Method and a system for batching of objects

• US 7,775,373 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2005
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scanvaegt International A/S
• Original Assignee: Scanvaegt International A/S
• Inventors: Skyum, Henrik F., Grundtvig, Henrik, Nielsen, Ulrich Carlin, Krogh, Mikael
• Primary Examiner(s): Gibson; Randy W
• Application Number:
  US11/721,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20090223878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,709 Days
• Field of Search: 535/01, 535/02, 177/25.18, 177/145, 198/750.11, 198/468.2, 209/542, 209/592, 209/645, 414/800
• US Class Current: 209/542
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/105 by grippers B65B5/12 and B65B5/108 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/306 involving comparison with a reference value
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/384 involving comparison with a reference value

Abstract

Method and system for batching of supplied objects in batches using one or more robots and a plurality of conveyors in such a manner that a batch fulfils predefined criteria as regards the number of objects, weight, orientation and/or type(s) of objects.

Claims

1. A method of batching supplied objects in batches, wherein each batch fulfills a predefined criteria of total weight range, said method comprising the steps of:

determining the weight of each object;

transporting the objects via a means for object transport;

selectively transferring the objects from the means for object transport to a batching means using a plurality of robotic handling means, wherein said robotic handling means is adapted for selectively gripping or picking up an object and for depositing said object at a selected depositing position within an area of operation, and wherein objects are selectively transferred within the area of operation from the means for object transport to a batching means using said robotic handling means, said batching means being located on one of a plurality of conveyors;

batching the objects based on said predefined criteria, wherein a batch of objects on said batching means comprises objects transferred to the batching means by at least two of said robotic handling means; and

transporting a batch of the objects on a means for batch transportation comprising said plurality of conveyors.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the objects are supplied to said means for object transport by one or more conveyor bands.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of registering the objects based one or more of object position, object type and/or object orientation by means of vision equipment, the step of registering being performed in connection with the determination of the weight of each object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the means for batch transportation includes the batching means, and further wherein the objects are batched directly on said means for batch transportation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the objects are batched on a separate unit that constitutes said batching means, the method further comprising the step of transferring the batch of objects to said means for batch transportation by one or more of an essentially vertical movement, a pivoting movement and/or a displacement by another conveyor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of batching includes the step of batching the objects in a predefined orderly form in relation to each other.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the means for object transport and/or the means for batch transportation are moved continuously during the batching of the objects.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said means for object transport and/or said means for batch transportation are moved discontinuously during the batching of the objects.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the means for object transport comprises one or more conveyor bands.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the conveyor of the means for batch transportation moves in an opposite direction of the means for object transport.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the conveyor of the means for batch transportation moves in a same direction as the means for object transport.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transferring the batch from said means for batch transportation to a packaging means.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of batching occurs on a packaging means that is located on said means for batch transportation or located on said batching means.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

redirecting the batch of objects to a feeding end of the means for batch transportation; and

supplying one or more missing objects to the batch.

42. The method of claim 1, wherein each batch further fulfills a predefined criteria of one or more of object weight, object orientation, object type and/or the number of objects.

15. A system for batching supplied objects in batches, wherein each batch fulfills a predefined criteria of total weight range said system comprising:

means for registering the objects based on one or more of object position, object type and/or object orientation;

means for determining the weight of the objects;

means for transporting the objects;

a plurality of controllable robotic handling means for selective transfer of objects from said means for transporting to a batch of objects, said robotic handling means being adapted to selectively grip or pick up an object and to deposit said object at a selected depositing position on one of a plurality of conveyors within an area of operation; and

means for batch transporting for transporting said batch of objects, said means for batch transporting comprising said plurality of conveyors, and a control unit for controlling said controllable robotic handling means based on said predefined criteria and based on registered and/or determined data for the objects, wherein a batch of objects comprises objects transferred to the batch by at least two of said robotic handling means.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising supply transportation equipment for supplying the objects.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising vision equipment for registering said objects, said registration being performed in connection with the determination of the weight of the objects.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the objects are batched directly on said means for batch transporting.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the controllable handling means of the robot type are controlled in such a manner that the objects are batched in a predefined orderly form in relation to each other.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for transporting the objects and/or said means for batch transporting are configured for moving continuously during the batching of the objects.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for transporting the objects and/or said means for batch transporting are configured for moving discontinuously during the batching of the objects.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for transporting the objects comprises one or more conveyor bands.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein one or more of said plurality of conveyors are adapted for moving in an opposite direction of said means for transporting the objects.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein one or more of said plurality of conveyors are adapted for moving in the same direction as said means for transporting the objects.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein each of said plurality of controllable robotic handling means includes one or more of gripping means, picking means and/or lifting means for removing the objects from the means for transporting the objects.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein each of said one or more conveyor bands are a polycord conveyor.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein each of said one or more conveyor bands include knobs or spikes.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein each of said plurality of controllable robotic handling means includes a finger for gripping the objects from the means for transporting the objects, wherein said finger is substantially horizontally oriented with a mutual distance allowing the finger to be lowered down between said knobs or spikes.

29. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for batching the objects, whereon the objects are batched, said means for batching being adapted and controlled so that a batched assembly of objects can be transferred to said means for batch transporting.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said means for batching comprises one or more separate conveyors, which are arranged to be immovable when a batching of objects to such a separate conveyor takes place.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein said one or more separate conveyors are located above said means for batch transporting and can be rotated and/or tilted in such a manner that a batch of objects can be transported down onto said means for batch transporting.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein said means for batch transporting comprises conveyor bands having longitudinal separate elements with knobs or spikes.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein said means for batching comprises one or more support units that are moveable in a vertical direction and that include horizontally oriented finger elements, wherein said finger elements can pass between said longitudinal separate elements on the conveyor or can be lowered down between said knobs or spikes.

34. The system of claim 15, wherein a batch of objects can be transferred from said means for batch transporting to a tray.

35. The system of claim 29, wherein said system is configured to batch objects directly on a packaging means that is placed on said means for batch transporting or said means for batching.

36. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for redirecting a batch of objects to a feeding end of said means for batch transporting for supplying of one or more missing objects.

37. The system of claim 15, wherein the system is configured to provide a plurality of types of batches.

38. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for batch transporting is parallel with the means for transporting the objects.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the means for batch transporting is parallel with the means for transporting the objects in an area corresponding to the operation area of the controllable robotic handling means.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the means for batch transporting includes two conveyor belts on one side of the means for transporting the objects and two conveyor belts on another side of the means for transporting the objects, wherein said two conveyor belts on one side move in an opposite direction from said two conveyor belts on another side.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the means for batch transporting includes a conveyor that is transverse to the means for transporting objects.

43. The system of claim 15, wherein each batch further fulfills a predefined criteria of one or more of object weight, object orientation, object type and/or the number of objects.