Sheet carrier conditioning die assembly and conditioning method
An assembly to effectuate conditioning of a sheet carrier for a container multi-pack is provided. The assembly includes a die plate and a sheet carrier receiver plate resiliently retained thereupon for select displacement towards same via engagement of a sheet carrier received upon the receiver plate by a press plate. The die plate includes a central portion and a central portion periphery adjacent the central portion, the die plate characterized by a select array of conditioning dies upwardly extending from the central portion of the die plate, the dies characterized by a shoulder delimiting upper and lower die portions. The sheet carrier includes a central portion and a central portion periphery adjacent the central portion which includes a select array of passages configured to correspond to a configuration of the select array of conditioning dies of the die plate. Passages of the receiver plate circumscribe the lower die portions of the conditioning dies and during sheet carrier conditioning, discrete portions of the sheet carrier manipulated about/over the shoulder/lower die portions of the dies.
1 . An assembly to effectuate conditioning of a sheet carrier prior to application of the sheet carrier to an article container group so as to form a container multi-pack, the assembly comprising:
a. a die plate having a central portion and a central portion periphery adjacent said central portion, said central portion of said die plate characterized by a select array of conditioning dies, dies of said select array of conditioning dies upwardly extending from said central portion of said die plate, said dies of said select array of conditioning dies characterized by a shoulder delimiting upper and lower die portions; and,
b. a sheet carrier receiver plate resiliently retained upon said die plate for displacement towards said die plate via engagement of a sheet carrier received upon said sheet carrier receiver plate by a press plate in furtherance of deflecting discrete portions of the sheet carrier about shoulders of the conditioning dies of said select array of conditioning dies, said sheet carrier receiver plate having a central portion and a central portion periphery adjacent said central portion, said central portion of said sheet carrier receiver plate characterized by a select array of passages configured to correspond to a configuration of said select array of conditioning dies of said central portion of said die plate, the passages of said select array of passages circumscribing the lower die portions of the conditioning dies of said select array of conditioning dies of said central portion of said die plate.
2 . The assembly of claim 1 further comprising tensioning elements, said tensioning elements interposed between said sheet carrier receiver plate and said die plate, select displacement of said sheet carrier receiver plate compressing said tensioning elements.
3 . The assembly of claim 1 further comprising grouped tensioning elements, a first tensioning element group interposed between said central portion of said sheet carrier receiver plate and said central portion of said die plate.
4 . The assembly of claim 1 further comprising grouped tensioning elements, a first tensioning element group interposed between said central portion of said sheet carrier receiver plate and said central portion of said die plate, a second tensioning element group interposed between said central portion periphery of said sheet carrier receiver plate and said central portion periphery of said die plate.
5 . The assembly of claim 1 further comprising sheet carrier receiver plate support assemblies for supporting said sheet carrier receiver plate in a spaced apart condition over said die plate, said die plate adapted to retain said sheet carrier receiver plate support assemblies.
6 . The assembly of claim 5 wherein said sheet carrier receiver plate support assemblies comprise a housing and a post housed therein, said sheet carrier receiver plate affixed to an end of said post.
7 . The assembly of claim 5 wherein said sheet carrier receiver plate support assemblies comprise a housing and a post housed therein, said sheet carrier receiver plate affixed to an end of said post, said post displaceable relative to said housing.
8 . The assembly of claim 1 wherein dies of said select array of conditioning dies comprise a cylindrical base portion and a tapering portion extending therefrom.
9 . The assembly of claim 1 wherein lower die portions of the conditioning dies of said select array of conditioning dies comprise a cylindrical base.
10 . The assembly of claim 1 wherein lower die portions of the conditioning dies of said select array of conditioning dies comprise a cylindrical base, said cylindrical base circumscribed by passages of said select array of passages of said central portion of said sheet carrier receiver plate.
11 . The assembly of claim 1 wherein lower die portions of the conditioning dies of said select array of conditioning dies comprise a cylindrical base, said cylindrical base and said shoulder of the dies circumscribed by passages of said select array of passages of said central portion of the resilient retained sheet carrier receiver plate.
12 . The assembly of claim 1 wherein upper die portions of the conditioning dies of said select array of conditioning dies comprise a tapering segment.
13 . The assembly of claim 1 wherein upper die portions of the conditioning dies of said select array of conditioning dies comprise tapering segments.
14 . The assembly of claim 1 wherein lower die portions of the conditioning dies of said select array of conditioning dies comprise a cylindrical base and upper die portions of the conditioning dies of said select array of conditioning dies comprise tapering segments.
15 . The assembly of claim 1 in operative combination with a press plate.
16 . The assembly of claim 1 in operative combination with a press plate of a robotic arm EOAT.
17 . The assembly of claim 1 embodied as a change-part.
18 . A sheet carrier conditioning station for forming container multi-packs from retained article container groups characterized by the assembly of claim 1 .
19 . The sheet carrier conditioning station of claim 18 further characterized by a press plate for engaging, in combination, a sheet carrier received upon said sheet carrier receiver plate.
20 . The sheet carrier conditioning station of claim 18 further characterized by a robotic arm equipped with and end of arm tool having a press plate, the press plate for engaging, in combination, a sheet carrier received upon said sheet carrier receiver plate.
21 . In a method of conditioning a sheet carrier prior to application of a conditioned sheet carrier to an article container group so as to form a container multi-pack, a step of sandwichingly retaining a sheet carrier between a press plate and a sheet carrier receiver plate resiliently retained upon a die plate of a sheet carrier conditioning assembly whilst the press plate displaces the combination of the sheet carrier and the sheet carrier receiver plate over and upon dies of a select array of conditioning dies of the die plate in furtherance of manipulating aperture peripheries of the sheet carrier.