Device and method for cushioning at least one object in a container

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for cushioning at least one object (12a-c) in a container (10a-c), comprising a cushioning material provisioning system (19) for the provision of cushioning material (28a-c) and a request means (25) which is coupled to the cushioning material provisioning system (19) and which outputs a signal to the cushioning material provisioning system (19) in order to request cushioning material (28a-c), the request means (25) allowing acoustic signals, in particular voice signals, to be converted.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device and a method for cushioning at least one object in a container according to the two independent claims.

[0002] It is known, both from the market and from patent publications DE 10 2012 222 805 B3 and DE 10 2012 218 679 A1, to cushion objects in a container, for example, a packaging carton, which are to be transported in the container, using crumpled paper. The crumpled paper forms a cushioning pad and is produced from a web-like starting material in a cushioning forming device. After production, the cushioning pad or pads are placed into the container by a person ("packer"). The number and length of the cushioning pads are determined by the packer during production, with the determination being based on an estimate of the empty volume present in the container by the packer.

[0003] In addition, it is also known to use alternative cushioning materials, such as so-called "bubble wrap," in which air cushions are created from a web material enclosed in a film material in a cushioning conversion device. Here, too, the number and length of the interconnected cushioning cushions is determined by the packer.

[0004] This also applies analogously to other cushioning materials, such as padding with a variety of foamed molded bodies, which are available, for example, in the form of chips or pellets, etc. Here, too, the number of cushioning materials to be used is specified by the packer.

[0005] For all variants, systems are available on the market in which the packer requests the cushioning material from the cushioning material supply device using a hand or foot switch.

[0006] In particular, when a request is made using a hand-operated switch serving as a request means, the packer's hands are not free during this time, which impairs the speed of packing, especially if additional cushioning materials must be requested. Furthermore, when using a foot-operated request means, the packer's position is predetermined, which may not be desirable from an ergonomic point of view. WO 98 / 56663 A1 and US 2002 / 0104293 A1 disclose a device and a method for cushioning at least one article in a container, in which an article number of an article to be packed can be entered using a microphone. The quantity of cushioning material predefined for this article is then retrieved from a memory and made available.

[0007] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a device and a method of the type mentioned at the outset which enable a cushioning means to be provided in a simple manner.

[0008] The object is achieved according to the invention by a device and a method having the features of the independent patent claims. Further features can also be found in the following description and the accompanying drawings.

[0009] According to the invention, an apparatus according to claim 1 and a method according to claim 2 are disclosed.

[0010] The invention has recognized that if an acoustic signal in the form of a word is used to request packaging materials, the packaging process experiences the least possible disruption. In particular, if additional cushioning materials need to be requested during the packaging process, the packer does not have to interrupt the packing process and can fix the item to be packed in the desired position in the container or continue the packing process with previously requested cushioning materials until new cushioning materials are provided. Furthermore, the packer is less "statically" tied to their workstation and can change their position more easily from an ergonomic point of view than if foot control is provided. This can achieve, among other advantages, an increase in efficiency. Furthermore, a request via a word is considered a particularly intuitive form of operation.

[0011] Furthermore, a user can thus very easily cause the device to provide the desired type of padding material and / or the desired amount of padding material by using, for example, certain learned keywords.

[0012] It can be provided that the control and / or regulating device processes the signals of the request means and initiates the provision of the cushioning means.

[0013] The cushioning material supply system can be designed as either mobile or stationary. A mobile solution can increase the flexibility of the location of use. Solutions suitable for smaller quantities of goods to be packaged are also conceivable.

[0014] It is particularly preferred if both qualitative and quantitative signals can be transmitted and processed.

[0015] According to the invention, as a first alternative, it is provided that in response to a first acoustic signal, a cushioning means provision device begins to provide cushioning means and in response to a second acoustic signal, the device stops its work.

[0016] This can be implemented vocally, for example, by providing such a solution with the simple command "Start" and the simple command "Stop." Alternatively, it is also conceivable to provide the same acoustic signal for "Start" and "Stop."

[0017] According to the invention, a second alternative is provided for the cushioning agent supply device to provide three (units) of cushioning agent based on numerical specifications, e.g., "3." Alternatively, specifications such as "3 long" etc. can also be implemented.

[0018] A corresponding device, which in particular contains voice recognition software, can be part of the request means and / or the control and / or regulating device. In addition, the request means comprises a microphone. Furthermore, according to an advantageous exemplary embodiment, the cushioning means provision device can comprise a cushioning means forming unit in which the cushioning means is provided by forming a web-shaped starting material. In this case, it can be particularly advantageous to use crumpled paper as the cushioning means, from which cushioning cushions are produced by crumpling and cutting the starting material to length. Crumpled paper is particularly resource-efficient and can be easily produced on-site. The web-shaped starting material can be rolled up on a roll or, for example, folded in a zigzag pattern as a flat material.The quantity of crumpled paper can be defined by a number or by a number and a length of individual cushioning pads made of crumpled paper.

