Abstract:
End of arm tool ( 10 ) is used to load goods A and B in two layers in a packing container ( 8 ), with a packing insert positioned between the layers. The tool ( 10 ) also grasps a packing insert in the form of a flat sheet, bends the ends of the packing sheet downwardly to form an inverted U shape, and then inserts the packing insert in a straddling relationship about the lower layer of goods A, to protect the lower layer of goods from the weight applied by the upper layer of goods B.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/786,779, filed May 25, 2010 in the U.S. Patent &amp; Trademark Office 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure concerns a robotic packaging apparatus and method, including an end effector for picking a work product, bending the oppositely extending lateral sides of the work product to form a U-shape, and placing the U-shaped product in a container. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0003]    In the packing of goods in multiple levels in a box or other shipping container, it may be desirable to have a packing insert placed in the shipping container that extends between levels of the goods in the container to avoid the weight of the goods in an upper level from bearing against the goods below. This also tends to strengthen the container when several of the containers are stacked one upon another. For example, packing inserts may be used in containers for protecting food products, products that comprise fragile goods or soft goods like bread, or other products that might become damaged by the weight of an upper layer of goods bearing down on a lower layer of goods. 
         [0004]    One form of a packing insert might be an inverted U-shaped cardboard sheet having an intermediate portion that is to be placed over the goods and facing the opening of the shipping container and opposed lateral sides bent downwardly to form the inverted U-shape. The lower layer of goods will be placed in the shipping container before the packing insert is placed in the container. The downwardly extending lateral sides of the packing insert will be telescopically tucked into the container adjacent the opposite side walls of the container, between the side walls and the goods in the container, until the lateral sides of the packing insert extend down into engagement with the bottom of the container and the intermediate portion of the packing insert extends across the top of the goods in the shipping container. The lateral sides of the packing insert provide support for the intermediate portion of the packing insert that extends over the lower layer of the goods. The intermediate portion of the packing insert functions to support the upper layer of goods. 
         [0005]    The U-shaped packing insert may also rigidify the shipping container so that several shipping containers may be stacked upon one another without damage to the containers and the goods in the containers. This also helps to protect the container from penetration by sharp objects, thereby assuring safer delivery to the customer. 
         [0006]    Generally, the panel that forms the U-shaped packing insert, which in this instance is considered to be the “work product”, may include score lines that assist in folding the panel into the correct proportions that correspond to the proportions of the container and the goods in the container. While the use of score lines on the panels assist in forming the panel into a U-shape, it is still burdensome for the panels to be properly bent and inserted into the containers by hand in a large volume continuous packing operation. 
       SUMMARY OF THE DESCRIPTION 
       [0007]    Accordingly, this disclosure concerns an end of arm tool for a robot that includes a dual function of placement of goods in a shipping container, followed by picking, forming and placing the protective packing insert that extends about and over the goods in the shipping container. 
         [0008]    The packing insert may be a generally flat work product, such as that described above, comprising a cardboard sheet that includes an intermediate portion of the work product, and the oppositely extending lateral sides of the work product that are bent to form the inverted U-shape with respect to the intermediate portion of the work product. The end of arm tool picks the work product from a supply, forms the work product into a U-shape and then places the U-shaped work product in the shipping container over the goods packed in the container. The opposite parallel ends of the work product are tucked internally of the shipping container adjacent the opposite side walls of the shipping container so that the work product extends about the goods in the shipping container. 
         [0009]    The method and apparatus disclosed herein provide for continual repetitive operation of an end of arm tool. This may comprise a first step of picking and placing a pattern of goods in the shipping container that form a lower layer of goods. A second step may comprise a sequence of picking the work product, folding the work product into an inverted U-shape, introducing the work product into the shipping container with the lateral sides of the work product aligned with the outer boundaries of the first layer of goods in the shipping container, and withdrawing the tool from the work product and shipping container while maintaining the work product in its position during the withdrawal movements. 
         [0010]    The process may further include a third step of picking and placing a second pattern of goods in the shipping container on the intermediate portion of the work product, to form an upper layer of goods in the shipping container. The weight of the upper level of goods tends to urge the work product downwardly in the shipping container until the lateral sides of the work product engage and become supported by the bottom wall of the container. 
         [0011]    All of these steps are to be done in rapid and accurate movements, automatically and efficiently in a minimum amount of time. 
