Patent Application
20110214397
The present invention generally relates to the field of packaging, more particularly, to any or all of apparatus, systems, and processes, to aid product wrapping, and more particularly still, to apparatus, systems, and processes for wrapping a wide variety of products characterized by a wide variety of product profiles, for example and without limitation, any and all of cans, bottles, jars, cartons, trays, etc.
Sleeve type wrapping stations are commonly part and parcel of automated packaging systems, namely, those characterized by the conveyance of product, usually, but not necessarily, an aggregation of discrete product elements, e.g., cans, bottles, jars, cartons, trays, etc. which are to be wrapped in furtherance of consolidating or securing the aggregation as a bundle or the like. Generally, conveyed product is received upon a conveyor of a wrapping station, with a leading edge of a wrapper or wrapping (i.e., a film sheet or the like), fed from below, interposed between the station conveyor and the product. Thereafter, a wand or wrap bar, which “orbits” or circumscribes so as to travel about the station conveyor (i.e, the wand, in looping fashion, ascends from below the leading edge of the station conveyor, travels over the length of the conveyor, and descends below the trailing edge of the station conveyor), engages the wrapper or wrapping, and directs it over and about the product. Upon exiting the wrapping station, a sleeved product proceeds for further processing, commonly, processing to effectuate a “shrinking” of the wrapper sleeve so as to bundle or otherwise secure the product so sleeved.
Characteristic of heretofore known sleeve type wrapping stations is a wand track and track follower. Notionally, a travel path for, or orbit of, the wand or wrap bar is delimited by a track, with the wand at least indirectly equipped with a track mating follower (see e.g., Gambetti (U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,474,041 & 6,964,147, and EP 1013552 A1), and Floding et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2004/0083689)). In connection to the latter teaching, an earlier filing of Applicant's incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, shortcomings were identified and discussed with regard to chain driven wand paths and those delimited by cam tracks/cam followers, for instance and without limitation, an inability to easily, efficiently and economically accommodate the effective processing of greater than one product batch (i.e., provide apparatus or methods that are adjustable to accommodate a large range of product profiles, e.g., a first batch run of 2×2 arrays of 1 liter bottles followed by a second batch run of 6×4 arrays of 8 ounce cans).
With a cam track formed of or from a plurality of cam segments readily interchangeable to define different shapes for the continuous path of a wrap support which engages and directs the sheet wrapper, Floding et al. enhanced automated packaging operations. While the disclosed cam track approach generally, and cam segment approach specifically, alone or in combination with, among other things, a slave driven conveyor table proved advantageous in furtherance of enhancing previously known automated packaging operations, it is believed that further improvement with regard to function so as to more quickly and efficiently process products of varied product profiles remain outstanding and attainable.
For example, and in contradistinction to chain drives, while the cam track approach generally permits advantageous select velocity and acceleration changes for the wand during its orbit, inherent practical limitations exist owning to the interface of the track follower with the cam track. Moreover, the noted inherent practical limitations further limit the overall processing speed or indwelling time of product at or within the wrapping station (i.e., the period of the orbit).
It has been found that advantageous cam track configurations or layouts corresponding to widely or commonly seen product profiles result in high pressure angle forces on the cam followers in the cam tracks or cam track portions. Moreover, and as should be readily appreciated, synchronous travel of opposing wand ends via their indirect travel upon opposing cam tracks is essential, with the wrapper station conveyor table support structure(s) not to be overlooked and/or undervalued with regard to that objective.
Further still, operator intervention in the form of a physical change out or change over of station components remains a necessity to accommodate the processing of wide range of products intended for processing. In as much as improvements have been made to reduce down time associated with batch processing, continuous processing of a variable and varying product feed to a wrapping station remains as an important objective.
Thus in light of the foregoing, provisions for continuous wrap station operation via a given, mechanically fixed wrap station which readily processes and is inherently responsive to variable batch feeds of product (i.e., product batches each having a characteristic product profile relating to product height) for wrapping is believed desirable and advantageous. Furthermore, greater orbit path precision and speed and smoother wand motion via orbit travel is believed desirable and advantageous. Further still, provisions for an improved wrapper station conveyor table support structure, for example, a unitary table support, is believed desirable and advantageous.
A wrapping apparatus, system, station and/or process of or for wrapping a product characterized by a product profile is generally provided.
As to the apparatus, it advantageously includes a wrap bar for engaging and directing a wrapper about the product, a wrap bar carrier from which the wrap bar extends, and a drive assembly operatively linked to the wrap bar carrier. The carrier block, which retains the translating wrap bar carrier intermediate opposing end portions thereof, is adapted for driven rotation about a wrapping axis of the apparatus so as to thereby rotatingly drive the wrap bar about the wrapping axis via rotation of the wrap bar carrier. The drive assembly, which is operatively linked to the wrap bar carrier, selectively translates the wrap bar carrier in relation to the carrier block during driven rotation of the wrap bar carrier such that a radial distance for the wrap bar from the wrapping axis is thereby capable of selective establishment in furtherance of delimiting a wrap bar travel path commensurate with the product profile of the product.
