EP3686113A1 - Dispositif de manipulation et/ou d'emballage et procédé d'emballage des groupes d'articles - Google Patents

Dispositif de manipulation et/ou d'emballage et procédé d'emballage des groupes d'articles Download PDF

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Publication number
EP3686113A1
EP3686113A1 EP19207475.5A EP19207475A EP3686113A1 EP 3686113 A1 EP3686113 A1 EP 3686113A1 EP 19207475 A EP19207475 A EP 19207475A EP 3686113 A1 EP3686113 A1 EP 3686113A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
outer packaging
centering
articles
article
packaging
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
EP19207475.5A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Markus Gabler
Thomas Stadler
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Krones AG
Original Assignee
Krones AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Krones AG filed Critical Krones AG
Publication of EP3686113A1 publication Critical patent/EP3686113A1/fr
Pending legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B21/00—Packaging or unpacking of bottles
    • B65B21/02—Packaging or unpacking of bottles in or from preformed containers, e.g. crates
    • B65B21/14—Introducing or removing groups of bottles, for filling or emptying containers in one operation
    • B65B21/18—Introducing or removing groups of bottles, for filling or emptying containers in one operation using grippers engaging bottles, e.g. bottle necks
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B35/00—Supplying, feeding, arranging or orientating articles to be packaged
    • B65B35/30—Arranging and feeding articles in groups
    • B65B35/36—Arranging and feeding articles in groups by grippers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B39/00—Nozzles, funnels or guides for introducing articles or materials into containers or wrappers
    • B65B39/006—Grids for introducing bottles into cases
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B39/00—Nozzles, funnels or guides for introducing articles or materials into containers or wrappers
    • B65B39/007—Guides or funnels for introducing articles into containers or wrappers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B39/00—Nozzles, funnels or guides for introducing articles or materials into containers or wrappers
    • B65B39/14—Nozzles, funnels or guides for introducing articles or materials into containers or wrappers movable with a moving container or wrapper during filling or depositing
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B43/00—Forming, feeding, opening or setting-up containers or receptacles in association with packaging
    • B65B43/42—Feeding or positioning bags, boxes, or cartons in the distended, opened, or set-up state; Feeding preformed rigid containers, e.g. tins, capsules, glass tubes, glasses, to the packaging position; Locating containers or receptacles at the filling position; Supporting containers or receptacles during the filling operation
    • B65B43/52—Feeding or positioning bags, boxes, or cartons in the distended, opened, or set-up state; Feeding preformed rigid containers, e.g. tins, capsules, glass tubes, glasses, to the packaging position; Locating containers or receptacles at the filling position; Supporting containers or receptacles during the filling operation using roller-ways or endless conveyors
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B5/00—Packaging individual articles in containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, jars
    • B65B5/06—Packaging groups of articles, the groups being treated as single articles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B35/00—Supplying, feeding, arranging or orientating articles to be packaged
    • B65B35/30—Arranging and feeding articles in groups
    • B65B35/44—Arranging and feeding articles in groups by endless belts or chains

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a handling and / or packaging device for repackaging article groups and / or for inserting article groups in overpacks with the features of independent claim 1.
  • the invention also relates to a method for repackaging article groups and / or inserting article groups in Outer packaging with the features of the independent process claim.
  • the automated loading of outer packaging with groups of articles is normally carried out batchwise, since in such cases the overpacks or beverage crates, which are typically transported in the product flow in uninterrupted manner by means of conveyor belts or other horizontal conveyors, have to be stopped for each loading process, even if they have to be stopped otherwise Process flow can be transported with continuous conveyor speed.
  • the packaging machines set up for the automated loading of the outer packaging with article groups usually require the outer packaging to stand still for a precise loading, at least for the actual insertion process of the article group.
  • Such a discontinuous assembly naturally has the disadvantage of a comparatively low output, since the conveyance of the outer packaging or boxes has to be stopped again and again in order to insert the articles or containers there with the desired precision.
  • the invention proposes, in addition to the method described below, a handling and / or packaging device for repackaging article groups and / or for inserting article groups in overpacks, which has a provision space for articles and / or article groups, which is optional can also be formed by a conveyor for the transport of articles in mass flow or in series transport. If, therefore, in the present context there is general talk of a provision or of a staging space, this conceptually includes not only a place where articles are ready to be picked up, but also quite generally a place or a conveyor facility where articles are transported to in order to be recorded and to be taken over.
  • the handling and / or packaging device further comprises at least one conveyor line for the successive transport of outer packaging, which are provided and prepared for accommodating at least one article group formed from several articles.
  • outer packaging can be formed by various containers, which in principle must be suitable for accommodating the articles, ie at least one article group or several articles inserted together there.
