Robotic box packing device and system

Abstract

To provide a robot boxing apparatus and system with a simple structure capable of supplying products in a state of being laid and aligned in rows and partly overlapping columns into an upwardly open box.CONSTITUTION: A robot boxing apparatus comprises: a guide rail part 20 having guide grooves 23 that support a plurality of products 1 in an erected state; a product tilting part 30 which is provided at a carry-out side of the guide rail part, and which receives the products carried out from the guide rail part and tilts the products along a moving direction of the products; a suction head 40 that can suction the products tilted by the product tilting part; and a robot that moves the suction head between the product tilting part and an upwardly open box. A suction surface 41 of the suction head has a tilted surface corresponding to a tilt of the product tilted by the product tilting part. The robot moves the suction head so that the products in the tilted attitude overlap other already-supplied products in the box 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot box-packing device and system, and more particularly to a technology suitable for packing a plurality of products in a semi-overlapped state like sashimi on an open-top box such as a tray.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, when storing products containing confectionery or the like in an open-top box to improve the appearance, the products may be arranged in a semi-overlapped state like sashimi and stored in the box. As a technology for supplying products in such a packaging form, for example, there is one disclosed in Patent Document 1. The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 is to incline an open-top box, stack the products held by a robot one by one in the box, supply a predetermined number of products into the box, and then return the box to a horizontal state, so that the plurality of products fall in the same direction and overlap with adjacent products to form a sashimi shape.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 may disrupt the alignment state of the products in the box when the box is returned to a horizontal state. In addition, a device for inclining the box or the like is separately required, and the configuration and mechanism for transferring the products become complicated.

[0005] The problems described above are described as independent ones, and the present invention does not necessarily have to solve all of the described problems, and it is sufficient to solve at least one problem. Also, the present invention has the intention of obtaining rights by separate filing, amendment, etc. for the configuration for solving this problem. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the robot packing device of the present invention comprises: (1) a guide rail section having guide grooves that support a plurality of products in an upright position in a side-by-side manner; a product tilting section provided on the discharge side of the guide rail section to receive the products discharged from the guide rail section and tilt the products along the direction of movement of the products; a suction head capable of picking up the products in the tilted position at the product tilting section; and a robot that moves the suction head between the product tilting section and a box that opens upwards, wherein the suction surface of the suction head has an inclined surface that matches the tilt of the products in the tilted position at the product tilting section; the robot is configured to move the suction head so as to overlap the tilted product with another product supplied into the box, and to release the suction of the suction head when it is overlapped with the other product.

[0007] In this way, the upright product tilts along the direction of movement at the product tilting section, and the suction surface of the suction head is also tilted to match the tilt of the product. Therefore, by lowering the suction head while aligning the tilt direction of the suction surface with the tilt direction of the product, the product can be attached to the suction surface. Once the product is held by the suction head, it will be in an inclined position, and when the product is supplied to the box in this position, it can be placed in that inclined position. Thus, by placing the inclined product a predetermined amount offset on top of products already supplied to the box, multiple products can be packed in a half-stacked state, like a sashimi platter. Moreover, since the product is moved and supplied to the box in an inclined position, the box itself can remain in a horizontal position while the packing process is carried out.

[0008] (2) The bottom surface of the product tilting section that receives the product is an uneven surface with continuous peaks and valleys in a direction intersecting the direction of movement of the product, and it is preferable that the uneven surface has first inclined surface sections and second inclined surface sections with different inclination angles arranged alternately.

[0009] In this configuration, when multiple products are supplied in an upright position onto a receiving surface consisting of a series of uneven surfaces with peaks and valleys, each product will tilt to the side with the gentler incline, resulting in a tilted position where a portion of it overlaps with the adjacent product on the side it is tilting. Since each product is attracted in this tilted position, it remains attracted in that tilted position. Therefore, the suction head can stably hold multiple products constituting the stack in an tilted position, and when transferring them to a box, they can be packed in the box while maintaining their tilted position with a portion overlapping. As a result, each product is packed in the box in a tilted position with a portion overlapping in both the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0010] (3) The center position in the width direction of the guide groove is offset from the connection portion between the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface, so that the center position is located on the side of the first and second inclined surfaces with the gentler inclination angle. In this way, the product being discharged from the guide groove moves to the middle of the inclined surface with the gentler inclination angle, moves forward while falling along the inclined surface, and can be smoothly tipped over along the gentle inclined surface and stacked on top of the adjacent product.

[0011] (4) The bottom surface of the tilting part of the product is ,before It is preferable to create a step at the bottom of the guide groove and position it at a lower level. By creating a step, the leading edge of the product can be guided more smoothly as it moves forward while falling along the inclined surface.

