GB2584375A - High density container gripping system and method - Google Patents

High density container gripping system and method Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2584375A
GB2584375A GB2013582.8A GB202013582A GB2584375A GB 2584375 A GB2584375 A GB 2584375A GB 202013582 A GB202013582 A GB 202013582A GB 2584375 A GB2584375 A GB 2584375A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
totes
fingers
end effector
stack
automated
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.)
Granted
Application number
GB2013582.8A
Other versions
GB2584375B (en
GB202013582D0 (en
Inventor
La Rovere Stefano
Kol Tolga
Voilis Athanasios
Saltis Vidmantas
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.)
Amazon Technologies Inc
Original Assignee
Amazon Technologies Inc
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
Priority claimed from US15/887,625 external-priority patent/US10300610B1/en
Priority claimed from US15/887,473 external-priority patent/US11161691B2/en
Application filed by Amazon Technologies Inc filed Critical Amazon Technologies Inc
Publication of GB202013582D0 publication Critical patent/GB202013582D0/en
Publication of GB2584375A publication Critical patent/GB2584375A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2584375B publication Critical patent/GB2584375B/en
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
    • B65G47/74—Feeding, transfer, or discharging devices of particular kinds or types
    • B65G47/90—Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G1/00—Storing articles, individually or in orderly arrangement, in warehouses or magazines
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G61/00—Use of pick-up or transfer devices or of manipulators for stacking or de-stacking articles not otherwise provided for
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G65/00—Loading or unloading
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G1/00—Storing articles, individually or in orderly arrangement, in warehouses or magazines
    • B65G1/02—Storage devices
    • B65G1/04—Storage devices mechanical
    • B65G1/137—Storage devices mechanical with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
    • B65G1/1373—Storage devices mechanical with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed for fulfilling orders in warehouses
    • B65G1/1378—Storage devices mechanical with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed for fulfilling orders in warehouses the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
    • B65G47/74—Feeding, transfer, or discharging devices of particular kinds or types
    • B65G47/90—Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials
    • B65G47/907—Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials with at least two picking-up heads
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G57/00—Stacking of articles

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Manipulator (AREA)

Abstract

A system and method for automated palletization of totes and cuboid containers includes an end effector having fingers projecting outwardly. The fingers may engage recesses in the totes. Alternatively, actuators on fixed fingers can move gripping surfaces into engagement with the totes or containers. Or actuators on a body of the end effector can move the fingers, which include gripping surfaces.

Claims (15)

