Palletizing system and palletizing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11987452-B2
Application number	US-202017639760-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2020
Priority date	Mar 13, 2020
Publication date	May 21, 2024
Grant date	May 21, 2024

Abstract

A plurality of workpieces include a plurality of first workpieces of a first workpiece group to be loaded onto a first loaded member according to a first loading sequence and a plurality of second workpieces of a second workpiece group to be loaded onto a second loaded member according to a second loading sequence. On a conveying device, workpieces are arranged at ransom with respect to respective arrangement sequences of the first workpiece group and the second workpiece group and the classifications of the first workpiece group and the second workpiece group. On a conveying device, workpieces of the first workpiece group are sequentially arranged based on the first loading sequence and workpieces of the second workpiece group are sequentially arranged based on the second loading sequence. At the same time, the workpieces of the first workpiece group and the second workpiece group are arranged together.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A palletizing system comprising:
a first conveying device conveying a plurality of workpieces;
a sorting device changing the order of conveyance of the workpieces conveyed by the first conveying device;
a loading operation unit loading the workpieces sorted by the sorting device onto any of a plurality of loaded members by a robot; and
a second conveying device conveying the workpieces sorted by the sorting device toward the loading operation unit,
wherein the loaded members include a first loaded member and a second loaded member different from the first loaded member,
wherein the workpieces include a plurality of first workpieces of a first workpiece group to be loaded onto the first loaded member according to a first loading sequence and a plurality of second workpieces of a second workpiece group to be loaded onto the second loaded member according to a second loading sequence,
wherein on the first conveying device, the workpieces are arranged at random with respect to respective arrangement sequences of the first workpiece group and the second workpiece group and the classifications of the first workpiece group and the second workpiece group, and
wherein on the second conveying device, the workpieces of the first workpiece group are sequentially arranged based on the first loading sequence and the workpieces of the second workpiece group are sequentially arranged based on the second loading sequence, the workpieces of the first workpiece group and the second workpiece group being arranged together.

2. The palletizing system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the loading operation unit further includes a switching device that conveys, among the loaded members, a loaded member for which loading operation has not been completed yet and switches loaded members as the target of loading operation.

3. The palletizing system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the switching device is a conveyor capable of simultaneously conveying the loaded members.

4. The palletizing system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the switching device is a self-propelled conveying device capable of holding and conveying one of the loaded members, and
wherein the self-propelled conveying device conveys a loaded member between a work-in-process storage unit storing a loaded member for which loading operation has not been completed yet and the loading operation unit.

5. The palletizing system according to claim 2 ,
wherein each of the loaded members is a case that can be held by the robot,
wherein the loading operation unit includes a case storage unit disposed within the reach of an arm of the robot and capable of housing the cases, and
wherein the robot has a function of the switching device conveying the cases to the case storage unit and a function of placing the workpieces in the cases.

6. The palletizing system according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a control unit controlling change of the order of conveyance of the workpieces at the sorting device; and
a workpiece identification unit connected to the control unit and identifying types of the workpieces flowing on the first conveying device,
wherein the control unit sorts the workpieces so as to maximize the working efficiency of the robot based on a number of workpieces before loading operation remaining on the second conveying device, a time required for switching by the switching device, and a time required for sorting operation by the sorting device.

7. The palletizing system according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the loaded members is a pallet.

8. The palletizing system according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the loaded members is a case capable of housing the workpieces.

9. A palletizing system comprising:
a first conveying device conveying a plurality of workpieces arranged at random;
a sorting device changing the order of conveyance of the workpieces conveyed by the first conveying device;
a loading operation unit loading the workpieces sorted by the sorting device onto any of a plurality of loaded members by a robot;
a second conveying device conveying the workpieces sorted by the sorting device toward the loading operation unit; and
a control unit sequentially selecting a workpiece to be transferred to the second conveying device and transmitting a control signal to the sorting device,
wherein the loaded members include a first loaded member and a second loaded member different from the first loaded member,
wherein the workpieces include a plurality of first workpieces of a first workpiece group to be loaded onto the first loaded member according to a first loading sequence and a plurality of second workpieces of a second workpiece group to be loaded onto the second loaded member according to a second loading sequence, and
wherein the control unit sequentially selects workpieces of the first workpiece group based on the first loading sequence among the workpieces and sequentially selects workpieces of the second workpiece group based on the second loading sequence and selects a workpiece of the first workpiece group or the second workpiece group so as to maximize the working efficiency of the robot and transmits a control signal to the sorting device.

10. A palletizing method comprising:
a first conveyance process of conveying a plurality of workpieces arranged at random;
a sorting process of changing the order of conveyance of the workpieces conveyed at the first conveyance process;
a second conveyance process of conveying the workpieces sorted by the sorting device toward a loading operation unit; and
a loading operation process of loading the workpieces conveyed at the second conveyance process onto any of a plurality of loaded members by a robot,
wherein the loaded members include a first loaded member and a second loaded member different from the first loaded member,
wherein the workpieces include a plurality of first workpieces of a first workpiece group to be loaded onto the first loaded member according to a first loading sequence and a plurality of second workpieces of a second workpiece group to be loaded onto the second loaded member according to a second loading sequence,
wherein at the first conveyance process, workpieces are arranged at random with respect to respective arrangement sequences of the first workpiece group and the second workpiece group and the classifications of the first workpiece group and the second workpiece group, and
wherein at the second conveyance process, workpieces of the first workpiece group are sequentially arranged based on the first loading sequence and workpieces of the second workpiece group are sequentially arranged based on the second loading sequence, the workpieces of the first workpiece group and the second workpiece group being arranged together.

11. The palletizing method according to claim 10 ,
wherein the loading operation process further comprises a switching process of conveying, among the loaded members, a loaded member for which loading operation has not been completed yet and switching loaded members as the target of loading operation.

Assignees

• Hitachi Ltd

Inventors

• NAGATA Sanato
• Utsugi Kei
• Kimura Nobutaka

Classifications

• B65G43/10 Primary

  Sequence control of conveyors operating in combination · CPC title

• B65G43/08

  Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged {(and controlling the discharging devices B65G47/42)} · CPC title

• B65G57/24

  the layers being transferred as a whole, e.g. on pallets · CPC title

• B65G1/00

  Storing articles, individually or in orderly arrangement, in warehouses or magazines (conveyor combinations in warehouses, magazines or workshops B65G37/00; stacking of articles B65G57/00; removing articles from stacks B65G59/00; loading machines B65G65/02) · CPC title

• B65G47/51

  according to unprogrammed signals, e.g. influenced by supply situation at destination · CPC title