Web material unwind apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9969587-B2
Application number	US-201514669489-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2015
Priority date	Aug 28, 2014
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

An unwind apparatus for obtaining, loading, splicing, and unwinding convolutely wound rolls of web material and forwarding the web material unwound from each of the convolutely wound rolls uninterruptedly to a downstream apparatus is disclosed. The unwind apparatus provides for a multi-axis robot and an end effector operatively connected to the multi-axis robot. The end effector provides for a stationary motor, a rotational coupling mechanically coupled to the stationary motor, and, a mandrel mechanically coupled to the rotational coupling. The mandrel is capable of releasably engaging the convolutley wound rolls of web material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unwind apparatus for obtaining, loading, splicing, and unwinding convolutely wound rolls of web material and forwarding said web material unwound from each of said convolutely wound rolls uninterruptedly to a downstream apparatus, said unwind apparatus comprising:
a. a multi-axis robot; and,
b. an end effector operatively connected to said multi-axis robot, said end effector comprising:
a. a stationary motor;
b. a rotational coupling mechanically coupled to said stationary motor; and,
c. a mandrel mechanically coupled to said rotational coupling, said mandrel being capable of releasably engaging said convolutley wound rolls of web material, wherein said mandrel comprises a first plurality of spaced apart mandrel arms configured to enable interleaving of a second mandrel comprising a second plurality of spaced part mandrel arms that can be interlaced with the first plurality of mandrel arms.

2. The unwind apparatus of claim 1 wherein said multi-axis robot further comprises an articulable arm, said end effector being cooperatively engaged with said articulable arm.

3. The unwind apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said multi-axis robot further comprises control means for controlling said multi-axis robot so as to effect movement of said multi-axis robot away from said downstream apparatus and to effect coordinated movement of said multi-axis robot while said mandrel is engaged with said convolutely wound rolls of web material so that said convolutely wound rolls of web material are capable of being moved relative to said downstream apparatus.

4. The unwind apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said end effector further comprises roll grasping means operably attached to said mandrel for grasping a convolutely wound roll of web material.

5. The unwind apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said roll grasping means further comprises an arm movable radially toward and radially away from said mandrel.

6. The unwind apparatus of claim 4 wherein said roll grasping means is adapted to revolvingly unwind said convolutely wound roll of web material.

7. The unwind apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said multi-axis robot further comprises means for operating said multi-axis robot so as to effect engagement and disengagement of said multi-axis robot with said convolutely wound rolls of web material.

8. The unwind apparatus of claim 1 wherein said end effector is capable of autonomously determining a characteristic of each of said convolutely wound rolls of web material, said characteristic of each of said convolutely wound rolls of web material being selected from the group consisting of convolutely wound roll of web material roll diameter, convolutely wound roll of web material core region diameter, convolutely wound roll of web material type of material, convolutely wound roll of web material physical characteristic(s), and combinations thereof.

9. The unwind apparatus of claim 1 wherein said unwind apparatus positions said convolutely wound rolls of web material while said convolutely wound rolls of web material are unwinding.

10. The unwind apparatus of claim 9 wherein said unwind apparatus orients said convolutely wound rolls of web material in at least 3 axis.

11. The unwind apparatus of claim 9 wherein said unwind apparatus positionably rotates said convolutely wound rolls of web material in at least 3 axis.

12. The unwind apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first plurality of spaced apart mandrel arms comprises mandrel arms arranged triangularly about the mandrel's longitudinal axis.

13. An end effector for an unwind apparatus for obtaining, loading, splicing, and unwinding convolutely wound rolls of web material and forwarding said web material unwound from each of said convolutely wound rolls uninterruptedly to a downstream apparatus, said end effector comprising:
a. a stationary motor;
b. a rotational coupling mechanically coupled to said stationary motor; and,
c. a mandrel mechanically coupled to said rotational coupling, said mandrel being capable of releasably engaging said convolutley wound rolls of web material, wherein said mandrel comprises a first plurality of spaced apart mandrel arms configured to enable interleaving of a second mandrel comprising a second plurality of spaced part mandrel arms that can be interlaced with the first plurality of mandrel arms.

14. The end effector of claim 13 , wherein said end effector further comprises roll grasping means operably attached to said mandrel for grasping a convolutely wound roll of web material.

15. The end effector of claim 14 , wherein said roll grasping means further comprises an arm movable radially toward and radially away from said mandrel.

16. The end effector of claim 14 wherein said roll grasping means is adapted to revolvingly unwind said convolutely wound roll of web material.

17. The end effector of claim 13 wherein said end effector is capable of autonomously determining a characteristic of each of said convolutely wound rolls of web material, said characteristic of each of said convolutely wound rolls of web material being selected from the group consisting of convolutely wound roll of web material roll diameter, convolutely wound roll of web material core region diameter, convolutely wound roll of web material type of material, convolutely wound roll of web material physical characteristic(s), and combinations thereof.

18. The end effector of claim 13 wherein said end effector is connectively and cooperatively engagable with a multi-axis robot.

19. The end effector of claim 13 wherein said mandrel further comprises and elongate mandrel arm having at least one expansion element disposed thereon, said at least one expansion element being radially expandable into cooperative engagement with a core region disposed within each of said convolutely wound rolls of web material.

20. The end effector of claim 13 wherein said rotational coupling is off-set mechanically coupled to said stationary motor.

21. The end effector of claim 13 wherein the first plurality of spaced apart mandrel arms comprises mandrel arms arranged triangularly about the mandrel's longitudinal axis.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Macura Matthew Joseph
• Deng Rong
• Powell Craig Allen

Classifications

• B65H16/04

  cantilever type · CPC title

• Y10S901/02

  Arm motion controller · CPC title

• B65H75/242

  Expansible spindles, mandrels or chucks, e.g. for securing or releasing cores, holders or packages · CPC title

• B65H19/123 Primary

  with cantilever supporting arrangements · CPC title

• Y10S901/30

  End effector · CPC title