Automated system and method for constructing card multipacks, and card multipack constructed using the same

• US 10,410,019 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2019
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harvard Label LLC
• Original Assignee: Harvard Label LLC
• Inventors: Tang, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Savusdiphol, Paultep
• Application Number:
  US16/248,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20190147198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 238 Days
• Field of Search: 235475, 235478, 235479, 235483, 23546201, 23546214, 23546241
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 13/185 Details of tools B65B13/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/18 by suction-operated grippers
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/105 by grippers B65B5/12 and B65B5/108 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 51/32 Cooling, or cooling and pressing, package closures after heat-sealing
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/025 for applying, e.g. printing, code or date marks on material prior to packaging
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 63/005 for marking or coding articles prior to packaging
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/2807 Feeding closures
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/2878 by heat-sealing
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/121 by printing code marks applying code marks to labels B65C9/46; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1439 including a method step for retrieval of the optical code

Abstract

Automated systems, methods for constructing card multipacks, and a card multipack constructing using the same are provided. An automated system for constructing card multipacks includes: a movable conveyor including a plurality of tooling plates, each configured to receive a height adjusting member; a first carrier placing station configured to place a first carrier portion of a carrier on a tooling plate of the plurality of tooling plates; a first card placing station configured to place a first stored value card on the first carrier portion; a first data capture station configured to read a first card bar code of the first stored value card in-line in the automated system; and a software system adapted to verify the first card bar code with a data file.

Claims

1. An automated system for constructing card multipacks, the automated system comprising:

a movable conveyor comprising a plurality of tooling plates, each configured to receive a height adjusting member on an upper surface thereof;

a first carrier placing station configured to place a first carrier portion of a carrier on a tooling plate of the plurality of tooling plates;

a first card placing station configured to place a first stored value card on the first carrier portion;

a first data capture station configured to read a first card bar code of the first stored value card and create a data file in-line in the automated system, the data file comprising an association between at least the first card bar code and a carrier bar code; and

a software system adapted to verify the first card bar code with the data file, wherein the height adjusting member is configured to support the first carrier portion thereon.

2. The automated system of claim 1, wherein the first data capture station comprises a first camera configured to create a first image of the first card bar code, and the software system is adapted to verify the first card bar code using the first image.

3. The automated system of claim 2, further comprising a second carrier placing station between the first data capture station and a sealing station configured to seal the carrier, the second carrier placing station configured to place a second carrier portion of the carrier on the first stored value card subsequent to the first data capture station reading the first card bar code, wherein the second carrier portion comprises the carrier bar code.

4. The automated system of claim 3, further comprising a second data capture station between the second carrier placing station and the sealing station, the second data capture station comprising a second camera configured to create a second image of the carrier bar code, and the software system is adapted to verify the carrier bar code using the second image.

5. The automated system of claim 4, wherein the first card bar code comprises a parent card bar code, and the data file further comprises an association between the parent card bar code and the carrier bar code.

6. The automated system of claim 5, wherein the first data capture station is configured to read the first card bar code between the first card placing station and the sealing station, and the second data capture station is configured to read the carrier bar code between the second carrier placing station and the sealing station.

7. The automated system of claim 6, wherein the software system is adapted to verify the first card bar code and the carrier bar code in-line in the automated system and provide an output before the sealing station seals the carrier.

8. The automated system of claim 7, wherein the output comprises a warning that the first card bar code or the carrier bar code was not verified by the software system.

9. The automated system of claim 8, wherein the sealing station does not seal the carrier when an output comprising a warning is provided.

10. The automated system of claim 7, wherein after verifying the carrier bar code, the first card bar code comprising the parent card bar code, or a combination thereof, each stored value card within the carrier is activated by the parent card bar code after the sealing station seals the carrier.

11. The automated system of claim 10, wherein the parent card bar code is readable through a window of the first carrier portion or the second carrier portion after the carrier has been sealed.

12. A method for constructing card multipacks using an automated system, the method comprising:

placing a first carrier portion of a carrier on a conveyor of the automated system using a first carrier placing station of the automated system, the conveyor including a plurality of tooling plates, each configured to receive a height adjusting member on an upper surface thereof, wherein the height adjusting member is configured to support the first carrier portion thereon;

placing a first stored value card on the first carrier portion using a first card placing station of the automated system;

reading a first card bar code of the first stored value card in-line using a first data capture station of the automated system; and

verifying the first card bar code with a data file using a software system of the automated system, the data file comprising an association between at least the first card bar code and a carrier bar code.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first card bar code comprises a parent card bar code, and the data file further comprises an association between the parent card bar code and the carrier bar code.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein reading the first card bar code comprises creating a first image of the first card bar code using a first camera, and the software system is adapted to verify the first card bar code using the first image.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

placing a second carrier portion of the carrier on the first stored value card using a second carrier placing station of the automated system subsequent to reading the first card bar code, the second carrier portion comprising the carrier bar code;

reading the carrier bar code of the second carrier portion in-line using a second data capture station of the automated system, wherein reading the carrier bar code comprises creating a second image of the carrier bar code using a second camera; and

verifying the carrier bar code using the second image.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising sealing the carrier in-line using the automated system after the carrier bar code, the first card bar code comprising the parent card bar code, or a combination thereof is verified.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising activating each stored value card within the carrier using the parent card bar code, after the carrier is sealed.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing an output before sealing the carrier in-line using the automated system.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the output comprises a warning that the first card bar code or the carrier bar code was not verified by the software system.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising not sealing the carrier in-line using the automated system when an output comprising a warning is provided.