Unpacking system and unpacking method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11161640-B2
Application number	US-202016920829-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2020
Priority date	Sep 19, 2019
Publication date	Nov 2, 2021
Grant date	Nov 2, 2021

Abstract

An unpacking system that unpacks a box having flaps, including: an unsealing unit that cuts a proximity region where flaps facing each other in a closed state of flaps of the box come close together; a lid-opening unit that opens, at a predetermined angle exceeding 90 degrees, a predetermined flap of the flaps having been cut by the unsealing unit; and a flap cutting unit that cuts, along a side surface of the box, a base end side of the predetermined flap opened at the predetermined angle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unpacking system that unpacks a box having flaps, comprising:
a first conveyor;
a rotatable table downstream from the first conveyor;
a second conveyor downstream from the rotatable table;
an unsealing unit including a first cutter that cuts a region where flaps of the box facing each other in a closed state abut each other while the box is on the rotatable table;
a lid-opening unit including a suction hand that opens, at a predetermined angle exceeding 90 degrees, a predetermined flap of the flaps having been cut by the unsealing unit while the box is on the rotatable table;
a flap cutting unit including a second cutter that cuts, along a side surface of the box and from underneath the predetermined flap, a base end side of the predetermined flap opened at the predetermined angle while the box is on the rotatable table and while the flap cutting unit is continuously pressed against the side surface of the box; and
a controller connected to each of the first conveyor, the second conveyor and the rotatable table,
wherein the controller is configured to convey the box from the first conveyor to the rotatable table and convey the box from the rotatable table to the second conveyor, and
wherein the unsealing unit cuts the region by using the first cutter which has a dimension less than an entire thickness dimension of the flaps and the depth of the cut by the first cutter in the region is less than the entire thickness of the flaps.

2. The unpacking system according to claim 1 , further comprising a support unit that supports a predetermined side surface of side surfaces of the box, the side surface contiguous with respect to the base end side of the predetermined flap.

3. The unpacking system according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined angle is an acute angle with respect to a side surface of the box.

4. The unpacking system according to claim 1 , wherein the unpacking system is arranged in a preceding stage of a process in which image recognition of an article in the box is performed by a camera.

5. An unpacking method for unpacking a box having flaps, comprising:
conveying the box to a rotatable table;
conveying the box from the rotatable table to a second conveyor which is downstream from the rotatable table;
an unsealing step including cutting, by a first cutter, region where flaps of the box facing each other in a closed state abut each other while the box is on the rotatable table;
a lid-opening step in which a predetermined flap of the flaps having been cut by the unsealing step is opened by a suction hand to a predetermined angle exceeding 90 degrees by a lid-opening mechanism while the box is on the rotatable table; and
a flap cutting step including cutting a base end side of the predetermined flap opened at the predetermined angle along a side surface of the box and from underneath the predetermined flap by a flap cutting mechanism while the box is on the rotatable table and while the flap cutting unit is continuously pressed against the side surface of the box,
wherein the unsealing unit cuts the region by using the first cutter which has a dimension less than an entire thickness dimension of the flaps and the depth of the cut by the first cutter in the region is less than the entire thickness of the flaps.

Assignees

• Hitachi Ltd

Inventors

• Nishigaito Takaomi
• Serizawa Satoru
• TSUKIDATE Tsunamichi
• Ikeda Hiroshi

Classifications

• B65B69/0033 Primary

  by cutting (B65B69/0008-B65B69/0025 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65B57/00

  Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices (registering wrapping or container-forming material fed from rolls B65B41/18) · CPC title

• B65B69/0025

  Removing or cutting binding material, e.g. straps or bands · CPC title

• B65B43/00

  Forming, feeding, opening or setting-up containers or receptacles in association with packaging (forming pockets in sheets, blanks or webs, by pressing the material into forming dies or moving it through folding dies B65B47/00) · CPC title