Method and apparatus for filling containers with piece goods

• US 20030037515A1
• Filed: 08/08/2002
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bosch Packaging Systems AG (Syntegon Technology GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Herzog, Florian
• Granted Patent: US 6,826,444 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 53/473
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/105 by grippers B65B5/12 and B65B5/108 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/16 and operating to stop, or to control the speed of, the machine as a whole
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40007 Optimize sequence of pick and place operations upon arrival of workpiece on conveyor

Abstract

In a method of filling containers with piece goods, the piece goods are fed on a feed conveyer to at least two robots arranged in the conveying direction, in order by means of these robots to be put into empty spaces in the containers conveyed on a container conveyer. In the process, the robots are controlled in accordance with the arrangement of the piece goods on the feed conveyer, in such a way that they are utilized at least approximately uniformly. As a result, the lifetime of the robots may be increased.

Claims

1. A method of filling containers (B) with piece goods (S), the piece goods (S) being fed on a feed conveyer (1) to at least two robots (R1 . . . Rn) arranged in the conveying direction, in order by means of these robots to be put into empty spaces in the containers (B) conveyed on a container conveyer (2), the robots (R1 . . . Rn) being controlled in accordance with the arrangement of the piece goods (S) on the feed conveyer (1), wherein the robots (R1 . . . Rn) are driven in such a way that they are utilized at least approximately uniformly over time.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the speed of the container conveyer (2) is controlled in order to control the loading of the robots (R1 . . . Rn).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the filling operation is subdivided into time units (k), wherein state variables are determined for each time unit (k), wherein the maintenance of the number of piece goods during filling is represented in a first system of equations, wherein the dynamic behavior of the free spaces and of the piece goods during a time unit are represented in a second system of equations, wherein complete filling of the containers and utilization of all the robots uniformly over time are introduced as boundary conditions, wherein a time-discrete dynamic system of equations is set up and, by means of optimization algorithms and taking into account the boundary conditions and the state variables, the best parameters for controlling the robots are determined.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein quadratic programming is used for the optimization.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the state variables comprise the arrangement, number and alignment of the piece goods on the feed conveyer and the maximum output of the individual robots.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system is subdivided into time units (k), wherein state variables are determined for each time unit (k), wherein at least approximately all the physically possible solutions are generated for each time unit, wherein secondary conditions are checked, wherein solutions are evaluated by using an objective, wherein the solutions are compared with one another and wherein the best solution is used as a control variable for controlling the robots in this time unit.

7. An apparatus for filling containers (B) with piece goods (S), it being possible for the piece goods (S) to be fed on a feed conveyer (1) to at least two robots (R1 . . . Rn) arranged in the conveying direction and, by means of these robots (R1 . . . Rn), put into empty spaces in the containers (B) conveyed on a container conveyer (2), the robots (R1 . . . Rn) being controllable in accordance with the arrangement of the piece goods (S) on the feed conveyer (1), wherein there is a robot control system (RS) by means of which the robots (R1 . . . Rn) can be driven in such a way that they are utilized at least approximately uniformly over time.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the apparatus has a detection unit (O) which is connected to the robot control system and by means of which the number and arrangement of the piece goods can be registered.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the speed of the container conveyer can be controlled by means of the robot control system for the purpose of optimizing the uniform utilization of the robots.