U.S. patent application number 11/671635 was filed with the patent office on 2007-08-23 for method of implanting rfid tags in corrugated paperboard.
This patent application is currently assigned to TEXMAG GMBH. Invention is credited to Thomas Ernst.
Application Number | 20070193910 11/671635 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37814355 |
Filed Date | 2007-08-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070193910 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ernst; Thomas |
August 23, 2007 |
Method of Implanting RFID Tags in Corrugated Paperboard
Abstract
The disclosure concerns a method, an apparatus and a system for
producing or equipping paperboard such that information carriers
can be implanted between two layers of material, together with a
piece of paperboard material produced in this way and a package. In
particular, the disclosure concerns the implantation of an
information carrier in corrugated paperboard, taking into account
cuts that are subsequently to be made in the transverse direction,
the distance of the position at which the cross-cuts are made from
the position at which the information carriers are applied, and the
movement executed by the web of material between the application
position and the cross-cutting position.
Inventors: |
Ernst; Thomas;
(Oerlinghausen, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FISH & RICHARDSON PC
P.O. BOX 1022
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55440-1022
US
|
Assignee: |
TEXMAG GMBH
OT
|
Family ID: |
37814355 |
Appl. No.: |
11/671635 |
Filed: |
February 6, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/459.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 156/1092 20150115;
B65D 2203/10 20130101; B31F 1/2822 20130101; D21F 9/006 20130101;
Y10T 156/109 20150115; Y10T 156/10 20150115; Y10T 156/1089
20150115; B65D 5/4233 20130101; D21F 11/12 20130101; Y10T 156/1052
20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/459.1 |
International
Class: |
B65D 85/00 20060101
B65D085/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 16, 2006 |
DE |
10 2006 007 290.1 |
Claims
1. A method of producing paperboard or a web of paperboard material
wherein at least two layers of material are joined together,
wherein information carriers are implanted between the at least two
layers of material.
2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the information carriers are
applied to a layer of material carrying the information carrier
before the layer of material is joined to another layer of material
covering the information carrier.
3. The method as in claim 1, wherein after all the layers of
material have been joined together, the web of material is severed
in the transverse direction (the x-direction) to singulate the web
of material into pieces of material, the information carriers
previously being implanted such that they are thereupon located at
predefined positions in the pieces of material.
4. The method as in claim 3, wherein during the production of the
web of material, the layers of material are moved in the
longitudinal direction (the y-direction), and in that the
information carriers are applied to the carrying layer in a
time-controlled manner at positions relative to the longitudinal
extent of the layer of material, taking into account predefined
cuts that are to be made in the transverse direction (the
x-direction), the distance of the position at which the cross-cuts
are made from the position at which the information carriers are
applied, and the movement executed by the web of material between
the application position and the cross-cutting position.
5. The method as in claim 1, wherein at the applying position is a
positioning system comprising a storage magazine for information
carriers, so that the information carriers can be continuously
applied to the carrying layer of material, which travels past the
positioning system.
6. The method as in claim 1, wherein the method is performed in a
corrugated paperboard apparatus having a wet end and a dry end.
7. The method as in claim 6, wherein the corrugated paperboard
apparatus comprises at least one single-facer section, one
double-facer station, one laminating station, one heating and
stretching area and/or one final processing station.
8. The method as in claim 1, wherein the information carriers
contain devices whereby the information from each respective
information carrier can be read by means of electromagnetic
radiation, acoustomagnetic radiation, radiofrequency waves and/or
ultrasonic waves.
9. The method as in claim 1, wherein the information carriers are
RFID transponders or EAS tags.
10. The method as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the outer
webs is provided with a marking drawing attention to the internally
disposed information carrier.
11. A piece of paperboard material, wherein the piece of material
was produced according to a method as specified in claim 1.
12. A piece of paperboard material, wherein an information carrier
is contained within the layers of paperboard or corrugated
paperboard.
13. The piece of paperboard material as in claim 12, wherein the
information carrier contains a device whereby the information from
each respective information carrier can be read by means of
electromagnetic radiation, acoustomagnetic radiation,
radiofrequency waves and/or ultrasonic waves.
