Method and system for creating custom-sized packaging boxes and for automatically packaging items

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11034118-B2
Application number	US-201816759214-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2018
Priority date	Oct 26, 2017
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

Method and system for making custom-sized open packaging boxes from cardboard having a width WCBB and corresponding separate closing lids from cardboard having a width WCBL, the cardboard being continuously supplied to a system comprising structure for cutting, creasing and folding the cardboard to form custom-sized boxes and corresponding lids such that each box comprises a rectangular bottom panel having four edges, a first and a second rectangular end panel joined via respective crease lines to opposite edges of said bottom panel, a first and a second rectangular side panel joined via respective crease lines to opposite edges of said bottom panel, two first and two second rectangular corner panels, the first corner panels joined via respective crease lines to opposite edges of the first end panel, and the second corner panels joined via respective crease lines to opposite edges of the second end panel, each lid comprises a rectangular top panel having four edges, a first and a second rectangular end panel joined via respective crease lines to opposite edges of said top panel, a first and a second rectangular side panel joined via respective crease lines to opposite edges of said top panel, optionally two first and two second rectangular corner panels, the first corner panels joined via respective crease lines to opposite edges of the first end panel and the second corner panels joined via respective crease lines to opposite edges of the second end panel, said method comprising: a step of obtaining information on the desired minimum inner dimensions length LD, height HD and width WD of a box to be created, a calculating step of calculating the dimensions of the panels of a box and of the panels of a lid on the basis of the desired minimum dimensions taking into account predetermined optimization criteria, and a step of creating the box and the lid, wherein said calculating step comprises allowing the inner height of the side panels of the box to be smaller than the desired inner height of the box if (WD+2 TCBB+2HD)>(WCBB−MB), wherein MB denotes an optional minimum margin that is cut off at the sides of the cardboard supplied and wherein TCBB denotes a material dependent correction factor generally corresponding to the thickness of the cardboard used for the box, and/or if 2HD>LD and choosing the inner height of the side panels of the lid template so that the inner height of the side panels of the box plus the inner height of the side panels of the lid equals at least the desired height.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for making custom-sized open packaging boxes from cardboard having a width W CBB and corresponding separate closing lids from cardboard having a width W CBL , the cardboard being continuously supplied to a system comprising structure for cutting, creasing and folding the cardboard to form custom-sized boxes and corresponding lids such that
each box comprises a rectangular bottom panel having four edges, a first and a second rectangular end panel joined via respective crease lines to opposite edges of said bottom panel, a first and a second rectangular side panel joined via respective crease lines to opposite edges of said bottom panel, two first and two second rectangular corner panels, the first corner panels joined via respective crease lines to opposite edges of the first end panel, and the second corner panels joined via respective crease lines to opposite edges of the second end panel,
each lid comprises a rectangular top panel having four edges, a first and a second rectangular end panel joined via respective crease lines to opposite edges of said top panel, a first and a second rectangular side panel joined via respective crease lines to opposite edges of said top panel, optionally two first and two second rectangular corner panels, the first corner panels joined via respective crease lines to opposite edges of the first end panel and the second corner panels joined via respective crease lines to opposite edges of the second end panel,
said method comprising:

obtaining information that specifies a set of minimum inner dimensions of a box to be created, the set of minimum inner dimensions including a length L D , a height H D and a width W D of the box to be created,
calculating a set of dimensions of the panels of the box to be created and of the panels of a lid to be created based on the set of minimum inner dimensions taking into account defined optimization criteria, and
creating the box and the lid based on the set of dimensions of the panels of the box to be created and of the panels of the lid to be created,
wherein said calculating comprises allowing an inner height H SPB of the side panels of the box to be smaller than the inner height H D of the box if (W D +2 T CBB 2H D )>(W CBB −M B ), wherein M B denotes an optional minimum margin that is cut off at the sides of the cardboard supplied and wherein T CBB denotes a material dependent correction factor that at least approximately corresponds to a thickness of the cardboard used to form the box, and/or if 2H D >L D and choosing an inner height H SPL of the side panels of a lid template so that the inner height H SPB of the side panels of the box plus the inner height H SPL of the side panels of the lid equals at least the height specified by the set of minimum inner dimensions of the box to be created.

