A method for automatically loading loads into a holder, where one load is adjacent to the other and the other is positioned above the other, and a conveying station.

Abstract

This invention relates to a method for automatically loading cargo into a holder, where one cargo is adjacent to another and positioned above the other. [Solution] The method includes the steps of: placing the load to be loaded into a first group of loads having surrounding walls made of at least a large portion of a relatively hard material, or into a second group of loads having surrounding walls made of at least a large portion of a relatively soft material; supplying the load to be loaded to at least one transport position belonging to a transport station; and moving the load to be loaded from one of the transport positions to a holder using at least one manipulator belonging to the transport station. In this case, the control unit of the transport station controls at least one manipulator so that at least a bottom layer, an top layer, and at least one intermediate layer located between the bottom and top layers are formed in the holder based on the arrangement of the load to be loaded, each layer consisting of a number of loads arranged in the same group, and the intermediate layer having layers above and below it in which loads are arranged in other groups related to the loads of each intermediate layer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the automatic loading of packages where one package is adjacent to another and one is disposed above the other. In the context of the present invention, such holders can typically be formed by the loading space of a cart or by a container such as a unit load device (ULD) type. In use, such ULD containers are loaded with packages outside the aircraft and the whole is placed in the aircraft's cargo holder. The holder can also be formed by the loading space of a luggage cart. Such luggage carts can be self-propelled vehicles and trailers. The packages are carried to the aircraft by such carts, where the packages are optionally moved from the cart's loading space to the aircraft's cargo holder with the aid of mechanical assistance such as an upwardly inclined transportable conveyor belt.

Background Art

[0002] It is known that the loading of the above-mentioned holders is heavy labor, and for this reason, it is also known to perform such work automatically. This is described, for example, in European Patent Application EP1070664A2. This document describes that relatively heavy and hard packages are first placed in the holder and light and soft packages are placed on top of them. In practice, it has been found that the full automatic loading of packages is less efficient than the conventional method of manually loading packages in the sense that, on average, more packages can be loaded manually than by automated methods. Furthermore, in practice, it has been found that a significant proportion of the packages in the holder are still often selected for loading, and that the stacking of the packages is unstable or at least different from that provided by the control unit, so that it is necessary to periodically interrupt the automatic loading of the packages in order to manually perform corrective operations on the stacking of the packages.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to provide a solution or at least an improvement to the above-mentioned drawbacks. To this end, according to a first aspect of the present invention, the method of claim 1 is provided. In this case, the present invention is based on the understanding that the well-known loading strategies described above can result in unstable stacking, and that the stability of the stacking is improved on average by using at least one layer having a portion of relatively soft cargo between layers of relatively hard cargo, which are often relatively heavy in practice. Claim 1 specifically states that the intermediate layer has layers above and below it in which cargo is located in other groups with respect to the cargo of each intermediate layer. To avoid misunderstanding, it should be noted that this description relates to both situations in which each intermediate layer is in direct contact with the described layers located above and / or below it, and situations in which each intermediate layer is not in direct contact with either the described layers located above and / or below it. The relatively soft layer ensures that the layer with the relatively hard cargo stacked on top of it is supported in a more stable manner, particularly reducing the tendency of the hard cargo to shift and allowing the available space to be used more efficiently. The first group of relatively rigid luggage is also called hard bags, hard case luggage, or hard shell luggage. The materials used for such hard bags are, for example, polycarbonate (PC), polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or aluminum alloys. They deform relatively little under load and tend to shift out of place when stacked. Soft luggage, also called soft bags, is usually made of materials such as nylon, polyester, or (artificial) leather. Due to their properties, they are relatively flexible and consequently deform more than hard bags under load. Furthermore, the materials used for soft bags are generally less smooth than those used for hard bags.While this invention relates to automated loading, it does not preclude the possibility that a limited percentage of the luggage to be loaded into the holder, for example, the last 20%, may be loaded manually, or that automated loading may occasionally need to be interrupted for manual intervention. Overall, this invention enables a relatively large amount of loading to be performed in an automated manner, reducing the need for physical personnel for this purpose. Furthermore, the available space of the holder can be used more efficiently. The placement of individual luggage into the first or second group can be done immediately before loading into the holder, but can also be done immediately after the luggage has been checked in by the passenger, and can be, for example, attached to the luggage and combined with a luggage label that can be read in an automated manner, for example by a barcode scanner.

[0004] Stacking stability can be benefited when the control unit controls at least one manipulator so that the intermediate layer has layers directly above and / or directly below it in which the loads of other groups associated with each intermediate layer's loads are located.

[0005] In a further embodiment, the control unit controls at least one manipulator such that the loads belonging to the bottom layer are arranged in a first group, and the loads belonging to the intermediate layer directly above them are arranged in a second group. The bottom layer lies on the bottom surface of the holder.

[0006] From the standpoint of improving the stability of the stacked layers, it is even more advantageous for the control unit to control at least one manipulator such that each intermediate layer has layers above and / or below it in which the same group of items as the items in each intermediate layer are located.

[0007] In a further embodiment, the control unit controls at least one manipulator such that a further layer located between the intermediate layer and the top layer contains other groups of luggage relating to both the luggage of each intermediate layer and the luggage of the top layer, and / or a further layer located between the intermediate layer and the bottom layer contains other groups of luggage relating to both the luggage of each intermediate layer and the luggage of the bottom layer. Thus, the further layers are intermediate layers, although they are different from those mentioned in the preceding paragraph, but are by definition intermediate layers.

[0008] Stacking stability can be further enhanced if the control unit controls at least one manipulator such that the total weight of luggage belonging to the upper half of multiple layers is less than the total weight of luggage belonging to the lower half of multiple layers, and / or the average volume of luggage belonging to the upper half of multiple layers is less than the average volume of luggage belonging to the lower half of multiple layers. Intermediate, by definition intermediate layers may be excluded from consideration as long as the number of layers is odd. The weight and volume of individual luggage can be determined not only immediately before loading into the holder but also immediately after luggage is checked in by the passenger, and can be combined, for example, with luggage labels attached to the luggage that can be read in an automated manner, for example by a barcode scanner. Information regarding the weight and volume of individual luggage is notified to the control unit after the determination.

[0009] The method can further enhance the stability of the stacking of loads within the holder if it includes the steps of determining the dimensions of the loads to be loaded and the control unit selecting loads to form layers within the holder based in part on the determined dimensions. Thus, the loads in each layer can be selected by the control unit such that their respective heights, i.e., the vertical dimensions of the loads belonging to the layer, are at least substantially equal, and as a result, the surface formed by the top surfaces of each load in the layer becomes linear and horizontal, allowing subsequent layers to lie on top of it in a stable manner.

[0010] In practical embodiments, the loads to be loaded are supplied to one of two or more, preferably four or more, transport positions, and at least one manipulator moves the loads to be loaded into the holder from different transport positions. The supply of loads to be loaded to the transport positions can be achieved based on the characteristics of the loads, for example, their placement into a first or second group, the weight, dimensions, and / or volume of each load. In this way, it can be achieved that there are always, or at least relatively frequently, suitable loads available directly for simultaneous loading into the holder with the help of a manipulator.

[0011] The designated high availability of the appropriate portion of the load can be achieved, in particular, when the transport position is located at the end of the relevant conveyor and the distance between consecutive loads on each conveyor is at most 10 cm. The loads to be loaded are relatively close to each other while being supplied to the transport position, thereby allowing the transport station used to implement this method to be designed to be relatively compact.

[0012] In one embodiment, the holder is a loading space on a luggage cart or a container such as a Unit Load Device (ULD) type container.

[0013] While the placement into the first and second groups can be based on human observation, this selection can also be automated. For this purpose, the method may include the steps of observing the loads to be loaded using a camera, and placing the loads to be loaded into the first or second group based on observations by a control unit. The use of the camera can determine the type of material of the loads, or at least the type of material of the surrounding walls. The shape of the loads can also optionally be a determining factor for determining whether the loads should be placed in the first or second group, for example, based on the outline of the loads and / or the wheels and / or handles of the loads. If the shape of the outline and / or handles of the loads is tight, this indicates that each load should be placed in the first group.

[0014] According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a conveying station for the automatic loading of holders having loads, one of which is adjacent to the other and the other positioned above the other, as described in claim 13. Those skilled in the art will understand the advantages associated with such a conveying station based on the above description of the method according to the present invention.

[0015] In a possible embodiment, each of the at least one conveyor is equipped with a belt conveyor and / or a camera, and / or at least one manipulator is equipped with a 6-axis robot.

[0016] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is an isometric view of the transport station according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a vertical front view of a ULD container being loaded according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] Figure 1 shows a transport station 1 for automatically loading cargo 3 into ULD containers 2. The transport station 1 comprises a schematically illustrated electronic control unit 41. The ULD containers 2 are placed on a belt conveyor 4, which is controlled by the control unit 41 during operation, and which can supply the containers 2 to be loaded to the transport station 1 and discharge them again from the transport station 1. Figure 1 shows eight such cargoes 3a to 3f, which are indicated by reference number 3 below and above unless otherwise important. Each cargo is located in a transport position. Each transport position is associated with the downstream end of a short belt conveyor 11, each belt conveyor 11 having a length of, for example, 100 cm. Each belt conveyor 11 is equipped with a drive motor 12. This drive motor 12 is controlled by the control unit 41 during operation and drives the deflector roller of the most downstream belt conveyor 11 via a right-angle transmission 13. Each drive motor 12 is controlled by the control unit 41 during operation. The upstream end of each belt conveyor 11 is adjacent to a supply conveyor (details not shown). Preferably, the loads 3 on the supply conveyor are located at a distance of up to 10 cm from each other. The loads to be loaded into containers 2 may also be supplied to one of the belt conveyors 11 by another means, such as an automated guided vehicle (AGV), lift, or shuttle, from a store where the loads are temporarily stored.

[0019] The transport station 1 further includes a manipulator designed as a vertical 6-axis robot 21. The robot 21 has a transport tool at the free end of its outermost arm, designed as a gripper 22, which is known to those skilled in the art and is described, for example, in European Patent Application EP 1174374 A1 and Research Publication RD 690031. The transport tool 22 includes a belt conveyor 23. During operation, the robot 21 positions the belt of the belt conveyor 23 opposite the belt conveyor 11 at the transport position where the loads 3 to be loaded are located. By simultaneously driving the belt conveyor 23 and the belt conveyor 11, each load 3 is transported from the transport position to the belt conveyor 23. Subsequently, the robot 21 moves the transport tool 22 through the opening 4 to a position inside the container 2, and as the robot 21 performs the retraction operation, it drives the belt conveyor so that, spatially speaking, each load 3 initially remains in the same position, and as the belt conveyor completely separates from below the load 3, it drops into the container 2 at the desired position.

[0020] While the cargo 3 is being loaded into container 2, layers are formed inside container 2, as shown in Figure 2, and these layers are stacked one by one. In Figure 2, container 2 already has four complete layers 31, 32, 33, and 34 loaded, and a fifth layer 35 is partially loaded. For loading into container 2, each part of cargo 3 was positioned before loading in groups, specifically, in a first group of cargo 3-1 parts having surrounding walls made of at least a large portion of a relatively hard material, or in a second group of cargo 3-2 parts having surrounding walls made of at least a large portion of a relatively soft material. Cargo 3-1 positioned in the first group generally exhibits or is harder and smoother behavior than cargo 3-2 in the second group. The positioning of cargo 3 into one of the two groups is performed before loading into holder 2, and each position is stored in the memory of the control unit 41. The decision process may be based on human observation, but it may also be carried out in an automated manner, for example, with the help of a camera, and in some cases using image recognition. Camera observation provides information about the type of material of the wall surrounding the package, for example, whether it is reflective or smooth. Furthermore, the shape of package 3 can be a relatively reliable indicator of whether package 3 should be placed in the first group or the second group.

[0021] Furthermore, with the help of a camera, or other sensors such as a light curtain (not shown in further detail, but known to those skilled in the art), it is possible to obtain information regarding the dimensions of the loads. This information is also stored in the memory of the control unit 41 and is used by the control unit 41 to give each of the loads 3 in a particular layer 31-35 an equal height. This allows the layers lying on top of each other to be supported in a stable manner, with a relatively low risk of each load 3 making undesirable movements after each load 3 has been moved, with the help of the robot 21, onto the layer in which it lies below.

[0022] In Figure 1, luggage 3b, 3c, 3e, and 3f represent relatively rigid luggage placed in the first group, while luggage 3a, 3d, 3g, and 3h represent relatively soft luggage, such as holdalls or rucksacks, placed in the second group. Furthermore, luggage 3a, 3b, 3c, 3f, and 3h have relatively large heights, while luggage 3d, 3e, and 3g have relatively small heights. The control unit 41 ensures that luggage 3 is available at at least one of the eight transport positions at any given moment, as is necessary at that time to load container 2.

[0023] The loading of container 2, particularly by robot 21, is controlled by control unit 41 so that layers 31-35 alternately consist only of loads 3-1 from a first group or only of loads 3-2 from a second group. Furthermore, each load 3 in the same row has at least substantially the same height. This prevents one of the two layers containing loads 3-1 from the first group from overlapping the other. Thus, the risk of such loads accidentally sliding off is limited. The present invention does not preclude the placement of a limited portion of loads 3 that are not loaded into container 2 or, more generally, into holders, by robot 21. In particular, the loading of the last load 3 into holders can also be done manually.

