阅读说明：本技术 用于垫料转换机的库存材料单元上的拼接构件 (Splicing member for stock material unit of dunnage conversion machine ) 是由 T·D·韦施 E·C·赖特 M·E·费林格 于 2018-05-11 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及可以用于垫料转换机的库存材料单元。例如,库存材料单元包括可进给到所述垫料转换机中且可以由此转换成垫料的片材。所述库存材料单元包括：连续片材材料,其包括由多个倾斜折叠部限定且邻近于三维主体的至少一个面定位的锥形片材段；和拼接构件。所述拼接构件包括基部,所述基部具有附接到所述连续可折叠片材材料的邻近于所述锥形片材段定位的一部分的第一侧且具有相对的第二侧。所述拼接构件还包括连接件,所述连接件具有不可移除地附接到所述锥形片材段的第一部分以及可移除地附接到所述基部的所述第二侧的至少一部分的第二部分。(The present invention relates to stock material units that may be used in dunnage conversion machines. For example, a stock material unit includes a sheet material that is feedable into the dunnage conversion machine and can be converted therefrom into dunnage. The stock material unit includes: a continuous sheet of material comprising a tapered sheet segment defined by a plurality of oblique folds and positioned adjacent to at least one face of the three-dimensional body; and a splice member. The splicing member includes a base having a first side attached to a portion of the continuous foldable sheet material positioned adjacent to the cone sheet segment and having an opposite second side. The splice member also includes a connector having a first portion non-removably attached to the cone sheet segment and a second portion removably attached to at least a portion of the second side of the base.)

1. A stock material unit for a dunnage conversion machine, the stock material unit comprising:

a continuous sheet of material at least partially defining a three-dimensional body and comprising a tapered sheet segment defined by a plurality of oblique folds and positioned adjacent to at least one face of the three-dimensional body; and

a splice member, the splice member comprising:

a base having a first side attached to a portion of the continuous sheet of material that is foldable positioned adjacent to the tapered sheet section, and having an opposite second side; and

a connector having a first portion non-removably attached to the cone-shaped sheet segment and a second portion removably attached to at least a portion of the second side of the base.

2. The stock material unit of claim 1, wherein the perimeter of the splice member is defined by two opposing linear sides and by two generally curved sides extending between the linear sides.

3. The stock material unit of claim 2, wherein one of the two straight sides is longer than the other of the two straight sides.

4. The stock material unit of claim 2, wherein the base has a larger area than the connector.

5. The stock material unit of claim 1, wherein the continuous sheet of material defines a fan fold.

6. The stock material unit of claim 1, wherein the continuous sheet of material includes a plurality of substantially parallel folds defining opposing segments of sheet material folded along the continuous sheet of material that is foldable, and the plurality of oblique folds have a non-parallel orientation relative to the plurality of substantially parallel folds.

7. The stock material unit of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of oblique folds defining another tapered sheet segment positioned adjacent to the tapered segment; and is

The base is attached to at least a portion of the other tapered sheet segment.

8. The stock material unit of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the second side of the base comprises a release layer.

9. The stock material unit of claim 1, wherein the tapered section comprises four layers of continuous sheet material.

10. The stock material unit of claim 1, wherein the connector is adhesively attached to the tapered sheet section.

11. The stock material unit of claim 10, wherein the connector is adhesively attached to the base.

12. The stock material unit of claim 1, wherein the connector comprises an adhesive side facing upward and a non-adhesive side facing downward.

13. The stock material unit of claim 1, wherein the tapered sheet segment is generally triangular and includes an apex positioned proximate a longitudinal center of the three-dimensional body.

14. A stock material unit for a dunnage conversion machine, the stock material unit comprising:

a fan fold at least partially defining a three-dimensional body and comprising a sheet segment positioned adjacent to at least one face of the three-dimensional body and extending from an edge of a perimeter of the three-dimensional body to a location spaced apart from an opposing edge of the perimeter; and

a splice member, the splice member comprising:

a base having a first side attached to a portion of the peripheral surface; and

a connector having a first portion non-removably attached to the length of sheet material and a second portion removably attached to at least a portion of the second side of the base.

15. The stock material unit of claim 14, wherein:

the sheet segment is defined by a plurality of oblique folds and has a generally triangular shape.

16. A dunnage conversion system, the dunnage conversion system comprising:

a dunnage conversion machine;

one or more stock material units as set forth in claim 1 for a dunnage conversion machine; and

a unit carrier holding the one or more stock material units.

17. A stock material unit for a dunnage conversion machine, the stock material unit comprising:

a continuous sheet of material at least partially defining a three-dimensional body and comprising a tapered sheet segment defined by a plurality of oblique folds and positioned adjacent to at least one face of the three-dimensional body; and

a bonding portion positioned proximate to at least a portion of the tapered sheet segment.

18. The stock material unit of claim 17, wherein the tapered sheet segment includes a tip defined by four layers of continuous sheet material.

19. A method of assembling a stock material unit for a dunnage conversion machine, the method comprising:

providing a fan-folded stack comprising a plurality of substantially parallel folds defining opposing sheet segments folded along the continuous sheet and a plurality of oblique folds having a non-parallel orientation relative to the plurality of substantially parallel folds and defining a tapered sheet segment;

attaching a base of a splice assembly to a portion of the tapered sheet section;

non-removably attaching a portion of a connector of the splicing assembly to the cone sheet segment; and

removably attaching another portion of the connector to the base, thereby securing the tapered sheet segment to a portion of the continuous sheet adjacent to the tapered sheet segment.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising folding a continuous sheet to form the fan-folded stack.

