US 12,492,025 B2
Packaging
Andrew Vernon Fowler, Hamilton (NZ); Ryan Douglas Tasma, Saltillo, MS (US); and Shane Timothy Daly, Hamilton (NZ)
Assigned to Rockit Global Limited, Hamilton (NZ)
Appl. No. 17/995,015
Filed by Rockit Global Limited, Hamilton (NZ)
PCT Filed Apr. 6, 2021, PCT No. PCT/NZ2021/050058
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 29, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/201702, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 7, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 763219 (NZ), filed on Apr. 2, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0219703 A1, Jul. 13, 2023
Int. Cl. B65B 5/10 (2006.01); B25J 9/00 (2006.01); B25J 11/00 (2006.01); B65B 25/04 (2006.01); B65B 35/08 (2006.01); B65B 43/46 (2006.01); B65B 57/12 (2006.01)
CPC B65B 5/105 (2013.01) [B25J 9/0093 (2013.01); B25J 11/0045 (2013.01); B65B 25/04 (2013.01); B65B 35/08 (2013.01); B65B 43/46 (2013.01); B65B 57/12 (2013.01)] 31 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An end effector to be carried by a robot positioning apparatus for packing individual items of produce in a stacked manner of packaging, wherein:
the end effector is adapted to releasably hold a tube in an inverted orientation, wherein the tube has a closed bottom end and an open top end such that the open end is available to receive items of produce therein;
the end effector including:
at least one actuatable movable element located on the end effector so as to be adjacent the open end of the tube held by the end effector;
wherein the actuatable movable element is configured to be operable between:
i) an extended position which at least partially extends over the open end of a tube held by the end effector to at least partially obstruct the open end of the tube for retaining items of produce therein; and
ii) a retracted position so that the open end of the tube is unobstructed to allow items of produce to be received in the tube;
wherein the tube itself is the final end-use packaging for housing the items of produce.