Manufacturing system for processing a web

{
  "publication_number": "US9550645B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Manufacturing system for processing a web",
  "abstract": "The invention provides a manufacturing system for processing a web, the system comprising a rigid frame with a plurality of processing stations; an endless belt which is movable relative to the frame; a track for guiding the endless belt between the processing stations; and a drive structure for advancing the belt along the track, To enable more flexible processing time at each processing station and to make better use of the space along the track, the system facilitates movement of a web at different speed at different locations along the track.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A manufacturing system for processing a web, the system comprising a rigid frame with a plurality of processing stations; an endless belt which is movable relative to the frame; a track for guiding the endless belt between the processing stations; and a drive structure for advancing the belt along the track, where the system facilitates movement of the web at a first speed at a first location of the track and a second speed that is different from the first speed at a second location of the track that is different from the first location of the track, the belt comprising chain links, each chain link joined to a forward and a rearward adjacent chain link by hinge structures, where each hinge structure comprises a chain rivet with a centre axis about which two adjacent chain links are rotatable relative to each other; characterized in that each chain link comprises a gripping structure facilitating stretching of the web between two adjacent chain rivets; wherein the drive structure comprises a plurality of the individually controllable power driven drives fixed to the frame between different processing stations, and where the belt comprises a drivable structure adapted to cooperate with the power driven drives to provide movement of the belt relative to the frame.",
    "2. A system according to claim 1, where the gripping structure facilitates stretching of the web in a plane which intersects the centre axis of two adjacent chain rivets.",
    "3. A system according to claim 1, where the gripping structure comprises at least two clamps for each chain link, each clamp comprising a pair of jaws being arranged on opposite sides of a first chain rivet of a first hinge structure and a second chain rivet of a second hinge structure, where the first chain rivet joins a chain link to a forward adjacent chain link and the second chain rivet joins the same chain link to rearward adjacent chain link.",
    "4. A system according to claim 1, where the track includes at least one buffer zone between adjacent processing stations along the track, the buffer zone allowing temporary storage of the belt and web.",
    "5. A system according to claim 4, where the buffer zone facilitates folding of the belt.",
    "6. A system according to claim 5, where the buffer zone facilitates folding between each of the chain links of that part of the belt being in the buffer zone.",
    "7. A system according to claim 4, where the track comprises transport sections and buffer sections, the transport sections holding the belt in a stretched-out configuration where each chain link coextends a previous chain link along a specified path between the processing stations, and the buffer sections allowing the belt to depart from the path.",
    "8. A system according to claim 7, where the buffer sections allow the belt to sink, under influence of gravity, into a low-lying area.",
    "9. A system according to claim 1, where the drivable structure comprises a driven element attached to each chain link and being individually engagable by one of the power driven drives.",
    "10. A system according to claim l further comprising a control structure by which each power driven drive is individually controllable, the control structure being adapted to control each power driven drive individually based on available buffer space and processing time for each processing station.",
    "11. A manufacturing system for processing a web, the system comprising: a frame with a plurality of processing stations; a belt movable relative to the frame; a track for guiding the belt between the processing stations; and a drive structure for advancing the belt along the track, where the drive structure comprises a plurality of individually controllable power driven drives each fixed to the frame between two of the processing stations; wherein the system facilitates movement of the web at a first speed at a first location of the track and a second speed that is different from the first speed at a second location of the track that is different from the first location of the track; wherein the belt comprising chain links, each chain link joined to a forward chain link and a rearward chain link by hinge structures, where each hinge structure comprises a chain rivet and an axis about which two adjacent chain links are rotatable relative to each other; wherein each chain link comprises a gripping structure facilitating stretching of the web between two adjacent chain rivets.",
    "12. The system of claim 11, wherein the belt comprises a drivable structure adapted to cooperate with the power driven drives to provide movement of the belt relative to the frame."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to a manufacturing system for processing a web. Particularly, the invention pertains to a system comprising a rigid frame with a plurality of processing stations; an endless belt which is movable relative to the frame; a track for guiding the endless belt between the processing stations; and a drive structure for advancing the belt along the track.\n\nThe invention further relates to a chain link for the system and to a method of processing a web by use of the system.\n\nA production line is a set of sequential operations established in a factory whereby materials are advanced through processing stations providing a refining process to produce an end-product.\n\nAutomated production lines exist where workers and/or fully automated production equipment, e.g. including robots, are arranged along a conveyer which brings material forward. Traditionally, the conveyer is moved regularly or continuously, in such a manner that the processing time of each sequential operation is taken into account.\n\nParticularly, with respect to processing of a web, it is typically required to synchronize movement of the conveyer with operation time at each processing station, and it is typically challenging to optimise all processing stations for equal processing time and to avoid tension in the web.\n\nA difference in operation time will typically lead to idling of processing stations of the less time consuming processes since the movement of the conveyor is adapted to allow the most time consuming process to finalize.",
  "cpc": [
    "B65H 20/16",
    "B65G 17/323",
    "B65H 20/00",
    "B65H 2404/2613",
    "B65H 2404/315",
    "B65H 2404/36",
    "B65H 2408/21",
    "B65H 2513/10",
    "B65H 2513/106"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B65G 17/32",
    "B65H 20/16"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Coloplast AS"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Poul Henrik Larsen"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2013-07-05",
  "publication_date": "2017-01-24",
  "grant_date": "2017-01-24",
  "priority_date": "2012-07-20",
  "application_number": "US-201314415877-A",
  "family_id": "48808129",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
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}