The present disclosure relates to packaging materials, and more particularly is directed to devices and methods for manufacturing pillows to be used as packaging material.
Many techniques have been used to pack items for shipping and absorb impacts during shipment to protect shipped items. Popular shipping protection methods include the use of foam “peanuts,” molded foam components, formed paper, and molded pulp packaging components.
A technique that has gained recent popularity involves inflating pillows from a film material. This style of packaging allows low-volume, uninflated materials to be shipped to packers, who then inflate the raw material into a shock-absorbing packing material that easily fits around items to be packaged within a container. Customized pillow inflating machines may be used at client sites to provide on-site pillow manufacturing.
Several concerns have arisen regarding pillows as a packaging material. It is important for pillow manufacturing machines to be compact, reliable, and easy to operate. Further, pillows should be quickly manufactured and adequately sealed to reduce the likelihood of leaking or bursting. In addition, pillow manufacturing devices should produce as little waste as possible in the form of underinflated or uninflated pillows.
A preferred embodiment of the disclosure is material web inflating and cutting device. This embodiment can include a web advancement mechanism to advance a material web in a longitudinal path. An inflation mechanism is configured to insert a fluid into the material web to create one or more inflated pillows. The inflation mechanism can include a nozzle that has a fluid inlet and an inflation opening. A cutting mechanism can be provided configured and disposed to cut the material web in the longitudinal path to allow the web to pass over a portion of the inflation nozzle. The fluid inlet and the inflation opening can be disposed at least partially overlapping in the direction of the longitudinal path.
The fluid inlet and the inflation opening in one embodiment are substantially coaxial to provide a straight, transverse fluid flow into the web. Also, the cutting mechanism can include a blade protruding from the surface of the nozzle, and can be disposed upstream of the inflation opening along the longitudinal path.
A sealing mechanism can also be provided, which is configured and disposed for longitudinally sealing the inflated web upstream of a location at which the cutting mechanism cuts the material web, for sealing the fluid within the web. In some embodiments, the inflation and cutting mechanisms are assembled as a module that is removably mounted as a unit with respect to the web advancement mechanism. The cutting mechanism is disposed to cut the material web at a location along the longitudinal path at least partially overlapping the inflation opening for simultaneously cutting the web material as the inflation mechanism inflates the material web.
Some embodiments have a nozzle that has a guide portion upstream of the inflation opening that is angled with respect to the longitudinal axis at least in a direction perpendicular to an transverse axis of the web.
A modular embodiment of a material web inflating, cutting and sealing device can include a module that has an inflation mechanism configured to insert a fluid into a material web to create one or more inflated pillows, the inflation mechanism including an inflation nozzle for inserting the fluid into the material web; and a cutting mechanism configured to cut the material web as the material web passes over the inflation nozzle. The module can be removably mounted as a unit to a sealing mechanism that is configured for sealing the material web for sealing the fluid therein. The sealing mechanism, for example, can be configured for making a longitudinal seal to seal the inserted fluid between the web layers to form inflated pillows.
In another embodiment, the cutting mechanism can be configured and disposed to cut the material web at a first location along the longitudinal path simultaneously as the inflation mechanism inflates the material web. In this embodiment, the nozzle has an inflation opening at the first location. The cutting mechanism can have a blade protruding from the exterior surface of the nozzle at the first location.
In some embodiments, the sealing mechanism is downstream of a location at which the cutting mechanism cuts the material web. The sealing mechanism and/or the advancement mechanism can include a pinch portion to pinch opposing layers of the film together at a pinch location for sealing the layers. The cutting mechanism can be spaced upstream from the pinch location such that a portion of the web is substantially unsupported on an exterior side thereof between the cutting location and pinch location.
a is a side view of a pillow inflating and sealing machine according to an embodiment;
b is a top view taken along line A′-A′ of the pillow inflating and sealing mechanism according to the embodiment of
c is a perspective view of a blade member and inflation nozzle according to the embodiment of
d is a top view of a blade member and inflation nozzle according to the embodiment of
e is a perspective view of a module including the blade member and inflation nozzle according to the embodiment of
a is a side view of a pillow inflating and sealing machine according to another embodiment;
b is a top view taken along line B′-B′ of the pillow inflating and sealing mechanism according to the embodiment of
c is a perspective view of a blade member and inflation nozzle according to the embodiment of
d is a top view of a blade member and inflation nozzle according to the embodiment of
e is a perspective view of a module including the blade member and inflation nozzle according to the embodiment of
a is a side view of a pillow inflating and sealing machine according to another embodiment;
b is a top view taken along line C′-C′ of the pillow inflating and sealing mechanism according to the embodiment of
c is a perspective view of a blade member and inflation nozzle according to the embodiment of
d is a top view of a blade member and inflation nozzle according to the embodiment of
e is a perspective view of a module including the blade member and inflation nozzle according to the embodiment of
a is a side view of a pillow inflating and sealing machine according to another embodiment;
b is a top view taken along line D′-D′ of the pillow inflating and sealing mechanism according to the embodiment of
c is a perspective view of a blade member and inflation nozzle according to the embodiment of
d is a top view of a blade member and inflation nozzle according to the embodiment of
e is a perspective view of a module including the blade member and inflation nozzle according to the embodiment of
The present disclosure is related to systems and methods for converting uninflated material into inflated pillows that may be used as cushioning for packaging and shipping goods.
According to the embodiment shown in
Because the transverse seals 16 do not reach the top edge 12 of the web in the embodiment shown in
Turning now to
To begin manufacturing of inflated pillows from the web material according to an embodiment of
In the embodiment of
According to the embodiment of
After being fed into the web feed area 46, the web is advanced past the top insertion idler roller 52 and a bottom insertion idler roller 54, and then to the side inflation hole 44 of the inflation nozzle 40, and a fluid or inflation gas is inserted into the web to form inflated pillows 28. Once the web is inflated to form inflated pillows, the web is cut by a cutting mechanism, such as a removable blade member 76 having an angled cutting edge 78 protruding from the inflation nozzle 40 outer surface. The cutting edge 78 may be coated with titanium nitride to increase the cutting ability and wear resistance of the cutting edge 78. Various cutting mechanisms can be used and are not limited to the blade member and cutting edge, such as various blades, knives, sharp edges, rotating abrasive devices, etc.
Then, after the web is cut, the belts 48 and 50 continuously advance the web with inflated pillows past top cam rollers 43, 47 and bottom cam rollers 45, 49, and then past a heat sealing element 66, which forms a longitudinal seal 32 that is preferably continuous along the web by sealing the top and bottom sheets 20 and 22 of the web together. One or more cam rollers can be used. The sealing step can be accomplished by heating the top and bottom sheets 20 and 22 with the heat sealing element 66 through the first drive belt to melt them together. The inflated and sealed pillows are advanced between the top and bottom post-seal nip rollers 60 and 62 and exit the belts at top and bottom post-seal idler rollers 68 and 70. The longitudinal seal 32 can be cooled by cooling fans (not shown) as the seal exits the belts. Alternatively or additionally, the belts and/or rollers may be directly cooled downstream of sealing formation. Of course, various sealing mechanisms and methods can be used to seal the material web.
b illustrates a top view of the inflation and sealing mechanism 74 of the embodiment shown in
c illustrates the removable blade member 76 and the inflation nozzle 40, and shows the nozzle 40 having an inflation hole 42 at one end, and a side inflation hole 44. The removable blade member 76 having cutting edge 78 is placed near the side inflation hole 44, such that the web is cut immediately after the inflation of the web, prior to sealing the web.
In the embodiment shown in
As seen in
e shows a removable module 100 that includes a mounting plate 102, the hose 101, the inflation nozzle 40, the removable blade member 76, top insertion idler roller 52, bottom insertion idler roller 54, top cam rollers 43, 47 and bottom cam rollers 45, 49. As shown in
a describes another embodiment of a pillow inflating and sealing machine 34.
c, 4d, 4e are similar to the embodiments described in
a describes an alternative embodiment of a pillow inflating and sealing machine 34. In operation, the machine 34 is similar to the one described above with respect to
As seen more clearly in
Further, pressurized air from hose 101 is provided in a straight direction F so that the pressurized air can go directly in a substantially linear path into side inflation hole 44. The inlet into the nozzle 40 from the hose 101 is preferably disposed at the same, or at an overlapping longitudinal location as the side inflation hole 44, and is preferably aligned coaxially therewith, although in some embodiments, the inlet and inflation hole 44 can be disposed at different angular orientations about the longitudinal axis of the nozzle 40. The inlet is preferably the inlet into the elongated body of the nozzle 40, such as the cylindrical body thereof that is shown.
