Patent Application
20180127122
This invention relates generally to the packaging industry and, more specifically, to application of stretch film or other materials to wrap around objects.
Stretch film or wrap is generally known in the industry as a material that can be used to securely wrap a collection of objects together using the stretch material's resiliency and dinginess. Stretch wrap is typically understood to be a polyethylene stretch film that is generally dispensed from a roll form for use in a variety of applications. For instance, a user may hold stretch wrap against a collection of objects and then dispense and stretch the film around the collection of objects and over itself up to several times to cover and hold together the objects. In the shipping industry, for example, a collection of materials may be placed on a pallet to secure such articles together during the shipping process. A collection of boxes placed on a pallet can be shipped as a single cohesive unit when bound together through wrapping with stretch wrap. Other applications of stretch wrap are known such as wrapping agricultural products or simply binding together a collection of items. Additional wrapping materials, such as bubble wrap or tape, are also frequently used to wrap objects either on their own or in conjunction with each other and/or stretch film.
Although such usages for stretch film and other wrapping materials are known and documented, the application of multiple types of wrapping material is generally a time consuming, multi-step process. The user must generally wrap the object with the first material, secure the first material in place, then wrap the object with the second material, and then secure the second material in place, etc.
Even when using a wrapping device, instead of wrapping by hand, conventional wrapping devices are designed to wrap with a single material at a time. In addition, many conventional wrapping devices are hand held devices in which the user must physically walk around the object or rotate the object and wrapper relative to each other by hand.
Generally speaking and pursuant to these various embodiments, a wrapping apparatus includes a frame having a plurality of packing material mounts spaced radially outward from an axis of rotation. The frame is configured to rotate about the axis of rotation. In one approach, a motor is operatively coupled to the frame so as to induce rotation of the frame when activated. A first packing material is supported on a first packing material mount, and a second packing material is supported on a second packing material mount. The second material mount is spaced circumferentially from the first material mount such that it is behind the first material mount in the direction of rotation. An object to be wrapped is supported radially closer to the rotation axis that the first mount and the second mount and approximately within a rotation path for the first mount and the second mount and in such a manner that the object does not rotate synchronously with the frame. Free ends of the first packing material and the second material are secured to the object. The motor is activated to rotate the frame about the axis of rotation, which causes packing material to unwind from the first and second packing material dispensers supported by the mounts to wrap about the object.
In one approach, the first packing material and the second packing material are generally different materials, although two mounts could dispense the same material. Typically, materials used to wrap the object include stretch wrap, adhesive tape, bubble wrap, paper, metal foil, and sheet formed packing foam. For example, the first material may be bubble wrap and the second material stretch film, such that rotation of the frame wraps the object in bubble wrap which in turn is immediately secured in place by a layer of stretch film. More than two mounts may be included so that three or more different materials or any combination of materials can be dispensed and wrap an object simultaneously.
One or more of the packing material mounts may be configured to dampen rotation of the packing material or packing material dispenser mounted thereon. This dampening increases the amount of stress or tension in the packing material caused by the force being applied along the material to unroll it from the dispenser. This stress causes the packing material to stretch, which can be advantageous in improving the quality of the wrapping of the object. The increased force may also serve to ensure tight, consistent contact between the packing material and the object or packing material it is being wrapped around. Slack in the packing material can result in bubbles or wrinkles in the final package, whereas packing material applied under tension will be smooth.
So configured, a object can be quickly wrapped and secured for shipment. The object can be an already boxed item so that the box is further secured. Alternatively, an object can be wrapped directly with, for example, bubble wrap, stretch film, and tape to protect the object without use of a box.
Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which:
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments. It will further be appreciated that certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. It will also be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions by persons skilled in the technical field as set forth above except where different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.
Referring now to the drawings, and in particular
The frame 110 includes a plurality of packing material dispenser mounts 111, including the first mount 112, second mount 114, and third mount 116. In some embodiments, the frame 110 only includes two or three mounts. In other embodiments, such as the one shown, the frame 110 includes additional mounts spaced about its circumference to allow for greater variation in the packing material combinations and to help balance the frame 110.
The first mount 112 supports a first packing material 113, the second mount 114 supports a second packing material 115, and the third mount 116 supports a third packing material 117. The packing materials 113/115/117 may be a variety of materials, including stretch wrap, adhesive tape, bubble wrap, paper, metal foil, and packing foam. In the embodiment shown the first packing material 113 is bubble wrap, the second packing material 115 is stretch film, and the third packing material 117 is adhesive tape. One or more of the mounts 112/114/116 may support multiple rolls of packing material, such as mount 116 supporting two rolls of adhesive tape 117 in the embodiment shown.
