Apparatus and method for handling articles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10322833-B2
Application number	US-201514886269-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2015
Priority date	Oct 20, 2014
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

The method of the present invention removes at least a plurality of articles (02) arriving consecutively in a transport direction (FR) from an infeed (03), and subsequently, arranging and grouping the articles (02), while simultaneously lifting and collectively transferring the article (02) from the infeed (03) to a staging surface (04). At the staging area are one or more outer packagings (05), and into which the articles (02) are placed. Individually or groupwise, as seen in a direction in parallel to the transport direction (FR), the individual distances between the articles (02) corresponding to a defined arrangement (20) are increased and/or decreased, and finally, the articles (02) are simultaneously lowered and released into the one or a plurality of outer packagings (05). The apparatus of the present invention comprises an infeed (03) of articles (02) being transported, at least one staging surface (04) arranged next to the infeed (03). On the staging surface (04), outer packagings (05) are staged, and which will be filled with articles (02) removed from the infeed (03). From the staging surface (04), the filled outer packagings (05) are discharged. A gripping device (07) is used to simultaneously seize a plurality of articles (02) from the infeed (03). The gripping device (07) has one gripper head (70) per article. The gripping device (07) has at least one manipulator (71) with a horizontally and vertically movable manipulator head (72).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus ( 01 ) for the handling of articles ( 02 ), which handling provides to simultaneously remove a plurality of articles ( 02 ) from an infeed ( 03 ) and to transfer them into at least one outer packaging ( 05 ) staged on a staging surface ( 04 ), comprising:
an infeed ( 03 ) of articles ( 02 ) being transported in a transport direction (FR);
at least one staging surface ( 04 ) arranged next to the infeed ( 03 ) as seen in the direction of a horizontal axis ( 06 ), on which staging surface ( 04 ) one or more outer packagings ( 05 ) have been and/or are being staged, which the one or more outer packagings ( 05 ) are to be filled with articles ( 02 ) having been removed from the infeed ( 03 ), and from which staging surface ( 04 ) the one or more outer packagings ( 05 ) are discharged after the articles ( 02 ) have been placed therein;
a gripping device ( 07 ) for the simultaneous seizing of a plurality of articles ( 02 ) from the infeed ( 03 ), wherein the gripping device ( 07 ) has at least one manipulator ( 71 ) with a manipulator head ( 72 ) that is at least horizontally movable along a horizontal axis ( 06 ), and vertically movable along a vertical axis ( 08 ), with a plurality of gripper heads ( 70 ) arranged on the manipulator head ( 72 ) and with one gripper head ( 70 ) per article, and wherein the plurality of gripper heads ( 70 ) are individually and/or groupwise movable relative to each other in a first horizontal direction that is parallel to the transport direction (FR) and wherein the plurality of gripper heads ( 70 ) are individually and/or groupwise movable relative to each other in a second horizontal direction that is orthogonal to the transport direction (FR); and
a detection means ( 17 ) for detecting the actual positions of the articles ( 02 ) in the infeed ( 03 ).

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of gripper heads ( 70 ) are collectively movable in a first horizontal direction that is parallel to the transport direction (FR) of the infeed ( 03 ).

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein the manipulator head ( 72 ) is additionally movable in the transport direction (FR) of the infeed.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein the detection means ( 17 ) comprises:
one or more imaging sensors; and
a control unit carrying out an image recognition algorithm, wherein control unit analyzes, in real time, an image of the articles ( 02 ) in the infeed ( 03 ) provided by the one or more imaging sensors with regard to the actual positions of the successively, as seen from the end ( 31 ) of the infeed ( 03 ) opposite the transport direction (FR) of the infeed ( 03 ), consecutively arriving and/or accumulated articles ( 02 ), and wherein the control unit produces control signals therefrom, which cause individual, translational movements in a direction in parallel to the transport direction (FR) of the individual gripper heads ( 70 ) at the manipulator head ( 72 ) in order to adapt the removal positions of the individual gripper heads ( 70 ) to the actual positions of the articles ( 02 ) in the infeed ( 03 ).

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein the plurality of gripper heads ( 70 ) are individually, rotationally movable relative to each other about rotational axes parallel to the vertical axis ( 08 ).

