IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
공개
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0466601
(2012-05-08)
|
공개번호 |
US-0014476
(2013-01-17)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
0 |
초록
▼
A selectively reconfigurable wrapping machine A for sequentially wrapping upright products. An infeed conveyor carries products to a wrapping station module where a tube of shrink-wrap material, pulled from rolled storage B, is formed about the products by a film directing and tracking module genera
A selectively reconfigurable wrapping machine A for sequentially wrapping upright products. An infeed conveyor carries products to a wrapping station module where a tube of shrink-wrap material, pulled from rolled storage B, is formed about the products by a film directing and tracking module generally designated C by use of a film plow D. Marginal edges of the shrink-wrap material are joined by a selectively configurable bottom seal module E which pulls the tube in to form a selectively positionable longitudinal bottom seal. A film sealing and cutting module G has opposed sealing heads G2L, G2R carried to face each other with fixed angular orientation such that the heads travel with products in the tube for a distance as it moves giving sealing dwell time for nonstop operation. A microprocessor-driven control system provides user setup controls.
대표청구항
▼
1. A selectively reconfigurable wrapping machine for sequentially wrapping upright products delivered sequentially by a loading device, the machine comprising: a sealing and cutting station module;a wrapping station module upstream of the sealing and cutting station module;a source of rolled film ma
1. A selectively reconfigurable wrapping machine for sequentially wrapping upright products delivered sequentially by a loading device, the machine comprising: a sealing and cutting station module;a wrapping station module upstream of the sealing and cutting station module;a source of rolled film material delivered as a web to the wrapping station module;the wrapping station module forming the web about the products to enclose the products in a tube;a bottom seal module for joining marginal edges of the film material into a selectively configurable form a longitudinal bottom seal of the tube, the bottom seal module being selectively and adjustably positionable to locate the resultant longitudinal seal at a selected lateral location;a vacuum conveyor for moving the tube-enclosed packages toward the sealing and cutting station module by partial pressure tractive adherence to the tube;the sealing and cutting station module comprising opposed sealing and cutting heads with upright sealing surfaces, the sealing heads being pivotally carried at opposite lateral sides of the tube within the sealing and cutting station module by drives such that the heads face each other during sealing and cutting, the heads providing orbital movement toward and away from the tube-enveloped products from opposite sides together with movement along with the tube-enveloped products so that the heads travel a longitudinal distance in an opposed lateral sealing relation as the tube with products moves through the sealing and cutting station module, giving sealing dwell time during which sealing and cutting between successive products or groups occurs “on the fly” without interruption of movement of the products during sealing and cutting. 2. A film wrapping machine as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a microprocessor-driven control system having viewing and controlling controls for controlling operation of elements and modules of the film wrapping machine. 3. A film wrapping machine for sequentially wrapping upright products that are delivered sequentially to the machine, while the products remain upright, the machine comprising: a sealing station module;a wrapping station module upstream of the sealing and cutting station module;a film supply station module that supplies a continuous web of the film material to the wrapping station module;a tube former at the wrapping station module for receiving the web of the film material from the supply station module so as to form a continuous tube of the film material that envelops the upright products as they are delivered sequentially;the tube former causing margins of the film material to be brought together below the upright products as they are delivered;a bottom sealer carried beneath the wrapping station module to produce a selectively positionable longitudinal bottom seal from the margins of the film material;the bottom sealer providing traction that pulls film material into the bottom sealer such that the margins of the film material can be cut and sealed as the tube-enclosed products are sequentially pulled into the film wrapping machine;the bottom sealer providing cutting and sealing the margins of the wrap material by application of heat and pressure to the margins of the film material, so that the tube becomes bottom-sealed by the longitudinal bottom seal;a vacuum conveyor that, while a package or group of packages are enclosed in the closed tube, moves the tube-enclosed packages toward the sealing station module by partial pressure tractive adherence to the tube;the sealing station module having laterally opposed sealing heads that move toward and away from the products to seal the film material between adjacent products or groups of products as the film-wrapped products move through the sealing station module without requiring halting of movement of the tube-enveloped products, and with said sealing being carried out to cause cutting of the film material between the products or groups of products so that the wrapped products or groups of products are separated; andan outfeed conveyor providing delivery of the separated film-wrapped products or groups of products;whereby products, as oriented upright, become fully enclosed within the film material and remain upright as they are conveyed and delivered without stopping during sealing and cutting of the film material. 