Automated packing cart
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current robotic crop harvesting systems face challenges in storing and sorting produce efficiently, as they often rely on human intervention, which limits throughput and can damage crops, and require non-standard equipment, making integration into traditional facilities difficult.
Innovation Solution
A cart assembly with a lower and upper deck and a gantry system that automates the packing process by moving containers between empty and filled staging areas, using a gripper system and control module to manage container loading and weighing, ensuring even distribution of crops and minimizing damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If items are stored in large hoppers, then storage capacity is improved, but product damage occurs due to weight of gross product above
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the storage function into multiple individual containers that are stacked vertically, rather than using a single large hopper. Each container holds a manageable quantity of produce, eliminating the excessive weight burden on lower items while maintaining overall storage capacity through the stacked arrangement of multiple containers.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from horizontal storage expansion (large hopper) to vertical storage expansion (stacked containers). By utilizing the vertical dimension, the system achieves high storage capacity without increasing the horizontal footprint or the weight burden on individual produce items, as each container supports only its own weight plus the container above it, not the cumulative weight of all stored items.
2Ease of operation
If human interaction is used for unloading and sorting, then product handling flexibility is improved, but throughput is limited and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automated self-service handling where robotic pickers directly place harvested items into containers on the cart, and the cart autonomously transports and stacks containers. The stacking mechanism automatically positions containers without human intervention, maintaining flexibility through programmable control while dramatically increasing throughput by eliminating manual unloading and sorting operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual human labor with an automated mechanical system consisting of robotic pickers, automated carts, and robotic stacking mechanisms. This substitution maintains the flexibility of customized handling through programmable control while achieving high-speed automated operation that greatly exceeds human throughput capabilities.
3Extent of automation
If non-standard equipment is used for robotic harvesting, then harvesting automation capability is improved, but integration difficulty into traditional facilities increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cart system is designed with universal compatibility to work with various robotic picker types and can operate in different facility configurations. The standardized container interfaces and adaptable mounting options allow the same cart design to integrate into diverse traditional facilities without requiring custom modifications for each installation, thereby reducing integration complexity while maintaining high automation capability.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments relate to a cart assembly having a lower deck, an upper deck, and a gantry. The lower deck has designated areas for empty containers and for filled containers. The gantry includes a gripper system configured to grab at least one container from the empty-container staging area and transport it to a receiving site, where a crop harvesting apparatus deposits a crop in the container. Once the container is filled, the gantry moves the filled container so as to position it within a filled-container staging area of the lower deck. The gripper system then releases the container. The process is continued while the cart assembly is transported throughout a crop harvesting facility to harvest crops.