Robotic carton unloader

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9493316-B2
Application number	US-201414445929-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2014
Priority date	Jul 30, 2013
Publication date	Nov 15, 2016
Grant date	Nov 15, 2016

Abstract

A robotic carton unloader for automatic unloading of cartons from a carton pile, such as a carton pile stacked within a trailer. In various embodiments, a robotic carton unloader may comprise a conveyor system, a robotic positioner, and a manipulator having a conformable face configured to conform to irregularities of the carton pile, and the manipulator may be movable attached to an end of the robotic positioner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robotic carton unloader for unloading a carton pile, comprising:
a conveyor system;
a robotic positioner comprising a robotic arm; and
a manipulator having a frame that supports a conformable face configured to conform to irregularities of a lateral face of two or more cartons of the carton pile, the manipulator movably attached to an end of the robotic positioner,
wherein the robotic arm is positioned proximate to the conveyor system and the carton pile and has a range of motion of the end of the robotic positioner sufficient to move manipulator from a lateral side of the carton pile adjacent to two or more cartons to the conveyor system, and
wherein the conformal face of the manipulator comprises a first bank of one or more vacuum manipulators and a second bank of one or more vacuum rods, the first and second bank independently extendable for the first bank of one or more vacuum rods to contact one of the two or more cartons at a first horizontal distance from the frame of the manipulator and for the second bank of one or more vacuum rods to contact another one of the two or more cartons at a second horizontal distance from the frame of the manipulator;
wherein each bank of one or more of vacuum rods comprises at least one fluid activated cylinder to move that bank of pluralities of vacuum rods towards and away from the carton pile.

2. The robotic carton unloader of claim 1 , wherein the conformable face is configured to passively conform to the irregularities of the carton pile by contact therewith.

3. The robotic carton unloader of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of vacuum rods is biased towards the carton pile by a spring.

4. The robotic carton unloader of claim 1 , wherein each bank of a plurality of vacuum rods is attached for movement by a respective plate received for extending and retracting movement within the frame of the manipulator, each plate configured to move independent of one more other plates that respectively extend and retract the one or more other banks of pluralities of vacuum rods towards the carton pile to conform to the irregularities of the carton pile by contact therewith and to move independent of the other banks of pluralities of vacuum rods away from the carton pile to unload the contacted cartons.

5. The robotic carton unloader of claim 1 , further comprising a control and visualization system connected to the conveyor system, the robotic positioner, and the manipulator, wherein the control and visualization system is configured to automatically control the conveyor system, the robotic positioner, and the manipulator to unload the carton pile.

6. The robotic carton unloader of claim 1 , further comprising a control and visualization system connected to the conveyor system, the robotic positioner, and the manipulator, wherein the control and visualization system is configured to automatically control the conveyor system, the robotic positioner, and the manipulator to unload the carton pile.

7. The robotic carton unloader of claim 6 , wherein the control and visualization system is configured to control the robotic positioner to rotate the manipulator perpendicular to a floor of a truck or trailer to lift a carton from the floor.

8. The robotic carton unloader of claim 1 , wherein the manipulator further comprises at least one vacuum rod configured to extend out from a lateral side of the manipulator perpendicular to the conformable face.

9. The robotic carton unloader of claim 8 , wherein the at least one vacuum rod is configured to attach to contacted cartons on the lateral side of the manipulator to unload the contacted cartons.

10. A robotic carton unloader for unloading a carton pile, comprising:
a conveyor system;
a manipulator engageable to a lateral side of at least one carton of the carton pile;
a robotic positioner comprising a robotic arm having an end attached to the manipulator, the robotic arm positioned proximate to the conveyor system and the carton pile, and the robotic arm having a range of motion of the end of the robotic positioner sufficient to move manipulator from a lateral side of the carton pile to the conveyor system; and
a moveable shelf movably attached to the manipulator for movement towards and away from the carton pile, the moveable shelf configured to support cartons drawn from the carton pile in an opposing direction parallel to the moveable shelf that is in an extended position towards the carton pile.

11. The robotic carton unloader of claim 10 , wherein the moveable shelf comprises a sliding shelf that is slidingly received on a bottom portion of the manipulator to slide towards and away from the carton pile.

12. The robotic carton unloader of claim 11 , wherein the moveable shelf further comprises a pivoting shelf that pivots about an extending end of the sliding shelf from a position perpendicular to forward.

13. The robotic carton unloader of claim 10 , wherein the moveable shelf includes a bumper to stabilize the carton pile as cartons are unloaded.

14. The robotic carton unloader of claim 10 , wherein the moveable shelf comprises a pivoting shelf that pivots from a position perpendicular forward.

15. The robotic carton unloader of claim 14 , wherein the pivoting shelf includes a bumper to stabilize the carton pile as cartons are unloaded.

16. The robotic carton unloader of claim 10 , further comprising a control and visualization system connected to the conveyor system, the robotic positioner, and the manipulator, wherein the control and visualization system is configured to automatically control the conveyor system, the robotic positioner, the manipulator, and the moveable shelf to unload the carton pile.

17. A manipulator of a robotic carton unloader for unloading a carton pile, comprising:
a conveyor system;
a robotic positioner comprising a robotic arm; and
a manipulator having a frame that supports a conformable face configured to conform to irregularities of a lateral face of two or more cartons of the carton pile, the manipulator movably attached to an end of a robotic arm of a robotic positioner,
wherein the robotic arm is positioned proximate to the conveyor system and the carton pile and has a range of motion of the end of the robotic positioner sufficient to move manipulator from a lateral side of the carton pile adjacent to two or more cartons to a conveyor system, and
wherein the conformal face of the manipulator comprises a first bank of one or more vacuum manipulators and a second bank of one or more vacuum rods, the first and second bank independently extendable for the first bank of one or more vacuum rods to contact one of the two or more cartons at a first horizontal distance from the frame of the manipulator and for the second bank of one or more vacuum rods to contact another one of the two or more cartons at a second horizontal distance from the frame of the manipulator;
wherein each bank one or more of vacuum rods comprises at least one fluid activated cylinder to move that bank of pluralities of vacuum rods towards and away from the carton pile.

18. The manipulator of claim 17 , wherein the conformable face is configured to passively conform to the irregularities of the carton pile by contact therewith.

19. The manipulator of claim 17 , wherein each of the plurality of vacuum rods is biased towards the carton pile by a spring.

20. The manipulator of claim of claim 17 , wherein each bank of a plurality of vacuum rods is attached for movement by a respective plate received for extending

Assignees

• Intelligrated Headquarters Llc

Inventors

• Girtman Michael L
• Neville Brian E
• Wicks Matthew

Classifications

• B25J15/0616

  with vacuum · CPC title

• B65G67/24 Primary

  Unloading land vehicles · CPC title

• B65G47/918

  with at least two picking-up heads · CPC title

• B25J15/0052

  multiple gripper units or multiple end effectors · CPC title

• Y10S901/40

  Vacuum or mangetic · CPC title