Patent Application
20230124423
This application is directed to packing products for shipping and, more specifically, to reducing unused volume in containers, such as boxes, used for shipping products.
The growth of online retail has necessitated order fulfillment centers to process a plethora of shipping orders on a daily basis. Boxes, cartons, or other types of containers are used to safely package product. The fulfillment centers normally carry a limited variety of box sizes. As a result, oversized boxes are commonly used to package a product or products that have a volume considerably less than the volume of the box. In order to make the package safe for shipping and prevent the product from moving, the empty, or unused, volume inside the box is filled with packaging material, such as an air cushion, a bubble cushion, a cardboard insert, polystyrene peanuts, paper, etc. Since shipping costs can be driven by volume, utilizing oversized boxes/containers with packaging material is financially unfavorable for both online retailers and customers. As such, reducing the amount of unused volume when shipping products would be advantageous.
In one aspect, the disclosure provides an automated container resizing system. In one example, the automated container resizing system includes: (1) a cutting tool and (2) a controller configured to direct operation of the cutting tool to resize a container based on a principal dimension of one or more products within a volume of the container.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides an automated method of resizing a container. In one example, the method includes: (1) determining a principal dimension of one or more products within a container, (2) obtaining at least two orthogonal dimensions of the container, (3) determining a cutting pattern for resizing the container based on the principal dimension and the two orthogonal dimensions, and (4) resizing the container according to the cutting pattern.
In yet another aspect, the disclosure provides a container cutting system. In one example, the container cutting system includes: (1) a cutting tool having at least one blade and (2) one or more processors to perform operations that include directing the cutting tool to cut a container along a cut line, wherein the directing includes oscillating the at least one blade.
The foregoing summary, preferred examples, and other aspects of the subject matter of the present will be best understood with reference to the detailed description of specific examples, which follows, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The disclosure recognizes that the cost of shipping can be materially reduced by sizing containers per the product or products to be shipped. The disclosure provides an automated process for automatically reducing the size of a container based on the product or products contained therein. A container is an object that can hold one or more products and be used to ship or transport the one or more products. The container can be made from a variety of durable materials, such as wood, metal, plastic, and non-durable, such as corrugated fiberboard, paperboard, and cardboard. A container has a three dimensional shape and typically a flat bottom that allows transporting on a conveyor system and stacking. A container can be, for example, a rectangular prism having flat, parallel, rectangular sides or walls. A container can have a separate lid or one or more flaps that are used to enclose the one or more products. A fastener such as an adhesive, glue, or tape can be used to secure the lid or flaps. A box is an example of a container and will be used in parts of the disclosure as a non-limiting example of a container.
The automated process obtains the dimensions of a container, determines the principal dimension of the one or more products within the container, and resizes the container based on the principal dimension. The principal dimension is a dimension of a product within the container that has the greatest value relative to the open side of the container, such as the greatest distance to the bottom of the container or the shortest distance to the open side of the container. For example, the open side of a container can be the top and the principal dimension would be the height of the tallest product in the container that is the closet to the top. A dimensioning device including one or more sensors, which can include a combination of different sensors, can be used to obtain dimensional information that is used to determine the principal dimension. The dimensional information represents one or more dimensions of the one or more products within a container. The dimensional information can be determined from measurements or data obtained by the dimensioning device. For example, one or more sensors used for three dimensional scanning can be used to obtain a data cloud of points representing the volume defined by the container. The data cloud can be processed, such as to remove noise, and one or more dimensions of the one or more products can be determined. The principal dimension can be the dimension of the one or more dimensions that is the greatest distance to the bottom of the container or shortest distance to the top, open portion of the container. Cameras, lasers, or other types of sensors can be used to obtain the dimensional information. A controller can receive the dimensional information and determine the principal dimension based thereon.
