotation of the rotatable surface 142 and the pins 144 and 146.

The counterclockwise rotation of the pins 144 and 146 has cause the pins 144 and 146 to disengage from the upper and lower grooves 124o and 126o. With the pins 144 and 146 disengaged from the upper and lower grooves 124o and 126o, the slide assembly 130 is capable of moving in the sliding direction 160.

[0034] In Fig. 4C, the slide assembly 130 has been moved in the sliding direction 160 toward the frame side 1 12 and the slide assembly 130 is located at the first location. At the instance shown in Fig. 4C, the pins 144 and 146 remain disengaged from the upper and lower grooves 124 and 126. The slide assembly 130 is positioned so that the pins 144 and 146 are aligned with the upper and lower grooves 124i and 126i .

In other words, if the pins 144 and 146 were rotated clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 4C, the pins 144 and 146 would engage the upper and lower grooves 124·! and 126i .

[0035] !n Fig. 4D, the handle 134 has been rotated clockwise from the actuated position back to the non-actuated position. In some embodiments, the rotation of the handle 134 may be cause by the biasing of the handle 134 by the biasing mechanism 136. In some embodiments, the user may exert a force on the handle 134 in addition to the force of the biasing mechanism 136 to return the handle 134 to the non-actuated position. The rotation of the handle 134 in the clockwise direction has caused rotation of the rotatable surface 142 and the pins 144 and 146 in the clockwise direction. The clockwise rotation of the pins 144 and 146 has caused the pins 144 and 146 to engage the upper and lower grooves 124i and 126i. With the pins 144 and 146 engaged with and biased toward the upper and lower grooves 124i and 126i, the pins 144 and 146 deter any movement of the slide assembly 130 with respect to the frame assembly 110 from the first location in the sliding direction 160.

[0036] In the depicted embodiment, the handle 134 remains in the actuated position (e.g., the user continues to hold the handle 134 in the actuated position) as the slide assembly 130 is moved from the position shown in Fig. 4A to the position shown in Fig. 4B. In other embodiments, as soon as the pins 144 and 146 are no longer aligned with the upper and lower grooves 124o and 126o, the handle 134 may be allowed to be biased clockwise until the pins 144 and 146 contact the slide adjustment shaft 120 at a location other than the upper and lower grooves 124 and 126. Even with the pins 144 and 146 biased toward the slide adjustment shaft 120, the slide assembly 130 would still be moveable in the sliding direction 160 with the pins 144 and 146 in contact with the slide adjustment shaft 120. In that case, the pins 144 and 146 will slide along the slide adjustment shaft 120 until the pins 144 and 146 reach other pair of the upper and lower grooves 124x and 128x, at which point, the pins 144 and 146 would be biased into engagement with the upper and lower grooves 124x and 126x

[0037] In Fig. 4E, the slide assembly 130 is in the second location with the pins 144 and 146 engaged with and biased toward the upper and lower grooves 124a and 1262. To get to the location shown in Fig. 4E from the location shown in Fig. 4D, the handle 134 would have been moved from the non-actuated position to the actuated position to disengage the pins 144 and 146 from the upper and lower grooves 124i and 126i, the slide assembly 130 was moved in the sliding direction 180 toward the frame side 112, and the handle 134 was allowed to return to the non-actuated position (e.g., by the force of the biasing mechanism 136) so that the pins 144 and 146 engage and are biased toward the upper and lower grooves 1242 and 1262.

With the pins 144 and 146 engaged with and biased toward the upper and lower grooves 124a and 1262, the pins 144 and 146 deter any movement of the slide assembly 130 with respect to the frame assembly 1 10 from the second location in the sliding direction 160.

[0038] In Fig. 4F, the slide assembly 130 is in the third location with the pins 144 and 146 engaged with and biased toward the upper and lower grooves 124s and 1263

To get to the location shown in Fig. 4F from the location shown in Fig. 4E, the handle 134 would have been moved from the non-actuated position to the actuated position to disengage the pins 144 and 146 from the upper and lower grooves 1242 and 1262, the slide assembly 130 was moved in the sliding direction 160 toward the frame side 112, and the handle 134 was allowed to return to the non-actuated position (e.g., by the force of the biasing mechanism 136) so that the pins 144 and 146 engage and are biased toward the upper and lower grooves 124a and 1263 With the pins 144 and 146 engaged with and biased toward the upper and lower grooves 124s and 126a, the pins 144 and 146 deter any movement of the slide assembly 130 with respect to the frame assembly 1 10 from the third location in the sliding direction 160.

