Abstract:
The present invention is directed to a method and system for packing an order of parts. An operator is prompted to select an indicated part. The part is read by the system to verify the selection of the part. An array of indicators directs the operator to where the part should be placed in a shipping tote. An array of sensors confirms the packing of the part.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates generally to the field of packing materials. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and system for ensuring proper packing of an order of parts for shipment. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many parts suppliers are required to deliver a shipment of parts in a specified sequence. These parts suppliers are also being required to utilize “just in time” manufacturing processes that maintain very small inventories. In some cases, large orders of identical parts common in years past are uneconomical and are no longer considered good business practice. 
     Today, many manufacturing or assembly plants place orders consisting of a variety of parts. These parts are provided in shipping totes that may be sequenced in the same order that an assembled product travels during production on an assembly line. These sequenced totes consisted of a combination of colors packed in a seemingly random order. Often times, assembly line personnel found working with the totes difficult due to incorrectly packed parts. 
     Because of the tedious and monotonous nature of placing the parts in the tote, errors frequently occurred during packing. Improperly packed shipping totes can cause significant downtime of the assembly line process in which the parts are utilized. In addition, remedying a shipment of incorrectly packed totes may result in shipment returns and re-packing of the totes. Obviously, packing errors can contribute to significant losses, both in time and money. 
     This invention is directed to solving these and other problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a method of packing a shipment of parts. The method comprises indicating a part for packing and confirming selection of the part. A location in a shipping tote is indicated for placing the selected part. And the location of the shipping tote is sensed for the placement of the selected part. 
     A further aspect of the present invention comprises confirming the placement of the selected part in the shipping tote. The packed part is monitored and an alarm is generated in response to the removal of the part from the shipping tote. 
     Yet a further aspect of the present invention comprises providing a programmable device, an array of sensors, and an array of indicators. The array of sensors and the array of indicators being adaptable to the shipping tote. The programmable device being operably connected to the array of sensors and the array of indicators wherein the programmable device cooperates with the array of sensors and the array of indicators to ensure proper placement of the selected parts for shipping. 
     Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a packing system comprising a programmable device being operably connected to a pack station. A shipping tote for holding parts selected for packing is adaptable to the pack station. The pack station comprises an array of indicators and an array of sensors. Each array being adaptable with the shipping tote wherein the arrays cooperate with the programmable device to ensure proper packing of the selected parts in the tote. 
     An object of the present invention is to reduce or eliminate mistakes in a packing process of a variety of parts. The reduction of packing mistakes may reduce the amount of downtime in the packing process itself, and in subsequent processes utilizing the packed parts. 
     Other features and advantages of the invention, which are believed to be novel and nonobvious, will be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which there is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention. Reference is made to the claims for interpreting the full scope of the invention, which is not necessarily represented by such embodiment. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In order that the present invention may be more fully understood, it will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 a  is an front view sketch of one embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 1 b  is an side view sketch of FIG. 1 a;    
     FIG. 2 is a flowchart depicting a packing process of one embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a top view of one embodiment of the pack station; 
     FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the pack station in cooperation with the shipping tote; 
     FIG. 5 depicts a an alternative embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 depicts another alternative embodiment of the present invention; and, 
     FIG. 7 is a close-up cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the pack station in cooperation with the shipping tote. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Although this invention is susceptible to embodiments of many different forms, a preferred embodiment will be described and illustrated in detail herein. The present disclosure exemplifies the principles of the invention and is not to be considered a limit to the broader aspects of the invention to the particular embodiment as described. 
     A packaging system  10  for facilitating the packing of a shipment of parts is shown in FIGS. 1 a  and  1   b . The packaging system includes a programmable device  12  being operably connected to a pack station  14 . Preferably, the programmable device  12  is a computer, but it is to be understood that programmable logic controllers, personal computers, handheld modules, etc. can also be used. A shipping tote  16  for holding parts selected for packing is adaptable to the pack station  14 . The shipping tote  16  has one or more locations  30 , e.g., pockets, for receiving parts that are packed for shipping. The shipping tote  16  may also function as an insert into a more generic shipping tote. 
     The pack station  14  comprises an array of indicators  18 . The array of indicators  18  being operably connected to the programmable device  12  and further being adaptable for cooperation with the shipping tote  16  wherein the array of indicators cooperates with the programmable device to ensure proper placing of the selected parts. Each location  30  in the shipping tote  16  is associated with one or more indicators  19  from the array of indicators  18 . 
     The pack station  14  also includes an array of sensors  20 . The array of sensors  20  are operably connected to the programmable device  12  and further being adaptable for cooperation with the shipping tote  16  wherein the array of sensors cooperates with the programmable device to ensure proper placement of the selected parts. Similar to the array of indicators  18 , each location  30  utilized in the shipping tote  16  is associated with one or more sensors  21  from the array of sensors  20 . 
     A part indicator  22  is operably connected to the programmable device  12 . The part indicator  22  prompts an operator by indicating the part to be selected for placing in the shipping tote  16 . The part indicator  22  indicates to the operator the part to be selected for packing. The indication of a part can be accomplished via any means for notifying the operator, i.e., visual, aural, smell, taste, touch, etc. After the part has been indicated for packing and selected by the operator, the operator uses a reader  24  to read a part identifier. Preferably, the selected part includes some type of identification, i.e., barcode, serial no., etc. The reader  24  facilitates transferring the part identifier to the programmable device  12  wherein the selection of the part is confirmed. The reader  24  can be a scanner, wand, keyboard, handheld device, optical probe, or any other means known for such function. 