4. A film wrapping machine as set forth in claim 3, a further comprising a microprocessor-driven control system having viewing and controlling controls for controlling operation of elements and modules of the film wrapping wrap machine. 5. A film wrapping machine as set forth in claim 3, wherein the laterally opposed sealing heads are pivotally carried such that the heads face each other with fixed angular orientation, the sealing station module providing orbital epicyclic movement of the heads toward and away from the tube-enveloped products with movement along with the tube-enveloped products with the result that the heads travel a distance in an opposed sealing relation as the tube with products moves giving sealing dwell time during which sealing and cutting between successive packages occurs by thermal melting of the film material of the tube, without requiring halting of movement of the tube-enveloped products. 6. A film wrapping machine as set forth in claim 5, the laterally opposed sealing heads being pivotally carried by top and bottom planetary drives, the sealing heads being presented as opposed jaws pivoted for movement on an axis eccentric to that of the gearheads, such that the heads always face each other with fixed angular orientation, but providing orbital movement toward and away from tube-enveloped products as well as movement along with the tube-enveloped products such that the heads travel a distance in an opposed sealing relation as the tube of products moves through the machine. 7. A film wrapping machine as set forth in claim 6, wherein a first one of the sealing heads has a sealing surface forming a blade apex, an opposed second one of the sealing heads having a sealing surface opposed to the sealing surface of the first sealing head, the first and second sealing heads closing during operation against lateral faces of the product-containing tube as it passes through the sealing station module, the first sealing head sealing surface having a protruding heater surface by which said sealing and cutting between successive packages occurs by thermal melting of the film material of the tube when the first and second sealing heads are closed upon lateral faces of the product-containing tube. 8. A film wrapping machine as set forth in claim 7, said blade apex being in effect a knife edge, the knife edge being protected by small transition rollers on opposite faces of the blade apex for transition and sealing penetration when the first and second sealing heads are closed upon lateral faces of the product-containing tube. 9. A film wrapping machine as set forth in claim 8, the sealing station module further comprising an air nozzle connected to an air source timed and pressured sufficiently to blow a puff or puffs of air during thermal melting of the film material of the film tube film timing and duration of the puff or puffs is selected to cause the film material to be pressed against the products enclosed in the tube such that such thermal melting provides a clean eut and whereby opposite end edges resulting from such thermal melting do not result in objectionable dimpling or other objectionable end edge formation. 10. A film wrapping machine as set forth in claim 3, the bottom sealer module including traction structures to pull film material into the bottom sealer for cutting and sealing of the opposing surfaces of the film material as the tube-enclosed articles are sequentially pulled into the film wrapping machine. 11. A film wrapping machine as set forth in claim 10, wherein said traction structures of the bottom sealer module comprise rollers that engage and pull the film material, the bottom sealer module including: a chassis having right and left belt-and-pulley sections also serving as traction structures;the belt-and-pulley sections having right and left twin V-belts assemblies laterally clampingly engaging and pulling the film material into the bottom sealer module; anda heated blade assembly that cuts the film material as it is moved between the belt-and-pulley and cooperates with right and left twin V-belts assemblies of the belt-and-pulley sections, which provide clamping pressure laterally upon the film material, so as to provide bottom sealing of the film material by creating said longitudinal bottom seal. 12. A film wrapping machine as set forth in claim 3, the bottom sealer module being capable of being selectively and adjustably positioned so as to locate the longitudinal bottom seal at a desired central, off-center or laterally-placed location. 