[0012] (5) The bottom surface of the product tilting section that receives the product should be configured to change between a first horizontal position along the direction of movement of the product and a second inclined position along the direction of movement of the product. In this way, when receiving a product being unloaded from the guide rail section, the product can be stably transferred as it is in the first position. The product transferred to the product tilting section can then be inclined as it changes to the second position.

[0013] (6) The system according to the present invention comprises a robot box packing device as described in any of (1) to (5), and a double-loop stacking device having a plurality of buckets for transporting the products in an upright position, wherein the guide rail section is arranged on either the left or right side of the double-loop stacking device, and the system is configured such that the products, which are upright in the buckets, can be pushed out and supplied to the guide grooves of the guide rail section while maintaining their upright position.

[0014] In this way, the double-loop stacking device can sequentially transport the specified products and position them in the designated locations, and the products in the buckets can be pushed sideways and set into the guide grooves of the guide rails. Therefore, the product stacking process in the double-loop stacking device and the boxing process by the robotic boxing device can be performed at their respective timings.

[0015] Furthermore, the configurations described in (1) to (6) above can be combined as appropriate, and the components described in the embodiments and drawings should be combined based on such combined configurations. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] The present invention can achieve at least one of the following effects: Since the product is moved in an inclined position and supplied to the box, the box itself can be placed horizontally while the packing process is carried out. The box can be prevented from tilting after packing, and the movement of the product inside the box can be minimized. The robot that moves the suction head only needs to have the function of raising and lowering the suction head and the function of moving it back and forth horizontally or in a quadratic plane, so it is possible to have a simple configuration and high-speed processing. In addition, multiple products can be packed in a position where parts of them overlap in the vertical and horizontal directions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This figure shows a schematic configuration of a system equipped with a robotic box packing device according to the present invention. [Figure 2]It is a figure which shows an example of the product and box used for this embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view at the time of the first posture showing a preferred embodiment of the robot box-packing device according to the present invention. [Figure 4] It is the perspective view thereof. [Figure 5] It is the plan view thereof. [Figure 6] It is the side view thereof. [Figure 7] It is a perspective view at the time of the second posture thereof. [Figure 8] It is the plan view thereof. [Figure 9] It is a perspective view at the time of the first posture showing the state where the product is placed. [Figure 10] It is a perspective view at the time of the second posture showing the state where the product is placed. [Figure 11] It is the front view thereof. [Figure 12] It is the plan view thereof. [Figure 13] It is a perspective view at the time of the first posture showing another embodiment. [Figure 14] It is a perspective view at the time of the second posture showing another embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. The present invention is not construed as being limited thereto, and various changes, modifications, and improvements can be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 1 shows a part of the system 10. This system 10 includes a product conveyor 11 that conveys products 1 one by one, a double-loop integrating device 12 disposed on the unloading side of the product conveyor 11, a robot box-packing device 15 disposed during the conveyance of the double-loop integrating device 12 and transferring the product 1 conveyed by the double-loop integrating device 12 to an upper-open box 2 waiting on the downstream side, a box conveyor 13 that conveys the box 2, and the like.

[0020] In this embodiment, the product 1 to be boxed is constructed by storing a long, slender item 3 in a packaging bag 4, as shown in Figure 2(a). The item 3 is, for example, confectionery or other food products. However, the item 3 is not limited to confectionery and can be applied to various items, and furthermore, instead of packaging in a packaging bag 4 as in this embodiment, it may be stored in a packaging box or the like. Moreover, the product 1 may be the item 3 alone, rather than a packaged product.

[0021] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the system 10 stacks multiple products 1 in a box 2 in a semi-overlapping state (also referred to as "sashimi-like"), and as shown in Figure 2(b), the box 2 has a first projection 2b and a second projection 2c extending in the direction of the short side on one short side of its bottom surface 2a, and a shelf 2d that is raised one level higher on the other short side.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2(c), product 1 is supplied into the box 2 at an inclination along its longitudinal direction, and products 1 positioned one behind the other along the long side of the box 2 are arranged in a sashimi-like fashion. Each product 1 is positioned in an upright, diagonal position with its lower end in contact with the side wall 2e, first projection 2b, and second projection 2c on the side of the first projection 2b, and is supported by the product 1 and shelf 2d located behind it to maintain its diagonal position. In Figure 2(c), for illustrative purposes, products 1 lined up horizontally are shown either touching each other or separated by a predetermined distance, but in reality, products 1 that are transferred together by the robot box packing device 15 overlap partially on the left and right sides, changing their posture to a sashimi-like fashion, so products 1 lined up horizontally in the box 2 also end up in a half-overlapping sashimi-like state. Thus, the specific configuration of the system 10 for packing products 1 into the box 2 in a sashimi-like fashion in the vertical and horizontal directions is as follows.

