Heat Shrink Sleeve Orientation Using Angular Position Detection

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for orienting heat-shrinkable sleeves around asymmetric containers, such as those with cartoon character shapes, face challenges in achieving accurate angular orientation and printed image alignment due to high tolerance issues, leading to unsatisfactory results in terms of throughput, force application, and image positioning.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus and method that utilize a conveyor belt system with moveable sleeve orientation units, which determine angular position differences between the sleeve and container, and adjust the sleeve's position by varying the speed and holding time of a support surface to align the sleeve accurately without applying force directly to the container, allowing for precise orientation and alignment of the sleeve relative to the container.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If separate conveyor belts are used to rotate the container by gripping the lid or cap, then the container can be oriented relative to the sleeve, but the rotation takes time and the apparatus must extend along a considerable length, reducing throughput

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveangular orientation accuracyVSAvoidthroughput

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

A marker is introduced as an intermediary reference element that is easily detectable and can be placed on either the container or sleeve. This marker serves as a common reference point that simplifies the orientation process, allowing for rapid detection and alignment without complex mechanical rotation systems, thereby maintaining high throughput while achieving precise angular orientation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The mechanical rotation system using separate conveyor belts gripping the lid or cap is replaced with an optical detection system that uses a marker and imaging device to detect angular position. This substitution eliminates the need for time-consuming mechanical rotation while maintaining orientation accuracy, thus improving throughput without sacrificing manufacturing precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Manufacturing precision

If forces are exerted onto the cap or lid for rotating the container, then the container can be oriented, but the cap or lid may be fastened too tightly or loosened during the process

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveangular orientation accuracyVSAvoidlid or cap fastening integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A marker is introduced as an intermediary reference element that is easily detectable and can be placed on either the container or sleeve. This marker serves as a common reference point that simplifies the orientation process, allowing for rapid detection and alignment without complex mechanical rotation systems, thereby maintaining high throughput while achieving precise angular orientation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The mechanical rotation system using separate conveyor belts gripping the lid or cap is replaced with an optical detection system that uses a marker and imaging device to detect angular position. This substitution eliminates the need for time-consuming mechanical rotation while maintaining orientation accuracy, thus improving throughput without sacrificing manufacturing precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Manufacturing precision

If the sleeve is arranged around asymmetric containers with high precision requirements, then the angular orientation must be accurate, but printing tolerances make it difficult to guarantee sufficient image positioning accuracy

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveangular orientation accuracyVSAvoidprinted image positioning accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

A marker is introduced as an intermediary reference element that is easily detectable and can be placed on either the container or sleeve. This marker serves as a common reference point that simplifies the orientation process, allowing for rapid detection and alignment without complex mechanical rotation systems, thereby maintaining high throughput while achieving precise angular orientation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

An imaging device detects the actual angular position of the marker and provides feedback to a control system. The control system uses this feedback information to calculate and apply the necessary angular correction to the sleeve positioning system, ensuring that the printed image on the sleeve is accurately aligned with the container features despite printing tolerances.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS9944420B2Apparatus and method for orienting a tubular heat-shrinkable sleeve relative to a container

Publication Date: 2018.04.17 FUJI SEAL INTERNATIONAL INC

AI summary

An apparatus and method for orienting a tubular heat-shrinkable sleeve relative to a container. The apparatus includes a sleeve orientation unit that uses a moveable support surface to hold and rotate the sleeve relative to the container. To that end, the apparatus further includes a determining unit for determining an angular position difference between the container and the sleeve relative to an axis perpendicular to the conveyor belt on which the container is transported. The angular position difference is used to control the movement of the support surface.