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. An automated tote palletizing system comprising: an end effector including: a structural, vertical body including a mount for connecting to an automated arm; multiple pairs of fingers extending from lateral sides of the body in a forward direction, each pair of fingers being mutually parallel in a horizontal plane, and mutually, laterally spaced apart; and plural totes arranged in a vertical stack, each one of the totes having: a pair of opposing sidewalls, a flange extending outwardly from a top of each sidewall, and a lip extending downwardly from each flange, thereby forming an elongate recess beneath each flange between the sidewall and the lip; each pair of fingers being engaged with the recesses of a corresponding one of totes to enable lifting the totes; whereby the end effector and totes are configured such that lifting the end effector lifts the fingers and thereby lifts the stack of totes for placing on a pallet.
2. The automated tote palletizing system of claim 1 wherein each tote in the stack is in mutual contact with adjacent totes in the stack.
3. The automated tote palletizing system of claim 1 wherein the vertical body is rigid, and the fingers are rigidly attached to the end effector body.
4. The automated tote palletizing system of claim 1 wherein each finger is blade-like and has an upper edge that is located in the recess and in contact with the tote, and the tote includes gussets in the recess between the wall and the lip, whereby the gussets rest on the upper edge of the finger during lifting of the totes.
5. The automated tote palletizing system of claim 1 wherein each finger includes an upright prong at a distal end of the finger, the upright prong being inserted into the recess.
6. The automated tote palletizing system of claim 1 further comprising a frame including: a pair of opposing side structures adapted for receiving the totes in a stack, the side structures being vertical and spaced apart to promote vertical alignment of the totes; and an open first side and an open second side that is opposite the first side, wherein the first side is adapted for receiving the stack of totes therethrough into the space between the side structures and the second side is adapted for removing the stack of totes therethrough via the end effector.
7. A method of moving totes in a column, comprising the steps of: (i) stacking multiple totes in a stack, each one of the totes having a recess; (ii) engaging the totes with an end effector by moving the end effector to position fingers of the end effector into the recesses of the totes; (iii) moving the stack of totes after the engaging step by moving the end effector.
8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of placing a first stack of totes onto a pallet; then repeating steps (i), (ii), and (iii); and then placing a second stack onto the pallet in close proximity to the first stack.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the engaging step (ii) includes: engaging the totes with multiple pairs of fingers of the end effector, wherein, the end effector includes a structural, vertical body including a mount for connecting to an automated arm, the multiple pairs of fingers extend from lateral sides of the body in a forward direction, each pair of fingers being mutually parallel in a horizontal plane, and mutually, laterally spaced apart, and the totes include: a pair of opposing sidewalls, a flange extending outwardly from a top of each sidewall, and a lip extending downwardly from each flange, thereby forming the recess beneath each flange between the sidewall and the lip; and inserting a distal upright prong extending from the finger into the recess.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein: the stacking step (i) includes: placing the totes between a pair of opposing side structures of a frame; employing the side structures to promote vertical alignment of the totes; and feeding totes into a first open end of the frame; and the moving step (iii) includes removing the stack of totes from an opposing second end open end of the frame.
11. An automated container palletizing system comprising: an end effector including: a structural, vertical body including a mount for connecting to an automated arm; multiple pairs of fingers extending from lateral sides of the body in a forward direction, each pair of fingers being mutually parallel, horizontal, and mutually, laterally spaced apart; and gripping surfaces operatively coupled to the fingers for engaging the containers; a pair of opposing actuators for moving the gripping surfaces into and out of engagement with containers; whereby the end effector is configured to be moved into a ready position in which the fingers are astride the containers such that the actuators are in position to enable the gripping surfaces to engage the containers.
12. The automated container palletizing system of claim 11 wherein the fingers are fixed relative to the end effector body, and the actuators extend inwardly from inboard surfaces of the fingers and are configured to move the gripping surfaces inwardly to engage the sidewalls of the containers.
13. The automated container palletizing system of claim 12 wherein the gripping surfaces are on distal ends of the actuators.
14. The automated container palletizing system of claim 11 wherein the fingers are moveably coupled to the end effector body, and the actuators are coupled to the end effector body and configured to move the fingers into and out of engagement with the containers.
15. The automated container palletizing system of claim 14 wherein the inboard surfaces of the fingers include the gripping surfaces.
GB2013582.8A 2018-02-02 2019-02-01 High density container gripping system and method Active GB2584375B (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US15/887,625 US10300610B1 (en) 2018-02-02 2018-02-02 High density container gripping system and method
US15/887,473 US11161691B2 (en) 2018-02-02 2018-02-02 Container palletizing system
PCT/US2019/016384 WO2019152861A1 (en) 2018-02-02 2019-02-01 High density container gripping system and method

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB202013582D0 GB202013582D0 (en) 2020-10-14
GB2584375A true GB2584375A (en) 2020-12-02
GB2584375B GB2584375B (en) 2023-03-15

Family

ID=65494536

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB2013582.8A Active GB2584375B (en) 2018-02-02 2019-02-01 High density container gripping system and method

Country Status (3)

Country Link
DE (1) DE112019000646B4 (en)
GB (1) GB2584375B (en)
WO (1) WO2019152861A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
AT524051B1 (en) * 2020-12-17 2022-02-15 Peter Entenfellner Dr Device for shifting transport containers between a stack of containers and a container rack
CN115180393A (en) * 2022-07-16 2022-10-14 红云红河烟草(集团)有限责任公司 Turnover machine for scheduling of tobacco production workshop

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20050220600A1 (en) * 2002-05-13 2005-10-06 Bakvertisi Limited Apparatus for transporting containers
WO2013064795A2 (en) * 2011-11-04 2013-05-10 Loadhog Limited Load handling assembly and method
WO2017027751A1 (en) * 2015-08-12 2017-02-16 Amazon Technologies, Inc. Automated materials handling facility

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102017110988B3 (en) 2017-05-19 2018-08-09 H2 Innovation Gmbh Stackable container system
US20190135601A1 (en) 2017-10-02 2019-05-09 Rehrig Pacific Company Tray lift system
CN112678391A (en) 2020-12-24 2021-04-20 深圳市海柔创新科技有限公司 Cargo handling control method, control device, cargo handling device and warehousing system

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20050220600A1 (en) * 2002-05-13 2005-10-06 Bakvertisi Limited Apparatus for transporting containers
WO2013064795A2 (en) * 2011-11-04 2013-05-10 Loadhog Limited Load handling assembly and method
WO2017027751A1 (en) * 2015-08-12 2017-02-16 Amazon Technologies, Inc. Automated materials handling facility

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE112019000646T5 (en) 2020-10-15
GB2584375B (en) 2023-03-15
GB202013582D0 (en) 2020-10-14
DE112019000646B4 (en) 2023-11-09
WO2019152861A1 (en) 2019-08-08

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