[0023] The product conveying conveyor 11 is a belt conveyor having a downward-sloping conveying surface with the front side in the conveying direction facing downwards, and it conveys the product 1 in a sideways orientation, that is, in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction.

[0024] The double-loop stacking device 12 is equipped with at least two sets of bucket groups, each consisting of 18 buckets arranged front to back along the transport direction, and moves in units of 18. As shown in Figure 1, when one bucket group A is temporarily stopped in the installation area of ​​the robot boxing device 15, the buckets 14 constituting the other bucket group B move intermittently in conjunction with the drive of the product transport conveyor 11, and empty buckets 14 wait at the discharge position of the product transport conveyor 11. When the product 1 discharged from the product transport conveyor 11 is received by the empty bucket 14, each bucket 14 constituting bucket group B moves by a pitch of one bucket, preparing to supply product to the next empty bucket 14. By repeating this process as appropriate, product 1 is supplied to a predetermined bucket 14 out of the 18. In other words, as shown in Figure 2(c), in this embodiment, the product 1 is supplied to the box body 2 in a layout of 3, 2, and 3 units arranged front to back. Therefore, the 5th and 14th buckets 14 from the front are left empty without product 1 being supplied, while the product 1 is supplied to the remaining buckets 14.

[0025] Once the supply of product 1 to the predetermined bucket 14 is complete, the control unit of the double-loop stacking device 12 moves bucket group B forward to catch up with the preceding bucket group A and wait. Furthermore, the product 1 supplied to bucket 14 maintains an upright position when bucket 14 is on the horizontally moving conveying surface of the double-loop stacking device 12. In other words, multiple products 1 are transported with their longitudinal direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, their short sides upright, and aligned front to back, and wait at the predetermined position.

[0026] Then, following the procedure described later, all the products 1 supplied to bucket group A are transferred to the robot packing device 15. When all the buckets 14 constituting bucket group A are empty, the control unit of the double-loop stacking device 12 moves the buckets 14 constituting bucket group A forward to position them on the discharge side of the product transport conveyor 11, and moves the buckets 14 constituting bucket group B to the installation area of ​​the robot packing device 15 and pauses. From this point onward, the products 1 in the buckets 14 constituting bucket group B are transferred to the robot packing device 15.

[0027] The box transport conveyor 13 intermittently transports the box bodies 2. It may be a belt conveyor, but it is preferable to use a conveyor device that positions and transports the box bodies 2, such as a finger conveyor or a bucket conveyor. The transport pitch of the box bodies 2 arranged front to back is equal to the arrangement pitch of the 1st and 10th buckets 14 in the double-loop accumulation device 12, and the box bodies 2 are transported one pitch at a time.

[0028] As shown in Figures 3 and later, the robotic box packing device 15 includes a guide rail section 20 that receives multiple upright products 1 transported by the double-loop stacking device 12 and supports them by arranging them left and right in the direction of movement; a product tilting section 30 positioned along the front side of the direction of movement of the products 1 on the guide rail section 20, which receives a predetermined number of stacked products 5 arranged upright and tilts each product 1 in the front-rear direction; and a suction head 40 that picks up and transfers the stacked products 5 placed on the product tilting section 30 all at once. Furthermore, in this embodiment, two sets of the robotic box packing device 15 are provided, enabling simultaneous box packing of two boxes 2 waiting on the box transport conveyor 13.

[0029] The guide rail section 20 holds the products 1 one by one in an upright position within guide grooves 23 formed between partition walls 22 arranged at predetermined intervals on the left and right. As a result, the upright products 1 wait in a line on the left and right according to the spacing of the guide grooves 23. Both the front and rear ends of the guide grooves 23 are open, allowing the products 1 within the guide grooves 23 to move forward along the direction in which the guide grooves 23 extend.

[0030] The bottom 24 of the guide groove 23 is formed in a roughly V-shape in its vertical cross-section, and its lower end position 24a is shaped to reach the center in the width direction. The left and right arrangement pitch of the guide grooves 23 is equal to the arrangement pitch of the buckets 14 of the double-loop stacking device 12, and the control unit of the double-loop stacking device 12 controls the buckets 14 to temporarily stop at a position where they face each guide groove 23 of the guide rail section 20. In this temporarily stopped state, three buckets 14 that are consecutive front to back face the three guide grooves 23 of the corresponding robot boxing device 15's guide rail section 20, and each bucket 14 and each guide groove 23 are arranged to be aligned in a straight line.