The dimensioning device can also obtain the dimensional information from an identification tag located with the one or more products. The tag can be a bar code, an RF tag, or another type of identifier associated with the one or more products. The identifier can be used to obtain the dimensional information. For example, product information that includes dimensions of the products can be stored in a database and the controller can use identifiers to access the dimensional information for the products on the database. The dimensional information can be obtained from a single source or multiple sources can be used to separately obtain the dimensional information. For example, the dimensional information can be solely obtained using the identification tags or can be used in combination with at least one other sensor that obtains the dimensional information from measurements or spatial data from within the container. The dimensioning device can similarly obtain dimensions of the container. A different dimensioning device or devices can be used to obtain the dimensions of the products than the dimensions of the container. The controller can use dimensions obtained via the different sources for verifying the product dimensions and/or the container dimensions when determining the principal dimension.
The container can be resized by cutting the walls of the container along a cutline that is above the principal dimension. The distance between the cutline and the principal dimension can be predetermined and can be based on one or more factors, such as, type of container, wall thickness, and type of lid or flap(s) used to enclose the products. The cutline can be a straight line that is parallel to the bottom or base of the container. In some examples, the cutline may be non-parallel to the bottom of the container. The cutline could also be at a different height of the container for one or more of the side walls. A section of at least one of the side walls may remain uncut or partially cut such that the cut portion of the container can transported with the container and away from the cutting area. The cut portion can then be manually removed when the container is enclosed at, for example a lid station. The automated resizing process can occur in an automated container resizing system such as disclosed herein, wherein the resizing is performed in a cutting zone. The cutting zone is a defined location wherein a container to be resized is place in a cutting position relative to the cutting tool. A conveyor or another type of transport system can move the containers into and out of the cutting zone. The controller can direct the movement.
A cutting tool can be used to perform the cutting of the containers, which can be of different sizes. The cutting tool can cut along a cut line according to a cutting pattern determined by the controller. The cutting pattern may not include completely cutting through each side wall of the container. As noted above a section of at least one of the side walls may remain uncut or partially cut, which allows removal of the cut portion when the container is transported from the cutting zone. The uncut section can be approximately half an inch (0.5 inches) along the length of a side wall corresponding to the cut line. The partially cut section can be perforated wherein the controller directs the cutting tool to only cut a portion of the container along the cut line within the partially cut section. The partially cut section can also be approximately 0.5 inches or up to one inch (1.0 inch). The width of the uncut and partially cut sections can vary based on one or more factors such as the material of the container, historical data, thickness of the side walls, etc. The uncut and partially cut sections can be collectively referred to as a tab, which is used transport the cut portion of the container away from the cutting zone. The cutting tool can cut from either inside the container or outside of the container. In some examples, the cutting tool may cut from only inside the container or only from the outside of the container. Optionally an adhesive or another type of fastener can be applied to the container and used for enclosing the container with a lid or flaps. The adhesive can be applied on the outside of the container and proximate the cut line. The cutting tool can be a robotic device, such as a robotic arm. In addition to a cutting device, the cutting tool can include a retention device that supports the container during the cutting operation to ensure an efficient cut. The retention device can be an arm, such as rigid support arm 186 denoted in
As noted above the automated container resizing system can include a cutting tool, a dimensioning device, a transport system, and at least one controller. The transport system, such as a conveyor, can include actuatable rollers and may include two or more separately operable zones. The transport system can connect to or be part of a transport system of an automated packing system, wherein the automated container resizing system is part of, for example a station, of the automated packing system. As such, products can be placed in containers at one or more stations of the automated packing system and then delivered to the automated container resizing system for resizing the containers as denoted in
As with the dimensional information obtained for the products, the container dimensions can also be determined via an identifier obtained by a sensor that is then used to look-up the container dimensions. The container dimensions can also be provided as an input when, for example, using a single container size. The controller can receive the container dimensions and with the principal dimension determine the cutting pattern.
