Automated Paper Ring Carrier Applicator for Beverage Containers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional packaging systems for containers, such as bottles and cans, require constant human observation and loading, and are not efficient for high-speed, automatic separation and application of environmentally friendly paper-based ring carriers, which are needed to replace harmful plastic yokes.
Innovation Solution
A high-speed automated ring carrier applicator system that uses a magazine of ring carriers, an electronic controller, a delivery conveyor, a sorting mechanism, and an applicator station to apply 'fishbone'-style paper-based ring carriers to containers with a neck-engaging locking mechanism, enabling efficient and reliable automation of the packaging process without human intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional plastic ring yokes are used for packaging containers, then the packaging provides efficient grasp and carry functionality, but the plastic material takes a very long time to decompose and breaks down into microplastics that harm ecosystems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from plastic to paper-based material, transforming the environmental properties while maintaining packaging functionality. The paper-based ring carrier retains the structural characteristics needed for grasping and carrying containers while being biodegradable and environmentally friendly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite material construction for the ring carrier, combining paper-based materials with specific structural designs (interlocking segments, flaps, and locking mechanisms) to achieve both environmental sustainability and functional performance equivalent to plastic yokes.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If paper-based ring carriers are used to replace plastic yokes, then environmental harm is reduced through biodegradability, but the packaging system requires constant human observation and loading which reduces efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-loading mechanism where the ring carrier automatically feeds itself onto the containers through a magazine system. The carrier's structural design enables it to be picked up and applied by the automated applicator without requiring human intervention for loading, thereby maintaining productivity while using eco-friendly materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The ring carriers are pre-loaded into a magazine in advance, preparing them for automated application. This preliminary action allows the system to operate continuously at high speed without requiring constant human intervention to load individual carriers, thus resolving the efficiency concern.
3Ease of operation
If conventional packaging applicator systems are used for paper-based ring carriers, then the system can apply carriers to containers, but the system requires constant human observation and intervention which reduces automation level
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical loading with an automated magazine-fed system. The applicator mechanism automatically picks ring carriers from the magazine and applies them to containers using controlled mechanical motion, eliminating the need for human observation and intervention while maintaining precise application capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the loading function from the human operator and transfers it to an automated magazine system. The magazine serves as a separate automated component that supplies carriers to the applicator, thereby removing the need for constant human intervention in the packaging process.
4Productivity
If high-speed automated application is implemented, then productivity and efficiency are improved, but the system complexity increases with multiple components including magazine, applicator, and controller
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the ring carrier with multi-functional characteristics that simplify the overall system. The carrier's structural features (such as the locking mechanism and geometric shape) enable it to be stored, transported, and applied using a standardized applicator, reducing the need for specialized components and simplifying the system architecture despite the automated high-speed operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A high-speed automated ring carrier applicator system and methods of using the same are provided. The applicator system is operable to be loaded with a magazine of ring carriers and individually apply them to a plurality of individual containers for beverages, food, pharmaceuticals, or other goods. The ring carriers may include a plurality of full or partial apertures (e.g., 2 to 12, or other numbers of apertures), each with a neck-engaging locking mechanism to receive and hold a container.