An alternate non-limiting wrapping station for automated sheet wrapping of a conveyed product is further contemplated. More particularly, an apparatus characterized by a wrap supporting member, opposingly paired, spaced apart elongate wrap bar carriers, and opposingly paired, spaced apart, and synchronously rotatable retainers. Advantageously, the wrap supporting member is exclusively supported by corresponding free end portions of the opposingly paired elongate wrap bar carriers in furtherance of establishing a trackless travel path for the wrap supporting member about a wrapping axis. Each retainer of the opposingly paired, spaced apart, and synchronously rotatable retainers is adapted for reciprocating retention of each elongate wrap bar carrier of the opposingly paired elongate wrap bar carriers so as to thereby establish a select driven radial position of the wrap support member relative to the wrapping axis during travel of the wrap supporting member along the trackless travel path about the conveyed product.
Finally, a preferred, non-limiting method of wrapping a conveyed product with a sheet wrapper supported by a wrap bar is provided. More particularly, the contemplated wrapping method or process includes orbiting the wrap bar about a wrap axis in furtherance of forming a sheet wrapper sleeve around the conveyed product. Moreover, and advantageously, the method/process includes selectively translating the wrap bar orbiting the wrap axis such that a radial distance for the wrap bar from the wrap axis is thereby capable of selective establishment so as to define a wrap bar path commensurate with a product profile of the conveyed product, with select translation of the wrap bar being accomplished without reliance upon a track/track follower arrangement. More specific features and advantages obtained in view of those features will become apparent with reference to the drawing figures and DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION.
Prior to a description of any apparatus, system or process particulars, some preliminary remarks are in order. More particularly, several functional or operative notions warrant review, and/or previewing as the case may be.
By way of review, generally, a wand or wrapping support element is driven for travel in the direction of product conveyance. Via rotation, such wand, in an side/end view travels a first 180° arcuate path over a product receiving conveyor table and continues through a second 180° arcuate path under or below the table to thus generally define a 360° wand orbit. While circular orbits (i.e., constant radius paths) perhaps serve and have served some product wrapping scenarios well, other orbit profiles, e.g., elliptical or polygonal, require select departures/changes in the elevation of the wand relative to the conveyor table, more particularly in relation to a wrapping mechanism axis of rotation. In summary, known wrapping apparatus, systems and/or processes may be fairly characterized by three motions, first, product conveyance; second, wand rotation; and third, wand translation or reciprocation relative to conveyed product (i.e., radial translation or reciprocation relative to the rotational axis).
By way of preview, fundamentally, an aim of the disclosed and/or contemplated apparatus, systems or processes is to continually receive and process, via an accommodation, e.g., self adjustment of apparatus components, product of sequentially conveyed product wherein the sequentially conveyed product comprises product batches wherein each product batch is characterized by a product profile. For product A having a profile A′ designated for wrapping, a wrapper is engaged for support by a wrapping bar which is selectively directed through an orbit or travel path A″ up and over product A as it passes through the wrapping station. With the inevitable subsequent processing of product B having profile B′, where B′ is distinct from A′, the wrapping bar is then correspondingly, and on-the-fly, selectively directed through an orbit or travel path B″ up an over product B as it passes through the wrapping station.
In lieu of a continued focus with regard to improving slave, track driven wrapping bars, and what is believed a commensurate marginal rate of return in product processing performance, Applicant provides, via an abandonment of anything resembling a track, a wrapping mechanism or apparatus characterized by a mechanically unencumbered yet highly controllable, rotatable and translatable wand or wrap bar. Moreover, such wand or wrap bar path delimited by select rotation and radial translation or reciprocation of the wand or wrap bar is on-the-fly selectable and/or responsive to changing product, with unforeseen speed and control of wrapping operations achieved.
The following description immediately proceeds with general reference to the wrapping station or system of
Referring now generally to
With specific reference to
As will be subsequently detailed in connection to
In advance of further particulars, it is to be noted that while the balance of this description generally but not exclusively proceeds with regard to the wrapping mechanism of
With particular reference now to
In addition to supporting wrapping mechanism 40 (e.g.,
It should be understood, and readily appreciate with reference to the figures and in the context of the entirety of the instant disclosure, that the referenced drivers and drive assemblies may be adapted in known ways, even functionally consolidated, to nonetheless drive select elements or station subassemblies in furtherance of the general aim of the wrapping station. Thus, in as much as the non-limiting drive depictions are believed advantageous, in the context of the wrapping mechanism contemplated and/or disclosed, it is only a requisite that: a wrapping conveyor or the like transport product through the station; a wrapping support structure be rotated about a wrapping mechanism axis so as to orbit about the wrapping conveyor; and, the wrapping support structure be radially translated or translatable relative to the wrapping mechanism axis during its orbit thereabout.
