METHOD FOR LOADING CONTAINERS

• US 20120059507A1
• Filed: 05/06/2009
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ULMA Packaging Technological Center, S.Coop.
• Original Assignee: ULMA Packaging Technological Center, S.Coop.
• Inventors: Ugarte Barrena, Josu, Izquierdo Ereño, Eneko
• Granted Patent: US 8,948,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/214
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/105 by grippers B65B5/12 and B65B5/108 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/06 and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for loading containers (3, 4) comprising at least one first empty housing (31, 41) and one second empty housing (32, 42) the mentioned containers (3, 4) being intermittently shiftable between a first rest position (1) and a second rest position (1). The method comprises calculating an available time td corresponding to the time necessary for an empty housing (31, 32, 41, 42) to reach a loading position (11, 12, 21, 22), and comparing it with a positioning time tp11, tp12, tp21 and tp22 necessary for the manipulator to collect from its current position each object to be loaded from a collecting area (5) and depositing it in a loading position (11, 12, 21, 22) coinciding with the position of an empty housing (31, 32) (41, 42) of a container (3, 4). The object to be collected (a, b, c, d) and the delivery position of said object in an empty housing (31, 32) (41, 42) corresponds with a loading position (11, 12, 21, 22) of the manipulator the positioning time tp11, tp12, tp21 or tp22 of which is closest to the available time td.

Claims

1. Method for loading containers (3, 4) comprising at least one first empty housing (31, 41) and one second empty housing (32, 42) configured to receive an object to be loaded, the mentioned containers (3, 4) being intermittently shiftable by shifting means such that the containers (3, 4) can occupy a first rest position (1), during a rest time tr, and can be shifted, during an advance time ta, from the first rest position (1) to at least one second rest position (2), said shifting of the containers (3, 4) being performed with a variable velocity throughout the advance time ta, the loading of the object to be loaded being performed by means of at least one manipulator which can collect the object to be loaded from a collecting area (5) comprising at least one object (a, b, c, d) and deliver it in a loading position (11, 12, 21, 22) coinciding with one of the empty housings (31, 32) (41, 42) of one of the containers (3, 4) characterized in that it comprises the following phases:

Calculating an available time td corresponding to the time necessary for an empty housing (31, 32, 41, 42) of a container (3, 4) to reach a loading position (11, 12, 21, 22),

Calculating for each of the mentioned at least one object (a, b, c, d);

a positioning time tp11 necessary for the manipulator to reach a first loading position (11) coinciding with the position of a first empty housing (31, 41) of a container (3, 4),

a positioning time tp12 necessary for the manipulator to reach a second loading position (12) coinciding with the position of a second empty housing (32, 42) of a container (3, 4),

a positioning time tp21 necessary for the manipulator to reach a third loading position (21) coinciding with the position of a first empty housing (31, 41) of a container (3, 4),

a positioning time tp22 necessary for the manipulator to reach a fourth loading position (22) coinciding with the position of a second empty housing (32, 42) of a container (3, 4),

Comparing the available time td with the positioning times tp11, tp12, tp21 and tp22 of each of the at least one object (a, b, c, d) in each of the loading positions (11, 12, 21, 22) to determine a loading position (11, 12, 21, 22) of the manipulator and an object to be loaded (a, b, c, d) the positioning time tp11, tp12, tp21 or tp22 of which is closest to the available time td,

delivering said object (a, b, c, d) in said loading position (11, 12, 21, 22).

2. Method according to claim 1, according to which the manipulator shifts from the collecting position to the loading position following a rectilinear path.

3. Method according to, claim 1 wherein the loading position (11, 12, 21, 22) coincide with the position of an empty housing (31, 32, 41, 42) of a container in a rest position (1, 2).

4. Method according to claim 3, wherein the available time td and the positioning times tp11, tp12, tp21 and tp22 are calculated from the detection of the start of the movement of the containers (3, 4) between the first rest position (1) and the at least one second rest position (2).

5. Loading method according to claim 3, wherein the available time td is calculated as the sum of the advance time ta and a remaining time t_rem so that the movement of the containers (3, 4) starts between the first rest position (1) and the at least one second rest position (2).

6. Loading method according to claim 5, wherein when the remaining time t_rem is greater than any of the positioning times tp11, tp12, tp21, tp22, the object to be collected and the delivery position corresponding to the positioning time tp11, tp12, tp21, tp22 which is closest to the remaining time t_rem are determined.

7. Loading method according to claim 1, wherein the loading position (11, 12, 21, 22) corresponds to a position of an empty housing (31, 32, 41, 42) between the first rest position (1) and the second rest position (2).

8. Method according to claim 7, wherein the available time td is calculated as the sum of the advance time ta and a remaining time t_rem so that the movement of the containers (3, 4) starts between the first rest position (1) and the at least one second rest position (2), the available time td being greater than the positioning times tp11, tp12, tp21 and tp22 and the remaining time t_rem less than the positioning time tp11, tp12, tp21, tp22.

9. Method according to claim 8, wherein the manipulator delivers the at least one object (a, b, c, d) in the loading position (11, 12, 21, 22) with a substantially nil relative velocity with respect to the container (3, 4) and a shifting direction substantially parallel to the advance direction of the container (3, 4).

10. Method according to claim 1 which comprises tracking the path of the housings (31, 32, 41 and 42) when the positioning time tp11, tp12, tp21 and tp22 is less than the available time td.

11. Loading method according to claim 10, wherein the tracking of the path comprises

a first shifting of the manipulator which consists of shifting in a straight line to a position close to the housing (31, 32, 41, 42) and

a second shifting of the manipulator which consists of tracking the position of the housing (31, 32, 41, 42).

12. Loading method according to, claim 1 wherein the collecting area (5) is comprised within a work area (6) of the mentioned at least one manipulator.

13. Packaging machine comprising shifting means which can intermittently shift containers (3, 4) such that the containers (3, 4) can occupy a first rest position (1), during a rest time tr, and can be shifted, during an advance time ta, from the first rest position (1) to at least one second rest position (2), said shifting of the containers (3, 4) being performed with a variable velocity throughout the advance time ta, comprising the containers (3, 4) at least one first housing (31, 41) and one second housing (32, 42) configured to receive an object to be loaded (a, b, c, d), the mentioned machine comprising at least one manipulator which can collect an object to be loaded (a, b, c, d) from a collecting area comprising at least one object (a, b, c, d) and deliver it in one of the housings (31, 32, 41, 42) of one of the containers (1, 2), characterized in that it comprises a control system and means of communication between the shifting means and the at least one manipulator, configured such that the at least one object to be loaded (a, b, c, d) is deposited in one of the empty housings (31, 32, 41, 42) according to a loading method according to any of the previous claims.

14. Packaging machine according to claim 13, comprising a thermoforming and/or heat-sealing station.