Packaging material evaluation and apparatus therefor incorporating split take up drum and/or specific containment force measurement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11591127-B2
Application number	US-202016821041-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2020
Priority date	Mar 20, 2019
Publication date	Feb 28, 2023
Grant date	Feb 28, 2023

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may evaluate a packaging material to determine various metrics associated with the packaging material. A test apparatus may be used to evaluate packaging material using a take up drum capable of sensing containment force imparted upon the drum by packaging material applied thereto, and in some instances, simulated flaws may be formed in a web of packaging material to evaluate a packaging materials response to such flaws when under tension.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stretch wrap packaging material test apparatus, comprising:
a take up drum configured to receive a web of packaging material, wherein the take up drum is rotatable about a rotational axis thereof to wind the web of packaging material about the take up drum, and wherein the take up drum includes:
a take up drum drive configured to rotate the take up drum about the rotational axis thereof;
first and second drum members respectively spanning first and second arcuate portions of the take up drum; and
a force sensor positioned between the first and second drum members to sense a containment force imparted about the take up drum by the web of packaging material wound about the take up drum, wherein the force sensor is operably coupled to at least one of the first and second drum members and is configured to sense the containment force by sensing applied force to the at least one of the first and second drum members; and

a packaging material delivery system disposed upstream of the take up drum and configured to convey the web of packaging material from a packaging material roll to the take up drum during rotation of the take up drum.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the packaging material delivery system includes upstream and downstream pre-stretch rollers configured for rotation at different rates of rotation to pre-stretch the web of packaging material prior to winding the web of packaging material about the take up drum.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the packaging material delivery system further includes upstream and downstream pre-stretch drives respectively configured to rotate the upstream and downstream pre-stretch rollers during rotation of the take up drum.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein each of the upstream and downstream pre-stretch drives comprises a servo motor.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the packaging material delivery system further includes:
an intake roller disposed intermediate the upstream pre-stretch roller and the packaging material roll; and
an intake drive configured to rotate the intake roller during rotation of the take up drum to mitigate roll effects.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:
first and second idle rollers, the first idle roller disposed intermediate the upstream and downstream pre-stretch rollers and the second idle roller disposed intermediate the downstream pre-stretch roller and the take up drum; and
first and second force sensors respectively coupled to the first and second idle rollers to sense a force in first and second portions of the web of packaging material engaging the first and second idle rollers.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the take up drum includes a substantially cylindrical outer surface about which the web of packaging material is wound, wherein a first portion of the substantially cylindrical outer surface is disposed on the first drum member and the second portion of the substantially cylindrical outer surface is disposed on the second drum member.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second drum members are movable relative to one another to compress the force sensor in response to the containment force imparted about the take up drum by the web of packaging material wound about the take up drum.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first and second drum members are coupled to one another through a hinge.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the take up drum includes a rotation shaft about which the take up drum rotates, wherein the first drum member is fixedly coupled to the rotation shaft, and wherein the hinge couples the first and second drum members to enable the second drum member to pivot about a pivot axis that is substantially parallel to the rotation shaft of the take up drum.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first and second drum members each span about 180 degrees of the take up drum and mate at each of respective first and second ends thereof, wherein the hinge couples the first and second drum members proximate the respective first ends thereof, and wherein the force sensor is disposed proximate the respective second ends thereof.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the force sensor comprises a plurality of load cells, each of the plurality of load cells mounted to one of the first and second drum members and configured to engage an opposing surface defined on the other of the first and second drum members when the second drum member is pivoted about the hinge and toward the first drum member in response to the containment force imparted about the take up drum by the web of packaging material wound about the take up drum.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the packaging material is a stretch wrap packaging material of a type used in a load wrapping apparatus that wraps a load with packaging material dispensed from a packaging material dispenser while providing relative rotation between the load and the packaging material dispenser about an axis of rotation.

14. A stretch wrap packaging material test apparatus, comprising:
a take up drum configured to receive a web of packaging material, wherein the take up drum is rotatable about a rotational axis thereof to wind the web of packaging material about the take up drum, and wherein the take up drum includes:
a take up drum drive configured to rotate the take up drum about the rotational axis thereof;
first and second drum members respectively spanning first and second arcuate portions of the take up drum; and
a force sensor positioned between the first and second drum members to sense a containment force imparted about the take up drum by the web of packaging material wound about the take up drum;

a packaging material delivery system disposed upstream of the take up drum and configured to convey the web of packaging material from a packaging material roll to the take up drum during rotation of the take up drum, wherein the packaging material delivery system includes:
upstream and downstream pre-stretch rollers configured for rotation at different rates of rotation to pre-stretch the web of packaging material prior to winding the web of packaging material about the take up drum; and
upstream and downstream pre-stretch drives respectively configured to rotate the upstream and downstream pre-stretch rollers during rotation of the take up drum; and

a controller coupled to the take up drum drive and the upstream and downstream pre-stretch drives to control rates of rotation of the take up drum and the upstream and downstream pre-stretch rollers, the controller further coupled to the force sensor to record the containment force sensed by the force sensor during rotation of the take up drum and the upstream and downstream pre-stretch rollers.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to control the upstream and downstream pre-stretch drives to control an amount of pre-stretch applied to the web of packaging material.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the take up drum includes a substantially cylindrical outer surface about which the web of packaging material is wound, and wherein the controller is configured to vary the rate of rotation of at least one of the take up drum drive and the upstream and downstream pre-stretch drives to simulate winding of the web of packaging material around a rectangular load.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to vary the rate of rotation of at least one of the take up drum drive and the upstream and downstream pre-stretch drives to simulate wi

Assignees

• Lantech Com Llc

Inventors

• Lancaster Iii Patrick R
• Mitchell Michael P
• Gruner Christian Michael
• Limousin Jean-Louis

Classifications

• B65H2701/1944

  Wrapping or packing material · CPC title

• B65B2011/002

  Prestretching mechanism in wrapping machines · CPC title

• B65H2408/40

  Machines for test or simulation purposes · CPC title

• B65B11/025

  by webs revolving around stationary articles · CPC title

• B65H2301/5124

  Stretching; Tentering · CPC title