PACKAGING SYSTEM AND METHOD WITH CONTROLLED DUNNAGE DISPENSING

• US 20110016833A1
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ranpak Corp. (Ranpak Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Ranpak Corp. (Ranpak Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Carlson, Daniel L., Deimling, Paul F., Gabrielsen, Derek M., Park, Kevin W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,994,346 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 53/473
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 55/20 Embedding contents in shock-absorbing media, e.g. plastic foam, granular material
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/12 and operating to control, or stop, the feed of wrapping materials, containers, or packages
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/20 for adding cards, coupons or other inserts to package contents adding unpacking elements B65B61/18

Abstract

A packaging method includes the steps of (a) detecting whether a height (104) of contents (105) in a container (106) exceeds a predetermined height (112), and (b) indicating how much dunnage to dispense based on predetermined criteria, including whether a detected height exceeds a predetermined height that is less than a height of the container. The indicating step includes indicating a quantity of dunnage to dispense selected from a plurality of predetermined quantities of dunnage. If no detected height is greater than the predetermined height, the indicating step includes indicating that a regular amount of dunnage should be dispensed. And if a detected height is greater than the predetermined height, the indicating step includes indicating that either zero or less than the regular amount of dunnage should be dispensed. The detecting step also can include detecting whether any contents in the container have a height above the height of the container.

Claims

1. A packaging system, comprising:

(a) a sensor that detects a height of contents in a container, and

(b) a controller connectable to the sensor that indicates how much dunnage to dispense based on predetermined criteria, where the predetermined criteria includes a comparison between a detected height and a predetermined height that is less than a height of the container.

2. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the controller includes a memory containing a plurality of quantities of dunnage, and the controller indicates a quantity of dunnage to dispense that is selected from the predetermined quantities of dunnage.

3. A system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the predetermined quantities of dunnage to dispense stored in the memory include zero dunnage, a minimal amount of dunnage, and a regular amount of dunnage greater than the minimal amount.

4. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the controller Includes an output device for signaling when the detected height is greater than a height of the container.

5. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a first sensor that detects contents in a container that exceed the predetermined height and second sensor that detects contents in the container that exceed the height of the container.

6. A system as set forth in claim 1, comprising a dunnage dispenser that is controlled by the controller to dispense dunnage to the container.

8. A system as set forth in claim 6, comprising a sensor that identifies a container and is connectable to the controller, and the controller controls the dunnage dispenser to dispense a predetermined quantity of dunnage based on the identified container.

10. A system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the dunnage dispenser includes a dunnage converter that converts a stock material into a less dense dunnage object.

7. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

11-12. -12. (canceled)

13. A packaging method, comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting a height of contents in a container, and

(b) indicating how much dunnage to dispense based on predetermined criteria, including comparing a detected height and a predetermined height that is less than a height of the container.

14. A method as set forth in claim 13, wherein the detecting step includes detecting whether any contents in the container have a height above the predetermined height.

15. A method as set forth in claim 13, wherein the indicating step includes indicating a quantity of dunnage to dispense selected from a plurality of predetermined quantities of dunnage.

16. A method as set forth in claim 15, wherein the indicating step includes indicating a quantity of dunnage to dispense selected from zero dunnage, a minimal amount of dunnage, and a regular amount of dunnage greater than the minimal amount of dunnage.

17. A method as set forth in claim 16, wherein the indicating step includes determining a quantity of dunnage to dispense, where

(a) if no detected height is greater than the predetermined height, determining that the regular amount of dunnage should be dispensed;

or

(b) if a detected height is greater than the predetermined height, determining whether zero dunnage or a minimal amount of dunnage should be dispensed based on an additional predetermined criteria.

18. A method as set forth in claim 17, wherein when a detected height is greater than the predetermined height, the determining step includes determining whether the detected height over a predetermined percentage of a cross-sectional area of the container exceeds the predetermined height, whereby

(a) if the detected height exceeds the predetermined height more than the predetermined percentage, determining that no dunnage should be dispensed, and

(b) if the detected height exceeds the predetermined height less than the predetermined percentage, determining that the minimal amount of dunnage should be dispensed.

19. A method as set forth in claim 13, wherein the indicating step includes signaling when the detected height is greater than a height of the container.

20. A method as set forth in claim 13, comprising the steps of identifying a container and determining a quantity of dunnage to dispense based on the identified container.

23. A method as set forth in claim 13, comprising the step of controlling a dunnage dispenser to dispense the indicated amount of dunnage to the container when the detected height is less than the height of the container.

21-22. -22. (canceled)

24-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A packaging system, comprising

(a) means for detecting a height of contents in a container, and

(b) means for indicating how much dunnage to dispense based on predetermined criteria, including comparing a detected height and a predetermined height that is less than a height of the container.

27. A packaging system as set forth in claim 26, wherein the detecting means includes a sensor, the indicating means includes a controller and an output device connected to the controller, and the output device includes one or more of a light, a speaker, and a dunnage dispenser.

28-30. -30. (canceled)

31. A packaging system, comprising:

(a) a sensor that detects contents in a container that have a height above a predetermined height; and

(b) a controller connectable to the sensor that indicates a quantity of dunnage to dispense based on whether the sensor detected contents of the container above the predetermined height,

wherein the sensor includes a first sensor that detects contents in a container that have a height above a height of the container, and a second sensor that detects contents in the container that have a height above the predetermined height that is less than the container height.

32. (canceled)

33. A packaging method comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting whether contents in a container have a height above a predetermined height; and

(b) indicating a quantity of dunnage to dispense based on whether the detecting step detected contents of the container above the predetermined height,

wherein the detecting step includes (i) detecting whether the contents have a height above a height of the container; and

(ii) detecting whether the contents have a height above a predetermined height that is less than the height of the container.

34. (canceled)