U.S. patent application number 14/594875 was filed with the patent office on 2015-07-23 for system and method for packaging a foam product.
This patent application is currently assigned to C3 Corporation. The applicant listed for this patent is C3 Corporation. Invention is credited to Joseph Richard Mooren, Joseph Floyd Van De Hey, Alex Michael Zirbel.
Application Number | 20150203221 14/594875 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53544135 |
Filed Date | 2015-07-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150203221 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Van De Hey; Joseph Floyd ;
et al. |
July 23, 2015 |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PACKAGING A FOAM PRODUCT
Abstract
A system for packaging a foam product includes a first lateral
compressor that applies pressure to a first lateral side of the
foam product in a second lateral compressor that applies pressure
to a second lateral side of the foam product so as to compress the
foam product to a reduced width. The system also includes a roller
device configured to roll the compressed foam product into a
cylindrical packaged product.
Inventors: |
Van De Hey; Joseph Floyd;
(Kaukauna, WI) ; Zirbel; Alex Michael; (DePere,
WI) ; Mooren; Joseph Richard; (Appleton, WI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
C3 Corporation |
Appleton |
WI |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
C3 Corporation
Appleton
WI
|
Family ID: |
53544135 |
Appl. No.: |
14/594875 |
Filed: |
January 12, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61926133 |
Jan 10, 2014 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/446 ;
242/520; 53/116; 53/436; 53/438 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B 63/02 20130101;
B65D 75/002 20130101; B65B 61/24 20130101; B65B 9/026 20130101;
B65D 85/08 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65B 11/04 20060101
B65B011/04; B65D 85/08 20060101 B65D085/08; B65D 75/00 20060101
B65D075/00; B65B 51/10 20060101 B65B051/10; B65B 63/02 20060101
B65B063/02 |
Claims
1. A system for packaging a foam product, the system comprising: a
first lateral compressor that applies pressure to a first lateral
side of the foam product and a second lateral compressor that
applies pressure to a second lateral side of the foam product to
compress the foam product to a reduced width; and a roller device
configured to roll the compressed foam product into a cylindrical
packaged product.
2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a top vertical
compressor that applies pressure to a top side of the foam product
and a bottom vertical compressor that applies pressure to a bottom
side of the foam product to a reduced depth prior to rolling.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein at least one of the first lateral
compressor, the second lateral compressor, the top vertical
compressor, or the bottom vertical compressor is controlled to
apply no more than a predefined maximum force to the foam
product.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the roller device wraps the
cylindrical packaged product in a film to retain its cylindrical
shape and size.
5. The system of claim 4 further comprising an infeed film assembly
that covers a top portion and a bottom portion of the foam product
in a film prior to compressing the product.
6. The system of claim 5 wherein the infeed film system comprises a
top film roll supplying a top film feed, a bottom film roll
supplying a bottom film feed, and a seamer to connect the top film
feed to the bottom film feed.
7. The system of claim 6 wherein the film is comprised of
polyethylene and the seamer is a heat bar that melts the top film
feed to the bottom film feed.
8. A method of packaging a foam product, the method comprising:
receiving a foam product having a length, an uncompressed width,
and an uncompressed depth; laterally compressing the foam product
to a reduced width; vertically compressing the foam product to a
reduced depth; and sealing the compressed foam product in a first
film to maintain the reduced width and the reduced depth.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising rolling the compressed
foam product along its length to form a cylindrical packaged
product.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising wrapping the
cylindrical packaged product in a second film to retain its shape
and size.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the first film is comprised of a
polyethylene material and the second film comprised of a casted
poly film with high cling properties.
12. The method of claim 8 further comprising covering a top portion
and a bottom portion of the foam product in the film prior to
compressing the foam product, wherein the film has a width that is
less than the uncompressed width of the foam product; and wherein
the reduced width of the compressed foam product is less than the
width of the film.
13. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of sealing comprises
applying heat to the film around the compressed foam product.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising pulling film taut
prior to sealing.
15. The method of claim 8 wherein the reduced width is no more than
70 percent of the uncompressed width.
16. The method of claim 13 wherein the reduced width is no more
than 60 percent of the uncompressed width.
17. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of laterally compressing
is controlled to apply no more than a predetermined maximum lateral
force on the foam product, and the step of vertically compressing
is controlled to apply no more than a predetermined maximum
vertical force on the foam product.
18. A mattress packaging system comprising: an infeed apparatus
that receives a foam mattress and covers a top portion and a bottom
portion of the foam mattress in a first film; a tamp apparatus that
compresses the foam mattress, the tamp apparatus comprising: a
first lateral compressor that applies pressure on a first lateral
side of the foam mattress and a second later compressor that
applies pressure on a second lateral side of the foam mattress to
compress the foam mattress to a reduced width; a sealing mechanism
that seals the film around the compressed foam mattress to retain
the reduced width; a roller device that rolls the compressed foam
product into a cylindrical packaged product and wraps the
cylindrical packaged product in a second film.
19. The mattress packaging system of claim 18 wherein the tamp
apparatus further comprises a first vertical compressor that
applies pressure on a top side of the foam product and a second
vertical compressor that applies pressure on a bottom side of the
foam product to a reduced depth prior to rolling.
20. The mattress packaging system of claim 18 wherein the sealing
mechanism is one or more heat bars.
