Dunnage product transfer using an alignment reference plane

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023136380-A1
Application number	US-202117906659-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 17, 2021
Priority date	Mar 17, 2020
Publication date	May 4, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A packaging system for transferring a dunnage product to a packaging container includes a dunnage sensor configured to detect the dunnage product registered at an alignment reference plane in a staging location. The packaging system also includes a package sensor configured to detect the packaging container registered at the alignment reference plane in a loading location. A dunnage placement apparatus is configured to transfer the dunnage product from the staging location to the packaging container in the loading location after both the dunnage sensor detects the dunnage product registered at the alignment reference plane in the staging location and the package sensor detects the packaging container registered at the alignment reference plane in the loading location.

First claim

1 . A packaging system for transferring a dunnage product to a packaging container, the packaging system comprising:
a dunnage sensor configured to detect the dunnage product registered at an alignment reference plane in a staging location; a package sensor configured to detect the packaging container registered at the alignment reference plane in a loading location; and a dunnage placement apparatus configured to transfer the dunnage product from the staging location to the packaging container in the loading location after both the dunnage sensor detects the dunnage product registered at the alignment reference plane in the staging location and the package sensor detects the packaging container registered at the alignment reference plane in the loading location.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller configured:
to receive a dunnage alignment signal, transmitted from the dunnage sensor, after the dunnage sensor detects the dunnage product registered at the alignment reference plane in the staging location;
to receive a package alignment signal, transmitted from the package sensor, after the package sensor detects the packaging container registered at the alignment reference plane in the loading location; and
to transmit, upon receipt of both the dunnage alignment signal and the package alignment signal, a dunnage placement signal to the dunnage placement apparatus;
wherein upon receipt of the dunnage placement signal, the dunnage placement apparatus is configured to transfer the dunnage product from the staging location to the packaging container in the loading location.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the dunnage sensor is configured to detect the dunnage product registered at the alignment reference plane in the staging location when at least one point, or at least one face, on a periphery of the dunnage product is aligned with the alignment reference plane.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the package sensor is configured to detect the packaging container registered at the alignment reference plane in the loading location when at least one point, or at least one face, on a periphery of the packaging container is aligned with the alignment reference plane.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the staging location is positioned above, in a vertical direction, the loading location.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the dunnage sensor is configured to detect the dunnage product registered at the alignment reference plane in the staging location when the dunnage product has an orientation aligned with the packaging container registered at the alignment reference plane in the loading location, and wherein the package sensor is configured to detect the packaging container registered at the alignment reference plane in the loading location when the packaging container has an orientation aligned with the dunnage product registered at the alignment reference plane in the staging location.

7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a staging member for positioning the dunnage product in the staging location, the staging member having a sloped bottom wall terminating at the alignment reference plane in the staging location.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the dunnage placement apparatus includes at least one gate member pivotably mounted to the staging member for pivoting between an open and closed position, wherein in the closed position the at least one gate member is configured to support the dunnage product in the staging location, and wherein in the open position the at least one gate member is configured to transfer the dunnage product from the staging location to the packaging container in the loading location.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein upon receipt of the dunnage placement signal, the at least one gate member is configured to pivot from the closed position to the open position.

10 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a supply of dunnage product.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the supply includes a dunnage conversion machine.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the supply includes a dunnage transfer assembly configured to transfer the dunnage product from the conversion machine to the staging member.

13 . A method of transferring a dunnage product to a packaging container, the method comprising the steps of:
detecting the dunnage product registered at an alignment reference plane in a staging location; detecting the packaging container registered at the alignment reference plane in a loading location; and transporting the dunnage product from the staging location to the packaging container in the loading location after both the step of detecting the dunnage product registered at the alignment reference plane in the staging location and the step of detecting the packaging container registered at the alignment reference plane in the loading location.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of detecting the dunnage product is performed by a dunnage sensor, the step of detecting the packaging container is performed by a package sensor, and the step of transporting is performed by a dunnage placement apparatus.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:
transmitting a dunnage alignment signal after the step of detecting the dunnage product registered at the alignment reference plane in the staging location, transmitting a package alignment signal after the step of detecting the packaging container registered at the alignment reference plane in the loading location; and transmitting, by a controller, upon receipt of both the dunnage alignment signal and the package alignment signal, a dunnage placement signal to the dunnage placement apparatus; wherein the step of transporting the dunnage product occurs upon receipt of the dunnage placement signal by the dunnage placement apparatus.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of detecting the dunnage product occurs when at least one point, or at least one face, on a periphery of the dunnage product is aligned with the alignment reference plane.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of detecting the packaging container occurs when at least one point, or at least one face, on a periphery of the packaging container is aligned with the alignment reference plane.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of detecting the dunnage product occurs when the dunnage product has an orientation aligned with the packaging container registered at the alignment reference plane in the loading location, and wherein the step of detecting the packaging container occurs when the packaging container has an orientation aligned with the dunnage product registered at the alignment reference plane in the staging location.

19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the dunnage placement apparatus includes at least one gate member pivotably mounted to a staging member, on which the staging location is located, for pivoting between an open and closed position, and wherein the step of transporting the dunnage product includes pivoting the at least one gate member from the closed position to the open position.

20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of transporting the dunnage product includes dropping the dunnage product from the staging location to the packaging container in the loading location.

Assignees

• Ranpak Corp

Inventors

• Bruls Ruud
• Van Der Kaap Jordy

Classifications

• B65B57/02

  responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages · CPC title

• B65B57/04

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

• B65B57/00

  Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices (registering wrapping or container-forming material fed from rolls B65B41/18) · CPC title

• B65B61/22 Primary

  for placing protecting sheets, plugs, or wads over contents, e.g. cotton-wool in bottles of pills · CPC title

• B65B55/20

  Embedding contents in shock-absorbing media, e.g. plastic foam, granular material · CPC title