US20200122869A1 - Method and System For Packaging A Container - Google Patents
Method and System For Packaging A Container Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20200122869A1 US20200122869A1 US16/720,539 US201916720539A US2020122869A1 US 20200122869 A1 US20200122869 A1 US 20200122869A1 US 201916720539 A US201916720539 A US 201916720539A US 2020122869 A1 US2020122869 A1 US 2020122869A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- container
- product
- side panel
- flaps
- height
- 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.)
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- 238000004806 packaging method and process Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 17
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title description 10
- 239000012636 effector Substances 0.000 claims description 17
- 238000011144 upstream manufacturing Methods 0.000 claims description 4
- 238000003780 insertion Methods 0.000 description 4
- 230000037431 insertion Effects 0.000 description 4
- 239000000853 adhesive Substances 0.000 description 3
- 230000001070 adhesive effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 description 3
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000004021 metal welding Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000004023 plastic welding Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000003247 decreasing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000006073 displacement reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012423 maintenance Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000007769 metal material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000012858 packaging process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000000149 penetrating effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000004080 punching Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
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
- B65B35/00—Supplying, feeding, arranging or orientating articles to be packaged
- B65B35/10—Feeding, e.g. conveying, single articles
- B65B35/16—Feeding, e.g. conveying, single articles by grippers
- B65B35/18—Feeding, e.g. conveying, single articles by grippers by suction-operated 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
- 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
- B65B5/04—Packaging single articles
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D5/00—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper
- B65D5/02—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper by folding or erecting a single blank to form a tubular body with or without subsequent folding operations, or the addition of separate elements, to close the ends of the body
-
- 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
- B65B35/10—Feeding, e.g. conveying, single articles
- B65B35/24—Feeding, e.g. conveying, single articles by endless belts or chains
Definitions
- the invention relates to a method for packaging a container and, more particularly, to a method for packaging a container using a robotic arm.
- the known systems commonly include a robotic arm and a vision device.
- the robotic arm has an end effector, such as fingers or a suction device, directly interfacing with the product and used to secure the product to the robotic arm in a fixed orientation.
- the robotic arm moves the product to the container under the guidance of the vision device.
- FIG. 1 A known container 10 according to the prior art used in such a packaging system is shown in FIG. 1 .
- the known container 10 has a plurality of side panels 12 and a plurality of top flaps 14 defining a product receiving space 16 .
- Each top flap 14 extends from one side panel 12 to a same height H P in a height direction H.
- the known container 10 is commonly sized to closely fit a product in the product receiving space 16 , avoiding movement of the product within the known container 10 during transport.
- the robotic arm moves the product toward the product receiving space 16 in the height direction H, the product frequently contacts a top edge of the top flaps 14 due to the close relative sizes of the product and the product receiving space 16 .
- Contact with the top edge of the top flaps 14 during insertion requires stopping the packaging process and manually correcting the relative orientation of the product and the known container 10 , decreasing manufacturing efficiency.
- a container for packaging a product is provided with a plurality of side panels, a plurality of first top flaps, and a plurality of second top flaps.
- the plurality of side panels includes a first side panel, a second side panel, a third side panel, and a fourth side panel.
- the plurality of first top flaps one first top flap extending from a top side of each of the first side panel and the second side panel to a first height.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a known container according to the prior art
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a container according to the invention.
- FIG. 3 is a plan view of a blank of the container of FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a system according to the invention.
- FIG. 5A is a perspective view of a first step of a method of packaging the container of FIG. 2 using the system of FIG. 4 ;
- FIG. 5B is a perspective view of a second step of the method of packaging the container of FIG. 2 using the system of FIG. 4 ;
- FIG. 5C is a perspective view of a third step of the method of packaging the container of FIG. 2 using the system of FIG. 4 ;
- FIG. 5D is a perspective view of a fourth step of the method of packaging the container of FIG. 2 using the system of FIG. 4 ;
- FIG. 5E is a perspective view of a fifth step of the method of packaging the container of FIG. 2 using the system of FIG. 4 ;
- FIG. 5F is a perspective view of a sixth step of the method of packaging the container of FIG. 2 using the system of FIG. 4 .
- FIGS. 2 and 3 A container 100 according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 .
- the container 100 generally includes a plurality of side panels 110 , a plurality of first top flaps 120 , a plurality of second top flaps 130 , a plurality of bottom flaps 140 , and an attachment tab 150 .
- a blank of the container 100 is shown in FIG. 3 .
- the container 100 is monolithically formed by stamping or punching a sheet of material into the shape of the blank.
- the container 100 is formed from a corrugated cardboard material.
- the container 100 can be formed from any flexible material capable of being formed in a blank and assembled as described below, such as a paper, plastic, or metal material.
- the plurality of side panels 110 extend from a first end 102 of the blank of the container 100 to a second end 104 of the blank of the container 100 in a longitudinal direction L.
- Each of the side panels 110 has a rectangular shape; as would be understood by one with ordinary skill in the art, the relative dimensions of the rectangular shape will vary based on the packaging application of the container 100 .
- Each of the side panels 110 has a first end 112 , a second end 114 opposite to the first end 112 in the longitudinal direction L, a top side 116 , and a bottom side 118 opposite to the top side 116 in a height direction H perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L.
- the plurality of side panels 110 include four side panels 110 : a first side panel 110 a , a second side panel 110 b , a third side panel 110 c , and a fourth side panel 110 d .
- the number of side panels 110 may vary based on the packaging application of the container 100 .
- the first end 112 a of the first side panel 110 a forms the first end 102 of the blank of the container 100 .
- the second end 114 a of the first side panel 110 a is connected to the first end 112 b of the second side panel 110 b .
- the second end 114 b of the second side panel 110 b is connected to the first end 112 c of the third side panel 110 c .
- the second end 114 c of the third side panel 110 c is connected to the first end 112 d of the fourth side panel 110 d .
- the second end 114 d of the fourth side panel 110 d forms the second end 104 of the blank of the container 100 .
- the first top flaps 120 and the second top flaps 130 are connected to the top sides 116 of the side panels 110 .
- the first top flaps 120 are adjacent to one another in the blank of the container 100 and the second top flaps 130 are adjacent to one another in the blank of the container 100 , as shown in FIG. 3 .
- one first top flap 120 is connected to the top side 116 a of the first side panel 110 a and another first top flap 120 is connected to the top side 116 b of the second side panel 110 b .
- the first top flaps 120 extend from the top sides 116 a , 116 b of the first and second side panels 110 a , 110 b to a height H 1 in a height direction H of the container 100 .
- the height H 1 is less than the height H P of the prior art top flap 14 shown in FIG. 1 .
- one second top flap 130 is connected to the top side 116 c of the third side panel 110 c and another second top flap 130 is connected to the top side 116 d of the fourth side panel 110 d .
- the second top flaps 130 extend from the top sides 116 c , 116 d of the third and fourth side panels 110 c , 110 d to a height H 2 in the height direction H.
- the height H 2 is greater than the height H 1 of the first top flaps 120 and greater than the height H P of the prior art top flap 14 shown in FIG. 1 .
- the bottom flaps 140 are connected to the bottom sides 118 of the side panels 110 .
- One bottom flap 140 is connected to the bottom side 118 of each of the side panels 110 and extends away from the side panel 110 counter to the height direction H.
- the attachment tab 150 is attached to the second end 104 of the side panels 110 , also the second end 114 d of the fourth side panel 110 d , and extends away from the side panels 110 in the longitudinal direction L.
- the attachment tab 150 is formed in a trapezoidal shape.
- the attachment tab 150 may be any shape known to those with ordinary skill in the art and capable of performing an attachment to assemble the container 100 as described below.
- the blank of the container 100 shown in FIG. 3 is folded and attached to form the fully assembled container 100 shown in FIG. 2 .
- the first side panel 110 a is folded along the second end 114 a to be perpendicular to the second side panel 110 b
- the second side panel 110 b is folded along the second end 114 b to be perpendicular to the third side panel 110 c
- the third side panel 110 c is folded along the second end 114 c to be perpendicular to the fourth side panel 110 d
- the attachment tab 150 is folded along the second end 104 to be perpendicular to the fourth side panel 110 d and is attached to a surface of the first side panel 110 a .