21. A cylindrical packaged product, the packaged product
comprising: a compressed foam product rolled along its length to
form a cylinder having a width and a circumference, the compressed
foam product having an uncompressed width that is laterally
compressed to a reduced width and an uncompressed depth that is
vertically compressed to a reduced depth; and the cylinder wrapped
in a film to retain the width and the circumference.
22. The cylindrical packaged product of claim 21 further comprising
the compressed foam product being contained in a film to maintain
the reduced width and the reduced depth.
23. The cylindrical packaged product of claim 21 wherein the width
of the cylindrical packaged product is approximately equal to the
reduced width of the compressed foam product.
24. The packaged product of claim 23 wherein the reduced width no
more than 70 percent of the uncompressed width.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application is based on and claims priority to
U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/926,133 filed Jan.
20, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Foam packaging systems and methods exist that roll foam
products, such as memory foam products, into a tubular shape for
easier transport. However, such systems and methods do not
laterally compress a foam product in order to reduce the width of
the final packaged product. Thus, existing systems and methods
yield a final packaged product having the same width as the
original, pre-packaged product. At most, existing systems and
methods for packaging mattresses only offer vertical compression of
a product prior to rolling, and thus the final rolled product has a
width that is equal to the uncompressed width of the foam product.
These wide packaged products occupy too much space and are
difficult to transport, especially for an end user. For example, it
is difficult to fit a rolled king-size mattress in a sedan or a
compact vehicle when the rolled package is 76 inches in width, the
standard width of a king-size mattress.
[0003] Some packaging systems and methods are available that fold
the foam product in order to reduce the width of the final packaged
product. For example, some prior art systems and methods for
packaging foam mattresses fold the width of the mattress one or
more times before vertically compressing and rolling the mattress.
Such folding is unacceptable for many foam products because it
damages the foam material, such as by leaving permanent creases or
divots.
SUMMARY
[0004] In one embodiment, a system for packaging a foam product
includes a first lateral compressor that applies pressure to a
first lateral side of the foam product in a second lateral
compressor that applies pressure to a second lateral side of the
foam product so as to compress the foam product to a reduced width.
The system also includes a roller device configured to roll the
compressed foam product into a cylindrical packaged product.
[0005] An embodiment of a method of packaging a foam product
includes receiving a foam product having a length, an uncompressed
width, and an uncompressed depth. The foam product is laterally
compressed to a reduced width and vertically compressed to a
reduced depth. The compressed foam product is then sealed in a
first film to maintain the reduced width and the reduced depth.
[0006] One embodiment of a mattress packaging system comprises an
infeed apparatus, a tamp apparatus, and a roller device. The infeed
apparatus receives a foam mattress and covers a top portion and a
bottom portion of the foam mattress in a first film. The tamp
apparatus compresses the foam mattress and includes a first lateral
compressor that applies pressure on a first lateral side of the
foam mattress and a second lateral compressor that applies pressure
on a second lateral side of the foam mattress to compress the foam
mattress to a reduced width. The tamp apparatus also includes a
sealing mechanism that seals the film around the compressed foam
mattress to retain the reduced width. The roller device rolls to
compressed foam product into a cylindrical packaged product and
wraps the cylindrical packaged product in a second film.
[0007] On embodiment of a cylindrical packaged product comprises a
compressed foam product rolled along its length to form a cylinder
having a width and a circumference. The compressed foam product has
an uncompressed width that is laterally compressed to a reduced
width and an uncompressed depth that is vertically compressed to a
reduced depth. The cylinder is wrapped in a film to retain a width
and circumference.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1a depicts a one embodiment of a system for packaging a
foam product.
[0009] FIG. 1b depicts a top view of the system in FIG. 1a.
[0010] FIG. 1c depicts a side view of the system in FIGS. 1a and
1b.
[0011] FIG. 2a depicts another embodiment of a system for packaging
a foam product.
[0012] FIG. 2b depicts a top view of the system in FIG. 2a.
[0013] FIG. 3a depicts a roller device for a system for packaging a
foam product.
[0014] FIG. 3b depicts a side, cross-sectional view of the roller
device in FIG. 3a.
[0015] FIG. 4a depicts a side view of an embodiment of an portion
of a system for packaging a foam product having an infeed film
assembly.
[0016] FIG. 4b depicts a schematic view of the infeed film assembly
in the embodiment of FIG. 4a.
[0017] FIG. 5 depicts one embodiment of a method and system for
packaging a foam product.
[0018] FIG. 6 depicts an uncompressed foam product next to a
cylindrical packaged product.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] The present inventors have recognized that a system and
method is needed for packaging foam products that reduces the width
of the final packaged product without folding or otherwise damaging
the product. By compressing the foam product laterally, the size of
the final packaged product is significantly reduced. The foam
product may also be vertically compressed to further reduce the
size of the final packaged product. Such compression can be
accomplished without folding or otherwise damaging the foam
material. For example, the present inventors recognize that foam
products may be laterally, or horizontally, compressed by 40% or
more prior to rolling the product, which results in a final rolled
product having a significantly reduced width. As one example, a
king-size memory foam mattress having a width of 76 inches may be
compressed to a rolled package having a width of 40-42 inches
without damaging the foam material. Further, some king-sized foam
mattress products may be compressed from a width of 76 inches to a
width of 30 inches or less without adversely impacting or degrading
the foam material. The foam product may be any product containing
foam that can be laterally and/or vertically compressed and
packaged in its compressed form without materially adversely
impacting the form or quality of the product. For example, the foam
product may be any bedding product containing foam, including a
foam mattress, topper, or pillow, and may also be a foam mattress
including coils. Likewise, the foam product may be a furniture
product, such as cushions or filler, or an automotive product
containing foam, such as automotive seating. In addition to foam,
the product may include springs and/or wire-forms. Furthermore,
though the invention is described herein with respect to foam
products, the inventors contemplate that the packaging systems and
methods may be utilized for packaging similar products having
foam-like qualities.