14. The piece of paperboard material as in claim 12, wherein the
information carrier is an RFID transponder or an EAS tag.
15. The piece of paperboard material as in claim 12, wherein the
piece of material is provided with a marking drawing attention to
the internally disposed information carrier.
16. A package consisting partially or completely of paperboard,
wherein an information carrier is contained within the
paperboard.
17. The package as in claim 16, wherein the information carrier
contains a device whereby the information from each respective
information carrier can be read by means of electromagnetic
radiation, acoustomagnetic radiation, radiofrequency waves and/or
ultrasonic waves.
18. The package as in claim 16 or 17, wherein the information
carrier is an RFID transponder or an EAS tag.
19. The package as in claim 16, wherein the package is provided
with a marking drawing attention to the internally disposed
information carrier.
20. An apparatus for producing corrugated paperboard, wherein at
least one positioning system for applying information carriers is
provided, and is arranged within the apparatus in such a way that
the information carriers can be implanted between two layers of
material.
21. The apparatus as in claim 20, wherein the positioning system is
disposed between two single-face webs or between a single-face web
and a liner web at a location that is encountered before the webs
are joined together.
22. The apparatus as in claim 20, wherein the positioning system is
disposed before or near the laminating station.
23. The apparatus as in claim 20, wherein the apparatus comprises a
cross-cutter to singulate the web of material into pieces of
material, the positioning system being connected to a controller
suitable for controlling the positioning system in such fashion
that the information carriers are subsequently disposed at
predefined positions in the pieces of material.
24. The apparatus as in claim 20, wherein the controller is able to
control the positioning system in applying the information carriers
relative to the longitudinal direction (the y-direction) of the
layer of material or the single-face web, taking the following
parameters into account: the distance of the positioning system
from the cross-cutter, the nature and speed of the movement
executed by the web of material between the positioning system and
the cross-cutter, and/or the geometry of the predefined pieces of
material.
25. The apparatus as in claim 20, wherein the positioning system
comprises a storage magazine for information carriers, so that the
information carriers can be continuously applied by the positioning
system to the carrying layer of material or the single-face
web.
26. The apparatus as in claim 20, wherein the apparatus has a wet
end and a dry end.
27. The apparatus as in claim 20, wherein the apparatus comprises
at least one single-facer section, one double-backer station, one
laminating station, one heating and stretching area and/or one
final processing station.
28. The apparatus as in claim 20, wherein at least one means is
provided that is designed to provide at least one of the outer webs
with a marking drawing attention to the internally disposed
information carriers.
29. A system for applying information carriers to a layer of
material in an apparatus as specified in claim 20, wherein the
system comprises at least one positioning system that can be
arranged within the apparatus such that the information carriers
can be implanted between two layers of material.
30. The system as in claim 29, wherein the positioning system is
connected to a controller suitable for controlling the positioning
system in such fashion that the information carriers are thereupon
located at predefined positions in the pieces of material.
31. The system as in claim 29, wherein the controller is able to
control the positioning system for applying the information
carriers relative to the longitudinal direction (the y-direction)
of the layer of material or the single-face web taking the
following parameters into account: the distance of the positioning
system from the cross-cutter, the nature and speed of the movement
executed by the web of material between the positioning system and
the cross-cutter, and/or the geometry of the predefined pieces of
material.
32. The system as in claim 29, wherein at least one sensor is
provided to measure the speed of the web of material between the
positioning system and the cross-cutter.
33. The system as in claim 29, wherein the positioning system
comprises a storage magazine for information carriers, so that the
information carriers can be continuously applied by the positioning
system to a carrying layer of material or a single-face web.
34. The system as in claim 29, wherein at least one means is
provided that is designed to provide at least one of the outer webs
with a marking drawing attention to the internally disposed
information carriers.
Description
FIELD
[0001] The disclosure concerns a method, an apparatus and a system
for producing or equipping paperboard such that information
carriers can be implanted between two layers of material, together
with a piece of paperboard material produced in this way and a
package.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Apparatuses for producing corrugated paperboard having the
basic construction shown in FIG. 1 are known from the prior art.