- the attachment tab 150 is attached to the first side panel 110 a by a tape, a liquid adhesive, plastic welding, metal welding, or any other form of attachment known to those with ordinary skill in the art.
- the bottom flaps 140 are folded along the bottom sides 118 to be perpendicular to the side panels 110 .
- the bottom flaps 140 are attached to one another or to the side panels 110 by a tape, a liquid adhesive, plastic welding, metal welding, or any other form of attachment known to those with ordinary skill in the art.
- the assembled container 100 forms a cuboid shape and has a product receiving space 160 defined by the side panels 110 and the bottom flaps 140 .
- the second top flaps 130 extend from the side panels 110 to the height H 2 greater than the height H 1 of the first top flaps 120 and are adjacent one another; each second top flap 130 is opposite one first top flap 120 and each first top flap 120 is opposite one second top flap 130 in the assembled container 100 .
- the first top flaps 120 and second top flaps 130 define a passageway extending from an exterior of the container 100 into the product receiving space 160 .
- FIG. 4 A system 200 according to the invention for packaging the container 100 is shown in FIG. 4 .
- the system 200 includes a robot arm 210 with an end effector 212 , a vision device 220 , a conveyor belt 230 , and a roller track 240 .
- the conveyor belt 230 extends parallel to the roller track 240 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5A-5F .
- the conveyer belt 230 may be any type of powered belt known to those with ordinary skill in the art capable of being driven in a loop and moving an item placed on the belt along a length of the belt.
- the roller track 240 as shown in FIGS. 5A-5F , has rollers 242 defining a receiving space for the container 100 ; the container 100 is movable along a length of the roller track 240 .
- the robot arm 210 and vision device 220 are positioned above the parallel conveyer belt 230 and roller track 240 .
- the robot arm 210 is movable along all three axes of a three-dimensional coordinate system.
- the end effector 212 is fixed to an end of the robot arm 210 and is capable of directly interfacing with a product P.
- the end effector 210 is used to secure the product P to the robot arm 210 in a fixed orientation; the end effector 212 of the embodiment is not capable of tilting product P.
- the end effector 212 is a suction end effector.
- the end effector 212 could alternatively be fingers grasping the product P, pins penetrating the product P, a magnet forming an electromagnetic connection with the product P, a device attaching to the product P by adhesion, or any other type of end effector known to those with ordinary skill in the art.
- the robot arm 210 and end effector 212 operate under guidance of the vision device 220 , and in the shown embodiment, the vision device 220 is a camera. In other embodiments, the vision device 220 may be a laser displacement sensor or any other type of vision device used in the guidance of robot arms and known to those with ordinary skill in the art.
- FIGS. 5A-5F A method of using the system 200 to package the container 100 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 5A-5F .
- the product P has dimensions closely matching the dimensions of the product receiving space 160 .
- the product P moves along the conveyer belt 230 in a movement direction M and the container 100 moves along the roller track 240 in the movement direction M.
- the container 100 is positioned on the roller track 240 such that, in a depth direction D perpendicular to the height direction H and the movement direction M, one of the first top flaps 120 is positioned closer to the product P on the conveyer belt 230 than the opposite second top flap 130 .
- the second side panel 110 b is positioned adjacent to the product P on the conveyer belt 230 in the depth direction D
- the fourth side panel 110 d is positioned further from the product P than the second side panel 110 b in the depth direction D
- the first side panel 110 a is positioned downstream in the movement direction M
- the third side panel 110 c is positioned upstream in the movement direction M; in this orientation shown in FIGS. 5A-5F , the higher second top flaps 130 are thus positioned further from the product P in the depth direction D and upstream of the product P in the movement direction M.
- the first step is shown in FIG. 5A .
- the vision device 220 detects the product P on the conveyer belt 230 .
- the robot arm 210 is controlled to move to the product P and attach to the product P at the end effector 212 .
- the robot arm 210 moves the product P toward the container 100 to an initial position with respect to the container 100 .
