Method and apparatus for placing products into containers in a robot line

• US 9,908,646 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2012
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veltru AG
• Original Assignee: Veltru AG
• Inventors: Renner, Jrgen, Schuler, Hans Andrea
• Primary Examiner(s): Desai, Hemant M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferrero, Eduardo R
• Application Number:
  US13/662,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20130104506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,954 Days
• Field of Search: 53237, 53238, 53240, 53 50, 53 57, 53 58, 53494-497, 4147511, 4147448
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/24 by endless belts or chains B65B35/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/36 by grippers
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/44 by endless belts or chains B65B35/405 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/105 by grippers B65B5/12 and B65B5/108 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/12 and operating to control, or stop, the feed of wrapping materials, containers, or packages
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/14 and operating to control, or stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/268 by means of belt or chain conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/31 by varying the relative speeds of the conveyors forming the series
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/905 Control arrangements

Abstract

An apparatus (1) for inserting at least one sort of conveyed products (2) into containers (3) accommodating a specific number of products (2). The apparatus (1) has at least two placing robots (4a, 4b, 4c) defining a transfer area (15), at least one transport device (6) for transporting the products (2), and at least one transport device (7) for transporting the containers (3). The transport device (6) for the products (2) has at least one separation point (5) in the direction of travel (14) within the transfer area (15), said separation point dividing the transport device (6) for the products (2) into at least two transport portions (6a, 6b) that can be actuated independently of one another.

Claims

1. An apparatus for inserting at least one sort of conveyed products into a container accommodating a specific number of products, the apparatus having at least first and subsequent second placing robots defining a transfer area, at least one transport device for transporting the products, and at least one transport device for transporting the containers,

wherein the transport devices for transporting the products and for transporting the containers are operated so that the products are conveyed in co-current flow or in a co-current flow mode of action relative to a flow of the containers,

the transport device for transporting the products has at least one separation point in a direction of travel within the transfer area between the first and the second placing robots, and said separation point dividing the transport device for transporting the products into at least first and second transport portions,

wherein the first placing robot is located so as to only select products from the first transport portion while the second placing robot only selects products from the second transport portion,

said at least first and second transport portions can be actuated independently of one another such that any empty space or gap, produced by the first placing robot on the first transport portion, during operation, can be eliminated and not transferred to the second transport portion and the second placing robot.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each separation point is assigned a sensor for checking a presence of products before the separation point.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the apparatus has control means that are designed in such a way that the first and the second transport portions are actuated according to a signal of the sensor.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus has control means that are designed in such a way that the first and the second placing robots grasp the products in areas of low product density compared to areas of higher density within a respective working area.

5. A method for inserting at least one sort of conveyed products into containers accommodating a specific number of products by means of an apparatus, comprising at least a first and a second placing robots defining a transfer area, at least one transport device with at least a first and a second transport portions in the direction of travel for transporting the products, said transport portions being separated from one another by a separation point within the transfer area between the first and the second placing robots, the products being transported to the transfer area on the transport device for the products and being grasped in the transfer area by the placing robots and placed into the containers, wherein the presence of products before a separation point is checked and the subsequent transport portion is controlled accordingly;

wherein the first placing robot is located so as to only select products from the first transport portion while the second placing robot only selects products from the second transport portion.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein if there are no products before a separation point, the subsequent transport portion is slowed or stopped.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the placing robots grasp the products in areas of low product density.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the products and the containers are conveyed in co-current flow or in the co-current flow mode of action, and the last placing robot or, in the event of failure thereof, the second-to-last placing robot of the apparatus controls the speed of the transport device for the containers in such a way that only full containers leave the apparatus.

9. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein a target fill level is determined increasingly for each working area of the placing robots in the direction of travel of the containers, and wherein each placing robot is controlled in such a way that it only transfers products until the target fill level for its working area is reached.