     The programmable device  12  confirms the operator&#39;s selection of the indicated part. The operator verifies the confirmation and identifies a location  30  within the shipping tote  16  indicated by the programmable device  12  for placement of the part. The location  30  is indicated by the illumination of an indicator  19 . Proper placement of the selected part within the indicated location  30  is sensed by the programmable device  12 . 
     An alarm  26  can also be incorporated with the packing system  10 . The alarm being responsive to the reader  24  wherein reading an incorrectly selected part generates an alarm signal executed by the alarm. The generated alarm signal can be transmitted visually, aurally, electrically, physically or through any other medium capable of being sensed. 
     Alternatively, the alarm  26  can be responsive to the array of sensors  20  wherein detection of a misplaced part in the shipping tote  16  generates an alarm signal executed by the alarm. Further still, the alarm can be responsive to the array of sensors  20  wherein detection of a removed part from the shipping tote  16  generates the alarm signal executed by the alarm. 
     An exemplification of the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a part indicator  22  and an array of sensors  20 . Both the part indicator  22  and the array of sensors are operably connected to a support frame  28 . A shipping tote  16 , preferably an insert to a generic shipping tote, is adaptable for placement over the array of sensors  20 . FIGS. 3 and 4. The shipping tote  16  comprises a plurality of locations  30 , i.e., pockets, into which the selected parts are received. Near the bottom of each pocket  30  in the shipping tote  16  is an opening  32  through which one of the sensors  21  is operably adapted for cooperation. The opening  32  is large enough for the sensor  21  to sense the presence of a part and for the operator to view the associated indicator  19  of the array of indicators  18 . Preferably, the array of indicators  18  comprises at least one indicator  19  comprising a light, e.g., an annular LED. FIG.  4 . The sensor and indicator arrays  20 ,  18  can be operably connected to a programmable device  12  via a custom fabricated circuit board. This circuit board can then be operably connected to the pack station  14 . 
     Referring to FIG. 2, the operator begins the packing process by removing a shipping tote insert  16  from a generic shipping tote. The shipping insert  16  is then placed in the pack station  14 . Preferably, the shipping insert  16  and the pack station  14  are keyed so there is only one configuration. The openings  32  in the shipping insert  16  align with the sensors  21  in the array of sensors  20 . The part indicator device  22  prompts the operator to select a part from a supply and verify the programmable device&#39;s  12  confirmation of a match between the selected part and the part indicated by the part indicator  22 . To confirm the part, the part identifier is read by the programmable device  12  whereby the operator passes the part under a part reader  24 , or scanner. If the correct part is scanned, the LED  19  of the associated pocket  30  is illuminated. The operator verifies the confirmation of the programmable device  12  and identifies the illuminated pocket  30  to receive the part. 
     Upon proper placement of the part in the pocket  30 , the appropriate part sensor  21  detects the part. The part sensor  21  may utilize any known technology for detecting, including but not limited to: motion sensors, barcode readers, scanners, photo-electric sensors, machine vision, capacitive sensors, proximity sensors, ultrasonic sensors, photo optic sensors, etc. The programmable device  12  confirms proper placement of the part by turning off the light  19  in the pocket  30  and recording the part as packed. The programmable device  12  then indicates to the operator the next part to be packed. This process continues until the packing of the shipment is complete. Upon completion, the system  10  prints a shipping label and prompts the operator to remove the full shipping tote  16  and load the next empty tote. 
     The programmable device  12  is capable of monitoring each pocket  30  in the tote  16  at all times. The programmable device  12  is further able to track and determine whether parts once properly packed were later removed from the shipping tote. If at any time a packed part is removed from the shipping tote  16 , the system  10  will alarm to indicate a packing error. To repack the part, the operator must reset the alarm  26  and scan the part under the part scanner  24 , repeating the pack cycle. If at any time a part is placed into an incorrect pocket  30 , a pack alarm  26  is again executed and the part must be removed from the pocket. If at any time a partially packed tote  16  is removed from the pack station  14 , a pack alarm  26  is executed and the entire tote must be repacked. 
     Preferably, the packing system  10  displays the alarms on the part indicator  22  or by flashing the annular LED light  19  of the affected pocket  30 . 
     Referring to FIG. 5, the packing system  10  is operably connected to an interface  32  for connection to the Internet. The interface  32  comprises a client  34 , a server  36 , or any combination thereof, and is connected to the programmable device  12  wherein data stored by the device can be remotely accessed. Preferably, the client/server interface  32  is embedded within the programmable device  12 . In addition to remotely acquiring production data from the programmable device  12 , programs for the device can be transmitted to the programmable device. Thus, new or revised programs can be installed into the device  12  from a remote location via the Internet at any time. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the present invention can be adapted to an overhead array of indicators  18 ′ and sensors  19 ′ for cooperating with the shipping tote  16  to ensure proper packing of the selected parts. FIGS. 6 and 7. 
     While the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications are possible without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.