Packing material product and method and apparatus for making, monitoring and controlling the same

• US 6,524,230 B1
• Filed: 09/24/1998
• Issued: 02/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ranpak Corp. (Ranpak Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Ranpak Corp. (Ranpak Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Harding, Joseph J., Ratzel, Richard O.
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, EUGENE LEE
• Application Number:
  US09/160,127
• Time in Patent Office: 1,615 Days
• Field of Search: 493/3, 493/30, 493/8, 493/464, 493/967, 493/407, 53/52
• US Class Current: 493/8
• CPC Class Codes: B31D 2205/0023 as web from a roll
• CPC Class Codes: B31D 2205/0047 Feeding, guiding or shaping the material
• CPC Class Codes: B31D 2205/0058 Cutting; Individualising the final products
• CPC Class Codes: B31D 2205/007 Delivering
• CPC Class Codes: B31D 2205/0088 Control means
• CPC Class Codes: B31D 5/0047 involving toothed wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B31D 5/006 including controlled deformation of flat material, e.g. pleating, corrugating or embossing including crumpling flat material B31D5/0043
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0264 Control of logging system, e.g. decision on which data to store; time-stamping measurements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 493/967 Dunnage, wadding, stuffing, or filling excelsior

Abstract

A monitoring system for monitoring one or more packaging material conversion machines includes one or more sensors for monitoring one or more operating characteristics of the one or more conversion machines. The system also includes a controller in communication with the one or more sensors. The controller evaluates the one or more operating characteristics of the one or more conversion machines to thereby provide diagnostic, inventory and machine usage information. In addition, a method of monitoring one or more packaging material conversion machines includes sensing an operating characteristic of the one or more conversion machines and evaluating the operating characteristic of the one or more conversion machines. The sensed operating characteristics may be evaluated either local to the conversion machines or at a remote site, thereby providing a substantial amount of flexibility.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for monitoring one or more packaging material conversion machines, the system comprising:

a terminal, the terminal having a processor programmed to retrieve machine information from a remote packaging material conversion machine; and

a communication device, the communication device establishing a communication link between the terminal and a controller of the material conversion machine.

2. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the machine information is a serial number of the material conversion machine, the serial number being stored in a memory component of the material conversion machine controller.

3. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the machine information is a software revision indicator of programmed logic for the material conversion machine controller, the software revision indicator being stored in a memory component of the material conversion machine controller.

4. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the machine information is a physical location indicator of the material conversion machine, the physical location indicator being stored in a memory component of the material conversion machine controller.

5. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the machine information is a customer indicator associated with a user of the material conversion machine, the customer indicator being stored in a memory component of the material conversion machine controller.

6. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the machine information is a conversion machine identifier, the conversion machine identifier being stored in a memory component of the material conversion machine controller.

7. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the processor of the terminal is programmed to retrieve the machine information automatically upon the occurrence of a predetermined event.

8. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the processor of the terminal is programmed to retrieve the machine information upon instruction from an operator.

9. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to transmit updated machine information to the material conversion machine controller.

10. A controller for a packaging material conversion machine comprising:

a processor, the processor having a logic routine for controlling an operation of the material conversion machine based on at least one input signal;

a memory, the memory being readable by the processor and the memory storing machine information; and

a communication device, the communication device establishing a communication link between the controller and a terminal.

11. The controller according to claim 10, wherein the machine information is a serial number of the material conversion machine.

12. The controller according to claim 10, wherein the machine information is a software revision indicator of the logic routine for the processor.

13. The controller according to claim 10, wherein the machine information is a physical location indicator of the material conversion machine.

14. The controller according to claim 10, wherein the machine information is a customer indicator associated with a user of the material conversion machine.

15. The controller according to claim 10, wherein the machine information is a conversion machine identifier.

16. The controller according to claim 10, wherein the controller transmits the machine information to the terminal over the communication link automatically upon the occurrence of a predetermined event.

17. The controller according to claim 16, wherein the predetermined event occurs when a value associated with the input signal exceeds a threshold.

18. The controller according to claim 16, wherein the predetermine event occurs when a specified time interval elapses or upon the arrival of a specified time.

19. The controller according to claim 10, wherein the controller transmits the machine information upon receipt of an instruction from the terminal.

20. The controller according to claim 10, wherein the processor is programmed to receive updated machine information and store the updated machine information in the memory.

21. The controller according to claim 10, wherein the terminal is a portable diagnostic terminal brought to a location of the material conversion machine and temporarily connectable thereto.