         [0012]    The tool that is placed at the end of an arm of a robot may include a vacuum plenum housing with at least one vacuum retriever extending down from the vacuum plenum housing for engaging and picking the work products. The vacuum retriever may be suction cups or suction bellows that contact and adhere to the goods that are to be packed in the shipping container. The same vacuum retrievers may be used for engaging and picking the intermediate portion of the work product so that it may lift the work product away from a supply of the work products, and move the work product from the supply toward the shipping containers. 
         [0013]    The tool may include a pair of forming arms that are used to engage and fold the oppositely extending lateral sides of the work product into an inverted U-shape with respect to the intermediate portion of the work product. The forming arms may also be used in the procedure of picking and packing the goods into the container by urging the goods in a compact configuration that best fits in the shipping container. 
         [0014]    The forming arms may include proximal ends that are pivotally supported adjacent the vacuum plenum housing and distal ends that are pivoted from the level above the vacuum retrievers to a downwardly, substantially parallel arrangement during which time the forming arms engage the oppositely extending lateral sides of the work product and bend them into a U-shape with respect to the intermediate portion of the work product. 
         [0015]    The forming arms may include an obtuse angle adjacent their distal ends for the purpose of tucking the distal ends of the lateral sides of the work product into the shipping container. 
         [0016]    The tool may also include a discharge means that is moveable between the packing positions out of the way of the vacuum retriever and then to distended positions in which they engage the intermediate portion of the work product after the folded lateral sides of the work product have been at least partially tucked into the sides of the shipping container. This pushes the work product on into the container as the vacuum is released from the vacuum retriever. This allows separation between the vacuum retriever and the intermediate portion of the work product, leaving the work product behind and positioned inside the shipping container as the tool withdraws from the shipping container to begin a repeat cycle of its operations. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]      FIGS. 1-3  illustrate the sequence of placing a pattern of goods in a shipping container. 
           [0018]      FIGS. 4-10  illustrate the sequence of picking and forming the work product, inserting the product divider over the pattern of goods in the shipping container, and then withdrawing from the shipping container. 
           [0019]      FIGS. 11-14  illustrate the sequence of placing another layer of goods in the container that are separated by the product divider from the original layer of products. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    Referring now in more detail to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views,  FIGS. 1-3  illustrate the sequence of placing goods A in a shipping container  8 , in which the end of arm tool  10  has picked the goods, such as loaves of bread that are soft and are likely to be damaged by applying the weight of other loaves stacked on them and has moved the goods over the shipping container  8  ( FIG. 1 ). The tool  10  is lowered ( FIG. 2 ) to place the goods A on the bottom of the container, and then raised to leave the goods in the shipping container ( FIG. 3 ). This is conventional in the art. 
         [0021]      FIGS. 4-10  illustrate the sequence of picking and forming the work product, inserting the work product in the shipping container, and then withdrawing from the shipping container. 
         [0022]      FIG. 4  illustrates the side view of an end of arm tool  10  that is connected to the arm of a robot  12 . The robot arm  12  is shown in  FIG. 4  as holding the end of arm tool  10  in engagement with the work product  1  that may be a single layer of the work product or the top work product on a vertical stack  2  of such products. The tool  10  is to pick a work product  1  and form the work product into an inverted U-shape ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ). The work product is then inserted into a shipping container  8  ( FIGS. 8 and 9 ) containing the goods A. The work product may have score lines  6  and  7  ( FIGS. 4-6 ) that divide the work product into the intermediate portion  3  and side portions  4  and  5 . The work product may be folded at its score lines as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7  so that its side portions  4  and  5  may be tucked into the shipping container between the vertical side walls of the shipping container  8 . At this stage of the process, the work product does not have to be fully inserted about the goods A but should be aligned with the space below that is between the goods A and side walls of the shipping container. 
         [0023]    The tool  10  includes a mast  14  connected to the robot arm  12  and a tool support  16  connected to the mast  14 . Housing  18  is supported by tool support  16  and defines a vacuum plenum housing  20 , and a source of vacuum such as the inlet of as a compressor (not shown) is connected to housing  18  to draw reduced air pressure within the vacuum plenum housing in a conventional manner. The tool support  16  may be formed as part of the housing  18 , if desired. 