The controller directs the moveable support and the cutting device to resize the container according to the cutting pattern. The resizing can be in a cutting zone as noted above. In addition to controlling the operation of the transport system, rails can also be used to position the container within the cutting zone for resizing. For example, the controller can operate a stopping rail to stop the container in the cutting zone on the transport system. Once the container is stopped, the controller can also operate a positioning rail to hold the container in the cutting zone against a rail of the conveyor. The rails cooperate to hold the container when cutting the container walls according to the cutting pattern. One or more of the rails can include a clamp that holds or at least assists in holding the base of the container during the cutting. The clamp can be constructed of a material that “grabs” the container, such as rubber or another similar material. The clamp can be a bar that runs along at least part of the length of a rail at a position at or proximate the bottom of the rail to press against the side of the container close to or at the bottom of the container. For example, the clamp can be attached to or be part of the rail at a position that corresponds to the intersection of the bottom surface of the container and the side wall against the rail. The clamp can be constructed of a strip of rubber or another material with gripping properties that is attached to a base, such as a piece of sheet metal. The rubber/base assembly can then be attached to the rail to provide clamping force to the container during cutting. The rubber can be attached to the base and the rubber/base assembly can be attached to the rail via a chemical connection, mechanical connection, or a combination thereof. For example, a glue or another type of adhesive, screws, rivets, etc., can be used. The clamp can be attached to one or more rails or can be formed as part of one or more rails. When attached, a non-permanent connection can be used to allow replacement due to wear. Instead of a rail, the clamp can be part of or added to another device, such as a moveable arm, that is directed by the controller to hold a container when being cut. An example of a clamp, clamping bar 131, is illustrated in
The cutting tool includes at least one cutting device that is moved along the surfaces of the container's walls to cut the container according to the cutting pattern. The cutting device can vary depending on the material of the container or containers being resized. The cutting device can be, for example, a laser or a blade. For a blade, changes in position of the blade when cutting may allow the blade to cut multiple faces, i.e., the different walls, of the box with a single cutting edge. The repositioning of the blade can be oscillations that move the blade back and forth with respect to the walls when resizing the container. The repositioning can also compensate for cutting through corners when moving between adjacent walls. Repositioning of the blade, such as oscillating the blade, can allow for a reduced cutting force when cutting, which can assist in reducing movement of the container during cutting. The cutting tool can include more than one cutting device. For example, the cutting tool can have two or more blades that can be switched, such as to prevent cutting with a dull blade. Switching between blades can be done automatically based on one or more factors such as, a number of cuts made, the material of the container, historical data, operator preferences, type of blade, etc. A combination of the various factors can be considered. The different factors can be weighted. The controller can be configured to automatically control switching of the blades according to the one or more factors. For example, the blades can be positioned on a rotating head that the controller rotates to switch blades. With automatic replacement, the cutting tool could be used longer without having to service the cutting tool and replace a blade.
In addition to resizing according to the cutting pattern, an adhesive applicator can also be used to apply an adhesive to the container. The adhesive applicator can follow or trail the cutting device and apply an adhesive to the sides of the container at a location relative to the cut line. The adhesive applicator can be attached to the cutting tool and may apply the adhesive to the container in a number of methods such as sprayed, brushed, or pressed. The adhesive applicator can be, for example, a pneumatic adhesive sprayer. The application of the adhesive may be applied by other methods such as a hot melt, sprayed, pre-applied, etc. The adhesive may also be pressure sensitive, RTV, UV cured, visible light cured, or any other adhesive type. Regardless if an adhesive applicator is used with the cutting tool, the transport system can move the resized container out of the cutting zone to another station, such as a lid station, where matching sized lids are made readily available. An operator may pick a lid matching the size of the container and place it on top of the resized container. Additionally, a lid may be created by folding over the edges of the container with overhanging flanges pressed against the glued faces of the resized container. Optionally, a lid may be automatically applied with an automated lidding system. In one example, one side wall or surface of the container may be uncut and then folded over to enclose the container. Excess of the folded piece can then be removed, such as by cutting, either manually or automatically. An excess portion can be a tab.
In the following discussions, a box is used as an example of a container and a conveyor is used as an example of a transport system. Additionally, the discussion may use a single product within a box but applies to more than one product in a box. Accordingly,
Referring to Error! Reference source not found. and Error! Reference source not found, an example of an automated container resizing system 100 constructed according to principles of the disclosure are illustrated in a perspective view and a top view, respectively. The automated container resizing system 100 may be used for automatically resizing boxes per product dimensions, such as the principal dimension. The automated container resizing system 100 consists of a frame 110, a conveyor system (or simply conveyor) 120, a controller 140, and a moveable support 150. The frame 110 supports the conveyor 120, the controller 140, and the moveable support 150. The frame 110 can be formed from a structure of metal and can have multiple openings, such as entry tunnel 112 and exit tunnel 114. The automated container resizing system 100 also includes a dimensioning device 176. The dimensioning device 176 can be mounted to the inside of the top of the entry tunnel 112 as illustrated. The dimensioning device 176 determines dimensions of products within a box and can also determine dimensions of the box.