22. The controller according to claim 10, wherein the terminal is a remote terminal.

23. The controller according to claim 10, further comprising at least one sensor for monitoring an operating characteristic of the material conversion machine and generating the at least one input signal.

24. The controller according to claim 23, wherein information related to the operating characteristic is transmitted to the terminal.

25. The controller according to claim 23, wherein the at least one sensor is selected from the group consisting of a bar code reader, a color sensor, a paper quantity sensor, a temperature sensor, a shredding motor sensor, a vibration sensor, a pressure sensor, a timer, a shear force sensor and a container sensor.

26. The controller according to claim 23, wherein the operating characteristic of the material conversion machine is selected from the group consisting of inventory data relating to a roll of sheet material being used, a color or quantity of sheet material being used, a quantity of sheet material that has been converted, a performance quality of a shredding device, a status of the shedding device, a temperature of one or more portions of the conversion machine, a pressure exerted on a barrier, a shear force exerted by a transverse cutting element, an on/off/idle status of a shredder motor, an on/off/idle status of a sheet material feeder motor, an accumulated run time of one or more components, an electrical safety interlock status, a status of one or more safety circuits and container data for dispensing of a converted product from the conversion machine.

27. The controller according to claim 10, wherein the communication device is a modem.

28. The controller according to claim 10, wherein the material conversion machine is a cushioning pad forming machine.

29. A method of monitoring one or more packaging material conversion machines, comprising the steps of:

establishing a communication link between a terminal and a controller of a material conversion machine; and

retrieving machine information stored in a memory device of the controller.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the machine information is selected from the group consisting of a serial number of the material conversion machine, a software revision indicator of programmed logic for the material conversion machine controller, a physical location indicator of the material conversion machine, a customer indicator associated with a user of the material conversion machine, and a conversion machine identifier.

31. The method according to claim 29, wherein the machine information is automatically retrieved upon the occurrence of a predetermined event.

32. The method according to claim 29, wherein the machine information is retrieved upon instruction from an operator.

33. The method according to claim 29, further comprising the step of transmitting updated machine information to the material conversion machine controller.

34. A method of controlling a packaging material conversion machine, comprising the steps of:

storing machine information in a memory;

reading the machine information from the memory;

establishing a communication link between a controller of the material conversion machine and a terminal; and

transmitting the machine information to the terminal.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the machine information is selected from the group consisting of a serial number of the material conversion machine, a software revision indicator of programmed logic for the material conversion machine controller, a physical location indicator of the material conversion machine, a customer indicator associated with a user of the material conversion machine, and a conversion machine identifier.

36. The method according to claim 34, wherein the machine information is transmitted automatically upon the occurrence of a predetermined event.

37. The method according to claim 36, wherein the predetermined event occurs when a value associated with an input signal generated by a sensor and sent to the controller exceeds a threshold.

38. The method according to claim 36, wherein the predetermine event occurs when a specified time interval elapses or upon the arrival of a specified time.

39. The method according to claim 34, further comprising the steps of receiving an instruction from the terminal and transmitting the machine information upon the receipt of the instruction.

40. The method according to claim 34, further comprising the steps of receiving updated machine information from the terminal and storing the updated machine information in the memory.

41. The method according to claim 34, further comprising the steps of bringing a portable diagnostic terminal to a location of the material conversion machine and temporarily connecting the portable diagnostic terminal to the material conversion machine.

42. The method according to claim 34, wherein the terminal is a remote terminal.

43. The method according to claim 34, further comprising the steps of sensing at least one operating characteristic of the material conversion machine, generating at least one input signal based on the at least one operating characteristic, and controlling an operation of the material conversion machine based on the at least one input signal.

44. The method according to claim 43, further comprising the step of transmitting information related to the at least one operating characteristic to the terminal.

45. The method according to claim 43, wherein the at least one operating characteristic of the material conversion machine is selected from the group consisting of inventory data relating to a roll of sheet material being used, a color or quantity of sheet material being used, a quantity of sheet material that has been converted, a performance quality of a shredding device, a status of the shedding device, a temperature of one or more portions of the conversion machine, a pressure exerted on a barrier, a shear force exerted by a transverse cutting element, an on/off/idle status of a shredder motor, an on/off/idle status of a sheet material feeder motor, an accumulated run time of one or more components, an electrical safety interlock status, a status of one or more safety circuits and container data for dispensing of a converted product from the conversion machine.