Package making – Combined
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-02
2002-11-26
Kim, Eugene (Department: 3721)
Package making
Combined
C053S251000, C053S248000, C053S539000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06484475
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to packaging machines, particularly a wraparound packer, tray shrink packer, pad shrink packer and shrink packer machines, having modular components.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The explosion of consumer items that are mass manufactured and sold to the public has resulted in the packaging of such items becoming an important and significant step in production. As a result, specialized packaging machines have been developed which are generally dedicated to a specific item, and which provide identical packaging with little flexibility to change the size, type or arrangement of the package or to adapt the machine to the item being packaged.
A number of packaging machines are well known in the art, including wraparound packers, tray shrink packers, pad shrink packers and shrink packer machines. Wraparound packers (WP), for instance, package consumer items in cardboard or paperboard cartons by folding and sealing a blank to form a box around the articles. Tray shrink packers (TSP), on the other hand, package articles by forming a cardboard tray around a group of articles, including folding and gluing upright panels of the tray, then wrapping heat shrinkable film around the tray and articles. Heat is applied and the film shrinks to define the TSP package. Pad shrink packers (PSP) position a pad beneath a group of articles, without forming a tray, and wrap the pad and articles in heat shrinkable film, after which heat is applied to shrink the film. A shrink packer (SP) wraps a sheet of heat shrinkable film around a group of articles without any support from a tray or pad, and applies heat to shrink the film and make the package rigid.
The various packaging machines (WP, TSP, PSP, SP) discussed above are used as efficiency dictates based upon the weight, rigidity and size of the articles and packages produced. If a small package is desired, for instance, which does not require a pad or tray for structural support, a shrink packer (SP) would be used because the expense and step of inserting a pad or tray is not necessary. For heavier or larger articles, however, a tray or pad may be necessary to give a package adequate rigidity and integrity.
In a number of specific examples, packaging machines have been designed to act as more than one type of the above described packaging machines (WP, TSP, PSP, SP). One specific application has been the use of a machine used as a tray shrink packer, pad shrink packer or shrink packer in the packaging of upright cylindrical articles, such as beverage bottles or cans. It is well known in the art that such articles can be conveniently and efficiently packaged in six pack, twelve pack, twenty-four pack, or forty-eight pack packages utilizing a tray shrink packer (TSP) machine. In prior art devices of this type, the articles are organized into a set to be packaged and a tray blank is positioned on a conveyor. The articles are then placed upon the tray blank and the tray blank is folded and glued to form a tray around the articles. Then, a film of heat shrinkable material is wrapped around the articles and tray, secured and heat shrunk to provide a package suitable for shipment to retailers or consumers. Bottles or cans may also be packaged in smaller packages utilizing a pad shrink packer (PSP) or shrink packer (SP) machines. In a pad shrink packer (PSP) machine, a simple pad, rather than a tray blank, is placed under the articles and the step of forming the tray, the step just prior to the wrapping with and heating of film, is eliminated. In a shrink packer machine, no tray blank or pad is placed beneath the articles. The film is wrapped and heat shrunk, without a need for additional support from a pad or tray, to complete the package.
A number of prior art packaging machines have provisions for performing additional operations during the packaging sequence. Specifically, some prior art packaging machines include provisions for turning the packages prior to exiting the machine to aid in further handling and shipment. Also, it is known in the art that successive groups of articles can be stacked by a properly equipped packaging machine to provide a two-tiered package. In tray shrink packer (TSP) machines, for instance, prior art devices have included stacking between the folding and gluing tray forming step and the application of the heat shrinkable film, so that twenty-four packs of cans in trays can be placed in a two-tier stack to provide a forty-eight article package. Heat shrinkable film is then wrapped, secured and heated to shrink it to provide a secure rigid two-tier package.
In the prior art packaging machines described above, packaging of articles is generally performed in a multiple step sequence. Initially the articles, such as beverage cans or bottles, are received in random, unordered arrangement. An infeed conveyor arranges the articles into lanes for further processing. A group of the laned articles is then separated out by a collator which separates the laned articles into package groups by using separator bars mounted on the conveyor which receive the laned articles from the infeed conveyor/lane divider.
In a wraparound packer (WP), a cardboard blank is then provided from a tray magazine and positioned beneath the group of articles being packaged. The blank is then folded and glued to form a box around the packaged articles.
In a tray shrink packer (TSP) machine, the next step in the sequence after the formation of package groups is to register the articles onto a cardboard blank. A blank is supplied from a magazine and is positioned beneath the group of articles being packaged. Outer extending flanges of the tray are then folded upright and glued together around the group of articles to form a packed tray. In a pad shrink packer (PSP), a pad, rather than a tray blank, is positioned beneath the articles being packaged and there is no step of folding and gluing the flanges.
In tray shrink packer (TSP), pad shrink packer (PSP) and shrink packer (SP) machines, a sheet of heat shrinkable film is wrapped around the articles and the pad (PSP machine), and the tray (TSP machine). The film is secured and the package wrapped in film, is conveyed into an oven wherein heat is applied to shrink the film into tight engagement. In prior art packaging machines equipped for such, the steps of turning or stacking packages are performed prior to the application of heat shrinkable film.
In prior art packaging machines utilizing the multiple step packaging sequence described above, it is desirable to keep the machine operating continuously, without interruption, for maximum efficiency. While the articles are moved from section to section in sequence in a packaging machine, it is necessary to control the movement so that the number of articles being processed in every section is the same or appropriately cycled to allow continuous operation. To effect continuous processing in every section of the machine, prior art packaging machines have utilized, either a single conveyor which moves the articles through the packaging sequence, or a number of individual conveyors which are mechanically linked to ensure same speed processing in all sections of the packaging machine. A single mechanical drive providing the motive force for all of the conveyors in a packaging machine solves the continuity problem by having all the sections operating at the same speed, but it has the significant disadvantage of having complicated mechanical interconnections that make it difficult to isolate sections of the machine for maintenance.
The prior art packaging machines described above have equipment to perform all of the desired functions mechanically interconnected and mounted on a large frame. Even when multiple conveyors are used to move the articles through the various steps in the packaging sequence, the conveyors are mechanically interconnected and a large frame is provided on which the conveyors and other packaging equipment are mounted and affixed.
A significant disadvantage of the prior art packaging machine wherein multi
Lonkard Steven Ray
Neagle Claud Andrew
Slomp Tieme Jan
Stuhlman Christopher
Kim Eugene
Kisters Kayat, Inc.
Macke R. Christian
Tawfik Sameh
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