  • the outer packaging can be formed, for example, by open cartons, trays, beverage crates, etc., in which the articles can be inserted from above by means of the handling device explained in detail below, in particular with their at least one controllable gripper head.
  • articles are mass-flow goods, their further handling and / or their transport and / or shipping is typically done by means of outer packaging.
  • the articles can thus be formed in particular by containers, beverage containers, bottles, cans or the like, which can be combined to form stackable and / or palletable packaging units by means of the outer packaging.
  • the device comprises at least one handling device which can be moved between the staging area and the at least one conveyor line and which is provided and designed for the simultaneous reception and detection of one article group from the staging area, for transferring it to the conveyor line and for inserting the article group into one of the outer packaging conveyed there.
  • a handling device that can be equipped, for example, with at least one gripper head for handling the articles, this can be, for example, a gantry robot, a multi-axis robot, a parallel kinematics robot or another suitable handling device that between the at least two conveyor lines for transferring several articles back and forth to the outer packaging and can be raised and lowered at the same time as required.
  • a controllable gripper head for the simultaneous pick-up of several articles, such as beverage containers or bottles, which can be equipped, for example, with controllable article grippers such as suction grippers or with controllable gripping tulips or the like, with which the articles, beverage containers or bottles can be recorded in their neck or head area and securely held for transfer into the outer packaging and can be reliably released for deposition in the outer packaging.
  • controllable article grippers such as suction grippers or with controllable gripping tulips or the like
  • the handling device is equipped with only one gripper head, an outer packaging with a defined number of articles, Beverage containers or bottles can be equipped, for example with a number of articles arranged in a rectangular combination of a total of twenty or twenty-four or more articles, beverage containers or bottles.
  • the gripper head must be equipped with a number of normally jointly controllable article grippers that correspond to the number of articles to be gripped, the spatial arrangement of which also corresponds to the arrangement of the articles in the article group or can be adaptable
  • the handling device can also be equipped with two or three identical gripper heads, which allow a correspondingly larger number of articles to be gripped at the same time and, for example, to be placed in two or three outer packaging conveyed one behind the other.
  • the possibility created in this way of equipping several outer packs with respective article groups at the same time, in particular with article groups of the same type in each case, enables a correspondingly high throughput when fitting outer packs with articles.
  • the present invention has the particular innovation of a centering device which is assigned to the at least one conveyor line and which can be moved with the outer packaging transported there and in each case to be equipped with article groups, which guides and guides at least some of the articles of a respective article group to be inserted into the outer packaging by means of the handling device Insertion process serves, and which can effectively prevent the articles from colliding with the outer packaging, being used inaccurately and / or missing their respective target positions in the outer packaging during the insertion or fitting process, which normally takes place in a very short time and at a correspondingly high speed.
  • the handling device comprises at least one controllable gripper head for an article group to be picked up and to be gripped, with individually, in groups or jointly controllable gripping elements for each article to be picked up and to be gripped.
  • each outer packaging to be loaded by means of a gripper head of the handling device is assigned a separate centering element, which is a component of the movable centering device.
  • the centering device can at least in the last phase of the positioning of the handling device and / or the gripper heads, i.e. immediately before the actual insertion process, which is associated with the detachment of the articles from the gripper head or from the handling device, their positioning movements are coordinated with the conveying movements of the outer packaging and with the positioning processes of the handling device.
  • the at least one centering element of the centering device can expediently be formed by a suitable centering frame, the size of which preferably corresponds to a base area of an outer packaging, and which can be positioned and / or placed over a peripheral edge of an outer packaging and directs and thus prevents the articles that the articles are placed on the box edge, for example.
  • a particularly useful variant of the device according to the invention can provide that the centering frame has a plurality of steering devices for guiding the articles when they are inserted into an outer packaging, which can be formed in particular by guide plates or the like opening into the outer packaging in a funnel shape.
  • a plurality of centering elements which are preferably arranged next to one another, can optionally form the centering device. It makes sense if the number of centering elements of a centering device matches the number of gripper heads of the handling device and the number of outer packaging to be loaded at the same time.
  • the centering elements can optionally be adjusted jointly or separately in the vertical direction.
  • the centering elements can optionally be adjusted jointly or separately in the transport direction or counter to the transport direction. Possibly.
  • the centering elements can also be adjusted jointly or separately transversely to the direction of transport in order to compensate for any misalignment of the boxes or outer packaging.
  • a sensible embodiment variant of the device can be formed in that the centering device is guided with its at least one centering element on a movable robot arm. It is also conceivable if the centering device is guided with its at least one centering element on a portal suspension, which is arranged displaceably on a rail along the conveying path. Possibly. the centering elements can also hang on pneumatic cylinders and can be moved on a rail along the conveyor line.
