Compact dunnage dispensing system and method

Abstract

A compact system ( 10 ) for dispensing a dunnage product ( 14 ) includes the combination of a container ( 16 ) for a supply of fan-folded sheet stock material ( 12 ) and a feed assembly ( 20 ) for drawing the stock material ( 12 ) from the container ( 16 ). The container ( 16 ) has an opening ( 26 ) with a dimension that is smaller than a corresponding dimension, particularly a width dimension, of the container ( 16 ). A leading end ( 30 ) of the sheet material ( 12 ) is pulled from the container ( 16 ), through the opening ( 26 ). Then the container ( 16 ) is inverted and supported above the feed assembly ( 20 ) with the opening ( 26 ) facing and aligned with a linear path ( 24 ) through the feed assembly ( 20 ). The container ( 16 ) is supported such that rotating members ( 22 ) in the feed assembly ( 20 ) can engage the leading end ( 30 ) of the stock material ( 12 ) and draw the stock material ( 12 ) from the container ( 16 ) and along the linear path ( 24 ) through the feed assembly ( 20 ), which dispenses the dunnage product ( 14 ).

We claim: 
     
         1 . A packaging system ( 10 ,  100 ), comprising:
 a stack of fan-folded sheet material ( 12 ,  102 ), and   a support ( 104 ) having a surface ( 106 ) for supporting the stack ( 102 ), the surface ( 106 ) having an aperture ( 26 ,  110 ) therein, and a stand ( 112 ) that supports a bottom of the support ( 104 ) at an elevated position so that packing material ( 14 ,  114 ) can be withdrawn from a bottom side of the stack ( 102 ).   
     
     
         2 . A system as set forth in  claim 1  or any other claim, where an axis through the center of the aperture ( 110 ) is substantially vertical. 
     
     
         3 . A system as set forth in  claim 1  or any other claim, where the support ( 104 ) surrounds the aperture ( 110 ) on all sides. 
     
     
         4 . A system as set forth in  claim 1  or any other claim where the support ( 104 ) includes a converging chute ( 120 ) having a relatively larger inlet ( 122 ) and a relatively smaller outlet ( 124 ) spaced from the inlet ( 122 ). 
     
     
         5 . A system as set forth in  claim 1  or any other claim, where the support ( 104 ) is at least partially defined by a portion of a container ( 116 ) for the stack ( 102 ) of sheet material. 
     
     
         6 . A system as set forth in  claim 5  or any other claim depending from  claim 5 , where the container ( 116 ) has an opening ( 110 ) with a dimension that is smaller than a corresponding dimension of the container ( 116 ). 
     
     
         7 . A system as set forth in  claim 1  or any other claim, further comprising a feed assembly ( 20 ) including movable members ( 22 ) arranged for drawing sheet stock material therethrough along a linear path aligned with a center of the aperture ( 26 ). 
     
     
         8 . A system as set forth in  claim 7  or any other system claim, where the feed assembly ( 20 ) includes an opposed pair of rotating members ( 22 ) that define a path therebetween for the sheet material. 
     
     
         9 . A system as set forth in  claim 7  or any other system claim, where the support ( 104 ) is at least partially defined by a portion of a container ( 16 ) for the stack of sheet material ( 12 ), the aperture ( 26 ) is aligned with the feed assembly ( 20 ) and cooperates with the feed assembly ( 20 ) to define a linear path from the aperture ( 26 ) through the feed assembly ( 20 ), and the linear path through the feed assembly ( 20 ) is perpendicular to a plane of an opening ( 26 ) in the container ( 16 ). 
     
     
         10 . A system as set forth in  claim 5  or any other system claim, where the container ( 16 ) houses a stack of fan-folded sheet stock material ( 12 ) having a width dimension and fold lines generally parallel to the width dimension. 
     
     
         11 . A system as set forth in  claim 10  or any other system claim, where the container ( 16 ) has a width dimension, where the width of the container ( 16 ) is less than the width of the stack ( 12 ), whereby the stack ( 12 ) is bent to fit within the container ( 16 ), forming a convex surface ( 34 ) and a concave surface ( 36 ) in the stack ( 12 ), the convex surface ( 34 ) facing the opening ( 26 ) in the container ( 16 ). 
     
     
         12 . A system as set forth in  claim 11  or any other system claim, where the stack ( 12 ) is folded about an axis transverse the width dimension. 
     
     
         13 . A system as set forth in  claim 10  or any other system claim, where the stack ( 12 ) is folded into an inverted U-shape within the container ( 16 ), the outer surface of the U-shape, particularly the center of the U-shape, being closest to the container opening ( 26 ). 
     
     
         14 . A system as set forth in  claim 5  or any other system claim, where the container ( 16 ) has a converging side wall or walls that terminate at a reduced-size outlet opening ( 124 ) through which the sheet stock material is drawn, thereby inwardly gathering and crumpling the sheet stock material to form a relatively less dense strip of dunnage. 
     