[0020] In embodiments of the present invention that include lateral
compression of the product 42, the product packaging system 70 also
offers the added benefit of requiring less film to package the
product 42. In an exemplary embodiment, if the product is laterally
compressed by 40%, the packaging process will consume about 40%
less film versus packaging the uncompressed foam product. In
another embodiment, the product is compressed by 50% or more and
may consume 50% or less film versus the uncompressed foam product.
Depending on the shape of the product, vertically compressing the
product will also save on the amount of film consumed in packaging
the product.
[0021] FIGS. 1a, 1b, and 1c depict one embodiment of a product
packaging system 70 capable of packaging a compressible foam
product 42 of a broad range of sizes. For example, the packaging
system may package foam products 42 ranging in size from a few
cubic inches to several hundred thousand cubic inches. Product
packaging system 70 includes an infeed system 11, which includes an
infeed conveyor 1 that brings the foam product 42 into the system
70, a pusher assembly 2 that moves the foam product 42 through the
infeed system 70, and an infeed film assembly 3. The exemplary
system 70 of FIGS. 1a-1c further comprises a tamp apparatus 5
including a first lateral compressor (which in this embodiment is
the pusher assembly 2) and a second lateral compressor 4 configured
to apply pressure on the lateral sides of the foam product 42 in
order to laterally compress the foam product 42 to a reduced width.
The system 70 also includes roller device 9 that rolls the foam
product 42 into a cylindrical packaged product 30.
[0022] Infeed conveyor 1 may receive a foam product 42 that is
manually fed into the conveyor. Alternatively, infeed conveyor 1
may be attached to an assembly system, such as a conveyor system
that brings the product from another area of manufacturing into
infeed conveyor 1. A pusher assembly 2 may be positioned at the
exterior side of the infeed conveyor 1 to receive the product and
guide the foam product 42 into position in product packaging system
70. Turning to FIG. 1b, a top view of the product packaging system
highlights certain features of the exemplary embodiment depicted
therein. In FIG. 1b, the pusher assembly is in an outermost
position and acts as a guide to align the foam product 42 as it
enters the packaging system 70 on the infeed conveyor 1 and to
prevent the product from falling off side 1c of the conveyor. When
product 42 comes in at a front end 1a of infeed conveyor 1, infeed
conveyor 1 moves the product toward back end 1b of the infeed
conveyor 1. During that process, pusher assembly 2 is aligned with,
or near, side edge 1c of infeed conveyor 1 (the position of the
pusher assembly 2 in FIG. 1). Once product 42 is fully received
inside packaging system 70, pusher assembly 2 slides along track 39
of pusher assembly 2 to push product 42 toward tamp apparatus
5.
[0023] In one embodiment, pusher assembly 52 is a bar that extends
between tracks 39, wherein tracks 39 run above infeed conveyor 1
and perpendicularly to the motion of infeed conveyor 1. A plate or
fingers may extend downward from the bar contact the product 42
laying on the infeed conveyor 1. In another embodiment depicted in
FIG. 1c, pusher assembly 2 has a plate 40 that pushes product 42
toward tamp apparatus 5. Additionally, in the embodiment of FIG. 1c
plate 40 is connected to an extender 37 that extends plate 40
forward toward tamp apparatus 5 to push the product 42 the final
distance between the infeed system 11 and the tamp apparatus 5.
[0024] In the embodiments of FIGS. 1-4, infeed film assembly 3
provides film 47 to cover the foam product 42 in the first stage of
packaging. Infeed film assembly 3 supplies a top film feed 12 and a
bottom film feed 13 that are adhered together into a unified sheet,
or curtain, of film 47. Once the product is fed into packaging
system 70, pusher assembly 2 pushes the product into the curtain of
film 47 such that the product becomes at least partially covered by
the film 47. Pusher assembly 2 continues to push the product, which
is now at least partially covered by the film 47, into tamp
apparatus 5.
[0025] In one embodiment, pusher assembly 2 includes a plate
configured to push the product out of the infeed system 11 and into
the tamp assembly 5. For example, the pusher assembly 2 may have a
plate 40 (FIG. 1c) that contacts foam product 42 and moves it
toward tamp apparatus 5. Plate 40 may be connected to tracks 39
that move pusher assembly 2 from its initial position, where it
accepts incoming foam product 42 on the infeed conveyor, to a
position at a front side 22 or an interior portion of the tamp
assembly 5. In one embodiment, pusher assembly 2 pushes the foam
product 42 up against lateral compressor 4. In another embodiment,
the pusher assembly 2 pushes the product to front side 22 of the
tamp apparatus 5 and lateral compressor 4 then extends towards the
pusher assembly 2. In still other embodiments, both the pusher
assembly 2 and the lateral compressor 4 move towards one another to
contact the foam product 42.
[0026] Once the foam product 42 has been pushed into the tamp
apparatus 5 product 42 is then laterally compressed, either by
moving lateral compressor 4 towards pusher assembly 2, or vice
versa. Thereby, foam product 42 is compressed between pusher
assembly 2 (acting as a first lateral compressor) and lateral
compressor 4 (acting as a second, opposing, lateral compressor).
