Method for depositing individually packaged items in containers

• US 8,065,032 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2006
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Stifter, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): CUMBESS, YOLANDA RENEE
• Application Number:
  US12/162,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20090012644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,814 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/216
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/12 Introducing successive articles, e.g. confectionery products, of different shape or size in predetermined positions
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4182 manipulators and conveyor only
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32128 Gui graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40006 Placing, palletize, un palletize, paper roll placing, box stacking
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40014 Gripping workpiece to place it in another place
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45063 Pick and place manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A method for depositing real items into real containers, wherein the real items are transported along a picking line and are deposited into spaces in the real containers using robots. Placement of the items is predetermined by a controller. The controller provides for the real items and the real containers to be previously associated with one another by virtue of graphical symbols for items being placed into at least one graphical symbol for a container on a screen that is connected to the controller. The method according to the invention thus makes it possible to easily and quickly fill a container with an assortment of items in the desired manner using real robot movements.

Claims

1. A method for depositing real individual items in real containers, comprising the steps of:

transporting real individual items along a picking line;

depositing the real individual items by means of robots in places, predetermined in accordance with a controller, in the real containers; and

making an association beforehand between the real individual items and the real containers, by means of a screen connected to the controller, by placing graphically shown symbols on the screen for an individual item in at least one graphically shown symbol on the screen for a container;

further comprising the step of selecting from an assortment of various symbols for individual items and/or various containers, each of the various symbols corresponding to different real individual items and real containers.

2. The method as defined by claim 1, wherein placement of the symbols on the screen is effected manually by means of a “

drag-and-drop”

motion.

3. The method as defined by claim 2, further comprising

depositing real individual items of different types in each real container in accordance with a predetermined pattern, thereby creating mixed real packages, wherein the pattern is predetermined by the controller in that on the screen, the graphically shown symbols for individual items are placed in at least one graphically shown symbol for the container, until an image of a desired mixed real package is shown on the screen.

4. The method as defined by claim 1, wherein the real individual items are delivered separately by types of individual items.

5. The method as defined by claim 4, wherein placement of the symbols on the screen is effected manually by means of a “

drag-and-drop”

motion.

6. The method as defined by claim 1, wherein the real containers are completely filled.

7. The method as defined by claim 6, wherein the real individual items are delivered separately by types of individual items.

8. The method as defined by claims 1, further comprising

depositing real individual items of different types in each real container in accordance with a predetermined pattern, thereby creating mixed real packages, wherein the pattern is predetermined by the controller in that on the screen, the graphically shown symbols for individual items are placed in at least one graphically shown symbol for the container, until an image of a desired mixed real package is shown on the screen.

9. The method as defined by claim 8, wherein the real containers are completely filled.

10. The method as defined by claim 8, wherein the real individual items are delivered separately by types of individual items.

11. The method as defined by claim 8, wherein placement of the symbols on the screen is effected manually by means of a “

drag-and-drop”

motion.

12. The method as defined by claim 1, wherein on the screen, a selection of different symbols for individual items and a selection of different symbols for containers are shown, and wherein these symbols can be selected individually or in groups and placed on a same work surface of the screen, where the symbols for the individual items are deposited in the symbol or symbols for containers.

13. The method as defined by claim 12, wherein on the screen, the symbols for the individual items, the symbols for the containers, and the work surface are shown simultaneously.

14. The method as defined by claim 1, wherein Delta robots are used as the robots.

15. A controller for performing the method as defined by claim 1, wherein the controller includes a computer program, which contains a library of first symbols for individual items and a library of second symbols for individual items, wherein the computer program converts a combination of container and products, joined together on a screen, into control commands for triggering robots, which robots deposit real individual items, corresponding to the at least one first symbol, into containers corresponding to the second symbol.

16. A computer program executed on a computer readable medium for performing the method as defined by claim 1, which contains a library of first symbols for individual items and a library of second symbols for individual items, wherein the computer program converts a combination of container and products, joined together on a screen, into control commands for triggering robots, which robots deposit real individual items, corresponding to an at least one first symbol, in a container corresponding to a second symbol.

17. A graphical user interface for performing the method as defined by claim 1, wherein on a screen, a list of different first symbols for different individual items and a list of different second symbols for containers are shown, and moreover there is a work surface on the screen, in order, on this work surface, to deposit selected first symbols for individual items in selected second symbols for containers.

18. A method for depositing real individual items in real containers, comprising the steps of:

transporting real individual items along a picking line;

depositing the real individual items by means of robots in places, predetermined in accordance with a controller, in the real containers;

making an association beforehand between the real individual items and the real containers, by means of a screen connected to the controller, by placing graphically shown symbols on the screen for an individual item in at least one graphically shown symbol on the screen for a container; and

further comprising the step of making an association beforehand between the real individual items and places or empty spaces of the containers, by placing graphically shown symbols on the screen for an individual item within at least one graphically shown symbol corresponding to places or empty spaces of a container.