[0039] In Fig. 4G, the slide assembly 130 has been returned to the base location with the pins 144 and 146 engaged with and biased toward the upper and lower grooves 124o and 126o. To get to the location shown in Fig. 4G from the location shown in Fig. 4F, the handle 134 would have been moved from the non-actuated position to the actuated position to disengage the pins 144 and 146 from the upper and lower grooves 124a and 126s, the slide assembly 130 was moved in the sliding direction 160 toward the frame side 1 14, and the handle 134 was allowed to return to the non- actuated position (e.g., by the force of the biasing mechanism 136) so that the pins 144 and 146 engage and are biased toward the upper and lower grooves 124o and 126o. With the pins 144 and 146 engaged with and biased toward the upper and lower grooves 124o and 128o, the pins 144 and 146 deter any movement of the slide assembly 130 with respect to the frame assembly 110 from the base location in the sliding direction 160.

[0040] In the depicted embodiment, the slide assembly 130 includes two pins (pins 144 and 146) that are configured to engage grooves on the slide adjustment shaft 120 hold the location of the slide assembly 130 to the slide adjustment shaft 120. It will be apparent that the slide assembly 130 may include any number of pins (e.g., one pin, two pins, three pins, or more) that are configured to engage corresponding grooves on the slide adjustment shaft 120.

[0041] In the depicted embodiment, the pins 144 and 146 are configured to move in a rotational direction to engage with and to disengage from the upper and lower grooves 124 and 126. It will be apparent that, in other embodiments, the pins 144 and 146 may be configured to move in different directions. For example, the actuation of the handle 134 may be configured to move the pins 144 and 148 linearly to engage with and to disengage from the upper and lower grooves 124 and 126.

For example, the handle 134 may be actuated by pulling the handle 134 away from the guide rail block 132 and the actuation of the handle 134 may cause the pins 144 and 146 to move vertically (up and/or down) away from the slide adjustment shaft 120 to disengage from grooves on the slide adjustment shaft 120.

[0042] In the depicted embodiment, the pins 144 and 146 are configured to engage a pair of upper and lower grooves 124x and 126x on the slide adjustment shaft 120. !n other embodiments, the pins 144 and 146 may be configured to engage pins on the same side of the slide adjustment shaft 120. For example, the pins 144 and 146 may engage a pair of upper grooves on the slide adjustment shaft 120. In one embodiment, the slide adjustment shaft 120 includes four upper groves and the pins 144 and 146 are configured to engage one pair of the four upper grooves when the pins 144 and 146 hold the location of the slide assembly 130. For example, the pins 144 and 146 may engage the first and second of the four upper grooves to hold the slide assembly 130 in the first location, the pins 144 and 146 may engage the second and third of the four upper grooves to hold the slide assembly 130 in the second location, and the pins 144 and 146 may engage the third and fourth of the four upper grooves to hold the slide assembly 130 in the third location !n this example, the pins 144 and 146 may be moved vertically upward to disengage from a pair of the upper grooves and vertically downward to engage with a pair of the upper grooves.

[0043] In the depicted embodiment, the upper and lower grooves 124 and 126 are rounded V-shaped grooves and the pins 144 and 146 are cylindrical in shape. In some embodiments, characteristics of the upper and lower grooves 124 and 126, such as their sizes (e.g., the angle between the two sides of the groove) are selected to deter movement of the slide assembly 130 with respect to the frame assembly 110 when the pins 144 and 146 are engages with a pair of the grooves on the slide adjustment shaft 120. In some embodiments, characteristics of the pins 144 and 146, such as their sizes (e.g., diameters) are selected to deter movement of the slide assembly 130 with respect to the frame assembly 110 when the pins 144 and 146 are engages with a pair of the grooves on the slide adjustment shaft 120. In some embodiments, one or more characteristics of the upper and lower grooves 124 and 126 and/or the one or more characteristics of the pins 142 and 144 (e.g., shape, size, material, etc.) are selected based on characteristics of the print mechanism slide system 100, such as a strength of the biasing mechanism, a number of pins that engage grooves on the slide adjustment shaft 120, an expected about of external forces expected to be applied to the print mechanism slide system 100, an expected amount of vibration expected to be incurred by the print mechanism slide system 100, and the like.