  • the centering device can be controlled with its at least one centering element in its movements on the basis of the detected movements of the outer packaging and / or on the basis of an evaluation of the sensor signals supplied by at least one optical sensor which detects the outer packaging to be fitted.
  • the invention also proposes a method for repackaging article groups and / or inserting article groups in order to achieve the above-mentioned goal Outer packaging in which the articles and / or article groups are transferred from a supply station for the articles and / or article groups to at least one conveyor line by means of a handling device.
  • This conveyor line is intended for the successive transport of outer packaging, which is provided and prepared for accommodating at least one article group formed from several articles.
  • the handling device transfers the articles and / or article groups from the staging area into the outer packaging located and / or moved on the conveyor line and uses them there.
  • the method provides that at least some of the articles inserted into the outer packaging by means of the handling device a respective article group is guided and / or guided during a insertion process by means of a centering device which is assigned to the at least one conveyor path and is moved along with the outer packaging transported there and each to be equipped with article groups.
  • This guidance and guidance of the individual articles essentially serves to avoid collision risks when inserting the articles into the outer packaging, since the relatively high processing speeds and the often very close spacing of the articles in the outer packaging increases the risk that the articles with their bottom surfaces rise put on the edges of the outer packaging or in its compartments, which can lead to production problems if the insertion process is disturbed or has to be stopped.
  • the centering device is intended to remedy these problems in that it is brought to the respective outer packaging and positioned there with each insertion process, so that it can act as a type of insertion aid or insertion funnel for the articles.
  • each outer packaging to be equipped by means of a gripper head of the handling device is assigned a separate centering element, which is part of the movable centering device, at least during the actual insertion process of the articles into the intended positions in the outer packaging.
  • the at least one centering element of the centering device can in particular be formed by a centering frame, the size of which corresponds to a base area of an outer packaging, and which is positioned and / or placed over a peripheral edge of an outer packaging and directs the articles.
  • the articles can thereby be prevented very effectively from being placed on the edge of the box, which overall can significantly reduce the susceptibility to errors in the packaging method according to the invention.
  • the centering frame can have, for example, several steering devices for guiding the articles when they are inserted into an outer packaging, which can be formed in particular by guide plates or the like opening into the outer packaging in a funnel shape.
  • a plurality of centering elements which are preferably arranged next to one another, can optionally form the centering device.
  • the method can also provide that the centering elements for positioning on or above the outer packaging can be adjusted jointly or separately in the vertical direction. This adjustment is usually necessary, since it makes sense to lower the centering elements at least a short distance into the respective outer packaging so that their respective guide plates or the like extend over the edge of the outer packaging and possibly reach down to the upper edges of a compartment can.
  • the centering elements for positioning on or above the outer packaging are adjusted jointly or separately in the transport direction or counter to the transport direction. Likewise, they can also be moved against the direction of transport for returning to further outer packaging to be loaded.
  • This movement component of the centering elements is necessary in all loading processes in which the outer packaging is moved on the conveyor line while it is being loaded with articles and does not come to a standstill.
  • the centering elements must therefore be moved synchronously with the moving packaging, so that they can reliably perform their task during the assembly process.
  • the centering elements for positioning on or above the outer packaging can be adjusted jointly or separately transversely to the transport direction, in order to be able to compensate for misalignment of the boxes, for example, or to align the outer packaging with misalignments to compensate for the direction of transport.
  • the gripper heads of the handling device are normally positioned very precisely over the outer packaging, even if they are not exactly in line with the preceding or subsequent outer packaging or boxes, it is equally sensible to do so Centering elements to carry out such compensatory movements.
  • the outer packaging can be brought into a desired alignment with the outgoing or subsequent outer packaging or boxes by means of correction movements of the centering elements transversely to the direction of transport, if this is desired.
  • a sensible variant for carrying out the method according to the invention can consist, for example, of suspending and guiding the centering device with its at least one centering element on a movable robot arm.
  • centering device with its at least one centering element on a portal suspension, which can be moved, for example, on a suitable rail along the conveyor line.
  • the centering elements can be suspended or guided on pneumatic cylinders, for example, and can be moved on a rail along the conveying path.
  • Another sensible option of the method according to the invention can consist in controlling the movements of the centering device with its at least one centering element on the basis of the detected movements of the outer packaging and / or on the basis of an evaluation of the sensor signals supplied by at least one optical sensor which detects the outer packaging to be fitted .
