End of arm tool, apparatus, and method of engaging an article

• US 7,717,255 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2007
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pearson Packaging Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pearson Packaging Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Gadau, Steven, Scott, Troy, Chase, Allen Jerome, Deines, Chad E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARP, WILLIAM RAY
• Application Number:
  US11/925,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20080131253A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 198/867.01, 198/867.05, 198/867.06, 198/867.08, 198/867.02, 198/867.11, 198/375, 198/376, 198/377.03, 198/377.07, 198/468.01, 198/468.2, 198/468, 198/6, 198/345.2, 198/803.3, 198/803.11, 198/803.14, 198/750.11, 198/817, 198/465.1, 198/346.3, 198/470.1, 198/809, 198/346.1, 198/346.2, 414680-7448, 414/791.1, 414/792.9, 414/729, 414/751.1, 414/753.1
• US Class Current: 198/867.11
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0052 multiple gripper units or multiple end effectors
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0093 co-operating with conveyor means
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 3/20 mounted on, or guided by, jibs jibs B66C23/64

Abstract

A conveying system includes a robotic arm, an end-of-arm-tool, carried by the robotic arm, and a conveyor. In one example, the end of arm tool includes a plurality of engagement mechanisms arranged in an array. Each engagement mechanism includes at least two opposed fingers moveable between engaged and released positions, and is thereby adapted to grasp a soft-sided article from the conveyor. The conveyor includes a plurality of parallel tracks, each track separated from an adjacent track by a groove. A plurality of stops is configured to stop a plurality of soft-sided articles in an array analogous to the arrayed engagement mechanisms of the end-of-arm tool. In operation, the opposed fingers of each engagement mechanism pass through the grooves defined within the conveyor, to grasp upstream and downstream sides of an article, respectively, and underneath the article, which is then lifted by the robotic arm.

Claims

1. A conveying system, comprising:

a robotic arm;

an end of arm tool, connected to an end of the robotic arm, the end of arm tool comprising;

a plurality of engagement mechanisms, wherein the plurality of engagement mechanisms are arranged in an array with each engagement mechanism having at least one engagement mechanism parallel to it and at least one engagement mechanism in serial with it, and wherein each engagement mechanism comprises;

opposed first and second fingers, movable between an engaged position wherein the fingers close together grasp a bottom and sides of an article, and a released position wherein the fingers separate to release the article or prepare to grasp a second article;

a conveyor system, comprising;

a conveyor belt having a plurality of substantially parallel conveyor tracks, wherein adjacent tracks are separated by a groove; and

multiple stops, wherein the multiple stops are arranged in an array with each stop having at least one stop parallel to it and at least one stop in serial with it, and wherein the array of stops corresponds to the array of the plurality of engagement mechanisms such that articles stopped by the array of stops are positioned for engagement by the array of engagement mechanisms; and

at least one power mechanism to move the opposed fingers between the engaged position and the released position, wherein movement of the opposed fingers from the released position to the engaged position moves the opposed fingers into the groove between adjacent tracks of the conveyor belt, and then through portions of that groove, and wherein the opposed fingers, moving through the groove between tracks of the conveyor, approach an article to be picked up such that the opposed fingers, both moving through the groove between adjacent tracks, engage upstream and downstream sides of the article, respectively, and both opposed fingers move underneath the article to thereby grasp the article, and to then lift the article by operation of the robotic arm.

2. The end of arm tool of claim 1, wherein if an alignment of one of the articles stopped by the multiple stops is unacceptable, programming prevents operation of an associated engagement mechanism.

3. The end of arm tool of claim 1, wherein if a separation between the articles stopped by the multiple stops is unacceptable, programming prevents operation of an associated engagement mechanism.

4. A method of handling an article, the method comprising:

locating an article moving on a conveyor, wherein the conveyor is a conveyor belt, the method further comprising;

providing the article on the conveyor belt to convey the article toward a robotic arm with an end of arm tool, the conveyor belt having two substantially parallel conveyor tracks with a groove provided between the two adjacent conveyor tracks; and

grasping the located article with the end of arm tool, the end of arm tool having a first and second finger for engaging the article provided and conveyed on the conveyor belt, wherein the fingers travel through grooves defined between tracks of the conveyor during the grasping, wherein grasping the located article comprises;

engaging a portion of the article with the end of arm tool, the first finger to extend into the groove to engage a leading edge portion of the article being conveyed on the conveyor belt and the second finger to extend into the groove between the tracks to engage a trailing edge portion of the article being conveyed on the conveyor belt.

5. The method of handling an article of claim 4, wherein the locating comprises stopping the article with a stopping mechanism prior to grasping the located article with fingers of the end of arm tool.

6. The method of handling an article of claim 4, wherein locating comprises sensing the article with a sensing mechanism.

7. The method of handling an article of claim 4, wherein the first and second fingers engage the article substantially simultaneously.

8. The method of handling an article of claim 4, wherein the article is a first article and wherein the fingers are associated with a first engagement mechanism of the end of arm tool, and further comprising:

locating a second article and grasping the second article with fingers associated with a second engagement mechanism of the end of arm tool; and

transporting the first and second articles away from the conveyor.

9. An article transportation system, comprising:

a conveyor to convey an article, wherein the conveyor comprises;

at least two tracks defining at least one groove between the at least two tracks;

multiple stops, wherein the multiple stops are arranged in an array with each stop having at least one stop parallel to it and at least one stop in serial with it; and

an end of arm tool, comprising opposed first and second fingers, movable between an engaged position wherein the fingers close together grasp a bottom and sides of an article, and a released position wherein the fingers separate to release the article or prepare to grasp a second article;

at least one power mechanism to move the opposed fingers between the engaged position and the released position, wherein movement of the opposed fingers from the released position to the engaged position moves the opposed fingers into the groove between adjacent tracks of the conveyor belt, and then through portions of that groove, and wherein the opposed fingers, moving through the groove between tracks of the conveyor, approach an article to be picked up such that the opposed fingers, both moving through the groove between adjacent tracks, engage upstream and downstream sides of the article, respectively, and both opposed fingers move underneath the article to thereby grasp the article, and to then lift the article by operation of the end of arm tool.