AUTONOMOUS TRUCK LOADER AND UNLOADER

• US 20150274447A1
• Filed: 03/31/2015
• Published: 10/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelligrated Headquarters LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intelligrated Headquarters LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Girtman, Michael, McCollum, Joshua, Simone, Thomas S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,623,569 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/00 Manipulators not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0014 having fork, comb or plate shaped means for engaging the lower surface on a object to be transported
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0052 multiple gripper units or multiple end effectors
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0616 with vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/10 with three or more finger members B25J15/0009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0093 co-operating with conveyor means
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 57/02 by adding to the top of the stack
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 57/03 from above
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 59/02 De-stacking from the top of the stack
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 67/20 Loading covered vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 67/24 Unloading land vehicles

Abstract

An autonomous device for loading and unloading trucks comprises a mobile body, a robot arm and a body conveyor system to convey cartons during loading and unloading. A manipulator attaches to a moveable end of the robot arm and is maneuverable within the tight confines of the truck. The manipulator picks up a row of articles at a first location and places the row of articles down at a second location. The manipulator is reconfigurable to match to both locations.

Claims

1. An autonomous device for loading and unloading trucks, the autonomous device comprising:

a mobile body;

a robot arm coupled to the mobile body to load and unload articles;

a body conveyor system attached to the mobile body for conveying cartons, the conveyor movable in a first direction to feed articles to the robot arm for loading, and movable in a second direction to move articles unloaded thereon out of the truck, and

a manipulator attached to a moveable end of the robot arm and maneuverable within the confines of the truck, the manipulator for picking up a row of articles at a first location and for placing the row of articles on a second location, wherein the manipulator can be configured to match the orientation of the articles at the first location and can be reconfigured to match the orientation of the row of articles to the second location.

2. The autonomous device of claim 1 wherein the first location is horizontal and the second location is irregular and the manipulator is configured to match with the horizontal row of articles for pick up, and reconfigured to match the row of articles carried thereon to the irregular second location for placement thereon.

3. The autonomous device of claim 1 wherein the first location is irregular and the second location is horizontal and the manipulator is configured to match with the irregular row of articles at the first location for pick up, and reconfigured to match the row of articles carried thereon to the horizontal second location for placement thereon.

4. The autonomous device of claim 1 wherein the first location is horizontal and the second location is horizontal and the manipulator can be configured once to match with the first location and the second location.

5. The autonomous device of claim 1 wherein the first location and the second location is one of the body conveyor system, or a floor of the truck, or a row of cartons on a carton pile.

6. The autonomous device of claim 1 wherein the manipulator comprises a plurality of individually movable head elements where each can move independently in a vertical direction when configuring and reconfiguring.

7. The autonomous device of claim 6 wherein each of the plurality of individually movable head elements comprises at least one vacuum cup having a first port connectable to a vacuum source to securely attach the vacuum cup to a front face of an article for movement thereof.

8. The autonomous device of claim 7 wherein each vacuum cup further comprises a second port attached thereto with the second port connectable to a source of compressed air, and when an article is secured to at least one vacuum cup with vacuum, the article can be released therefrom by connecting compressed air to the second port to break the vacuum within the at least one vacuum cups.

9. The autonomous device of claim 7 wherein each of the at least one vacuum cups attach to a rod of a dual acting cylinder having a front and a rear cylinder, the vacuum cups extending away from the manipulator with an application of compressed air to a rear chamber thereof, and retracted towards the manipulator with a second application of compressed air to a front chamber thereof.

10. The autonomous device of claim 9 wherein vacuum is supplied to a vacuum port of the vacuum cup through the dual acting cylinder, the vacuum passing through a rear of the dual acting cylinder and then through the rear chamber in a coiled flexible hose, the coiled hose connecting the vacuum to the vacuum cup through a bore extending through the piston and the rod.

11. The autonomous device of claim 9 wherein the autonomous device further comprises an anti-crush feature configured to prevent damage to the articles during pick up, the anti-crush feature engaged after the rods and vacuum cups are extended and while the manipulator is moving towards the articles identified for pick up, wherein when the vacuum cups contact the articles, the anti-crush feature enables the rods to retract into the moving manipulator to prevent crushing the articles.

12. The autonomous device of claim 9 wherein the manipulator further comprises at least one shelf to receive and support articles.

13. The autonomous device of claim 12 wherein each of the at least one shelves includes tines configured to be pressed against an article pile below a row of articles selected for pick up, the tines stabilizing the article pile during pick up of the selected row.

14. The autonomous device of claim 13 wherein one of the shelves is attached to each of the plurality of individually movable head elements, and each shelf moves vertically with a respective one of the plurality of individually movable head elements.

15. The autonomous device of claim 14 wherein each of the shelves attached to each of the plurality of individually movable head elements moves vertically relative to the respective individually movable head element.

16. The autonomous device of claim 13 wherein the body conveyor system includes an exchange zone for exchanging articles between the manipulator and the body conveyor system, wherein the exchange area can be either of the first location or the second location.

17. The autonomous device of claim 16 wherein the body conveyor system and the exchange zone comprise a horizontal conveying surface, and the exchange zone can accumulate or receive a horizontal row of articles thereon.

18. The autonomous device of claim 17 wherein the exchange zone of the body conveyor system is an accumulator configured to accumulate a plurality of articles thereon, the exchange zone further comprising a sensor for each of the plurality of articles to signal when a row of articles is ready for pick up.

19. The autonomous device of claim 17 wherein the exchange zone of the body conveyor system includes rollers for conveying articles along the conveying surface, wherein gaps exist between rollers and tines of the at least one shelves are configured to fit therebetween during exchanges of rows of articles at the exchange zone.

20. The autonomous device of claim 19 wherein the exchange zone further comprises at least one fork for each article accumulated on the exchange zone, each fork extending at least partially above the conveying surface from the gaps between the rollers, wherein each fork is connected to a fork ram to move the forks into contact with articles and to move the articles across the exchange zone and at least partially onto the manipulator during loading.

21. The autonomous device of claim 19 wherein at least one of the rollers in the exchange zone is a motor driven roller.