Abstract
A system for opening a box having a body part and a lid, and for removing one or more food items from the box, includes a first tool for attaching to the body part, and a second tool for attaching to a surface of the lid at one or more points of contact and applying at each of the one or more points of contact a force to the lid having a component in a direction normal to the surface at the point of contact. Each of the first tool and the second tool is powered. The first tool and the second tool are arranged for orienting and/or displacing the lid concerning the body part to open the box with the lid, and moving and/or orienting the body part to remove the one or more food items from the box.
Claims
1.-16. (canceled)
17. A system arranged for opening a box having a body part and a lid, the system being arranged for removing one or more food items from said box, said system comprising: a first tool comprising an actuator and for attaching to the body part; and a second tool comprising an actuator and for attaching to a surface of the lid at one or more points of contact, and applying at each of the one or more points of contact a force to the lid having a component in a direction normal to the surface at the point of contact; wherein the first tool and the second tool are arranged for orienting and/or displacing the lid with respect to the body part so as to open the box with the lid, and moving and/or orienting the body part so as to remove the one or more food items from said box.
18. The system for opening a box according to claim 17, wherein said one or more points of contact are placed away from an edge of said surface.
19. The system for opening a box according to claim 17, wherein the second tool comprises one or more elements, including needles, arranged for penetrating the lid during attachment to the lid.
20. The system for opening a box according to claim 17, wherein the second tool comprises one or more elements, including one or more suction cups, arranged for creating a partial vacuum between the one or more elements and the lid during attaching to the lid.
21. The system for opening a box according to claim 17, wherein the first tool is further arranged for: moving the body part in a horizontal direction, such as moving the body part to a position above a receiving area, including a de-icing area or a receptacle or a receiving bin or a content receiving conveyor.
22. The system for opening a box according to claim 17, wherein moving and/or orienting the body part so as to remove the one or more food items from said box; comprises orienting the body part to allow gravity to remove the one or more food items from said box.
23. The system for opening a box according to claim 17, wherein the one or more elements comprise a plurality of elements, including at least 2, 4, 8 or 16 elements.
24. The system for opening a box according to claim 23, wherein the plurality of elements is arranged for penetrating the lid at different angles with respect to each other.
25. The system for opening a box according to claim 17, further comprising a cutting device for cutting straps located around a box.
26. The system for opening a box according to claim 17, wherein the body part and/or the lid comprises, consisting of a material with a density of less than 100 kg/m3, including polystyrene foam.
27. The system for opening a box according to claim 17, the system further comprising: a means for moving, including a conveyor for conveying, the box to the first tool and/or to the second tool.
28. The system for opening a box according to claim 26, wherein the means for moving is further arranged for moving a pallet with one or more boxes placed on the pallet.
29. The system for opening a box according to claim 17, the system further comprising: one or more sensors for detecting the box, including a detecting position and/or orientation.
30. The system for opening a box according to claim 17, wherein the system is further comprising: a user input interface for inputting information about one or more defect boxes and/or information about one or more boxes which should not have content removed, a processor arranged for receiving said information, and controlling the first tool and/or the second tool based on said information.
31. Use of a system according to claim 17 for opening a box with a lid, wherein the box comprises polystyrene foam, the box further comprising one or more food objects.
32. A method for opening a box having a body part and a lid, said method comprising: attaching a first tool comprising an actuator to the body part; attaching a second tool comprising an actuator to a surface of the lid, such as exclusively to the surface of the lid, at one or more points of contact; applying at each of the one or more points of contact a force to the lid, such as a pulling force, having a component in a direction normal to the surface at the point of contact; orienting and/or displacing the lid with respect to the body part so as to open the box with the lid; and moving and/or orienting the body part to remove the one or more food items from said box, such as orienting the body part and allowing gravity to remove the one or more food items from said box.