[0024] In another embodiment, in the stacking, not only can there be one intermediate layer having luggage 3-2 from a second group between layers having luggage 3-1 from a first group, but there can also be two or more intermediate layers where one intermediate layer is positioned on top of another intermediate layer.

[0025] Apart from the arrangement of individual packages 3 into the first or second group, the control unit 41 may also consider the volume and / or weight of individual packages 3 for the purpose of loading the packages 3 into the container 2. Specifically, a more stable stack can be obtained by ensuring that the total weight of packages 3 in the lower half of a layer is greater than the total weight of packages 3 in the upper half of a layer, and / or that the average volume of packages 3 belonging to the upper half of a layer is smaller than the average volume of packages 3 belonging to the lower half of a number of layers.

Claims

1. A method for automatically loading a load into a holder, wherein one load is adjacent to the other and the other is positioned above the other, the method is: A step of arranging the load to be loaded in a first group of loads having surrounding walls made of at least a large portion of a relatively hard material, or arranging the load to be loaded in a second group of loads having surrounding walls made of at least a large portion of a relatively soft material, A step of supplying the cargo to be loaded to at least one transport position belonging to the transport station, The steps include: moving the load to be loaded from one of the transport positions to a holder using at least one manipulator belonging to the transport station; Equipped with, A method comprising: a control unit of the transport station controlling the at least one manipulator such that, based on the arrangement of the loads to be loaded, at least a bottom layer, an top layer, and at least one intermediate layer located between the bottom and top layers are formed within the holder, each layer consisting of a number of loads arranged in the same group, and the intermediate layer having layers both above and below it in which loads are arranged in other groups related to the loads of each intermediate layer.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the at least one manipulator such that the intermediate layer has directly above and / or directly below the layer in which the cargo is located relative to the other group of cargo in each of the intermediate layers.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit controls the at least one manipulator to arrange the luggage belonging to the lowest layer in the first group and the luggage belonging to the intermediate layer directly above it in the second group.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, and 3, wherein the control unit controls the at least one manipulator such that the intermediate layer has above and / or below it layers in which the loads are arranged in the same group as the loads of each of the intermediate layers.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit controls the at least one manipulator such that a further layer located between the intermediate layer and the uppermost layer includes the other group of luggage relating to both the luggage in each of the intermediate layers and the luggage in the uppermost layer, and / or a further layer located between the intermediate layer and the bottom layer includes the other group of luggage relating to both the luggage in each of the intermediate layers and the luggage in the bottom layer.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control unit controls the at least one manipulator such that the total weight of the packages belonging to the upper half of the numerous layers is less than the total weight of the packages belonging to the lower half of the numerous layers.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control unit controls the at least one manipulator such that the average volume of the luggage belonging to the upper half of the numerous layers is smaller than the average volume of the luggage belonging to the lower half of the numerous layers.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising the steps of determining the dimensions of the load to be loaded, and the control unit selecting the load to form layers in the holder based in part on the determined dimensions.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the load to be loaded is supplied to one of two or more, preferably four or more, transport positions, and at least one manipulator moves the load to be loaded from a different transport position to the holder.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the transport position is provided at the end of the conveyor to which the transport position relates, and the distance between consecutive loads on each of the conveyors is at most 10 cm.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the holder is a loading space for a container such as a luggage cart or a unit load device (ULD) type container.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising the steps of observing the load to be loaded using a camera, and arranging the load to be loaded into the first group or the second group based on the observation by the control unit.

13. A transport station for automatically loading loads into a holder, where one load is adjacent to the other and the other is positioned above the other, At least one transport position for making the cargo to be loaded available, each transport position located at the end of the conveyor, At least one manipulator for moving the load to be loaded from the at least one transport position to the holder, A control unit that controls the at least one manipulator, based on the arrangement of the load to be loaded into a first group of loads having surrounding walls made of at least a relatively hard material, or a second group of loads having surrounding walls made of at least a relatively soft material, such that at least a bottom layer, an top layer, and at least one intermediate layer located between the bottom and top layers are formed within the holder, Equipped with, A transport station in which each layer consists of a number of packages arranged in the same group, and the intermediate layer has layers above and below it in which packages are arranged in other groups related to the packages of each intermediate layer.

14. The conveying station according to claim 13, wherein each of the at least one conveyors is a belt conveyor.

15. The transport station according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the at least one manipulator comprises a 6-axis robot.

16. A transport station according to claim 13, 14, or 15, comprising a camera for observing the load to be loaded, wherein the control unit is configured to arrange the load to be loaded into the first group or the second group based on the observation.

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