IP Library Granted Patent US 9,492,984
Granted Patent B2
US 9,492,984 · App. 14/530,813 · Granted Nov 15, 2016

Systems and methods for treating and handling cardboard sheets

Inventors: David Ben-David (Rehovot, IL); Yaki Stern (Shoham, IL); Yaron Smirnov (Netanya, IL); Tal Harmon (Gedera, IL)
Assignee: HIGHCON SYSTEMS LTD.
B31B1/74B31B2201/0235B31B2201/927B31B2201/95
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,492,984
App. No.
14/530,813
Granted
Nov 15, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

System and methods of treating or handling cardboard sheets.

Claims (42)

1. A method of applying pre-treatment to a cardboard item using a dynamic-multiple-scanner system, the method comprising the actions of:

providing a system which comprises a controller, a conveyor, and two or more laser-beam scanners communicatively coupled to the controller and configured to pre-treat a cardboard while the cardboard is being conveyed on the conveyor at a substantially constant velocity,

wherein the controller is configured to dynamically and automatically assign responsibility area to at least one of the two or more laser-beam scanners to pre-treat the cardboard;

obtaining a required layout of a cardboard for laser-beam pre-treatment;

dividing the cardboard into a plurality of divisions;

defining one or more laser-beam scanner responsibility areas for one or more divisions; and

defining one or more laser-beam scanner pre-treating starting points for one or more divisions.

2. An automatic-adjustable stacker, comprising:

a controller that obtains information on a length of a pre-treated cardboard; and an automatic-adjustable gripper mechanism;

wherein the controller synchronizes the automatic-adjustable gripper mechanism with the arrival of a leading edge of a pre-treated cardboard at substantially an end-edge of a module preceding the automatic-adjustable stacker, the automatic-adjustable gripper mechanism operating to:

grip the leading-edge of the pre-treated cardboard from the substantially end-edge of the module preceding the automatic-adjustable stacker;

transfer the pre-treated cardboard toward a desired location; and

release the transferred pre-treated cardboard when a trailing-edge of the pre-treated cardboard is proximate to the end-edge of the module preceding the automatic-adjustable stacker, based at least in part on the length of the pre-treated cardboard obtained by the controller, wherein a concavity-like shape is created to the pretreated cardboard while it is being transferred;

the stacker further comprising an automatic-adjustable extender that is placed substantially near the end-edge of the module preceding the automatic-adjustable stacker, wherein the length of the automatic-adjustable extender is automatically adjusted according to commands received from the controller, and wherein the automatic-adjustable gripper mechanism operates to: transfer the pre-treated cardboard toward the desired location by transferring the pre-treated cardboard along the automatic-adjustable extender, and release the transferred pre-treated cardboard when the trailing-edge of the pre-treated cardboard substantially reaches the end-edge of the automatic adjustable extender wherein a concavity-like shape is created to the pretreated cardboard while it is being transferred ;

the stacker further comprising an automatic-adjustable limiter that stops the pre-treated cardboards inertia movement , when released from the automatic-adjustable gripper mechanism, wherein the automatic-adjustable limiter is automatically positioned according to the length of the pre-treated cardboard.

3. The automatic-adjustable stacker of claim 2 , wherein the automatic-adjustable stacker sorts a plurality of cardboards into two or more piles of pre-treated cardboards by automatically adjusting the length of the automatic-adjustable extender according to commands obtained from the controller.

4. The automatic-adjustable stacker of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to obtain information on the length of the pre-treated cardboard from one or more sensors.

5. The automatic-adjustable stacker of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to obtain information on the length of the pre-treated cardboard from a job description.

6. The automatic-adjustable stacker of claim 2 , further comprising an automatically adjusted collector.

7. The automatic-adjustable stacker of claim 6 , wherein the collector length is automatically adjusted according the length of the pre-treated cardboard.

8. The automatic-adjustable stacker of claim 6 , wherein the location of the collector is automatically adjusted according to the length of the pre-treated cardboard.

9. The automatic-adjustable stacker of claim 2 , wherein the automatic-adjustable gripper mechanism comprise a clip that is operative to hold the cardboard.

10. The automatic-adjustable stacker of claim 9 , further comprise an automatic-adjustable gripping-mechanism opener having a gradual arch cam shape that cooperatively interacts with the automatic-adjustable gripping-mechanism to cause the release of the cardboard and that is automatically positioned to cause the release of the cardboard from the tripping-mechanism based at least in part on the length of the pre-treated cardboard, wherein the gripping-mechanism includes an actuating arm that comes into contact with the gradual arch cam shape and thus causes the gripping mechanism to open.

