Patent Application
20240315263
The present invention relates to a robot gripper that takes a patty or stacked patties from a conveyor and moves them to a package element or packaging container.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,056 relates to an apparatus for picking up and manipulating randomly oriented and randomly positioned objects moving on a belt. An image processing unit using a vision system identifies and locates objects in successive overlapping vision windows up to a predetermined optimum number of objects. Locations of those objects is entered in an output queue transmitted to the object location queue of a first robot motion controller. First robot picks up and deposits all objects it can in time available while objects pass and enters locations of objects not picked up in output queue transmitted to object location queue of second robot motion controller.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,984 relates to a method for automated grouping of objects randomly placed onto a conveyor belt and transported in a steady conveying flow to a grouping device. A recognition device determines location and position of objects transported on conveyor belt before reaching grouping device and communicates location and position of objects to a control unit. The control unit evaluates the random ordered state of the objects on the conveyor belt based on the location and the position of the objects. A control unit determines, based on the evaluation result of the evaluating step, sorting positions on the conveyor belt. A handling device groups, taking into account belt speed, objects in a group on each one of the determined sorting positions on the conveyor belt. Groups of objects are further transported on the conveyor belt.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,149 relates to a conveyor system accepting one or more streams of product and converting the streams to a format for automatic loading to a subsequent machine. Conveyor system comprises an input level shifting conveyor to receive product input streams. Level shifting conveyor is movable between upper level and lower level position. Upper level strip conveyor receives product from input level shifting conveyor. Upper level strip conveyor includes an output end in a fixed position to direct product by the upper level strip conveyor to a first lateral alignment position of the format. Lower level strip conveyor receive product from level shifting conveyor moved to a lower level position. The lower level strip conveyor includes an output end in a fixed position to direct product received by the lower level strip conveyor to a second lateral alignment position of format. The second lateral alignment position is different from the first lateral alignment position. The output level shifting conveyor is movable between an upper level position to receive a product from the upper level strip conveyor and lower level to receive product from lower level strip conveyor.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,688,452 relates to a multi-head robotic system for delivering numerous robotic devices to a task site. A number of robotic devices perform tasks simultaneously. The sequence in which the robotic devices arrive at or leave a task site is unlimited. Robotic delivery system can leapfrog robotic devices, or placing them randomly at locations where they are needed.
US patent publication 20060182603 relates to tooling for securing to the movable end of a computer-controlled robotic arm, where an article can be picked up, rotated and lowered into a new position. Tooling comprises two blades, movable between first open position and second closed position. Tooling can be lowered with blades separated until blades make contact with surface of article, and then blades move inwardly below article so tooling raises article. Support member may be positioned above each of the blades and a drive means moves both support members and blades until the article is gripped between support members. A viewing system provides image signals to a robotic arm controlling computer to determine orientation of each article to be picked up and generate control signals for rotating the tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,435 relates to a fully automated robotized system and method for cooking food products. The system includes a robot, bulk uncooked food dispensing station and a cooked food storage station. The system can be controlled by a computer operating and control station that controls the robot to obtain bulk food from dispensing station, placing it in cooking position at cooking station, and when cooked, remove food and deliver to storage station.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,172,328 relates to a fully automated robotized system and method for cooking food products. The system includes a robot, bulk uncooked food dispensing station and a cooked food storage station. System can be controlled by a computer operating and control station that controls the robot to obtain bulk food from dispensing station, placing it in cooking position at cooking station, and when cooked, remove food and deliver to storage station. In one embodiment, the cooking station is a clamshell grill and the robot deposits on and retrieves from the grill hamburger patties in a predetermined horizontal array with a novel end of arm tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,056 relates to a robotic hand on a robot for picking up several flattened articles in a stack form in a non-damaging manner. The robotic hand has a manifold for directing controlled pressure air and a set of gripper finger assemblies. Each finger assembly has a rigid finger support member and an inflatable bladder extending along its length. Bladders are in communication with chamber of manifold and external source of positive and negative pressure air. Robotic hand can position itself over an article to be picked up with gripper fingers. Pressurized air is directed through the manifold into bladders of fingers. Bladders expand to grasp sides of articles. Robotic hand is moved to a position over the article where bladders of fingers are deflated to cause first article to drop onto the second article. Reinflating bladders causes gripper fingers to grasp the two articles. Steps are repeated until a stack of predetermined number of articles formed. Robotic hand deposits a stack into an open top container to fill the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,627,941 relates to a food handling system having a positioning system and method. Positioning system includes a main conveying surface, an electronic sensor, a controller and robot. The main conveying surface moves the food. Electronic sensor captures position data of food products on conveying surface within sensor range of sensor. Controller is signal-connected to an electronic sensor and robot. Controller receives data captured by the sensor and instructs the robot to move food product to a destination position. Robot repositions food products on conveying surface according to instructions sent by the controller. Robot has longitudinal and lateral working range. Food product includes meat patties, or sliced meat or cheese.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,931,240 relates to a shuttle system including a main conveyor for transporting food products in a longitudinal direction and moving in the longitudinal direction to a filling station. The shuttle system includes a shuttle robot for moving food product from the main conveyor to the open top container in a filling station. A sensor receives food product position data and a controller receives data from a sensor and instructs operation of a robot. Shuttle system requires an off-weight conveyor.