For example, the pusher device 2 may move towards the lateral
compressor 4 to apply pressure to first lateral side 54 of the foam
product to press the product against lateral compressor 4, which
acts on second lateral side 55 of the foam product 42.
Alternatively, lateral compressor 4 and pusher assembly 2 may
simultaneously move towards one another to laterally compress the
foam product 42. In the depicted embodiments, pusher assembly 2
acts as a lateral compressor that cooperates with the lateral
compressor 4 to compress the foam product 42. In other embodiments,
the pusher assembly 2 may act only to move the foam product 42 into
the tamp assembly, and the compression may be performed by a
separate device that cooperates with the lateral compressor 4.
[0027] If the foam product 42 is to be vertically compressed, the
top vertical compressor 14 is then lowered down onto the laterally
compressed product. The top vertical compressor 14 presses on the
top side 56 of the foam product 42 to compress the product against
the bottom vertical compressor 15, which acts on the bottom side 57
of the foam product in order to complete the vertical compression.
In various embodiments, the foam product 42 may be vertically
compressed prior to, simultaneously with, or after the lateral
compression.
[0028] The vertical and lateral compression performed by the tamp
apparatus 5 may be controlled by various control systems and
methods. For example, the tamp apparatus 5 may apply a predefined
lateral force to laterally compress foam product 42 and/or
predefined vertical force to vertically compress foam product 42.
For example, tamp apparatus 5 may apply about 6,000 lbs. of force
to laterally compress product 42 and about 18,000 lbs. of force to
vertically compress product 42. More specifically, the lateral
compressor 4 and/or the pusher assembly 2 may laterally compress
product 42 using 6,000 lbs. of force, and vertical compressor 14
may vertically compress product 42 with 18,000 lbs. of force. In
another embodiment, the tamp apparatus 5 may compress foam product
42 to a predefined size, such as to a particular vertical and
horizontal dimension, or by a predefined amount, such as to a
certain percentage of its original size. In still other
embodiments, the tamp apparatus 5 may be controlled to
alternatively compress the foam product 42 to a predefined size (or
by a predefined amount) or to apply a predetermined maximum
vertical and/or lateral force on the foam product 42, which ever is
reached first. For example, the lateral compressor 4 and/or the
pusher assembly 2 may laterally compress product 42 until a maximum
of 6,000 lbs. of force is reached or until the product is
compressed to a particular lateral width, whichever is first. In
one such embodiment, one or more load cells may be placed on the
lateral compressor 4 and/or the pusher assembly 2 to sense the
force applied on the foam product 42. In an alternative embodiment,
one or more motors driving lateral compressor 4, pusher assembly 2,
top vertical compressor 14 and/or bottom vertical compressor 15 may
be equipped with load detectors to sense the load felt by the
motor(s). For example, an encoder may be placed on the motor(s) to
determine the pulse rate and current draw for that motor. The force
applied to the foam product 42 can then be determined based on the
load felt by the motor(s).
[0029] Foam product 42 is at least partially covered in film 47 as
it enters tamp apparatus 5. Once product 42 is fully compressed,
both vertically and laterally (or horizontally), the film 47 may be
sealed around the product in an air tight manner so that the
product retains its compressed shape. Prior to sealing, the infeed
film assembly 3 may pull the film 47 taut to remove any wrinkles or
bulges from the film 47 prior to sealing. Compressed and sealed
product 42 is then pushed out of tamp apparatus 5 by exit pusher 6.
The exit pusher assembly may include a bar that extends across the
length of the product near the outside edge of the tamp apparatus
5. Like the pusher assembly 2, the exit pusher 6 may run on a track
46 that forces the exit pusher 6 to push the compressed and sealed
product towards transfer conveyor 7. In such an embodiment, exit
pusher 6 pushes on the compressed and sealed product to push
product 42 onto transfer conveyor 7 and towards roller device 9. In
other embodiments, such as the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 2a and
2b, transfer conveyor 7 may be eliminated and roller device 9 may
be positioned immediately adjacent to tamp apparatus 5 such that
product 42 is pushed by exit pusher 6 directly into roller device
9.
[0030] In the embodiments in FIGS. 1-4, compressed and sealed foam
product 42 is fed into roller device 9 by transfer conveyor 7.
Roller device 9 winds compressed and sealed foam product 42 along
its length (the center of the rolled product runs parallel to its
width) such that rolled foam product 42 has a reduced width W' that
is approximately equal to the compressed width of foam product 42
(FIG. 6). Foam product 42 is rolled around itself into a tightly
wound roll, or cylindrical shape. FIGS. 3a and 3b depict roller
device 9 having rolling bars 32, rotated by roll cage motors 16
that force the compressed and sealed foam product 42 to wrap around
itself in a spiral-like form. For example, the roll cage motors 16
may be 5-7 horsepower motors. In FIGS. 3a and 3b, product 42 enters
roller device 9 from the bottom side of the roller cage and roller
device 9 rolls the product upwards and counter clockwise (from the
perspective shown in these figures) during the roll process,
meaning that rolling bars 32 rotate in a the opposite direction. In
other embodiments, roller bars 32 force the foam product 42 to roll
in the opposite direction. In some embodiments, it may be necessary
to place holes in the tail end of the film 47 as the tail end of
the compressed product enters roller device 9 so that excess air
can escape during the rolling process.
[0031] The rolled product may be covered in a second film 48 acting
to retain the compressed size and rolled shape of cylindrical
packaged product 30. The second film 48 may be applied during the
roll process or after completion of the roll process. In the
exemplary embodiment of the roller device 9 depicted in FIGS.
