Machine for automatically positioning an object

Abstract

A machine for automatically positioning an object is disclosed. The machine has: an inlet conveyor for conveying the object in a lying attitude; a detector system for identifying the orientation and / or shape of the object; a robotic collection device for collecting and positioning the object based on the information received by the detector system; a transfer conveyor having transfer fasteners arranged at fixed positions along the periphery of the transfer conveyor, defining a closed loop around an inclined axis; an outlet conveyor for receiving and conveying the article in an upright attitude; and, a transfer fastener seat for the object at each transfer fastener. Due to the movement of the transfer conveyor between an upper receiving position where the object remains in a lying attitude and a lower conveying position where the object remains in an upright attitude, the conveyor moves the fastener seat. The transfer conveyor and the outlet conveyor are synchronized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a machine for positioning an object using a robotic pick-up device. The robotic pick-up device pre-detects an object in different postures and orientations (preferably in a lying posture) and positions the object in an upright posture, which is the first step of subsequent steps such as labeling or filling bottles.

[0002] The present invention is particularly applicable to handling bottles of any size, shape and having external surface decoration, especially plastic bottles, and is also applicable to the positioning of bottle caps. Background Art

[0003] WO2013189656A1 relates to a feeding device for feeding products and / or product stacks to a packaging machine for packaging treatment, especially for feeding to a horizontal tube packaging machine for packaging treatment; the feeding device includes a guiding unit arranged in a closed loop, and a plurality of conveying elements are arranged on the guiding unit so that they can be driven independently of each other in a speed and / or position-controlled manner along at least one working part of the guiding unit. At least one conveying element has a bracket, and at least one conveying element opposite to the conveying direction has a reverse bracket.

[0004] EP2746165A1 discloses a device for grasping and transporting individual products. The device includes: a conveyor belt on which individual products are randomly arranged; a conveyor that carries a plurality of supports for product groups; and a plurality of manipulators programmed to pick up individual products from the conveyor belt and place the products on the supports to form an ordered product group on the supports, wherein the conveyor is composed of a linear motor, and the linear motor includes: an annular stator having two parallel straight branches connected together by two curved branches; and a plurality of movers that move independently of each other along the stator and carry the brackets.

[0005] WO2019179685A1 discloses a machine for positioning an object, including: a first conveyor belt configured to receive a plurality of objects; a machine vision device configured to identify the posture and shape of the objects arranged on the first conveyor; a robotic pick-up device configured to collect the objects from the first conveyor belt according to the information received from the machine vision device; and a second conveyor belt configured to enable the objects to exit. The machine includes: a conveyor having a plurality of conveyor carriers configured to move in a closed loop through the conveyor so that their speeds and positions can be independently controlled; wherein the conveyor carriers are configured to: receive the objects from the robotic pick-up device and transfer the objects to the second conveyor belt. One of the disadvantages of this machine is that it requires a special conveyor, which is a complex device that requires special maintenance and is very costly. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To overcome the above problems and other drawbacks, the present invention provides a machine for automatically collecting and positioning objects using a robotic collection device, for collecting and positioning objects such as bottles, as well as other types of objects such as containers or cans. The bottles can have different shapes or designs.

[0007] The present invention relates to a machine for automatically positioning objects, which in a manner known in the prior art comprises:

[0008] · At least one inlet conveyor configured to convey a plurality of objects in a lying flat posture;

[0009] · A plurality of transfer fasteners movable in a closed loop between an upper receiving area and a lower conveying area in a plane inclined with respect to the horizontal plane; in the upper receiving area, the transfer fasteners are movable in a first direction and are configured to receive objects held in a lying flat posture; in the lower conveying area, the transfer fasteners are movable in a second direction opposite to the first direction and are configured to convey objects held in an upright posture; due to the movement of the transfer fasteners along the closed loop, the objects are transferred from a lying flat posture to an upright posture;

[0010] · At least one outlet conveyor adjacent to and synchronized with the lower transfer area of the transfer conveyor for receiving objects in an upright posture;

[0011] · A detector system configured to at least identify the orientation and / or shape of the objects conveyed on the inlet conveyor;

[0012] · At least one robotic collection device configured to collect objects in a lying flat posture from the inlet conveyor, rotate along the longitudinal axis according to the information received from the detector system, and transfer the objects to the upper receiving area of the transfer fasteners, causing the objects to move in the first direction in cooperation with the movement of the transfer fasteners.

