TRANSPORT PACKAGE FOR A WIDE FORMAT MEDIA ROLL

Abstract

The present invention provides to a transport package for lifting and positioning a wide format media roll into or out of a printing system, comprising a deformable support body for supporting a bottom side of a media roll in a stabilized manner, a releasable securing member for releasably securing a first end of the support body to an attachment region of the support body, such that the support body forms a substantially closed loop around the media roll, and at least one carrying member provided at a second end of the support body and arranged for engaging lifting means for lifting the media roll. Additionally, a media roll assembly and a method for loading a media roll into a printing system are provided.

Claims

1. Media roll assembly for use in a wide format printing system, comprising: a wide format media roll comprising a tubular core around which a print medium is wound; and a transport package for lifting and positioning the media roll assembly into or out of the printing system, which transport package comprises: a longitudinal, deformable support body; a releasable securing member for releasably securing a first end of the support body to an attachment region of the support body, such that the support body forms a substantially closed loop around the media roll, and which releasable securing member is arranged for opening the substantially closed loop of the support member for releasing the media roll; and at least one carrying member provided at the first and/or the second end of the support body and arranged for engaging lifting means for lifting the media roll assembly.

2. Media roll assembly according to claim 1, wherein the transport package extends to either side of a center of mass of the media roll in the longitudinal direction of the media roll.

3. Media roll assembly according to claim 1, wherein the releasable securing member comprises glue, a tear away seal element, and/or releasable fastening elements, such as magnets, or clamps.

4. A transport package for use in a media roll assembly according to claim 1, comprising: a longitudinal, deformable support body arranged for, during operation, supporting a bottom side of a media roll in a stabilized manner; a releasable securing member for releasably securing a first end of the support body to an attachment region of the support body, such that, during operation, the support body forms a substantially closed loop around the media roll; and at least one carrying member provided at a second end of the support body and arranged for engaging lifting means for lifting the media roll.

5. A transport package according to claim 4, wherein, during operation, the support body supports part of a length of the bottom side of the media roll, as seen in a longitudinal direction of the media roll, for supporting the media roll in a stabilized manner.

6. A transport package according to claim 4, wherein the releasable securing member is arranged for securing the first end of the support body onto the second end of the support body.

7. A transport package according to claim 6, wherein, during operation, the support body is substantially circumferentially provided over the outer surface of the media roll.

8. A transport package according to claim 4, wherein the support body is substantially flat, and is arranged to deform correspondingly to the outer surface of the media roll.

9. A transport package according to claim 4, wherein the first end of the support body comprises a guide element for guiding the first end of the support body around the media roll before securing it to the support body.

10. A transport package according to claim 4, wherein the support body and the at least one carrying member are integrally formed.

11. A transport package according to claim 4, wherein the at least one carrying member is foldably connected to the second end of the support body along a fold line substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the media roll during operation.

12. A transport package according to claim 4, wherein a further carrying member is provided at the second end of the support body, and wherein the further carrying member at the second end of the support body is shaped correspondingly to the at least one carrying member at the first end of the support body.

13. A transport package according to claim 4, wherein the at least one carrying member is provided with at least one opening for engaging the carrying member by lifting means.

14. Method for forming a media roll assembly according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: transporting a wide format media roll comprising a tubular core around which a print medium is wound and a transport package to one another, which transport package comprises: a longitudinal, deformable support body; a releasable securing member which releasably secures a first end of the support body to an attachment region of the support body, such that the support body forms a substantially closed loop around the media roll, and which releasable securing member is arranged for opening the substantially closed loop of the support member for releasing the media roll; and at least one carrying member provided at the first and/or a second end of the support body and arranged for engaging lifting means for lifting the media roll assembly; and applying a packaging material around the wide format media roll and the transport package.

15. Method according to claim 14, further comprising the steps of: guiding the first end of the support body of the transport package around the media roll; and securing the first end of the support body to the attachment region of the support body by means of the releasable securing member.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:

[0046] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a media roll assembly according to an embodiment of the invention during operation;

[0047] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the media roll assembly in FIG. 1, with the transport package in its planar state;

[0048] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of media the roll assembly in FIG. 1, with the carrying member in its storage state; and

[0049] FIG. 4a-b are schematic perspective views of another embodiment of the transport package according to the present invention, being wrapped around the media roll.

[0050] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate particular embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. Other embodiments of the invention and many of the attendant advantages of the invention will be readily appreciated as they become better understood with reference to the following detailed description.

[0051] It will be appreciated that common and/or well understood elements that may be useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are not necessarily depicted in order to facilitate a more abstracted view of the embodiments. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily illustrated to scale relative to each other. It will further be appreciated that certain actions and/or steps in an embodiment of a method may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrences while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. It will also be understood that the terms and expressions used in the present specification have the ordinary meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions with respect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study, except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0052] The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals have been used to identify the same or similar elements throughout the several views.

