A vision-assisted robotized depalletizer receives at a pallet station a pallet loaded with products and outputs on a conveyor unitized products aligned in a desired orientation. Such depalletizers include a vision system having one or more image acquisition sensors that are positioned relative to the pallet station so as to have a field of view covering a top portion of the pallet. The sensors send to a controller one or more image of the top portion of the pallet that the controller uses along to determine the position of each product in the top portion of the pallet. The depalletizer further includes a robot equipped with a depalletizing tool that is coupled to the vision system controller for receiving information indicative of the position of each product from the top portion and uses that information to pick and position on the output conveyor each product from the top portion.

A method of picking a top component reel from a stack of component reels includes lowering a picking arm over a rod extending through the stack of component reels to above a top component reel of the stack, the arm comprising a plurality of alignment tabs and a gripper positioned such that, with the picking arm lowered the rod extends through the gripper and between the alignment tabs of the picking arm. The method includes actuating the alignment tabs to engage the rod and align the rod with respect to the picking arm, inserting a portion of the gripper into a hole of the top component reel, actuating the gripper to engage opposing inner surfaces of the top component reel at the hole of the top component reel, and with the gripper engaged, raising the picking arm to lift the top component reel from the stack of component reels.

A method of picking a top component reel from a stack of component reels includes lowering a picking arm over a rod extending through the stack of component reels to above a top component reel of the stack, the arm comprising a plurality of alignment tabs and a gripper positioned such that, with the picking arm lowered the rod extends through the gripper and between the alignment tabs of the picking arm. The method includes actuating the alignment tabs to engage the rod and align the rod with respect to the picking arm, inserting a portion of the gripper into a hole of the top component reel, actuating the gripper to engage opposing inner surfaces of the top component reel at the hole of the top component reel, and with the gripper engaged, raising the picking arm to lift the top component reel from the stack of component reels.

An apparatus for depalletizing a loaded pallet comprised of (n) vertically stacked article arrays, each article array separated from an adjacent article array by a dunnage layer, the loaded pallet including a top article array vertically supporting a top dunnage layer. The apparatus is adapted to remove all article arrays from the loaded pallet and to deposit all collected dunnage layers onto the empty pallet.

An apparatus for depalletizing a loaded pallet comprised of (n) vertically stacked article arrays, each article array separated from an adjacent article array by a dunnage layer, the loaded pallet including a top article array vertically supporting a top dunnage layer. The apparatus is adapted to remove all article arrays from the loaded pallet and to deposit all collected dunnage layers onto the empty pallet.

A vision-assisted robotized depalletizer receives at a pallet station a pallet loaded with products and outputs on a conveyor unitized products aligned in a desired orientation. Such depalletizers include a vision system having one or more image acquisition sensors that are positioned relative to the pallet station so as to have a field of view covering a top portion of the pallet. The sensors send to a controller one or more image of the top portion of the pallet that the controller uses along to determine the position of each product in the top portion of the pallet. The depalletizer further includes a robot equipped with a depalletizing tool that is coupled to the vision system controller for receiving information indicative of the position of each product from the top portion and uses that information to pick and position on the output conveyor each product from the top portion.

A vision-assisted robotized depalletizer receives at a pallet station a pallet loaded with products and outputs on a conveyor unitized products aligned in a desired orientation. Such depalletizers include a vision system having one or more image acquisition sensors that are positioned relative to the pallet station so as to have a field of view covering a top portion of the pallet. The sensors send to a controller one or more image of the top portion of the pallet that the controller uses along to determine the position of each product in the top portion of the pallet. The depalletizer further includes a robot equipped with a depalletizing tool that is coupled to the vision system controller for receiving information indicative of the position of each product from the top portion and uses that information to pick and position on the output conveyor each product from the top portion.

An apparatus for unloading material. The apparatus comprises a hooking device mounted on a frame for hooking the material. The hooking device comprises a plurality of rows of curved hooks, each row of hooks being pivotable about a respective axis of rotation between a non-operating position, in which the hooks are retracted, and an operating position, in which the hooks are extended so as to hook the material. All the rows of hooks are pivotable from the non-operating position into the operating position along a hooking path, rotating in the same direction of rotation about the respective axes of rotation. The hooking device further comprises an abutment element that is positioned on the outside of the rows of hooks, substantially perpendicularly to the hooking path.

An apparatus for unloading material. The apparatus comprises a hooking device mounted on a frame for hooking the material. The hooking device comprises a plurality of rows of curved hooks, each row of hooks being pivotable about a respective axis of rotation between a non-operating position, in which the hooks are retracted, and an operating position, in which the hooks are extended so as to hook the material. All the rows of hooks are pivotable from the non-operating position into the operating position along a hooking path, rotating in the same direction of rotation about the respective axes of rotation. The hooking device further comprises an abutment element that is positioned on the outside of the rows of hooks, substantially perpendicularly to the hooking path.

The invention concerns an automated storage and retrieval system, a storage container handling vehicle and a method for operating such a system. The system comprises a plurality of vehicles, where each vehicle comprises a vehicle body (30), a thereto connected wheel assembly configured to guide the vehicle along the track system, a container picking device (4) for releasably attaching to a storage container, comprising one or more pivot arms (5) having a first end pivotally connected to the vehicle body at pivot point (PP). The configuration of the container picking device is such that it is movable in a pivoting motion of the pivot arm about the pivot point between a first, lifting position enabling the container picking device to lift at least one storage container from a position outside the horizontal extent of the vehicle body and a second, transport position enabling the container picking device to hold the at least one storage container at least partly inside the horizontal extent of the vehicle body.