[0019] Alternatively, it is also conceivable to produce gas-filled cushioning pockets from a tubular, double-layered film material. In this case, the cushioning material forming device fills a pocket provided in the film material with a gas, preferably air, and the cushioning pocket is then sealed, for example, using a conventional thermal welding process. The individual cushioning cushions can be cut to length from the web material, whereby several cushioning cushions can remain connected to one another via material sections in which no air filling is provided. Perforations can be provided between the individual pre-formed cushions to facilitate separation. Another particularly advantageous feature here is that the formation of the voluminous cushioning material takes place on-site, while the tubular film material can be cut into rolls and thus stored in a space-saving manner.In addition, such material takes up very little space when disposed of, as the air trapped in the cushions can be easily removed.

[0020] Alternatively, bags or pouches filled with expanding foam ("foam bags") can also be used as cushioning material. This way, the foam can preferably only expand at the packing station, for example, allowing for custom-fit cushioning solutions. The bags can be joined together to form a web of material and cut to length from it, or they can be provided individually pre-assembled.

[0021] Another alternative option is loose fill, particularly foamed padding materials (“loose fill”), which are generally not manufactured on-site. Their smaller size allows for particularly good enclosing of the material to be packaged. These can then be dispensed, for example, in units, with each unit containing a defined quantity of poster materials.

[0022] Voice control enables the required quantity of cushioning material to be provided as precisely as possible. The invention takes advantage of the knowledge that a packaging scenario, i.e., a given combination of container and object, generally always requires the same amount of cushioning material, so that an experienced packer can request the correct quantity of cushioning material by visually scanning a packaging scenario. Furthermore, subsequent requests are also easily possible.

[0023] According to a further development, it is particularly preferred that when producing cushioning material, it be automatically transported into the container immediately after production. This saves time and relieves the workload of the packer, who is ultimately responsible for packing the items in the container. The packer can then perform the final positioning.

[0024] It is particularly preferred that the cushioning material be transported into the container by gravity. This eliminates the need for a complex transport device with a separate drive, which in turn saves costs.

[0025] For example, the cushioning material can be transported along a chute into the container. This allows for precise and reliable transport while maintaining low costs and high reliability due to the lack of drive systems.

[0026] An embodiment of the invention will be explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] The drawing shows: Figure 1 a schematic diagram showing the preliminary determination of a quantity of cushioning material for three different packaging scenarios; Figure 2a schematic representation showing the provision of a container with a first packaging scenario of Figure 1 shows the relevant information; Figure 3 a schematic diagram showing the provision of cushioning material for the packaging scenario of Figure 2 shows; Figure 4 a schematic representation of the container, object and cushioning material of the packaging scenario of Figure 2 .

[0028] In Figure 1 The containers shown bear the reference numerals 10a, 10b, and 10c. These containers are, for example, containers made of cardboard material, such as those used by mail-order companies for shipping ordered items. In principle, however, the containers can also be made of plastic or another material. It can be seen that containers 10a and 10b are identical, whereas container 10c is wider and shorter than containers 10a and 10b.

[0029] An object 12a, 12b, or 12c is arranged in each of the containers. Although only a single object 12a-c is shown here, it is also conceivable in principle that several objects are arranged in one container 10a-c. It can be seen that the objects 12a-12c shown are different. The combination of container 10a-c and object 12a-c thus defines a very specific packaging scenario 14a-c. This is characterized, among other things, by a specific individual size and also a specific individual distribution of an empty volume 16a-c, shown in dotted lines in the figure, in the container 10a-c in which the object 12a-c is arranged.

[0030] For example, via an acoustic signal, which is detected by a request means not shown, the required amount of cushioning material expected by a packer for the size of the empty volume 16a-c of the specific packaging scenario 14a-c can be communicated to a control and / or regulating device 18, which in Figure 1 is indicated by respective arrows 20a-c. The control and / or regulating device 18 can be, for example, a conventional PC.

[0031] In this case, as will be explained in more detail below, cushioning pads made of crumpled paper material are provided as cushioning material. The control and / or regulating device 18 then requests the required quantity of cushioning material from a cushioning material supply device for each of the packaging scenarios 14a-c, in accordance with the number of cushioning pads requested by the packer.

[0032] All this happens in parallel with the regular packing of items in appropriate containers.

