Feeding system for carton blanks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11220408-B2
Application number	US-201816606147-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2018
Priority date	Apr 19, 2017
Publication date	Jan 11, 2022
Grant date	Jan 11, 2022

Abstract

A feeding system for carton blanks is disclosed, comprising a pivotable linkage, a gripper head connected to the pivotable linkage at a first rotational axis. The feeding system comprises a magazine configured to store a plurality of stacked carton blanks in a stacking direction. The carton blanks are confined in a cassette being dimensioned so that the carton blanks are confined to extend between proximal and distal internal surfaces of the cassette along a cassette direction which is perpendicular to the stacking direction and the first rotational axis. The proximal internal surface is arranged to align proximal edges of the carton blanks in a proximal alignment plane being perpendicular to the cassette direction, the proximal alignment plane extending between the gripper head and said first rotational axis. The first rotational joint is positioned in relation to the magazine such that there is a separation distance between the proximal alignment plane and the first rotational axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A feeding system for carton blanks, comprising;
a rotary feeder comprising a pivotable linkage,
a gripper head connected to the pivotable linkage via a gripper arm, wherein the gripper arm is connected to an outer periphery of the pivotable linkage at a first rotational joint, whereby the gripper arm is rotatable around a first rotational axis thereof, and
a magazine configured to store a plurality of stacked carton blanks each having a planar configuration in a magazine plane of the magazine, when stored therein, the carton blanks being stacked in a stacking direction, parallel with a normal axis to the magazine plane,
wherein the pivotable linkage comprises a first link and a second link, the first link being connected, at opposite ends thereof, to the gripper arm via the first rotational axis and the second link,
wherein the pivotable linkage is configured to be movable along a general feed path such that the gripper head follows an approach path towards a picking position at which the gripper head engage with a carton blank in the magazine, and subsequently follows a delivery path, from the picking position to a delivery position,
wherein the magazine comprises a cassette in which the carton blanks are confined, when stored in the magazine, the cassette being dimensioned so that the carton blanks are confined to extend in said magazine plane between proximal and distal internal surfaces of the cassette along a cassette direction which is perpendicular to the stacking direction and said first rotational axis,
wherein the proximal internal surface is arranged to align proximal edges of the carton blanks in a proximal alignment plane being perpendicular to the cassette direction, the proximal alignment plane extending between the gripper head and said first rotational axis, at least when the gripper head is in the picking position,
wherein, at least when the gripper head is in the picking position, the first rotational joint is positioned in relation to the magazine such that there is a separation distance between the proximal alignment plane and the first rotational axis, the separation distance extending in an off-set direction being parallel with the cassette direction,
wherein the first and second links rotate in a first direction relative to each other when following the approach path, until the gripper head arrives at the picking position and contacts a first carton blank, and
wherein the proximal alignment plane and the first rotational axis are separated by the separation distance while the first and second links rotate in a second direction relative to each other, opposite the first direction, when the gripper head lifts the first carton blank from the magazine.

2. The feeding system according to claim 1 , wherein, when the gripper head is in the picking position and in engagement with the first carton blank extending along a first longitudinal axis being parallel with the cassette direction, the first rotational axis is positioned such that the first longitudinal axis extends between the gripper head and the first rotational axis in the stacking direction.

3. The feeding system according to claim 1 , wherein the first rotational axis and the gripper head are movable along respective approach paths that are at least partly aligned substantially in parallel with the stacking direction, when the gripper head is in the picking position.

4. The feeding system according to claim 1 , wherein the approach path and the delivery path of the gripper head are at least partly aligned substantially in parallel, when the gripper head is in the picking position.

5. The feeding system according to claim 1 , wherein the proximal alignment plane and the first rotational axis are separated by the separation distance while the first carton blank, engaged by the gripper head, is in contact with the magazine.

6. The feeding system according to claim 1 , wherein the first rotational joint rotates in the first direction when following the approach path, until the gripper head arrives at the picking position and contacts the first carton blank, and wherein the proximal alignment plane and the first rotational axis are separated by the separation distance while the first rotational joint rotates in the second direction opposite the first direction, when lifting the first carton blank from the magazine.

7. The feeding system according to claim 6 , wherein, when the first rotational joint starts to rotate in said second direction, to lift the first carton blank, the first rotational axis follows a translatory movement in a direction substantially parallel with, and opposite, the stacking direction.

8. The feeding system according to claim 1 , wherein the gripper head has an engagement surface configured to contact the carton blanks, wherein the engagement surface forms an angle with the first rotational axis and the cassette direction, and wherein the angle is substantially zero when the gripper head first contacts the first carton blank, prior to lifting the first carton blank from the magazine.

9. A filling system comprising a feeding system according to claim 1 and carton blanks, the feeding system comprising;
a rotary feeder comprising a pivotable linkage,
a gripper head connected to the pivotable linkage via a gripper arm,
gripper arm is connected to an outer periphery of the pivotable linkage at a first rotational joint, whereby the gripper arm is rotatable around a first rotational axis thereof, and
a magazine configured to store a plurality of stacked carton blanks each having a planar configuration in a magazine plane of the magazine, the carton blanks being stacked in a stacking direction, parallel with the normal axis to the magazine plane,
wherein the pivotable linkage comprises a first link and a second link, the first link being connected, at opposite ends thereof, to the gripper arm via the first rotational axis and the second link,
wherein the pivotable linkage is configured to be movable along a general feed path such that the gripper head follows an approach path towards a picking position at which the gripper head engage with a carton blank in the magazine, and subsequently follows a delivery path, from the picking position to a delivery position,
wherein the magazine comprises a cassette in which the carton blanks are confined, the cassette being dimensioned so that the carton blanks are confined to extend in said magazine plane between proximal and distal internal surfaces of the cassette along a cassette direction which is perpendicular to the stacking direction and said first rotational axis,
wherein the proximal internal surface is arranged to align proximal edges of the blanks in an proximal alignment plane being perpendicular to the cassette direction, the proximal alignment plane extending between the gripper head and said first rotational axis, at least when the gripper head is in the picking position,
wherein, at least when the gripper head is in the picking position, the first rotational joint is positioned in relation to the magazine such that there is a separation distance between the proximal alignment plane and the first rotational axis, the separation distance extending in an off-set direction being parallel with the cassette direction,
wherein the first and second links rotate in a first direction relative to each other when following the approach path, until the gripper head arrives at the picking position and contacts a first carton blank, and
wherein the proximal alignment plane and the first rotational axis are separated by the separation distance while the first and second links rotate in a second direction relative to each other, opposite the first direction, when the gripper head

Assignees

• Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance

Inventors

• Persson Richard

Classifications

• B65H3/42

  by two or more separators mounted for movement with, or relative to, rotary or oscillating bodies · CPC title

• B65H3/0883 Primary

  Construction of suction grippers or their holding devices · CPC title

• B65B43/185 Primary

  specially adapted for carton blanks · CPC title

• B65H2403/53

  Articulated mechanisms · CPC title

• B65H2701/1764

  Cut-out, single-layer, e.g. flat blanks for boxes · CPC title