SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MAKING CUSTOM BOXES FOR OBJECTS OF RANDOM SIZE OR SHAPE

• US 20080020916A1
• Filed: 07/12/2007
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Westrock Box On Demand LLC
• Original Assignee: Greg Magnell
• Inventors: Magnell, Greg
• Granted Patent: US 7,647,752 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 493/65
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 2210/04 Customised on demand packaging by determining a specific characteristic, e.g. shape or height, of articles or material to be packaged and selecting, creating or adapting a packaging accordingly, e.g. making a carton starting from web material
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/02 Machines characterised by incorporation of means for making the containers or receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 59/001 Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the product to be packaged
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/00 Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/043 for measuring length
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/046 for measuring width
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/2433 for measuring outlines by shadow casting

Abstract

A system and accompanying method produces cartons for randomly sized and shaped objects or groups thereof by automatically measuring minimum bounding dimensions and transferring these dimensions to an automatic carton-making system. The system for determining the dimensions of an object to be packaged preferably includes a conveyor for moving the object, a vertically oriented light curtain to determine the height of the object, a horizontally oriented light curtain to determine the width of the object, and a tachometer synchronized to the conveyor enabling at least one of the light curtains to determine the length of the object. A computerized interface between the measurement apparatus and carton-making system may include an algorithm for virtually rotating the object to produce a carton just large enough to fit the object. The carton may be a corrugated carton or non-corrugated carton, and the carton-making system may be supplied with a continuous feed of “fanfolded” raw material or it may be sheet-fed. The system for determining the dimensions of an object to be packaged is capable of determining the dimensions of a group of objects to be packaged.

Claims

1. Custom carton-making apparatus, comprising:

a system for determining the dimensions of an object to be packaged;

a carton-making system; and

a computerized interface between the system for determining the dimensions of the object and the carton-making system enabling the carton-making system to produce a carton just large enough to fit the object.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the system for determining the dimensions of an object to be packaged includes:

a conveyor for moving the object; and

a plurality of light curtains through which the object passes.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, including:

a vertically oriented light curtain to determine the height of the object; and

a horizontally oriented light curtain to determine the width of the object.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, including a tachometer synchronized to the conveyor enabling one of the light curtains to determine the length of the object.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computerized interface includes an algorithm for virtually rotating the object to produce a carton just large enough to fit the object.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the carton is a corrugated carton.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the carton-making system is supplied with a continuous feed of “

fanfolded”

raw material.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the carton-making system is supplied with a continuous feed of sheet-fed raw material.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the system for determining the dimensions of an object to be packaged is capable of determining the dimensions of a group of objects to be packaged.

10. Custom carton-making apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of light curtains through which the object passes for determining the dimensions of the object;

a carton-making system; and

a computerized interface between the light curtains and the carton-making system enabling the carton-making system to produce a carton just large enough to fit the object.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, including:

a vertically oriented light curtain to determine the height of the object; and

a horizontally oriented light curtain to determine the width of the object.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, including a tachometer synchronized to the conveyor enabling one of the light curtains to determine the length of the object.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the computerized interface includes an algorithm for virtually rotating the object to produce a carton just large enough to fit the object.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the carton is a corrugated carton.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the carton-making system is supplied with a continuous feed of “

fanfolded”

raw material.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the carton-making system is supplied with a continuous feed of sheet-fed raw material.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the system for determining the dimensions of an object to be packaged is capable of determining the dimensions of a group of objects to be packaged.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the computerized interface includes an algorithm for virtually rotating the object to produce a carton just large enough to fit the object.

20. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the carton is a corrugated carton.

18. Custom carton-making apparatus, comprising:

a conveyor for moving an object to be packaged;

a vertically oriented light curtain through which the object passes to determine the height of the object; and

a horizontally oriented light curtain through which the object passes to determine the width of the object.

a tachometer synchronized to the conveyor enabling one of the light curtains to determine the length of the object.

a carton-making system; and

a computerized interface between the light curtains and the carton-making system enabling the carton-making system to produce a carton just large enough to fit the object.