[0033] It is understood that other cushioning materials can also be used. For example, air-filled bags ("airbags"), bags filled with expanding foam ("foam bags" or "foam-in-bags"), or so-called "loose-fill" material can also be used as cushioning materials. Bags filled with expanding foam are known, for example, from WO 2010 / 076026 A1. The packaging scenario 14a-c is recorded by a person, for example, through trial and error or experience. Instead of transmitting, as is known, the number and dimensions of cushioning pads made of crumpled paper for a specific packaging scenario 14a-c to the control and / or regulating device 18, for example, via a keyboard (not shown) or a foot switch, the invention uses an acoustic signal output, preferably a voice signal.For example, the signal can be "1 short, 1 medium, 1 long" to request three cushion pads 28a - c of different lengths.

[0034] It is also possible, not according to the invention, for a specific keyword to be assigned to the type of cushioning material and / or the quantity of cushioning material desired. For example, the user can say "Paper 30" to receive a 30 cm long cushioning pad made of crumpled paper. Or they can say "Foam 50 30" to receive a 50 cm long bag filled 30% with expanding foam. Or they can simply say "again" to prompt the provision of the same cushioning material that was previously provided.

[0035] Regular packing of items in containers is now carried out with reference to the Figure 2-4 First of all, one can see from Figure 2that a container 10a with an object 12a is being transported on a roller conveyor 22. A person ("packer") now evaluates which packaging scenario is involved (arrow 21). The packer then requests the required number and quantity of cushioning materials (28a - 28c) (e.g., 1 x short, 1 x medium, 1 x long) from the cushioning material supply device 19, which includes the control and / or regulating device 18, via a voice signal (arrow 23). For this purpose, a corresponding voice recognition system is provided in the control and / or regulating device 18, to which a request means 25, which has a microphone, is coupled.

[0036] The cushioning means, in this case the cushioning cushions 28a-c, are provided at the cushioning means provision device 19 ( Figure 3 ). As mentioned, this information transmitted via the signal is the number and length of the cushion pads 28a-c to be provided.

[0037] In addition to the control and / or regulating device 18, the cushioning material supply device (18) includes a cushioning material conversion device 40. The cushioning material supply device 19 can be stationary, but it can also be a mobile device. This is indicated here by the fact that the cushioning conversion device 40 comprises a stand 44 that can be moved by means of rollers 42.

[0038] The control and / or regulating device 18 controls the cushioning conversion device 40 such that the three cushioning pads 28a, 28b, and 28c already mentioned above are produced from a web-shaped paper starting material 48, which is currently stored on a roll 46, by mechanical crumpling and are thus provided (it is understood that the web-shaped paper starting material could also be stored as a zigzag-folded stack instead of on a roll). These cushioning pads 28a-c differ in their length, which is L1 for cushioning pad 28a, L2 for cushioning pad 28b, and L3 for cushioning pad 28c. The cushioning pads 28a-c are output by the cushioning conversion device 40 from a machine output 50.

[0039] A person now takes the produced cushions 28a-c and places them as shown in Figure 4As shown, in the empty volume 16a such that it is sufficiently filled and the object 12a is adequately protected both against slipping and against damage from external forces acting on the container 10a. The container 10a can now be closed and transported by folding over flaps 52.

Claims

1. A device for cushioning at least one object (12a-c) in a container (10a-c) comprising a cushioning material provisioning system (19) for providing cushioning material (28a-c) in the form of cushioning pads and a request means (25), which comprises a microphone and which is coupled to the cushioning material provisioning system (19) and transmits a signal for requesting cushioning material (28a-c) to the cushioning material provisioning system (19), wherein the request means (25) allows acoustic signals to be converted, wherein the cushioning material provisioning system (19) comprises a control and / or regulating device (18) which processes the signals from the request device (25) and causes the cushioning pads (28a-c) to be provided, characterized in that, upon a first acoustic signal, the cushioning material provisioning system (19) begins to provide cushioning pads (28a-c) and, upon a second acoustic signal, the cushioning material provisioning system (19) terminates its operation, and / or that a specific number of cushioning pads (28a-c) is assigned a specific acoustic signal in the form of the number of units of cushioning pads (28a-c), whereby the number of cushioning pads (28a-c) desired by the user is provided in accordance with the acoustic signal uttered by the user.

2. A method for cushioning at least one object in a container by the following steps, in particular using a device according to claim 1: a) supplying the container to a cushioning material provisioning system, b) transmitting a signal for requesting cushioning material via a request means to the cushioning material provisioning system, c) providing the cushioning material based on the transmitted signal, d) an acoustic signal is used as the signal, e) providing a control and / or regulating device (18) which processes the signals from the request means (25) and causes the cushioning pads (28a-c) to be provided, characterized in that it further comprises the following steps: starting to provide cushioning pads (28a-c) upon a first acoustic signal and stopping the provision of cushioning pads (28a-c) upon a second acoustic signal, and / or assigning a specific acoustic signal in the form of a number of units of cushioning pads (28a-c) to a specific number of cushioning pads (28a-c) and providing the number of cushioning pads (28a-c) desired by the user in accordance with the acoustic signal uttered by the user.

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