Load stability-based wrapping

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10926906-B2
Application number	US-201514877787-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 7, 2015
Priority date	Oct 7, 2014
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

Control of a load wrapping apparatus may be based at least in part on the relative stability of a load, such as based upon one or more load stability types that categorize the relative stability of the load. A graphical depiction of a wrap profile may also be used in some instances to facilitate operator set up of the wrap profile.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a load wrapping apparatus that wraps a load on a load support with packaging material dispensed from a packaging material dispenser through relative rotation between the packaging material dispenser and the load support, the method comprising:
receiving first input data associated with a load containment force requirement to be used when wrapping the load with packaging material;
accessing a mapping of load containment forces to corresponding wrap forces and numbers of layers of packaging material based upon the first input data to determine a corresponding wrap force parameter and a corresponding layer parameter for the load containment force requirement;
receiving second input data that specifies an axial load variability for the load;
selectively reducing the corresponding wrap force parameter while still meeting the load containment force requirement based upon the second input data; and
controlling a dispense rate of the packaging material dispenser during the relative rotation based on the determined and selectively reduced corresponding wrap force parameter and the determined corresponding layer parameter for the load containment force requirement, wherein controlling the dispense rate of the packaging material dispenser during the relative rotation based on the determined and selectively reduced corresponding wrap force parameter and the determined corresponding layer parameter for the load containment force requirement is performed during a wrapping operation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the layer parameter specifies a minimum number of layers of packaging material to apply throughout a contiguous region of the load.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the mapping comprises a data structure that maps ranges of load containment forces to corresponding wrap forces and corresponding numbers of layers of packaging material, and wherein accessing the mapping comprises accessing the data structure to retrieve the corresponding wrap force and layer parameters.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein each of a plurality of ranges of load containment forces is associated with a load stability type, and wherein the first input data identifies one of a plurality of load stability types.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of load stability types includes a light stable load type, a light unstable load type, a heavy stable load type, and a heavy unstable load type.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mapping maps the corresponding wrap force and layer parameters for the load containment force requirement based upon a first value of a packaging material attribute, the method further comprising:
receiving third input data associated with a second value of the packaging material attribute for packaging material to be dispensed by the packaging material dispenser during the relative rotation, wherein the second value is different from the first value; and
adjusting at least one of the corresponding wrap force and layer parameters for the load containment force requirement to compensate for a difference between the first and second values.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the packaging material attribute comprises a film thickness.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first value of the packaging material attribute is a default value for the packaging material attribute.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein adjusting at least one of the corresponding wrap force and layer parameters for the load containment force requirement includes:
determining whether adjusting the corresponding wrap force parameter for the load containment force requirement to compensate for the difference between the first and second values of the packaging material attribute would exceed a wrap force limit;
if not, adjusting the corresponding wrap force parameter for the load containment force requirement without adjusting the corresponding layer parameter for the load containment force requirement to compensate for the difference between the first and second values of the packaging material attribute; and
if so, adjusting the corresponding layer parameter for the load containment force requirement to compensate for the difference between the first and second values of the packaging material attribute.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the mapping maps a first load containment force requirement to a default corresponding wrap force parameter and a default corresponding layer parameter at a default value of a packaging material attribute;
the first input data selects the first load containment force requirement; and
accessing the mapping based upon the first input data to determine a corresponding wrap force parameter and a corresponding layer parameter for the load containment force requirement comprises adjusting at least one of the default corresponding wrap force and layer parameter based upon a value of the packaging material attribute that differs from the default value.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving third input data associated with a distance to overwrap packaging material at a top of the load.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving fourth input data associated with a wrap profile name; and
creating a wrap profile using the first, second, third and fourth input data.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first input data is received prior to the second input data, the second input data is received prior to the third input data, and the third input data is received prior to the fourth input data.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second input data selects between a first option of a load not being inboard of a pallet, a second option of a load being moderately inboard of a pallet, and a third option of a load being extremely inboard of a pallet, and wherein selectively reducing the corresponding wrap force parameter while still meeting the load containment force requirement based upon the second input data comprises:
in response to the second input data selecting the second option, configuring a wrap profile to reduce a wrap force for at least one wrap around a pallet; and
in response to the second input data selecting the third option, configuring the wrap profile to reduce a wrap force for at least one wrap around a pallet and to apply an additional band of packaging material around the load proximate a pallet.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second input data is associated with irregularity in one or more vertical sides of the load, and wherein the second input data selects between a first option of a load having uniform sides and a second option of a load having one or more irregular sides.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
receiving third input data that selects between a first option of a load not being inboard of a pallet, a second option of a load being moderately inboard of a pallet, and a third option of a load being extremely inboard of a pallet; and
selectively reducing the corresponding wrap force parameter while still meeting the load containment force requirement based upon the third input data.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising creating a wrap profile using the first and second input data, the wrap profile including the load containment force requirement, the determined corresponding wrap force and layer parameters.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
associating with the wrap profile a containment force criteria; and
monitoring the wrap profile to determine if the wrap profile is n

Assignees

• Lantech Com Llc

Inventors

• Lancaster Iii Patrick R
• Mitchell Michael P

Classifications

• G06F3/04847

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• G06F3/04817

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title

• B65B11/585

  to stacked articles, e.g. pallettised loads · CPC title

• B65B57/04 Primary

  and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages · CPC title