US 12,280,968 B2
Depalletising system and method
Simone Cervi, Sant'Ilario d'Enza (IT); and Alberto Soprani, Quattro Castella (IT)
Assigned to CLEVERTECH S.p.A., Cadelbosco di Sopra (IT)
Filed by CLEVERTECH S.p.A., Cadelbosco di Sopra (IT)
Filed on Nov. 14, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/509,118.
Claims priority of application No. 102022000024504 (IT), filed on Nov. 28, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0174463 A1, May 30, 2024
Int. Cl. B65G 59/02 (2006.01); B65G 59/04 (2006.01); B65G 61/00 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 59/023 (2013.01) [B65G 59/04 (2013.01); B65G 61/00 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for depalletising a ream of cartons wrapped by a strap, the method comprising:
collecting, by a robot gripping head that includes a first lateral sidewall and a second lateral sidewall and one or more suction mouths, the ream of cartons placed on a pallet, the collecting the ream including exerting a suction force on the ream by the one or more suction mouths, the robot gripping head, in at least one ream transport configuration, further defining a positioning zone for positioning the ream collected by the one or more suction mouths;
moving a first arm and a second arm to position the first arm and the second arm below the ream and retain the ream in the positioning zone obtained in the robot gripping head,
wherein moving the first arm and the second arm includes moving the first arm with respect to the first lateral sidewall and the second arm with respect to the second lateral sidewall from a first rest position to a second operating position in which the first arm and the second arm both project below the ream and retain the ream from below,
wherein the first arm is translatable relative to the first lateral sidewall and the first arm, in the second operating position, projects from the first lateral sidewall to obstruct the positioning zone below, and
the second arm is translatable relative to the second lateral sidewall and the second arm, in the second operating position, projects from the second lateral sidewall to obstruct the positioning zone below; and
removing the strap from the ream, wherein removing the strap includes:
positioning the ream on a support by placing at a top a first section of the strap facing multiple cartons of the ream;
positioning the first section between two knives;
lifting at least one portion of the support to lift only one part of the cartons of the ream to create a space between the cartons of the ream and the strap in order to facilitate the positioning of the first section between the two knives;
cutting the strap interposed between the two knives;
grasping an already-cut piece of the strap; and
removing the strap.