Method for handling containers, in particular cardboard boxes, for groups of objects, in particular packages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10351280-B2
Application number	US-201414785189-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2014
Priority date	May 15, 2013
Publication date	Jul 16, 2019
Grant date	Jul 16, 2019

Abstract

A and device method for handling containers, in particular cardboard boxes, for groups of objects, in particular packages, in which the objects are inserted one after another into the container and are deposited there in an ordered formation, and in which the containers are held ready in each case by a handling device, in particular a cardboard box robot, for the insertion of the objects, and in each case several containers are held ready at the same time by the handling device so that they can be filled with objects.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for handling containers for groups of objects, comprising:
holding the containers by a cardboard box robot as a handling device, for the insertion of the objects into the containers; and
inserting the objects one after another into the containers, whereby the objects are deposited in the containers in an ordered formation, and whereby the containers are filled with the objects,
wherein the containers are grasped by the handling device at a spacing from one another, wherein the spacing between the containers with respect to one another when being held by the handling device corresponds to the spacing between the containers with respect to one another during the subsequent process for inserting the objects into the containers,
wherein the containers are held by pneumatically operating gripping members when being held by the handling device so that the containers are grasped by the handling device, wherein the containers are first accumulated and grasped by the gripping member and are then moved to the spacing with respect to one another by means of corresponding movement of the gripping member, and
wherein a respective one of the containers is grasped at an inner wall of the respective container by the gripping member, wherein the gripping member is displaced laterally so as to space the respective container from an adjacent one of the containers, and wherein as the gripping member is subsequently removed out of the respective container the gripping member is initially moved away from the inner wall of the respective container and then withdrawn from the respective container.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the objects are supplied on a feed conveyor and are then shifted at an angle transversely on a cross conveyor, and in that, as a result of abutting against stops, the objects are held in the region of the cross conveyor at a spacing with respect to one another which corresponds to the spacing between containers.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein at least one stop is arranged in an immovable manner, and in that at least one further stop is arranged so as to be movable and is moved into the conveying path of the objects in order to position an object at a predefined spacing with respect to another object which abuts against the immovable stop.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the objects are supplied on a central feed conveyor and are shifted onto two cross conveyors and from there are inserted into the containers, wherein each cross conveyor has associated therewith in each case one handling device, and the handling devices hold the containers for filling in an alternating manner and deposit the filled containers one after another on a conveying device for filled containers.

Assignees

• Focke & Co

Inventors

• Prahm Andreas
• Schmidt Dennis

Classifications

• B65B65/003

  Packaging lines, e.g. general layout · CPC title

• B65B5/06

  Packaging groups of articles, the groups being treated as single articles · CPC title

• B65B43/56 Primary

  movable stepwise to position container or receptacle for the reception of successive increments of contents · CPC title

• B65B43/46 Primary

  using grippers · CPC title

• B65B5/10

  Filling containers or receptacles progressively or in stages by introducing successive articles, or layers of articles · CPC title