  • the schematic top view of the Fig. 1 First and foremost, it is intended to clarify the basic structure of a handling and / or packaging device 10 according to the invention, which is used to combine and / or repackage groups of articles, which is to be illustrated in the exemplary embodiment described below by transferring beverage containers into beverage crates serving as overpacks. These beverage crates are each suitable and provided for receiving a defined number of regularly arranged or appropriately grouped beverage containers on the top side.
  • the handling and / or packaging device 10 which is only indicated schematically here, is assigned a first conveyor section 12 for transporting a plurality of upright articles 14.
  • This first conveyor line 12 can be understood as a modification of a staging area for the articles 14, since in connection with the definition of the invention, a staging area is generally referred to, which is a fixed transfer point with a large number of articles 14 provided there or, for example, also a conveyor line 12 accordingly Fig. 1 with which the articles 14 can be brought into the area of the handling and / or packaging device 10.
  • article 14 The objects or piece goods generally referred to here as article 14 are formed in the present context in particular by upright beverage containers 16 which are transported in mass flow and / or in series transport in a defined conveying direction 18 which leads to device 10.
  • the device 10 is a second conveyor line 20 located close to the first conveyor line 12 and, in the exemplary embodiment shown, running parallel to this, for the successive transport of outer packaging 22 in the form of beverage crates 24, which as outer packaging 22 each hold at least one of several articles 14 or beverage containers 16 formed article group are provided and prepared.
  • the outer packaging 22 can also be formed by other boxes or crates or containers of the most varied types, for example by boxes made of simple cardboard or, for example, also by film wrappings, shrink films or other wrappings made of flat packaging material.
  • the machine referred to in the present context as handling and / or packaging device 10 can in principle also be used to manufacture or form containers, so that strapping, film sections or other packaging material can optionally also be conveyed to the second conveyor line 20 and be available to device 10 for further processing can be provided so that 14 containers can be produced in the device 10 from these packaging materials or packaging aids by grouping together grouped articles.
  • the outer packaging 22 (or possibly the other packaging) formed by the beverage crates 24 are also moved on the second conveying path 20 to the device 10 in the same conveying direction 18 as the articles 14 formed by the beverage containers 16 on the first conveying path 12
  • this parallel alignment of the two conveying sections 12 and 20 to one another is not absolutely necessary, but can also vary in practice if necessary, so that optionally non-parallel conveying directions 18 of the two conveying sections 12 and 20 for the articles 14 or beverage containers 16 or for the Outer packaging 22 or beverage crates 24 are conceivable and manageable.
  • This handling and / or packing station 26 either serves to pack the articles 14 or beverage containers 16 transported in the conveying direction 18 on the first conveyor section 12 by transferring them into the outer packaging 22 or beverage boxes 24, each of which has at least one of several articles 14 or Beverage containers can accommodate 16 formed article group or container group.
  • This packaging or transfer of the articles 14 or beverage containers 16 into the outer packaging 22 or beverage crates 24 always also includes a handling process, which is why this section of the device 10 can also be referred to as a handling and / or packaging station 26.
  • the handling and / or packaging station 26 can also form the bundles by bundling the articles 14 or beverage containers 16 transported in the conveying direction 18 on the first conveyor section 12 by combining several articles 14 or beverage containers 16, e.g. serve for strapping containers, foil containers, shrink-foil containers, adhesive containers etc.
  • This combination of the articles 14 or beverage containers 16 into containers also always includes a handling process.
  • the handling and / or packaging station 26 has a manipulator 28 or a plurality of manipulators 28 which, e.g. can be equipped with at least one gripper head 30 or optionally also with a plurality of gripper heads 30 which can be controlled in parallel and which, for the simultaneous recording and detection of one article group in each case, with each existing gripper head 30 from the first conveyor line 12 and for their transfer to the second conveyor line 20 inside the device 10 and for inserting the article group, ie the group of articles 14 or beverage containers 16 are provided in one of the outer packaging 22 or beverage crates 24 transported there.
  • a manipulator 28 or a plurality of manipulators 28 which, e.g. can be equipped with at least one gripper head 30 or optionally also with a plurality of gripper heads 30 which can be controlled in parallel and which, for the simultaneous recording and detection of one article group in each case, with each existing gripper head 30 from the first conveyor line 12 and for their transfer to the second conveyor line 20 inside the device 10 and for inserting the article group, ie the
  • the manipulator 28 formed by at least one gripper head 30 or by a plurality of gripper heads 30 can also be provided for gripping the articles 14 or beverage containers 16 from the first conveyor section 12 and for further bundling by grouping articles 14 or containers 16 into bundles .
  • first conveyor line 12 instead of such a conveyor line 12, for example designed as a horizontal conveyor device, an almost arbitrarily designed provision space for the articles 14 or beverage containers 16 can be provided and used, of which the articles 14 or beverage container 16 by means of Manipulator 28 can be detected and fed to the container formation or inserted or inserted into the available outer packaging 22.
