Shrink Sleeve Cutting Roller for Precise Opening Formation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for creating openings in shrink sleeves on containers, such as pre-cut holes, face challenges with precise registration and irregular shaping during the shrinking process, leading to decreased functionality and inconsistent hole formation, especially on high-speed packaging lines.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus featuring a rotating roller mounted on an arm with a continuous drive, positioned to remove a predetermined portion of the shrink sleeve and guided by a driver to transition between locations, allowing for precise removal and transportation to a vacuum port, ensuring accurate and controlled hole formation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If pre-cut holes are included in the shrink sleeve prior to shrinking, then the opening is provided in the shrink sleeve, but precise registration with the container is difficult and the hole becomes irregularly shaped during shrinking

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of providing openingVSAvoidprecision of hole location and shape

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The apparatus performs preliminary cutting of the shrink sleeve to create an opening before the shrinking process. The cutter is positioned to cut the sleeve while it is still in its unshrunk state, allowing for precise control of the opening location and shape. After cutting, the sleeve is then shrunk onto the container, maintaining the precision of the opening while achieving the desired fit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of manufacture

If a pre-cut hole is made in the shrink sleeve, then an opening is created, but the hole becomes uncontrollably irregularly shaped as tension develops during shrinking

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of creating openingVSAvoidshape consistency of hole

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The opening is cut in the shrink sleeve before the shrinking process begins. By performing the cutting operation while the sleeve is in its stable, unshrunk state, the shape and size of the opening can be precisely controlled. The sleeve is then shrunk onto the container, and since the opening was already formed, it maintains its intended shape without becoming irregular due to tension development during shrinking.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If high speed packaging lines are used, then productivity increases, but precise registration of the shrink sleeve with the container becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepackaging speedVSAvoidregistration precision

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The opening is cut in the shrink sleeve before it is placed on the container, allowing precise positioning of the opening relative to the sleeve itself. This preliminary cutting action ensures that even at high speeds, the opening will be in the correct location once the sleeve is shrunk onto the container, maintaining registration precision while enabling high-speed operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Manufacturing precision

If the shrink sleeve is shrunk first and then a hole is punched, then the opening is created after shrinking, but irregular holes are formed with inconsistent shape across multiple packages

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehole placement accuracyVSAvoidhole shape consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The opening is cut in the shrink sleeve before the shrinking process. By performing the cutting operation in advance while the sleeve is in its stable, unshrunk state, both the placement accuracy and shape consistency of the opening are maintained. The sleeve is then shrunk onto the container with the pre-formed opening intact, ensuring uniform and consistent holes across all packages without the irregularities that occur when punching after shrinking.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution enables precise and consistent removal of shrink sleeve portions, improving the functionality of container grips and handles by maintaining accurate hole placement and shape, even at high speeds, enhancing packaging efficiency and consumer safety.

Implementation Method 1

a vacuum port proximal to said roller when said roller is in said first position

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVacuum: Vacuum

Data Source

PatentEP3445664B1Apparatus for forming a sleeve on a container

Publication Date: 2022.06.29 PROCTER & GAMBLE CO

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AI summary

An apparatus including: a conveyor (20) having a machine direction (MD) and a cross-machine direction (CD) and a pair of edges (22) spaced apart from one another in the cross-machine direction; a roller (132) mounted to an arm (160) and engaged with a continuous drive (300), wherein the arm is pivotably mounted to a frame (170), wherein the roller has a first position and a second position, wherein the roller in the first position is located at a predetermined location (140) above the conveyor and laterally within the pair of edges, wherein the roller in the second position is remote from the predetermined location, and wherein the roller and the continuous drive are separated from one another by an obstruction (320); a driver (150) operatively engaged with the arm to move the roller from the first position to the second position; and a vacuum port (135) proximal to the roller when the roller is in the first position.