Adjustable infeed bed for packaging apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus for packaging an object, the apparatus having an adjustable infeed bed to center the object before a nipping operation. The packaging apparatus includes a pair of opposing rollers and an adjustable infeed bed. The pair of opposing rollers pushes together sheets of packaging material against each other and the object or product to be package. In order to accommodate objects of various heights, the infeed bed is adjustable so as to line up the center of the object to the center of the rollers. To determine the proper adjustment to the infeed bed, the packaging apparatus may also include a height detector for measuring a height dimension for an object.

1 . An apparatus for packaging an object, comprising: 
 a pair of opposing rollers forming a nip arranged to receive a pair of opposing packaging material sheets with an object disposed therebetween, the rollers exerting pressure on the sheets to adhere the sheets to each other around said object so as to form a package;    a height detector configured to measure a height of the object; and    an adjustable infeed bed upstream of the nip for supporting the object, said infeed bed being adjustable in position in a height direction of the object based on the height measured by the height detector so that the object is approximately centered to the opposing rollers.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the adjustable infeed bed has an upstream end and a downstream end and the downstream end is adjustable relative to the opposing rollers.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein both the upstream end and downstream end are adjustable relative to the opposing rollers.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the adjustable infeed bed includes a conveying belt for advancing the object toward the opposing rollers.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the adjustable infeed bed has at least two positions for centering the object relative to the rollers.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the adjustable infeed bed has a range of positions for centering the object relative to the rollers.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the adjustable infeed bed includes an upper surface for supporting one of the packaging material sheets and the sheet supports and advances the object toward the rollers.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the rollers includes a resiliently complaint roller portion that is deformed by the object between the packaging material sheets, the resiliently complaint roller portion tending to return to its undeformed shape thereby exerting pressure on the packaging material sheets to closely conform to the object.  
   
   
       9 . An apparatus for packaging an object, comprising: 
 a pair of opposing rollers forming a nip therebetween,    a web supply system for supplying a pair of generally opposing web portions of flexible packaging material into the nip so that an object to be packaged when placed between the web portions is passed through the nip along with the web portions, the web portions having sealing material for sealing the web portions together;    a height detector configured to measure a height of the object; and    an adjustable infeed bed for supporting the object as the object is advanced to the rollers, said infeed bed being adjustable relative to the rollers based on the height measured by the height detector so that the object is aligned to the rollers.    
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the adjustable infeed bed includes a downstream end, an upstream end, and at least one actuator for adjusting the position of the downstream end relative to the rollers.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the adjustable infeed bed includes at least one actuator for adjusting the upstream end relative to the rollers.  
   
   
       12 . A method for packaging an object comprising: 
 advancing a pair of packaging material sheets in opposing relation toward a nip defined between two opposing rollers, with an object disposed between the sheets;    measuring a height of the object with a height detector and producing a height measurement;    adjusting a position of the object in a height direction thereof based on the measurement from the height detector; and    advancing the sheets and object through the nip so as to seal the packaging material together around the object.    
   
   
       13 . A method of packaging an object comprising: 
 placing an object to be packaged on an infeed bed;    measuring the height of the object with a height detector;    sending a signal from the height detector to a controller and activating one or more actuators to adjust the infeed bed based on the signal sent to the controller so that a center of the object is substantially aligned with a nip between a pair of opposing rollers; and    advancing the object and two portions of packaging material through the nip between the opposing rollers and enclosing the object between the portions to form a package.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising: 
 severing the package from the rest of the packaging material.