[0044] As noted above, in each of the instances shown in Figs 3 and 4A to 4G, the printing mechanism 150 has been removed for convenience in viewing the rear side of the guide rail block 132. However, with the printing mechanism 150 fixedly coupled to the guide rail block 132, the movements of the slide assembly 130 between the base location, the first location, the second location, and the third location can reposition the printing mechanism 150 accordingly. Depicted in Figs. 5A to 5D are front views of the print mechanism slide system 100 with the printing mechanism 150 fixedly coupled to the slide assembly 130 and a supply roll mandrel 170 in a fixed position with respect to the frame assembly 1 10. The depictions in Figs. 5D to 5D depict the ability of the printing mechanism 150 to be repositioned between the base, first, second, and third locations based on a width of a supply roll on the supply roll mandrel 170

[0045] In Fig. 5A, the supply roll mandrel 170 is not holding any supply roll. In the same instance, the slide assembly 130 is located at the base location. The pins 144 and 146 may be engaged with and biased toward the upper and lower grooves 124o and 126o. The printing mechanism 150 is located substantially to the left of the supply roll mandrel 170 so that the supply roll mandrel 170 can be loaded with a supply roll, a web of the material can be fed past the print mechanism slide system 100, and the like. While the base location of the slide assembly 130 is near the frame side 1 14 in the depicted embodiment, the base location of the slide assembly 130 may be at other locations in other embodiments. For example, the base location of the slide assembly 130 may be at any point along the slide adjustment shaft 120 in the sliding direction 160 that is convenient for the user to load the supply roll. In the depicted embodiment, the pair of upper and lower grooves 124o and 126o are located to hold the slide assembly 130 in the base location. In other embodiments, the slide adjustment shaft 120 may not include any grooves to hold the slide assembly 130 in the base location. In some embodiments, including the depicted embodiment, no portion of the print mechanism 150 will be substantially centered with respect to the supply roll when the supply roll is loaded on the supply roll mandrel 170.

[0046] In other embodiments, the supply roll mandrel 170 may be at different orientations with respect to the frame assembly 110. For example, the supply roll mandrel 170 is arranged so that supply rolls are loaded from the right in the depicted in Fig. 5A; in other embodiments, the supply roil mandrel 170 could be arranged so that supply rolls are loaded from the left. Additionally, the supply roll mandrel 170 could be placed at locations that are not in proximity with the frame assembly 110 so that the web material travels along a web path (e.g , past a number of rollers that define the web path) between the supply roll mandrel 170 and point where the web material passes the frame assembly 110.

[0047] In Fig. 5B, a supply roil 172 has been loaded on the supply roil mandrel 170. The slide assembly 130 has been moved to the first location and the pins 144 and 146 may be engaged with and biased toward the upper and lower grooves 124i and 126i A portion of the print mechanism 150 is substantially centered with the supply roil 172 in the sliding direction. In some embodiments, a web of material (e.g., a web of inflatable film) may be fed from the supply roll 172 past the print mechanism 150 so that the print mechanism 150 is capable of printing on the web. In some embodiments, the slide assembly 130 is held to the frame assembly 110 in a way that the vibrations of the print mechanism 150 do not move the slide assembly 130 with respect to the frame assembly 110 as the print mechanism 150 prints on the web. The supply roll 172 has a first width 174. In one example, the first width 174 is about 8 inches.

[0048] In Fig. 5C, a supply roll 176 has been loaded on the supply roll mandrel 170 The slide assembly 130 has been moved to the second location and the pins 144 and 146 may be engaged with and biased toward the upper and lower grooves 124a and 1262. A portion of the print mechanism 150 is substantially centered with the supply roll 176 in the sliding direction. In some embodiments, a web of material (e.g., a web of inflatable film) may be fed from the supply roll 176 past the print mechanism 150 so that the print mechanism 150 is capable of printing on the web.