21. The method of claim 19, the method further comprising:

folding a portion of the cone-shaped sheet segment about a fold line such that its top end is aligned with an edge of a three-dimensional body defined by the stack of fan-folds;

wherein attaching the base of the splicing assembly to a portion of the tapered sheet segment comprises positioning an edge of the base proximate the fold line.

22. A method of splicing a plurality of stock material units for a dunnage conversion machine, the method comprising:

folding the tapered section of the second stock material unit, thereby orienting the bonded side of the connector attached to the tapered section upward and orienting the unbonded side of the connector downward; and

positioning a first stock material unit of the plurality of stock material units for the dunnage conversion machine on a second stock material unit of the plurality of stock material units for the dunnage conversion machine, thereby connecting the first stock material unit and the second stock material unit together.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the perimeter of the connector is defined by two opposing linear sides and by two generally curved sides extending between the linear sides.

Technical Field

The present invention is in the field of packaging systems and materials. More specifically, the present invention is in the field of protective packaging.

Background

In the case of paper-based protective packaging, the sheet of paper is crumpled to produce a dunnage. Most commonly, this type of dunnage is produced by: a substantially continuous strip of paper is extended into a dunnage conversion machine that converts a compact supply of stock material (e.g., a roll or stack of folded paper) into a low density dunnage material. A supply of stock material (e.g., in the case of folded paper) is pulled into the converting machine from a stack that is continuously formed or formed with discrete lengths connected together. The continuous strip of corrugated sheet material may be cut to a desired length to effectively fill void spaces within the container holding the product. The dunnage material can be produced on the basis of the needs of the packaging machine.

The dunnage supply material may be linkable. For example, the dunnage supply arrangement includes a first supply unit of an elongated web of material in a high density arrangement, where the material may be converted into a low density dunnage, and the connecting members may include a bonding surface that is sufficiently adhesively bonded to a longitudinal second end of the second supply unit of material for drawing the material of the second supply unit into a dunnage mechanism (e.g., a public class that daisy-chains two supply units together), as described in greater detail in U.S. patent application publication No.2014/0038805, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Disclosure of Invention

Drawings

The drawings depict one or more implementations in accordance with the present concepts by way of example only and not by way of limitation. In the drawings, like reference characters designate the same or similar elements.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an embodiment of a conversion apparatus and a supply cart containing inventory material;

FIG. 1B is a rear view of the embodiment of FIG. 1A with the conversion apparatus and the supply cart filled with inventory material;

FIG. 1C is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1A with the conversion apparatus and the supply cart filled with inventory material;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the dunnage conversion system of FIG. 1A;

FIGS. 3A through 3H are perspective views of an embodiment of a folding stock material unit for a dunnage conversion machine illustrating the different steps involved in folding the sheet material of the stock material unit;

FIG. 4A is a top view of an embodiment of a splice member;

FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the splice member of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of two stock material units daisy chained together;

FIG. 6A is a top view of an embodiment of a splice member;

FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of the splice member of FIG. 4A;

FIGS. 7A through 7G are perspective views of an embodiment of a folding stock material unit for a dunnage conversion machine illustrating the different steps involved in folding the sheet material of the stock material unit;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an embodiment of two stock material units daisy chained together;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a stock material unit for a dunnage conversion machine;

FIG. 10 is a front view of an embodiment of two stock material units daisy chained together;

FIG. 11A is a top view of an embodiment of a strap assembly in an unwound configuration;

FIG. 11B is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment of the strap assembly of FIG. 11A;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the strap assembly of FIG. 11A in a wound configuration;

FIG. 13A is a perspective view of an embodiment of a stock material including the strap assembly of FIG. 11A;

FIG. 13B is a perspective view of an embodiment of a stock material including a strap assembly;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a three-dimensional body supporting a unit of stock material.

Embodiments may include a stock material unit for a dunnage conversion machine. The stock material unit includes: a continuous sheet of material at least partially defining a three-dimensional body and comprising a tapered sheet segment defined by a plurality of oblique folds and positioned adjacent to at least one face of the three-dimensional body; and a splice member. The splice member includes a base having a first side attached to a portion of the foldable continuous sheet material positioned adjacent to the tapered sheet section and having an opposite second side. The splice member also includes a connector having a first portion non-removably attached to the cone sheet segment and a second portion removably attached to at least a portion of the second side of the base.

The stock material unit may have a perimeter of the splice member defined by two opposing linear sides and by two generally curved sides extending between the linear sides.

One of the two rectilinear sides of the stock material unit is longer than the other of the two rectilinear sides.

The stock material unit may have a base larger than the area of the connection.

The stock material unit may have a continuous sheet defining a fan fold.

The stock material unit described above may have a continuous sheet including a plurality of substantially parallel folds defining opposing segments of sheet material folded along the foldable continuous sheet material and a plurality of oblique folds having a non-parallel orientation relative to the plurality of substantially parallel folds.

The stock material unit may have the plurality of oblique folds defining another tapered sheet segment positioned adjacent to the tapered segment, and the base attached to at least a portion of the other tapered sheet segment.

The stock material unit may have at least a portion of the second side comprising the base of the release layer.

The stock material unit may have a conical section comprising four successive layers of sheet material.

The stock material unit may have a connector adhesively attached to the tapered sheet segment.

The stock material unit may have a connector adhesively attached to the base.

The stock material unit may have a connector comprising an adhesive side facing upwards and a non-adhesive side facing downwards.

The stock material unit may have a tapered sheet segment that is generally triangular and includes an apex located proximate a longitudinal center of the three-dimensional body.