Apparatus and method for accurately dispensing solid materials from a container

Abstract: A method and apparatus for accurately discharging the entire contents of a container is disclosed. A rigid container (1) has an open upper end and at least one hole (9) in the bottom of the container. The container has a flexible liner (6) with a neck portion which is folded back around the upper end of the container to form a cuff (7). The cuff is sealed against the sides of the container (1) and the container is inverted. A gas is injected through the hole or holes (9) in the bottom of the container into the space between the flexible liner (6) and the container (1). This everts the liner and insures that all of the contents of the container are dispensed.

Description: This invention relates to a materials handling system for discharging contents of a container as well as to a method for dispensing the contents of a container, according to the pre-characterizing clauses of claims 1 and 13. Such an apparatus and method are known from US-A-1 953 042. In that known back-emptying device a flexible bag is emptied by grasping and inverting the container. Materials for use in manufacturing processes, particularly for use in manufacturing processes comprising the mixing or reacting of the materials, are typically packaged in containers. Various specialized mechanisms have been proposed for handling these containers. For example, US-A-4,095,707 relates to a transfer mechanism for dumping the contents of a shipping drum containing a powdery substance into a mixing vessel without the release of any dust or "smoke." The mixing vessel is turned upside down over the open shipping drum. A seal is formed between the top of the shipping drum and the mixing vessel, and the combination is rotated 180° so that the mixing vessel returns to its operative position, and the contents of the shipping drum are transferred to the mixing vessel. The shipping drum may have a plastic liner. US-A-4,946,071 relates to equipment for discharging particular solid materials from intermediate bulk containers comprising an outer, reusable bag and an inner liner having a spout portion. The spout is clamped over the mouth of a discharge duct. US-A-1,953,042 relates to a bag emptying device designed to prevent foreign objects on the outside of the bag from being introduced along with the contents of the bag. The bag is placed in a cylindrical casing, and the top of the bag is fastened to the top of the casing. The bag can then be dumped without having material clinging to the outside of the bag being emptied into a bin or other container. Thus, various equipment for the handling of containers has been proposed. A special problem arises, however, during manufacturing processes that require accurate amounts of various materials to be mixed or reacted. These materials are generally packaged in a specified amount in a container. It is essential that all of the material in the container be transferred to the mixing vessel in order to insure that the end product meets specifications. With the advent of automatic handling equipment in manufacturing lines, it is especially imperative to provide equipment which reproducibly delivers the entire contents of a container, without the necessity for human intervention or monitoring. Because shipping containers vary in weight, and since the accuracy of delivery must be quite high in many manufacturing processes, a system based on tare weight is inadequate. Similarly, systems which detect, visually or otherwise, some property of the material in the container, and thereby determine whether any of the material remains in the container, are unworkable where the same apparatus is used to empty containers of different materials. In addition, systems based on tare weight or other detection systems merely highlight the existence of a problem. A more preferable solution to the problem is a system which simply and reproducibly delivers all of the contents of a container to a mixing vessel. It is the object of the present invention to improve the apparatus and the method outlined above such that a complete delivery of the contents of the container is ensured. The apparatus for solving this problem is described in claim 1 and a corresponding method is described in claim 13. Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims. In the following a preferred embodiment of the invention is described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the container with the liner. Figure 2 is a view of the bottom of the container in the robot gripping mechanism. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the container gripped by the robot gripping mechanism. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the container gripped by the robot gripping mechanism and rotated 180° in order to dispense the contents of the container. Description of the Preferred Embodiments A preferred embodiment of a container according to the present invention is shown in Figure 1. Container 1 has open upper end 2, which is adapted to receive a lid (not shown). Container 1 is specially adapted for use in an automated manufacturing line. For this purpose, it is provided with portions which interact with equipment in the manufacturing line, so that it can be securely transported to a dumping station and dumped. The preferred embodiment of container 1 shown in Figure 1 has interactive portions at both the top and bottom. Near upper end 2 is lip 3, which extends outwardly from the outer surface of container 1. Lip 3 cooperates with robot gripping mechanism 8, as shown in Figure 3, to serve as a stop against which robot gripping mechanism 8 rests, and to facilitate sealing of liner 6 to container 1. Lip 3 is shown as continuous. This is a preferred embodiment which improves sealing of liner 6 by robot gripping mechanism 8. Lip 3 can also be discontinuous. Inverted U-shaped extensions 4 at the bottom of container 1 interact with an automated handling system (not shown) which moves container 1 between stations in the manufacturing line. Viewed from the bottom (Figure 2), extension 4 appears as an outer wall. Supporting ribs 5 extend between the wall of container 1 and extension 