[0053] With reference to FIG. 1 a schematic illustration of media roll assembly 20 according to the present invention is shown. The media roll 10 comprises sheet media 11 wrapped around a roll core 12. The transport package 1 according to the present invention surrounds the media roll 10 with its support body 2. Carrying members 4, 4a, 4b extend away from the support body 2 and comprise engaging elements 6, whereby the media roll assembly 20 may be engaged and lifted.

[0054] The media roll 10 comprises a longitudinal roll core 12, generally formed of cardboard or plastic. The length of the tubular roll core 12 is typically around 42, though smaller and larger sizes, such as 64 may be applied. Sheet media 11 is wrapped around the roll core 12 up to a diameter exceeding that of the roll core 12. The total weight of the media roll 10 is generally around 18 kg, but media rolls 10 may be lighter or heavier. The weight of the media roll 10 may be restricted to a maximum weight to ensure its handling proceeds ergonomically (for example, the maximum weight allowed for manual lifting by a single operator in the Netherlands is 25 kg). The roll core 12 in FIG. 1 has a similar length as the width of the sheet media 11, but the roll core 12 may extend beyond the edges of the sheet medium 11 to facilitate easy placing of the roll media 10 in an media input module. Alternatively, a roll core holder can be provided at either end of the roll core 12. The roll core holder may be arranged for supporting and driving the rotation of the media roll 10.

[0055] The transport package 1 for lifting and positioning a wide format media roll into or out of a printing system in FIG. 1 comprises a longitudinal, deformable support body 2. The support body 2 in FIG. 1 surrounds the sheet medium 11 on the media roll 10. FIG. 1 depicts the media roll assembly 20 during operation, wherein the media roll assembly 20 is suspended from the carrying member 4, 4a, 4b, which is being lifted either by hand or by a lifting device (not shown). The bottom part of the media roll 10 is supported by the support body 2. Since the support body 2 in FIG. 1 is shaped conform to the shape of the rolled up sheet media 11, it stabilizes the media roll 10 at its bottom side during support. The media roll 10 hangs in support body 2, which acts as a noose on the media roll 10. Thus, the media roll 10 is secured and stabilized in the support body 2 in a support state of the transport package 1.

[0056] The cylindrical support body 2 forms a closed loop around the media roll 10. The loop is formed by bringing the first end 2a of the support body in contact with an attachment region 3b elsewhere on the support body 2. A securing region 3a at the first end 2a is releasably secured to the attachment region 3b by means of a securing member 3. The attachment region 3b in FIG. 1 is positioned at the second end 2b of the support body 2, which is wrapped circumferentially around the media roll 10. By providing the support body 2 substantially circumferentially over the outer surface of the media roll 10, a close fit between the two may be achieved. Any upward or tilting motion up the media roll 10 may then be counteracted by the rigidity of the tubular support body 2. Thus, stability is increased.

[0057] The releasable securing member 3 is arranged for releasing the attached securing region 3a from the attachment region 3b, such that the media roll 10 may be released from the transport package 1. Opening the transport package 1 is preferably performed after installing the media roll 10 in the media input module. The securing member 3 can then be released, detaching the securing region 3a at the first end 2a from the attachment region 3b at the second end 2b, opening the closed loop. Since the support body 2 is deformable, it may then be easily removed from the media roll 10.

[0058] In FIG. 1, a carrying member 4b is provided at the second end 2b of the support body 2. A similar carrying member 4a extends from the first end 2a along the carrying member 4b, such that a combined carrying member 4 is formed. Each carrying member 4, 4a, 4b is provided with engaging elements 6, by means of which the media roll 10 may be lifted. The carrying members 4a, 4b correspond in shape and size. Because of their overlap, it is possible to engage both carrying member 4a, 4b simultaneously with a single hand or lifting device. The carrying members 4a, 4b may be secured to one another to form the combined carrying member 4, for example by gluing them together. The openings 6 in each carrying member 4a, 4b are positioned such that during operation respective openings 6 overlap, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0059] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the media roll assembly 20 of FIG. 1 with the transport package 1 in an open state. The transport package 1 in FIG. 2 is in its straight or planar state. The transport package 1 in FIG. 2 is open for receiving the media roll 10. In this state the transport package 1 is substantially rectangular and may for example be formed of a strip of cardboard or plastic. From left to right in FIG. 2, the transport package 1 comprises a first carrying member 4a with openings 6 and a fold line 5, the securing region 3a for the securing member 3, the support body 2 whereupon the media roll 10 rests, the attachment region 3b, and finally a second carrying member 4b with openings 6.

