Cushioning conversion system and method

• US 6,877,297 B2
• Filed: 06/11/1998
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ranpak Corp. (Ranpak Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Ranpak Corp. (Ranpak Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Ratzel, Richard O., Booze, MacDonald C., Armington, Steven E., Guth, Paul J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Eugene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tawfik, Sameh
• Application Number:
  US09/096,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20010017023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,497 Days
• Field of Search: 531/68, 53/64, 535/02, 535/03, 535/04, 532/11, 533/96, 534/72, 535/07, 535/08, 700/99, 700/215, 700/219, 700/225, 700/227
• US Class Current: 53/502
• 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 2205/007 Delivering
• CPC Class Codes: B31D 2205/0082 General layout of the machinery or relative arrangement of its subunits
• CPC Class Codes: B31D 2205/0088 Control means
• CPC Class Codes: B31D 5/0047 involving toothed wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 55/20 Embedding contents in shock-absorbing media, e.g. plastic foam, granular material
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/00 Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices registering wrapping or container-forming material fed from rolls B65B41/18
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/22 for placing protecting sheets, plugs, or wads over contents, e.g. cotton-wool in bottles of pills
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A packaging system includes a cushioning conversion machine for converting stock material into relatively low density cushioning material or dunnage and a packaging system controller. The packaging system controller provides packaging instructions related to a part or parts to be packaged and instructs the cushioning conversion machine to produce the cushioning material. In one aspect of the present invention the packaging system controller provides packaging instructions by retrieving a predetermined set of packaging instructions associated with a particular part. In another aspect of the present invention the packaging system controller provides packaging instructions by determining an optimized packaging methodology using one or more characteristics of the part or parts to be packaged. The packaging system also provides for automated inventory control and productivity monitoring.

Claims

1. A packaging system for presenting packaging information for packaging a part to an operator, comprising:

an input device used to identify a part and generate a signal indicative of the identified part;

a controller coupled to the input device to receive the signal indicative of the identified part, the controller programmed to retrieve a predetermined set of packaging instructions associated with the identified part from a memory, the packaging instructions including a step to be completed by the operator, which step contains an instruction for packaging the identified part; and

an output device coupled to the controller to receive an output signal from the controller, the output device being operative to communicate the step to be completed by the operator based on the output signal, the output device being operative to communicate to the operator at least one of an audible and a visual output of the instruction for packaging the identified part.

2. The packaging system of claim 1, wherein the packaging instructions:

identify a container for accommodating the part;

identify one or more pieces of cushioning material to be utilized for securing the part within the container;

illustrate an order in which the cushioning material and the part are placed within the container; and

illustrate an orientation in which the part and the cushioning material are placed and secured within the container.

3. The packaging system of claim 1, wherein the packaging instructions indicate a particular container for packaging the part.

4. The packaging system of claim 1, wherein the packaging instructions indicate an orientation of one or more pieces of cushioning material within a container.

5. The packaging system of claim 1, wherein the packaging instructions indicate an orientation of the part within a container.

6. The packaging system of claim 1, wherein the packaging instructions indicate an order for packaging the part using a plurality of pieces of cushioning material.

7. The packaging system of claim 1, wherein the input device is at least one of a keyboard, a touch screen or a mouse.

8. The packaging system of claim 7, wherein the input device is operative for use with a menu displayed on the display.

9. The packaging system of claim 1, wherein the input device is operative for use with a menu displayed on the display.

10. The packaging system of claim 1, wherein the input device is a bar code reader.

11. The packaging system of claim 1, wherein the input device is an RF tag reader.

12. The packaging system of claim 1, wherein the input device is a microphone.

13. The packaging system of claim 1, wherein the output device includes a display for providing a visual display of the step to be completed by the operator.

14. The packaging system of claim 1, wherein the output device includes a speaker for providing an audio description of the step to be completed by the operator.