     
         15 . A system as set forth in  claim 10  or any other system claim, where the opening ( 26 ,  110 ) is positioned such that stock material can be drawn through the opening in a direction transverse the width dimension of the stock material. 
     
     
         16 . A system as set forth in  claim 5  or any other system claim, where the container ( 16 ,  116 ) has one or more side walls ( 40 ) and one or more flaps ( 42 ) hingedly connected to the side walls ( 40 ), where the opening ( 26 ) is defined by one or more flaps ( 42 ), and the flaps ( 42 ) are movable between a shipping position where the flaps are generally perpendicular to the side walls ( 40 ), and a converting configuration where the flaps ( 42 ) are outwardly displaced from the shipping position to form surfaces that are inclined away from the side walls ( 40 ) of the container ( 16 ,  116 ) and extend over an open side of the container ( 16 ,  116 ). 
     
     
         17 . A system as set forth in  claim 16  or any other system claim, where the container ( 16 ,  116 ) is configured to include features that can be used to limit the extent to which the flaps ( 42 ) can move from the converting position as sheet stock material is pulled through the opening ( 26 ,  110 ). 
     
     
         18 . A system as set forth in  claim 17  or any other system claim, where when the flaps ( 42 ) are inclined, they present a sloped surface to the stock material for guiding the stock material to the reduced-width outlet opening ( 124 ). 
     
     
         19 . A method of converting a sheet stock material into a relatively less dense dunnage product, comprising the following steps:
 (i) providing a stack of fan-folded sheet stock material having fold lines parallel to a width dimension; and   (ii) drawing sheet stock material from a bottom side of the stack.   
     
     
         20 . A method as set forth in  claim 19  or any other method claim, comprising the steps of pulling a leading end of the sheet material from a container and then inverting the container, and supporting the container on the feed assembly before the drawing step. 
     
     
         21 . A method as set forth in  claim 19  or any other method claim, where the drawing step includes pulling the stock material in a direction transverse the width dimension and through an aperture having a width that is less than the width of the stack. 
     
     
         22 . A method as set forth in  claim 19  or any other method claim, where the drawing step is accomplished by one or more rotating members in a feed assembly. 
     
     
         23 . A method as set forth in  claim 19  or any other method claim, where the stack is bent about an axis transverse a width dimension to form a convex surface in the stack, and the drawing step includes drawing sheet stock material from the convex surface. 
     
     
         24 . A method as set forth in  claim 23  or any other method claim, where the providing step includes providing the stock material in a container having a width dimension that is less than the width of the stock material to hold the stock material in its bent state. 
     
     
         25 . A method as set forth in  claim 24  or any other method claim, where the positioning step includes pulling a leading end of the sheet material from the container and then mounting the container on the feed assembly so that the feed assembly can engage the leading end of the stock material. 
     
     
         26 . A method as set forth in  claim 24  or any other method claim, where the positioning step includes inverting the container. 
     
     
         27 . A method as set forth in  claim 19  or any other method claim where the pulling step includes moving elements of a feed assembly to pull the sheet stock material from the stack. 
     
     
         28 . A method as set forth in  claim 27  or any other method claim, where the positioning step includes positioning the stack adjacent the feed assembly. 
     
     
         29 . A method as set forth in  claim 27  or any other method claim, comprising the step of supporting the stack on the feed assembly. 
     
     
         30 . In combination, a container ( 16 ,  116 ) for a sheet stock material ( 12 ,  102 ), the container ( 16 ,  116 ) having an opening ( 26 ,  110 ) with a dimension that is less than a corresponding dimension of the container ( 16 ,  116 ), and a feed assembly ( 20 ) for drawing sheet stock material from the container ( 16 ,  116 ) and along a substantially linear path through the feed assembly ( 20 ), where the opening ( 26 ,  110 ) is aligned with the linear path. 
     
     
         31 . A combination as set forth in  claim 30  or any other combination claim, where the container ( 16 ,  116 ) has a width dimension and a stack of fan-folded sheet stock material ( 12 ,  102 ) in the container ( 16 ,  116 ), the stack ( 12 ,  102 ) having a width dimension parallel to fold lines in the sheet material, the width dimension of the stock material being greater than the width of the container ( 16 ,  116 ), and the stack ( 12 ,  102 ) is bent about an axis transverse the width dimension to create a convex surface ( 34 ) facing the opening ( 26 ,  110 ). 
     
     
         32 . A system ( 10 ,  100 ) for converting a sheet stock material ( 12 ,  102 ) into a relatively less dense dunnage product ( 14 ), comprising:
 means for supporting a stack of fan-folded sheet stock material ( 12 ,  102 ) having fold lines parallel to a width dimension, the stack ( 12 ,  102 ) being bent about an axis transverse the width dimension to form a convex surface ( 34 ) in the stack ( 12 ,  102 ); and   means for drawing sheet stock material from the convex surface ( 34 ) of the stack ( 12 ,  102 ) and through an aperture ( 26 ,  110 ) having a width that is less than the width of the stack ( 12 ,  102 ).