4. Container 1 contains flexible liner 6 in which a solid material, either free-flowing or gelatinous, is contained. In a preferred embodiment, liner 6 is not permanently attached to container 1, allowing it to be easily disposed of after container 1 has been emptied of its contents. The material of liner 6 depends on the solid material to be contained; it is required that the liner material not react with the solid material it contains. In addition, if the solid material is sensitive to light, liner 6 should not transmit light of the wavelength to which the material is sensitive. In this case, it is expedient to use a liner made of multiple layers, preferably three. This ensures that light does not enter through pinholes in liner 6. In a preferred embodiment, liner 6 does not permit the passage of a gas. It is, however, possible for there to be some passage of gas around the edge of or through liner 6, so long as sufficient gas pressure is used to evert liner 6. Preferably liner 6 is made of a plastic material, for example, polyethylene, in a thickness between about 63 µm (2.5 mil) and 130 µm (5 mil). Commercially-available conventional equipment designed to insert liners into containers is used to place liner 6 into container 1. While thicker liners can be used in principle, they generally cannot be successfully inserted with the conventional equipment. It is preferred to use a liner that is about 64 µm thick. According to the invention, liner 6 is sealed against a side of container 1 when the contents of the container are to be dumped. In a preferred embodiment, liner 6 has cuff 7 which can be turned back over open upper end 2 of container 1. Cuff 7 can be conveniently sealed against the outside of the container by gripping the container over cuff 7 with robot gripping mechanism 8 when the contents of container 1 are dispensed. In this case, liner 6 can be permanently sealed to a side of container 1. Liner 6 can be permanently sealed to the inside of container 1. Liner 6 does not necessarily have to be completely sealed against container 1. For example, robot gripping mechanism 8 may only grasp container 1 at certain points. In this case, greater gas pressure is required to evert liner 6. A complete sealing of liner 6 to container 1 is the most efficient embodiment from the standpoint of the gas pressure required to evert liner 6. Container 1 can be made of various materials, provided they are rigid. For example, it can be made of metal or plastic, especially polyethylene. It can expediently be made by injection molding a plastic material in the desired shape. The container shown in the figures is of a generally square shape, but could be various other shapes, for example, round. There is at least one perforate region in container 1 that allows a gas to be forced into the space between container 1 and the liner 6 or that allows the gas to be withdrawn from this same space. The perforate region can comprise a hole or preferably a plurality of holes 9, as shown in Figure 2. It is particularly preferred that the perforate region be in or near the bottom of container 1. Container 1 can be conveyed by an automated handling system to a dumping station where its contents are to be dispensed. There it is grasped by robot gripping mechanism 8, which may be of various types which are known in the art. When a container adapted to interact with an automated handling system, such as the one shown, is used, robot gripping mechanism 8 must be able to lift the container to free it from the automated handling system (z-direction movement), it must be able to move the container over the mixing or reactor vessel (x-direction movement), and it must also be capable of rotating about its center axis in order to dump the contents of the container (pitch and yaw). Robot gripping mechanism 8 may also be capable of other movements, depending on the particular situation. Robot gripping mechanism 8 is adapted to the shape of container 1 in order securely to grasp it near the top, just below lip 3. In the preferred embodiment, robot gripping mechanism 8 securely holds cuff 7 in place and seals it against the outside of container 1 in the process of grasping container 1. Robot gripping mechanism 8 then lifts and positions container 1 over a hopper (not shown) that is located over a mixing or reactor vessel (not shown). Robot gripping mechanism 8 inverts container 1 so that its contents are dispensed into the mixing or reaction vessel. In a preferred embodiment, robot gripping mechanism 8 rotates container 1 by 180° to dispense the contents. After the initial dumping of the container contents, inflater mechanism 10 having a pliable vacuum cup 11 is positioned over hole(s) 9 in the bottom of container 1. Pliable vacuum cup 11 may be made of rubber or other similar material. Preferably, robot gripping mechanism 8 raises container 1 toward inflater mechanism 10, since the robot gripping mechanism typically has finer movement control than inflater mechanism 10. Pliable vacuum cup 11 is pressed against the bottom of container 1, completely covering hole(s) 9 and creating a gas/vacuum-tight seal. Pliable vacuum cup 11 is connected to a pump (not shown). Since liner 6 is securely sealed against the sides of container 1, introduction of low pressure, high volume gas by the pump into the space between liner 6 and container 1 forces liner 6 to evert, that is, to turn inside out, as shown in Figure 4. The gas may be any inert gas. Air may be used, but it may be preferable in a clean room situation to use a containerized gas, for example, N₂. Gas pressure is maintained until liner 6 is fully everted. When a 64 µm thick polyethylene liner is used, a pump pressure of approximately 130 µm H₂O is necessary to evert liner 6. The pressure will vary, depending on the thickness of liner 6 and the tightness of the seal between liner 6 and container 1. In this way, the entire contents of a rigid container containing a known quantity of a solid material can be dispensed into a mixing or reactor vessel. Alternatively, devices other than pliable vacuum cup 11 can be used to effect the gas/vacuum-tight seal of inflater mechanism 10 with container 1. These include a fixture on the bottom of