[0013] In a particular embodiment, the machine comprises: an inlet conveyor for conveying bottles from a loading hopper, the bottles being placed in a lying flat posture.

[0014] The inlet conveyor may include elements or devices that cooperate actively or passively to place the objects in a regular or uniform posture or lying flat posture before reaching the operating area of the robotic collection device.

[0015] The inlet conveyor is connected to a detector system, i.e., the detector system is capable of detecting some parameters or characteristics of an object located at a determined position or station along the inlet conveyor. These parameters or characteristics of the object can be, for example, shape or orientation. In one embodiment, the detector system is an intelligent vision system configured to at least identify the orientation and shape of an object arranged on the inlet conveyor. The detector system can be more complex and have higher capabilities, but this does not form part of the inventive concept of the present invention.

[0016] In one embodiment, once the bottles have been identified by the intelligent vision system, they are collected by one or more robotic collection devices; the robotic collection devices are, for example, articulated arm robots with four axes or electronic handle gantries or SCARA robots. All objects are placed in the workplace of the robotic collection device in the inlet conveyor. The inlet conveyor is connected to the robotic collection device and can operate synchronously with the information received by the detector system. In this regard, the robotic collection device can pick up a bottle located at a specific position and / or orientation and then place the bottle at a specific position and / or orientation of a specific transfer fastener in the upper receiving area. Preferably, the object is rotated about its longitudinal axis to adjust its orientation from the pick-up direction to the discharge direction.

[0017] The discharge direction is preferably a lying-down posture; wherein, the longitudinal axis of the object is horizontal and perpendicular to the moving direction of the transfer fastener.

[0018] The machine further includes an outlet conveyor for receiving the bottles in an upright posture and transporting the bottles to an outlet or subsequent steps, such as a labeling or filling or packaging station, for further processing of the bottles or other steps of the overall process.

[0019] The machine further includes: a plurality of transfer fasteners movable in a closed loop, the closed loop being coplanar with a plane inclined or tilted from the horizontal plane.

[0020] The inclination of the inclined plane of the closed loop can be 45 degrees, which relates to an improvement in the bottle positioning process. However, it should be noted that different inclinations of the central axis from 0 to 90 degrees can also enable the present invention to work properly.

[0021] The present invention further includes the following features unknown in the prior art:

[0022] · The transfer fasteners are attached to fixed positions along the periphery of the transfer conveyor, the transfer conveyor is movable along the closed loop, and the transfer fasteners are dragged by a conveyor belt;

[0023] · Each transfer fastener includes a suction nozzle connected to a suction source, and each suction nozzle defines a seat surface; the seat surface is inclined with respect to the inclined plane of the closed loop, being substantially horizontal in the upper receiving area and substantially vertical in the lower conveying area; and, wherein,

[0024] · The seat surfaces of all transfer fasteners are non-concave and exposed, and are configured to hold an object by suction without confining the object within the transfer fastener.

[0025] The transfer conveyor can be, for example, a flexible belt of an elongated closed loop or a disc-shaped member of a circular closed loop, defining that the transfer conveyor is driven to generate its movement along the closed loop.

[0026] The transfer fasteners are attached to the transfer conveyor at fixed positions, and the movement of the transfer conveyor drags all the transfer fasteners to move simultaneously.

[0027] The transfer conveyor includes transfer fasteners provided at fixed positions of the transfer conveyor. The transfer fasteners move together with the transfer conveyor, and the transfer fasteners move with the rotational movement of the transfer conveyor, which means that the movement of the transfer conveyor results in the movement of the transfer fasteners. The transfer fasteners move from an upper position to a lower position.