US patent publication 20080131253 relates to an apparatus that includes a robotic arm, an end of arm tool attachment for engaging an article and a position and location determination device. The article may be initially provided on a conveyor. The conveyor may have two or more tracks that form one or more grooves for allowing figures on the end of arm tool to pass between and below adjacent tracks so fingers can engage the bottom or side of the article. Article may be any rigid or non-rigid body or product.
The prior art teaches a clamshell gripper. Clamshell grippers rotate about two points defining an elliptical arc. The clamshell design causes the gripper fingers to interfere with the product during actuation. The interference causes inconsistent locating of the product during picking and placing because of variation in geometry of the product and variation in physical contact. The inconsistent interference lends itself to high inconsistencies in placement location and orientation and is not cost effective.
The present invention relates to a device for gripping patties from a conveyor and moving them to a package element or packaging container for the patties. It is an object of the present invention for the patties to be protein patties. It is an object of the present invention for the patties to be meat patties.
In order to ensure patty placement is accurate and repeatable, the gripper must disengage from the patty immediately upon actuation of the placement operation and not engage the patty until the gripper is closed during the picking or grasping operation.
If the gripper fingers drag on the raw patty during actuation, the patty will not be controlled during the picking or placing operation. This will cause the shipping packages to be non-uniform between containers and possibly cause the final sealing of the package to be non-hygienic.
In order to solve the issue of the gripper fingers dragging, the gripper motion is guided with pins sliding in a hybrid combination of curved and straight slots. These features force the clamshell finger motion during the opening and closing of the gripper to move down during the actuation thus minimizing the movement of the free patty when grasped or released.
It is an object of the present invention for the gripping fingers to move away from the patty faster than the gravity force acting upon the patty stack thus minimizing the changes in altitude of the patty during flight after being dropped.
It is an object of the present invention to allow the gripper fingers to reach under the conveyor surface, the conveyor surface being divided into sections with gaps between them providing clearance for the fingers to protrude below the bottom of the patty.
It is an object of the present invention for the gripper to have 5 patty end of arm tooling capable of moving 400 patties per minute.
It is an object of the present invention for the gripper to be designed with no metal to metal contact for moving parts. It is an object of the present invention to use food grade lubricants only for the gripper design.
It is an object of the present invention for the gripper design to allow for the picking up and placing of individual raw formed product and stacks of raw formed product. The complete system of multiple grippers is defined as an end of arm tool. The end of arm tool can be used to pick and place individual product in an array of single patties or arrays of stacks of patties or product.
It is an object of the present invention for each individual gripper in the end of arm tool to be independently actuated allowing the product to be picked or placed from and to multiple locations, as a group, or individually. This independence allows the placement of single or multiple product into multiple locations or packaging.
It is an object of the present invention for the guide plate to be made of food grade plastic. It is an object of the present invention for the actuator bearings to be made of food grade plastic.
The present invention relates to a device for moving food patties comprising: an end of arm tool with one or more grippers, the gripper comprised of fingers that are placed under a patty or stack of patties that create no interference. The gripper further comprises a single actuation and two motion spacers. Guided pins and hybrid slots allow the gripper to move in straight and complex curves. A cage keeps patties from moving while gripped.
It is an object of the present invention for the device to further comprise a tamp and air cylinders. Air cylinders move the tamp up and down. The tamp assists in holding the patties in the gripper and pushes the patties out of the gripper when ready, assisting in placing the patties straight into a package.
The present invention relates to a method of moving patties comprising: placing an individual gripper in an open position, and surrounding a stack of patties on a conveyor. The gripper moves along the conveyor belt and is placed around patties in a closed position. The patty is surrounded with a cage and fingers underneath the patty. The patties are placed in a tray device for packaging.
It is a further object of the present invention for the method to include precisely pushing the patties out of the gripper in a straight path with a tamp.
