阅读说明：本技术 紧凑型垫料转换机 (Compact dunnage conversion machine ) 是由 布莱恩·斯蒂纳德 于 2020-03-25 设计创作，主要内容包括：提供了一种垫料转换机,用于在片材原料向下游移动通过转换机时将片材原料转换成密度相对较低的垫料产品。该转换机包括成形组件和在成形组件下游的进料组件,该成形组件构造成将片材原料向内聚集。成形组件包括会聚斜槽,该会聚斜槽具有入口和位于入口下游的相对较小的出口,会聚斜槽沿会聚轴线对齐。进料组件具有一对可绕各自的平行旋转轴线旋转的可旋转构件。可旋转构件布置成从进料组件下游的成形组件进料片材原料,该旋转构件限定进料轴线,该进料轴线与连接且垂直于旋转轴线的线垂直。该转换机的特征在于会聚轴线横向于进料轴线而不是与进料轴线对齐。(A dunnage conversion machine is provided for converting sheet stock material into a relatively lower density dunnage product as the sheet stock material moves downstream through the conversion machine. The converting machine includes a forming assembly configured to inwardly gather the sheet stock and a feeding assembly downstream of the forming assembly. The forming assembly includes a converging chute having an inlet and a relatively smaller outlet downstream of the inlet, the converging chute being aligned along a converging axis. The feed assembly has a pair of rotatable members rotatable about respective parallel axes of rotation. A rotatable member is arranged to feed sheet stock from the forming assembly downstream of the feed assembly, the rotatable member defining a feed axis that is perpendicular to a line that is connected to and perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The converting machine is characterized by a converging axis transverse to the feeding axis rather than aligned with the feeding axis.)

1. A dunnage conversion machine for converting sheet stock material into a relatively lower density dunnage product as the sheet stock material moves downstream through the dunnage conversion machine, the dunnage conversion machine comprising:

a forming assembly including a converging chute having an inlet and a relatively smaller outlet downstream of the inlet, the converging chute aligned along a converging axis; and

a feeding assembly having a pair of rotatable members rotatable about respective parallel axes of rotation, the rotatable members being arranged to feed sheet stock material from the forming assembly, the rotatable members defining a feeding axis perpendicular to a line joining and perpendicular to the axes of rotation;

wherein the axis of convergence is transverse to the axis of feed.

2. A machine as set forth in claim 1 or any preceding claim, wherein an interior angle between the feed axis and the converging axis is between 20 and 90 degrees.

3. The dunnage converter of claim 1 or of any preceding claim, where the interior angle is between 30 degrees and 70 degrees.

4. A machine as set forth in claim 1 or any preceding claim, wherein the interior angle is between 40 and 60 degrees.

5. The dunnage converter of claim 1 or of any preceding claim, where the interior corners are fixed.

6. A machine as set forth in claim 1 or any preceding claim, wherein the feed assembly includes a guide that defines a path of the sheet stock material from the forming assembly to a location downstream of the rotatable member.

7. A machine as set forth in claim 1 or any preceding claim, wherein the rotatable members extend beyond the guide to engage the sheet stock material therebetween.

8. A machine as set forth in claim 1 or any preceding claim, wherein the guide converges from a relatively larger upstream opening adjacent the outlet of the converging chute to a narrower opening adjacent the rotatable member.

9. The dunnage converter of claim 1 or of any preceding claim, where the rotatable member includes a friction wheel.

10. The dunnage conversion machine of claim 1 or of any preceding claim, where the converging chute has a top side opposite an interior angle between the converging axis and the feed axis, the converging chute has a circular cross-section, and the top side of the converging chute is truncated to less than a full circular shape.

11. A machine as set forth in claim 1 or any preceding claim, wherein the converging chutes converge in a downstream direction.

12. The dunnage converter of claim 1 or of any preceding claim, where the forming assembly is configured to inwardly gather sheet stock material.

13. The dunnage converter of claim 1 or of any preceding claim, where the feed assembly is located downstream of the forming assembly.