An object 102 is supported near the center of the frame 110. The object 102 may be a box, as shown, or may be an unpackaged item or collection or items. The object 102 is supported so as to remain stationary while the frame 110 rotates so that the packing material mounts 112/114/116 rotate about the object 102 and the packing materials 113/115/117 are wrapped around the object 102. In some embodiments, the object 102 is supported by an object support integral with the wrapping apparatus, such as the object support 203 shown in
The frame 110 is operatively coupled to a motor 106. Activation of the motor 106 causes the frame 110 to rotate about its axis of rotation. In some embodiments, the frame 110 is mounted directly onto the shaft of the motor 106. In other embodiments, the motor 106 is configured to rotate one or more gears 107 which in turn rotate the shaft 104 on which the frame 110 is mounted.
Many types of motors 106 are considered herein, including AC motors, DC motors, brushless DC motors, internal combustion motors, pneumatic motors, and hydraulic motors. In the embodiments shown, a DC electric motor 106 is used. The motor 106 is operated by a controller 122 and powered by a power supply 120. One or more emergency stops 124 can be spaced throughout the work space of the wrapping apparatus 100 so that users or bystanders can quickly deactivate the motor 106 in an emergency.
The controller 122 includes one or more inputs used in the controlling of the motor 106. In one embodiment, the controller receives an input from a simple, binary switch to turn the motor on and off. A user places an object 102 at or near the rotation axis of the frame 110, secures the free end of the packing materials 113/115/117 to the object 102, and flips a switch communicatively coupled to the controller 122 to the ON position to begin rotation of the motor 106. The controller 122 receives the on signal from the switch and has power supplied to the motor 106. In this example system, the controller 122 may solely include a relay, or even be the switch itself. Instead of a binary switch, the controller 122 may be communicatively coupled to an analog switch such that the user or operator can adjust the rotation speed of the motor 106.
In more complicated systems, one or more sensors may be communicatively coupled to the controller 122. The sensors may include obstacle sensors detecting obstacles in the rotation path of the frame 110, object sensors configured to determine if there is an object in the wrapping area, packing material sensors configured to detect the presence or absence of packing material on one or more of the mounts 111/112/114/116, wrap sensors configured to determine the amount of packing material wrapped about the object 102, and/or rotation sensors configured to determine the number of rotations made by the frame 110 during the present operation.
The controller 122 may further include a processor configured to run a program, for example, set to run the device in a particular way for a certain combination of packing materials 113/115/117 and/or certain object 102 to be wrapped. A given program may include a programmed speed of rotation and number of rotations. When an input is made indicating this combination of packing materials 113/115/117 and/or certain object 102, the controller runs the corresponding program and activate the motor 106 to rotate the frame 110 for the predetermined number of rotations at the predetermined speed.
In operation, the object 102 is supported in an opening or area defined by the frame that is at or near the axis of rotation and within the depth (in the direction of the axis of rotation) of the packing material mounts 111/112/114/116. The free ends of the packing materials 113/115/117 are secured to the object 102. The free ends can be secured by adhering them to the object, either by any adhesive on the packing materials themselves (such as the adhesive tape 117) or by a separate adhesive or strip of adhesive tape. Alternatively or additionally, the free ends of the packing materials 113/115/117 may be held against the object 102 by the user or by a portion of the wrapping apparatus 100. For example, the free ends may be placed between the object support and the object 102 such that the weight of the object 102 creates sufficient friction between the packing materials 113/115/117 and the object 102 and/or support to secure them in place. In still further embodiments, the packing material may simply be made of a material that naturally sticks or clings to the object 102, such as cling wrap to a plastic object such that pressing the packing material against the object 102 is sufficient to secure it.
The motor 106 is activated to induce rotation of the frame 110. The packing materials or packing material dispensers 113/115/117 are rotatably coupled to the mounts 112/114/116 and/or the mounts 112/114/116 are rotatable relative to the rest of the frame 110 such that the packing material dispensers 113/115/117 rotate to allow packing material to be dispensed therefrom. One or more of the packing material dispensers may be under tension so as to stretch the packing material as it unrolls, such as with the stretch film 115.
Once sufficient packing material is wrapped about the object 102, the packing material is cut. The packing material may be cut by a user using a knife or other cutting tool. Alternatively, one or more cutting mechanisms may be integrated into the wrapping apparatus 100. The integrated cutting mechanism or mechanisms may be controlled by the controller 122.
