Article Accumulation Station With Robotic EOAT Fingers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated packaging systems face challenges in precision and reliability during flat pack operations, particularly in article accumulation and transfer, leading to mispicked or misplaced articles and processing stoppages, with increased processing speeds compromising precision and work station space constraints being a concern.
Innovation Solution
An article processing station with a modular design featuring an accumulating article passage and a robotic end-of-arm tool (EOAT) that forms and discharges article groups, utilizing actuatable sidewalls and a grouped article receiving deck for precise article alignment and transfer, and tamper plates for shaping and compressing the article group before discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If processing speed is increased in automated packaging systems, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates leading to mispicked or misplaced articles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the packaging operation into distinct phases: article accumulation in a controlled passage, precise positioning using actuatable sidewalls and receiving deck, and then transfer. This segmentation allows high-speed accumulation to be separated from precision positioning, enabling both high productivity and high precision to coexist without direct conflict.
2Productivity
If article accumulation and transfer operations are performed at high speed, then productivity is improved, but reliability deteriorates causing processing stoppages
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by accumulating articles in a controlled passage and pre-positioning them using actuatable sidewalls and receiving deck before the actual transfer operation. This preliminary preparation ensures that articles are properly aligned and ready for transfer, preventing misplacement errors that would cause stoppages and improving overall reliability.
3Area of stationary object
If work station space is reduced to address constraints, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes vertical dimension by implementing actuatable sidewalls that can move in and out, and a receiving deck that can position articles at different heights. This three-dimensional approach allows the system to maintain precise article group formation capabilities while minimizing the horizontal footprint of the work station, effectively resolving the space versus precision contradiction.
Data Source
AI summary
An article processing station is characterized by an accumulating article shaft and robotic EOAT receiving articles entering the shaft. The shaft includes a grouped article receiving deck within an egress portion of the shaft, opposingly paired sidewalls, and an end wall downstream of the sidewalls. The deck includes spaced apart deck fingers, the end wall includes spaced apart wall fingers, and the EOAT includes spaced apart tool fingers. The tool fingers are registerable in relation to spaces of the spaced apart wall fingers and the spaced apart deck fingers so as to pass there through. The tool travels to, through and from the shaft, so as to receive articles entering the ingress portion of the shaft while traveling from the ingress portion towards the egress portion in furtherance of depositing an article group upon the deck during travel from the shaft.