14. A dunnage conversion system including a dunnage conversion machine as set forth in any preceding claim and a supply of sheet stock material upstream of the forming assembly, the supply being arranged to supply sheet stock material to the forming assembly.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to dunnage conversion machines, and more particularly to a machine and method for converting sheet stock material into a relatively less dense dunnage product in a compact space.

Background

Various types of conversion machines have been used to convert sheet stock material into a dunnage product. Some machines produce void-fill dunnage products, primarily for filling voids in packaging containers to prevent shifting of the contents during shipping.

One of the objectives in these machine designs is to produce void-fill dunnage products very quickly. Therefore, these machines are designed to operate at relatively high speeds.

In addition to speed, some converting machines are designed to provide a minimal machine footprint for operation in space-constrained packaging facilities or packaging areas of packaging facilities. Due to space savings considerations, these machines typically use a relatively narrow sheet stock material for conversion into a dunnage product. It may take twice as much dunnage product to fill the container as compared to a dunnage conversion machine having a relatively large footprint and the ability to use a wider sheet stock material.

Disclosure of Invention

While many dunnage conversion machines produce sufficient dunnage product, existing dunnage conversion machines and dunnage products may not be ideal for all applications. The present invention provides a dunnage conversion machine that is capable of operating at a relatively smaller volume than existing dunnage conversion machines, particularly within a reduced height dimension.

Accordingly, an exemplary dunnage conversion machine may be provided for converting sheet stock material into a relatively lower density dunnage product as the sheet stock material moves downstream through the dunnage conversion machine. The dunnage conversion machine includes a forming assembly configured to inwardly gather sheet stock material and a feeding assembly located downstream of the forming assembly. The forming assembly includes a converging chute having an inlet and a relatively smaller outlet downstream of the inlet, the converging chute being aligned along a converging axis. The feed assembly has a pair of rotatable members rotatable about respective parallel axes of rotation. A rotatable member is arranged to feed sheet stock from the forming assembly downstream of the feeding assembly, the rotatable member defining a feed axis that is perpendicular to a line that is connected to and perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The dunnage conversion machine is characterized by the axes of convergence being transverse rather than aligned with the axis of feed.

The converter may have between 20 and 90 degrees between the infeed axis and the convergence axis; between 30 degrees and 70 degrees; between 40 degrees and 60 degrees; or an exemplary internal angle of, for example, 45 degrees. The internal angle may be fixed.

The feeding assembly may include a guide that defines a path for the sheet stock material from the forming assembly to a location downstream of the rotatable member. The rotatable members may extend beyond the guides to engage the sheet stock material between the rotatable members. The guide may converge from a relatively large upstream opening adjacent the outlet of the converging chute to a narrow opening adjacent the rotatable member.

The rotatable member may comprise a friction wheel.

The converging chute has a top side opposite an interior angle between the converging axis and the feed axis, the converging chute has a circular cross-section, and the top side of the converging chute may be truncated to a shape that does not achieve a complete circle. The converging chutes converge in a downstream direction.

An exemplary dunnage conversion system includes a dunnage conversion machine as described herein and a supply of sheet stock material upstream of a forming assembly, the supply being arranged to supply the sheet stock material to the forming assembly.

The foregoing and other features of the invention are hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the accompanying drawings which set forth in detail one or more illustrative embodiments of the invention. These embodiments are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed. Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a dunnage conversion machine provided in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the dunnage conversion machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the dunnage conversion machine shown in FIG. 2, with a portion of the housing removed to show the internal components.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an upstream portion of the dunnage conversion machine of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective front view of a dunnage conversion machine.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an upstream portion of the dunnage conversion machine of FIG. 5, with a portion of the housing removed to show internal components.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of a packaging station including the dunnage conversion machine of FIG. 3 in an operating position. The upper barrier is omitted from this view for clarity.

Fig. 8 is a side view of a portion of the packaging station shown in fig. 7.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of a packaging station including the dunnage conversion machine of FIG. 3 in a loading position. The upper barrier is omitted from this view for clarity.

Fig. 10 is a side view of a portion of the packaging station shown in fig. 9.

Detailed Description

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the present invention provides a dunnage conversion machine 10 that converts sheet stock material 12, such as paper, into a relatively less dense dunnage product. The dunnage conversion machine 10 accomplishes this task in a compact volume, and more specifically, in a reduced height dimension H.