The conveyor 120 has plurality of rollers 122 mounted between side channels 124 and 126, although other types of conveyor systems known in the art may be used. The rollers can be self-automated, and their operation is separated into independently operable zones, as will be described in more detail below. In one example, the conveyor 120 is a 24-volt, zero pressure accumulation conveyor. The automated container resizing system 100 may be a station of a packing system, such as an automated packing system, and the conveyor 120 can be part of a conveyor system that connects various stations of the packing system. During operation, the conveyor 120 moves the box within a cutting zone 101 of the automated container resizing system 100.
Located within or proximate the cutting zone 101 is a stopping rail 125 (not shown in
The controller 140 controls the operation of the automated container resizing system 100 by controlling the operation of at least the conveyor 120, the moveable support 150, and the other components described in more detail below, such as the dimensioning device 176. The controller 140 can be, for example, a computer, a laptop, a PLC, a circuit board, or a robot controller. The controller 140 can include one or more processors, RAM, a hard drive, a monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, and a conventional operational system. The automated container resizing system 100 can include more than one controller. As such, the functionality of the controller 140 can be distributed. In some examples, the controller 140 can be communicatively coupled to a central controller of the packing system and the central controller can include logic to perform some of the functionality of the controller 140. The packing system can be in the outbound area of a fulfillment center, such as an e-commerce fulfillment center.
The moveable support 150 may be a commercially available device or a proprietary device. For example, the moveable support 150 can be a robot, a Computerized Numerical Control (CNC) machine, or a custom-built device. In the illustrated example of
The moveable support 150 can move the cutting tool 180 relative to a box to perform the programmed cuts, slits, scores, or perforations, as well as apply an adhesive on the cut box if applicable. In one example, the moveable support 150 is capable of translating the cutting head in at least three orthogonally perpendicular axes, as well as rotate about its axis. For example, the first axis can run parallel to the plane of the conveyor 120, while a second axis runs perpendicular to the first axis and parallel to the plane of the conveyor 120. The shaft 158 can be extended or retracted on the end of arm section 156 to move the cutting tool 180 along a third axis orthogonal to the plane of the conveyor 120. In addition, the shaft can be rotated or turned to change the orientation of the cutting tool 180, and adhesive sprayer if present, relative to the box.
As noted above, the conveyor 120 moves a box containing the product into the cutting zone 101 to a cutting position relative to the moveable support 150. When transporting the box to the cutting zone 101, the conveyor 120 moves the box through the entry tunnel 112, where the dimensioning device 176 determines dimensions. The dimensioning device 176 scans and can determine both the box and product dimensions. The box dimensions may also be determined by other methods such a laser, scanner, camera, encoders etc. For example, a dimensioning device as shown in
The controller 140 converts the box and product dimensions to a programmed cutting pattern for the cutting tool 180. For example, a principal dimension can be determined and then a cut line is determined. The controller actuates the stopping rail 125 to stop movement of the box in the direction of the conveyor 120. The controller then actuates the positioning rail 128, which pushes the box against the stationary rail 130. Thus, the box is held in the cutting position relative to the moveable support 150. The stationary rail 130 and/or the positioning rail 128 can include a clamp that is attached to or integrated therewith, that assists in holding the box in place and reduce uplift of the box while being cut. Clamping bar 131, which is within the cutting zone 101 side of the stationary rail 130 is shown as an example of a clamp. The clamping bar 131 can be a single continuous piece or divided into multiple sections. The controller 140 then operates the moveable support 150, which moves the cutting tool 180 relative to the box and performs a programmed cut on the box, such as along the cut line. A pneumatic adhesive sprayer may also be mounted to the arm of the moveable support 150, such that it trails the blade on the cutting head. The applicator may be a pneumatic adhesive sprayer which applies an adhesive on the walls of the box. Typically on the outside of the walls. In some examples, the adhesive may be applied at a lidding station manually, in an automated fashion, or pre-applied to the lid.
In one example, boxes entering the automated container resizing system 100 may have different and unknown dimensions. As such, a dimensioning device, such as dimensioning device 176 is capable of determining the dimension of each box using various sensor-based techniques. The controller 140 then uses the dimensions to operate the moveable support 150 to perform the cutting patterns.
In another example, the boxes entering the automated container resizing system 100 may have the same dimensions. Accordingly, the controller 140 may control the moveable support 150 to perform substantially the same length and width cut for each of the similar boxes and vary the height of the cut line based on the principal dimension. In this technique, the controller 140 may have known dimensions of the boxes stored in memory.
In another example, boxes entering the automated container resizing system 100 may have different dimensions. But those dimensions may already be known to the controller 140 and stored in its memory. A dimensioning device, such as dimensioning device 176 can include one or more sensors such as a barcode scanner, Radio Frequency (RF) tag scanner, or a vision pattern recognition system known in the art. The dimensioning device can read or detect the ID of the boxes entering the automated container resizing system 100. Based on the ID, the controller 140 determines the pre-defined dimensions and cutting pattern associated with the ID of the box. The controller 140 then controls the moveable support 150 to perform the programmed cutting patterns for each box. An operator can also manually enter the dimensions of a box or the type of box from which the controller 140 can obtain or determine the dimensions.
The automated container resizing system 200 also includes first and second photo eyes 172 and 174 mounted on a rail 129. The first photo eye 172 is used to determine when a box enters the cutting zone 101, while the second photo eye 174 is used to determine when a box leaves the cutting zone 101. Dimensioning device 176 is mounted overhead to measure the product dimensions (contained inside the box) and can also be used to measure the box dimensions. As noted above, the dimensioning device 176 may be solely used for determining the product dimensions, such as the principal dimension, and the horizontal and vertical light curtain 178, 179, can determine the box dimensions. Using software, the controller 140 transforms a prescribed or programmed cutting pattern to the dimensions of the box based on the principal dimension and converts the data into coordinate offsets. The coordinate offsets are sent to the moveable support 150. Using the coordinate offsets, the moveable support 150 mathematically creates a motion path for the cutting tool 180 to perform the cutting pattern in the box along cut lines determined based on the principal dimension. The cutting pattern can leave a tab as discussed herein.
Reference is now made to examples of the cutting tool 180 which is represented in greater detail in
The box can be delivered to the system via a transport system, such as a conveyor. The box can be first received at an entry section of the system, such as an entry tunnel. The box can also be received in a cutting zone of the system.
In step 620, box and product dimensions within the box are obtained by the controller. The dimensions of the products and the box can be determined by one or more dimensioning devices as disclosed herein and provided to the controller. Different types of dimensioning devices having one or more sensors can be used to obtain the dimensions and send to the controller. For example, dimensioning device 176 can be used to obtain dimensions of the products and the horizontal and vertical light curtains 178, 179, can be used to obtain the dimensions of the box.
The box is moved into the cutting zone of the system in step 630. A conveyor, such as conveyor 120 can transport the box into the cutting zone. The box can be moved into the cutting zone and then the product and box dimensions determined. When in the cutting zone, the controller actuates rails to position and hold the box. A stop rail, positioning rail, and stationary rail as disclosed herein can be used to position and secure the box for resizing.
In step 650, the controller directs resizing of the box. The controller can determine a cutting pattern based on the principal dimension and the box dimensions and direct a cutting tool to cut the box along a cut line of the cutting pattern.
An adhesive is applied in step 660. The adhesive can be applied by an adhesive applicator that is mounted on the cutting tool, such as adhesive applicator 190. In other examples, the adhesive can be applied at a later stage, such as at a lid station.