3a-3b, compressed and sealed product 42 passes through a second
film 48 as it enters the roller device 9. In an exemplary
embodiment, a second film roll 53 is housed above or below roller
device 9 and dispenses the second film 48. A curtain of second film
48 is formed at the entrance of the roller device 9. In the
depicted embodiment, clamp 43 grabs the second film 48 and
stretches the second film 48 across the entrance opening of the
roller device 9. Curtain motor 18 operates to open and close the
clamp 43 and to move the clamp 43 vertically. More specifically, a
curtain of second film 48 is formed by curtain motor 18 moving the
clamp 43 down towards the second film roll 53 (see FIG. 3b). The
curtain motor 18 operates the clamp 43 to grab the second film 48
and then to bring the film up, covering at least a portion of the
entrance opening of the roller device 9. When foam product 42
enters the roller device 9, the film 48 adheres to the front edge
of the product 42. The curtain motor 18 opens the clamp 43 to
release the film 48. Then, as the foam product 42 is forced further
into roller device 9 the second film 48 is continually unrolled so
that the film extends beyond the length of the foam product 42. The
second film 48 is rolled with product 42 as it rolls onto itself.
Once product 42 is entirely rolled, the second film 48 continues to
be fed by curtain motor 18 of roll film dispensing unit 8 such that
the film 48 continues to wrap around the product 42. In some
embodiments, the second film 48 is held taut in order to assist in
tightly rolling the foam product 42 into a cylindrical shape. In
this way, it is possible to vary the diameter d of the cylindrical
packaged product 30 by varying the tension on the second film 48.
Once the foam product 42 is completely rolled into a cylindrical
packaged product 30, the roller device 9 may continue to turn the
product 42, for example two to five more complete turns, to wrap
the second film 48 around the cylindrical packaged product 30 in
order to retain the shape and size of the cylindrical packaged
product 30. Once the cylindrical packaged product 30 is wrapped in
second film 48, the second film roll 43 stops feeding the second
film 48. In some embodiments, the second film 48 stretched and
broken as the cylindrical packaged product 30 continues to roll in
the roller device 9. In other embodiments, the second film 48 is
cut.
[0032] Once the roll process is complete, cylindrical packaged
product 30 is then pushed out of roller device 9 through exit hatch
34 in the back thereof. In FIGS. 3a and 3b, exit hatch 34 is
connected to a portion of rolling bars 32 such that when exit hatch
34 opens, a portion of rolling bars 32 move with exit hatch 34 so
as to open roller device 9 and expel cylindrical packaged product
30. For example, air cylinders 20 (FIG. 1a-1b) may be attached to
exit hatch 34 and operate to open and close exit hatch 34 such that
the packaged product can be expelled from roller cage assembly 9.
Air cylinders 20 contract to open exit hatch 34, and then expand to
close exit hatch 34. A transfer conveyor 10 may be positioned below
exit hatch 34 so that cylindrical packaged product 30 may fall onto
transfer conveyor 10 when it exits roller device 9. Transfer
conveyor 10 may take the form of any device capable of receiving
the cylindrical packaged product 30. For example, FIGS. 1a-1c
depict a narrow transfer conveyor 10 that carries cylindrical
packaged product 30 in a direction perpendicular to roller cage 9.
In other embodiments, transfer conveyor 10 may be another
transporting device or may be a final packaging device that places
additional packaging materials on cylindrical packaged product 30,
such as a box, a bag, or ties to secure the rolled shape and
size.
[0033] FIGS. 2a and 2b depict another embodiment of packaging
system 70. The embodiment of FIGS. 2a and 2b has a reduced
footprint as compared to the embodiment of FIGS. 1a-1c. The foam
product 42 enters the infeed system 11 at input end 41. The product
is inputted into the input end 41 such that the length 1 of the
foam product 42 is oriented perpendicular to the infeed direction.
The foam product 42 is then covered at least partially in film 47
and pushed into the tamp apparatus 5 where it is compressed as
disclosed herein. Once compressed, either laterally or vertically
or both, and sealed in film 47 to retain the compressed width
and/or depth, the foam product is fed directly into the roller
device 9.
[0034] While an unpackaged, uncompressed foam product 42 is
conveyed into packaging system 70 on infeed conveyor 1, infeed film
assembly 3 creates a curtain of first film 47 that will be overlaid
on uncompressed foam product 42. FIGS. 1a-1c depict one embodiment
of an infeed system 11, and FIGS. 2a, 2b, 4a and 4b depict another
embodiment of an infeed system 11. In the embodiment of FIGS.
1a-1c, top film feed 12 and bottom film feed 13 are fed around
infeed conveyor system 1 and meet at a point between infeed
conveyor 1 and tamp apparatus 5. More specifically, the top film
feed 12 may be fed around top roller 74 and the bottom film feed
may be fed around bottom roller 75. The top and bottom rollers 74
and 75 may be nip-pull rollers capable of grabbing and rolling the
film 47 in both the forward and back directions. Further, top
dancer system 77 controls the top film feed 12 and a bottom dancer
system 78 that controls the bottom film feed 13. The dancers 77 and
78 may each have a bar that applies weight to apply pressure to the
film feeding there through in order to keep the top and bottom film
feeds 12 and 13 taut. Top film feed 12 and bottom film feed 13 are
connected at a seam 99 by the seamer 67. In one embodiment, the
film 47 may be a polyethylene film and seamer 67 may be a heat
sealer that connects top and bottom film feeds 12 and 13 by melting
the edges of the two films together. Alternatively, seamer 67 may
be any means known in the art for connecting top and bottom film
feeds 12 and 13, including an applicator of tape or glue. In still
another embodiment, the material of top and bottom film feeds 12
and 13 may be self-adhering, and seamer 67 may press the two film
portions together to cause them to adhere to one another.