The dunnage conversion machine 10, also referred to simply as a conversion machine or converter, includes a conversion assembly 14 for converting a sheet stock material 12 into a dunnage product having a density less than that of the supplied stock material. Sheet stock 12 (alternatively referred to as sheet or stock) is supplied into the conversion assembly 14 from a supply 16 or stock supply assembly disposed at the upstream end 12 of the converter 10. And the converted stock material exits the converter 10 at the downstream end 22 as a strip of dunnage or as discrete dunnage products separated from the strip of dunnage. Thus, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" refer to the direction of the feedstock path as the feedstock 12 moves through the converter 10 in the downstream direction 24 from the upstream end 20 to the downstream end 22. The upstream direction is the direction toward the upstream end 20, opposite the downstream direction 24.

The converter 10 also has a housing 26 (partially removed in fig. 3) that encloses at least a portion of the conversion assembly 14. The housing 26 may be supported by a stand 30 for transferring the dunnage product to a location above a packaging surface (e.g., a table), and more particularly directly into a container (e.g., as shown in fig. 7-10) resting on top of a table or other horizontal packaging surface. The stand 30 generally supports both the converter 10 and the supply 16 of sheet stock material 12, both the converter 10 and the supply 16 of sheet stock material 12 preferably being rotatable together about a vertical axis 32 to facilitate access to the supply 16 of stock material for renewing the sheet stock material 12 in the supply 16 and to facilitate guiding the dunnage product to a desired location during use. The stand 30 may also allow an operator to rotate the converter 10 about a horizontal axis 34 to change the angle at which dunnage products leave the converter 10 relative to the packaging surface.

The supply 16 of raw material 12 may take the form of a tray or rack mounted to the stand 30 or the converter housing 26 for rotation with the converter 10 about the vertical axis 32 such that the relative orientation of the converter 10 and the supply 16 of raw material is maintained constant about the vertical axis 32. As a result, the orientation of the converter 10 relative to the vertical axis 32 may be changed without having to separately orient the direction of the raw material supply 16 relative to the converter 10.

The stock supply assembly 16 supplies one or more layers of sheet stock 12 to the converter 10, and in particular to the conversion assembly 14 described below. The stock supply assembly 16 may supply sheet stock 12 in the form of a roll that is rotatable about a central axis as the sheet is paid out, or as shown in fig. 1, in the form of a fan-folded stack. The sheet stock 12 is typically constructed of paper, particularly kraft paper, and is preferably constructed of kraft paper about fifteen inches (about thirty-eight centimeters) wide. Paper dunnage products are environmentally responsible protective packaging materials; paper is recyclable, reusable, and composed of renewable resources. However, other sheets may be used as suitable substitutes for paper in appropriate applications.

The converter 10 may include a constant entry guide mounted between the supply of stock material 16 and the conversion assembly 14 to guide the sheet stock material 12 from a constant position to the conversion assembly 14 as the stock material 12 in the supply 16 is pulled down. It may be provided to remove the constant entry guide to facilitate loading of the sheet stock material 12 into the conversion assembly 14 and to place the constant entry guide back into an operating position prior to operating the converter 10 to produce a dunnage product.

The conversion assembly 14 includes a forming assembly 40 downstream from the stock supply 16 and a feeding assembly 42 downstream from the forming assembly 40. The feed assembly 42 pulls the stock material 12 from the supply 16 and through the forming assembly 40. The forming assembly 40 inwardly gathers the stock material 12 and randomly crumples the stock material into a desired lower density condition than the original supply 16 of sheet stock material 12. Different types of forming assemblies may be employed to produce different cross-sectional shapes, such as those more suitable for use as void-fill dunnage products or as cushioning dunnage products.