The present invention relates to a gripper device comprising: two finger assemblies, each finger assembly comprising a cage, patty grip fingers, and a patty grip arm. The gripper device further comprises two motion spacers, that change the motion of the fingers and arm from up and down to opening and closing of the gripper.
It is an object of the present invention for the device to comprise a coupling bearing attached to an actuator pin and pneumatic rod connect that connects a connector actuator to the coupling bearing.
It is an object of the present invention for the gripper device to further comprise air fittings. It is an object of the present invention for the gripper device to further comprise a pneumatic actuator and pneumatic actuator adapter.
The present invention relates to a robotic gripper conveyor tray device comprising: a conveyor, trays, grippers, and arms having grippers within the arms. The arms have grippers located above the conveyor and in an open position. The conveyor has raw patties on it. The gripper grips the patties from the conveyor and moves the patties onto the trays. The trays are located on a tray moving device.
It is an object of the present invention for the arms to pick up five stacks of food from the conveyor.
It is an object of the present invention for the arm to have twelve grippers.
It is an object of the present invention for the stacks of patties to be placed one or two per drop until all of the grippers are empty before returning to the conveyor.
It is an object of the present invention for the trays to be of any size and shape as long as they have two locatable edges for guidance. It is an object of the present invention for the arm with the grippers to drop individual stacks in prescribed packaging tray locations. It is an object of the present invention for a tamp to be used to provide the patties from the gripper into the tray so the patties do not bounce left or right or fall off the tray. It is an object of the present invention for the arms containing the grippers to independently drop stacks of patties in multiple locations while the trays are moving. It is an object of the present invention for the device to further comprise a programmed control system that tracks position of the tray on the tray moving device.
It is an object of the present invention that after the final stack of patties is dropped into the tray, the robotic gripper robot returns to the conveyor and picks another array of stacks.
It is an object of the present invention for a first and second robotic gripper work in tandem with a dependent algorithm allowing spaces in the trays to be filled by the second robotic gripper after the first robotic gripper is finished.
It is an object of the present invention for the device to comprise removable upper and lower end guards and removable transition cover.
The present invention relates to a gripper device comprising: an adapter, motion spacer, motion plate; finger weldment, pin actuator and pin hold. The gripper device having no metal to metal contact for moving parts. Each gripper is part of an end of arm tool that is independently actuated allowing product to be picked or placed from and to multiple locations, not as a group. It is an object of the present invention for the grippers to be used in unison. It is an object of the present invention for the gripper device to allow placement of single or multiple product into multiple locations or packaging.
The present invention relates to a device for moving food patties comprising: an end of arm tool with multiple grippers; each gripper comprised of fingers that are placed under a patty or stacks of patties; a cage that keeps patties from moving while gripped; a tamp for securing the position of patties during lateral travel and moving the patty out of the gripper in a straight downward path. It is an object of the present invention for the device to further comprise air cylinders for moving the tamp. It is an object of the present invention for the discharge of the patties from the device to not rely on gravity. It is an object of the present invention for the device to further comprise a single actuation for gripper finger motion and two motion spacers. It is an object of the present invention for the device to further comprise guided pins and motion-spacer hybrid slots that allow the gripper to move in straight and complex curves. It is an object of the present invention for the device to further comprise air fittings. It is an object of the present invention for the device to further comprise a pneumatic actuator and pneumatic actuator adapter for gripper actuation.
It is an object of the present invention for the gripper to allow placement of single or multiple patties or stacks of patties into multiple locations or packaging.
The present invention relates to a gripper device comprising: fingers, cage, tamp, motion spacers, and combining one or more gripper devices to create an end of arm tool.
The present invention relates to a gripper device comprising: two finger assemblies, each finger assembly comprising cages, gripper fingers, complex-slotted motion spacers that change motion from up and down to open and close motions, grip arms and a tamp.
Air cylinders 420 move the tamp 421 up and down. The air cylinders 420 move the tamp 421 up when the gripper is open. Patties (not shown) are pushed down and squeezed by the tamp 421 when the gripper has secured the patties. After the gripper opens, the tamp 421 pushes the patties down. The tamp gripper 400 does not rely on gravity to drop the patties out of the tamp gripper 400. To mitigate the possibility of forcing the stack to interfere with the fingers during the gripper opening sequence, the tamp is actuated up for a split second to allow the gripper to disengage the stack. When the gripper has disengaged the stack, the tamp is actuated down to force the stack to travel straight down into its final position in the tray.
The present invention is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/952,609, filed Sep. 26, 2022, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/911,508, filed Jun. 25, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,452,297, issued Sep. 27, 2022.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16911508 | Jun 2020 | US |
| Child | 17952609 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17952609 | Sep 2022 | US |
| Child | 18731319 | US |