The distance between the side inflation hole and the edge of the blade member 78 can be preferably within about twice the distance (e.g., 2 w) of the width w of the side inflation hole 44. Of course, it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that such distance could be equal to, less than or greater than the longitudinal width of the side inflation hole, and this is just one embodiment and not limited to such. Further, the location of the blade can be movable such that the cutting edge 78 is placed further upstream, or even downstream, of the location shown in
e shows the module 100 and is similar to the embodiment described with respect to
a describes another embodiment of a pillow inflating and sealing machine 34.
c, 6d, 6e are similar to the embodiments described in
In another embodiment as shown in
Inflation and sealing machines according to the present disclosure can incorporate several features that help to assure that reliable and intact pillows are consistently inflated and sealed in an efficient and economic manner. Turning now to
Gas from the gas source 82 can be input into a first coupler 84. A first gas line 86 exits the coupler and can be coupled to a pressure regulator 88, and then to a pressure gauge 90. According to one embodiment, the pressure regulator 88 is a relieving regulator that emits gas from the system. According to one embodiment, the first gas line 86 is a ⅜ inch tube, which narrows down to a ⅛ inch tube in a second portion 92 before being input into the pressure gauge 90.
A second gas line 94 can convey gas from the first coupler 84 to a directional valve 96. According to one embodiment, the directional valve 96 is a solenoid-activated directional valve. A second portion 98 of the second gas line 94 conveys gas into the inflation nozzle 40, where it exits through the side inflation hole 44 and is used to inflate packaging pillows. With this gas flow, the pressure gauge 90 measures the pressure in both gas lines, including the pressure in the pressure regulator 88 and the inflation nozzle 40. The pressure throughout the gas schematic shown in
The gas flow shown in
Similarly, when the machine is shut down, the web 10 is propagated more slowly as the driving nip rollers and belts 48 and 50 come to a stop. During the shutdown speed transition, the directional valve 96 is again pulsed as needed to assure that overinflation does not occur. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the duration and rate of pulses of the directional valve 96 is controlled by a programmable logic controller so that pulsing continues for a certain time during startup and shutdown. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the directional valve 96 can be opened approximately 9 times for 0.5 to 0.50 seconds per opening during the first three seconds during startup and during the last three seconds during shutdown. Alternatively, a variable speed blower could be used to control inflation during startup and shutdown. According to one embodiment, with an inflation machine operating at zero speed, from 90% to 100% of inflation gas is relieved, with an inflation machine operating at half speed approximately half of the inflation gas is relieved, and with an inflation machine operating at full speed, no inflation gas is relieved and the inflation nozzle receives substantially all of the inflation gas from the gas source 82.
The gas flow path of
Devices and methods according to the present disclosure are capable of making reliable longitudinal seals in manufactured gas pillows. Turning now to
The sealing wire 106 contacts the first drive belt 48 along a contact surface 112. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the contact surface 112 has a length 1W of approximately 2 inches, and the sealing wire 106 comprises an 80-20 Nickel—Chromium alloy and has a cross-sectional area of approximately 0.003 in2. To minimize overheated hot spots along the length of the sealing wire 106, maximize the life of the first drive belt 48, and prevent or inhibit the need for frequent replacement of the drive belt 48, the areas of the first bent portion 108, second bent portion 110, and contact surface 112 of the sealing wire 106 where the sealing wire touches the belt 48 are manufactured, rounded, and provided with a smooth finish. According to one embodiment, the sealing wire 106 is straight within about 0.005 inch over a length of about two inches.