[0028] Each transfer fastener includes a suction nozzle connected to a suction source (such as a pneumatic vacuum source, a suction fan or the like) to hold an object deposited on the seat surface of the suction nozzle by a robot collection device through suction.

[0029] Each transfer fastener may include one or more suction nozzles. In this case, the seat surfaces of all the suction nozzles of the same transfer fastener are preferably coplanar with each other.

[0030] Preferably, the seat surface (optionally a concave seat surface for receiving a concave object) is elongated in a direction perpendicular to the movement direction of the transfer fastener. An object elongated along the longitudinal axis of the object is placed on the seat surface in a lying posture, and the longitudinal axis of the object defines the elongated central area of the object; wherein the longitudinal axis of the object is horizontal and perpendicular to the movement direction of the transfer fastener; the object can be effectively held by the suction force through the elongated central area of the object.

[0031] The elongated seat surface or the concave elongated seat surface can be defined by a single elongated suction nozzle or multiple suction nozzles, and the multiple suction nozzles can also be elongated.

[0032] The seat surface is non-concave, that is to say, it does not include a surface in a housing or depression at its bottom, but is a touchable exposed surface; due to the lack of a housing or depression suitable for accommodating the object, any object of any shape or size can be placed on its top.

[0033] Thus, each seat surface is the surface on the transfer fastener that is furthest from the transfer conveyor to which the transfer fastener is attached; the set of all seat surfaces defines the outer perimeter of the assembly defined by the transfer conveyor and the transfer fasteners attached thereto.

[0034] The proposed transfer fastener holds objects only by suction, providing several benefits.

[0035] First, different objects of different sizes and shapes can be transferred without adjusting the transfer fasteners, providing greater flexibility in production.

[0036] Second, by avoiding the use of clips or other gripping solutions, thinner objects can be handled, which are prone to being squeezed when empty; this is a growing trend that can reduce material use and promote recycling.

[0037] To achieve the transfer of objects from a lying position to an upright position, the seat surface of each transfer fastener is inclined relative to the closed-loop inclined plane; that is, the seat surface is not parallel to the closed-loop inclined plane but is inclined relative to the plane.

[0038] Typically, the closed-loop plane is at 45° relative to the horizontal direction, and each seat surface is approximately 45° (between 40° and 50°) relative to the closed-loop plane. Thus, when the transfer fastener is in the upper receiving area, the seat surface is approximately horizontal, and when the transfer fastener is in the lower conveying area, the seat surface is approximately vertical.

[0039] This arrangement helps the robotic pick-up device transfer objects from the inlet conveyor to the seat surface of the transfer fastener, with lower requirements for the robotic pick-up device and thus improved performance and speed.

[0040] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the transfer conveyor is a flexible belt perpendicular to the inclined plane of the closed loop. The longitudinal direction of the flexible belt follows the closed loop, the transverse direction is perpendicular to the closed-loop plane, and the thickness is negligible.

[0041] Preferably, the flexible belt is perforated and surrounds a suction chamber connected to a suction source. The suction nozzles of the transfer fasteners are connected to the suction chamber across the perforated flexible belt.

[0042] In this embodiment, the upper receiving area and the lower conveying area will be defined by straight sections of the transfer conveyor, each straight section containing multiple transfer fasteners at the same time.

[0043] This embodiment allows the robotic collection device to be multiple robotic collection devices, simultaneously transferring multiple objects on different transfer fasteners located in the upper receiving area, or allowing each robotic collection device to transfer the object to the optimal transfer fastener and collaborating with the remaining robotic collection devices to achieve the maximum output of the objects.

[0044] According to an alternative embodiment, the transfer conveyor is a disk-shaped member that rotates about an axis perpendicular to the inclined plane of the closed loop; wherein the disk-shaped member surrounds and / or includes a suction chamber connected to a suction source, and the suction nozzle is connected to the suction chamber.

