Box packing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11524808-B2
Application number	US-201816638470-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2018
Priority date	Aug 16, 2017
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

A box packing apparatus has an accumulating mechanism, a detection unit, and a packing mechanism. The accumulating mechanism is configured to accumulate a plurality of articles to create an article group. The detection unit is configured to detect a posture of the article group. The packing mechanism is configured to pack the article group into a packing box based on a detection result of the detection unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A box packing apparatus comprising:
an accumulating mechanism configured to accumulate a plurality of articles to create an article group;
an article group placement unit on which the article group created by the accumulating mechanism is placed;
a detection unit configured to detect a posture of the article group;
a determination unit configured to compare the posture of the article group to a size of a packing box to determine whether the posture of the article group is normal or abnormal based on an output of the detection unit; and
a packing mechanism configured to pack the article group into the packing box based on a determination result of the determination unit,
wherein
the packing mechanism has a gripping unit that grips en bloc the article group, and
the detection unit is further configured to detect
the posture of the article group being gripped by the gripping unit, or
the posture of the article group placed on the article group placement unit.

2. The box packing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detection unit is further configured to detect the posture of the article group after the article group has undergone packing into the packing box by the packing mechanism.

3. The box packing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detection unit has a camera.

4. The box packing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detection unit has a photosensor.

5. The box packing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detection unit has a photosensor provided in the gripping unit.

6. The box packing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a box retention unit configured to retain at least part of the packing box, wherein the detection unit has photosensors provided in the box retention unit.

7. The box packing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in a case where the determination unit has determined that the posture of the article group is abnormal, the packing mechanism discharges the article group without packing it into the packing box.

8. The box packing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the accumulating mechanism is further configured to create the article group by gripping the plurality of articles.

9. The box packing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the accumulating mechanism has a suction head for gripping the article group.

10. The box packing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the detection unit is installed in the accumulating mechanism and configured to detect the posture of the article group gripped by the accumulating mechanism.

11. The box packing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the accumulating mechanism and the packing mechanism are configured by the same robot.

12. The box packing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein in a case where the determination unit has determined that the posture of the article group is abnormal, the packing mechanism discharges the article group without packing it into the packing box.

Assignees

• Ishida Seisakusho

Inventors

• Nishitsuji Satoshi
• Watanabe Kousuke

Classifications

• B65B5/061 Primary

  Filled bags · CPC title

• B65B35/58

  Turning articles by positively-acting means, e.g. to present labelled portions in uppermost position · CPC title

• B65B57/14 Primary

  and operating to control, or stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged · CPC title

• B65B5/105

  by grippers (B65B5/12 and B65B5/108 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65B59/001

  Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the product to be packaged · CPC title