Handling Device for Compacting and Spreading Article Groups
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for filling outer packages with article groups, such as beverage containers, face challenges when dealing with damaged or deformed packages, as they require precise lowering movements to avoid collisions with crate edges, which can be difficult to achieve consistently.
Innovation Solution
A method where article groups are compacted and then spread out to fit precisely into outer packages, using handling devices with grippers that adjust spacings between articles to match target positions within the package, reducing the risk of collisions and allowing for flexible adaptation to different package geometries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If precise lowering movements are used to avoid collisions with crate edges, then articles can be safely placed into outer packages, but the process becomes complex and requires additional insertion aids
Solution Approach 1:
The article group is pre-compacted before being transferred to the outer package, creating a tightly bound unit that is less susceptible to scattering during placement. This preliminary compaction action eliminates the need for complex insertion aids and precise lowering movements during the actual placement operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The handling device dynamically adjusts the spacing between grippers during the transfer process - maintaining compact spacing during transfer and then spreading out once the article group is securely positioned in the outer package. This dynamic adjustment simplifies the overall handling process while ensuring safe placement.
2Adaptability or versatility
If fixed handling devices are used for filling, then the structure is simple, but adaptability to different package geometries and damaged packages is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The handling device incorporates adjustable gripper spacing that can be dynamically modified to accommodate different outer package geometries and configurations. This dynamic adjustability allows the same device structure to adapt to various package types without requiring multiple specialized devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacing parameter between grippers is made variable and adjustable, allowing the handling device to adapt to different article group configurations and outer package dimensions. By changing this key parameter, the device achieves versatility without fundamentally altering its structural design.
3Manufacturing precision
If articles are kept spaced out during transfer, then collisions with package edges are avoided, but manufacturing precision in achieving target positions is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The article group is pre-compacted into a tight formation before transfer, ensuring precise relative positioning of all articles within the group. This preliminary compaction maintains manufacturing precision while the entire compacted group is then positioned as a unit to avoid collisions with package edges.
Solution Approach 2:
The handling device acts as an intermediary that temporarily holds the compacted article group in a controlled manner, maintaining precise internal spacing while protecting the articles from harmful collisions during the transfer operation. The device mediates between the need for precision and the need to avoid collisions.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention includes a method and apparatus to transfer and place articles (12) into outer packages (16), which are open at the top and which each receive at least one article group (18) composed of a plurality of articles (12). In the method, at least one article group (18) is seized by at least one handling device (46) and is placed from above into one of the outer packages (16). An article group (18), which has been seized by the handling device (46), already is compacted or will be compacted during placement of the article group into the outer package (16) by reducing the spacings between at least some of the individual articles (12) of the article group (18). The article group may also be subsequently spread out.