[0045] Regardless of whether the transfer conveyor is a flexible belt or a disk-shaped member, the transfer conveyor includes a static blocking screen; the static blocking screen is configured to interrupt the connection between the suction nozzle of the transfer fastener and the suction chamber, and the suction chamber coincides with the lower conveying area. The static blocking screen is located between the transfer conveyor and the rest of the suction chamber, blocking the perforation of the transfer conveyor (the perforation connects the suction nozzle of the transfer fastener located in the lower conveying area to the rest of the suction chamber), releasing the object retained therein to generate ots conveyance.

[0046] The rotating transfer member can be connected to a servo motor; the servo motor drives the rotating transfer conveyor to stop or decelerate the transfer fastener in the upper receiving area; the stop or deceleration also determines the stop or deceleration of another transfer fastener adjacent to the outlet conveyor. The servo motor is coordinated with the conveying speed of at least one robotic collection device to allow for the optimization of the machine.

[0047] According to another alternative embodiment, the transfer conveyor can be driven by an asynchronous motor; the asynchronous motor moves the transfer conveyor at a regular speed to prevent the object from being accidentally released from the suction nozzle due to acceleration or deceleration. In this case, at least one robotic collection device must be coordinated with the movement of the transfer fastener.

[0048] In one embodiment, the outlet conveyor further includes a plurality of disks to receive objects lacking a base.

[0049] In one embodiment, the machine has two rotating transfer members, which can be located on opposite sides of the inlet transfer conveyor, where they can be accessed by the same robotic collection device located above the inlet conveyor; or, they can be located at consecutive positions on the same side of the inlet conveyor.

[0050] According to one embodiment, the detector system is configured to: distinguish an object in a first lying position (e.g., face-up position) from an object in a second lying position (e.g., face-down position). The robotic collection device will be configured to: transfer an object in the first lying position to one of the two conveyor belts, and transfer an object in the second lying position to the other of the two conveyor belts.

[0051] In this case, all the objects on each conveyor belt will have the same orientation and will be transported in the same orientation. If all the objects need to be fed onto the same line in the same orientation, then the outlet conveyor can be configured to receive objects from the two conveyor belts and, when reaching the outlet conveyor, merge all the objects with the same axial direction.

[0052] This can be achieved by one of the following possible embodiments:

[0053] Each conveyor belt unloads objects onto different outlet conveyors that converge into a single outlet conveyor, where the bottles carried by the different outlet conveyors converge alternately, and the objects may or may not have a uniform axial orientation; or,

[0054] Each conveyor belt unloads objects onto the first and second consecutive parts of the same outlet conveyor respectively, and the objects unloaded in the second part are interleaved between the objects unloaded in the first part of the outlet conveyor, and the objects may or may not have a uniform axial orientation.

[0055] Alternatively, a flipping conveyor can be rotated between one of the conveyor belts and the outlet conveyor for rotating all the objects 180° about their longitudinal central axis before being transported to the outlet conveyor.

[0056] The flipping conveyor is a rotating conveyor that receives objects in a vertical posture from the lower transport area of one of the first and second conveyor belts and transports the objects in the vertical posture to the outlet conveyor after rotating the objects about the longitudinal object axis.

[0057] It should be understood that references to geometric positions, such as parallel, perpendicular, tangent, etc., allow deviations from the theoretical positions defined by this nomenclature of up to ±5°. It should also be understood that any range of values given may not be optimal at the extreme values and may require adjustment of the present invention to make these extreme values applicable, and such adjustments are within the capabilities of those skilled in the art.

[0058] Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0059] The above and other advantages and features will be more fully understood in an illustrative and non - limiting manner by the following detailed description of several embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0060] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine for automatically positioning an object according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the conveyor is a disk - shaped member rotating about an axis perpendicular to an inclined plane of a closed loop, and an enlarged view of some conveyor fasteners.

[0061] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a front view of the machine for the object.

[0062] Figure 3 is Figure 1 a side view of the machine for the object.

[0063] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a machine for automatically positioning an object according to another embodiment of the present invention, including: two conveyors located on the same side of the inlet conveyor, and a flipping conveyor associated with the second conveyor; the flipping conveyor rotates the object unloaded from the second conveyor about a longitudinal axis.

