Wrapping irregularly shaped objects in production line
AssigneeMSK-Verpackungs-Systeme GmbH
InventorNorbert Vermeulen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hood-shaped foil covering an object is heat-shrunk around the object by displacing the object covered by the foil along a generally straight path in a transport direction past a stationary heater which is directed at an acute angle to the direction. The position of the object relative to the heater as it passes the heater in the direction is detected and heat is projected from the heater at the acute angle to the direction at the object as it passes at a rate varied in accordance with the detected position of the object relative to the heater.
Claims16
A method of shrinking a heat-shrinkable hood-shaped foil covering an object, the method comprising the steps of:
- displacing the object covered by the foil along a generally straight path in a transport direction past a stationary heater;
- directing the stationary heater at an acute angle to the direction;
- detecting the position of the object relative to the heater as it passes the heater in the direction;
- and
- projecting heat from the heater at the acute angle to the direction at the object as it passes at a rate varied in accordance with the detected position of the object relative to the heater.
An apparatus for shrinking a heat-shrinkable hood-shaped foil around an object, the apparatus comprising:
- a stationary heater directed at an acute angle to a transport direction;
- conveyor means for displacing the object covered by the foil in transport direction alone a generally straight path past the stationary heater;
- means for detecting the position of the object relative to the heater as it passes the heater in the direction;
- and
- control means connected between the means for detecting and the stationary heater for projecting heat from the heater at the acute angle to the direction at the object as it passes at a rate varied in accordance with the detected position of the object relative to the heater.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.