[0031] Furthermore, although not shown in the diagram, the robot box packing device 15 is equipped with a first pusher device having a first pusher member that reciprocates across the double-loop stacking device 12 in the installation area of ​​the robot box packing device 15. This first pusher member has a portion that can enter into three adjacent buckets 14 in the front and rear directions as it reciprocates. This portion enters into the buckets 14, biases the product 1 placed upright in the buckets 14 in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the double-loop stacking device 12, pushes the product 1 out from the side of the buckets 14, and is configured to supply the product 1 into each guide groove 23 of the guide rail section 20. The first pusher member may also be configured to simply reciprocate, for example, or it may be configured so that in the section where it moves forward toward the guide rail section 20, the portion moves within the buckets 14, and in the section where it moves backward, it rises and moves in the space above the buckets 14.

[0032] Furthermore, as mentioned above, since there are two robot packing devices 15, there are also two first pusher devices. Products 1 transported by the first to ninth buckets 14, which constitute one bucket group, are transferred to the guide rail section 20 of one robot packing device 15 by one of the two first pusher devices, and products 1 transported by the tenth to eighteenth buckets 14 are transferred to the guide rail section 20 of the other robot packing device 15 by the other first pusher device. Since the transfer of products 1 is in units of three buckets 14, once the transfer of products from the first to third buckets is complete, the control unit of the double-loop stacking device 12 moves the buckets 14 that were temporarily stopped in the robot packing device 15 installation area forward by three pitches and then stops again. As a result, the fourth to sixth buckets 14 and the thirteenth to fifteenth buckets 14 face the guide rail section 20 of their respective robot packing devices 15. Afterward, when the bucket 14 is moved forward by three pitches and then paused again, the 7th to 9th buckets 14 and the 16th to 18th buckets 14 will face the guide rail section 20 of the respective robotic box packing device 15.

[0033] The product tilting section 30 has a box-shaped body 34 that is rectangular in plan view and has an opening on one side facing the guide rail section 20. The product 1, in an upright position, enters and is supplied into the product tilting section 30 from the opening on one side of the body 34. When viewed from the opening side, there is a first side wall 31 on the left, a second side wall 32 at the back, and a third side wall 33 on the right. Furthermore, the bottom surface, which is the receiving surface for the product 1, is an uneven surface with continuous peaks and valleys. This uneven surface alternates between a first inclined surface section 35 with a gentle downward slope and a second inclined surface section 36 with a steep upward slope, starting from the first side wall section 31.

[0034] The main body 34 is mounted on the second side wall 32 side to the base 38 so as to be rotatable in both forward and reverse directions within a predetermined angular range. In this embodiment, the main body 34 can be displaced between a horizontal first position as shown in Figures 3 to 6, and a downward-sloping second position as shown in Figures 7, 8, etc., with the loading side (guide rail 20 side) lowered. Furthermore, the outer surfaces of the first side wall 31 and the third side wall 33 on the guide rail 20 side are provided with protrusions 39, and the position of the main body 34 is changed by raising and lowering these protrusions 39 using a drive mechanism operated by a cylinder or motor (not shown).

[0035] The arrangement pitch of a pair of first inclined surfaces 35 and second inclined surfaces 36 is longer than the arrangement pitch of the guide grooves 23 of the guide rail section 20, and the lower end position 24a of the bottom 24 of each guide groove 23 and the connection portion 37 of each valley of the uneven surface of the product tilting section 30, i.e., the lower end of the adjacent first inclined surface section 35 and the lower end of the second inclined surface section 36, are eccentrically positioned with a left-right shift in position. More specifically, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the lower end position 24a of the bottom 24 of the guide groove 23 is located on the first inclined surface section 35 side.

[0036] The product tilting section 30 is configured to receive the product 1 (stacked product 5) being unloaded from the guide rail section 20 when the main body 34 is in the first position. The product receiving portion of the product tilting section 30 is positioned slightly lower than the guide rail section 20, with a step in between. That is, as shown in Figure 4, etc., when the main body 34 is in the first position, the first inclined surface section 35 is positioned below the lower end position 24a of the bottom 24 of the guide groove 23.

[0037] Furthermore, a second pusher member is positioned on the opposite side of the guide rail section 20 from the installation position of the product tilting section 30. This second pusher member has a portion that can enter each of the adjacent guide grooves 23 on the left and right. This portion enters the guide groove 23, biasing the product 1, which is positioned upright in the guide groove 23, forward, pushing the product 1 out from the front of the guide groove 23, and supplying it to the product tilting section 30.