In some embodiments, the slide assembly 130 is held to the frame assembly 110 in a way that the movements and/or vibrations of the print mechanism 150 do not move the slide assembly 130 with respect to the frame assembly 110 as the print mechanism 150 prints on the web. The supply roll 176 has a second width 178. In one example, the second width 178 is about 10 inches.

[0049] !n Fig. 5D, a supply roll 180 has been loaded on the supply roll mandrel 170. The slide assembly 130 has been moved to the second location and the pins 144 and 146 may be engaged with and biased toward the upper and lower grooves 124a and 1263. A portion of the print mechanism 150 is substantially centered with the supply roll 180 in the sliding direction !n some embodiments, a web of material (e.g., a web of inflatable film) may be fed from the supply roll 180 past the print mechanism 150 so that the print mechanism 150 is capable of printing on the web.

In some embodiments, the slide assembly 130 is held to the frame assembly 110 in a way that the movements and/or vibrations of the print mechanism 150 do not move the slide assembly 130 with respect to the frame assembly 110 as the print mechanism 150 prints on the web. The supply roll 180 has a third width 182. In one example, the third width 182 is about 12 inches.

[0050] As can be seen in Figs. 5B to 5D, the ability of the slide assembly 130 and the print mechanism 150 to be located at different locations on the frame assembly 110 allows the print mechanism 150 to be used with and print on webs from supply rolls of different widths. In some embodiments, as a supply roll is loaded on to the supply roil mandrel 170, the slide assembly 130 is in the base location (as shown in Fig.

5A) After the supply roil is loaded on the supply roll mandrel 170 and the web is properly fed, a user may actuate the handle 134 to move the slide assembly 130 and the print mechanism 150 to the appropriate one of the first, second, and third locations, as may be appropriate for the width of the supply roil. The print mechanism 150 can then print on the web. When a user intends to remove the supply roll from the supply roll mandrel 170, the user can activate the handle 134 to move the slide assembly 130 and the print mechanism 150 from the first, second, or third location to the base location, at which point the user can remove the web and the supply roll from the supply roll mandrel 170.

[0051] In the embodiments disclosed herein, the supply rolls may include a core and a web of material wound around the core. In some embodiments, the core is made from a paper product (e.g., a cardboard tube, a Kraft paper tube, etc.), a plastic material, or any other material. The core may be sized to permit the core to slide over a mandrel (e.g., supply roll mandrel 170). In the depicted embodiment, the core has a hollow bore. In some embodiments, a material and/or thickness of the core is selected so that the core does not deform from the weight of the web material, when the core is placed on a mandrel or in other uses of the core.

[0052] In some embodiments, the web materia! on a supply roll is a flexible film material that can be manipulated to enclose a fluid (e.g., air). In some embodiments, the flexible film material includes one or more of various thermoplastic materials, e.g., polyethylene homopolymer or copolymer, polypropylene homopolymer or copolymer, etc. Non-limiting examples of suitable thermoplastic polymers include polyethylene homopolymers, such as low density polyethylene (LORE) and high density polyethylene (HOPE), and polyethylene copolymers such as, e.g., ionomers, EVA, EMA, heterogeneous (Zeig!er-Nalta catalyzed) ethylene/alpha-o!efin

copolymers, and homogeneous (metallocene, singie-cite catalyzed) ethylene/alpha- oiefin copolymers. Ethylene/alpha-olefin copolymers are copolymers of ethylene with one or more comonomers selected from C3 to C20 alpha-olefins, including linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), linear medium density polyethylene (LMDPE), very low density polyethylene (VLDPE), and ultra-low density polyethylene (ULDPE). Various other polymeric materials may also be used such as, e.g., polypropylene homopolymer or polypropylene copolymer (e.g., propylene/ethylene copolymer), polyesters, polystyrenes, polyamides, polycarbonates, etc. The film may be monolayer or multilayer and can be made by any known extrusion process by melting the component polymer(s) and extruding, coextruding, or extrusion-coating them through one or more fiat or annular dies.

