Method and device for unloading a container having packages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12064867-B2
Application number	US-202117356765-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2021
Priority date	Jun 26, 2020
Publication date	Aug 20, 2024
Grant date	Aug 20, 2024

Abstract

A method for unloading a container having packages with a rail device comprising a rail having a hand element displaceable in the longitudinal direction. The hand element has a plurality of finger elements having two flexible flank elements extending jointly from one end to the opposite end of the finger element. Each are connected flexibly to each other via a plurality of webs. The finger elements adjustable from a curved position into an extended position and back. The packages are stacked in the container forming a front face in which the rail device is brought close to the front face of the stacked packages. One hand element grips one package from the stack of packages and removes it from the stack. Following the removal, it is displaced along the rail and following the displacement grips one further package and removes it from the stack of packages.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Method for unloading a container having packages with a rail device comprising at least one rail, wherein a hand element displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the rail is provided on the at least one rail, wherein the hand element has a plurality of finger elements, wherein the finger elements each have at least two flexible flank elements extending jointly from one end of the finger element to the opposite end of the finger element, wherein in each case the at least two flexible flank elements of the finger elements are each connected flexibly to each other via a plurality of webs, so that the finger elements can each be adjusted from at least a curved position into at least an extended position and back, wherein the packages are stacked in the container, wherein the stacked packages form a front face,
in which the rail device is brought close to the front face of the stacked packages,
in which the at least one hand element grips at least one package from the stack of packages and removes it from the stack of packages,
in which, following the removal of the at least one package from the stack of packages, the at least one hand element is displaced along the at least one rail, and
in which, following the displacement along the at least one rail element, the at least one hand element grips at least one further package from the stack of packages and removes it from the stack of packages.

2. Method according to claim 1 ,
in which the at least one hand element is pressed against the stack of packages in a gripping direction such that at least one flank element of at least one finger element is partially pressed in, and the at least one finger element is adjusted from an extended position into a curved position.

3. Method according to claim 1 ,
in which the at least one hand element and/or at least one finger element is adjusted via a drive unit for adjusting the at least two flank elements relative to one another in a longitudinal direction of the finger element from a curved into an extended position and/or back.

4. Method according to claim 1 ,
in which the at least one hand element and/or at least one finger element is used with at least one pressure sensor.

5. Method according to claim 4 ,
in which the at least one pressure sensor detects the pressure on the at least one hand element and/or on at least one finger element.

6. Method according to claim 1 ,
in which the packages removed from the stack of packages are moved directly or at least indirectly onto a belt conveyor device.

7. Method according to claim 6 ,
in which the packages removed from the stack of packages are moved downward onto the belt conveyor device arranged underneath the at least one hand element.

8. Method according to claim 1 ,
in which the position of the stack of packages, the contour of the stack of packages and/or the contour of the front face of the stack of packages is at least partly detected by a sensor.

9. Method according to claim 8 ,
in which the movement of the hand element is at least partly controlled depending on the position and/or contour of the stack detected by the sensor.

10. Method according to claim 1 ,
in which the at least one hand element and/or the at least one rail is adjusted upward or downward, depending on the height of the stack of packages, on the position of the stack of packages, on the contour of the stack of packages and/or on the contour of the front face of the stack of packages.

11. Method according to claim 1 ,
in which the at least one hand element is displaced along the at least one rail depending on the position of the stack of packages, on the contour of the stack of packages and/or on the contour of the front face of the stack of packages.

12. Method according to claim 1 ,
in which the at least one hand element removes at least one package from the stack of packages one after another and moves the removed package into at least one further hand element arranged underneath the at least one hand element.

13. Method according to claim 12 ,
in which the packages picked up one after another by the at least one hand element are forwarded one after another individually by a movement of the finger elements of the at least one further hand element relative to one another.

14. Method according to claim 12 ,
in which the at least one further hand element is adjusted to the side and/or vertically, depending on the position of the at least one other hand element.

15. Method according to claim 14 ,
in which the at least one further hand element is adjusted together with the at least one other hand element.

16. Method according to claim 12 ,
in which the at least one further hand element is displaced on the at least one rail or on at least one further rail in the longitudinal direction of the respective rail and/or is adjusted upward or downward.

17. Method according to claim 16 ,
in which the at least one further rail is adjusted upward and/or downward.

18. Method according to claim 12 ,
in which the at least one further hand element and/or the at least one further rail is adjusted vertically, depending on the height of the stack of packages, on the position of the stack of packages, on the contour of the stack of packages, on the contour of the front face of the stack of packages and/or on the position of the at least one upper hand element.

19. Method according to claim 12 ,
in which the at least one further hand element is displaced along the at least one rail, depending on the position of the stack of packages, on the contour of the stack of packages, on the contour of the front face of the stack of packages and/or on the position of the at least one upper hand element.

20. Method according to claim 12 ,
in which the at least one further hand element is adjusted to the side and/or vertically, depending on the position of the at least one other hand element, and
in which the at least one further hand element is adjusted together with the at least one other hand element while maintaining an at least substantially constant distance from each other.

21. Method according to claim 12 ,
in which the at least one further hand element is displaced along the at least one further rail, depending on the position of the stack of packages, on the contour of the stack of packages, on the contour of the front face of the stack of packages and/or on the position of the at least one upper hand element.

22. Method according to claim 12 ,
in which the at least one further hand element at least partly catches the respective at least one package and leads it onward in an at least partly braked manner.

23. Method according to claim 1 ,
in which the at least one rail device, and/or the at least one rail is moved into the container.

24. Device for unloading a container having packages according to a method of claim 1 , with a rail device comprising at least one rail, wherein a hand element displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the rail is provided on the at least one rail, wherein the hand element has a plurality of finger elements, wherein the finger elements each have at least two flexible flank elements extending jointly from one end of the finger element to the opposite end of the finger element, wherein in each case the at least two flexible flank elements of the finger elements are each connected flexibly to each other via a plurality of webs, so that the

Assignees

• Hartmann Bernd
• Grafe Wolfram
• Deutsche Post Ag

Inventors

• Hartmann Bernd
• Grafe Wolfram

Classifications

• B65G2814/031

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• B65G2203/041

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• B65G2203/0233

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• B65G2201/025

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• B65G65/02

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