[0064] Figure 5 is Figure 4 a front view of the machine for the object.

[0065] Figure 6 is Figure 4 a side view of the machine for the object.

[0066] Figure 7 is a top view of a machine for automatically positioning an object according to yet another embodiment of the present invention, including two conveyors located on opposite sides of the inlet conveyor.

[0067] Figure 8 is Figure 7 a side view of the machine for the object.

[0068] Figure 9 is a perspective view of a machine for automatically positioning an object according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the conveyor is a flexible belt perpendicular to an inclined plane of a closed loop and parallel to a central axis, and wherein the upper receiving area and the lower conveying area are straight sections of the conveyor.

[0069] Figure 10 is Figure 9 a side view of the machine for the object.

[0070] Figure 11Is a cross-sectional view of a conveyor according to an embodiment, including conveyor fasteners on an upper receiving area and a lower transfer area, where each conveyor fastener includes two aligned suction nozzles defining a seat surface. Detailed Description

[0071] It should be understood that the various parts of an embodiment of the present invention can be freely combined with the parts described in other embodiments, even if such combinations are not explicitly described, as long as such combinations are not harmful.

[0072] Regarding Figure 1 、 2 And 3, a machine 1 for automatically positioning an object, in this case for positioning bottles, is disclosed. The machine 1 includes: an inlet conveyor 2, a detection system 8, a robotic picking device 3, a conveyor 10, and an outlet conveyor 5.

[0073] The inlet conveyor 2 includes a horizontal conveyor belt for placing bottles. The inlet conveyor 2 is connected to an actuator that moves the conveyor belt or moving belt at a given speed to convey the bottles along the path where the detector system 8 is located and convey them towards the picking area.

[0074] The detector system 8 can be an intelligent vision system or, alternatively, an optical system capable of detecting certain features of all the bottles located in the inlet conveyor 2. The detector system 8 is connected to a data transmission system that sends information on the received position, orientation, and shape, or even an additional flag or special marking (if any) of the bottles.

[0075] This information is sent to a robotic picking device 3, as shown in Figure 1 、 2 And 3. The robot is a robotic arm with joints and has four degrees of freedom of movement axes. The robotic picking device 3 operates and manipulates the bottles under the instructions of an algorithm provided by a computer. The robotic picking device 3 searches for and picks up the bottles. Then, the robotic picking device 3 rotates the bottles around the longitudinal axis so that the bottles are oriented such that the longitudinal axis of the bottles (since the bottles are lying flat, the longitudinal axis of the bottles is now horizontal) is perpendicular to the movement direction of the conveyor fasteners in the upper receiving area; and, places the bottles on the seat surface P of a conveyor fastener 20 attached to the conveyor 10. This is done for all the bottles one by one.

[0076] The transfer conveyor 10 in this embodiment is a disc-shaped member in the form of a turntable arranged in a closed loop, and includes a plurality of transfer fasteners 20 attached thereto at fixed positions on its periphery. The transfer conveyor 10 rotates or revolves around its own axis, which is the central axis EG. The transfer fasteners 20 are provided at fixed positions on the transfer conveyor 10 and are also arranged in a circular pattern equidistant from the central axis EG; and the transfer fasteners 20 are also equidistantly arranged and equally spaced from each other. The central axis EG of this embodiment is inclined 45 degrees from the horizontal direction, thereby defining a closed loop of the transfer member 20 in an inclined plane at 45 degrees to the horizontal direction.

[0077] Each transfer fastener 20 includes at least one suction nozzle connected to a suction source 30, and the at least one suction nozzle defines a seat surface P, on which an object is supported and held by suction during the transfer of the object from the upper receiving area to the lower conveying area.

[0078] In this embodiment, the disc-shaped member is a suction chamber 31, and the suction chamber 31 is connected to a suction source 30 through a rotary joint, and a partial vacuum is generated in the suction chamber 31. The transfer fasteners 20 are attached to the periphery of the disc-shaped suction chamber 31, and the corresponding suction nozzles are connected to the suction chamber 31.