  • the in the Fig. 1 Handling and / or packaging station 26, indicated only schematically, with manipulator 28 or with at least one gripper head 30 or with a plurality of gripper heads 30 that can be moved and controlled approximately synchronously, can be, for example, by a portal robot, a multi-axis robot, a parallel kinematics robot or another suitable one Handling device can be formed, the manipulator 28, gripper head 30 or the gripper heads 30 between the preparation station, not shown here, or the two conveyor sections 12 and 20 for transferring simultaneously several articles 14 or beverage containers 16 to the outer packaging 22 or, either ready or moving in the parallel conveying direction 18 Beverage crates 24 moved back and forth while being raised and lowered as needed.
  • the controllable gripper head 30 located on a movable tool head (not shown in detail) on the manipulator 28, which is preferably used in the handling and / or packaging station 26, or the plurality of gripper heads 30 serve to hold several articles 14, beverage containers 16 or bottles at the same time.
  • the gripper head 30 or the gripper heads 30 are equipped, for example, with controllable suction grippers or with controllable gripping tulips or the like, with which the articles 14, beverage containers 16 or bottles are gripped in their neck or head area and for the transfer and that approximately vertical insertion into the open top packaging 22 or beverage crates 24 can be securely held and reliably released for deposition in the respective outer packaging 22 or in the beverage crate 24 provided for this purpose.
  • an outer packaging 22 or a beverage crate 24 can normally be loaded with a defined number of articles 14, beverage containers 16 or bottles at the same time, For example, with a number of beverage containers 16 arranged in a rectangular combination of a total of twenty or twenty-four or more beverage containers 16 or bottles.
  • the handling and / or packaging station 26 can preferably also be equipped with two or three similar gripper heads 30, which allow a correspondingly larger number of articles 14 or beverage containers 16 to be gripped simultaneously and, for example, in two or three to deposit successively transported outer packaging 22 or beverage crates 24.
  • the possibility created in this way of equipping several outer packaging 22 or beverage crates 24 with respective groups of articles 14 or beverage containers 16 at the same time enables a correspondingly high throughput when equipping outer packaging 22 with articles 14 or containers 16.
  • the schematic representation of the Fig. 1 furthermore shows the second conveying path 20 leading out of the handling and / or packaging device 10 in the conveying direction 18 to the right or continuing in the conveying direction 18, the conveying direction 18 for conveying away the containers formed in the station 26 or for conveying away the articles 14
  • Outer packaging 22 or the beverage crates 24 equipped with beverage containers 16 for their further handling, such as palletizing, is unchanged.
  • the section of the second conveyor line 20 leading out of the device 10 to the right can form its continuation, since the beverage crates 24 do not have to be taken down or removed from the second conveyor line 20 when they are equipped with beverage containers 16.
  • the reference number 32 in the Fig. 1 a centering device 32 assigned to the second conveyor line 20 and movable with the outer packaging 22 to be loaded there and each to be equipped with article groups, for guiding and guiding at least some of the articles 14 of a respective article group to be inserted into the outer packaging 22 by means of the handling device or the manipulator 28 during an insertion process .
  • a separate centering element 34 which is a component of the movable centering device 32, can be assigned to each outer packaging 22 to be equipped by means of a gripper head 30 of the handling device or the manipulator 28.
  • the schematic front view of the Figure 2A and the schematic side view of the Figure 2B illustrate the arrangement and the mode of operation of the centering device 32, which forms an important component of the handling and / or packaging device, in which, in the exemplary embodiment shown, the centering elements 34 assigned to the individual outer packaging 22 or beverage crates 24 are each formed by centering frames 36, which at least during the phase of Fitting the outer packaging 22 or beverage crates 24 with articles 14 or beverage containers 16 positioned over the respective beverage crate 24 and preferably placed on its upper peripheral edge 38 (cf. Figure 2A ) or, if necessary, sunk a little way there (cf. Figure 2B ).
  • the centering device 32 can, for example, be suspended from a gantry robot 40 or a robot bridge and thus be moved in different directions in order to be able to ensure an exact positioning above the respective outer packaging 22 or beverage crates 24, which during the insertion process can be used as a horizontal conveyor device 42 or conveyor belt trained second conveyor line 20 can be moved or stopped there to be transported again in the transport direction 18 after loading with the articles 14 or beverage containers 16.
  • An optional continuous individual centering of the individual centering frames 36 specifies the position for the gripper heads 30 of the handling device or the manipulator 28, which are normally also robot-controlled.