Such an apparatus includes one or more single facer units, in each
of which a smooth and a fluted web are joined together. The webs so
joined are called single-face webs. In double-backing and
laminating, the single-face webs and a liner web are joined to form
a single web and are laminated. The area extending thus far is also
known as the wet end. After laminating, the web is put through a
heating and stretching area. Here, the web is dried by the
application of heat. During the concluding final processing, the
corrugated paperboard web is trimmed at the edges, undergoes
further cutting as needed into desired formats, and is sent to
storage.
[0003] Also known from the prior art are information carriers such
as RFID tags/RFID transponders (RFID stands for Radio Frequency
Identification), which can be used for example to identify articles
in a warehouse. Such tags can be read without contact; thus, a
shopping basket full of merchandise need not be emptied in order to
be scanned at a checkout counter. In the prior art, RFID tags are
glued to packaging like conventional price labels.
[0004] Gluing tags to merchandise by hand is error-prone and
onerous.
SUMMARY
[0005] A feature underlying the present disclosure is, therefore,
to improve the known methods and apparatuses.
[0006] According to the disclosure, this object can be achieved by
use of a method, a piece of paperboard material, a packaging, an
apparatus and a system according to the appended independent
claims. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent
claims.
[0007] According to the disclosure, for unbroken tracking of the
flow of shipping packages and automatic content identification, an
internally disposed RFID tag is provided inside the corrugated
paperboard or between the individual webs thereof. To this end, the
tag should be implanted on the corrugated paperboard apparatus
during the process of manufacturing the corrugated board. Correct
positioning in both the longitudinal and the transverse direction
is also an aspect of the disclosure.
[0008] According to the disclosure, a method of producing
paperboard or a web of paperboard material is provided in which at
least two layers of material are joined together and information
carriers are implanted between said at least two layers. Preferably
at least one of the layers of material is a single-face web, which
can be produced by means of a single-facer section of the
corrugated paperboard apparatus.
[0009] The information carriers can be applied to a layer of
material carrying the information carriers before that layer is
joined to an additional layer of material covering the information
carriers. This preferably takes place before the laminating station
and after the glue machine.
[0010] Once all the layers of material have been joined together,
the web of material is severed in the transverse direction (the
x-direction), "transverse direction" being considered relative to
the direction of travel, to divide the web of material into pieces
of material, the information carriers previously being implanted
such that they are thereupon located at predefined positions in the
pieces of material. To achieve this, attention must be paid in
particular to the web position and/or the web speed and/or the idle
time between the application of the information carrier and said
severance in the transverse direction.
[0011] During the production of the web of material, the layers of
material are moved in the longitudinal direction (the y-direction),
the longitudinal direction being considered relative to the
direction of travel, and the information carriers are applied to
the carrying layer at positions that are time-controlled relative
to the longitudinal extent of that layer, taking into account
predefined cuts that are subsequently to be made in the transverse
direction (the x-direction), the distance of the position at which
the cuts are made from the position at which the information
carriers are applied, and the movement executed by the web of
material between the application position and the cross-cutting
position.
[0012] Provided at the application position is a positioning system
equipped with a storage magazine for information carriers, such
that by means of the positioning system the information carriers
can be continuously applied to the carrying layer moving past the
positioning system.
[0013] The method is performed in a corrugated paperboard apparatus
having a wet end and a dry end. The wet end is composed of the
single-facer sections and the double-backer and laminating station
from FIG. 1. The dry end includes the heating and stretching area
and the final processing station.
[0014] The corrugated paperboard apparatus used can comprise at
least one single-facer section, one double-backer station, one
laminating station, one heating and stretching area and/or one
final processing station.
[0015] The information carriers contain devices whereby the
information from the information carriers can be read by means of
electromagnetic radiation, acoustomagnetic radiation,
radiofrequency waves and/or ultrasonic waves; the information
carriers are in particular RFID transponders or EAS tags.
[0016] Optionally, at least one of the external webs can be
provided with a marking drawing attention to the internally
disposed information carrier. Such a marking can for example be a
colored marking, a label, or an inline-printed marking.