[0079] The seat surface P of the transfer fastener 20 is inclined with respect to the inclined plane defining the closed loop and is also inclined with respect to the central axis, preferably at 45 degrees. This inclined state of the seat surface P allows: due to its rotation around the central axis EG, the surface P changes from the horizontal state of the seat when in the upper receiving area to the vertical state when in the lower conveying area.

[0080] The robot collection device 3 places or positions each bottle in the seat surface P of each transfer fastener 20, also in a lying posture and in the upper receiving area; then, the transfer conveyor 10 rotates, and when the transfer fastener 20 carrying the bottle is in the lower transfer area, the bottle is transferred and placed in the outlet conveyor 5 on the upper right of the bottle. When transferring the bottle, the speed of the transfer conveyor 10 at the lower conveying position of the transfer fastener 20 is synchronized with the moving speed of the outlet conveyor 5.

[0081] The outlet conveyor 5 includes a horizontal conveyor belt, and the horizontal conveyor belt is covered with an adhesive surface or a surface with some suction devices to ensure the proper adhesion of the bottle to the outlet transfer conveyor 5 and help ensure that the bottle does not fall off due to the movement of the transfer conveyor.

[0082] Figure 1 、 2 And 3 also shows the support structure 4 for supporting the rotating transfer member 10 and the outlet conveyor 5, and the support structure 4 is anchored to the ground.

[0083] Figure 4 and 5 Figures 4 and 6 show a machine 1 for automatically positioning bottles, which includes an inlet conveyor 2 similar to the inlet conveyor 2 and a robotic picking device 3. These elements are the same as the elements disclosed in Figure 1 and 2 and 3.

[0084] The machine 1 is as shown in Figure 4 and 5 and 6. In this embodiment, it also includes two conveyor belts 10a, 10b located on the same side of the inlet conveyor 2, and also shows a tipping conveyor 10c associated with the second conveyor belt 10b; the conveyor belt 10b is located upstream of the outlet conveyor 5, and the objects unloaded from the second conveyor belt 10b are rotated around the longitudinal axis so that all the objects on the outlet conveyor have the same axial direction.

[0085] The robotic picking device 3 receives the information detected by the detection system 8, and the robotic picking device 3 operates and conveys the bottles under the instruction of the algorithm provided by the computer.

[0086] In this embodiment, the machine 1 includes: a support or frame 4 structure for supporting the conveyor belts 10 and the outlet conveyor 5. The support 4 structure is anchored to the ground.

[0087] Figure 7 and 8 show a machine 1 for automatically positioning bottles, which includes: two outlet conveyors 5a, 5b, which are conveyor belts located on each side of the inlet conveyor 2. Figure 7 Figure 28 shows a top view of the machine 1, Figure 8 Figure 30 shows a front view of the machine 1. Figure 7 and 8 show an inlet conveyor belt 2 and a robotic picking device 3; the robotic picking device 3 is an articulated arm robot with four axes, which conveys the bottles to two rotating conveyor members or two conveyor belts 10a, 10b that are tilted or inclined. The two rotating conveyor members or two conveyor belts 10a, 10b are located on different sides of the inlet conveyor 2. Each conveyor belt 10a, 10b includes a plurality of conveyor fasteners 20 arranged in a closed loop. The two outlet conveyors 5a, 5b of the conveyor belt finally converge onto the same conveyor belt 5; that is, each conveyor belt 10a and 10b unloads objects on different outlet conveyors 5a, 5b, and the outlet conveyors 5a, 5b are connected to a single outlet conveyor 5, where the axial directions of all the bottles are the same. Figure 7 and 8Also shown is the structure of the support 4 for supporting the transfer conveyor 10 and the outlet conveyor 5, and the structure of the support 4 is anchored to the ground.

