US 12,291,366 B2
Packaging
Andrew Vernon Fowler, Hamilton (NZ); Ryan Douglas Tasma, Hamilton (NZ); and Shane Timothy Daly, Hamilton (NZ)
Assigned to Rockit Global Limited, Hamilton (NZ)
Appl. No. 18/255,456
Filed by ROCKIT GLOBAL LIMITED, Hamilton (NZ)
PCT Filed Dec. 1, 2021, PCT No. PCT/NZ2021/050214
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 1, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/119458, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 9, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 770536 (NZ), filed on Dec. 1, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0002084 A1, Jan. 4, 2024
Int. Cl. B65B 5/10 (2006.01); B25J 9/00 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); B25J 11/00 (2006.01); B65B 25/04 (2006.01); B25J 15/00 (2006.01)
CPC B65B 5/105 (2013.01) [B25J 9/0093 (2013.01); B25J 9/1669 (2013.01); B25J 11/0045 (2013.01); B65B 25/04 (2013.01); B25J 15/0019 (2013.01)] 26 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. 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 configured to individually pick up an item of produce and at the same time place the item directly into a package in the form of a tube;
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 the end effector; and
a controller configured to receive one or more outputs from the sensor and further configured to:
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 the end effector to move and pick up the selection of items of produce and place items of produce directly within said package.