Apparatus and method for web twist defect correction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11034539-B2
Application number	US-201916401231-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2019
Priority date	Mar 9, 2011
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are provided to minimize waste and improve quality and production in web processing operations. The apparatus and methods provide defect detection in deposition of acquisition material, which on current machines frequently flips and is difficult to detect when it has flipped causing manufacturers to scrap thousands of products. Using the present invention, defects are able to be detected by discerning a difference in the appearance from side to side with a vision camera, and an acquisition inverter can flip the material to a correct orientation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for orienting an incoming web having a first side and a second side, the apparatus comprising:
a rotatable web guide configured to pass the incoming web therethrough;
a vision system configured to:
capture an image of an untwisted portion of the incoming web;
process the image; and
determine an orientation of the first side of the incoming web based on the image processing;

a controller configured to:
receive the orientation of the first side of the incoming web from the vision system; and
if the first side of the incoming web is in an improper orientation, control the rotatable web guide to introduce a twist in the incoming web to orient the first side of the incoming web in a proper orientation;

wherein the rotatable web guide comprises a pair of guide plates having an open condition and a closed condition;
wherein, in the closed condition, the pair of guide plates is configured to effectuate the twist in the incoming web; and
wherein, in the open condition, the pair of guide plates is configured to allow splices in the incoming web to pass.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the vision system is positioned downstream of the rotatable web guide.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller, in being configured to introduce the twist, is configured to rotate the rotatable web guide in a first direction.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the controller, in being configured to introduce the twist, is configured to rotate the rotatable web guide 180 degrees in the first direction.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the controller is further programmed to introduce a subsequent twist in the incoming web; and
wherein the controller, in being configured to introduce the subsequent twist, is configured to rotate the rotatable web guide in a second direction opposite of the first direction.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the controller is further programmed to introduce a plurality of subsequent twists in the incoming web; and
wherein the controller, in being configured to introduce the plurality of subsequent twists, is configured to alternate rotation of the rotatable web guide between the first direction and a second direction opposite of the first direction for successive subsequent twists.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of pneumatic air lines configured to actuate the pair of guide plates between the open and closed conditions.

8. An apparatus for orienting an incoming web having a first side and a second side, the apparatus comprising:
a rotatable web guide configured to pass the incoming web therethrough;
a vision system configured to:
capture an image of the incoming web;
process the image; and
determine which of the first and second sides of the incoming web is captured in the image based on the image processing;

a controller configured to:
receive from the vision system the determination of which of the first and second side of the incoming web is captured in the image; and
if the first side is not captured in the image, control the rotatable web guide to flip the incoming web to orient the first side in an orientation suitable for capture by the vision system;

wherein the rotatable web guide comprises a pair of guide plates having an open condition and a closed condition;
wherein, in the closed condition, the pair of guide plates is configured to effectuate the flip in the incoming web; and
wherein, in the open condition, the pair of guide plates is configured to allow splices in the incoming web to pass.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the vision system is positioned downstream of the rotatable web guide.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the controller, in being configured flip the incoming web, is configured to rotate the rotatable web guide in a first direction.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the controller, in being configured to flip the incoming web, is configured to rotate the rotatable web guide 180 degrees in the first direction.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further programmed to introduce a plurality of subsequent twists in the incoming web; and
wherein the controller, in being configured to introduce the plurality of subsequent twists, is configured to alternate rotation of the rotatable web guide between the first direction and a second direction opposite of the first direction for successive subsequent twists.

13. A method of orienting a running web comprising:
capturing an image of the running web in an image capture zone;
processing the image;
determining whether a first side of the running web is in an upside-down condition in the image capture zone based on the processed image;
if the first side is in the upside-down condition in the image capture zone, actuating a rotatable web guide to convert the upside-down condition of the first side to a right-side-up condition of the first side; and
wherein the right-side-up condition is an opposite of the upside-down condition;
wherein the rotatable web guide comprises a pair of guide plates having an open condition and a closed condition;
wherein, in the closed condition, the pair of guide plates is configured to effectuate the right-side-up condition in the running web; and
wherein, in the closed condition, the pair of guide plates is configured to allow splices in the running web to pass.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein actuating the rotatable web guide comprises causing the rotatable web guide to rotate in a first direction in an amount of rotation sufficient to convert the upside-down condition of the first side to the right-side-up condition of the first side.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the amount of rotation comprises 180 degrees.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
determining whether the first side of the running web has reacquired the upside-down condition after actuating the rotatable web guide; and
if the first side of the running web has reacquired the upside-down condition, actuating the rotatable web guide to rotate in a second direction in the amount of rotation sufficient to convert the reacquired upside-down condition of the first side to the right-side-up condition of the first side, wherein the second direction is an opposite of the first direction.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising alternating actuation of the rotatable web guide between the first and second directions among subsequent reacquisitions of the upside-down condition of the running web.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the image capture zone is downstream of the rotatable web guide.

Assignees

• Joa Curt G Inc

Inventors

• Denoble Adam D
• Brown Jeffrey Dale
• Andrews Robert E
• Hohm Gottfried Jason
• Faucher Dennis J

Classifications

• A61F13/15772

  Control · CPC title

• B65H23/00 Primary

  Registering, tensioning, smoothing or guiding webs (registering articles B65H9/00; in connection with splicing B65H21/00) · CPC title

• B65H2301/33224

  180° · CPC title

• B65H2801/57

  Diaper manufacture · CPC title

• B65H2553/42

  Cameras · CPC title