Article Array Debagging With Automated Cutters and Grippers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for debagging article arrays are inefficient, labor-intensive, and potentially hazardous, often resulting in damage to articles and requiring manual handling of sharp tools, which increases costs and risks.
Innovation Solution
An automated system for debagging article arrays using a staging area, transport device, cutters, and grippers to remove packing material without manual handling, involving a cutting process perpendicular to the article array's direction and utilizing grippers to engage and remove the packing material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional manual debagging methods are used, then personnel can remove packaging, but the process is inefficient, expensive, and potentially hazardous
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service debagging through automated cutters and grippers that remove packaging without human intervention. The article array itself is positioned and processed automatically, with the packaging material being cut and removed by mechanical means, eliminating the need for personnel to manually handle each package.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical operations are replaced with automated mechanical systems. The patent employs automated cutters with blades that slide to cut packaging, and grippers that mechanically remove the packaging material, substituting human hands and tools with controlled mechanical devices that operate more efficiently and safely.
2Ease of operation
If manual debagging with sharp tools is used, then packaging can be removed, but personnel safety is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The hazardous function of cutting and removing packaging is extracted from human operators and assigned to dedicated automated devices. The cutter assembly with sharp blades and the gripper assembly perform the dangerous tasks of cutting through packaging and pulling it away, isolating personnel from exposure to sharp tools and moving parts.
Solution Approach 2:
Automated mechanical intermediaries (the cutter and gripper assemblies) are introduced between personnel and the packaging material. These intermediaries perform the hazardous cutting and removal actions, allowing personnel to operate the system from a safe distance without directly handling sharp blades or struggling with tight packaging.
3Productivity
If manual debagging is used, then packaging can be removed, but article damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The automated system applies localized, controlled forces to specific areas of the packaging material rather than applying uncontrolled manual forces to the entire package. The cutters engage only the packaging at precise locations, and the grippers grasp only the packaging material, not the articles themselves, preventing damage while maintaining efficient removal speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary cutting of the packaging material before removal. The cutter assembly first cuts through the packaging to create openings, then the gripper assembly removes the cut packaging. This preliminary cutting action reduces the force needed for removal and prevents articles from being damaged during the extraction process.
4Ease of manufacture
If slitter knife method is used, then packaging can be slit, but the process is slow and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the cutting function and the removal function into a single integrated automated sequence. The cutter assembly and gripper assembly work together in coordination, with cutting and removal occurring in rapid succession without requiring separate manual operations. This combination dramatically increases productivity compared to sequential manual cutting and pulling.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated system maintains continuous useful action through coordinated operation of multiple assemblies. While one cutter may be engaged with packaging, other components are positioned or moving into place, ensuring that the debagging process flows continuously without idle time. The system operates in a continuous cycle of cutting, removing, and resetting, maximizing productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for removing a packing material of an article array including a staging area for receiving the article array packaged with the packing material, a transport device configured to transport the article array in a length direction extending from a first end to a second end of the system, a first cutter configured to cut the packing material in a direction perpendicular with respect to the length direction of the system, a debagging area configured to sequentially receive from the transport device the article array and to remove the packing material from the article array, the debagging area includes a first gripper and a second gripper configured to engage and remove the packing material, and a packing material collection area configured to receive the packing material from the first and second grippers and collect the packing material to be discarded.