As shown in
In alternative operation, the packing materials 113/115/117 are applied one at a time. The first packing material 113 is secured to the object 102. The motor 106 is activated to induce rotation of the frame 110 causing the object 102 to be wrapped as described above. Once a sufficient amount of the first packing material 113 is applied, the motor 106 is deactivated and the packing material 113 is cut to detach the portion wrapped about the object 102 from the roll. In some embodiments the object 102 is then removed from the wrapping apparatus after having been wrapped with one packing material. In alternative embodiments, the first and/or second packing materials 115/117 are wrapped about the object 102 in the same manner as the first 113.
In some embodiments, the frame 110 further includes one or more guides extending in the direction of the axis of rotation for at least a portion of the depth of the mounts 112/114/116. The guides are spaced radially inward from the mounts 112/114/116. The guides serve to direct the wrapping material. In one example, the guide comprises a movable structure biased towards the object. The guide trails behind the packing material and due to the biasing force, presses the packing material against the object 102.
Additionally or alternatively, the guide may include a pair of structures with at least one biased towards the other. The structures are spaced apart circumferentially such that one leads the packing materials and one trails the packing materials. The biasing force pushes the structures together which in turn push the packing materials together to form a laminate before being wrapped about the object 102. These structures may include cutting mechanisms, as described above, positioned radially inward from the point of contact between the guides and the packing materials such that the packing materials are cut after laminating and leave a laminated free end that can be attached to the next object 102 to be wrapped.
Referring now to
The object 202 is supports by an object support 203. The object support 203 does not rotate with the base 210. As such, an object 202 supported by the object support 203 remains stationary while the packing material mounts 212/214/216 rotate about it.
The base 210 is rotated by hand by a user or operator. The base 210 may support and handle 206 on which the user applies a rotating force. Alternatively, the user may simply apply the rotating force to one or more of the mounts 212/214/216 or by gripping the edge of the base 210.
In operation, an object 202 is placed on the object support 203. The free ends of the packing materials are secured to the object 202, such as in the methods described above. The base 210 is then rotated, which causes the packing materials to unroll from the mounts and to wrap about the object 202.
Referring now to
In some embodiments the top clamps 305 and optionally the object support 303 are vertically adjustable so that they can be used to tightly secure objects 302 of varying sizes. The clamps 305 can be individual adjusted to secure objects without a consistent height. In other embodiments the claims 305 are coupled such that they are adjusted as one, or alternatively the clamps 305 are replaced with a single clamp. In still further embodiments, the clamps 305 are horizontally adjustable so that they can be used to secure objects of varying widths.
The clamps 305 may be manually adjustable by being mounted in a track with a securing mechanism (such as a wing nut). The securing mechanism is loosened, the clamps 305 are moved from a first position in the track to a second position in the track, and then the securing mechanism is tightened to secure it in place. In some forms, the manually adjustable clamps 305 include one or more springs for biasing the clamps 305 against the object 302.
In alternative embodiments, the clamps 305 are operatively coupled to a drive motor. The drive motor is activated to move the clamps 305 either towards the object 302 or away from the object 302. The motor may be operated directly by a user input or may be automated. In the automated embodiment, the clamps 305 include a pressure sensor to determine when they have contacted the object 302. When the clamping mechanism is activated, the drive motor actuates the clamps 305 toward the object until the pressure sensor indicates that the object has been contacted. This may be used with the controller 122 described above, such that the clamping process is activated at the beginning of a selected wrapping program.
In some embodiments, the object support 303 is adjustable. The object support 303 may be vertically adjustable to move the object relative to the axis of rotation. Alternatively or additionally the individual prongs of the object support 303 may be horizontally adjustable to adjust the width to accommodate objects of varying sizes. In alternative embodiments, the object support is a single protrusion instead of multiple prongs as shown.
Referring to
One or more packing materials 412 are mounted on the cross members 411. As described in the previous embodiments, the packing materials 412 can be one of or a combination of a variety of materials including, but not limited to, stretch wrap, adhesive tape, bubble wrap, paper, metal foil, and sheet formed packing foam.
The wheel shaped frame 410 is rotatably coupled to the main body 430. The main body 430 is mounted to a frame 402. The frame 402 includes feet 403 for resting the wrapping apparatus 400 on a flat surface, such as the floor or a work bench or table. In one form the wheel shaped frame 410 rests on a plurality of supports 404. The supports 404 are positioned about the circumference of the frame 410 and hold the frame 410 while allowing it to rotate. In one form, the supports 404 are rollers or wheels such that they rotate when the wheel shaped frame 410 rotates to reduce friction therebetween.
The frame 410 is driven by a belt 409. The belt 409 extends along a portion of the circumference of the frame 410. In one form the belt 409 extends between bevels in the cross members 411. The belt 409 also extends around at least a portion of the circumference of one or more pulleys 407. In some forms the pulleys 407 are adjustable so as to adjust the tension in the belt 409. The belt 409 is driven by a motor 406. The motor may be controlled directly by user inputs or may include a controller running preset programs as described above. In some forms, the motor 406 is in an external housing on one end of the body 430. In alternative forms, the motor 406 is inside the main body 430. The motor is powered by a power supply. The power supply is a battery and/or an electrical cable having a plug configured to couple to a standard electrical outlet.