[0035] The seamer 67 may be positioned at the location where the
top film feed 12 and the bottom film feed 13 meet together along
the path of the film curtain. In a different embodiment depicted in
FIG. 4a, the seamer 67 is provided next to the sealing mechanism 52
such that the top and bottom films may be connected together during
the packaging cycle of the previous mattress. For example, top and
bottom film feeds 12 and 13 may be sealed simultaneously with each
lengthwise seal step 63 (FIG. 5). In that embodiment, at step 63 a
two lengthwise seals are made along length 49 of compressed product
42, one by seamer 67 and the other by sealing mechanism 52. For
example, the seamer 67 and the sealing mechanism 52 may be two
parallel heat bars, or seal bars, pressed on to the film 47. A cut
may be made between the two seals such that one seal comprises the
seal around the compressed product 42 and the other seal forms the
seal for the film 47 curtain that will be used in the next product
packaging cycle. In another embodiment, the two lengthwise seams,
or seals, may be separated by a hotwire between the seamer 67 and
the sealing mechanism 52 that severs the film 47 between the two
seals. Then, the infeed film assembly 3 pulls the sealed curtain or
film 47 back so that the film 47 curtain is in place for the next
packaging cycle.
[0036] In various embodiments, the first film 47 applied to seal
the compressed foam product 42 and the second film 48 applied to
the cylindrical packaged product 30 may be the same film material
or may be different materials. For example, the first film 47 may
be a 3 millimeter thick poly film, such as a polyethylene material
or a nylon-based material. In other embodiments, the first film 47
may be thicker or thinner, depending on the amount of force needed
to retain the compressed size of the compressed foam product 42.
For example, where the compressed foam product 42 is flat packed
rather than rolled, the first film may be a thicker film, such as a
6 millimeter film, so that it can maintain the compressed
dimensions over a long period of time. The second film 48 may be a
thinner poly film, such as a 2.5 millimeter film, that is designed
to stretch along its length and have significant strength in its
lengthwise direction. The second film 48 may also be a poly film
with clinging properties, such as a clinging stretch wrap, so that
it clings to the foam product 42 during the roll process and clings
to itself in order to securely contain the cylindrical packaged
product 30 without the need for any additional packaging. For
example, the second film 48 may be a stretch wrap material, such as
a casted film with high cling properties and significant stretch
ability. In one embodiment, the cling stretch wrap may stretch 2.5
times its original length before breaking. In other embodiments,
however, the film covering the cylindrical packaged product 30 may
not be sufficiently self-adhering and the cylindrical packaged
product 30 may be covered in additional packaging to retain the
final shape thereof.
[0037] In the embodiment of FIGS. 2a-2b and 4a-4b, the infeed film
assembly 3 may be oriented on the top and bottom of the infeed
system 11 to form a curtain of film 47 in the infeed system 11. The
infeed film assembly includes a top feed assembly 95, which
includes top film roll 86 positioned on the top of infeed system
11, and bottom feed assembly 97, which includes bottom film roll 88
positioned on the bottom of infeed system 11. Top film roll 86
feeds top film feed 12 and bottom film roll 88 feeds bottom film
feed 13. The infeed film assembly 3 is depicted schematically in
FIG. 4b. In the top feed assembly 95 the film 47 extends from top
film roll 86, winds through top nip-pull rolls 90 and over airbar
93 to top film feed 12. The bottom feed assembly 97 has film 47
extending from bottom film roll 88, winding through bottom nip-pull
rolls 92, and feeding upwards as bottom film feed 13 extends to top
film feed 12. The nip-pull rolls 90 and 92 may alternately wind in
both rotational directions so as to feed film 47 forward or pull
film 47 backward. In on embodiment, the nip-pull rolls 90 and 92
may be closed together in order to pinch, or grab, the film 47.
This may provide additional control over the film 47 in order to
force the film 47 in a forward or backwards direction. For example,
the nip-pull rolls 90 and 92 may be able to pull the film 47 back
with significant force in order to apply additional compression
force on the foam product 42. The airbar 93, which could also bee
included in the bottom feed assembly, acts to distance the top film
feed 12 from the nip-pull rolls 90 so as to keep the film 47 from
sticking to itself or getting tangled in the nip-pull rolls 90. The
top and bottom film feeds 12 and 13 are connected together by the
seamer 67 as described herein to form a seam 99.
[0038] Once the film 47 curtain is created, uncompressed foam
product 42 is pushed into the film 47 curtain such that the film 47
curtain wraps around first lateral side 54 of the product 42. As
the product 42 continues to be pushed into tamp apparatus 5, it
pulls the film 47 curtain along with it. Top film feed 12 and
bottom film feed 13 may be severed when the film 47 covering the
mattress reaches an appropriate length. In another embodiment, the
film 47 may not be severed until during or after the film 47 is
sealed around the compressed product 42, as explained above. The
film 47 may be severed by any means known in the art, for example
by a knife or serrated teeth. Uncompressed foam product 42, which
is at least partially covered in the film 47, is then pushed
against lateral compressor 4.
