IP Library Granted Patent US 10,926,507
Granted Patent B2
US 10,926,507 · App. 14/750,813 · Granted Feb 23, 2021

Protective packaging machines demonstrative content

Inventors: Thomas D. Wetsch (St. Charles, IL); George Bertram (Southbury, CT); Edward Eisenberger (Waterbury, CT)
Assignee: Pregis Intellipack LLC
B31D5/0073B65B3/04B65B3/34B65B55/24B65B57/145G05B19/4097G05B19/4155G06F3/0481G06Q10/087B31D2205/0088G05B2219/31317G05B2219/45048
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,926,507
App. No.
14/750,813
Granted
Feb 23, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to a method and a machine for creating protective packaging. The machine includes a controller including a processing element and a display in electrical communication with the processing element. In response to a user input or a machine operation input, the processing element selects demonstrative content corresponding to the user input or the machine operation input and the display displays the demonstrative content. Examples of demonstrative content include tutorial videos or photographs illustrating how to operate the machine, how to replace consumables used by the machine, replace or repair machine components, and/or how to package certain items using packaging materials created by the machine.

Claims (52)

1. A device for creating protective packaging, comprising:

a packaging machine configured to create low-density protective packaging items from loaded material;

a processing element configured to:

receive item data corresponding to a low-density protective packaging item to be created by the packaging machine using the loaded material and at least one consumable of the machine;

determine machine settings of the packaging machine for creating the protective packaging item using the loaded material by the packaging machine based on the item data, wherein one or more of the machine settings modify at least one machine component of the packaging machine to affect a characteristic of the protective packaging item using the at least one machine component and the at least one consumable;

identify which of the one or more machine settings that affects the characteristic of the protective packaging item using the loaded material require modification by a manual operation of the at least one machine component; and

receive user input corresponding to the modification of the identified one or more of the machine settings that affects the characteristic to create the protective packaging item using the loaded material; and

a display in communication with the processing element, wherein the display is configured, responsive to the identifying that the one or more machine settings that affects the characteristic of the protective packaging item created by the at least one consumable require modification by a manual operation, to display a tutorial on performing the manual modification of the identified one or more machine settings that affects the characteristic of the protective packaging item.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the display is further configured, responsive to the processing element, to display content demonstrating operation of one or more components of the packaging machine.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the item data is received from a sensor in communication with the processing element.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the processing element is configured to determine whether the at least one consumable for creating the packaging item needs to be replaced; and

wherein the display is configured, responsive to the processing element, to display content demonstrating a method to replace the at least one consumable that was determined to need to be replaced.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the display is further configured, responsive to the processing element, to display content demonstrating a method to refill a first consumable of the at least one consumable used by the packaging machine to create the protective packaging item using the loaded material;

a sensor configured to determine completion of refilling the first consumable; and

the processor responsive to the sensor determining that the refilling of the first consumable has been completed, is further configured to cause the display to display demonstrative content on performing a refill of second consumable used to create the protective packaging item.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the first consumable to be refilled includes is a foam precursor supply chemical.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the loaded material includes high density supply materials;

the packaging machine converts the high density supply materials into low density packaging materials; and

the packaging material item to be created comprises the low density packaging materials.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the packaging material item affected by the one or more machine settings comprises a cushioning characteristic of the packaging material item.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the modification of the identified one or more machine settings that affects the cushioning characteristic of the packaging material item involves modification to a fill material type, a fill percentage, a film material type, or combinations thereof.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing element and the display are remotely located from the packaging machine.

11. A method for manufacturing packaging materials, comprising:

providing a packaging machine in communication with a controller, wherein the controller comprises a processing element and a display device in communication with the processing element;

receiving, by the processing element an item input corresponding to a packaging material item to be created by the packaging machine using loaded material and at least one consumable of the packaging machine;

determining, by the processing element, machine settings of the packaging machine for creating the packaging material item using the loaded material by the packing machine based on the item input, wherein one or more of the settings modify at least one machine component of the packaging machine to affects a characteristic of the packaging material item using the at least one machine component and the at least one consumable;

identifying, by the processing element, which of the one or more settings using the loaded material that affects the characteristic of the packaging material item to be created require modification by a manual operation of the at least one machine component;

responsive to the identifying that one or more settings that affects the characteristic of the packaging material item created by the at least one consumable require modification by a manual operation, selecting, by the processing element, a demonstrative content for performing the manual operation;

displaying, by the display device, the demonstrative content of performing the manual modification of the identified one or more settings that require modification by the manual operation; and

creating, by the packaging machine, the packaging material item after receiving a confirmation that the manual operation has been performed.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the item input is input by a user.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the item input is received responsive to data acquired by a sensor.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the demonstrative content is a tutorial video demonstrating how to modify one or more settings of the packaging machine used to create the packaging material item that affects a cushioning characteristic of the packaging material item.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising receiving, by the processing element, a queue initiation input to initiate a queue including the packaging material item and another packaging material item.

