A box packing device includes a first arm, a first hand, and a controller. The first hand includes a hand base, a gripping mechanism at the hand base and including a gripper to grip an upper-end of a flap of a large box, and a holding mechanism at the hand base and including a holder to hold an inner box. The controller controls the operation of the first arm and the first hand so as to perform a developing operation in which the gripping part of the gripping mechanism moves in a horizontal plane so as to develop the large box while gripping the upper-end part of the flap part of the large box in a folded state, and an accommodating operation in which the holder of the holding mechanism accommodates the inner box into the developed large box while holding the inner box.

Techniques for product-stacking and case-packing are particularly adapted for product that is packaged in envelopes or flexibly-sided containers. Such products include may different types, such as foodstuffs, books, boxed goods, etc. In an example, a product-stacking and case-packing system may include a product-stacking assembly and a case-packing assembly. In the example, the product-stacking assembly may be configured with a plurality of pairs of flights, each pair of flights programmed to move according to operation of an associated pair servo motors, and programmed to receive and down-stack incoming product items into groups. In the example, the case-packing assembly may include a robotic arm and end-of-arm tool configured to grasp one or more groups of stacked product items, when pushed from the product-stacking assembly, and place each group of stacked product items in a case (e.g., a cardboard box).

An adaptive container loading assembly is provided and includes a container forming assembly, a container shuttle assembly, and a product transport assembly. The container forming provides a plurality of varying sized containers. The container shuttle assembly is positioned adjacent to the container forming assembly and includes a linear synchronous motor guideway shaped in an endless loop, and a plurality of transport vehicles moveable about the guideway, each transport vehicle a leading shuttle and a trailing shuttle spaced apart by a determined distance to accommodate and receive the plurality of varying sized containers. The product transport assembly is positioned adjacent the container shuttle assembly and includes a robot arm to position product in the plurality of varying sized containers.

A mushroom packaging system 10 comprising a mushroom packaging apparatus 11 wherein empty containers 12 are at least partially filled with mushrooms 13. The system further comprises a mushroom loading apparatus 14 comprising a mushroom loading station 15 and a mushroom conveyor 16 for retaining and conveying mushrooms loaded thereon by an operator to the mushroom packaging apparatus 11. A container storage apparatus 50 is also provided which provides a container loading station 17 positioned such that an operator may load empty containers 12 thereinto. A container conveyance apparatus 22 conveys empty containers 12 from the container storage apparatus 50 to a packaged mushroom collection station 18 via the mushroom packaging apparatus 11. Packaged mushrooms 19 received at the packaged mushroom collection station 18 may be retrieved by the operator. A single operator may load mushrooms to the mushroom loading station 15, load containers to the container loading station 17, and retrieve containers from the packaged mushroom collection station 18.

The present invention relates to a packaging device and sorting system (82) for directional packaging of products (P), such as vegetables and fruit, and a method therefore. The packaging device according to the invention comprises: a sensor system (54) configured to detect a collection of suitable pick-up points; at least one directing unit (16) configured to direct a product and provided with at least one degree of freedom for rotation of the product around a substantially horizontal rotation axis; and a manipulator (28) comprising: a pick-up element (44); and a moving device (30) comprising at least four degrees of freedom for translation of the product and rotation around a substantially horizontal axis, wherein a rotation of the product around a substantially vertical rotation axis is possibly by means of providing the moving device and/or directing unit with an additional degree of freedom.

A packaging container for a drug having a recording medium and/or an identification mark for recording and updating one or more arbitrary information(s) selected from the group consisting of the information: an active ingredient of a drug, usage of a drug, drug dose, date of manufacture of a drug, expiration date of a drug, drug shipping date of a drug, traceability of drug delivery route from manufacturing to usage of a drug, and storage conditions (e.g., temperature, light (dark/light), humidity, etc.) including storage temperature and changes thereof, information including the administration date of a drug and a breakdown of the administration, amount of drug presented in drug-enclosing portion.

Systems and processes for packing complementary articles of footwear into a container are disclosed. The processes can include utilizing a reusable packing sheet positioned underneath complementary articles of footwear to transfer the complementary articles of footwear into a container. The processes can also include removing the reusable packing sheet from underneath the complementary articles of footwear while the complementary articles of footwear remain positioned in the container. Additional processes can include aligning and sizing complementary articles of footwear for packing in a container.

A produce packing device comprising: a robot positioning apparatus with an end effector, wherein the robot positioning apparatus provides at least three degrees of freedom to move the end effector in three axial (x, y and z) directions or combination of at least two of these directions with respect to items of produce to be packaged, wherein the end effector is adapted in use for individually picking up an item of produce; a sensor to determine a size of each item of produce in a plurality of items of produce presented to the robot positioning apparatus and end effector; and a controller configured to receive one or more outputs from the sensor and: determine a selection of items of produce to be picked from the plurality of items of produce based on the one or more outputs from the sensor to achieve an acceptable stack height of items of produce within a package; and cause the robot positioning apparatus and end effector to move and pick up the selection of items of produce and place within said package.

A robotic pack station is disclosed. The robotic pack station automates the transfer of items from a tote or bin to a shipping container such as a box in a warehouse, storage or sales facility. The robotic pack station includes system and method components, and includes a work cell with a robotic arm, machine vision or sensing system, a conveyer and pack platform. Imaging of the contents of the tote with a scan tunnel and connectivity with a sorter device allows for the operation of multiple robotic pack stations, each with a specialized function such as a small box line, a medium box line, and the like.

A pharmaceutical order filling system receives pharmaceutical orders and uses a loading device to label containers and load the labeled containers onto a pallet. The loading device is configured with at least one container drop assembly that receives containers to be labelled and loaded onto the pallet and that is in communication with a label assembly configured to print and apply labels to the containers. The loading device also includes at least one loading rotary wheel configured to receive the labelled containers and hold the labelled containers in a pick position to be moved from the pick position to a predetermined position on the pallet. The loading device may be configured to accommodate multiple sizes of containers and to consolidate multiple sizes of labelled containers into a single loading rotary wheel for loading onto the pallet.