[0038] Product 1, which is biased by the second pusher member, maintains an upright position guided by the partition wall 22 while a portion of it remains in the guide groove 23. However, when it moves to the product tilting section 30, it loses its support for maintaining the upright position and tends to fall to either the left or right. At this time, because the second inclined surface section 36 is steeply cut, product 1 falls towards the first inclined surface section 35, which has a gentler inclination angle. In this embodiment, the lower end position 24a of the guide groove 23 and the connection portion 37 of the product tilting section 30 are eccentric. Therefore, the position where product 1 is received on the stepped product tilting section 30 is not the connection portion 37, which is the lowest point of the valley, but rather somewhere along the first inclined surface section 35 leading to the valley. As product 1 is moved, it slides down along the first inclined surface section 35 towards the connection portion 37, which is the lowest point, and falls diagonally along the inclined surface. In other words, the product 1 pushed out from the guide groove 23 moves forward while descending within the product tilting section 30, gradually and smoothly tilting towards the first inclined surface section 35, and is supported by the adjacent inclined product 1, taking on a stable inclined position. In this way, the stacked product 5, consisting of multiple products 1 pushed out by the second pusher member, tilts in one direction and takes on a sashimi-like position where parts of each product 1 overlap (see Figure 9).

[0039] Furthermore, when the main body 34 of the product tilting section 30 is in the first position, the bottom side of the main body 34 is slightly lower than the lower end position 24a of the bottom 24 of the guide groove 23, creating a step. As a result, the product 1, which has been pushed out from the guide rail section 20 and positioned on the product tilting section 30 side, may be supplied by dropping slightly, preventing it from returning to the guide rail section 20 side.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when multiple products 1 are transferred to the main body 34 of the product tilting section 30 by the second pusher member, the main body 34 is displaced to a second position as the loading side descends (see Figures 7, 8, 10, etc.). At this time, the second pusher member is stopped in contact with the rear side of the product 1, and even though the main body 34 is tilted downward toward the loading side, the product 1 does not move backward and is positioned at the position pushed out by the second pusher member. Subsequently, the second pusher member moves upward and moves backward through the space above the guide rail section 20. In this way, it is possible to allow the next product 1 pushed out from the bucket 14 by the first pusher member to be transferred to the guide rail section 20 without interference.

[0041] Furthermore, as the main body 34 moves to the product tilting section 30, each individual product 1 that has been moved to the product tilting section 30 will adopt a downward-sloping posture with its rear side in the direction of travel (the direction of pushing by the second pusher member) lowered.

[0042] The suction head 40 is a hollow box shape, and the suction surface 41 provided on its lower side is an inclined surface that is tilted at a predetermined angle in the front-rear direction along the direction of movement of the product 1 within the guide rail section 20 and the product tilting section 30. The inclination angle of this inclined surface matches the inclination angle of the main body 34 in the second position, that is, the inclination angle of the downward-tilting product 1.

[0043] The suction surface 41 is provided with slit-shaped suction ports 45 that extend in the longitudinal direction. There are two of these suction ports 45, one on each of the pair of side walls 47 on the longer side. An opening 46 is provided at a predetermined position on the upper surface 48 of the suction head 40, to which one end of a predetermined piping section (not shown) is connected. The other end of the piping section is connected to a suction means. As a result, when the suction means sucks air from inside the box of the suction head 40, the air near the outside of the suction surface 41 is drawn into the interior of the suction head 40 through the suction ports 45.

[0044] At this time, if product 1 is present near the suction surface 41, product 1 is attracted to the suction port 45 and held by the suction head 40. That is, first, the film portion of product 1 that is in contact with the suction port 45 is attracted as suction occurs. Furthermore, since each product 1 is also tilted in the left-right direction along the first inclined surface portion 35, when the suction head 40 moves downward and the suction port 45 first makes contact with product 1, a predetermined gap is formed between the film portion around the contacted area and the suction port 45, and the film portion is separated from the suction surface 41. However, as the air present in that gap is sucked into the box of the suction head 40, the film portion is also sucked in, the film deforms, and is attracted to the suction port 45. As a result, the entire suction port 45 is blocked by the film of product 1, and product 1 is held by suction in a sashimi-like state.

[0045] Furthermore, because the suction ports 45 are continuous in a slit shape, multiple products 1 can be adsorbed at once, eliminating the need to align them with the position of each individual product 1, thus simplifying the configuration. Moreover, by making them slit-shaped, multiple products 1 can be stably held in a tilted position in the same direction by adsorbing a large portion of the upper surface of the upper end of each product 1.

[0046] Since the inclination angle of the suction surface 41 is matched to the inclination angle of the second posture, for example, when the suction head 40 is positioned above the multiple inclined products 1 on the main body 34 in the second posture, the longitudinal direction of the suction surface 41 and the products 1 become parallel (see Figures 10, 11, etc.). At this time, the longitudinal direction of the suction head 40 extends in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the products and is positioned so as to straddle the above of the three products 1 (see Figure 12, etc.). If the suction head 40 moves downward in this state, the suction surface 41 will come into contact with the surfaces of the multiple downward-sloping products 1 that make up the assembled product 5. Therefore, if suction is performed in this state, the multiple products 1 waiting in an inclined state on the main body 34 in the second posture will be adsorbed and held by the suction head 40 in that inclined state.