[0039] The infeed film assembly 3 then positions the film 47 in
place for the next product 42 that enters packaging system 70. In
an embodiment where the film 47 has been cut and top and bottom
pieces 12 and 13 are not sealed, the film assembly 3 feeds top film
feed 12 and bottom film feed 13 towards one another to create a new
curtain. In an embodiment where top and bottom pieces are sealed
during the lengthwise sealing step 63, the infeed film assembly 3
may pull the film 47 back so that a taut curtain is formed around
the infeed system 11. For example, in the embodiment of FIGS. 4a
and 4b, top and bottom feed assemblies 95 and 97 may include
nip-pull rollers 90 and 92 capable of pulling the film 47 back
after top and bottom film feeds 12 and 13 have been sealed
together. Likewise, those nip-pull rollers 90 and 92, may also act
to roll the film 47 forward or back to maintain the correct
tautness on the film 47 during the infeed, compression, and sealing
processes.
[0040] As seen in FIGS. 1a-1c, infeed film assembly 3 may have
backup top film rolls 25 and backup bottom film rolls 26 that may
be automatically used by infeed film assembly 3 when the current
film roll is empty. In one embodiment a motion sensor detects
motion in each of top and bottom film rolls feeding the top and
bottom film feeds 12 and 13. When the motion of one or more of the
film rolls stops during a feed period then the system determines
that the film roll is empty and needs to be changed. At that point,
the infeed film assembly 3 takes the next backup top film roll 25
or the next backup bottom film roll 26 and grabs the lead edge of
film 47 on that roll. The lead edge of the next roll is connected
to the tail end of the previous roll such that a continuous film 47
sheet is created. The lead edge and the tail end may be connected
by any means known in the art, including heat sealed, taped, glued
etc. Preferably, the connection between the lead edge and the tail
end is an airtight seal so that the connected film portion can be
used to create an airtight package around the compressed mattress.
It should be understood that other embodiments may not have an
infeed film system 3 and may not seal the compressed foam product
in film 47 prior to rolling the foam product.
[0041] FIG. 5 demonstrates one embodiment of a method executed by
product packaging system 70, and primarily by tamp apparatus 5, for
compressing a product 42. At step 58 the film 47 is in position,
for example the top film feed 12 is connected at seam 99 to the
bottom film feed 13 as described above to form a curtain of film
47. Foam product 42 is in position, for example on infeed conveyor
1, and is ready to be pushed through the film 47. At step 59, foam
product 42 is pushed through the film 47 so that the film covers at
least a portion thereof. The infeed film assembly 3 acts to feed
film 47 into the system so that foam product 42 moves into the tamp
apparatus 5 and is covered on top and bottom with film 47. Foam
product 42 is further pushed against second lateral compressor 45.
At 60, first lateral compressor 44 presses foam product 42 against
second lateral compressor 45 to laterally compress it. In this
embodiment, second lateral compressor 45 is a stationary wall or
plate and first lateral compressor 44 moves towards second lateral
compressor 45 to perform the compression action. In other
embodiments, the second lateral compressor 45 may also move towards
the first lateral compressor 44 to perform the compression
action.
[0042] At step 61, foam product 42 is vertically compressed, for
example, by top vertical compressor 14 of tamp apparatus 5. Foam
product 42, having been compressed, now easily fits inside the film
47 and the film 47 can be sealed around compressed product 42. To
do that, at step 62, first lateral compressor 44 is retracted.
Immediately thereafter, step 63 is executed wherein length 49 of
the top and bottom layers of the film 47 are sealed together to
maintain the lateral compression of the product 42. At step 64,
front side 50 of the top and bottom layers of the film 47 are
sealed together, and at step 65 back side 51 of the top and bottom
layers of the film 47 are sealed together. Thereby, all four sides
of the film 47 are sealed in an air tight manner such that the
compressed width and compressed depth of product 42 are retained.
The sealing may be performed in any manner known in the art,
including heat sealing, gluing, taping, etc. For example, as shown
in FIG. 2b, a sealing mechanism 52 may be mounted on each side of
the vertical compressor 14 such that, after the vertical
compression step, the film 47 may be sealed around each side of the
compressed foam product 42. The sealing mechanism 52 may be
attached to or part of the top vertical compressor 14, or it may be
a separate mechanism that operates at the edges of the foam product
42, such as adjustable heat bars that adjust to the size of the
compressed foam product 42 and act to melt the film 47 at the seal
points. The sealing mechanism 52 may alternatively be any device
capable of sealing the film 47 around the compressed foam product
42. For example, the sealing mechanism 52 may blow hot air on the
film 47 or may apply tape or glue to adhere the film 47 to itself.
In embodiments where the film 47 has self-adhering properties, the
sealing mechanism 52 may press the top and bottom film layers
together to form a seal around the compressed product 42. The
compressed and sealed foam product 42 is then forced out of tamp
apparatus 5 by exit pusher 6.
[0043] In other embodiments, product 42 may be covered in film by
another method, such as wrapping the product in stretch wrap. In
such an embodiment, the stretch wrap may be configured around
product 42 in its uncompressed state such that the stretch wrap
allows air to escape during the compression process, but prevents
air from re-entering the product 42 after the compression process.
In still other embodiments, product 42 may enter the compression
process without any film or wrapper, and the film 47 or wrapper may
be applied onto the product once the product is already compressed.
