Distributing equipment for piece goods

Details Distributing equipment for piece goods Distributing equipment for piece goods

2000-04-28

2002-07-16

Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)

Data processing: generic control systems or specific application

Specific application, apparatus or process

Article handling

C414S273000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06421580

ABSTRACT:

The invention is relating to a distributing equipment for piece goods comprising (a) an order device, (b) locations where the available piece goods can be arranged in such a way that the same goods are contained at the same location, (c) transporting means including a robot cooperating with said order device for moving a specific piece good from the corresponding location to a delivery window, and (d) a distinctive mark at each of said locations which can be detected by a sensor incorporated in the robot.
First of all, by the expression “piece good” it has to be understood, in the present specification, all kinds of products which are packed as one piece, such as bottles, boxes, bags, etc . . . , of which the dimensions are not too important, f.i. with a side length or a height of maximum 30 cm., so that they can be arranged very easy in the above locations.
One of the aims of the invention is to propose means which enable to control, on a very easy and accurate way, the moving of the robot to a preselected location of piece goods in a distribution equipment, as defined hereinabove.
According to the invention, said equipment comprises a memory unit cooperating with said sensor for storing the coordinates of said different marks and control means for moving the robot to a location with a mark, identified by specific coordinates selected among the stored coordinates.
In some cases, the place of a mark can change by inadvertence, f.i. when replacing or loading the location with goods or when taking off selected goods for moving them to the delivery window, so that if the coordinates of the new location have not been introduced in the memory unit of the robot the latter will not be able to stop at the right place when piece goods are selected from this altered location.
This problem has also been solved, according to the invention, as, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the distributing equipment comprises means for rectifying the position of the robot when said sensor cannot detect the mark at the specific location corresponding with the selected stored coordinates by submitting the robot, from the place indicated by the selected coordinates, to a back and forth motion with an increasing amplitude according to its direction of movement until said sensor detects the most closely mark and means for storing the coordinates of this mark in replacement of the preceding mark, so that, for the next order of the same goods, the robot will automatically be brought in front of the location corresponding to this newly detected mark.


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