- the robot arm 210 positions the product P over the container 100 in the initial position as shown in FIG. 5B : in the height direction H, a bottom of the product P is positioned lower than the height H 2 and higher than the height H 1 ; in the movement direction M, the product P is positioned spaced apart from the second top flap 130 attached to the third side panel 110 c upstream in the movement direction M and over the first top flap 120 attached to the first side panel 110 a downstream in the movement direction M; and in the depth direction D, the product P is positioned spaced apart from the second top flap 130 attached to the fourth side panel 110 d and over the first top flap 120 attached to the second side panel 110 b . In the initial position, the product P is thus positioned lower than and spaced apart from each of the second top flaps 130 and higher than and over each of the first top flaps 120 .
- the robot arm 210 moves the product P in an adjustment direction A from the initial position to a first deflected position.
- the adjustment direction A is in a plane defined by the depth direction D and the movement direction M; the adjustment direction A is purely lateral and does not have a component in the height direction H.
- the product P is moved in the adjustment direction A until it reaches the first deflected position shown in FIG. 5C in which the product P abuts both second top flaps 130 and is no longer positioned over either of the first top flaps 120 . Due to the purely lateral movement of the adjustment direction A, the bottom of the product P is still positioned lower than the height H 2 and higher than the height H 1 in the first deflected position.
- the robot arm 210 moves the product P in an insertion direction I parallel to the height direction H from the first deflected position to a second deflected position.
- the product P is moved in the insertion direction I while remaining in abutment with both of the second top flaps 130 until it reaches the second deflected position shown in FIG. 5D .
- the bottom of the product P is positioned lower than both the height H 2 of the second top flaps 130 and the height H 1 of the first top flaps 120 .
- the robot arm 210 moves the product P in a counter adjustment direction A′, opposite to the adjustment direction A, from the second deflected position to an undeflected position.
- the counter adjustment direction A′ is in a plane defined by the depth direction D and the movement direction M; the counter adjustment direction A′ is purely lateral and does not have a component in the height direction H.
- the product P is moved in the counter adjustment direction A′ until it reaches the undeflected position shown in FIG. 5E in which the product P is centered over the product receiving space 160 within the first top flaps 120 and second top flaps 130 .
- the product P is positioned lower than both the height H 2 of the second top flaps 130 and the height H 1 of the first top flaps 120 and is equidistant from the first top flaps 120 and second top flaps 130 in the plane defined by the depth direction D and the movement direction M.
- the robot arm 210 moves the product P in the insertion direction I from the undeflected position to a fully inserted position.
- the product P In the fully inserted position, the product P is fully inserted into and contained within the product receiving space 160 and abuts the bottom flaps 140 .
- the end effector 212 holds the product P in a fixed orientation with respect to the package container 100 and does not tilt or rotate the product P.
- the first top flaps 120 and second top flaps 130 can then be folded and attached to one another by a tape, a liquid adhesive, plastic welding, metal welding, or any other form of attachment known to those with ordinary skill in the art to enclose the product P within the container 100 .
- the container 100 is oriented so long as the robot 210 is told what the orientation of the container 100 is. This could be a fixed orientation or it could be variable with some means (i.e., a sensor) of detecting the container 100 orientation and reporting to the robot 210 .
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- Supplying Of Containers To The Packaging Station (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/804,582 filed on Nov. 6, 2017, claiming the benefit of the filing date under 35 U.S.C. § 120.
- The invention relates to a method for packaging a container and, more particularly, to a method for packaging a container using a robotic arm.
- Systems used to automatically package a product into a container are known in the art. The known systems commonly include a robotic arm and a vision device. The robotic arm has an end effector, such as fingers or a suction device, directly interfacing with the product and used to secure the product to the robotic arm in a fixed orientation. The robotic arm moves the product to the container under the guidance of the vision device.