  • the typically robot-controlled gripper heads 30 can preferably be coordinated or synchronized with the continuous movements and positions of the centering elements or the individual centering frames, as a result of which a precise and error-free insertion movement when lowering the articles 14 or beverage containers 16 into the respective target positions in the outer packaging 22 or beverage crates 24 can be guaranteed.
  • the Figures 2A and 2 B further show the first conveyor section 12, which is designed as a container inlet 44 and is likewise designed as a horizontal conveyor device.
  • the beverage containers 16 or article 14 are transported there in a row in the conveying direction 18 to the preparation area 46, where they are taken over in groups by the gripper heads 30 of the manipulator 28 and conveyed in a transfer movement to the second conveying path 20 with the outer packaging 22 or beverage crates 24 provided there.
  • the beverage containers 16, which are conveyed in consecutive rows to the preparation area 46 in several rows can be separated from one another in rows, for example, by so-called alley plates 48.
  • the containers 16 could also be transported in the mass flow, as long as it is ensured that the gripper heads 30 can recognize the correct number of containers 16 and can detect them in the mass flow.
  • the schematic side views of the Figure 2B and the Figure 2C furthermore show the interaction of the centering frame 36 with the gripper heads 30, each of which has grasped a group of beverage containers 16 in order to lower and insert them into the outer packaging 22 or beverage crates 24 that are ready or transported in the transport direction 18.
  • the centering frame 36 of the centering device 32 not only form an insertion aid for the exact positioning of the beverage containers 16 during the lowering of the respective gripper heads 30, but the centering elements 32 can serve as an effective centering aid with respect to the beverage crates 24 by being within the circumferential edge 38 of the respective box 24 are positioned and lowered.
  • the box 24 in question can also be prevented from assuming a different position in the lowering phase of the gripper head 30 or from evading the gripper head 30.
  • the schematic side view of the Figure 2C illustrates the chronologically successive phases of the lowering of the centering device 30 over the outer packaging 22 formed by the beverage crates 24 in order to prepare and position them for the loading with articles 14 or beverage containers 16.
  • the upper picture I shows the approach of a plurality of centering frames 36 to outer packaging 22, each of which is moved below in the conveying direction 18 and is formed by beverage crates 24.
  • the centering frames 36 are each positioned above the beverage crates 24 so that they can then be lowered.
  • the centering frame 36 is located within the circumferential edge 38 of the respective beverage box 24 or is lowered into the box 24, whereby relative movements between the centering frame 36 and box 24 are largely excluded.
  • the centering frames 36 move at the same conveying speed as the boxes 24 in the conveying direction 18, that is to say synchronously with the beverage boxes 24.
  • the horizontal directional arrows above the respective centering frames 36 are intended to clarify their horizontal alignment 50 with respect to the box 24 assigned to each frame 36.
  • the lower picture III of the Figure 2C illustrates the precisely aligned centering frames 36, which now not only enable the exact positioning of the gripper heads 30, which can optionally be made possible by optical position detection and / or by linking the position data of the centering frames 36 and the gripper heads 30.
  • the centering frame 36 can be inserted through insertion aids that are not recognizable here, such as funnel-shaped guide or guide plates or the like, for the exact positioning of the beverage containers (not shown; see, however Figure 2B ) in them incoming positions in the beverage crate 24 provide what can be, for example, separate target positions within a compartment in the beverage crate 24.
  • the total of five schematic side views of the Figures 3A to 3E illustrate successive process phases of a first embodiment variant of the centering device 32 or a first method variant when using the centering device 32 when equipping outer packaging 22 or beverage crates 24 with articles 14 or beverage containers 16.
  • the centering device 32 is controlled in such a way that the centering elements 34 formed by the centering frame 36 can each be adjusted separately in the horizontal direction, which in FIG Figure 3A is illustrated by the directional arrows parallel to the conveying direction 18 of the outer packaging 22 or boxes 24, with which the respective horizontal alignment 50 of the centering elements 34 or centering frame 36 are identified.
  • the conveying direction 18 points in these process phases Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 3C , Fig. 3D and Figure 3E from right to left.
  • the centering device 32 is adjusted centrally in height with simultaneous adjustment of the centering elements 34 or centering frame 36, which is indicated by the vertical double arrow in FIG Figure 3B is clarified, which characterizes a vertical alignment 52.
  • the entire centering device 32 can in this case Figure 2A Portal robot 40 shown are raised and lowered.
  • the Figure 3A illustrates the joint positioning of the centering frames 36 above the beverage crates 24 to be assigned to them, whereby they are positioned exactly above the crates 24 by means of horizontal alignment 52 and are moved together with the crates 24 in the conveying direction 18 by means of a correspondingly synchronized movement.