[0088] Figure 9 and Figure 10 shows Figure 1 An alternative embodiment of the machine 1 shown, but wherein the transfer conveyor 10 is a flexible belt having two straight segments, one straight segment corresponding to the upper receiving area and the other corresponding to the lower conveying area, the straight segments being connected by two extreme semi-circular segments; the flexible belt defines a closed loop in an inclined plane perpendicular to the central axis EG of the two semi-circular segments of the flexible belt. The inclined plane is inclined 45 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane, and the flexible belt is perpendicular to the inclined plane.

[0089] The flexible belt surrounds a static suction chamber 31 connected to a suction source 30, and the flexible belt is supported on the peripheral wall of the suction chamber 31.

[0090] Transfer fasteners 20 are attached to the flexible belt, and suction nozzles included on the transfer fasteners 20 are connected through the flexible belt to the suction chamber 31; the flexible belt is perforated or includes openings that are aligned with perforations or openings in the peripheral wall of the suction chamber 31.

[0091] The peripheral wall of the suction chamber 31 includes areas without perforations or openings; the areas serve as static barrier screens that interrupt the connection between the suction nozzles of the transfer fasteners 20 and the suction chamber 31 to release the objects held in the suction nozzles. The areas without perforations or openings coincide with the lower conveying area or, at their ends, coincide with the direction of movement of the transfer fasteners 20.

[0092] Figure 11 shows Figure 9 and Figure 10 A longitudinal section of the suction chamber 31 of the embodiment shown, the suction chamber 31 being connected to a suction source 30; the peripheral wall of the suction chamber 31 is surrounded by the transfer conveyor 10 but includes two suction nozzles on each transfer fastener 20.

Claims

1. A machine for automatically positioning objects, comprising: - at least one inlet conveyor configured to convey a plurality of objects in a lying flat posture; - a plurality of transfer fasteners movable between an upper receiving area and a lower conveying area along a closed loop in a plane inclined with respect to the horizontal plane; in the upper receiving area, the transfer fasteners are movable in a first direction and configured to receive objects held in a lying flat posture; in the lower conveying area, the transfer fasteners are movable in a second direction opposite to the first direction and configured to convey objects held in an upright posture; due to the movement of the transfer fasteners along the closed loop, the objects are transferred from a lying flat posture to an upright posture; - at least one outlet conveyor adjacent to and synchronized with the lower conveying area of the transfer conveyor for receiving objects in an upright posture; - a detector system configured to at least identify the orientation and / or shape of the objects conveyed on the inlet conveyor; - at least one robotic picking device configured to pick up objects in a lying flat posture from the inlet conveyor, rotate along the longitudinal axis according to the information received from the detection system, and transfer the objects to the upper receiving area of the transfer fasteners, so that the objects are transferred in the first direction in cooperation with the movement of the transfer fasteners; wherein, the transfer fasteners are attached to fixed positions along the perimeter of the transfer conveyor, the transfer conveyor is movable along a closed loop, and the transfer fasteners are dragged by the transfer conveyor; each transfer fastener includes a suction nozzle connected to a suction source, each suction nozzle defines a seat surface that is inclined with respect to the inclined plane of the closed loop, is substantially horizontal in the upper receiving area, and is substantially vertical in the lower conveying area; and, wherein the seat surfaces of all the transfer fasteners are non-concave and exposed, and are configured to hold the objects by suction without confining the objects within the transfer fasteners.

2. The machine according to claim 1, wherein, The transfer conveyor is a flexible belt perpendicular to the inclined plane of the closed loop.

3. The machine according to claim 2, wherein, The flexible belt is perforated and surrounds a suction chamber connected to a suction source; and, wherein the suction nozzles straddle the perforated flexible belt and are connected to the suction chamber.

4. The machine according to claim 1, wherein, The upper receiving area and the lower conveying area are straight sections of the transfer conveyor.

5. The machine according to claim 1, wherein, The transfer conveyor is a disk-shaped member that rotates about an axis perpendicular to the inclined plane of the closed loop; and wherein the disk-shaped member surrounds and / or includes a suction chamber connected to a suction source, and the suction nozzles are connected to the suction chamber.