[0047] Then, while maintaining the suction hold, the suction head 40 is raised and moved to a predetermined position above the box 2 waiting on the box transport conveyor 13, and then moves downward, so that multiple products 1 can be positioned inside the box 2 in an inclined position along the longitudinal direction. When the suction is released in this state, the products 1 can be supplied into the box 2 in their inclined position.

[0048] In this way, the product 1 in the guide rail section 20 is pushed out by the second pusher member and transferred to the product tilting section 30, making it easy to create a stack of products 5 arranged in an upright position, resembling sashimi. Furthermore, by changing the main body 34 from the first position to the second position, the stack of products 5 can be tilted longitudinally while remaining in the sashimi shape, and in that position, the stack of products 5 can be collectively held by the suction head 40 within the product tilting section 30 and supplied to the box body 2.

[0049] Furthermore, the movement of the suction head 40 for performing the aforementioned processing only needs to be able to move vertically and horizontally; there is no need to change the posture or angle of the suction head 40. Therefore, the robot that moves the suction head 40 can be one that can move vertically and horizontally, such as a parallel link robot. The suction head 40 is attached to the tip of the robot arm and moves back and forth between the product tilting unit 30 and the box 2 waiting on the box transport conveyor 13.

[0050] The robotic box packing device 15, configured as described above, works in cooperation with the double-loop stacking device 12 and the box transport conveyor 13, and is controlled to perform the following processes, thereby packing the products 1 into boxes 2 so that the stacked items 5 are arranged in a sashimi-like fashion.

[0051] First, as described above, each product 1 transported by the first to third buckets 14 and the tenth to twelfth buckets 14 of the double-loop stacking device 12 is set into the guide grooves 23 of the guide rail section 20 by each first pusher member. Next, the second pusher member is operated to move forward within the guide groove 23 and feed the product into the main body 34 in the first position of the product tilting section 30. Then, the main body 34 is displaced to the second position, so that each product 1 is in a downward tilting position with its longitudinal rear side facing downwards.

[0052] In this state, the robotic arms are operated so that each suction head 40 can hold multiple products 1 that are in an inclined position at the product tilting sections 30 of the two robotic box packing devices 15, and transfer them to the two empty boxes 2. More specifically, each suction head 40 moves to a predetermined position on the box 2 and descends while holding three products 1 that are in an inclined position in the longitudinal direction, arranged side by side like sashimi, and the suction is released when the short side of each product 1 below contacts the second projection 2c of the box 2 and the predetermined position on the bottom surface of the product 1 contacts the shelf section 2d. As a result, the three products 1 are supported at two points, the short side and the bottom surface, and are held inside the box 2 in an inclined position in the longitudinal direction, overlapping each other like sashimi.

[0053] Meanwhile, the double-loop accumulating device 12, after the first pusher member described above pushes the first three products 1 out of the buckets 14, moves the buckets 14 forward by three pitches at a predetermined timing, and temporarily stops the 4th to 6th buckets 14 and the 13th to 15th buckets 14 of the bucket group at a position facing each guide groove 23 of the guide rail section 20. In this state, the first pusher member pushes the products 1 in each bucket 14 and feeds the products into the guide grooves 23. Since the 5th and 14th buckets 14 are empty buckets without any products 1 being supplied, the products 1 are supplied in an upright position to the left and right guide grooves 23, respectively.

[0054] Next, the two products 1 are fed to the product tilting section 30 by the second pusher member, and the main body 34 is displaced to the second position, causing each product 1 to be displaced in a backward-tilting position. In this state, the two products 1 are held by the suction head 40 and supplied to predetermined positions in the box body 2, where the three products 1 were supplied in a sashimi-like horizontal row in the previous process. That is, by moving the suction head 40 downward at the predetermined position, the short side at the bottom of each product 1 comes into contact with the first projection 2b of the box body 2, and the predetermined position on the bottom surface of the product 1 comes into contact with a part of the product 1 that has already been supplied into the box body 2 in an inclined position, and the suction is released in this state. As a result, the two products 1 are supported at two points, the short side and the bottom surface, and are held inside the box body 2 in an inclined position in the longitudinal direction with the front and rear products 1 partially overlapping each other.

[0055] Furthermore, the double-loop accumulating device 12 moves the buckets 14 forward by three pitches at appropriate timings, temporarily stopping the 7th to 9th buckets 14 and the 16th to 18th buckets 14 at positions facing each guide groove 23 of the guide rail section 20. In this state, the first pusher member pushes the products 1 in each bucket 14 and feeds them into the guide groove 23, thereby supplying three products 1 in an upright position to each guide groove 23.

