Food packaging closing system and method therefor

Abstract

The present disclosure includes a system and method for closing cartons. The present disclosure includes a flap bending system, having a first end and a second end, configured to receive an object at the first end of the flap bending system and to bend the flap of an object. The present disclosure also includes a progressive closing system that allows an egg carton to be gently closed while in motion without requiring the carton to stop.

1 . A system for closing carton lids having a first end and a second end, operable to receive an object at the first end of the carton lid closing system and to close a lid of the object, the carton lid closing system comprising:
 a carton lid flipper having a first end and a second end, the carton lid flipper operable to contact a lid of an object at a point between and including the first end and second end of the carton lid flipper, wherein the contact by the carton lid flipper is operable to at least partially close the lid of the object; and   a carton lid closing heel having a first end and a second end, the carton lid closing heel operable to contact the lid of the object at a point between and including the first end and second end of the carton lid closing heel, wherein the contact by the carton lid closing heel is operable to more fully close the lid of the object.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a roller attached to the second end of the carton closing heel, the roller operable to rotate along an axis parallel to a plane defined by a top surface of the lid. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a carton lid hold-down bar operable to contact the lid of the object after the lid has been more fully closed by the carton lid closing heel. 
     
     
         4 . The carton lid closing system of  claim 1 , further comprising a carton lid flipper activation mechanism attached to the carton lid flipper operable to move the carton lid flipper into a first position in which the carton lid flipper can contact the lid of the carton and into a second position in which the carton lid flipper cannot contact the lid of the carton. 
     
     
         5 . The carton lid closing system of  claim 4 , wherein the carton lid flipper activation mechanism is a solenoid attached to the first end of the carton lid flipper. 
     
     
         6 . The carton lid closing system of  claim 5 , further comprising a spring attached to the first carton lid flipper operable to restore the carton lid flipper to a default position when the solenoid is inactive. 
     
     
         7 . A flap bending system, having a first end and a second end, operable to receive an object at the first end of the system and to bend the flap of an object, the flap bending system comprising:
 a flap bending system conveyor defining a flap bending system conveyor movement path and operable to move the object form the first end to the second end of the flap bending system at a flap bending system conveyor speed;   a hold-back pin having a first end and a second end, the hold-back pin operable to move at a hold-back pin speed along the flap bending system conveyor movement path and to contact the object, wherein the contact by the hold-back pin is operable to inhibit the object from moving along the flap bending system conveyor at greater than the hold-back pin speed; and   a flap bending arm having a first end and a second end, the flap bending arm operable to move at a flap bending speed along the flap bending system conveyor movement path and to contact a flap of the object, wherein the contact by the flap bending arm is operable to bend the flap of an object.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising a carton disengagement system comprising:
 a ramp section having a first end, a second end, and a ramp angle;   a disengaging section having a first end, a second end, and a disengagement angle;   the first end of the disengaging section attached to the second end of the ramping section; and   the ramp angle being different from the disengagement angle, wherein the difference in angle is operable to disengage the egg carton from the flap bending arm.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , where the ramp angle is greater than the disengagement angle. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 7 , where the hold-back pin speed is equivalent to the flap bending arm speed. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7 , where the hold-back pin speed and the flap bending arm speed are equivalent to the flap bending system conveyor speed. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 7 , where the flap bending arm is operable to rotate to contact the flap of an object. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising a hold-back pin activation mechanism operable to move the hold-back pin into a position capable of contacting the object, the contact by the hold-back pin configured to inhibit the object from moving along the flap bending system conveyor at a greater speed than the hold-back pin speed. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising a flap bending arm activation mechanism configured to move the flap bending arm into a position capable of contacting the flap of an object, the contact by the flap bending arm configured to bend the flap of the object. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the flap bending arm activation mechanism is a flap bending arm guide shaft track defining a flap bending arm guide shaft track movement path, the flap bending arm attached to the flap bending arm guide shaft track and capable of moving along the flap bending arm guide shaft track, wherein the flap bending arm is configured to activate through movement of the flap bending arm along the flap bending arm guide shaft track movement path. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising a hold-back pin activation mechanism configured to move the hold-back pin into a position capable of contacting the object, the contact by the hold-back pin configured to inhibit the object from moving along the flap bending system conveyor at greater than the hold-back pin speed, and
 a flap bending arm activation mechanism configured to move the flap bending arm into a position capable of contacting the flap of an object, the contact by the flap bending arm configured to bend the flap of the object.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the hold-back pin activation mechanism is a hold-back pin guide shaft track defining a hold-back pin guide shaft track movement path, the hold-back pin attached to the hold-back pin guide shaft track and capable of moving along the holdback pin guide shaft track, wherein the hold-back pin is configured to activate through movement of the hold-back pin along the hold-back pin guide shaft track movement path, and
 wherein the flap bending arm activation mechanism is a flap bending arm guide shaft track defining a flap bending arm guide shaft track movement path, the flap bending arm attached to the flap bending arm guide shaft track and capable of moving along the flap bending arm guide shaft track, wherein the flap bending arm is configured to activate through movement of the flap bending arm along the flap bending arm guide shaft track movement path.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the hold-back pin guide shaft track and the flap bending arm guide shaft track are concentric.
 The system of  claim 7 , further comprising a carton disengagement system comprising:
 a ramping section having a first end, a second end, and a ramp angle; 
 a disengaging section having first end, a second end, and a disengagement angle; 
 the first end of the disengaging section attached to the second end of the ramping section; and 
 the ramp angle being different from the disengagement angle, wherein the change in angle is configured to disengage the egg carton from the at least one flap closing arm. 
   
     
     
         19 . A method of bending the flap of an object, the method comprising:
 moving the object along a flap bending system movement path defined by a flap bending system conveyor;   preventing the object from exceeding a hold-back pin speed by contacting the surface of the object with a hold-back pin moving at the hold-back pin speed along the flap bending system conveyor movement path; and   bending the flap of the object by contacting the flap of the object with a flap bending arm moving at a flap bending arm speed along the flap bending system conveyor movement path.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the steps of disengaging the flap bending arm by moving the object through a ramp section at a different angle from the previous section and wherein the bending of the flap of the object is performed by rotating the flap bending arm.