Description
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0089] FIG. 1 shows a system 100 arranged for opening an EPS box 104 having a body part and a lid, the system furthermore being arranged for removing one or more food items, such as fish and ice of a total mass of approximately 22-27 kg, from said box. Said system comprises a first tool 101, being a gripper, comprising an actuator and being arranged for attaching to the body part, and a second tool 102 comprising an actuator and being arranged for attaching exclusively to the surface of the lid at one or more points of contact, and applying at each of the one or more points of contact a pulling force to the lid having a component in a direction normal to the surface at the point of contact. In the present embodiment, the second tool 102 approaches the lid from one direction only. Each of the first tool and the second tools is an electrically powered, mechanically actuated tool (such as by means of electric motors, pneumatics and/or hydraulics). The first tool and the second tool are furthermore arranged for orienting and/or displacing the lid with respect to the body part so as to open the box with the lid, and orienting the body part (e.g., by turning it upside down) so as to allow gravity to remove the one or more food items from said box. The figure furthermore shows a powered tool 106 whereupon both of the first tool 101 and the second tool 102 are mounted. The powered tool 106 is a robot, and more particularly an articulated, general purpose, industrial robot. Boxes 108 are generally arranged on pallets, such as pallet 110, which are moved to the first tool 101 and the second tool 102 by a pallet infeed conveyor 112, which conveys through an entry gate 114, whereupon two sensors are arranged for detecting an arrangement of boxes 108 on pallet 112, which arrangement is provided to a processor for controlling the robot 106 and the first tool 101 and the second tool 102. Furthermore, the two sensors are for security purposes arranged for detecting unwarranted entry through the entry gate 114. Once a box, such as box 104 is ready for emptying, the first tool 101 grips the body part, and the second tool 102 attaches to a surface of the lid at one or more points of contact and applies at each point of contact a pulling force to the lid having a component in a direction normal to the surface at the point of contact. Subsequently, the first tool 101 and the second tool 102 open the box by removing the lid from the body part, move at least the body part horizontally to bring it into a position above a receiving area 116 (showing fish having been emptied out of preceding box 118) and turn the body part upside down so as to allow gravity to remove the one or more food items from said box and onto a receiving area 116. Emptied boxes, such as box 118, are placed on a box outfeed conveyer 120. Emptied or partially emptied pallets, such as pallet 122 are removed by pallet outfeed conveyor 124. In the present embodiment, an exit gate 124 comprises a senor, which for security purposes is arranged for detecting unwarranted entry through the gate 124. The system is capable of attaching to, opening, emptying, closing and de-attaching from equal to or more than 4, such as 6, such as 8, such as 10, boxes per minute.
[0090] The figure furthermore shows a user input interface 128 being a touch screen for inputting information about one or more defect boxes and/or information about one or more boxes which should not have content removed. The system furthermore includes a processor (not shown) arranged for receiving said information and controlling the first tool and/or the second tool based on said information. For example, a user may receive on the touch screen 128 information about an arrangement of palletized boxes 108 going towards the first tool 101 and the second tool 102. If the user then observes that some boxes are defect (as was the case for box 126 on pallet 122) the user may then via user input interface 128 input information about the one or more defect boxes. The processor can then control the first tool 101 and the second tool 102 accordingly, for example by not emptying said defect box, which is advantageous for avoiding that said defect box breaks during opening and emptying and that its contents becomes emptied onto a wrong position, which may require cleaning and/or stopping of the system. Similarly, a user can input information about boxes not to be emptied for other reasons, e.g., that only a certain number of boxes should be emptied and the remaining palletized boxes should simply be returned unopened on pallet outfeed conveyor 112.
[0091] FIG. 2 shows the first tool 101 and the second tool 102. The figure shows the first tool 101 gripping around a body part 230 and second tool 102 being ready for attaching to a lid 232. More particularly, tool 102 comprises four cylinders, such as cylinder 234, for pushing needles 236 into the lid, but in the present figure the needles are shown before penetrating the lid. FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) are similar, except FIG. 2(a) is shown with the body part 230 and lid 232 and FIG. 2(b) is shown with the body part and lid removed for clarity.
[0092] FIG. 3 shows the first tool and the second tool. FIG. 3(a) is similar to FIG. 2(a) except shown at a different angle. FIG. 3(b) is similar to FIG. 2(b) except shown at a different angle.
[0093] FIG. 4 shows the first tool and the second tool. The figure shows in particular the first tool after actuation of the cylinder pushing to penetrate the lid. FIG. 4(a) is shown with the body part and lid (but with the needles not visible because they are pushed into the lid) and FIG. 4(b) is shown with the body part and lid removed for clarity.