[0056] Then, each product 1 in the upright position within the guide groove 23 is moved to the product tilting section 30 side by the second pusher member, and the main body 34 changes to the second position, causing each product 1 to assume a rearward-sloping position along its longitudinal direction. These three rearward-sloping products 1 are held in their inclined position by the suction head 40 and transferred to the boxes 2 waiting on the box transport conveyor 13. At this time, after the second supply of products 1 as described above, the box transport conveyor 13 transports the boxes 2 by one pitch and then pauses. Accordingly, the suction head 40 moves onto each box 2 that has moved one pitch downstream and descends, supplying the three products 1 of the third row to their predetermined positions while maintaining their inclined position. In other words, by moving the suction head 40 downward at a predetermined position, the short side of the lower part of each product 1 comes into contact with the side wall 2e of the box body 2, and the predetermined position on the lower surface of product 1 comes into contact with a portion of the second row of product 1 that has already been supplied into the box body 2 in an inclined position, and the suction is released in this state. As a result, the three products 1 are supported at two points, the short side and the lower surface, and are held inside the box body 2 in an inclined position in the longitudinal direction, with the front and rear products 1 of the second and third rows partially overlapping each other.

[0057] Through the above operation, the products 1 are placed inside the box 2, tilted in the longitudinal direction (vertical) and in the direction perpendicular to it (horizontal), and adjacent products 1 overlap like a sashimi platter, ensuring that they are packed securely in a sashimi-like manner in both the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0058] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the arrangement pitch of the buckets 14 and the arrangement pitch of the guide grooves 23 of the guide rail section 20 are made equal, and the arrangement distance of the two robotic box packing devices 15, as well as the transport pitch of the boxes 2 on the box transport conveyor 13, is matched to the distance between the first bucket 14 and the tenth bucket 14. In addition, the positions of the robotic box packing device 15 (guide rail section 20) and the two boxes 2 before and after the one that temporarily stop are aligned with the positions of the first and tenth buckets 14 when the double loop stacking device 12 temporarily stops. As a result, the product 1 is pushed sideways from the buckets 14 and supplied directly to the guide rail section 20 of the robotic box packing device 15. The movement of the product 1 within the robotic box packing device 15 only requires the linear movement of the second pusher member. Furthermore, the movement of the product 1 from the product tilting section 30 to the box 2 only requires moving straight along the extension of the direction of movement of the product 1 up to the first and second rows in a plan view, thus simplifying the mechanism and control. Furthermore, the suction heads 40 can be moved straight towards each of the two box bodies 2 without being moved closer together, allowing the product 1 to be transferred to the adjacent box body 2 at the supply destination.

[0059] Furthermore, when supplying the third row of product 1 to box 2, the position of the suction head 40 moves downstream by the same amount as the box 2 is transported by one pitch on the box transport conveyor 13, but this movement is only horizontal. By incorporating this process of moving by one pitch, the box transport conveyor 13 moves box 2 one pitch at a time, so the supply of empty box 2 to the box transport conveyor 13 only needs to be done each time one pitch is transported.

[0060] Alternatively, the box body 2 may be stopped without performing this one-pitch movement process until the third row of product 1 is supplied. With this configuration, the movement of the suction head 40 only needs to be vertical and vertical, and reciprocating linear motion, so it can be implemented with a simpler configuration. On the other hand, if this configuration is adopted, the box body conveying conveyor 13 will intermittently convey the boxes in two-pitch increments, and it will be necessary to supply empty box bodies 2 to the box body conveying conveyor 13 at a time.

[0061] The two suction heads 40 may be attached to separate robots and operated independently, but it is preferable that they be attached to a single robot as a robotic hand and move and operate together.

[0062] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the main body 34 is configured to tilt with the loading side descending, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the loading side may rise from a first horizontal position (see Figure 13) to a second downward-sloping position (see Figure 14) toward the front in the direction of product 1 being pushed out.

[0063] However, if the loading side is raised, as shown in Figure 14, its bottom surface will be above the lower end position 24a of the guide groove 23 in the second position, and the next product 1 cannot be supplied until it returns to the horizontal first position. Therefore, if the loading side is lowered to the second position as in the embodiment described above, it becomes possible to push out and supply the product 1 from the guide groove 23 even while returning from the second position to the first position, which is good because it speeds up the processing.

[0064] Furthermore, instead of raising or lowering the loading side of the main body 34, the rear side may be raised or lowered. Lowering the rear side, especially lowering it, is preferable because it eliminates the movement of the second pusher member and the constraints and interferences during the next product supply.

[0065] Furthermore, the product tilting section 30 is designed so that, as in the embodiments described above, the main body 34 rotates in forward and reverse directions, and when the product 1 is brought in from the guide rail section 20, it is positioned horizontally to allow for stable transfer of the product 1, and then the main body 34 displaces to a second position to tilt the product 1 in the longitudinal direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the conveying surface may be inclined like the main body in the second position without displacement. When fixed in place, it may be tilted upward or downward, but tilting upward is preferable because it allows for stable pushing and positioning with the pusher.