- A known
container 10 according to the prior art used in such a packaging system is shown inFIG. 1 . The knowncontainer 10 has a plurality ofside panels 12 and a plurality oftop flaps 14 defining aproduct receiving space 16. Eachtop flap 14 extends from oneside panel 12 to a same height HP in a height direction H. - The known
container 10 is commonly sized to closely fit a product in theproduct receiving space 16, avoiding movement of the product within the knowncontainer 10 during transport. However, when the robotic arm moves the product toward theproduct receiving space 16 in the height direction H, the product frequently contacts a top edge of thetop flaps 14 due to the close relative sizes of the product and theproduct receiving space 16. Contact with the top edge of thetop flaps 14 during insertion requires stopping the packaging process and manually correcting the relative orientation of the product and the knowncontainer 10, decreasing manufacturing efficiency. - To address the problem of the product contacting the
top flaps 14, complex end effectors of robot arms have been developed capable of tilting the held product in addition to moving the product in a fixed horizontal orientation in a three-dimensional coordinate system. The robotic arm moves the product toward theproduct receiving space 16 in a tilted orientation, lowers the product into theproduct receiving space 16, then returns the product to the horizontal orientation. These complex end effectors, however, are substantially more expensive than end effectors that are only capable of moving the product in a fixed orientation, requiring additional parts and maintenance costs. - A container for packaging a product is provided with a plurality of side panels, a plurality of first top flaps, and a plurality of second top flaps. The plurality of side panels includes a first side panel, a second side panel, a third side panel, and a fourth side panel. The plurality of first top flaps, one first top flap extending from a top side of each of the first side panel and the second side panel to a first height. The plurality of second top flaps, one second top flap extending from a top side of each of the third side panel and the fourth side panel to a second height greater than the first height.
- The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures, of which:
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a known container according to the prior art; -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a container according to the invention; -
FIG. 3 is a plan view of a blank of the container ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a system according to the invention; -
FIG. 5A is a perspective view of a first step of a method of packaging the container ofFIG. 2 using the system ofFIG. 4 ; -
FIG. 5B is a perspective view of a second step of the method of packaging the container ofFIG. 2 using the system ofFIG. 4 ; -
FIG. 5C is a perspective view of a third step of the method of packaging the container ofFIG. 2 using the system ofFIG. 4 ; -
FIG. 5D is a perspective view of a fourth step of the method of packaging the container ofFIG. 2 using the system ofFIG. 4 ; -
FIG. 5E is a perspective view of a fifth step of the method of packaging the container ofFIG. 2 using the system ofFIG. 4 ; and -
FIG. 5F is a perspective view of a sixth step of the method of packaging the container ofFIG. 2 using the system ofFIG. 4 . - Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinafter in detail with reference to the attached drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.
- A
container 100 according to the invention is shown inFIGS. 2 and 3 . Thecontainer 100 generally includes a plurality of side panels 110, a plurality of firsttop flaps 120, a plurality of secondtop flaps 130, a plurality ofbottom flaps 140, and anattachment tab 150. - A blank of the
container 100 is shown inFIG. 3 . Thecontainer 100 is monolithically formed by stamping or punching a sheet of material into the shape of the blank. In an embodiment, thecontainer 100 is formed from a corrugated cardboard material. In other embodiments, thecontainer 100 can be formed from any flexible material capable of being formed in a blank and assembled as described below, such as a paper, plastic, or metal material. - The plurality of side panels 110, as shown in