         [0024]    Housing  18  includes a bottom wall  22  and a plurality of openings  24  are formed in the bottom wall. Vacuum retrievers  26  extend downwardly from the downwardly facing surface of the bottom wall  22  in communication with the openings  24 . In this manner, the reduced air pressure of vacuum plenum housing  20  is applied to each vacuum retriever  26 . Valves (not shown) are used to regulate the vacuum applied to each vacuum retriever  26 . Vacuum retrievers and valves suitable for this use are disclosed in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 7,000,964 and in my patent application Ser. No. 12/763,242, the disclosures of which are fully incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0025]    Forming arms  30  and  31  are pivotally mounted to opposite sides of the upper portion of the housing  18 , above the vacuum retrievers  26 , by hinge pins  34  and  35 , respectively. The forming arms may be identical in construction and each includes a proximal end portion  36  on the upper side of its hinge pin and a distal end portion  38  on the other side of its hinge pin. The distal end or tip  40  of each forming arm  30 ,  31  extends at an obtuse angle  41 , forming a slight bend in the length of the distal end portion  38  of the forming arms  30 ,  31 . 
         [0026]    With this arrangement, the forming arms are moveable in arcs indicated by the double-headed arrows  44  of  FIGS. 4 and 6  for folding the side portions  4  and  5  with respect to the intermediate portion  3  of the work product  1  at the score lines  6  and  7 . 
         [0027]    Fluid actuated cylinders  46  and  48  are supported over the vacuum plenum housing  20 , with a support bracket  50  extending from the tool support  16  on opposite sides of the housing  18 . Pistons  52  and  53  extend from the cylinders and are connected to the distal end portions  36  of the forming arms  30  and  31 . When the pistons  52 ,  53  are distended, the forming arms  30  and  31  are tilted in a downward direction as indicated by the arrows  44  of  FIGS. 4  and  6 , to substantially parallel positions as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . Likewise, when the pistons are retracted into their respective fluid actuated cylinders  46  and  48 , the vacuum retrievers  26  move back from the position shown in  FIG. 7  to the position shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0028]    While  FIG. 4  shows the end of arm tool  10  suspended over the work product  1 ,  FIG. 5  shows the tool in engagement with the generally flat work product  1 , with the vacuum retrievers  26  in full engagement with the work product  1  and with the low air pressure in the vacuum plenum housing  20  in direct communication with the work product  1 . This connects the vacuum retrievers to the intermediate portion of the work product so that the work product will be picked by the tool  10 . The work product  1  may be a single work product or the top work product in a vertical stack  2  of the products. The vacuum is applied by the tool only to the top work product so that when the tool is lifted from the stack of work products, only the top work product will be lifted, as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 6  shows the end of arm tool  10  after it has engaged the work product  1 , has lifted the work product away from the stack of work products, and is beginning the movement toward a shipping container  8  shown in  FIG. 8 . 
         [0030]    Shipping container  8  typically is a rectangular box formed of corrugated cardboard having lid flaps  60  and  61  as shown on  FIG. 8  extending upwardly from side walls  64  and  65 . The lid flaps are open so as to expose the upper opening of the shipping container. The shipping container will have been previously filled with the products A that are to be stored and/or shipped, typically with the products substantially filling the bottom half of the container  8 . 
         [0031]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , as the end of arm tool  10  moves from the stack of work products  1  toward the shipping container  8 , fluid actuated cylinders such as pneumatic cylinders  46  and  48  begin to tilt the forming arms  30  and  31  as shown by arrows  44  of  FIG. 6 . When the forming arms are tilted to the extent shown in  FIG. 6 , they become engaged with the lateral sides  4  and  5  of the work product  1 , bending the lateral sides  4  and  5  in the directions as indicated by arrows  62  and  63 , from a horizontal attitude toward a vertical attitude shown in  FIG. 7 . The work products may have score lines such as score lines  6  and  7  to create accurate folding of the lateral side portions of the work products. When the forming arms  30  and  31  reach their downwardly extending substantially parallel attitudes, they will have moved from a level above the vacuum retrievers  26  to a level below the vacuum retrievers  26 , reaching the lateral side portions  4  and  5  of the work product  1  and folding the side portions  4  and  5  inwardly to their vertical positions as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0032]    As shown in  FIG. 7 , the tip ends  40  of the forming arms  30  and  31  are formed at an obtuse angle  41  so that when the forming arms reach their approximately vertical positions, the tip ends  40  are angled toward each other. This allows the forming arms  30  and  31  to have the ability to push against the oppositely extending lateral sides  4  and  5  of the work product when the upper portions of the forming arms straddle the intermediate portion  3  of the work product  1  at the obtuse angle  41 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 7  shows the end of arm tool  10  after it has formed the work product in its desired position, ready for insertion in the shipping container. The tool and its work product will be in this configuration when the end of arm tool is positioned over the shipping container, ready to insert the work product into the shipping container. 
