IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0282824
(2005-11-18)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Ford,Colin
- Rice,Thomas
- Brown,Steven
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출원인 / 주소 |
- Graphic Packaging International, Inc.
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대리인 / 주소 |
Womble Carlyle Sandridge &
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
12 인용 특허 :
19 |
초록
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A product packaging system for receiving a series of products from one or more product transport lines. The products are loaded into a series of carriers and transported through a downstream inserter unit. Inserter assemblies moving in timed relation with the movement of the carriers through the ins
A product packaging system for receiving a series of products from one or more product transport lines. The products are loaded into a series of carriers and transported through a downstream inserter unit. Inserter assemblies moving in timed relation with the movement of the carriers through the inserter unit engage and urge the products out carriers and into a carton for packaging.
대표청구항
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What is claimed is: 1. A system for packaging products, comprising: a series of carriers, wherein for each carrier (a) the carrier comprises a pair of opposed side plates that are hingedly attached for pivoting toward an open position, wherein the side plates being hingedly attached comprises (1) e
What is claimed is: 1. A system for packaging products, comprising: a series of carriers, wherein for each carrier (a) the carrier comprises a pair of opposed side plates that are hingedly attached for pivoting toward an open position, wherein the side plates being hingedly attached comprises (1) each of the side plates having a base with projections, (2) the projections of one of the bases being intermeshed with the projections of the other of the bases, and (3) a hinge pin extending through the intermeshed projections, (b) the carrier is adapted for receiving at least one product therewithin while the carrier is in the open position, and (c) the pivoting toward the open position comprises there being relative pivoting between the side plates of the carrier; an inserter unit that receives and moves the carriers in spaced series along a path of travel, and which includes a series of inserter assemblies adapted to engage and urge the products out of the carriers; and a carton transport conveyor moving a series of cartons in timed relationship with the movement of the carriers along their path of travel such that the products are received within the cartons as the products are urged out of the carriers by the inserter assemblies. 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one carrier conveyor including a sprocket, wherein: the carriers travel around the sprocket so that the sprocket changes the carriers' direction of travel, and for each carrier, the carrier is in its open position while the carrier is traveling around the sprocket so that the sprocket changes the carrier's direction of travel. 3. The system of claim 2, further comprising at least one loading conveyor, wherein for each carrier, the loading conveyor introduces at least one product into the carrier while the carrier is in its open position and traveling around the sprocket so that the sprocket changes the carrier's direction of travel. 4. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more carrier conveyors along which the carriers are loaded with products and are conveyed to the inserter unit, wherein for each carrier of the carriers: the side plates of the carrier are adapted for pivoting toward one another toward a closed position while the at least one product is being carried by the carrier to the inserter unit. 5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a carrier conveyor having a loading station at an upstream end thereof wherein a series of products from at least one product transport line are received and loaded into each carrier. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the loading station receives products from multiple product transport lines which alternatively feed products into each carrier. 7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a funnel conveyor positioned between the inserter unit and the carton transport conveyor and having a series of funnels mounted therealong for guiding the products into the cartons of the carton transport conveyor, wherein for each of the funnels a respective group of the products passes through an upstream opening of the funnel and then through a downstream opening of the funnel while the funnel guides the respective group of the products into a respective carton of the cartons, and the funnel tapers so that the downstream opening of the funnel is narrower than the upstream opening of the funnel. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the inserter assemblies each comprise an inserter rod slideably mounted to a support and moveable from at retracted, non-engaging position into an extended, engaging position for urging the products out of their carriers. 9. A system for packaging products, comprising: a series of carriers, wherein for each carrier (a) the carrier comprises a pair of opposed side plates that are hingedly attached for pivoting toward an open position, (b) the carrier is adapted for receiving at least one product therewithin while the carrier is in the open position, and (c) the pivoting toward the open position comprises there being relative pivoting between the side plates of the carrier; an inserter unit that receives and moves the carriers in spaced series along a path of travel, and which includes a series of inserter assemblies adapted to engage and urge the products out of the carriers; a carton transport conveyor moving a series of cartons in timed relationship with the movement of the carriers along their path of travel such that the products are received within the cartons as the products are urged out of the carriers by the inserter assemblies; and one or more carrier conveyors along which the carriers are loaded with products and are conveyed to the inserter unit, wherein for each carrier of the carriers, the side plates of the carrier are adapted for pivoting toward one another toward a closed position while the at least one product is being carried by the carrier to the inserter unit, wherein the inserter unit further includes a guide track adapted to be engaged by the carriers as they move along their path of travel for merging the carriers into a single line of carriers moving through the inserter unit. 10. A system for packaging products, comprising: a series of carriers, wherein for each carrier (a) the carrier comprises a pair of opposed side plates that are hingedly attached for pivoting toward an