Gripper carriage control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11975879-B2
Application number	US-202217576359-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2022
Priority date	Jan 14, 2021
Publication date	May 7, 2024
Grant date	May 7, 2024

Abstract

Tray sealer, comprising a sealing station for sealing trays, an infeed belt for providing trays, an outfeed belt for transporting sealed trays away, a gripper device comprising a first gripper unit which is configured to pick up trays from the infeed belt and to position them for a sealing process within the sealing station, and comprising a second gripper unit which is configured to collect the trays sealed by way of the sealing station and to position them on the outfeed belt for being transported away, where the first gripper unit comprises a first carriage as well as a first gripper mounted thereon and the second gripper unit comprises a second carriage and a second gripper mounted thereon, a lifting mechanism for opening and closing the sealing station, as well as a control device for controlling a motion of the first carriage and the first gripper as well as for controlling a motion of the second carriage and the second gripper, where, during the opening of the lifting mechanism, the control device is configured to control a closing motion of the second gripper carried out transverse to the direction of production for collecting sealed trays from the sealing station as well as an adjusting motion of the first carriage carried out in the direction of production for supplying unsealed trays into the sealing station such that a substantially predetermined minimum distance is present between the first and the second carriage when the closing motion of the second gripper is at least substantially completed. The disclosure furthermore relates to a method for controlling a gripper device of a tray sealer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tray sealer comprising:
a sealing station for sealing trays;
an infeed belt for providing trays;
an outfeed belt for transporting sealed trays away; and
a gripper device comprising a first gripper unit which is configured to pick up trays from the infeed belt and to position them for a sealing process within the sealing station, and comprising a second gripper unit which is configured to collect trays sealed by way of the sealing station and to position them on the outfeed belt for being transported away, where the first gripper unit comprises a first carriage as well as a first gripper mounted thereon and the second gripper unit comprises a second carriage and a second gripper mounted thereon, a lifting mechanism for opening and closing the sealing station, as well as a control device for controlling a motion of the first carriage and the first gripper as well as for controlling a motion of the second carriage and the second gripper, wherein, during an opening motion of the lifting mechanism, the control device is configured to control a closing motion of the second gripper carried out transverse to a direction of production for collecting sealed trays from the sealing station as well as an adjusting motion of the first carriage carried out in the direction of production for supplying unsealed trays into the sealing station such that a substantially predetermined minimum distance is present between the first and the second carriage when the closing motion of the second gripper is at least substantially completed.

2. The tray sealer according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to control the closing motion of the second gripper and the adjusting motion of the first carriage carried out in the direction of production such that that the predetermined minimum distance is present between the first and the second carriage when the first carriage is adjusted to the maximum in the direction of production.

3. The tray sealer according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to control the closing motion of the second gripper and the adjusting motion of the first carriage carried out in the direction of production such that that the predetermined minimum distance is present between the first and the second carriage when the second carriage begins to move in the direction of production.

4. A tray sealer according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to control the opening motion of the lifting mechanism, the closing motion of the second gripper, and the adjusting motion of the first carriage carried out in the direction of production such that that the predetermined minimum distance is present between the first and the second carriage when the second carriage has arrived at an end position in a direction opposite to the direction of production.

5. The tray sealer according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to control the closing motion of the second gripper and the adjusting motion of the first carriage carried out in the direction of production such that that the first and the second carriage accelerate at least temporarily at the same magnitude with opposite signs when the second gripper is adjusted to the maximum transverse to the direction of production.

6. The tray sealer according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to control the adjusting motion of the first carriage carried out in the direction of production such that a distance between the first and the second carriage can be changed.

7. The tray sealer according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to control the opening motion of the lifting mechanism, the closing motion of the second gripper, and the adjusting motion of the first carriage carried out in the direction of production such that that the predetermined minimum distance is present between the first and the second carriage when the lifting mechanism is open to the maximum.

8. The tray sealer according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to set a starting time for the adjusting motion of the first carriage carried out in the direction of production per machine work cycle in dependence of the detected closing motion of the second gripper, in dependence of the detected opening of the lifting mechanism and/or in dependence of a process parameter of the sealing station detected at the sealing station.

9. The tray sealer according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to determine, on the basis of a speed profile of the second carriage and/or the second gripper predetermined as a guide logic, a speed profile dependent thereon of the first carriage and/or the second gripper formed as an inference logic.

10. The tray sealer according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to determine the minimum distance on the basis of a desired tray exchange time that can be adjusted at the tray sealer and to control in dependence thereof the motions of the first and the second gripper unit.

11. The tray sealer according to claim 1 , wherein the control device comprises a distance control device, where the first and/or the second gripper unit comprises at least one measuring unit for detecting a distance between the first and the second carriage, where an acceleration of the first carriage in the direction of production during the closing motion of the second gripper can be controlled in dependence of the distance detected.

12. A method for controlling a gripper device of a tray sealer, where a first gripper unit by way of a first gripper formed thereon picks up trays from an infeed belt and transports them into a sealing station of the tray sealer for a sealing process, and where a second gripper unit positioned in a direction of production downstream of the first gripper unit by way of a second gripper formed thereon collects the trays sealed within the sealing station and positions them on an outfeed belt for being transported away, wherein, during an opening motion of the lifting mechanism, the control device is configured to control a closing motion of the second gripper carried out transverse to the direction of production for collecting sealed trays from the sealing station as well as an adjusting motion of the first carriage of the gripper unit carried out in the direction of production for supplying unsealed trays into the sealing station such that a substantially predetermined minimum distance is present between the first carriage of the first gripper unit and a second carriage of the second gripper unit when the closing motion of the second gripper is at least substantially completed.

13. A tray sealer comprising:
a sealing station for sealing trays;
an infeed belt for providing trays;
an outfeed belt for transporting sealed trays away;
a gripper device comprising a first gripper station configured to pick up trays from the infeed belt and to position them within the sealing station for sealing, and comprising a second gripper station configured to collect trays sealed by way of the sealing station and to position them on the outfeed belt for being transported away, where the first gripper station comprises a first carriage as well as a first gripper mounted thereon and the second gripper station comprises a second carriage and a second gripper mounted thereon; and
a lift for opening and closing the sealing station, and a controller for controlling motion of the first carriage and the first gripper as well as for controlling motion of the second carriage and the second gripper, wherein, during an opening motion of the lift, the controller is configured to control a closing motion of the second g

Assignees

• Multivac Haggenmueller Kg

Inventors

• Buchberger Peter
• Jung Patrick
• Zellner Claudia

Classifications

• B65B43/46 Primary

  using grippers · CPC title

• B65B7/162

  by feeding web material to securing means · CPC title

• B25B11/00 Primary

  Work holders not covered by any preceding group in the subclass, e.g. magnetic work holders, vacuum work holders (for holding or positioning work for welding, soldering, or cutting by applying heat locally B23K37/04; specially adapted to machine tools B23Q3/00) · CPC title

• B65B7/28

  by applying separate preformed closures, e.g. lids, covers · CPC title