         [0034]    The end of arm tool  10  and its work product  1  will be positioned directly over the shipping container  8 , and the tool will be lowered as shown in  FIG. 8  so that the lateral sides  4  and  5  of the work product will be accurately aligned just inside the container side walls  64  and  65 , respectively. The forming arms  30  and  31  will guide the lateral side portions  4  and  5  into a tucked relationship just inside the side walls  64  and  65  of the shipping container, aligned between the goods A and the adjacent side walls  64  and  65  of the shipping container  8 , as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . The intermediate portion  3  of the work product is oriented horizontally and will come to rest at the entrance opening of the product container  8 . 
         [0035]    As shown in  FIG. 9 , once the work product  1  has been aligned with the shipping container  8 , the vacuum retrievers will release their vacuum that is applied to the work product and the vacuum retrievers are no longer attached to the work product and the end of arm tool  10  is ready to begin to move upwardly to withdraw from the product container  8 . 
         [0036]    The end of arm tool  10  may leave the work product at a level in the shipping container with the lateral sides fully inserted about the sides of the goods A or only partially inserted as shown in  FIGS. 9-11  where they are aligned with the space between the goods A and the sidewalls of the shipping container  8 . 
         [0037]    As shown in  FIGS. 7 and 9 , evacuation cylinders  66  and  67  include piston rods  68  and  69  that distend downwardly for urging against the upwardly facing horizontal surface of the intermediate portion  3  of the work product  1 . The evacuation cylinders and/or their piston rods may extend through the housing  18  so that the piston rods are positioned in the array of vacuum retrievers  26  in the vicinity of the intermediate portion  3  of the work product  1 . 
         [0038]    In order to make sure that the work product  1  is inserted into the container  8  to the proper depth, the piston rods  68  and  69  of evacuation cylinders  66  and  67  ( FIG. 9 ) are distended and engage the upwardly facing horizontal surface of the intermediate portion  3  of the work product  1 , tending to push the work product further into the product container  8  as the forming arms  30  and  31  begin to withdraw from adjacent the side walls  64  and  65  of the product container  8 . This assures that the action of withdrawing the forming arms  30  and  31  does not inadvertently lift the work product  1  out of the product container  8  during withdrawal. Also, this function applies a downward force to the work product and assures that the work product is properly inserted into the product container. 
         [0039]    After the work product has been properly placed within the product container  8  over goods A as shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the end of arm tool  10  will move away from the product container, back to retrieve another group of goods B. In the meantime, the piston rods  68  and  69  may be retracted back up into their respective evacuation cylinders  66  and  67 , and the forming arms  30  and  31  may be pivoted upwardly from their positions shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  back to their original positions such as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         [0040]    While only two evacuation cylinders  66  and  67  and their respective piston rods  68  and  69  are illustrated, other evacuation means, such as four cylinders and their respective piston rods may be used in a rectangular array for urging the work product into the shipping container  8 . Thus, the evacuation cylinders and their respective piston rods function as discharge means that may be supported by the tool support for urging the U-shaped work product away from the vacuum retrievers and for urging the side portions of the work product into the container. 
         [0041]    By using the same procedures, another level of goods B may be placed on the top of the work product that extends over the first level of goods A, as shown in  FIGS. 11-14 . The weight of the oncoming second level of goods will push the work product down toward the upper surfaces of the goods A, but the lateral sides of the work product are dimensioned to engage the bottom of the shipping container as the intermediate portion of the work product approaches the lower level of the goods A, as shown in  FIG. 14 . This avoids the weight of the goods in the upper level of goods B from bearing on the goods A in the lower level. 
         [0042]    Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in detail herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications of the disclosed embodiment can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.