The sealing wire 106 is preferably maintained at a consistent sealing temperature so that heat is properly transferred through the belt 48 onto the web 10 to reliably weld the top sheet 20 to the bottom sheet 22. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the web 10 is a polyethylene web, and the sealing wire 106 is kept at a temperature set point of approximately 420° F. The sealing temperature set point may be raised or lowered depending on such factors as the speed at which the machine 34 is operated, the material properties of the web 10, the ambient temperature conditions, the condition of the sealing wire 106, the condition and material properties of the belt 48, and the like. Temperatures of from about 300° F. to about 600° F. are preferred in some embodiments, though even wider temperature ranges may be called for in certain embodiments.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a closed-loop temperature control is employed to maintain the sealing wire 106 at an optimal sealing temperature. A thermocouple 114 may be used to sense the temperature of the sealing wire 106. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, with the sealing wire 106 being a nickel-chromium sealing wire, a nickel-bearing silver alloy connection 120 is provided between the thermocouple 114 and the sealing wire 106, with a small amount of brazing used to secure the connection 120 to the sealing wire 106. The thermocouple allows accurate measurement of the temperature of the sealing wire 106 when the thermocouple 114 is connected to a temperature control module. The closed loop feedback provided by the thermocouple 114 allows the temperature control module to maintain the sealing wire temperature within an exact range. This temperature control is possible even when changing factors would cause the temperature of the sealing wire 106 to drift. Such factors may include poor contact between the mounting fins 402 and 104 and the sealing wire 106 resulting in poor current transmission to the sealing wire 106, the replacement of the sealing wire 106 with a new sealing wire having a difference in resistance, the pressure of the sealing wire 106 against the belt, the blend of film used in the web 10, and the condition and thickness of the belt 48. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the temperature of the sealing wire 106 is maintained within about ±3° F. of a selected sealing temperature, though higher or lower tolerances are used according to some embodiments. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, sensors such as an infrared non-contact temperature sensor or a current detecting sensor may be used to gather temperature information regarding the sealing wire 106.
Turning now to
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the sealing wire 106 is unsupported along its length as it contacts the first drive belt 48. To avoid bending of the sealing wire 106 and to maintain contact between the sealing wire and the first drive belt 48—and thus maximize the transmission of thermal energy from the sealing wire 106 to the web 104—a sealing support platen 132 is provided beneath the second drive belt 50 in the heat sealing area. Thus, the first drive belt 48, the web 10, and the second drive belt 50 are interposed between the sealing wire 106 and the sealing support platen 132. According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the sealing support platen 132 is provided with a platen pivot 134 about which the platen is free to rotate. Thus, the sealing support platen 132 is self-aligning with the sealing wire 106, maintaining more complete contact between the first drive belt 48 and the sealing wire 106 along the contact surface 112 of the sealing wire. According to some embodiments, the sealing wire 106 may be supported along its length, for example by a thermocouple.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, to maintain a more complete contact between the first drive belt 48 and the sealing wire 106 along the contact surface 112, a top surface 136 of the sealing support platen 132 is resilient, with the body of the platen 132 being aluminum or another suitable material. Resilient material along the top of the sealing support platen 132 allows for even pressure across the sealing wire regardless of imperfections in the straightness of the sealing wire. A resilient surface may be provided with a multi-layer surface construction comprising a base layer of silicone high-temperature adhesive to provide adhesion between the resilient layers and the support platen 132, a second layer of silicone having a durometer of 30 as measured on a “Shore A” machine, and a top layer of resilient tape. According to one embodiments, the top resilient layer is DURIT® tape manufactured by Toss Manufacturing company.
Although the web 10 is held between two drive belts as well as between the sealing wire 106 and the sealing support platen 132 in the area of sealing, the inflated pillows result in the top sheet of the web 20 separating from the bottom sheet of the web 22, which in turn tends to draw the inflated pillows away from the sealing wire, in an outward direction from the mounting plate 64. This formation is more clearly illustrated in
Turning now to
A web advancement mechanism 152, including for example motors for driving driven nip rollers, is connected to the power supply and central controller 148 for power and to accept startup, advancement speed, and shutdown control signals. A directional valve 154 is connected to the power supply and central controller 148 for supplied power and gas release control signals for operation during startup and shutdown of an inflation and sealing device. A gas source 156 is connected to the power supply and central controller to accept power and further to accept startup and shutdown signals. A temperature monitor and controller 158 is connected to the power supply and central controller 148 to accept power and temperature control signals and to report on sealing wire temperature using signals generated by a thermocouple 160. An operator display 162 may be connected to the power supply and central controller 148 to provide operation information to an operator.
One having ordinary skill in the art should appreciate that there are various configurations and embodiments according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
As used herein, the terms “front,” “back,” and/or other terms indicative of direction are used herein for convenience and to depict relational positions and/or directions between the parts of the embodiments. It will be appreciated that certain embodiments, or portions thereof, can also be oriented in other positions.
In addition, the term “about” should generally be understood to refer to both the corresponding number and a range of numbers. In addition, all numerical ranges herein should be understood to include each whole integer within the range. While an illustrative embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein, it will be appreciated that numerous modifications and other embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art. Therefore, it will be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and embodiments that come within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Ser. No. 61/292,815 filed Jan. 6, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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