[0017] Providing a marking has the advantage of making it easy to
orient the blank in relation to the information carrier. This
prevents any accumulating offset that would result in some blanks
not being provided with information carriers, and the information
carrier is always in the same position in a package formed from the
blank. The blank can be optimally oriented in the corrugated
paperboard apparatus, thus preventing any miscutting. In addition,
the externally visible marking can make it possible for an
automatic RFID scanner to precisely pinpoint the location of the
RFID tag, thereby increasing reading reliability. This has
corresponding logistical advantages when a package is used to ship
goods.
[0018] The disclosure also includes a piece of paperboard material,
particularly corrugated paperboard material, which is produced
according to one of the described inventive methods or which
contains an information carrier inside the layers of paperboard or
corrugated paperboard material. The piece of material has
advantages that are achieved by virtue of the inventive method: for
example, the information carriers can each contain a device whereby
the information from the information carrier can be read by means
of electromagnetic radiation, acoustomagnetic radiation,
radiofrequency waves and/or ultrasonic waves. The information
carriers can be RFID transponders or EAS tags.
[0019] According to a further aspect of the disclosure, a package
consisting partially or completely of paperboard, particularly
corrugated paperboard, is provided, an information carrier being
contained in said paperboard. This package has the advantages
resulting from one of the inventive methods or from the piece of
paperboard material.
[0020] The disclosure further makes available an apparatus able to
perform all aspects of the inventive method and comprising means
adapted and suitable for this purpose. All of the above statements
apply analogously.
[0021] Also made available is a system for applying information
carriers to a material, said system comprising at least one
positioning system that can be arranged inside the apparatus in
such a way that the information carriers can be implanted between
two layers of material.
[0022] The positioning system is advantageously connected to a
controller, which is suitable for controlling the positioning
system in such fashion that the information carriers are
subsequently disposed at predefined positions in the pieces of
material.
[0023] A controller optionally controls the positioning system in
the application of the information carriers relative to the
longitudinal direction (the y-direction) of the layer of material
or of the single-face web, taking the following parameters into
account: the distance of the positioning system from the
cross-cutter, the nature and speed of the movement executed by the
web of material between the positioning system and the
cross-cutter, and/or the geometry of the predefined pieces of
material.
[0024] At least one sensor is preferably provided to measure the
speed of the web of material between the positioning system and the
cross-cutter. The positioning system can include a storage magazine
for information carriers, such that by means of the positioning
system the information carriers can be continuously applied to a
carrying layer of material or a single-face web.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] Further aspects and advantages of the present disclosure
will become clear from the detailed description of the appended
drawings.
[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic overall diagram of an apparatus for
producing corrugated paperboard;
[0027] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a single-facer section of
an apparatus for producing corrugated paperboard;
[0028] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a double-backer, a
laminating station and a heating and stretching area according to
the present disclosure; and
[0029] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a final processing station
according to the present disclosure.
[0030] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a paperboard equipped with
information carriers according to the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0031] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a single-facer section. An
apparatus for producing corrugated paperboard can include one or
more single-facer sections of this kind. They are identical in
function and basic construction.
[0032] The paper or paper-like feedstock is disposed on supply
rolls 1. The supply rolls 1 are always arranged in pairs, the
material being unwound from one roll while the other roll is held
ready as a replacement. When the material from one roll is used up,
a splice is made to the other roll at location 2, so that the feed
of material is not interrupted. From there, the paper is routed
into a first material magazine 3. Here, paper is stored to
compensate for the delay in the paper feed that occurs when a
splice is made to a new roll. To regulate the stored content in the
magazine 3, the deflecting rolls on the right and the left in the
magazine can be moved toward or away from each other.
[0033] From the first magazine 3, the paper is routed to the
position influencing device 4. After said position influencing
device 4, the paper is guided over rollers, where it is heated,
particularly by means of rollers that are fed internally with
steam. The paper is also moistened along the way to make it more
malleable and to facilitate the joining of two layers of paper
later on.
[0034] The web coming from one side is then routed over a
corrugating roll 5, where it is forced into a corrugated shape. The
gluing device 6 applies glue to this web. From the other side comes
a second web, which is then glued together with the corrugated web
to form a single-face web.