FIG. 3 , extend from a first end 102 of the blank of thecontainer 100 to a second end 104 of the blank of thecontainer 100 in a longitudinal direction L. Each of the side panels 110 has a rectangular shape; as would be understood by one with ordinary skill in the art, the relative dimensions of the rectangular shape will vary based on the packaging application of thecontainer 100. Each of the side panels 110 has a first end 112, a second end 114 opposite to the first end 112 in the longitudinal direction L, a top side 116, and a bottom side 118 opposite to the top side 116 in a height direction H perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L. - In the embodiment shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3 , the plurality of side panels 110 include four side panels 110: afirst side panel 110 a, asecond side panel 110 b, athird side panel 110 c, and afourth side panel 110 d. In other embodiments, the number of side panels 110 may vary based on the packaging application of thecontainer 100. As shown inFIG. 3 , the first end 112 a of thefirst side panel 110 a forms the first end 102 of the blank of thecontainer 100. Thesecond end 114 a of thefirst side panel 110 a is connected to thefirst end 112 b of thesecond side panel 110 b. Thesecond end 114 b of thesecond side panel 110 b is connected to thefirst end 112 c of thethird side panel 110 c. Thesecond end 114 c of thethird side panel 110 c is connected to thefirst end 112 d of thefourth side panel 110 d. The second end 114 d of thefourth side panel 110 d forms the second end 104 of the blank of thecontainer 100. - The first
top flaps 120 and thesecond top flaps 130, as shown inFIGS. 2 and 3 , are connected to the top sides 116 of the side panels 110. The firsttop flaps 120 are adjacent to one another in the blank of thecontainer 100 and thesecond top flaps 130 are adjacent to one another in the blank of thecontainer 100, as shown inFIG. 3 . - As shown in
FIG. 3 , one firsttop flap 120 is connected to thetop side 116 a of thefirst side panel 110 a and another firsttop flap 120 is connected to thetop side 116 b of thesecond side panel 110 b. The firsttop flaps 120 extend from thetop sides second side panels container 100. The height H1 is less than the height HP of the priorart top flap 14 shown inFIG. 1 . - As shown in
FIG. 3 , one secondtop flap 130 is connected to thetop side 116 c of thethird side panel 110 c and another secondtop flap 130 is connected to thetop side 116 d of thefourth side panel 110 d. The secondtop flaps 130 extend from thetop sides fourth side panels top flaps 120 and greater than the height HP of the priorart top flap 14 shown inFIG. 1 . - The bottom flaps 140, as shown in
FIG. 3 , are connected to the bottom sides 118 of the side panels 110. Onebottom flap 140 is connected to the bottom side 118 of each of the side panels 110 and extends away from the side panel 110 counter to the height direction H. - The
attachment tab 150 is attached to the second end 104 of the side panels 110, also the second end 114 d of thefourth side panel 110 d, and extends away from the side panels 110 in the longitudinal direction L. In the shown embodiment, theattachment tab 150 is formed in a trapezoidal shape. In other embodiments, theattachment tab 150 may be any shape known to those with ordinary skill in the art and capable of performing an attachment to assemble thecontainer 100 as described below. - The blank of the
container 100 shown inFIG. 3 is folded and attached to form the fully assembledcontainer 100 shown inFIG. 2 . - The
first side panel 110 a is folded along thesecond end 114 a to be perpendicular to thesecond side panel 110 b, thesecond side panel 110 b is folded along thesecond end 114 b to be perpendicular to thethird side panel 110 c, and thethird side panel 110 c is folded along thesecond end 114 c to be perpendicular to thefourth side panel 110 d. Theattachment tab 150 is folded along the second end 104 to be perpendicular to thefourth side panel 110 d and is attached to a surface of thefirst side panel 110 a. Theattachment tab 150 is attached to thefirst side panel 110 a by a tape, a liquid adhesive, plastic welding, metal welding, or any other form of attachment known to those with ordinary skill in the art. - The bottom flaps 140 are folded along the bottom sides 118 to be perpendicular to the side panels 110. The bottom flaps 140 are attached to one another or to the side panels 110 by a tape, a liquid adhesive, plastic welding, metal welding, or any other form of attachment known to those with ordinary skill in the art.