With general reference now to
With regard to wrap bar carrier 44, which is disposed generally perpendicular to wrapping mechanism axis 50, it may be fairly characterized as an elongate, frame-like element having first and second opposing end portions delimited, as shown, by braces, brackets or crossbars 58. The carrier 44 preferably, but not necessarily, includes a pair of spaced apart members or elements, e.g., tubes 60 as shown, which are united and retained at their end portions/free ends by braces 58. It should be noted and appreciated that structures comprising a wrap bar carrier may be various or sundry. While a carrier comprised of a single element slidingly or otherwise received or receiveable by a rotatable block, or other variation on a structure adapted to retain at least a portion of a wrap bar and to translate in relation to a rotating or rotatable element with which it is associated, falls within the scope of this disclosure, the robustness of carrier 44 is believed especially advantageous and preferable.
The carrier braces 58 generally include an adaptation in furtherance of supporting an end/end portion of wrap bar 42, or the wrap bar at one end thereof, either directly, or indirectly such that wrap bar 42 extends therefrom, either directly or indirectly.
An indirect advantageous arrangement is generally shown wherein an arm, more particularly an offset arm 62, is provided to link wrap bar 42 to brace 58. With a pair of wrap bars so supported or carried by the braces of the wrap bar carrier, a distance or dimension between opposingly supported wrap bars (DWB) exceeds a distance or dimension between opposing free ends of the wrap bar carrier (DWBC), see e.g.,
The carrier braces 58 generally include a further adaptation for the retention of a free end portion of fixed length flexible element 56 of drive assembly 48. For instance, as shown in
With regard now to rotatable carrier block 46, which is carried for rotation upon a free end of table support tube 24 (e.g.,
The rotatable carrier block 46, which translatingly retains wrap bar carrier 44 intermediate the opposing end portions thereof, rotatingly supports driven element 54, of drive assembly 48, upon a second block face (e.g.,
With continued general reference to
As should be readily appreciated in light of the foregoing, the wrap bar may be quickly, reliably and efficiently directed radially while orbiting the conveyed product. Maximum and minimum radial extensions for wrap bar 42 relative to conveyed product P or wrapping mechanism axis 50 are generally delimited by DWBC, or in the depicted apparatus arrangement, by DWB (
While general preferences are noted with regard to the drive assembly of the wrapping apparatus of
First, and in furtherance of increased and enhanced product processing, strength, durability and weight are appropriate general considerations. In furtherance thereof, it is believed advantageous to provide structural apparatus symmetry, e.g., paired wrap bar carrier members or tubes, paired wrap bars extending from opposing ends of the carrier members, and opposingly paired wrap bar carrier members between which the opposingly paired wrap bars extend. Moreover, while elements, subassemblies and assemblies may be fabricated using conventional materials, it is believed advantageous that the wrap bar comprise 7075 series aluminum, and that the table support member comprise a rigid 3.5″ OD CRS tubing.
Second, it is to be emphasized that while alternate known mechanisms such as, and without limitation, a chain and sprocket, rack and pinion, telescoping element, robotic arm with two pivot motions, etc. may be available to effectuate a translation of a wrap bar carrier relative to a rotatable carrier block while nonetheless avoiding a slave/track system. The contemplated fixed length element, advantageously provided in the form of a 304 series stainless steel wire rope, provides for a supremely responsive and quick translation of the carrier, enabling heretofore unseen product throughput speeds of up to at least 150 cycles per minute.
Third, and finally, while the driven assemblies described benefit from a variable driven operation, they need not be so limited. Advantageously, well known variable operable drivers, such as a servo drive or stepper motor, are provided so as to impart time variable motions to their driven elements. With regard to wrap bar carrier translation, time variable selective translations, resulting in time variable radial motions of the wrapper bar, are achievable, with time variable motions or motion segments for the carrier block, resulting in time variable arcs or arcuate segments for the wrapper bar, and time variable motions or motion segments for the conveyor driver, resulting is time variable linear belt motions is likewise achievable.
Thus, since the assemblies, subassemblies, structures and/or elements, and processing steps disclosed directly or implicitly herein may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or general characteristics thereof, some of which forms have been indicated, the features described and depicted herein/herewith are to be considered in all respects illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, the scope of the disclosed invention is as defined in the language of the appended claims, and is to includes liberal, not insubstantial equivalents thereto.