16. A system for creating protective packaging comprising:

a packaging machine configured to create a protective packaging comprising a packaging material item for cushioning an item to be packaged using loaded material and at least one consumable;

a controller for controlling the packaging machine, wherein the controller comprises a processing element configured to receive an item input corresponding to the packaging material item, to identify which one or more machine settings of the packaging machine with the loaded material require modification by a manual adjustment for creating the packaging material item using the loaded material, wherein the one or more of the machine settings modify at least one machine component of the packaging machine to affect a cushioning characteristic of the packaging material item, and wherein the processing element is further configured to receive user input corresponding to the manual adjustment of the identified one or more machine settings that affects the cushioning characteristic of the packaging material item; and

a display in communication with the controller;

wherein the controller, responsive to the identifying that the one or more machine settings require modification by manual adjustment, retrieves content demonstrating the manual adjustment of the identified one or more machine settings that affects the cushioning characteristic of the packaging material item and causes the display to display the content, and wherein the packaging machine is configured to create the packaging material item after the manual adjustment has been performed.

17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a memory in communication with the processing element, the memory for storing the content.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the display is attached to the packaging machine.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the display includes a speaker, and the content includes verbal instructions played through the speaker.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is further configured to retrieve and cause the display to display content comprising a demonstrative video illustrating operation of one or more components of the packaging machine.

21. The system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is further configured to retrieve and cause the display to display content comprising instructions on how to replace the at least one consumable on the packaging machine.

22. The system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is further configured to retrieve and cause the display to display content about repairing an operating issue of the packaging machine.

23. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a sensor on the packaging machine that detects a condition related to running the packaging machine, wherein the controller is in communication with the sensor and further configured to select content based on the condition detected by the sensor.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the detected condition is an operating issue of the packaging machine and the content relates to repairing the operating issue.

25. The system of claim 23 , wherein the controller detects a confirmation signal from the sensor when the detected condition has been resolved.

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the controller conducts a test relating to operation of a component corresponding to the detected condition.

Assignments (10)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 19, 2025
From: PREGIS INTELLIPACK LLC
To: PREGIS LLC
Reel/Frame 070262/0578 →
ASSIGNMENT OF PATENT SECURITY INTERESTS (FIRST LIEN) Recorded Aug 8, 2024
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH, AS SUCCESSOR AGENT
Reel/Frame 068518/0568 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 13, 2019
From: OWL ROCK CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: PREGIS INNOVATIVE PACKAGING INC.; PREGIS INTELLIPACK LLC; PREGIS SHARP SYSTEMS, LLC; FREE-FLOW PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Reel/Frame 050993/0798 →
FIRST LIEN SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 1, 2019
From: PREGIS INTELLIPACK LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 049933/0335 →
SECOND LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 1, 2019
From: PREGIS INTELLIPACK LLC
To: OWL ROCK CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS SECOND LIEN COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 049937/0182 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 18, 2018
From: PREGIS INNOVATIVE PACKAGING LLC
To: PREGIS INTELLIPACK LLC
Reel/Frame 046903/0507 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 19, 2018
From: PREGIS INNOVATIVE PACKAGING INC.; PREGIS INTELLIPACK LLC; PREGIS SHARP SYSTEMS, LLC; FREE-FLOW PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL, INC.
To: OWL ROCK CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 046593/0535 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 16, 2018
From: BERTRAM, GEORGE
To: PREGIS INTELLIPACK LLC
Reel/Frame 045815/0548 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 16, 2018
From: WETSCH, THOMAS D.
To: PREGIS INTELLIPACK LLC
Reel/Frame 045815/0723 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 15, 2018
From: EISENBERGER, EDWARD
To: PREGIS INNOVATIVE PACKAGING LLC
Reel/Frame 045808/0931 →