  • the Figure 3B shows the centering frame 36 positioned in the boxes 24 by means of a correspondingly downwardly moving centering device 32, again the centering device 32 together with the centering frame 36 being moved further in the conveying direction 18 with the boxes 24.
  • the Figure 3C illustrates the loading process, in which the beverage containers 16 are inserted as groups into the beverage crates 24, their collision-free lowering and their exact positioning within the respective crate 24 being supported by the centering frame 36 in the manner described several times above.
  • the Fig. 3D shows a phase of the process in which the beverage crates 24 fully equipped with beverage containers 16 are moved further in the conveying direction 18, with the Centering frame 36 are still in the lowered contact position on the boxes 24.
  • the Figure 3E finally shows a final process phase, in which the centering device 32 is raised and the centering frames 36 are lifted out of the fully equipped crates 24, so that they can be placed on the following beverage crates 24 as soon as they are conveyed in the conveying direction 18 into the position for Equipped with the beverage containers 16 provided for this purpose.
  • the total of three schematic side views of the Figures 4A to 4C illustrate successive process phases of a second embodiment variant of the centering device 32 or a second method variant when using the centering device 32 when equipping outer packaging 22 or beverage crates 24 with articles 14 or beverage containers 16.
  • the centering device 32 is again controlled in such a way that the centering elements 34 formed by the centering frames 36 can each be adjusted separately in the horizontal direction, as shown in FIG Figure 4A is illustrated by the directional arrows parallel to the conveying direction 18 of the outer packaging 22 or boxes 24, with which the respective horizontal alignment 50 of the centering elements 34 or centering frame 36 are identified.
  • the conveying direction 18 points in these process phases Figure 4A , Figure 4B and Figure 4C again from right to left.
  • the centering device 32 is again centrally adjusted in height in this second method variant, but in this case the centering elements 34 or centering frame 36 suspended on the portal robot 40 can each be adjusted separately and independently of one another in relation to the centering device 32, which is indicated by the three vertical double arrows in Figure 4B It is illustrated that each characterize the vertical orientation 52 of the centering frame 36.
  • the separately height-adjustable centering frame 36 enable an improvement in the synchronization of the box movements with the frame movements, since the individual centering frames 36 are pre-positioned and can be lowered immediately after reaching their respective target position above the beverage box 24 in question , in addition, the loading process can be started by positioning and lowering the gripper head in question (not shown here) without the neighboring ones Boxes 24 must already be equipped. However, this option requires a correspondingly designed suspension of the manipulator 28, which must enable independent control of the gripper heads 30.
  • the Figure 4A illustrates the joint positioning of the centering frames 36 above the beverage crates 24 to be assigned to them, whereby they are positioned exactly above the crates 24 by means of horizontal alignment 50 and are moved together with the crates 24 in the conveying direction 18 by means of a correspondingly synchronized movement.
  • the Figure 4B shows the centering frames 36 of the centering device 32, which are moved downwards one after the other, so that the left centering frame 36 is already positioned in the beverage crate 24, while the centering frame 36 is still being lowered and the right centering frame 36 is still spaced above the crate 24 assigned to it. In these process phases too, the centering device 32 together with the centering frame 36 is moved further in the conveying direction 18 with the boxes 24.
  • the assembly process is with the Figures 4A to 4C Not shown; about this is about Figure 3C referred.
  • the Figure 4C shows a phase of the process in which the beverage crates 24 fully equipped with beverage containers 16 are moved further in the conveying direction 18, the centering frames 36 still being in the lowered contact position on the crates 24.
  • the final process phase in which the centering device 32 is raised and the centering frames 36 are lifted out of the fully equipped boxes 24, is again not shown (see here Figure 3E ).
  • the total of three schematic side views of the Figures 5A to 5C illustrate successive process phases of a third embodiment variant of the centering device 32 or a third method variant when using the centering device 32 when equipping outer packaging 22 or beverage crates 24 with articles 14 or beverage containers 16.
  • the centering device 32 is controlled in the same way as in the first variant 3A to 3E in such a way that the centering elements 34 formed by the centering frames 36 can each be adjusted separately in the horizontal direction, the conveying direction 18 in accordance with these process phases Figure 5A , Figure 5B and Figure 5C again points from right to left.
  • the centering device 32 is adjusted centrally in height and can be adjusted via the in FIG Figure 2A Portal robot 40 shown raised and be lowered.
  • the centering frames 36 which can be adjusted separately in the horizontal direction, enable the beverage crates 24 to be spaced apart from one another as soon as the centering frames 36 are positioned and lowered there, which is what Figure 5C vividly shows.