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein all of the plurality of gripper heads ( 70 ) are collectively pivotable about a pivoting axis parallel to the vertical axis ( 08 ).

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein the staging surface ( 04 ) comprises at least one conveyor ( 40 ).

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein the staging surface ( 04 ) is arranged next to an infeed conveyor and/or to a discharge conveyor or between an infeed conveyor and a discharge conveyor, wherein the one or more outer packagings ( 05 ) are pushed over onto the staging surface ( 04 ) and/or wherein the outer packagings ( 05 ), after the articles ( 02 ) have been placed therein on the staging surface ( 04 ), are pushed over for their discharge from the staging surface ( 04 ) onto a discharge conveyor.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein the infeed ( 03 ) comprises at least one conveyor ( 30 ).

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein a subset of the plurality of gripper heads ( 70 ) are groupwise pivotable about one pivoting axis parallel to the vertical axis ( 08 ).

11. A method for the handling of articles ( 02 ), which handling provides to simultaneously remove a plurality of articles ( 02 ) from an infeed ( 03 ) and to transfer them into at least one outer packaging ( 05 ) staged on a staging surface ( 04 ), comprising:
removing a plurality of articles ( 02 ), arriving consecutively in a transport direction (FR), from the infeed ( 03 ) by seizing and/or gripping the plurality of articles from above, and then lifting the articles,
transferring the articles ( 02 ), while they are simultaneously being lifted up and collectively moving the articles from the infeed ( 03 ) toward the staging surface ( 04 ),
during the transferring step, arranging the articles ( 02 ), individually or groupwise, by increasing and/or decreasing individual distances between the articles ( 02 ) parallel to the transport direction (FR) and orthogonally to the transport direction (FR) to produce an arrangement ( 20 ) of articles ( 02 ) prior to placing the articles ( 02 ) into the outer packagings ( 05 ), this arrangement ( 20 ) being defined by the one or more outer packagings ( 05 ) staged on the staging surface ( 04 ), and
placing the articles ( 02 ) into the outer packagings ( 05 ) by simultaneously lowering and releasing the articles ( 02 ) into the one or more outer packagings ( 05 ) staged on the staging surface ( 04 ).

12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein a plurality of articles ( 02 ) is removed simultaneously from the infeed ( 03 ) as seen orthogonally to the transport direction (FR).

13. The method as recited in claim 12 further comprising removing the one or more outer packagings ( 05 ), into which articles ( 02 ) have already been placed from the staging surface ( 04 ) and staging one or more new, empty outer packagings ( 05 ) on the staging surface ( 04 ), while the removing and arranging steps are being carried out.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein, during the transferring step, rotating individual articles about individual rotational axes parallel to a vertical axis ( 08 ).

15. The method of claim 11 wherein, during the transferring step, aligning the articles ( 02 ) by collectively rotating all the articles or groups of articles about one or more pivoting axes parallel to a vertical axis ( 08 ).

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the removing step comprises simultaneously removing all of the articles ( 02 ) from the infeed ( 03 ).

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising detecting the actual positions of the articles ( 02 ) in the infeed ( 03 ) prior to the removing step.

18. An apparatus ( 01 ) for the handling of articles ( 02 ), which handling provides to simultaneously remove a plurality of articles ( 02 ) from an infeed ( 03 ) and to transfer them into at least one outer packaging ( 05 ) staged on a staging surface ( 04 ), comprising:
an infeed ( 03 ) of articles ( 02 ) being transported in a transport direction (FR);
at least one staging surface ( 04 ) arranged next to the infeed ( 03 ) as seen in the direction of a horizontal axis ( 06 ), on which staging surface ( 04 ) one or more outer packagings ( 05 ) have been and/or are bei

Assignees

• Krones Ag

Inventors

• Hutter Alban
• Fechter Wolfgang
• Hofstetter Roland

Classifications

• B65B5/08

  Packaging groups of articles, the articles being individually gripped or guided for transfer to the containers or receptacles · CPC title

• B65G47/907

  with at least two picking-up heads · CPC title

• B65G47/905

  Control arrangements · CPC title

• B65B35/36 Primary

  by grippers · CPC title

• B65B21/18

  using grippers engaging bottles, e.g. bottle necks · CPC title