Random case sealer with case lifter
Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a random case sealer including a case lifter configured to lift a case out of engagement with a lower drive element 115 (such as a drive belt) of the case sealer as the case reaches a holding position beneath the top-head assembly 400 and, afterwards, to lower the case into engagement with the lower drive element once the top-head assembly has descended to within a designated distance of the top surface of the case. In certain of these embodiments, the case lifter includes a case blocker 215 positioned to stop the case from moving any further beneath the top-head assembly once it reaches the holding position.
1 . A case sealer comprising:
a frame;
a top-head assembly;
a top-head-assembly actuator operably connected to the top-head assembly and configured to move the top-head assembly relative to the frame;
a tape cartridge supported by the top-head assembly;
a lower drive element;
a lower-drive-element actuator operably connected to and configured to drive the lower drive element;
a case lifter upstream of the tape cartridge and movable relative to the lower drive element between a case-lifting position in which a portion of the case lifter is above a top surface of the lower drive element and a retracted position in which the portion of the case lifter is not above the top surface of the lower drive element, wherein when the case lifter is in the case-lifting position, the portion of the case lifter forms a ramp oriented to, as a leading end of a case is moved onto the case lifter, lift the leading end of the case such that part of a lower surface of the case is lifted above and out of contact with the lower drive element;
a case-lifter actuator operably connected to the case lifter and configured to move the case lifter;
a case-lifter sensor configured to detect a case beneath the top-head assembly and configured to transmit a case-detected signal responsive to detecting the case; and
a controller communicatively connected to the case-lifter sensor and operably connected to the case-lifter actuator, the controller configured to, responsive to receiving the case-detected signal from the case-lifter sensor, control the case-lifter actuator to cause the case lifter to move from the case-lifting position to the retracted position such that the part of the lower surface of the case contacts the lower drive element and the lower drive element moves the case past the tape cartridge such that the tape cartridge applies tape to the case.
2 . The case sealer of claim 1 , wherein the case lifter is pivotable relative to the lower drive element between the case-lifting and retracted positions.
3 . The case sealer of claim 2 , wherein the frame at least partially defines an infeed end and an outfeed end of the case sealer, wherein the case lifter pivots away from the infeed end and toward the outfeed end when pivoting from the case-lifting position to the retracted position.
4 . The case sealer of claim 1 , wherein the case-lifter actuator is configured to move the case lifter from the retracted position to the case-lifting position.
5 . The case sealer of claim 1 , wherein the case-lifter sensor is further configured to transmit a case-undetected signal responsive to no longer detecting the case, wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to receiving the case-undetected signal from the case-lifter sensor after receiving the case-detected signal from the case-lifter sensor, cause the case lifter to move from the retracted position to the case-lifting position.
6 . The case sealer of claim 5 , wherein the case lifter is biased to the case-lifting position.
7 . The case sealer of claim 5 , wherein the case-lifter actuator is operably connected to the case lifter to move the case lifter from the retracted position to the case-lifting position,
wherein the case-lifter sensor is configured to transmit a case-undetected signal to the controller responsive to no longer detecting the case,
wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to receiving the case-undetected signal from the case-lifter sensor, control the case-lifter actuator to move the case lifter from the retracted position to the case-lifting position.
8 . The case sealer of claim 1 , wherein the case-lifter sensor is configured to detect the case within a designated distance of the top-head assembly.
9 . The case sealer of claim 1 , wherein the lower drive element comprises a first lower drive element, further comprising a second lower drive element spaced-apart from the first lower drive element, wherein the case lifter is between the first and second lower drive elements.
10 . The case sealer of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the case lifter comprises a case-engaging surface, wherein the case lifter further comprises a case blocker positioned above the top surface of the lower drive element when the case lifter is in the case-lifting position and not above the top surface of the lower drive element when the case lifter is in the retracted position.
11 . The case sealer of claim 10 , wherein the case blocker extends from the case-engaging surface of the case lifter.
12 . The case sealer of claim 1 , wherein the case-lifter sensor is positioned on an underside of the top-head assembly.
13 . The case sealer of claim 12 , wherein the case-lifter sensor comprises a proximity sensor.