  • the Figure 5A illustrates the common approach and positioning of the centering frames 36 above the beverage crates 24 to be assigned to them, whereby they are positioned exactly above the crates 24 transported one behind the other without gaps by means of horizontal alignment 52 and moved together with the crates 24 in the conveying direction 18 by means of a correspondingly synchronized movement become.
  • the Figure 5B shows the centering frames 36 lowered into the boxes 24. Also in these process phases, the centering device 32 together with the centering frame 36 is moved further in the conveying direction 18 with the boxes 24.
  • the Figure 5C illustrates a phase in which the adjacent boxes 24, into each of which the centering frames 36 are lowered, were deliberately spaced from one another, which can be particularly advantageous for the subsequent positioning of the manipulator's gripper heads if, for example, due to their lateral expansion, there is more spacing from one another need than in the case of boxes 24 which are moved directly next to one another Figure 5B it is possible.
  • the beverage crates 24 to be equipped with beverage containers can have definable distances 54 from one another, these distances 54 being variable due to the adjustable horizontal orientations 50 of the centering frame 36.
  • the actual assembly process is with the Figures 5A to 5C Not shown; about this is about Figure 3C referred.
  • the Figure 5C shows a phase of the process in which the beverage crates 24 still to be loaded or already finished with beverage containers 16 are moved further apart from one another in the conveying direction 18 at set distances 54, the centering frames 36 each being in the lowered contact position on the crates 24.
  • the final process phase in which the centering device 32 is raised and the centering frames 36 are lifted out of the fully equipped boxes 24, is again not shown (see here Figure 3E ).
  • FIG. 6 The schematic front view of the Fig. 6 clarifies one to that in Figure 2A
  • Variant shown alternative embodiment variant of the suspension and control of the centering device 32 which is not suspended here on a portal robot 40, but comprises a simple frame 56 which can be displaceable in a bottom rail 58 parallel to the horizontal conveyor device 42 of the second conveyor section 20.
  • the frame 56 together with the centering frame 36 suspended thereon and vertically movable on the frame 56 can be moved along the conveyor path 20 in the conveying direction 18 or counter to the conveying direction 18.
  • This variant can be compared to that in Figure 2A shown variant to be constructed more simply, since the portal robot 40 is dispensed with for the movements of the centering device 32.
  • the rest of the structure of the handling and / or packaging device 10 does not differ from that in FIG Figure 2A shown variant.
  • a further movement component of the centering frame 36 transversely to the conveying direction 18 can additionally be made possible, which can compensate for misalignment and lateral offset of the outer packaging 22 or beverage crates 24.
  • outer packaging 22 or boxes 24, which are not exactly aligned in the conveying direction 18, can nevertheless be easily equipped with correspondingly laterally displaced centering elements 34 or centering frame 36, and it can additionally be provided that the lowered centering frame 36 aligns the boxes 24 exactly can bring to each other by moving them in the horizontal direction transversely to the conveying direction 18 until all boxes 24 or outer packaging 22 in contact with the centering device 32 are in alignment with one another.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Container Filling Or Packaging Operations (AREA)
  • Specific Conveyance Elements (AREA)
EP19207475.5A 2018-12-14 2019-11-06 Dispositif de manipulation et/ou d'emballage et procédé d'emballage des groupes d'articles Pending EP3686113A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE102018132329.8A DE102018132329A1 (de) 2018-12-14 2018-12-14 Handhabungs- und/oder Verpackungsvorrichtung und Verfahren zur Umverpackung von Artikelgruppen

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Publication Number Publication Date
EP3686113A1 true EP3686113A1 (fr) 2020-07-29

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EP19207475.5A Pending EP3686113A1 (fr) 2018-12-14 2019-11-06 Dispositif de manipulation et/ou d'emballage et procédé d'emballage des groupes d'articles

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Country Link
US (1) US11530060B2 (fr)
EP (1) EP3686113A1 (fr)
CN (1) CN211642704U (fr)
AR (1) AR117048A1 (fr)
DE (1) DE102018132329A1 (fr)

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WO2023117563A1 (fr) * 2021-12-22 2023-06-29 Krones Aktiengesellschaft Dispositif d'emballage et procédé d'emballage pour transférer des articles dans des suremballages

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WO2018144552A1 (fr) * 2017-02-01 2018-08-09 Westrock Packaging Systems, Llc Appareil, système et procédé d'orientation d'articles
CN112520139B (zh) * 2020-12-16 2022-09-27 武汉工程大学 一种化妆品打包流水线系统

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CN211642704U (zh) 2020-10-09
US20200189776A1 (en) 2020-06-18
AR117048A1 (es) 2021-07-07
US11530060B2 (en) 2022-12-20
DE102018132329A1 (de) 2020-06-18

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