Containment force-based wrapping

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9776748-B2
Application number	US-201414179848-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2014
Priority date	Feb 13, 2013
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

Control of a wrapping apparatus is facilitated by enabling an operator to input a load containment force requirement and/or a minimum number of layers of packaging material to be applied to a load, with a wrap control system automatically determining wrap force and other parameters required to meet user input requirements and/or parameters to minimize the expertise required of an operator and to provide more consistent and reliable wrapping of loads. In addition, a wrapping apparatus may be controlled to apply at least a minimum number of layers of packaging material to a load throughout a contiguous region thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a load wrapping apparatus of the type configured to wrap 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 input data associated with a load containment force requirement to be used when wrapping the load with packaging material; and
using a central processing unit, determining a number of layers of packaging material and a wrap force to be applied to the load to meet the load containment force requirement associated with the input data based on a packaging material attribute associated with the packaging material, wherein the number of layers of packaging material represents a minimum number of layers of packaging material to be dispensed throughout a contiguous region of the load such that the minimum number of layers of packaging material overlay at any point on the load within the contiguous region.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input data specifies a load containment force to be applied to the load, and wherein determining the number of layers of packaging material and the wrap force to be applied to the load includes:
retrieving the packaging material attribute from a database; and
using the retrieved packaging material attribute to determine the number of layers of packaging material to be applied to the load and the wrap force to be applied to the load.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the number of layers of packaging material and the wrap force to be applied to the load includes receiving input data associated with one of the number of layers of packaging material to be applied to the load and the wrap force to be applied to the load and determining therefrom the other of the number of layers of packaging material to be applied to the load and the wrap force to be applied to the load.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving input data associated with a specified wrap force, wherein determining the number of layers of packaging material and the wrap force to be applied to the load includes determining the number of layers of packaging material to be applied to the load based upon the specified wrap force.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving input data associated with a specified number of layers of packaging material, wherein determining the number of layers of packaging material and the wrap force to be applied to the load includes determining the wrap force to be applied to the load based upon the specified number of layers of packaging material.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the number of layers of packaging material and the wrap force to be applied to the load to meet the load containment force requirement includes determining a layer parameter specifying a minimum number of layers to apply to the load and a wrap force parameter specifying a wrap force to apply to the load, the method further comprising controlling the load wrapping apparatus to wrap the load using the layer and wrap force parameters such that the load containment force requirement is met when the load is wrapped.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the load has first and second opposing ends defined generally along a direction generally parallel to an axis about which packaging material is wrapped around the load when the load is disposed on the load support, wherein the load wrapping apparatus is further configured for movement of a portion of a web of packaging material relative to the load in the direction generally parallel to the axis, and wherein controlling the load wrapping apparatus includes, during relative rotation between the packaging material dispenser and the load support:
controlling movement of the web of packaging material in the direction generally parallel to the axis to apply at least the minimum number of layers of packaging material specified by the layer parameter to the load throughout a contiguous region extending between first and second positions respectively disposed proximate the first and second opposing ends of the load; and
controlling a dispense rate of the packaging material dispenser based on the wrap force parameter.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the load containment force requirement defines a minimum load containment force to be applied to the load.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the number of layers of packaging material and wrap force includes determining a wrap profile, wherein the wrap profile specifies a minimum number of layers of packaging material and a wrap force to be applied to the load.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the wrap force is specified in the wrap profile as a payout percentage.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, in response to second input data that modifies the minimum number of layers of packaging material specified in the wrap profile, modifying the wrap force specified by the wrap profile such that the wrap profile continues to meet the load containment force requirement.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, in response to second input data that modifies the wrap force specified in the wrap profile, modifying the minimum number of layers of packaging material specified by the wrap profile such that the wrap profile continues to meet the load containment force requirement.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, in response to second input data that modifies the packaging material attribute, modifying at least one of the minimum number of layers of packaging material and wrap force specified by the wrap profile such that the wrap profile continues to meet the load containment force requirement.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packaging material attribute comprises an incremental containment force per revolution attribute of the packaging material.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packaging material attribute comprises a weight attribute of the packaging material.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packaging material attribute comprises a wrap force limit attribute of the packaging material.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packaging material attribute comprises a width attribute of the packaging material.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input data specifies a minimum load containment force.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input data selects a first wrap profile from among a plurality of stored wrap profiles.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input data specifies a load attribute associated with the load.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the input data specifies the load attribute by selecting a load type from among a plurality of load types.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of load types include a light stable load type, a moderate stable load type, a moderate unstable load type and a heavy unstable load type, and wherein each of the plurality of load types is associated with a recommended minimum load containment force for the associated load type.

23. An apparatus for wrapping a load supported by a load support with packaging material, the apparatus comprising:
a packaging material dispenser for dispensing packaging material to the load, wherein the packaging material dispenser and the load support are adapted for rotation relative to one other; and
a controller configured to receive input data associated with

Assignees

• Lantech Com Llc

Inventors

• Lancaster Iii Patrick R
• Mitchell Michael P

Classifications

• B65B11/58 Primary

  Applying two or more wrappers, e.g. in succession · CPC title

• B65B11/008

  by webs revolving around articles moved along the axis of revolution · 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

• B65B11/025

  by webs revolving around stationary articles · CPC title

• B65B11/045

  by rotating platforms supporting the articles · CPC title