- The assembled
container 100, as shown inFIG. 2 , forms a cuboid shape and has aproduct receiving space 160 defined by the side panels 110 and the bottom flaps 140. In the assembledcontainer 100, the secondtop flaps 130 extend from the side panels 110 to the height H2 greater than the height H1 of the firsttop flaps 120 and are adjacent one another; each secondtop flap 130 is opposite one firsttop flap 120 and each firsttop flap 120 is opposite one secondtop flap 130 in the assembledcontainer 100. The firsttop flaps 120 and secondtop flaps 130 define a passageway extending from an exterior of thecontainer 100 into theproduct receiving space 160. - A
system 200 according to the invention for packaging thecontainer 100 is shown inFIG. 4 . Thesystem 200 includes arobot arm 210 with anend effector 212, avision device 220, aconveyor belt 230, and aroller track 240. - The
conveyor belt 230 extends parallel to theroller track 240 as shown inFIGS. 4 and 5A-5F . Theconveyer belt 230 may be any type of powered belt known to those with ordinary skill in the art capable of being driven in a loop and moving an item placed on the belt along a length of the belt. Theroller track 240, as shown inFIGS. 5A-5F , hasrollers 242 defining a receiving space for thecontainer 100; thecontainer 100 is movable along a length of theroller track 240. - The
robot arm 210 andvision device 220, as shown inFIGS. 4 and 5A-5F , are positioned above theparallel conveyer belt 230 androller track 240. Therobot arm 210 is movable along all three axes of a three-dimensional coordinate system. Theend effector 212 is fixed to an end of therobot arm 210 and is capable of directly interfacing with a product P. Theend effector 210 is used to secure the product P to therobot arm 210 in a fixed orientation; theend effector 212 of the embodiment is not capable of tilting product P. In the shown embodiment, theend effector 212 is a suction end effector. Theend effector 212 could alternatively be fingers grasping the product P, pins penetrating the product P, a magnet forming an electromagnetic connection with the product P, a device attaching to the product P by adhesion, or any other type of end effector known to those with ordinary skill in the art. - The
robot arm 210 andend effector 212 operate under guidance of thevision device 220, and in the shown embodiment, thevision device 220 is a camera. In other embodiments, thevision device 220 may be a laser displacement sensor or any other type of vision device used in the guidance of robot arms and known to those with ordinary skill in the art. - A method of using the
system 200 to package thecontainer 100 will now be described with reference toFIGS. 5A-5F . - The product P has dimensions closely matching the dimensions of the
product receiving space 160. The product P, as shown inFIGS. 5A-5F , moves along theconveyer belt 230 in a movement direction M and thecontainer 100 moves along theroller track 240 in the movement direction M. Thecontainer 100 is positioned on theroller track 240 such that, in a depth direction D perpendicular to the height direction H and the movement direction M, one of the firsttop flaps 120 is positioned closer to the product P on theconveyer belt 230 than the opposite secondtop flap 130. In the shown embodiment, thesecond side panel 110 b is positioned adjacent to the product P on theconveyer belt 230 in the depth direction D, thefourth side panel 110 d is positioned further from the product P than thesecond side panel 110 b in the depth direction D, thefirst side panel 110 a is positioned downstream in the movement direction M, and thethird side panel 110 c is positioned upstream in the movement direction M; in this orientation shown inFIGS. 5A-5F , the higher secondtop flaps 130 are thus positioned further from the product P in the depth direction D and upstream of the product P in the movement direction M. - The first step is shown in
FIG. 5A . Thevision device 220 detects the product P on theconveyer belt 230. Therobot arm 210 is controlled to move to the product P and attach to the product P at theend effector 212. - In the second step shown in
FIG. 5B , therobot arm 210 moves the product P toward thecontainer 100 to an initial position with respect to thecontainer 100. Therobot arm 210 positions the product P over thecontainer 100 in the initial position as shown inFIG. 5B : in the height direction H, a bottom of the product P is positioned lower than the height H2 and higher than the height H1; in the movement direction M, the product P is positioned spaced apart from the secondtop flap 130 attached to thethird side panel 110 c upstream in the movement direction M and over the firsttop flap 120 attached to thefirst side panel 110 a downstream in the movement direction M; and in the depth direction D, the product P is positioned spaced apart from the secondtop flap 130 attached to thefourth side panel 110 d and over the firsttop flap 120 attached to thesecond side panel 110 b. In the initial position, the product P is thus positioned lower than and spaced apart from each of the secondtop flaps 130 and higher than and over each of the first top flaps 120. - In the third step shown in