container 1 that sealingly engages a fixture on inflater mechanism 10. These other devices are less preferred, however, since they introduce an unnecessary level of complexity into both container 1 and the mating of container 1 and inflater mechanism 10. Once the contents of container 1 have been dispensed, vacuum is applied to draw liner 6 back into container 1. This prevents liner 6 from becoming entangled in or soiling the equipment. When a 64 µm thick polyethylene liner is used, a pump pressure of approximately 130 cm H₂O is necessary to pull in liner 6. Here again the pressure will vary depending on the thickness of liner 6 and the tightness of the seal between liner 6 and container 1. After liner 6 is repositioned inside container 1, the vacuum is released and inflater mechanism 10 is withdrawn from container 1. Robot gripping mechanism then rotates container 1 by 180° to return container 1 to its upright position and replace it on the automated handling system. After use, container 1 can be refilled with a precise amount of solid material. If container 1 is to be refilled with a different material, liner 6 is removed from container 1 and a new liner is inserted.

Claims: Apparatus for precisely dispensing free-flowing solids comprising: a rigid container (1) having an open upper end (2) and a flexible liner (6) in the container (1), for containing a free-flowing solid material; and means (8) for grasping and inverting the container (1); characterized by at least one perforate region (9) in said container (1), an upper portion of the flexible liner being adapted for sealing against a side of the container (1) to create a closed space between the container (1) and the liner (6); and means (10) for injecting a gas through the perforate region (9) into the space between the flexible liner (6) and the container (1) to evert the flexible liner (6) from the upper end of the container, thereby dispensing the free flowing solid material. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the perforate region (9) is in a bottom of the container (1). An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the flexible liner (6) has a neck portion which extends outwardly of the upper end (2) of the container (1) which is adapted to be folded back around the upper end of the container to form a cuff (7). An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the grasping and inverting means (8) seals a cuff (7) formed by the liner against the side of the container (1). An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, additionally comprising means (10) to withdraw the gas from the space between the flexible liner and the container to draw the everted liner into the container. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the grasping and inverting means (8) is a robot gripping mechanism. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the robot gripping mechanism is capable of x-direction movement and z-direction movement and is capable of rotating about its center axis. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the means for injecting a gas through the perforate region comprises a pliable vacuum cup. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the container comprises interactive means (3) which cooperate with the grasping and inverting means (8). An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the interactive means (3) comprises a lip on an outer surface of the container (1). An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the lip is continuous. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a bottom of the container is specially adapted to cooperate with an automated handling system. A method for precisely dispensing free-flowing solids from a container (1), comprising the steps of: providing a rigid container (1) having an open upper end (2), and a flexible liner (6) in the container (1); grasping and inverting the container in order to evert the flexible liner (6); characterized by the following steps: sealing the liner (6) against a side of the container (1) to create a closed space between the container and the liner; injecting a gas into said closed space between the container and the liner through a perforate region (9) in said container to evert the flexible liner (6) from the upper end of the container (1) thereby dispensing the free-flowing solid material. A method as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the perforate region is in the bottom of the container. A method as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the flexible liner has a neck portion extending outwardly of the upper end of the container and adapted to be folded back around the upper end of the container to form a cuff. A method as claimed in claim 13, additionally comprising the step of withdrawing the gas through the perforate region to draw the everted liner back into the container. A method as claimed in claim 13, additionally comprising the step of transporting the container to and from a dumping station where the contents are dispensed during the inverting step. A method as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the step of grasping the container seals the liner against the sides of the container. A method as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the grasping and inverting step comprises grasping the container, lifting the container off the automated handling system, moving the container over a mixing or reactor vessel, and inverting the container to dispense the contents of the container into the mixing or reactor vessel. A method as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the inverting step comprises rotating the container 180°.

Inventors: ALSTON WILLIAM D, BRUZZI MARK T, SHERER PETER C, ALSTON, WILLIAM D., BRUZZI, MARK T., SHERER, PETER C., Alston, William D., c/o EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, Bruzzi, Mark T., c/o EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, Sherer, Peter C., c/o EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
Applicants: EASTMAN KODAK CO, EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
Application year: 1992
Main classification: B65B69
IPC codes: B65G47, B65B69, B65D83, B65D88