X-Shaped Dunnage Conversion for Fast Void Fill and Cushioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dunnage conversion machines either prioritize speed over cushioning properties or compromise on space efficiency, failing to produce a dunnage product that balances rapid production with effective cushioning and compact design.
Innovation Solution
A dunnage conversion machine with a bunching assembly that randomly crumples sheet stock material into three-dimensional plies, a feeding assembly that connects these plies to form a dunnage strip with a longitudinally-extending line of connection, and diverters to maintain edge separation, resulting in a compact, easily loadable machine that produces a dunnage product with enhanced cushioning properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conversion machines operate at high speeds to produce void-fill dunnage rapidly, then productivity is improved, but cushioning characteristics deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The machine divides the sheet stock material into multiple separate plies that are processed independently through separate paths in the bunching assembly, then recombined to form the final dunnage product. This segmentation allows each ply to be crumpled and shaped individually, maintaining cushioning properties even at high production speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transforms the two-dimensional sheet stock material into a three-dimensional crumpled structure by passing it through the bunching assembly with converging walls. This dimensional transformation creates loft and cushioning characteristics while maintaining high production speed, resolving the contradiction between speed and cushioning quality.
2Area of stationary object
If conversion machines use narrower sheet stock material to maintain compact footprint, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The machine employs multiple plies of sheet stock material that are nested and processed through the same compact bunching assembly and feeding mechanism. By utilizing the width of each individual ply to its fullest while processing multiple plies simultaneously, the machine achieves high productivity without requiring a proportionally larger footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The feeding assembly continuously advances and connects the crumpled plies in an uninterrupted sequence, forming a continuous dunnage strip that can be rapidly dispensed to fill containers. This continuous operation maximizes productivity within the compact machine structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A dunnage conversion machine includes a bunching assembly that randomly crumples at least two plies of sheet stock material into modified plies having a relatively thicker three-dimensional shape, and a feeding assembly that advances and connects together longitudinally-extending portions of the modified plies to form a dunnage strip. A diverter minimizes overlap of and encourages separation of lateral edges of the modified plies from one another, and a severing assembly severs distinct dunnage products from the strip. An exemplary resultant dunnage product includes two or more plies of crumpled sheet material interconnected along a longitudinally-extending portion having interconnected overlapped portions of each of the plies and a longitudinally-extending line of connection. Each ply may extend laterally outwardly along randomly crumpled edge portions having a crumpled lateral width greater than a lateral width of the longitudinally-extending portion, the edge portions extending from the line of connection to opposed, laterally-extending free edges.