In alternative embodiments, the belt drive is replaced with a gear drive, wherein the frame 410 has teeth that engage a gear which in turn is rotated by the motor 406.
In operation, an object is moved along the roller 403 conveyor until it spans the gap which is coplanar with the frame 410. The free end of the packing materials 412 is secured to the object. The motor 406 is activated to rotate the frame 410 about the axis of rotation, which causes packing material 412 to wrap about the object. Once the object is wrapped, the packing material 412 is cut to uncouple the object from the roll, and the object continues to move along the roller 403 conveyor. A plurality of packing materials 412 may be applied at once, or may be applied in succession as described above.
In each of the embodiments shown, the object 102/202/302 comprises an existing package, such as a box. In alternative embodiments, the object 102/202/302 is one or more loose items without an existing package. The packing material applied by the wrapping apparatus 100/200/300/400 forms a protective cocoon, completely enclosing the object 102/202/302 such that it can be shipped without a box or envelope. In some embodiments, the protective cocoon comprises 3 packing materials. A cushioning material, such as foam or bubble wrap, is provided to protect the object 102/202/302 against some damage from being handled during shipping. An outer material, such as stretch film, covers the cushioning material to protect it from abrasion and other elemental conditions. Finally a securing material, such as adhesive tape, secures the cushioning material and outer material in place.
In some embodiments, the packing material defines an air cushion once wrapped around the object 102/202/302. Air flow can be directed between the packing material and the object 102/202/302 by a blower as the object 102/202/302 is wrapped. The blower can be a fan or turbine designed to induce air currents or simply a hole or nozzle directing a flow of pressurized air. In one form, the blower is integrated into the object support 203/303. The object support 203/303 is in fluid communication with a pressurized air source, such as an air compressor, and releases the pressurized air via holes in the object support 203/303 to form an air cushion between the object 102/202/302 and the first layer of packing material. For example, stretch film can readily form air tight seals when wrapped over itself; thus, a blower can insert air in between layers of stretch film as it is applied to the object by the rotating frame. The object support 203 may include portions on more than one side of the object, such that the air cushion, or additional air cushions, provide cushioning for additional sides of the object 102/202/302. In an alternative form, the frame 110/210/310/410 supports a blower in the form of a fan or air nozzle that directs air flow to the point where the first packing material 113/213 contacts the object 102/202/302. This has the same effect of creating an air cushion within the wrapped object.
The reference numbers herein are all 3 digit numbers with the first digit referring to the embodiments, and the last two digits referring to the element. Thus, elements having the same last two digits are assumed to have substantially the same description and function in substantially the same manner except where explicitly distinguished or for clear differences illustrated in the drawings.
In addition to the above-mentioned embodiments, it should be understood that a variety of methods are also disclosed herein. For example, a method of wrapping an object, a method of operating a wrapping apparatus, or a method of preparing objects for shipping. These and other methods related to the subject matter set forth herein are intended to be covered by this disclosure. It should also be understood that while certain features have been described with certain embodiments, these features may be intermixed or interchanged with one another to form other embodiments as desired. All features disclosed herein are intended to be used in any of the embodiments disclosed herein either in lieu of similar features or in combination with other features. For example, a wrapping apparatus is considered having the base 210 driven by the motor 106, or a wrapping apparatus having the base 210 and the clamps 305 is also considered.
This detailed description refers to specific examples in the drawings and illustrations. These examples are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the inventive subject matter. These examples also serve to illustrate how the inventive subject matter can be applied to various purposes or embodiments. Other embodiments are included within the inventive subject matter, as logical, mechanical, electrical, and other changes can be made to the example embodiments described herein. Features of various embodiments described herein, however essential to the example embodiments in which they are incorporated, do not limit the inventive subject matter as a whole, and any reference to the invention, its elements, operation, and application are not limiting as a whole, but serve only to define these example embodiments. This detailed description does not, therefore, limit embodiments of the invention, which are defined only by the appended claims. Each of the embodiments described herein are contemplated as falling within the inventive subject matter, which is set forth in the following claims.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that a wide variety of modifications, alterations, and combinations can be made with respect to the above described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance, the various aspects of the illustrated wrapping apparatuses can be implemented individually or together in any combination. Such modifications, alterations, and combinations are to be viewed as being within the ambit of the inventive concept.
This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application No. 62/418,207, filed on Nov. 6, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62418207 | Nov 2016 | US |