6. The machine according to claim 3, wherein, The transfer conveyor includes a static blocking screen in the lower conveying area, the static blocking screen being configured to interrupt the connection between the suction nozzles of the transfer fasteners reaching the lower conveying area and the suction chamber.

7. The machine according to claim 5, wherein, The transfer conveyor includes a static blocking screen in the lower conveying area, the static blocking screen being configured to interrupt the connection between the suction nozzles of the transfer fasteners reaching the lower conveying area and the suction chamber.

8. The machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The transfer conveyor is driven by a servo motor configured to: stop or reduce the speed of the transfer conveyor when one transfer fastener is in the upper receiving position and at the same time another transfer fastener opposite to the transfer fastener in the upper receiving position is in the lower conveying position near the outlet conveyor.

9. The machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein The inclined plane of the closed loop is inclined 45 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane.

10. The machine according to claim 1, wherein, The outlet conveyor further includes a plurality of discs for receiving objects without a base.

11. The machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7 or claim 10, wherein, It further includes two transfer conveyors located on different sides of the inlet conveyor.

12. The machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7 or claim 10, wherein, It further includes two transfer conveyors located on the same side of the inlet conveyor.

13. The machine according to claim 11, wherein, The detector system is configured to distinguish between an object in a first lying position and an object in a second lying position; and, wherein the robotic collection device is configured to: convey an object in the first lying position to one of the two transfer conveyors and convey an object in the second lying position to the other of the two transfer conveyors.

14. The machine according to claim 12, wherein, The detector system is configured to distinguish between an object in a first lying position and an object in a second lying position; and, wherein the robotic collection device is configured to: convey an object in the first lying position to one of the two transfer conveyors and convey an object in the second lying position to the other of the two transfer conveyors.

15. The machine according to claim 11, wherein: Each transfer conveyor discharges objects onto different outlet conveyors that converge into a single outlet conveyor, where the bottles carried by the different outlet conveyors converge in an interleaved manner; or, Each transfer conveyor discharges objects onto different outlet conveyors that converge into a single outlet conveyor, where the bottles carried by the different outlet conveyors converge together in an interleaved manner and the axial directions of all the objects are the same; or, Each transfer conveyor discharges objects onto the first and second consecutive portions of the same outlet conveyor respectively, and the objects discharged in the second portion are interleaved among the objects discharged in the first portion of the outlet conveyor; or, Each transfer conveyor discharges objects onto the first and second consecutive portions of the same outlet conveyor respectively, and the objects discharged in the second portion are interleaved among the objects discharged in the first portion of the outlet conveyor and all the objects are discharged with the same axial direction.

16. The machine according to claim 12, wherein: Each transfer conveyor discharges objects onto different outlet conveyors that converge into a single outlet conveyor, where the bottles carried by the different outlet conveyors converge in an interleaved manner; or, Each transfer conveyor discharges objects onto different outlet conveyors that converge into a single outlet conveyor, where the bottles carried by the different outlet conveyors converge together in an interleaved manner and the axial directions of all the objects are the same; or, Each transfer conveyor discharges objects onto the first and second consecutive portions of the same outlet conveyor respectively, and the objects discharged in the second portion are interleaved among the objects discharged in the first portion of the outlet conveyor; or, Each transfer conveyor discharges objects onto the first and second consecutive portions of the same outlet conveyor respectively, and the objects discharged in the second portion are interleaved among the objects discharged in the first portion of the outlet conveyor and all the objects are discharged with the same axial direction.

17. The machine according to claim 11, wherein, The flipping transfer conveyor is a rotary conveyor that receives an object in an upright position from the lower conveying area of one of the first and second transfer conveyors and conveys the object in the upright position to the outlet conveyor after rotating the object about the longitudinal object axis.

18. The machine according to claim 1, wherein, Each seat surface is an elongated seat surface, transverse to the direction of movement of the conveyor, and the elongated seat surface is defined by an elongated suction nozzle or by a plurality of aligned suction nozzles.

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