2. The method according to claim 1 for making custom-sized open packaging boxes from cardboard having the width W CBB and corresponding separate closing lids from cardboard having the width W CBL , the cardboard being continuously supplied to a system comprising structure for cutting, creasing and folding the cardboard to form custom-sized boxes and corresponding lids such that
each box comprises:
a rectangular bottom panel having four edges, an inner length L BPB and an inner width W BPB ,
a first and a second rectangular end panel joined via respective crease lines to opposite edges of said bottom panel, each end panel having an inner width W EPB and an inner height H EPB ,
a first and a second rectangular side panel joined via respective crease lines to opposite edges of said bottom panel, each side panel having a length L SPB and the inner height H SPB ,
two first and two second rectangular corner panels, the first corner panels joined via respective crease lines to opposite edges of the first end panel, and the second corner panels joined via respective crease lines to opposite edges of the second end panel, each corner panel having an inner length L CPB and a height H CPB ,

each lid comprises:
a rectangular top panel having four edges and a length L TPL and a width W TPL ,
a first and a second rectangular end panel, joined via respective crease lines to opposite edges of said top panel, each end panel having a width W EPL and an inner height H EPL ,
a first and a second rectangular side panel joined via respective crease lines to opposite edges of said top panel, each side panel having a length L SPL and the inner height H SPL ,
optionally two first and two second rectangular corner panels, the first corner panels joined via respective crease lines to opposite edges of the first end panel and the second corner panels joined via respective crease lines to opposite edges of the second end panel, each corner panel having an inner length L CPL and a height H CPL ,

wherein calculating comprises setting, if (W D +2 T CBB +2H D )>(W CBB −M B ), wherein M B denotes an optional minimum margin that is cut off at the sides of the cardboard supplied for creating the box and wherein T CBB denotes a material dependent correction factor generally corresponding to the thickness of the cardboard used for the box, and/or if 2H D >L D
H SPB to fulfil (2H SPB +2 T CBB +W BPB )≤(W CBB −M B ) and 2H SPB ≤L D and
H SPL to fulfil H SPL +H SPB ≥H D .

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom panel of each box has an inner width W BPB , and if (W D +2 T CBB +2H D )>(W CBB −M B ) and/or if 2H D >L D , H SPB is set to, within the typical material-caused tolerances,
(2H SPB +2T CBB +W BPB )=(W CBB −M B ) if (W D +2 T CBB +2H D )>(W CBB −M B ) and if 2H D ≤L D ,
(1H SPB +1 T CBB )=½L D if (W D +2 T CBB +2H D )≤(W CBB −M B ) and if 2H D >L D ; and
to the minimum of the above if (W D +2 T CBB +2H D )>(W CBB −M B ) and if 2H D >L D .

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the top panel of each lid has an inner length L TPL and an inner width W TPL , and each end panel of each lid has an inner height H EPL , and H SPL and H EPL are set to be equal if either (L TPL +2 T CBL +2H EPL )≤(W CBL −M L ) or (W TPL +2 T CBL +2H SPL )≤(W CBL −M L ), wherein M L denotes an optional minimum margin that is cut off at the sides of the cardboard supplied for creating the lid and wherein T CBL denotes a material dependent correction factor generally corresponding to the thickness of the cardboard used for the lid.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein if both, (L TPL +2 T CBL +2H EPL )≤(W CBL −M L ) and (W TPL +2 T CBL +2H SPL )≤(W CBL −M L ), the lid is cut such that the side panels of the lid are in front and behind the top panel and the end panels of the lid are to the left and the right of the top panel seen in the transport direction of the cardboard supplied for making the lid, if (L TPL +2H EPL )>(W TPL +2H SPL ), and such that the end panels of the lid are in front and behind the top panel and the side panels of the lid are to the left and the right of the top panel seen in the transport direction of the cardboard supplied for making the lid if (L TPL +2H EPL )<(W TPL +2H SPL ).

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the box and the lid are made in series from the same cardboard.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each side panel of each box has an inner height H SPB , and each end panel of each lid has an inner height H EPL , and if H SPB <H D , H SPL is set to fulfil, within the typical material-caused tolerances, H SPL +H SPB =H D , and/or wherein if H EPB <H D , H EPL is set to fulfil, within the typical material-caused tolerances, H EPL +H EPB =H D .

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each side panel of each box has an inner height H SPB , and each end panel of each lid has an inne

Assignees

• Neopost Tech
• Quadient Tech France

Inventors

• De Boer Fokke
• Visser Eelke

Classifications

• B31B50/0044

  the boxes having their opening facing upwardly · CPC title

• B31B2100/0024

  having all side walls attached to the bottom · CPC title

• B65B2210/04

  Customised on demand packaging by determining a specific characteristic, e.g. shape or height, of articles or material to be packaged and selecting, creating or adapting a packaging accordingly, e.g. making a carton starting from web material · CPC title

• B31B50/006 Primary

  Controlling; Regulating; Measuring; Improving safety · CPC title

• B31B50/20

  Cutting sheets or blanks · CPC title