Packing device for articles that have directionality

• US 5,165,219 A
• Filed: 11/27/1991
• Issued: 11/24/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: House Food Industrial Company Limited
• Original Assignee: House Food Industrial Company Limited
• Inventors: Iwata, Hitoshi, Sekiguchi, Kazuya, Taguchi, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Coan, James F.
• Application Number:
  US07/799,286
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 53/493, 53/52, 53/77, 53/143, 53/142, 53/145, 53/146, 53/544
• US Class Current: 53/493
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/58 Turning articles by positively-acting means, e.g. to present labelled portions in uppermost position

Abstract

A packing device for articles having directionality that includes imaging means for taking an image of the articles, means for recognizing the direction of the articles, first memory means for storing the direction of the articles, second memory means for storing the direction of the articles to be packed into a container, and means for calculating the difference in angle between the directions stored in the first and second memory means. The direction of the robot hand for grasping the articles is controlled by the output of the calculating means.

Claims

1. A packing device for articles with directionality that has the following characteristics:

(a) a feeder that consecutively feeds individual articles that have directionality,

(b) imaging means for taking an image of said articles,

(c) recognizing means for recognizing the direction of the article by processing of the image as taken by the imaging means,

(d) first memory means for storing the direction of the articles as recognized by the recognizing means,

(e) a conveyor for transporting containers,

(f) second memory means for storing the direction of the article which is to be packed into a container on the conveyor,

(g) calculating means for calculating the difference in angle between the directions stored in the first and second memory means,

(h) third memory means for storing the output of the calculating means, and

(i) controlling means for controlling a robot hand for grasping the article in accordance with the difference in angle stored in the third memory means.

2. A packing device for articles with directionality as defined in claim 1 in which the recognizing means includes a binary processing circuit to produce binary image signals from the output of the imaging means.

3. A packing device for articles with directionality as defined in claim 1 in which the recognizing means includes a variable-density image processing circuit to produce variable-density image signals from the output of the imaging means.

4. A packing device for articles with directionality as defined in claim 1 in which the recognizing means includes a color image processing circuit to produce R-component, G-component, and B-component signals of the color image from the output of the imaging means.