Packaging system with volume measurement
First Claim
1. A packaging method for providing dunnage material for insertion into containers, comprising the following steps:
- acquiring void volume data associated with a container in a sequence of a plurality of containers;
determining a prescribed amount of dunnage material for insertion into the container based on the acquired void volume data;
transporting the container to a dispenser of dunnage material;
upon a first signal from a first input device, automatically dispensing the prescribed amount of dunnage material for insertion into the transported container and then deactivating the first input device; and
upon a signal from a second input device resetting the first input device and indexing the acquired void volume data to that of a next container in the sequence.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system, and associated components and methodology, that automatically acquires data representative of the space left in each of a series of containers (32) in which one or more articles have been placed for packaging, and dispenses a controlled amount of dunnage material based on that data from a selected one of a plurality of dunnage dispensers (12). The system includes void volume data acquisition apparatus (11) for acquiring void volume data for the containers sequentially supplied thereto and for associating the sequentially acquired void volume data with the container. The system also includes a plurality of dunnage dispensers remotely located relative to the void volume data acquisition apparatus to dispense a controlled amount of dunnage material for insertion into one of the containers selectively transported to that dispenser from the void volume data acquisition apparatus.
38 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A packaging method for providing dunnage material for insertion into containers, comprising the following steps:
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acquiring void volume data associated with a container in a sequence of a plurality of containers; determining a prescribed amount of dunnage material for insertion into the container based on the acquired void volume data; transporting the container to a dispenser of dunnage material; upon a first signal from a first input device, automatically dispensing the prescribed amount of dunnage material for insertion into the transported container and then deactivating the first input device; and upon a signal from a second input device resetting the first input device and indexing the acquired void volume data to that of a next container in the sequence. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A packaging system for providing dunnage material for insertion into containers, comprising:
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a void volume data acquisition apparatus for acquiring from each of a plurality of containers sequentially supplied thereto, void volume data from which can be determined a prescribed amount of dunnage material for insertion into the container and for associating the acquired void volume data with the container; a dunnage dispenser operable to dispense dunnage material for insertion into a container transported thereto from the void volume data acquisition apparatus; a transport network downstream of the void volume data acquisition apparatus for routing each container to a selected one of a plurality of dunnage dispensers arranged along the transport network; a first input device for controlling the dunnage dispenser to dispense for insertion into the transported container the prescribed amount of dunnage material determined from the acquired void volume data associated with the transported container; a second input device for indexing the void volume data for a next container in the sequence; and a logic device, a first container identification sensor adjacent the void volume data acquisition device to acquire container identification data from each container, wherein the second input device includes a second container identification sensor adjacent each dunnage dispenser to acquire container identification data for each container routed to the dunnage dispenser, the logic device being operable to associate void volume data with container identification data for each container and in communication with each dunnage dispenser to provide the associated void volume data to the dunnage dispenser. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification