US 12,280,904 B2
Pick and place device for an apparatus for filling and closing articles
Cesare Ronchi, Milan (IT)
Assigned to RONCHI MARIO S.P.A., Milan (IT)
Appl. No. 17/755,518
Filed by RONCHI MARIO S.p.A., Milan (IT)
PCT Filed Oct. 29, 2020, PCT No. PCT/IB2020/060128
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 29, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/084451, PCT Pub. Date May 6, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 102019000020034 (IT), filed on Oct. 30, 2019; application No. 102019000020046 (IT), filed on Oct. 30, 2019; application No. 102019000020074 (IT), filed on Oct. 30, 2019; and application No. 102019000020080 (IT), filed on Oct. 30, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0380077 A1, Dec. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. B65B 43/46 (2006.01); B25J 9/00 (2006.01); B25J 15/00 (2006.01); B25J 15/04 (2006.01); B65B 1/04 (2006.01); B65B 3/04 (2006.01); B65B 5/04 (2006.01); B65B 7/28 (2006.01); B65B 35/16 (2006.01); B65B 35/24 (2006.01); B65B 57/00 (2006.01); B65B 57/10 (2006.01); B65B 59/00 (2006.01); B65B 59/04 (2006.01); B65B 65/00 (2006.01); B67C 7/00 (2006.01); B65B 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC B65B 43/46 (2013.01) [B25J 9/00 (2013.01); B25J 9/0084 (2013.01); B25J 9/0093 (2013.01); B25J 15/0033 (2013.01); B25J 15/04 (2013.01); B65B 1/04 (2013.01); B65B 3/04 (2013.01); B65B 5/04 (2013.01); B65B 7/28 (2013.01); B65B 7/2807 (2013.01); B65B 35/16 (2013.01); B65B 35/24 (2013.01); B65B 57/00 (2013.01); B65B 57/10 (2013.01); B65B 59/003 (2019.05); B65B 59/04 (2013.01); B65B 65/003 (2013.01); B67C 7/002 (2013.01); B65B 11/00 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for filling and closing randomly fed articles, by means of randomly fed closing elements, wherein the apparatus includes one or more pick and place devices, each pick and place device comprising a robotic arm, a free end of which carries end means, wherein the end means comprise a first gripping means for gripping a closing element and a second gripping means for gripping an article;
the apparatus further comprising:
a system for transporting articles, designed to transport the articles arranged randomly on at least one first transport plane along a respective direction for transporting articles;
a system for transporting closing elements, designed to transport closing elements, arranged randomly on at least one first plane for transporting closing elements, in a respective direction of transport;
a filling station, configured to supply and dispense a product inside one of said articles arranged in a filling position;
a station for closing the filled articles, provided with means for applying in each case one of said closing elements onto one of said filled articles so as to close it;
an extraction system for transporting the filled and closed articles with a predefined orientation and/or position along an extraction plane in a longitudinal direction of extraction from upstream to downstream;
one or more first pick and place devices arranged and configured to pick up articles arranged randomly on the at least one first transport plane for transporting articles and to position them with a predefined orientation and/or in a predefined position at the filling station;
one or more second pick and place devices comprising at least one pick and place device comprising the robotic arm, the free end of which carries end means, wherein the end means comprise the first gripping means for gripping the closing element and the second gripping means for gripping the article, arranged and configured to pick up one of said closing elements from the at least one first transport plane of the respective transport system and to feed it to the application means of the closing station by means of the first gripping means for gripping a closing element;
a detection system for detecting the position and/or the arrangement of the articles in transit on the at least one first transport plane and of the closing elements in transit on the respective at least one first transport plane and for making available the information for controlling the pick and place devices; and
a processing and control unit for controlling a components and the operation of the apparatus.