The exemplary forming assembly 40 includes a collection chute 44 that converges along a convergence axis 46 in the downstream direction 24 from a relatively larger inlet to a relatively smaller outlet. In other words, the collection chute 44 may have a funnel shape that inwardly collects the feedstock 12 and randomly crumples the feedstock as the feedstock 12 is pulled through the collection chute 44. The converging surfaces within the accumulation chute 44 define a progressively smaller cross-sectional area within which the stock material 12 is drawn inwardly and accumulated, randomly crumpling to form a strip of dunnage as the stock material moves downstream. The collection chute 44 may have a circular or oval cross-sectional shape that may vary along its length, and the converging surfaces that form the collection chute 44 generally provide a smooth transition for the stock material 12 to collect and crumple the stock material inwardly without tearing the stock material. The collection chute 44 defines a path of the sheet stock material 12 through the forming assembly 40 and may partially or completely define a path along the converging axis 46 toward the feed assembly 42.

The feed assembly 42 includes a pair of opposed rotary members 50 and 51 (alternatively referred to as rotatable members 50 and 51) that rotate in parallel planes about respective axes 52 and 53 to define a path through the feed assembly 42 along a feed axis 56 that passes between the rotary members 50 and 51, perpendicular to a plane containing the two axes of rotation 52 and 53. Suitable rotatable members 50 and 51 include wheels or friction rollers that can engage the sheet stock 12 to move the sheet stock through the converting machine 10. The rotating members 50 and 51 may also buckle, crumple, or connect the crumpled sheet material to help the strip of dunnage retain its shape as the strip of dunnage formed by the forming assembly 40 passes between the rotating members 50 and 51.

The operator controls the operation of the feed material 42 through a controller 60, which may be remotely located or mounted on the housing 26. Generally, the controller 60 includes a processor and memory, as well as one or more input and output devices, such as a touch screen, foot pedal, and one or more discrete contacts (nob) or buttons. Thus, the rotating members 50 and 51 may be driven by a motor, such as an electric motor, along with corresponding gears in a gear train to provide a desired speed, and the motor may be controlled by the controller 60 to control the speed and operation of the rotating members 50 and 51.

The feed assembly 42 may also include guides on one or more sides of the path of the sheet stock 12 through the feed assembly 42. In the illustrated embodiment, a pair of laterally spaced guides 70 extend from a mounting location 72 upstream of a respective one of each of the rotating members 50 and 51 to a downstream location 74 downstream of the rotational axes 52 and 53 of the rotating members 50 and 51, providing a continuous guide surface through each rotating member 50 and 51. The guide 70 also typically extends beyond the maximum diameter of the rotating members 50 and 51, i.e., to a position that not only exceeds the rotational axes 52 and 53 but also passes through the most downstream extent of the rotating members 50 and 51. The continuous guide surface 70 helps prevent or eliminate jamming problems that can occur if the sheet material is able to wrap itself around either of the rotating members 50 and 51, guiding the formed strip of dunnage safely past the rotating members 50 and 51 to a position out of contact with the rotating members 50 and 51 without significantly impeding the progress of the strip of dunnage through the feed assembly 42. As shown, the downstream end of one or both of the guides 70 may be free or may be fixed at a downstream location 74 downstream of the rotating members 50 and 51. The guide 70 may be made of nylon, other plastics, or metal such as stainless steel, and the guide may be flexible or rigid.

Alternatively, the feed assembly 42 may include guides that define a path for the sheet stock 12 from the forming assembly 40 to a location downstream of the feed assembly 42. In this arrangement, the rotatable members 50 and 51 may extend through opposing openings in the guide to engage the sheet stock 12 therebetween. The guide may also converge from a relatively large upstream opening adjacent the outlet of the converging chute 44 to a narrower opening adjacent the rotatable members 50 and 51.

The conversion assembly 14 optionally may also include a severing mechanism 74 downstream of the feed assembly 42 for severing the dunnage product material from the formed strip into discrete lengths. The dunnage product exits the converter 10 at an outlet at the downstream end 22 of the converter 10 for use as packaging material.

In previous dunnage conversion machines, the axis of convergence and the axis of feed were generally axially aligned. This is believed necessary to prevent or minimize sheet tearing during the forming and feeding operations. Tearing is an important issue in some converting machines and many efforts have been made to minimize or eliminate tearing as the stock is drawn from the supply through the converting machine.