[0066] Furthermore, the device / equipment for setting the product 1 in an upright position within each guide groove 23 of the guide rail section 20 was configured using the double-loop stacking device 12 and the first pusher device in the above-described embodiment, but is not limited to this configuration. For example, it may be a supply device that has a path for dropping and supplying from above the guide rail section 20, and the guide rail section may also be used in conjunction with the bucket 14 of the double-loop stacking device 12. That is, the product 1 is pushed out and supplied to the product tilting section 30 from the bucket 14 which is temporarily stopped. However, if a separate guide rail section is provided as in the embodiment, the stacking process of the product 1 by the double-loop stacking device 12 and the process of tilting the product 1 by the robot box packing device 15, and then adsorbing and holding it in the tilted position and supplying it to the box body 2 can be performed at appropriate timings.

[0067] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the stacked products 5, which are arranged side by side, are further packed into a box in a sashimi-like manner, but the stacked products 5 do not have to be sashimi-like.

[0068] Furthermore, the product tilting section 30 may be configured to allow adjustment of the tilt angle according to the product 1. When the tilt angle is adjustable in this way, various configurations can be adopted, such as different tilt angles when taking the second position in a configuration that can change between a horizontal first position and a tilted second position as in the embodiment described above, or different tilt angles when taking only the second position without taking the first position. In a configuration that does not take the first position, although the tilted transport surface was fixed in place in the modified example described above, it is preferable to make the angle of the tilted transport surface adjustable according to the product 1.

[0069] Furthermore, in the configuration described above, where the main body 34 of the product tilting section 30 is displaced between a first and a second position, a hole for product suction may be provided on the bottom surface of the main body 34, and the product 1 may be suctioned before the main body 34 is tilted, thereby preventing the product 1 from shifting position in the tilted product tilting section 30.

[0070] Furthermore, the second pusher member may not enter the guide groove 23, but instead contact the portion protruding from the guide groove 23 to push the product 1.

[0071] While various aspects of the present invention have been described above using embodiments, it should be noted that these embodiments and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, but rather to aid in understanding it. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations and manufacturing methods explicitly described in the specification, but also includes combinations of the various aspects of the present invention disclosed herein. Although the configurations for which patent protection is sought are specified in the appended claims, it should be noted that even configurations not currently specified in the claims may be claimed in the future. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0072] 1: Product 2: Box body 3: Goods 4: Packaging bag 5: Collected goods 10: System 11: Product conveyor 12: Double-loop integration device 13: Box transport conveyor 14: Bucket 15: Robotic box packing machine 20: Guide rail section 23: Guide groove 24: Bottom 24a: Bottom position 30:Product tilting part 31: First side wall section 32: Second side wall section 33: Third side wall section 34: Main unit 35:First inclined surface part 36:Second slope part 37: Connection part 40: Suction head 41: Adsorption surface A: Bucket County B: Bucket County

Claims

1. A guide rail section having guide grooves that support multiple products in an upright position side by side, A product tilting section is provided on the discharge side of the guide rail section to receive the product being discharged from the guide rail section and to tilt the product along the direction of movement of the product, A suction head capable of adsorbing the product in an inclined position at the aforementioned product tilting section, The system includes a robot that moves the suction head between the product tilting section and the box body that opens upwards, The suction surface of the suction head has an inclined surface that matches the inclination of the product in the inclined position at the product tilting portion, The robot moves the suction head so as to place the tilted product onto another product supplied into the box. A robotic boxing device configured to release the suction of the suction head when it is stacked on top of the aforementioned other product.

2. The bottom surface of the product tilting section that receives the product has an uneven surface with continuous peaks and valleys in a direction intersecting the direction of movement of the product. The aforementioned uneven surface consists of alternating first and second inclined surface sections with different inclination angles. The robotic box packing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The center position in the width direction of the guide groove, The connection portion between the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface is offset so that the center position is located on the side of the first and second inclined surfaces with the gentler inclination angle. The robotic box packing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The robot box packing device according to claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of the product tilting portion is positioned at a lower level, with a step provided from the bottom of the guide groove.

5. The bottom surface of the product tilting section that receives the product is configured to change between a first horizontal position along the direction of movement of the product and a second inclined position along the direction of movement of the product. The robotic box packing apparatus according to claim 1.

6. A robotic box packing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The device includes a double-loop stacking apparatus having multiple buckets for transporting the aforementioned product in an upright position, The guide rail section is positioned on either the left or right side of the double-loop accumulation device. A system configured to push the upright product in the bucket and supply the product to the guide groove of the guide rail while maintaining its upright position.

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