[0060] FIG. 2 illustrates the dimensions of the support body 2. The length L of the support body 2 is preferably such that the support body 2 substantially conforms to the outer surface of the media roll 10. To this end, the length L of the support body 2 may correspond to or be substantially equal to the circumference of the sheet medium 11 of the media roll 10. The maximum radius R of the media roll 10 or the sheet medium 11 may therefore be related to the length L of the support body 2, via L2R. The width W of the rectangular support body 2 is preferably less than the length W.sub.m of the media roll 10, though it may be equal so as to protect the entire outer surface of the sheet medium 11. The medium roll 10 is positioned with respect to the support body 2, such that the media roll 10 is supported along a substantial part of its length. By positioning the support body 2 symmetrically with respect to a central plane of the media roll 10, the assembly 20 becomes easy to balance during support. Two or more transport packages 1 may alternatively be provided on the media roll 10, preferably symmetrically with respect to the central plane of the media roll 10.

[0061] When comparing FIG. 2 to FIG. 1, the deformation of the support body 2 becomes apparent. In FIG. 2 the support body 2 is substantially straight, while in FIG. 1 it is substantially curved around the media roll 10. This deformation allows the transport package 1 to be easily wrapped around the media roll 10, especially when unloading the media roll 10 from a media output module. The support body 1 may be formed of cardboard or plastic to achieve the desired flexibility and yet be sufficiently strong for lifting the media roll 10. In FIG. 2 the carrying members 4a, 4b are integrally formed with the support body 2. This allows the transport package 1 to be easily and cheaply produced from e.g. strips of cardboard or plastic.

[0062] In FIG. 3, a cross-section of a media roll assembly 20 according to the present invention is shown. The sheet medium 11 is wrapped around the cylindrical tube of the roll core 12. The support body 2 is provided circumferentially around the sheet medium 11, with the carrying members 4, 4a, 4b extending from the support body 2. The cross-section of the support body in FIG. 3 is substantially circular, conforming to the shape of the wrapped sheet medium 11. A roll core holder (not shown) may be placed in either end of the roll core 12 for supporting the roll core 12 in the media input module.

[0063] In FIG. 3, the media roll assembly 20 is in its storage state. The carrying members 4a, 4b, 4 have been folded along fold line 5, such that each carrying member 4, 4a, 4b comprises two member parts at a, preferably substantially straight, angle with respect to one another. The fold line 5 runs parallel to a central axis of the media roll 10. The member parts in FIG. 3 extend tangentially from the cylindrical support body 2. In the storage state, the media roll assembly 20 takes up less space and may allow stacking of multiple media roll assemblies 20 next to or atop one another. Furthermore, in the storage state the assembly 20 is unable to roll away, allowing it to be stored safely.

[0064] In FIG. 4a-b illustrate the steps of a method of applying transport package 101 according to the present invention around a media roll 110. The transport package 101 in FIG. 4 is preferably flexible and comprises at a first end a guide element 107. The guide element 107 may be substantially stiff with respect to the support body 102 of the transport package 101. In FIG. 4a-b the guide element 107 comprises a curved surface for guiding the guide element 107 around the media roll 110. The radii of curvature of the curved surface of the guide element 107 and the outer surface of the media roll 110 may be comparable. Since the guide element 107 is relatively stiff and curved correspondingly to the media roll 110, the guide element 107 can be easily guided below or over the media roll 110, whereupon the guide element 107 is engaged at the other the side of the media roll 110. By pulling the guide element 107, the remainder of the transport package 101 is pulled around the media roll 110. Preferably, the support body 102 is flexible such that it easily conforms to the shape of the media roll 110.

[0065] The guide element 107 is then folded back towards a second end of the transport package 101, where it is attached to an attachment region to close the loop of the transport package 101. As such, the guide element 107 may form the securing member 103. In FIG. 4a-b, the guide element 107 is formed as a loop 103 which may engage a hook for securing the transport package 101. Alternatively, a safety locking device, as e.g. in seat belt buckles, may be applied. The transport package 101 may then be lifted by means of the guide member 107. In FIG. 4a-b, the loop 103 of the guide member 107 may be provided over a hook which subsequently lifts the media roll assembly. The guide element 107 thus forms both the securing element 103 as well as the carrying member 104. Thus, the transport package 101 may be swiftly and easily provided around a media roll 110. The media roll 110 may then be swiftly and without damage to the sheet medium be transported to and placed in a media input module. The securing member 103 is then released, opening the closed loop of the transport package 101, and releasing the roll 110. The transport package 101 may then be pulled to remove it from the media input module.

[0066] Although specific embodiments of the invention are illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations exist. It should be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are examples only and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration in any way. Rather, the foregoing summary and detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing at least one exemplary embodiment, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents. Generally, this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein.

[0067] It will also be appreciated that in this document the terms comprise, comprising, include, including, contain, containing, have, having, and any variations thereof, are intended to be understood in an inclusive (i.e. non-exclusive) sense, such that the process, method, device, apparatus or system described herein is not limited to those features or parts or elements or steps recited but may include other elements, features, parts or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Furthermore, the terms a and an used herein are intended to be understood as meaning one or more unless explicitly stated otherwise. Moreover, the terms first, second, third, etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on or to establish a certain ranking of importance of their objects.