US 11,628,643 B2Granted

Methods and a machine for forming a shelf-ready shipper display system

AssigneeWestRock Shared Services, LLC

InventorsDavid G. Couture, Craig W. Buscema, Thomas D. Graham, Robert Bradley Teany, Amer Aganovic

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A machine for forming a container from a blank includes a mandrel mounted to a frame. The mandrel includes a first side, an opposite second side, and an external shape complementary to an internal shape of at least a portion of the container. The machine also includes a first presser arm, a folding arm, and a second presser arm each coupled to the frame. The first presser arm is positionable generally proximate the first side of the mandrel and is configured to wrap a first portion of the blank about the mandrel. The folding arm is positionable at least generally proximate the second side of the mandrel and is configured to wrap a second portion of the blank about the mandrel. The second presser arm is disposed generally proximate the first presser arm and is configured to wrap a third portion of the blank about the mandrel.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A machine for forming a container from a blank, wherein the blank includes a reinforcement panel, a first side panel, a first end panel, a second side panel, a second end panel, and a glue panel connected in series along a plurality of parallel fold lines, said machine comprising:

a mandrel coupled to a frame said mandrel having a first side, an opposite second side, and an external shape complementary to an internal shape of at least a portion of the container;
a first presser arm associated with the frame, said first presser arm positionable generally proximate said first side of said mandrel, said first presser arm configured to press a first portion of the blank including at least the second end panel against said first side of said mandrel;
a folding arm associated with the frame, said folding arm positionable at least generally proximate said second side of said mandrel, said folding arm configured to wrap a second portion of the blank including at least the first end panel and the first side panel about said mandrel;
a second presser arm associated with the frame, said second presser arm disposed generally proximate said first presser arm, said second presser arm configured to press a third portion of the blank including at least the reinforcement panel against said first side of said mandrel such that that the reinforcement panel comes substantially into face-to-face contact with the first side of the mandrel to overlay the second end panel for coupling the reinforcement panel to the second end panel;
and
a reinforcement panel presser assembly associated with the frame, said reinforcement panel presser assembly configured to press the reinforcement panel and the second end panel together against said first side of said mandrel to couple the reinforcement panel and the second end panel together to form the container from the blank.

3 more elements

A method for forming a container from a blank using a machine, wherein the blank includes a reinforcement panel, a first side panel, a first end panel, a second side panel, a second end panel, and a glue panel connected in series along a plurality of parallel fold lines, and where the machine includes a mandrel, a first presser arm positionable generally proximate a first side of the mandrel, a folding arm positionable at least generally proximate a second side of the mandrel opposite the first side, and a second presser arm disposed generally proximate the first presser arm, said method comprising:

positioning the blank under the mandrel;
pressing a first portion of the blank including at least the second end panel against the first side of the mandrel using the first presser arm;
wrapping a second portion of the blank including at least the first end panel and the first side panel about the mandrel using the folding arm;
wrapping a third portion of the blank including at least the reinforcement panel about the mandrel to overlay the second end panel against the first side of the mandrel using the second presser arm such that the reinforcement panel comes substantially into face-to-face contact with the first side of the mandrel;
pressing the reinforcement panel and the second end panel together against said first side of said mandrel using a reinforcement panel pressor assembly for coupling the reinforcement panel and the second end panel together to form the container from the blank;
and
ejecting the container from the mandrel after the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion of the blank are wrapped about the mandrel.

4 more elements

A container formed from a blank using a machine that includes a mandrel, a first presser arm positionable generally proximate a first side of the mandrel, a folding arm positionable at least generally proximate a second side of the mandrel opposite the first side, and a second presser arm disposed generally proximate the first presser arm, wherein the blank includes a reinforcement panel, a first side panel, a first end panel, a second side panel, a second end panel, and a glue panel connected in series along a plurality of parallel fold lines, the container formed by the process of:

positioning the second side panel under the mandrel;
pressing at least the second end panel about the first side of the mandrel using the first presser arm;
wrapping at least the first end panel and the first side panel about the mandrel using the folding arm;
wrapping at least the reinforcement panel about the mandrel to overlay the second end panel to overlay the second end panel against the first side of the mandrel using the second presser arm such that the reinforcement panel comes substantially into face-to-face contact with the first side of the mandrel;
pressing the reinforcement panel and the second end panel together against said first side of said mandrel using a reinforcement panel pressor assembly for coupling the reinforcement panel to the second end panel to form the container from the blank;
and
ejecting the container from the mandrel after the second end panel, the first end panel, and the reinforcement panel are wrapped about the mandrel.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/717,818Filed 17 Dec 2019 · continuation
Priority: 19 Dec 2014
Published: US 2020/0122425 A123 Apr 2020
Granted: 18 Apr 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

B31B 50/28
Folding sheets, blanks or webs: around mandrels, e.g. for forming bottoms
B31B 50/62
Uniting opposed surfaces or edges; Taping: by adhesives
B65D 5/5445
Lines of weakness to facilitate opening of container or dividing it into separate parts by cutting or tearing: for dividing a tubular body into…
B31B 2100/002
Rigid or semi-rigid containers made by folding single-piece sheets, blanks or webs: characterised by the shape of the blank from which they are formed

Family

Application62/094,241Us provisional application · filed 19 Dec 2014
Application14/968,404Parent of this continuation · filed 14 Dec 2015
US 2020/0122425 A1Pre-grant publication · published 23 Apr 2020
US 10,556,396 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2016/0176142 A1Published application
US 11,628,643 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.