13. A film wrapping machine as set forth in claim 3 wherein the film material is heat shrinkable film. 14. A film wrapping machine for sequentially wrapping upright products delivered sequentially to the machine, while the products remain upright, the machine comprising: a sealing station module;a film material supply station module to supply a continuous web of the film material to the wrapping station module;a wrapping station module providing a film directing and tracking module including a tube-forming plow;the plow receiving a web of the film material from the supply station module so as to form a continuous tube of the film material that envelopes the upright products as they are delivered sequentially, the tube-forming plow causing a margins of the wrap material to come together below and under the upright products as they are delivered to the film wrapping machine;a bottom sealer module carried beneath the wrapping station module that produces a selectively positionable bottom seal by cutting and sealing opposing surfaces of margins of the film material so they are bonded together by application of heat and pressure to the opposing surfaces, causing the tube to become bottom-sealed;the bottom sealer module including traction devices pulling film material into the bottom sealer for said cutting and sealing of the film material as the tube-enclosed articles are sequentially pulled into the film wrapping machine;a vacuum conveyor that moves the tube with tube-enclosed packages from the wrapping station module to the sealing station module by partial pressure tractive adherence to the tube;the sealing station module having laterally opposed sealing heads with upright sealing surfaces and are pivotally carried by top and bottom planetary drive so the heads face each other with fixed angular orientation, providing orbital movement toward and away from the tube-enveloped products with movement along with the tube-enveloped products such that the heads travel a distance in an opposed sealing relation as the tube with products moves giving sealing dwell time during which sealing and cutting between successive packages occurs, without requiring halting of movement of the tube-enveloped products; anda microprocessor-driven control system having viewing and controlling controls for controlling automatic operation of elements and modules of the film wrapping machine;whereby products, as oriented upright, become automatically fully enclosed by wrapping within the film material, and remain upright as they are conveyed without stopping during sealing and cutting of the film material. 15. A film wrapping machine as set forth in claim 14 wherein the film material is heat shrinkable film. 16. A selectively reconfigurable wrapping machine for sequentially wrapping upright products delivered sequentially by a loading device, the machine comprising: a sealing and cutting station module;a wrapping station module upstream of the sealing and cutting station module;a source of rolled film material delivered as a web to the wrapping station module;the wrapping station module forming the web about the products to enclose the products in a tube;a bottom seal module for joining marginal edges of the film material into a selectively configurable form a longitudinal bottom seal of the tube, the bottom seal module being selectively and adjustably positionable to locate the resultant longitudinal seal at a selected lateral location;a vacuum conveyor for moving the tube-enclosed packages toward the sealing and cutting station module by partial pressure tractive adherence to the tube;the sealing and cutting station module having opposed sealing and cutting heads carried by mechanism to achieve an orbital movement toward and away from the tube-enveloped products for sealing and cutting in an opposed sealing relation as the tube with products moves through the sealing and cutting station module for high speed sealing and cutting. 17. A film wrapping machine as set forth in claim 16 further comprising a microprocessor-driven control system having viewing and controls for controlling automatic operation of machine elements and modules. 18. A film wrapping machine as set forth in claim 16 wherein the bottom sealer module comprises traction mechanism for pulling the tube film material into the bottom sealer with products entering the tube. 19. A film wrapping machine as set forth in claim 16, the sealing heads being pivotally carried at opposite lateral sides of the tube within the sealing and cutting station module by drives such that the heads face each other during sealing and cutting, the heads providing orbital movement toward and away from the tube-enveloped products from opposite sides together with movement along with the tube-enveloped products so that the heads travel a longitudinal distance in an opposed lateral sealing relation as the tube with products therein moves through the sealing and cutting station module, giving sealing dwell time during which sealing and cutting between successive products or groups occurs “on the fly” without product interruption of movement while sealing and cutting. 20. A film wrapping machine as set forth in claim 16 wherein the film material is heat shrinkable film.
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