FIG. 5C therobot arm 210 moves the product P in an adjustment direction A from the initial position to a first deflected position. The adjustment direction A is in a plane defined by the depth direction D and the movement direction M; the adjustment direction A is purely lateral and does not have a component in the height direction H. The product P is moved in the adjustment direction A until it reaches the first deflected position shown inFIG. 5C in which the product P abuts both secondtop flaps 130 and is no longer positioned over either of the first top flaps 120. Due to the purely lateral movement of the adjustment direction A, the bottom of the product P is still positioned lower than the height H2 and higher than the height H1 in the first deflected position. - In the fourth step shown in
FIG. 5D , therobot arm 210 moves the product P in an insertion direction I parallel to the height direction H from the first deflected position to a second deflected position. The product P is moved in the insertion direction I while remaining in abutment with both of the secondtop flaps 130 until it reaches the second deflected position shown inFIG. 5D . In the second deflected position, the bottom of the product P is positioned lower than both the height H2 of the secondtop flaps 130 and the height H1 of the first top flaps 120. - In the fifth step shown in
FIG. 5E , therobot arm 210 moves the product P in a counter adjustment direction A′, opposite to the adjustment direction A, from the second deflected position to an undeflected position. The counter adjustment direction A′ is in a plane defined by the depth direction D and the movement direction M; the counter adjustment direction A′ is purely lateral and does not have a component in the height direction H. The product P is moved in the counter adjustment direction A′ until it reaches the undeflected position shown inFIG. 5E in which the product P is centered over theproduct receiving space 160 within the firsttop flaps 120 and second top flaps 130. In the undeflected position, the product P is positioned lower than both the height H2 of the secondtop flaps 130 and the height H1 of the firsttop flaps 120 and is equidistant from the firsttop flaps 120 and secondtop flaps 130 in the plane defined by the depth direction D and the movement direction M. - In the sixth and final step shown in
FIG. 5F , therobot arm 210 moves the product P in the insertion direction I from the undeflected position to a fully inserted position. In the fully inserted position, the product P is fully inserted into and contained within theproduct receiving space 160 and abuts the bottom flaps 140. Throughout the steps shown inFIGS. 5A-5F , theend effector 212 holds the product P in a fixed orientation with respect to thepackage container 100 and does not tilt or rotate the product P. The firsttop flaps 120 and secondtop flaps 130 can then be folded and attached to one another by a tape, a liquid adhesive, plastic welding, metal welding, or any other form of attachment known to those with ordinary skill in the art to enclose the product P within thecontainer 100. - It is further noted that the
container 100 is oriented so long as therobot 210 is told what the orientation of thecontainer 100 is. This could be a fixed orientation or it could be variable with some means (i.e., a sensor) of detecting thecontainer 100 orientation and reporting to therobot 210. - The foregoing illustrates some of the possibilities for practicing the invention. Many other embodiments are possible within the scope and spirit of the invention. It is, therefore, intended that the foregoing description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that the scope of the invention is given by the appended claims together with their full range of equivalents.
Claims (10)
Priority Applications (1)
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US16/720,539 US20200122869A1 (en) | 2017-11-06 | 2019-12-19 | Method and System For Packaging A Container |
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US15/804,582 US10538352B2 (en) | 2017-11-06 | 2017-11-06 | Method and system for packaging a container |
US16/720,539 US20200122869A1 (en) | 2017-11-06 | 2019-12-19 | Method and System For Packaging A Container |
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US15/804,582 Division US10538352B2 (en) | 2017-11-06 | 2017-11-06 | Method and system for packaging a container |
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US20200122869A1 true US20200122869A1 (en) | 2020-04-23 |
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US15/804,582 Active 2038-07-13 US10538352B2 (en) | 2017-11-06 | 2017-11-06 | Method and system for packaging a container |
US16/720,539 Pending US20200122869A1 (en) | 2017-11-06 | 2019-12-19 | Method and System For Packaging A Container |
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US15/804,582 Active 2038-07-13 US10538352B2 (en) | 2017-11-06 | 2017-11-06 | Method and system for packaging a container |
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DE102020200534A1 (en) * | 2020-01-17 | 2021-07-22 | SOMIC Verpackungsmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG | PACKAGING DEVICE |
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US10538352B2 (en) | 2020-01-21 |
US20190135467A1 (en) | 2019-05-09 |
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