Patent ID: 12187469

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring toFIGS.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10, and11, the present invention is a method for packing an article, which comprises the following steps:

1. preparing step S1: preparing an article10, a pallet20, a strapping machine30, and at least two right-angle pad elements40. The article10has a top surface11, a bottom surface12, and four side surfaces13respectively arranged thereon (referring toFIGS.12and13). The top surface11has a first edge111and a second edge112respectively arranged thereon. The bottom surface12of the article10is placed on the pallet20. The pallet20has a bottom space21disposed thereon. The strapping machine30has a plurality of movable wheels31, a strap supply unit32, a strap feeding and retreating control unit33, a strap cutting and bonding unit34, and an L-shaped strap guide unit35respectively arranged thereon. The plurality of movable wheels31are used to carry the strapping machine30to move. The strap supply unit32is used to provide a packing strap91. The packing strap91has a supply end911, wherein the supply end911is capable of being pulled out from the strap supply unit32, passing through the strap feeding and retreating control unit33, the strap cutting and bonding unit34in sequence, and finally being set on the L-shaped strap guide unit35. The L-shaped strap guide unit35has a strap outlet portion351, a strap return portion352and a stopper portion353respectively arranged thereon. In which, the supply end911is disposed on the strap outlet portion351.

2. moving step S2: moving the strapping machine30by the plurality of movable wheels31, and then making the strap outlet portion351of the L-shaped strap guide unit35extend into the bottom space21(as shown inFIG.2toFIG.3).

3. first time feeding strap step S3: controlling the strap feeding and retreating control unit33to feed the packing strap91so that the supply end911of the packing strap91extends out of the strap outlet portion351(as shown inFIG.3).

4. encircling article step S4: pulling the packing strap91through the supply end911to wrap around the article10first, then passing the supply end911into the strap return portion352, and fixing on the stopper portion353(it is stated here that this technology is a known technology and will not be described in detail), so that the packing strap91surrounds the article10(as shown inFIG.4).

5. first time tightening step S5: first controlling the strap feeding and retreating control unit33to tighten (the actual action is to pull backwards) the packing strap91, so that the packing strap91is tightly wrapping around the article10(as shown inFIG.5).

6. a second time feeding strap step S6: controlling the strap feeding and retreating control unit33to automatically supply strap and pulling out (or called feeding) the packing strap91from the strap supply unit32to a first length so as to generate a first insertion space G1 between the packing strap91and the first edge111, and a second insertion space G2 between the packing strap91and the second edge112(as shown inFIG.6).

7. manual inserting step S7: inserting the at least two right-angle pad elements40(to protect to the article10from packing strap's pressing/damaging) into the first insertion space G1 and the second insertion space G2, respectively, wherein the two right-angle pad elements40are all limited by the packing strap91and will not fall down (as shown inFIG.7, the first insertion space G1 and the second insertion space G2 are omitted and will be described here).

8. second time tightening step S8: controlling the strap feeding and retreating control unit33to automatically tighten the packing strap91, so that the packing strap91is tightly wrapping around the article10and the two right-angle pad elements40(as shown inFIG.8).

9. strap cutting and bonding step S9: controlling the strap cutting and bonding unit34to cut off and form an overlapping portion adjacent to the supply end911and to bond the overlapping portion via thermal bonding (as shown inFIGS.9,10and11) so as to complete the action of packing article.

Practically, in the second time feeding strap step S6, the first length can be between 12-18 cm (which is suitable for most packing works on a regular-sized pallet).

Furthermore, the conventional method for packing an article on the pallet requires one specific person to operate the strapping machine exclusively. First, the L-shaped strap guide unit of the strapping machine inserts into the bottom space under the pallet, and then control the strap supply unit to supply the packing strap. Next, the packing strap is output through the L-shaped strap guide unit, and after one circle around the pallet and the article, the packing strap is inserted into and secured on the L-shaped strap guide unit, so that the packing strap is tightly wrapped around the article. Next, it is necessary to pull out the packing strap from the strap supply unit to create a gap between the packing strap and the article. The key point is that another person must place the two right-angle pad elements on the article and press and fix them with the hands of the other person (the hands have to keep pressing on) to prevent loosening or slipping. Then, the person who controls the strapping machine controls the packing strap to tighten so that the packing strap can be tightly tied to the article and the two right-angle pad elements. That is, two operators are necessary, and the manpower requirement for such packing work is relatively high in a conventional way.

However, in order to solve the aforementioned conventional problem, this invention is designed to include the second time feeding strap and the second time tightening step. After the packing strap91is tightly wrapping around the article10(that is, the first time tightening step S5), the present invention is specially designed to first control the strap feeding and retreating control unit33to “automatically” pull (or called feed) the packing strap91out of the strap supply unit32(supply strap) to the first length, so that a first insertion space G1 is generated between the packing strap91and the first edge111, and a second insertion space G2 is generated between the packing strap91and the second edge112(as shown inFIG.6). Please note that this step is automatic control without additional manpower operation. Then the person who controls the strapping machine can insert the two right-angle pad elements40into the first insertion space G1 and the second insertion space G2, respectively. The two right-angle pad elements40are all limited by the packing strap91and will not fall down (as shown inFIG.7). Then control again (it is also automatic control, no human operation is required) the strap feeding and retreating control unit33tightens the packing strap91, and finally completes that the packing strap91is tightly wrapping around the article10and the two right-angle pad elements40(as shown inFIG.8).

Furthermore, the two right-angle pad elements40(as shown inFIG.12) can be modified as four (or more), and are respectively arranged on article10in pairs (as shown inFIG.13).

The advantages and effects provided by the present invention may include the following:

1. The two right-angle pad elements will not fall down after being placed. In the second time feeding strap step of the present invention, the strap feeding and retreating control unit is controlled to automatically pull the packing strap out of the first length. Further, the first insertion space and the second insertion space are generated between the article and the packing strap; in addition to facilitating the insertion of the two right-angle pad elements, the two right-angle pad elements are restricted by the packing strap and will not fall down (in principle, no hands are needed for fixing after insertion). Therefore, the two right-angle pad elements will not fall down after being placed.

2. It can be operated by one person only. Compared with the conventional strapping machine that requires two persons to work together, the present invention only needs one person, so the manpower requirement for such packing work is relatively low. Therefore, it can be operated by a single person.