[0094] FIG. 5 shows the first tool and the second tool. The figure also shows a force vector 538 of a force applied to the lid 232 at a point of contact between the second tool 102 and the lid 232, which force vector 538 is parallel with a vector normal (perpendicular to) the surface of the lid. The figure also shows the points of contact being placed away from an edge of said surface, and in particular shows a point of contact being placed a distance 540 of 50-100 mm, such as 50 mm, 75 mm or 100 mm away from an edge of said surface. The box has a largest dimension (length) 542 of 80 cm (the dimensions of the box may be given by a length×depth×height of 80 cm×40 cm×[20-25] cm, but boxes of sizes deviating therefrom are also conceivable, such as dimensions within 10-1000%, such as within 20-500%, such as within 50-200%). An angle 544 between a surface normal and a direction of the penetrating needles in one side (the left side in the figure) of the first tool is 30°. In the other side (the right side in the figure) the angle vs. the surface normal is −30°. The lid is opened (at least initially) in a direction of the force vector 538 being normal to the surface. Each needle thus makes an angle (30° or −30°) with an opening direction. Furthermore, the plurality of elements are arranged for penetrating the lid at different angles with respect to each other, and in the figure there is an angular difference within the plurality of angles of 60°. While an absolute angular difference with respect to the surface normal is 30° in the example, this angle could be any angle within 0°-90° (optionally combined with barbs), such as within 10°-80°, such as within 15°-75°, such as within 15°-45°, such as within 20°-40°.
[0095] FIG. 6 shows that the first tool and the second tool have oriented and displaced the lid with respect to the body part (as indicated by the dashed arrows showing rotation of the lid around an axis) so as to open the box with the lid, and furthermore oriented the body part so as to allow gravity (as indicated by force vector 648) to remove the one or more food items from said box, i.e., turned the body part upside down to pour out the contents of fish and ice from the box. The system may be arranged for applying a force (as indicated by double headed arrow 646) to the body part accelerating and decelerating it where said force has a vertical component during a period wherein the body part of the box is oriented so as to allow gravity to remove the one or more food items from said box.
[0096] FIG. 7 shows a system configured for simultaneously opening two boxes. The system is in a position where it picks up boxes which is when a frame 704 holding the first tool 101 is in a closed position and makes the first tool 101 capable of connecting to each end of a body part 230 of a box. In this view two boxes are held by the system, where the body parts 230 are beneath the lids 232. First tools 101 grip at the ends of the body parts 230 and second tools 102 engage with the lids 232. Second tools 102 are illustrated in both ends of the lids 232. A flange 702 for connecting to a robot arm is illustrated. Acutators 601 are also illustrated.These actuators are for controlling the position of the frame 704 and thus the position of the body part 230, as is further illustrated in FIGS. 8-10. Cutting devices 703 are located along the top side of the lids 232, the cutting devices 703 are each configured to be capable of cutting along the outside of a lid of a closed box with straps around.
[0097] FIG. 8 shows a system for the simultaneously opening of two boxes. The two boxes are each picked up by the system as illustrated in FIG. 7. The system is in an open position where actuators 601 have moved the frame 704 connected by first tools 101 to each of the body parts 230 such that the body parts 230 has been turned downwardly and outwardly in respect of the position shown in FIG. 7. The body parts 230 have their bottom in a mainly downward position such that objects in the body parts 230 may still be located in the body parts 230. Illustrated are also the cutting devices 703.
[0098] FIG. 9 shows the system capable of handling two boxes in an open position. The system in this figure is similar to the system shown in FIG. 8, though the system is shown without the body part and lid of the two boxes.
[0099] FIG. 10 shows a system for simultaneously opening and emptying of two boxes. The system is in an open positon as described in relation to FIG. 8. It is shown that the body barts 230 have been turned such that the bottom part is upside and objects in the body parts 230 would be disposed of due to gravity force. A turning mechanism is located in the first tools 101 capable of turning the body parts 230 to empty the body parts 230 and return the body parts 230 to their original position under the lids 232 where the body parts 230 have their bottom turned downwards. Afterwards the frame may return the body parts 230 to be located just below the lids 232.
[0100] FIG. 11 shows a close view of a knife 704 of a cutting device 703. As shown in FIG. 7-9 a cutting device 703 can be located in the system along each lid to cut straps located around the boxes. The cutting device can be directed along the length of a lid in a rail system hereby cutting straps around the box.
[0101] Although the present invention has been described in connection with the specified embodiments, it should not be construed as being in any way limited to the presented examples. The scope of the present invention is set out by the accompanying claim set. In the context of the claims, the terms “comprising” or “comprises” do not exclude other possible elements or steps. Also, the mentioning of references such as “a” or “an” etc. should not be construed as excluding a plurality. The use of reference signs in the claims with respect to elements indicated in the figures shall also not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Furthermore, individual features mentioned in different claims, may possibly be advantageously combined, and the mentioning of these features in different claims does not exclude that a combination of features is not possible and advantageous.