The transducer 10 of the present invention also provides a more compact volume than previous transducers, particularly a volume having a reduced height dimension H. Fig. 7 to 10 show one application of the packaging station 100 for a site with limited available height. In such a configuration, the converter 10 needs to be mounted in a shelf area with height limitations (from the desktop packaging surface 102 to a raised shelf or other vertically displaced obstruction above the packaging surface 102). With previous converters, this vertical space limitation has been a problem. An open packaging container, such as carton 104 as shown, is typically supported on a packaging surface 102, such as a table top as shown, which may also include a scale 106 on the table top 102, which further reduces the available vertical space for the converter 10 to dispense packaging material into the container 104. For example, if a thirty inch (76cm) high open package container 104 is placed on a four inch (10cm) high scale 106, in the four foot (122cm) high space between the tabletop package surface 102 and the elevated shelf 110, the converter 10 would have a height of only fourteen inches (35.5cm) available for direct delivery of dunnage into the container 104. With previous converters, this was not sufficient to dispense dunnage directly into the container, and there may not be enough room for the converter to reorient to accommodate boxes of different heights or to approach the converter 10 or to load sheet stock into the supply 16, etc. The converters shown in fig. 1-10 provide an exemplary solution to this problem.

To reduce the height of the converter 10 while operating within desired orientation variations and within vertical space limitations, the inventors have arranged the convergence axis 46 of the convergence chute 44 transverse to the feed axis 56 of the feed assembly 42. More particularly, the convergence axis 46 and the feed axis 56 are not axially aligned, but rather define an interior angle 76 between the convergence axis 46 and the feed axis 56, such as from about ten degrees to about eighty degrees, from about twenty degrees to about ninety degrees, from about thirty degrees to about seventy degrees, from about forty degrees to about sixty degrees, or about forty-five degrees. The interior angle 76 may be fixed.

According to a further variation, as shown in fig. 4, the top of the upstream end of the converging chute 44 may be removed, omitted, cut, flattened or otherwise reduced to further reduce the overall height of the converter 10. In other words, the converging chute 44 may have a top side opposite the interior angle 76 between the converging axis 46 and the feed axis 56, and the top side of the converging chute 44 may be truncated to less than a complete circle.

Although not shown, further variations may include removing the converging chute 44 from the feed assembly 44 such that the converging axis 46 extends upwardly above the supply 16 of sheet stock material 12, and then using a guide member, such as a roller, to guide the inwardly gathered strip of sheet material from the downstream end of the converging chute 44 to the feed assembly 42 to divert the inwardly gathered sheet material from the converging axis 46 to the feed axis 56.

The present invention also provides a dunnage conversion system including the dunnage conversion machine 10 just described and a supply 16 of sheet stock material 12 located upstream of the forming assembly 40, which supply is arranged to supply the sheet stock material 12 to the forming assembly 40.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a dunnage conversion machine 10 for converting sheet stock material 12 into a relatively lower density dunnage product as the sheet stock material 12 moves downstream through the dunnage conversion machine 10. The dunnage conversion machine 10 includes a forming assembly 40 configured to inwardly gather the sheet stock material 12 and a feed assembly 42 located downstream of the forming assembly 40. The forming assembly 40 includes a converging chute 44 having an inlet and a relatively smaller outlet downstream of the inlet, the converging chute 44 being aligned along a converging axis 46. The feed assembly 42 has a pair of rotatable members 50 and 51 rotatable about respective parallel axes of rotation 52 and 53. The rotatable members 50 and 51 are arranged to feed the sheet stock 12 from the forming assembly 40 downstream of the feed assembly 42, and the rotatable members 50 and 51 define a feed axis 56, the feed axis 56 being perpendicular to the axes of rotation 52 and 53, and perpendicular to a line connecting and perpendicular to each of the axes of rotation 52 and 53. The axis of convergence 46 is transverse to the axis of feed 56, and the axis of convergence 46 and the axis of feed 56 define an interior angle 76 therebetween of between ten and eighty degrees.

Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a certain preferred embodiment or embodiments, it is obvious that equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described components, the terms (including a reference to a "means") used to describe such components are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any component which performs the specified function of the described component (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the herein illustrated exemplary embodiments of the invention. In addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other embodiments, as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application.