Part packing system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11407544-B2
Application number	US-202017081072-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2020
Priority date	Oct 9, 2020
Publication date	Aug 9, 2022
Grant date	Aug 9, 2022

Abstract

A part packing system for packing a part in an elongated bag includes a bag holding machine including a first bag gripper mechanism, a second bag gripper mechanism, and an air nozzle. The first bag gripper mechanism is configured to hold a first end of the elongated bag. The first bag gripper mechanism opens the first end of the elongated bag. The second bag gripper mechanism is configured to hold a second end of the elongated bag. The second bag gripper mechanism closes the second end of the elongated bag. The air nozzle is located proximate to the first bag gripper mechanism. The air nozzle is configured to inflate the elongated bag with an airflow directed into the first end of the elongated bag. The first bag gripper mechanism holds the inflated elongated bag with the first end open to receive the part in the open first end while the air nozzle directs the airflow into the elongated bag.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A part packing system for packing a part elongated along a longitudinal axis in an elongated bag, the part packing system comprising:
a bag holding machine including a first bag gripper mechanism, a second bag gripper mechanism, and an air nozzle;
the first bag gripper mechanism configured to hold a first end of the elongated bag, the first bag gripper mechanism opening the first end of the elongated bag;
the second bag gripper mechanism configured to hold a second end of the elongated bag, the second bag gripper mechanism closing the second end of the elongated bag; and
the air nozzle located proximate to the first bag gripper mechanism, the air nozzle configured to inflate the elongated bag with an airflow directed into the first end of the elongated bag;
wherein the first bag gripper mechanism holds the inflated elongated bag with the first end open to receive the part in the open first end while the air nozzle directs the airflow into the elongated bag.

2. The part packing system of claim 1 , wherein the bag holding machine includes a bag manipulator, the first bag gripper mechanism mounted to the bag manipulator, the bag manipulator movable in three-dimensional space to move the first bag gripper mechanism relative to the second bag gripper mechanism.

3. The part packing system of claim 1 , wherein the first bag gripper mechanism includes a first end effector and a second end effector opposing each other across a bag holding space, the first end effector and the second end effector holding opposite sides of the first end of the elongated bag in the bag holding space.

4. The part packing system of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first end effector and the second end effector being movable relative to the other of the first end effector and the second effector to open the first end of the elongated bag.

5. The part packing system of claim 3 , wherein the first end effector includes a suction cup and the second end effector includes a suction cup to hold the elongated bag.

6. The part packing system of claim 3 , wherein the first end effector holds the elongated bag using vacuum pressure and the second effector holds the elongated bag using vacuum pressure.

7. The part packing system of claim 1 , wherein the bag holder machine includes a fixture holding the second bag gripper mechanism in a fixed position, the bag holding machine including a bag manipulator holding the first bag gripper mechanism, the bag manipulator being movable relative to the fixture to position the second end of the elongated bag at the second bag gripper mechanism.

8. The part packing system of claim 1 , further comprising a part loading machine having a part gripper mechanism configured to hold the part and move the part into the inflated elongated bag through the open first end.

9. The part packing system of claim 8 , wherein the part gripper mechanism is configured to release the part into the elongated bag, the part gripper mechanism being configured to grab the elongated bag with the part therein.

10. The part packing system of claim 8 , wherein the part loading machine includes a part manipulator, the part gripper mechanism being mounted to the part manipulator, the part manipulator moving the part gripper mechanism to move the part relative to the elongated bag.

11. The part packing system of claim 8 , wherein the part gripper mechanism includes a first jaw element and a second jaw element movable relative to each other to grip and release the part.

12. The part packing system of claim 1 , further comprising a bag dispensing machine having a supply of elongated bags, the bag dispensing machine having a cutter configured to cut the elongated bag from the supply of elongated bags, the first bag gripper mechanism being configured to move the elongated bag cut from the supply of elongated bags away from the bag dispensing machine.

13. A part packing system for packing a part elongated along a longitudinal axis in an elongated bag, the part packing system comprising:
a bag holding machine including a first bag gripper mechanism configured to hold a first end of the elongated bag, a second bag gripper mechanism configured to hold a second end of the elongated bag, and an air nozzle located proximate to the first bag gripper mechanism, the first bag gripper mechanism configured to open the first end of the elongated bag, the air nozzle configured to inflate the elongated bag with an airflow directed into the first end of the elongated bag when the first bag gripper mechanism opens the first end of the elongated bag; and
a part loading machine having a part gripper mechanism configured to hold the part and move the part into the inflated elongated bag through the open first end.

14. The part packing system of claim 13 , wherein the bag holding machine includes a bag manipulator, the first bag gripper mechanism mounted to the bag manipulator, the bag manipulator movable in three-dimensional space to move the first bag gripper mechanism relative to the second bag gripper mechanism.

15. The part packing system of claim 13 , wherein the first bag gripper mechanism includes a first end effector and a second end effector opposing each other across a bag holding space, the first end effector and the second end effector holding opposite sides of the first end of the elongated bag in the bag holding space.

16. The part packing system of claim 13 , wherein the part gripper mechanism is configured to release the part into the elongated bag, the part gripper mechanism being configured to grab the elongated bag with the part therein.

17. The part packing system of claim 13 , wherein the part loading machine includes a part manipulator, the part gripper mechanism being mounted to the part manipulator, the part manipulator moving the part gripper mechanism to move the part relative to the elongated bag.

18. A method of packing a part in an elongated bag elongated along a longitudinal axis, the method comprising:
grabbing a first end of the elongated bag using a first bag gripper mechanism;
grabbing a second end of the elongated bag using a second bag gripper mechanism;
opening the first end of the elongated bag;
inflating the elongated bag by blowing air in the first end of the elongated bag using an air nozzle;
grabbing the part using a part gripper mechanism;
loading the part into the first end of the elongated bag;
releasing the part from the part gripper mechanism to drop the part into the elongated bag; and
grabbing the elongated bag with the part therein using the part gripper mechanism; and
moving the elongated bag with the part therein to a packaging station using the part gripper mechanism.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising releasing the first end of the elongated bag from the first bag gripper mechanism after grabbing the elongated bag with the part therein using the part gripper mechanism, said moving the elongated bag with the part therein includes moving the elongated bag with the part therein away from the first bag gripper mechanism.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein said grabbing the first end of the elongated bag using the first bag gripper mechanism includes grabbing the first end of the elongated bag between a first end effector and a second end effector, and wherein said opening the first end of the elongated bag includes moving the first end effector away from the second end effector to open the first end of the elongated bag.

Assignees

• TE Connectivity Services Gmbh
• Tyco Electronics Shanghai Co Ltd
• Te Connectivity Solutions Gmbh

Inventors

• Solanki Swapnilsinh
• Price Iii Edward T
• Osunkwo Sonny O
• Zhou Jiankun
• Yang An

Classifications

• B65B5/045

  in bags · CPC title

• B25J15/0028

  with movable, e.g. pivoting gripping jaw surfaces · CPC title

• B65B43/465

  for bags · CPC title

• B65H2701/191

  Bags, sachets and pouches or the like · CPC title

• B65B43/123

  Feeding flat bags connected to form a series or chain · CPC title