[0035] The resulting single-face web is fed onto the bridge 8. A
second supply of feedstock, the so-called bridge stock 7, is
located here. This serves as backup as production continues. During
the changeover splicing of one supply roll 1 to another, production
of the single-face web is usually slowed to permit more reliable
and therefore slower splicing-on. The bridge stock 7 serves as a
backup for this time interval, so the production process can
continue at a speed of about 100 to 400 meters per minute. After
the change has been made to the new supply roll 1, the speed that
is maintained during the production of the single-face web is
increased to an above-average value to replenish the bridge stock
7.
[0036] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a double-backer, a
laminating station and a heating and stretching area. The one or
more single-face webs are conveyed hereto. The position influencing
devices 11, 12 adjust the respective positions of the single-face
webs and the necessary web tensions. The bottom liner is routed
from a bottom liner supply roll 9 through a supply magazine to the
position influencing device 10.
[0037] After the position influencing devices 10, 11, 12, the webs
are passed over a preheater 13 and a glue machine 14 to the
laminating station 20, where the webs are assembled. At this
juncture, it is desirable for the webs to be positioned as exactly
as possible in relation to one another.
[0038] Prior to lamination, information carriers 26, e.g. RFID
tags, are applied by the system 18 to the single-face web 16 before
it is united with the liner web 15. The RFID tags 26 are preferably
applied to the web 16 between the glue machine 14 and the
laminating station 20, since the freshly applied glue helps the
tags 26 to adhere. The tags 26 can be applied for example by
mechanical or pneumatic processes. Alternatively or additionally,
the system for applying tags 26 can also be deployed at the
positions indicated by reference numeral 19. This makes it possible
to implant tags 26 between different layers of a multilayer
corrugated paperboard web.
[0039] Corrugating machines are able to process more than one order
at a time. The web can be divided lengthwise by a scoring and
cutting machine 24. The thus-separated sides of a web can then be
processed further in various ways. It may be desirable for each end
product to be provided with an RFID tag 26. For this reason, the
system 18 can be designed to include a plurality of applying heads
that can be controlled independently from one another. The applying
heads can then be moved transversely to the direction of travel of
the web and can apply RFID tags 26 at different time intervals.
[0040] During job set-up, all the required measurements, such as
for example the complete contour of the subsequent cardboard box,
are known. This is true of all required allowances, punch-outs,
scoring, hand grip apertures, etc. These data are delivered to the
control system and used in positioning the RFID tags 26. In
addition, it must be determined via job set-up/planning at what
position the RFID tags 26 are to be implanted inside the corrugated
paperboard, such as for example in relation to other cut/scored
edges or a coordinate reference point. FIG. 5 furnishes more detail
in this regard.
[0041] The system 18 includes a magazine for a sufficient number of
tags and a positioning apparatus for the applying head or heads.
This positioning apparatus is operative to move to any arbitrary
position transversely to the direction of travel of the paper and
thus to bring the applying head into the desired position relative
to the position of the web.
[0042] The required position of the RFID tag 26 can be precisely
determined via optional additional measurements of the web
positions and widths in the area of the double-backer, which can be
installed near the position influencing devices 10, 11, 12, and in
the area of the scoring and cutting machine 24. Auxiliary measures
can include still further measuring systems for determining width,
position, shrinkage, etc. or, alternatively, an edge trim
determination system, which characterizes the offcut in the area of
the scoring and cutting machine. The tag can thus be implanted
precisely at the target location prior to lamination 20.
[0043] The following procedure can be used to position the tag in
the longitudinal direction. In the cross-cutter 25, the web is cut
in the transverse direction to the format length needed for further
processing. Hence, to position the tag 26 properly in the front
portion of the corrugator, the moment of implantation must be
synchronized so that it occurs at the proper position relative to
the crosscut line on the cross-cutter 25. The cutting signal from
the cross-cutter can be used for this purpose. Combined with a
speed calculation or alternatively a length measurement of the
goods, this makes it possible to determine the correct moment of
implantation of the RFID tag 26. The speed of the web can be
detected for example via a speed measuring means 22. The distance
between system 18 and the cross-cutter 25 is known from the layout
of the installation. When especially precise positioning of the
RFID tag 26 is desired, the actual, current web speed should be
taken into account in controlling the system 18. At web speeds of
approximately 100 to 400 meters per minute, allowance for web speed
variations is an important factor.
