Form, fill and seal registration system apparatus and method including variable length compensation and out of registration restoration
First Claim
1. In an apparatus for sealing packages wherein a web of flexible packaging material having a series of registration marks is formed into tubing and fed past sealing means for sealing the tubing to form packages, an improved control system comprising:
- means for feeding the tubing past the sealing means;
sensor means for detecting the registration marks;
means, responsive to the sensor means, for comparing the location of registration marks relative to a window;
delay means, responsive to the comparing means, for setting a delay length of tubing to be fed past the sealing means in response to the relative location of the registration marks and the window;
means for stopping the feeding of the tubing after said delay length of tubing has passed the sealing means.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A control system and method for an apparatus for sealing packages wherein a web of flexible packaging material having a series of registration marks is formed into tubing and fed past a sealing device for sealing the tubing to form packages. As the tubing is fed past the sealing device, a photoeye detects the registration marks. A CPU, responsive to the photoeye, compares the location of registration marks relative to a window. A counter, responsive to the CPU, sets a delay length of tubing to be fed past the sealing device in response to the relative location of the registration marks and the window. The feeding of the tubing is stopped after the counter has been decremented to zero and the delay length of tubing has passed the sealing device. An in registration delay length of tubing to be fed past the sealing device is set in response to detection by said photoeye of a registration mark within the window. An out of registration delay length to be fed past the sealing device is set in response to failure of the photoeye to detect a registration mark within the window. The feeding of the tubing is stopped after the in registration delay length of tubing has passed the sealing device to allow sealing of the tubing at that point. The feeding of the tubing is also stopped in response to failure by the photoeye to detect a registration mark during the period that the out of registration delay length is fed past the sealing device. The in registration delay length has a magnitude which is a function of the relative location.
34 Citations
76 Claims
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1. In an apparatus for sealing packages wherein a web of flexible packaging material having a series of registration marks is formed into tubing and fed past sealing means for sealing the tubing to form packages, an improved control system comprising:
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means for feeding the tubing past the sealing means; sensor means for detecting the registration marks; means, responsive to the sensor means, for comparing the location of registration marks relative to a window; delay means, responsive to the comparing means, for setting a delay length of tubing to be fed past the sealing means in response to the relative location of the registration marks and the window; means for stopping the feeding of the tubing after said delay length of tubing has passed the sealing means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. The system of clair 1 wherein said means for comparing comprises a central processing unit and said delay means comprises a counter loaded by the central processing unit and decremented as a function of feeding of the tubing.
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11. In an apparatus for sealing packages wherein a web of flexible packaging material having a series of registration marks is formed into tubing and fed past sealing means for sealing the tubing to form packages, an improved control system comprising:
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means for feeding the tubing past the sealing means; sensor means for detecting the registration marks; determining means, responsive to the sensor means, for determining the location of registration marks relative to a position of an in registration window and an out of registration window; delay means, responsive to the determining means, for setting an in registration delay length of tubing to be fed past the sealing means in response to detection by said sensor means of a registration mark within either of said windows; in-registration stop means for stopping the feeding of the tubing after said in registration delay length of tubing has passed the sealing means to allow sealing of said tubing at that point, said in registration window having a position which is a function of the location of a seal of said tubing in response to said first means and said out of registration window having a position which is a function of the location of said first window; out of registration stop means for stopping the feeding of the tubing in response to failure of said sensing means to detect a registration mark within the out of registration window. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. In an apparatus for sealing packages wherein a web of flexible packaging material having a series of registration marks is formed into tubing and fed past sealing means for sealing the tubing to form packages, an improved control system comprising:
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means for feeding the tubing past the sealing means; sensor means for detecting the registration marks; determining means, responsive to the sensor means, for determining the location of registration marks relative to a position of a window; in registration delay means, responsive to the determining means, for setting an in registration delay length of tubing to be fed past the sealing means in response to detection by said sensor means of a registration mark within the window; in registration stop means for stopping the feeding of the tubing after said in registration delay length of tubing has passed the sealing means to allow sealing of said tubing at that point; out of registration delay means, responsive to the determining means, for setting an out of registration delay length to be fed past the sealing means in response to failure of said sensor means to detect a registration mark within the window; and out of registration stop means, responsive to the determining means, for stopping the feeding of the tubing in response to failure of said sensing means to detect a registration mark during the period that said out of registration delay length is fed past the sealing means. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. In an apparatus for sealing packages wherein a web of flexible packaging material having a series of registration marks is formed into tubing and fed past sealing means for sealing the tubing to form packages, an improved control system comprising:
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means for feeding the tubing past the sealing means; sensor means for detecting the registration marks; determining means for determining the location of a registration mark detected by said sensor means relative to a window; delay means, responsive to said determining means, for setting a delay length of tubing to be fed past the sealing means in response to detection of a registration mark, said delay length having a magnitude which is a function of the relative location of the detected registration mark and the window; and means for stopping the feeding of the tubing after said delay length of tubing has passed the sealing means to allow sealing of said tubing at that point. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. In an apparatus for sealing packages wherein a web of flexible packaging material having a series of registration marks is formed into tubing and fed past sealing means for sealing the tubing to form packages, an improved control system comprising:
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means for feeding the tubing past the sealing means; sensor means for detecting the registration marks; determining means for determining a difference between a target location and the detected location of a registration mark detected by said sensor means; delay means, responsive to the determining means, for setting a delay length of tubing to be fed past the sealing means in response to detection of a registration mark, said delay length having a magnitude which is a function of the difference; and means for stopping the feeding of the tubing after said delay length of tubing has passed the sealing means to allow sealing of said tubing at that point. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. In a method for sealing packages wherein a web of flexible packaging material having a series of registration marks is formed into tubing and fed past sealing means for sealing the tubing to form packages, an improved control method comprising the steps of:
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feeding the tubing past the sealing means; detecting the registration marks; comparing, in response to the detecting step, the location of registration marks relative to a window; setting, in response to the comparing step, a delay length of tubing to be fed past the sealing means in response to the relative location of the registration marks and the window; stopping the feeding of the tubing after said delay length of tubing has passed the sealing means. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. In a method for sealing packages wherein a web of flexible packaging material having a series of registration marks is formed into tubing and fed past sealing means for sealing the tubing to form packages, an improved control method comprising the steps of:
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feeding the tubing past the sealing means; detecting the registration marks; determining, in response to the detecting step, the location of registration marks relative to a position of an in registration window and an out of registration window; setting, in response to the determining step, an in registration delay length of tubing to be fed past the sealing means in the event that a registration mark is detected by said detecting step within either of said windows; stopping the feeding of the tubing after said in registration delay length of tubing has passed the sealing means to allow sealing of said tubing at that point, said in registration window having a position which is a function of the location of a seal of said tubing in response to said first stopping step and said out of registration window having a position which is a function of the location of said in-registration window; stopping, in response to the determining step, the feeding of the tubing in the event that said detecting step fails to detect a registration mark within the out of registration window. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52)
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53. In a method for sealing packages wherein a web of flexible packaging material having a series of registration marks is formed into tubing and fed past sealing means for sealing the tubing to form packages, an improved control method comprising the steps of:
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feeding the tubing past the sealing means; detecting the registration marks; determining, in response to the detecting step, the location of registration marks relative to a position of a window; setting, in response to the determining step, an in registration delay length of tubing to be fed past the sealing means in the event that said detecting step detects a registration mark within the window; stopping the feeding of the tubing after said in registration delay length of tubing has passed the sealing means to allow sealing of said tubing at that point; setting, in response to the determining step, an out of registration delay length to be fed past the sealing means in the event that said detecting step fails to detect a registration mark within the window; and stopping, in response to the determining step, the feeding of the tubing in the event that said detecting step fails to detect a registration mark during the period that said out of registration delay length is fed past the sealing means. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. In a method for sealing packages wherein a web of flexible packaging material having a series of registration marks is formed into tubing and fed past sealing means for sealing the tubing to form packages, an improved control method comprising the steps of:
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feeding the tubing past the sealing means; detecting the registration marks; determining the location of a registration mark detected by said detecting step relative to a window; setting, in response to said determining step, a delay length of tubing to be fed past the sealing means in the event that a registration mark is detected by said detecting step, said delay length having a magnitude which is a function of the relative location of the detected registration mark and the window; and stopping the feeding of the tubing after said delay length of tubing has passed the sealing means to allow sealing of said tubing at that point. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. In a method for sealing packages wherein a web of flexible packaging material having a series of registration marks is formed into tubing and fed past sealing means for sealing the tubing to form packages, an improved control method comprising the steps of:
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feeding the tubing past the sealing means; detecting the registration marks; determining a difference between a target location and the detected location of a registration mark detected by said detecting step; setting, in response to the determining step, a delay length of tubing to be fed past the sealing means in the event that a registration mark is detected by said detecting step, said delay length having a magnitude which is a function of the difference; and stopping the feeding of the tubing after said delay length of tubing has passed the sealing means to allow sealing of said tubing at that point. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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Specification