[0053] In some embodiments, the film is an inflated air cellular material in a deflated state. As used herein, the term“air cellular material” herein refers to bubble cushioning material, such as BUBBLE WRAP® air cushioning material sold by Sealed Air Corporation, where a first film or laminate is formed (e.g., thermoformed, embossed, calendared, or otherwise processed) to define a plurality of cavities and a second film or laminate is adhered to the first film or laminate in order to close the cavities. Examples of air cellular materials are shown in U.S. Patent. Nos.

3,142,599, 3,208,898, 3,285,793, 3,508,992, 3,586,565, 3,816,155, 3,660,189, 4,181 ,548, 4,184,904, 4,415,398, 4,576,669, 4,579,516, 6,800,162, 6,982,113, 7,018,495, 7,165,375, 7,220,476, 7,223,461 , 7,429,304, 7,721 ,781 , and 7,950,433, and U.S. Published Patent Application Nos. 2014/0314978 and 2015/0075114, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. In embodiments where the film is an air cellular material in a deflated state, the film can be unrolled and then fed through an inflation and sealing machine. The inflation and sealing machine inflates and seals cells in the air cellular material so that the air cellular material is in an inflated state. Examples of inflation and sealing machines are described in U.S. Patent No. 7,721 ,781 and U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2014/0314978, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0054] !n some embodiments, it may be desirable to align a supply roll with a path of travel for the film to pass by a printing mechanism capable of printing on the film. Examples of passing a film from a supply roll through a printing mechanism are described in International Application No. PCT/US2017/066564, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0055] For purposes of this disclosure, terminology such as“upper,"“lower,” “vertical,”“horizontal,”“inwardly,”“outwardly,”“inner,”“outer,”“front,”“rear,” and the like, should be construed as descriptive and not limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter. Further, the use of“including,”“comprising,” or“having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless limited otherwise, the terms “connected,”“coupled,” and“mounted” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections, couplings, and mountings. Unless stated otherwise, the terms“substantially,”“approximately,” and the like are used to mean within 5% of a target value.

[0056] The principles, representative embodiments, and modes of operation of the present disclosure have been described in the foregoing description. However, aspects of the present disclosure which are intended to be protected are not to be construed as limited to the particular embodiments disclosed. Further, the embodiments described herein are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. It will be appreciated that variations and changes may be made by others, and equivalents employed, without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it is expressly intended that all such variations, changes, and

equivalents fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, as claimed.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:

a frame assembly including a guide rod and a slide adjustment shaft;

a slide assembly including a guide rail block and a handle, wherein the guide rod passes through the guide rail block and the guide rail block is configured to slide along the guide rod in a sliding direction, and wherein the handle is biased to a non- actuated position; and

a print mechanism fixedly coupled to the guide rail block such that movements of the guide rail block in the sliding direction cause corresponding movements of the print mechanism in the sliding direction;

wherein the slide adjustment shaft includes a plurality of grooves;

wherein the slide assembly includes a pin configured to selectively engage at least two of the plurality of grooves;

wherein the handle is coupled to the pin such that the pin is engaged with and biased toward one of the plurality of grooves on the slide adjustment shaft when the handle is in the non-activated position and movement of the handle from the non- activated position to an activated position causes pin to disengage from the plurality of grooves on the slide adjustment shaft; and

