Corner geometry-based wrapping

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9932137-B2
Application number	US-201314062931-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2013
Priority date	Oct 25, 2012
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

A wrapping apparatus and method utilize a corner geometry-based wrap control that controls the rate at which packaging material is dispensed at least in part based on the geometrical relationship between one or more corners of a load and a packaging material dispenser.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for wrapping a load with packaging material, the apparatus comprising:
a packaging material dispenser for dispensing packaging material to the load;
a load support for supporting the load during wrapping, wherein the packaging material dispenser and the load support are adapted for rotation relative to one other about a center of rotation;
an angle sensor that senses an angular relationship between the load and the packaging material dispenser about the center of rotation; and
a controller coupled to the angle sensor and the packaging material dispenser and that calculates a location of at least one corner of the load within a plane perpendicular to the center of rotation and controls a dispense rate of the packaging material dispenser during the relative rotation using the calculated location of the at least one corner and based at least in part on a geometric relationship between the packaging material dispenser and the at least one corner of the load during the relative rotation and determined using the sensed angular relationship.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the dispense rate of the packaging material dispenser during the relative rotation based at least in part on the geometric relationship by controlling the dispense rate of the packaging material dispenser based at least in part on a rotation angle about the center of rotation and associated with at least one corner of the load during the relative rotation, wherein the rotation angle is determined using the sensed angular relationship.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the rotation angle is a corner location angle.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the rotation angle is a corner contact angle representing an angle at which packaging material first comes into contact with the at least one corner during the relative rotation between the load and a packaging material dispenser.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the controller controls the dispense rate of the packaging material dispenser during the relative rotation based at least in part on the geometric relationship by controlling the dispense rate of the packaging material dispenser based at least in part on a corner radial for a corner of the load, wherein the corner radial has a length and extends substantially between the corner and the center of rotation.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the controller calculates the location of the at least one corner by determining a polar or Cartesian coordinate within the plane for the at least one corner of the load.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the polar or Cartesian coordinate is relative to the center of rotation.

8. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the angle sensor comprises an encoder that senses rotation of the load support or of the packaging material dispenser about the center of rotation, and wherein the angle sensor senses the angular relationship in terms of degrees or fractions of degrees about the center of rotation.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a film angle sensor that senses an angle of a portion of the packaging material extending between a first point proximate to where the packaging material exits the packaging material dispenser and a second point proximate to where the packaging material engages the load, and wherein the controller is determines the rotation angle using the sensed angle.

10. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a load distance sensor that senses a distance between a reference point and a surface of the load along a radius of the center of rotation, and wherein the controller determines the rotation angle using the sensed distance.

11. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a speed sensor that senses a rate at which the packaging material exits the packaging material dispenser, and wherein the controller is determines the rotation angle using the sensed rate.

12. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a dimensional sensor that senses a length, width and offset of the load from the center of rotation, and wherein the controller determines the rotation angle using the sensed length, width and offset.

13. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the controller controls the dispense rate of the packaging material dispenser during the relative rotation based at least in part on the geometric relationship between the packaging material dispenser and at least one corner of the load during the relative rotation by determining a distance between the packaging material dispenser and at least one corner of the load during the relative rotation.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the controller determines the distance between the packaging material dispenser and at least one corner of the load based upon a distance between the packaging material dispenser and the center of rotation and a distance between at least one corner of the load and the center of rotation.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the controller is determines the distance between the packaging material dispenser and at least one corner of the load using the Law of Cosines.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the dispense rate of the packaging material dispenser during the relative rotation based at least in part on the geometric relationship between the packaging material dispenser and at least one corner of the load during the relative rotation by determining an angle of a portion of the packaging material extending between the packaging material dispenser and at least one corner of the load during the relative rotation.

17. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the rotation angle is determined by the controller after initiating relative rotation between the packaging material dispense and the load support.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller determines the location of the at least one corner of the load by determining a length, a width and an offset of the load from the center of rotation.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the controller determines the length, width and offset based upon user input.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the controller determines the length, width and offset using at least one sensor.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the controller retrieves the length, width and offset from a database.

22. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the rotation angle is determined by the controller during relative rotation between the packaging material dispenser and the load support.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the dispense rate of the packaging material dispenser during the relative rotation based at least in part on the geometric relationship between the packaging material dispenser and at least one corner of the load during the relative rotation by controlling a dispense rate of the packaging material dispenser to be proportional to a rate of change of a corner of the load relative to the packaging material dispenser.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the rate of change of the corner is associated with a tangential velocity of a tangent circle centered at the center of rotation and tangent to a portion of the packaging material extending between the packaging material dispenser and the corner.

25. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the dispense rate of the packaging material dispenser during the relative rotation b

Assignees

• Lantech Com Llc

Inventors

• Lancaster Iii Patrick R
• Mitchell Michael P
• Mccray Jeremy D
• Johnson Richard L

Classifications

• B65B11/045 Primary

  by rotating platforms supporting the articles · CPC title

• B65B57/04 Primary

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

• B65B11/025

  by webs revolving around stationary articles · CPC title