Selective Lid Placement in Palletized Cardboard Package Stacks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packaging systems for cardboard boxes on pallets use lids to protect contents, which increase weight and are costly and environmentally disadvantageous.
Innovation Solution
Only a subset of cardboard boxes on a pallet, specifically the topmost boxes, are sealed with lids, while lower boxes are protected by the ones above them, reducing weight and material usage through selective lid application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If all cardboard boxes are fitted with lids in the packaging machine, then protection of contents from external influences is improved, but pallet weight increases and material costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies lids selectively only to specific positions (topmost boxes and intermediate boxes in certain stacks) rather than uniformly to all boxes. This local differentiation maintains protection where needed while eliminating unnecessary lids in lower boxes that are already protected by upper boxes, thus resolving the contradiction between protection and weight reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of providing lids for all boxes (excessive action), the patent provides lids for only the necessary subset of boxes (partial action). The topmost boxes receive lids for direct protection, while lower boxes rely on the protective effect of boxes above them, achieving sufficient protection with reduced material usage and weight.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If all cardboard boxes are fitted with lids, then protection of contents is improved, but material consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Lids are applied locally only to topmost and selected intermediate boxes rather than universally to all boxes. This localized application maintains adequate protection for contents that need it most while eliminating wasteful material consumption on boxes that are already protected by the packaging structure above them.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the lid application function from being universal and applies it only where necessary. By removing lids from lower boxes that don't need direct protection, the system eliminates unnecessary material consumption while maintaining the essential protective function through the structural arrangement of stacked boxes.
3Weight of stationary object
If selective lid application is implemented, then pallet weight is reduced, but complexity of coordinating packaging and palletizing machines increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the control functions of the packaging machine and palletizing machine through their control units. The palletizing machine's control unit receives information about box positions and coordinates lid application with the packaging machine, combining their operations to achieve selective lid placement without requiring separate complex control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback mechanisms where the palletizing machine's control unit receives data about box positioning and stack configuration, then communicates back to the packaging machine which adjusts its lid application accordingly. This feedback loop enables coordinated selective lid placement based on actual stack arrangements, managing complexity through information exchange.
Data Source
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Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for filling open-topped cardboard packages (12) with a group of items and for stacking the filled (in particular identical) cardboard packages (12) on a pallet (18), in which individual cardboard packages (12) are filled with the items of the respective group in a packaging machine (20) and then conveyed along a particularly straight conveyor line to a palletizing machine (21), in which several stacks (11) of cardboard packages (12) are formed with each stacked cardboard packages (12) on top of the other and arranged on a common pallet (18), wherein several cardboard packages (12) intended for the same pallet (18) are provided in the packaging machine (20) with a lid (16) that closes the respective cardboard package (12) after it has been filled.The invention is characterized in that in the packaging machine (20) not all cardboard packs (12) intended for the same pallet (18) are provided with a lid (16), but only a subset of the cardboard packs (12) provided for this purpose, at least the cardboard pack (12) that is intended for the uppermost cardboard pack (12) of each stack (11) of the pallet (18).