wherein the guide rail block is capable of sliding in the sliding direction when the pin is disengaged from the plurality of grooves and the guide rail block is prevented from sliding in the sliding direction when the pin is engaged with and biased toward one of the plurality of grooves.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the print mechanism is configured to be located at, and held at, a plurality of different locations in the sliding direction and wherein, when the print mechanism is at each of the different locations, the pin is engaged with and biased toward a different one of the plurality of grooves.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pin is a first pin and the slide assembly further includes a second pin configured to selectively engage at least two of the plurality of grooves.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the plurality of grooves in the slide adjustment shaft includes a plurality of upper grooves and a plurality of lower grooves.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein, when the handle is in the non-activated position, the first and second pins are engaged with and biased toward a first pair of grooves, wherein the first pair of grooves includes a first upper groove of the plurality of upper grooves and a first lower groove of the plurality of lower grooves.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the handle is capable of being moved from the non-activated position to the activated position to disengage the first pin from the first upper groove and to disengage the second pin from the first lower groove.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the guide rail block is capable of being moved in the sliding direction from a first location to a second location when the handle is in the activate position.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein, when the guide rail block is in the second position, the handle is capable of moving from the activated position to the non- activated position to cause the first and second pins to be engaged with and biased toward a second pair of grooves, wherein the second pair of grooves includes a second upper groove of the plurality of upper grooves and a second lower groove of the plurality of lower grooves.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the handle is configured to be moved from the non-activated position to the activated position by rotating the handle in a first rotational direction, and wherein rotation of the handle in the first rotational direction causes rotation of the first and second pins to rotate out of the first upper groove and the first lower groove in the first rotational direction.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the handle is configured to be moved from the activated position to the non-activated position by rotating the handle in a second rotational direction, and wherein rotation of the handle in the second rotational direction causes rotation of the first and second pins to rotate into the second upper groove and the second lower groove in the second rotational direction.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the slide assembly further includes a biasing mechanism configured to bias the handle to the non-actuated position.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the biasing mechanism is a torsional spring configured to bias the handle in a rotational direction to the non-actuated position.

13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a supply roil mandrel configured to hold a supply roil of a web material.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the web material is configured to be fed from the supply roll past the print mechanism, and where the print mechanism is configured to print on the web material as the web material passes the print mechanism.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein, when the pin is engaged with and biased toward one of the plurality of grooves, the guide rail block is prevented from sliding in the sliding direction due to vibrations of the print mechanism as the print mechanism prints on the web material.

16. A method comprising:

loading a first supply roil of a first web material on a supply roll mandrel, wherein the supply roll mandrel is fixedly coupled to a frame assembly;

moving a slide assembly from a base location on the frame assembly to a first location on the frame assembly, wherein the slide assembly is coupled to a print mechanism;

feeding the first web material from the first supply roil past the print

mechanism; and causing the print mechanism to print on the first web material; wherein the frame assembly includes a slide adjustment shaft and the slide adjustment shaft includes a plurality of grooves;

wherein the slide assembly includes a handle that is biased to a non-actuated position and a pin configured to selectively engage at least two of the plurality of grooves;

wherein the handle is coupled to the pin such that the pin is engaged with and biased toward one of the plurality of grooves on the slide adjustment shaft when the handle is in the non-activated position and movement of the handle from the non- acfivated position to an activated position causes pin to disengage from the plurality of grooves on the slide adjustment shaft; and

wherein, when the slide assembly is in the base location, the pin is engaged with and biased toward a first groove of the plurality of grooves and wherein, when the slide assembly is in the first location, the pin is engaged with and biased toward a second groove of the plurality of grooves

17 The method of claim 16, further comprising:

moving the slide assembly from the first location on the frame assembly to the base location on the frame assembly;

removing the first supply roll from the supply roll mandrel;

loading a second supply roll of a second web material on the supply roll mandrel; and

moving the slide assembly from the base location on the frame assembly to a second location on the frame assembly;

feeding the second web material from the second supply roll past the print mechanism; and

causing the print mechanism to print on the second web material;

wherein, when the slide assembly is in the second position, the pin is engaged with and biased toward a third groove of the plurality of grooves.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first supply roll has a first width and the second supply roll has a second width, and wherein the first width is different from the second width.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, when the slide assembly is in the first location, a portion of the print mechanism is substantially centered with respect to the first width of the first supply roil, and wherein, when the slide assembly is in the second location, the portion of the print mechanism is substantially centered with respect to the second width of the second supply roll.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein moving the slide assembly from the base location on the frame assembly to the first location on the frame assembly comprises:

manually turning the handle from the non-activated position to the activated position;

manually sliding the slide assembly from the base location on the frame assembly to the first location on the frame assembly; and

allowing the handle to be rotated to the non-activated position while the slide assembly is in the first location.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein moving the slide assembly from the base location on the frame assembly to the second location on the frame assembly comprises:

manually sliding the slide assembly from the base location on the frame assembly to the second location on the frame assembly; and

allowing the handle to be rotated to the non-activated position while the slide assembly is in the second location.