open position, (b) the carrier is adapted for receiving at least one product therewithin while the carrier is in the open position, and (c) the pivoting toward the open position comprises there being relative pivoting between the side plates of the carrier; an inserter unit that receives and moves the carriers in spaced series along a path of travel, and which includes a series of inserter assemblies adapted to engage and urge the products out of the carriers; a carton transport conveyor moving a series of cartons in timed relationship with the movement of the carriers along their path of travel such that the products are received within the cartons as the products are urged out of the carriers by the inserter assemblies; one or more carrier conveyors along which the carriers are loaded with products and are conveyed to the inserter unit, wherein for each carrier of the carriers, the side plates of the carrier are adapted for pivoting toward one another toward a closed position while the at least one product is being carried by the carrier to the inserter unit; and at least one selector unit positioned along the path of travel of the carriers upstream from the inserter unit for metering multiple lines of carriers being fed into the inserter unit. 11. A system for packaging products in cartons, comprising: a series of carriers moveable along a carrier conveyor between an upstream position, at which the products are respectively received in pockets of the carriers, and a downstream position; and an inserter unit proximate the downstream position for respectively moving the products from the carriers into the cartons, wherein for each carrier of the carriers (a) the carrier comprises a pair of opposed side walls defining the product receiving pocket of the carrier, and (b) the opposed side walls are operative for pivoting away from one another so that the pocket of the carrier is in an enlarged, open configuration at the upstream position, and wherein the opposed side walls being operative for pivoting away from one another so that the pocket of the carrier is in an enlarged, open configuration comprises (a) for each carrier of the carriers (1) each side wall includes a base portion, (2) the base portions of the side walls of the carrier are pivotally connected to one another by a hinge pin, and (3) the carrier further includes actuation pins extending through the base portions thereof; and (b) the carrier conveyor includes, at the upstream position, a loading sprocket about which the carriers are passed so that, for each carrier, the actuation pins and the hinge pins are engaged to the loading sprocket. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein: the loading sprocket includes a series of teeth respectively defining recesses therebetween, the actuation pins being engaged to the sprocket comprises the actuation pins being respectively received in the recesses, and the hinge pins being engaged to the sprocket comprises the hinge pins being urged outwardly by respective teeth of the teeth, so that for each carrier the loading sprocket urges the carrier's hinge pin farther outwardly than the carrier's actuation pins. 13. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the carriers includes an asymmetric feature along one of the side walls to guide the products into a stacked arrangement. 14. The system of claim 11, wherein: the inserter unit is adjacent the downstream end of the carrier conveyor, the inserter unit includes a plurality of inserter assemblies, the carriers are received by and move through the inserter unit, and the moving the products from the carriers into the cartons comprises the inserter assemblies respectively engaging and urging the products from the carriers into the cartons. 15. The system of claim 11, further comprising: a carton transport conveyor for moving the cartons in timed relationship with the carriers, and along the carrier conveyor; and a funnel conveyor positioned between the inserter unit and the carton transport conveyor, with the funnel conveyor having a series of funnels mounted therealong for guiding the products into the cartons. 16. A system for packaging products in cartons, comprising: a series of carriers moveable along a carrier conveyor between an upstream position, at which the products are respectively received in pockets of the carriers, and a downstream position; and an inserter unit proximate the downstream position for respectively moving the products from the carriers into the cartons, wherein for each carrier of the carriers (a) the carrier comprises a pair of opposed side walls defining the product receiving pocket of the carrier, and (b) the opposed side walls are operative for pivoting away from one another so that the pocket of the carrier is in an enlarged, open configuration at the upstream position, and wherein the carrier conveyor includes guide rails and the carriers each include channels adapted to receive the guide rails therein. 17. A system for use in packaging products in cartons, comprising: a series of carriers moveable along a carrier conveyor between an upstream position, at which the products are respectively received in pockets of the carriers, and a downstream position, at which the products are respectively moved from the carriers into the cartons; wherein for each carrier of the carriers (a) the carrier comprises a pair of opposed side walls defining the product receiving pocket of the carrier, and (b) the opposed side walls are operative for pivoting away from one another so that the pocket of the carrier is in an enlarged, open configuration at the upstream position; and wherein the opposed side walls being operative for pivoting away from one another so that the pocket of the carrier is in an enlarged, open configuration at the upstream position comprises: (a) for each carrier of the carriers (1) each side wall includes a base portion, (2) the base portions of the side walls of the carrier are pivotally connected by a hinge pin, and (3) the carrier further includes actuation pins extending through the base portions thereof; and (b) the carrier conveyor includes, at the upstream position, a loading sprocket about which the carriers are passed so that, for each carrier, the actuation pins and the hinge pins are engaged to the loading sprocket. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein: the loading sprocket includes a series of teeth respectively defining recesses therebetween, the actuation pins being engaged to the sprocket comprises the actuation pins being respectively received in the recesses, and the hinge pins being engaged to the sprocket comprises the hinge pins being urged outwardly by respective teeth of the teeth, so that for each carrier, the loading sprocket urges the carrier's hinge pin farther outwardly than the carrier's actuation pins.
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