The controller releases the box from the cutting zone in step 670. The controller can release the box, for example, by dropping the stop rail. The controller then actuates the conveyor to move the box out of the cutting zone to a lid station. The lid station can be a manual or automated lid station. The box can include a tab that is used to transport the cut portion of the box out of the cutting zone. The tab can be removed at the lid station. Method 600 continues to step 610 and resizes another box that is received, such as from an automated packing system. Accordingly, method 600 can be repeated multiple times for various boxes
Additionally, the controller 700 includes an interface 720 and a memory 730 coupled thereto. The components of the controller 700 can be coupled together by and communicate via typical means used in the industry, such as conventional connections and communication protocols. One skilled in the art will understand that the controller 700 can include additional components typically included with a controller such as a power supply or power port.
The interface 720 includes multiple ports for transmitting and receiving data from at least the sensors of the automated container resizing system 100. For example, data representing box dimensions and dimensions of products in the box can be received from sensors of dimensioning devices. The interface 720 can support wireless or wired communications. Additionally, the interface 720 can receive programming to direct the operation of the automated container resizing system. The programming instructions can be code representing algorithms that, for example, determine a principal dimension, a cutting pattern, and commands based thereon to instruct a cutting tool to cut and reduce the size of the box. The commands can direct the conveyor to move the box into and out of the cutting zone, move the moveable support to move the cutting tool, and operate the cutting tool. The programming instructions can be encrypted for security.
The memory 730 may be located within a controller that is constructed to store data and computer programs. The memory 730 can be a conventional memory. The memory 730 may be a non-transitory computer readable medium store operating instructions, such as the programming instructions, to direct the operation of the processor 710 when initiated thereby. The operating instructions may correspond to algorithms that provide the functionality of the operating schemes disclosed herein. The memory 730, therefore, stores the programming instructions that direct the operation of an automated container resizing system, such as disclosed herein. The memory 730 can also store data on different boxes, including dimensions, wall thickness, material, and shape. The processor 710 can use this data to determine the commands for instructing the cutting tool. The instructions can include a force needed to make the cut based on the material. The processor 710 can also generate commands to work with other components of a packaging system. The commands can correspond to one or more steps of method 600.
A portion of the above-described apparatus, systems or methods may be embodied in or performed by various analog or digital data processors, wherein the processors are programmed or store executable programs of sequences of software instructions to perform one or more of the steps of the methods. A processor may be, for example, a programmable logic device such as a programmable array logic (PAL), a generic array logic (GAL), a field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or another type of computer processing device (CPD). The software instructions of such programs may represent algorithms and be encoded in machine-executable form on non-transitory digital data storage media, e.g., magnetic or optical disks, random-access memory (RAM), magnetic hard disks, flash memories, and/or read-only memory (ROM), to enable various types of digital data processors or computers to perform one, multiple or all of the steps of one or more of the above-described methods, or functions, systems or apparatuses described herein.
Portions of disclosed examples or embodiments may relate to computer storage products with a non-transitory computer-readable medium that have program code thereon for performing various computer-implemented operations that embody a part of an apparatus, device or carry out the steps of a method set forth herein. Non-transitory used herein refers to all computer-readable media except for transitory, propagating signals. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include but are not limited to: magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; optical media such as CD-ROM disks; magneto-optical media such as floppy disks; and hardware devices that are specially configured to store and execute program code, such as ROM and RAM devices. Configured or configured to means, for example, designed, constructed, or programmed, with the necessary logic and/or features for performing a task or tasks. A configured device, therefore, is capable of performing the task or tasks. Examples of program code include both machine code, such as produced by a compiler, and files containing higher level code that may be executed by the computer using an interpreter.
In interpreting the disclosure, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced.
Those skilled in the art to which this application relates will appreciate that other and further additions, deletions, substitutions and modifications may be made to the described embodiments. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting, because the scope of the present disclosure will be limited only by the claims. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also be used in the practice or testing of the present disclosure, a limited number of the exemplary methods and materials are described herein.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/256,433, filed by Tom Karol, et al. on Oct. 15, 2021, entitled “AUTOMATED CONTAINER RESIZING APPARATUS, A SYSTEM INCLUDING THE APPARATUS, AND A METHOD OF RESIZING A CONTAINER,” commonly assigned with this application and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63256433 | Oct 2021 | US |