For example, the compressed product may be wrapped in stretch wrap
such that the compressed size of product 42 is maintained. In still
other embodiments a vacuum may be used to remove air from the
wrapped product 42 prior to sealing. In still other embodiments,
the compressed product may not be sealed in film at all and may be
fed directly into the roller device 9, where it may be rolled to
form a cylindrical packaged product 30 that is packaged to maintain
its size and shape, such as wrapped in second film 48 as disclosed
above.
[0044] In yet another embodiment, tamp assembly 5 may only
laterally compress product 42 and not vertically compress product
42. The laterally compressed product may then be passed to the
roller device 9, where infeed rollers may be positioned to
vertically compress the product 42 as it enters the roller device
9. In embodiments wherein lateral compression of the product 42 is
performed, product packaging system 70 offers the added benefit of
consuming less film 47 and of providing a smaller package width.
However, in still other embodiments, tamp apparatus 5 may not
perform any lateral compression at all, such that product 42 is
only vertically compressed and the film 47 is sealed around the
vertically compressed product. In such an embodiment, the film 47
must be large enough to cover the entire uncompressed foam product
42 as it comes into the tamp apparatus 5 because the product 42
will not be laterally compressed in order to fit into a smaller
size film 47.
[0045] As described herein, product 42 is compressed and sealed and
pushed out of tamp apparatus 5. In one embodiment, the compressed
and wrapped product 42 may be sent to the roller device 9 via the
transfer conveyor 7. In an alternative embodiment, the compressed
and wrapped product 42 may be exposed to a heating apparatus
designed to further shrink the film 47 sealed around product 42.
More specifically, film 47 may be a plastic film that shrinks in
size, in the lateral and/or vertical directions, when exposed to
heat. For example, film 47 may shrink in size up to 60% when
exposed to temperatures between 200.degree. F. and 300.degree. F.
To achieve such shrinking, system 70 may include any heating device
capable of heating at least a portion of film 47 on product 42. For
example, the heating device may be a heat tunnel or an oven placed
at the exit end of tamp apparatus 5. In another embodiment, the
heating device may be integrated into tamp apparatus 5, such as
heating elements integrated into the top vertical compressor 14. In
an embodiment where the heating device is integrated into the tamp
apparatus 5, the shrinking step may occur simultaneously with the
compression and sealing steps represented in FIG. 5. Such shrinking
may act to remove any slack from the film 47 wrapped around the
compressed product 42. Furthermore, such shrinking may stabilize
and further seal the film 47 wrapped around the compressed product
42 such that the film 47 can maintain the compressed size of the
product 42 for months or years without needing further
reinforcement from additional packaging materials. In such an
embodiment, the compressed product 42 may be flat-packed instead of
rolled. Thus, the system 70 may not contain a roller device 9, and
the compressed product 42 may be pushed out of the tamp apparatus 5
onto a flat-packing apparatus, or onto a conveyor system that leads
to a flat-packing apparatus.
[0046] FIG. 6 provides a comparison between an exemplary,
uncompressed foam product 42 and a final cylindrical packaged
product 30. While the representative foam product 42 in FIG. 6 is
depicted as rectangular in shape, foam product 42 may take on any
shape and may be comprised of any foam capable of being compressed
as described herein. The unpackaged product 42 in FIG. 6 may be,
for example, a foam mattress, such as a king size foam mattress.
The unpackaged product 42 has a width W, and the cylindrical
packaged product 30 has a width of W'. In the exemplary embodiment
of a king size foam mattress, the foam mattress may have a width W
of around 76 inches, a length L around 80 inches, and a depth D
ranging from 7 to 16 inches. Employing one exemplary embodiment of
the product packaging system 70 and method described herein, the
exemplary king mattress can be compressed and rolled into a
cylindrical packaged product 30 having a width W' of about 40-42
inches and a diameter d of 13-17 inches. In such an embodiment,
tamp apparatus 5 laterally compresses the foam product 42 to a
reduced width of 40-42 inches and vertically compresses the product
to a reduced depth of 0.8 to 2 inches. In other embodiments, the
width and depth of the exemplary king foam mattress may be
compressed to a size that is slightly smaller or larger in order to
fit desired requirements.
[0047] The inventors recognized that a foam product 42 can
typically be compressed to a reduced depth that is approximately
1/8.sup.th its uncompressed height and a reduced width that is
approximately 1/2 its uncompressed width without damaging the foam
material. However, depending on the type of foam material, in some
embodiments the foam product may be compressed to less than
1/8.sup.th its original size. In some embodiments, foam products
may be compressed to 1/15.sup.th their original size or smaller.
The maximum compressions factor that can be accomplished without
materially damaging the foam product is based on the properties of
the material(s) comprising the foam product, including the density,
weight, and elasticity of the foam, as well as the volume of the
foam and the surrounding conditions, such as temperature and
humidity. The present inventors also recognize that at a certain
compression point there is an inverse relationship between the
maximum lateral compression factor and the maximum vertical
compression factor that can be achieved without damaging the foam
material. In order to achieve the smallest possible width W' of
cylindrical packaged product 30, the diameter d of cylindrical
packaged product 30 will have to be increased from its minimum
compressed size in order to avoid damaging the foam material.
Likewise, in order to achieve a final package 30 with a smaller
diameter, the width W' may need to be increased from its minimum
size.
[0048] This written description uses examples to disclose the
invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person
skilled in the art to make and use the invention. The patentable
scope of the invention is designed by the claims, and may include
other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other
examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they
have structural elements and/or method steps that to not differ
from the literal language of the claims, or if they include
equivalent structural elements and/or method steps with
insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the
claims.
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