Foam-in-bag dispensing system with bag-status indicator

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing foam-in-bag dispensing apparatuses often result in premature bag removal, leading to improper sealing or cutting, causing the bag and subsequent bags to be partially or completely open, resulting in foam precursor spillage.

Innovation Solution

A foam-in-bag dispensing system with a bag-status indicator that provides visual and audible signals to the operator when the bag is ready for removal, ensuring that the sealing and cutting operations are complete before the bag is separated from the film web, preventing premature removal.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the operator removes the bag from the apparatus, then the bag can be processed or removed for use, but the sealing and cutting operations may not be complete, causing improper sealing or cutting and foam precursor spillage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebag removal speedVSAvoidsealing and cutting completion

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system incorporates sensors that detect whether sealing and cutting operations are complete before allowing bag removal. The controller receives signals from these sensors and only permits bag removal when both operations are confirmed complete, providing feedback control to prevent premature removal and ensure reliable sealing and cutting.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If the operator waits for complete sealing and cutting before removing the bag, then proper sealing and cutting are ensured, but production time increases due to waiting

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing and cutting completionVSAvoidbag removal waiting time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing and cutting operations are performed automatically and concurrently as preliminary actions before the bag is ready for removal. The system initiates these operations in advance and monitors their completion, so that when the operations are finished, the bag is immediately ready for removal without operator waiting time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If a single heated cross-cut wire is used to seal and cut adjacent bags, then device complexity is reduced, but the operator cannot reliably determine when bags are ready for removal, leading to premature removal

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing and cutting mechanismVSAvoidbag readiness status information

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

Sensors are added to detect the completion of sealing and cutting operations and provide feedback signals to the controller. This feedback information indicates to the operator when bags are ready for removal, compensating for the simplicity of the single wire mechanism and preventing premature bag removal without significantly increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2750853B1Foam-in-bag device with bag-status indicator

Publication Date: 2021.03.31 PREGIS INTELLIPACK CORP

Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4

AI summary

Foam-ln-Bag Device with Bag-Status Indicator Disclosed herein is a foam-in-bag dispensing system (20), including a dispensing apparatus operative to dispense foam precursor, the foam precursor being configured for expanding and solidifying into a polymeric foam, to a dispensing location between first and second web plies (216) extending respectively on first and second sides of the dispensing apparatus; and a bag-status indicator (300) associated for providing an indication to the operator indicative of the readiness of the bag for removal from the device for avoiding premature bag removal.