[0044] It should also be noted that during job changes, i.e. when
production is being switched over to a different paperboard
end-product, timely shifting of the implanting positions may be
necessary. This must be taken into account in the control of system
18.
[0045] The apparatus further comprises a short cross-cutter 23.
This serves to cut off waste, particularly after a format change or
in the event of a machine stoppage. This short cross-cutter 23
usually has a different cycle length than the format length, so the
pieces it removes may have to be taken into account in the control
of system 18.
[0046] Following lamination 20, the web is dried in the heating and
stretching area 21. Revolving belts pull the web through this area,
conveying it past heating elements. The application of heat
extracts moisture from the paperboard and dries it.
[0047] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a final processing station.
The web speed is detected by the speed measuring means 22. The web
is then routed from the short cross-cutter 23 to the scoring and
cutting machine 24. In the cross-cutter 25, the web is cut
crosswise to the desired measurements and routed to a storage area,
which is illustrated schematically at the right-hand side of FIG.
4.
[0048] FIG. 5 shows an example of a sheet of corrugated paperboard
trimmed to size in the longitudinal and transverse directions and
comprising an information carrier 26 according to the disclosure,
with scores (subsequent fold lines) incorporated in the
longitudinal direction. Cuts and folds transverse to the direction
of travel (CL) are made at the final processing station.
[0049] The position of the tag 26 is determined by its distance
from the axis in the direction of travel, i.e. the x-coordinate,
and by its distance from the rough edge that is the trailing edge
in the direction of travel and that runs transverse to the
direction of travel, i.e. the y-coordinate. The skilled person may,
of course, choose a different suitable system of coordinates. In
such position identification, it should be taken into account that
a marginal strip has yet to be cut off in the corrugating
apparatus, corresponding shrinkage will occur due to drying, and
some material has yet to be cut away from all four rough edges of
the format during further processing. Suitable allowance must be
made for all these factors so that after final processing the RFID
tag 26 will be implanted at the correct position with respect to
the specified positions of the reference edges or scores. The
desired position of the RFID tag 26 can advantageously be input or
changed by an operator of the apparatus via a user-friendly
interface, e.g. one equipped with a display similar to that shown
in FIG. 5. The control of the apparatus can also be designed so
that the position for the RFID tag 26 can be input at the same time
as the specifications for a job order.
[0050] At least one of the outer webs 15 or 17 can optionally be
provided with a marking drawing attention to an internally disposed
information carrier 26. Such markings preferably are not applied
until after the heating and stretching area 21. They should be
visible subsequently from the outside, so it can also be
advantageous if they are not applied until the subsequent final
processing. If they are applied in connection with the production
of corrugated board, all the data and control variables that are
already available for positioning the RFID tag 26 can be used
analogously to position the markings. For example, it is possible
to position the markings in synchronization with the application of
the RFID tag 26.
[0051] As described above and as can be seen for example in FIG. 5,
at least one of the outer webs 15 or 17 can be provided with a
marking (X, Y) that indicates the x- and y-positions of the
internally disposed information carrier. All the data and control
variables that are already available for positioning the RFID tag
26 can be used in an analogous manner to position the markings. For
example, it is possible to position the markings in synchronization
with the application of the RFID tag 26.
[0052] Providing a marking has the advantage that the blank can be
oriented relative to the information carrier in a simple manner.
This prevents any accumulating offset that would result in some
blanks not being provided with information carriers, and the
information carrier is always in the same position in a package
formed from the blank. The blank can be optimally oriented in the
corrugated paperboard apparatus, thus preventing miscutting. In
addition, the externally visible marking can make it possible for
an automatic RFID scanner to precisely pinpoint the location of the
RFID tag, thereby increasing reading reliability. This has
corresponding logistical advantages when a package is used to ship
goods.
* * * * *