Packaging apparatus and method of use

Abstract

A packaging apparatus (e.g., otherwise described as a mailer apparatus with a material feeder assembly, a product supply assembly, a folding assembly, a sealing assembly, and/or a packaging apparatus system (e.g., including a controller thereof) for controlling the operation of the packaging apparatus. The packaging apparatus is configured for delivering products and material at the same time, and forming a package (e.g., a mailer, or other package) directly around the products. A material feeder assembly of the packaging apparatus supplies material for packaging and a folding assembly receives the plurality of products and folds the material around the products. The sealing assembly seals the material around the at least one product to form packages (e.g., makes a longitudinal seam, forms a transverse seam, and/or separates the material at the transverse seam).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A packaging apparatus comprising:
 a material feeder assembly, wherein the material feeder assembly is configured to supply material for packaging a plurality of products;   a folding assembly, wherein the folding assembly is configured to receive the plurality of products and fold the material around a product of the plurality of products; and   a sealing assembly, wherein the sealing assembly is configured to seal the material around the products to form a package.   
     
     
         2 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the package is a mailer. 
     
     
         3 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the folding assembly comprises:
 a folding mold; and   one or more folding members;   wherein the folding mold receives the material and the plurality of products; and   wherein the one or more folding members receive the material in a first configuration and folds the material at least partially around the product of the plurality of products into a second configuration.   
     
     
         4 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more folding members comprises:
 a primary side folding member; and   a secondary side folding member;   wherein the primary side folding member and the secondary side folding member receives the material in the first configuration, and folds sides of the material into the second configuration to form a material channel having a base to receive the plurality of products and a first side and a second side;   wherein the first side and the second side are orientated at an angle with respect to the base of the material.   
     
     
         5 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the folding assembly further comprises:
 a product transport assembly comprising a conveyor belt or rollers that aid in moving the plurality of products and the material to the sealing assembly.   
     
     
         6 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sealing assembly comprises:
 a longitudinal sealing assembly, wherein the longitudinal sealing assembly seals the material adjacent to a first edge and a second edge of the material to form a longitudinal seam along a length of the material to form a material conduit around the plurality of products.   
     
     
         7 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the second edge extends past the first edge, and wherein the longitudinal sealing assembly comprises a seam folding member that folds at least a portion of the longitudinal seam after sealing onto the material conduit. 
     
     
         8 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sealing assembly comprises a transverse sealing assembly, wherein the transverse sealing assembly comprises:
 a transverse sealer, wherein the transverse sealer receives a material conduit with the plurality of products and forms a transverse seam in the material conduit between at least two adjacent products of the plurality of products; and   a separator, wherein the separator separates the material conduit at the transverse seam to form a sealed trailing end and a sealed leading end of adjacent packages.   
     
     
         9 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the transverse sealer comprises a heat sealer and the separator comprises a separator blade, and wherein the sealed trailing end and the sealed leading end of the transverse seam are sealed and separated at the same time. 
     
     
         10 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the transverse sealing assembly further comprises:
 a package transport system, wherein the package transport system transports a plurality of packages after transverse sealing and separating of the plurality of packages.   
     
     
         11 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the transverse sealing assembly comprises:
 a carriage assembly that moves the transverse sealer and the separator;   wherein before sealing when the transverse sealer is disengaged, the carriage assembly is in a receiving position to receive the material conduit;   wherein during the sealing when the transverse sealer is engaged to create the transverse seam in the material conduit the carriage assembly moves the transverse sealer and the separator in the same direction as the movement of the material conduit; and   wherein after the sealing when the transverse sealer is disengaged, the carriage assembly returns the transverse sealer and the separator to the receiving position in the opposite direction as the movement of the material conduit.   
     
     
         12 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a product supply assembly, wherein the product supply assembly is operatively coupled to the folding assembly, and wherein the product supply assembly is configured to supply the plurality of products to the folding assembly.   
     
     
         13 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the product supply assembly comprises one or more sensors, and wherein the one or more sensors capture product information of the plurality of products for controlling engagement of the sealing assembly. 
     
     
         14 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the material feeder assembly comprises:
 a material supply having the material; and   one or more feeder rollers configured to tension the material before folding.   
     
     
         15 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the material feeder assembly further comprises:
 an aperture forming member, wherein the aperture forming member forms one or more apertures in the material to allow for deflation of the package.   
     
     
         16 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the aperture forming member comprises a projection roller, wherein the projection roller forms a plurality of apertures in the material. 
     
     
         17 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more feeder rollers comprise one or more angled rollers, wherein the one or more angled rollers receive the material in a first orientation, transfers the material to a second orientation different than the first orientation, and supplies the material to the folding assembly. 
     
     
         18 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a controller comprising:
 one or more memories storing computer-readable code; and 
 one or more processors operatively coupled to the one or more memories, wherein when executed the computer readable code is configured to cause the one or more processors to:
 receive the product information from the one or more sensors for the plurality of products; and 
 engage the sealing assembly to form a plurality of transverse seams based on the product information for the plurality of products to form a plurality of packages. 
 
   
     
     
         19 . A method of forming a package, the method comprising:
 supply material for packaging a plurality of products using a material feeder assembly;   receive the plurality of products in a folding assembly;   fold the material around a product of the plurality of products using the folding assembly; and   seal the material around the product to form the package using a sealing assembly.   
     
     
         20 . A computer program product for forming a package, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code portions embodied therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:
 an executable portion configured to supply material for packaging a plurality of products using a material feeder assembly;   an executable portion configured to receive product information from a plurality of products using one or more sensors; and   an executable portion configured to engage a sealing assembly to form a plurality of transverse seams based on the product information for the plurality of products for forming a plurality of packages.