11. The automatic-adjustable stacker of claim 2 , wherein the module preceding the automatic-adjustable stacker is a cardboard pre-treatmenter.

12. The automatic-adjustable stacker of claim 11 , wherein the cardboard pre-treatmenter is a laser cardboard pre-treatmenter.

13. A method for controlling an automatic-adjustable stacker which comprises (a) a controller that obtains information on a length of a pre-treated cardboard and (b) an automatic-adjustable gripper mechanism;

wherein the controller synchronizes the automatic-adjustable gripper mechanism with the arrival of a leading edge of a pre-treated cardboard at substantially an end-edge of a module preceding the automatic-adjustable stacker, the automatic-adjustable gripper mechanism operating to:

grip the leading-edge of the pre-treated cardboard from the substantially end-edge of the module preceding the automatic-adjustable stacker;

transfer the pre-treated cardboard toward a desired location; and

release the transferred pre-treated cardboard when a trailing-edge of the pre-treated cardboard is proximate to the end-edge of the module preceding the automatic-adjustable stacker, based at least in part on the length of the pre-treated cardboard obtained by the controller, wherein a concavity-like shape is created to the pretreated cardboard while it is being transferred,

the method being executed by a processor, the method comprising:

controlling mechanical elements of the stacker to perform the actions of:

getting information from a source identifying the length of a pretreated cardboard;

causing a first mechanism an automatic-adjustable stacker to grip a pre-treated cardboard at its leading edge from substantially an end edge of a module preceding the automatic-adjustable stacker;

transferring the pre-treated cardboard toward a pile of pre-treated cardboards; and releasing the pre-treated cardboard when the trailing edge of the pre-treated cardboard reaches substantially the end edge of the module preceding the automatic-adjustable stacker, and acting as a surface supporting the pre-treated cardboard, and wherein the first mechanism and the edge of the surface supporting the pre-treated cardboard cooperate to create a concavity-like shape to the pretreated cardboard while it is being transferred.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising the action of automatically extending a length of an automatic-adjustable extender that is placed substantially near the end-edge of the module preceding the automatic-adjustable stacker based at least in part on commands gotten from a controller.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising the action of sorting two or more piles of pre-treated cardboards by automatically adjusting the length of the automatic-adjustable extender according to commands gotten from the controller.

16. The method claim 14 , further comprising the action of automatically positioning an automatic-adjustable limiter based at least in part on the length of the pre-treated cardboard, such that the automatic-adjustable limiter stops the inertia movement of the pre-treated cardboard when released from the automatic-adjustable gripper mechanism.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the source for getting information identifying the length of the pretreated cardboard is obtained from one or more sensors.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the source for getting information identifying the length of the pretreated cardboard is obtained from a job description.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising automatically adjusting the length of a collector for receiving the cardboard.

20. The method claim 13 , further comprising the action of automatically adjusting the placement of a collector for receiving the cardboard.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2020
From: BANK LEUMI LE-ISRAEL B.M.
To: HIGHCON SYSTEMS LTD.
Reel/Frame 051567/0984 →
ADDENDUM TO IP SECURITY INTEREST; REEL/FRAME: 0442214/0294 Recorded Oct 24, 2017
From: HIGHCON SYSTEMS LTD
To: BANK LEUMI LE-ISRAEL B.M.
Reel/Frame 044279/0943 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 9, 2017
From: HIGHCON SYSTEMS LTD
To: BANK LEUMI LE-ISRAEL B.M.
Reel/Frame 042214/0294 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 4, 2015
From: BEN-DAVID, DAVID; STERN, YAKI; SMIRNOV, YARON; HARMON, TAL
To: HIGHCON SYSTEMS LTD.
Reel/Frame 034881/0475 →
Continuity (14)
Continuation In Part 13915414 · Jun 11, 2013
Continuation PCTIL2013000047 · May 1, 2013
Continuation 14530813
Continuation In Part 13875781 · May 2, 2013
Continuation In Part 14530813
Continuation In Part PCTIL2013000042 · May 1, 2013
Continuation In Part 14530813
Continuation In Part 13875894 · May 2, 2013
Continuation In Part 14530813
Continuation In Part PCTIL2013000044 · May 1, 2013
Provisional Application 61641298 · May 2, 2012
Provisional Application 61641458 · May 2, 2012
Provisional Application 61641534 · May 2, 2012
Related Publication 20150148940A1 · May 28, 2015