# US 10,870,509 B2 · Automatic device for emptying bags of frozen blood product > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,870,509 B2 - Document ID: US10870509B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/025,215 - Filed: 2018-07-02 - Published: 2019-01-31 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2017-07-31 - Assignees: Grifols Worldwide Operations Limited - Applicants: Grifols Worldwide Operations Limited - Inventors: Jordi Boira Bonhora; Oriol Casanova Montpeyo; David Pages Becerra - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870509B2 ## CPC - B65B 69/0008: {Opening and emptying bags} - B25J 9/1633: {compliant, force, torque control, e.g. combined with position control} - B26D 1/30: with limited pivotal movement to effect cut - B26D 3/08: Making a superficial cut in the surface of the work without removal of material, e.g. scoring, incising - B26D 5/28: the control means being responsive to presence or absence of work - B65B 57/08: and operating to stop, or to control the speed of, the machine as a whole - B65B 59/003: {Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the packaging material} - B65B 59/02: Arrangements to enable adjustments to be made while the machine is running - B65B 69/0058: {Solid contents} - B65B 2210/04: Customised on demand packaging by determining a specific characteristic, e.g. shape or height, of articles or material to be packaged and selecting, creating or adapting a packaging accordingly, e.g. making a carton starting from web material - G05B 2219/39105: Manipulator cooperates with moving machine, like press brake - Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] - B65B: MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING (bundling and pressing devices for cigars A24C1/44; devices for tensioning and securing binders adapted to be supported by the article or articles to be bound B25B25/00; applying closure members to bottles, jars or similar containers B67B1/00-B67B6/00; concurrent cleaning, filling and closing of bottles B67C7/00; emptying bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels or similar containers B67C9/00) - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - B26D: CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING (for growing crops or plants A01D, A01G; for fodder or straw A01F; for bulk butter A01J; for dough A21C; slaughtering A22B; for tobacco, cigars or cigarettes A24; marking-out, perforating or making buttonholes A41H25/00; manufacturing footwear A43D; brushmaking A46D; surgery A61B; disintegrating, mincing or shredding in general B02C; cutting wire, making pins or nails B21F, B21G; of the kind used formetal B23; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; hand-held cutting tools B26B; perforating, cutting-out, stamping-out or punching, or severing by means other than cutting B26F; for wood B27; for stone B28D; working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29; making boxes, cartons, envelopes or bags, of paper or similarly worked materials, e.g. metal foil, B31B; article or web delivery apparatus incorporating cutting or line-perforating devices B65H35/00; for leather or upholstery B68, C14B; for glass C03B; making matches C06F; for peat C10F; for sugar C13B45/00; for textile materials D06H; civil engineering, building, mining, see Section E; for light guides G02B6/25; cutting processed photographic material G03D15/04) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract An automatic device for emptying bags of frozen blood product includes a product removal device, a product reception hopper, a transporter for transporting the bag from a reception area to the product removal device, and at least one cutter located in the path of the bag between the reception area and the product removal device. The at least one cutter is housed in a support configured to oscillate for absorbing energy of impacts of the bag against the cutter and to return the cutter to its initial position. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device for emptying a bag of a frozen blood product, the device comprising: a product removal device; a product reception hopper; a transporter configured to transport the bag along a path from a reception area to the product removal device; a cutter located in the path and configured, at a cutting position, to cut the bag over the product reception hopper such that the frozen blood product falls into the product reception hopper from the bag; and a support configured to support the cutter, wherein the support comprises a rocker assembly that is configured to oscillate for absorbing energy of an impact of the bag against the cutter at the cutting position and is further configured to return the cutter to the cutting position after the impact, wherein the rocker assembly comprises: a rocker coupled to the cutter such that the cutter angularly oscillates together with the rocker in response to impacts against the cutter, a compression spring configured to exert force to the rocker in a first direction for supporting the cutter to cut the bag, and a compensation spring configured to exert force to the rocker in a second direction against the first direction for returning the cutter to the cutting position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1 wherein the transporter is configured to modify the path for transporting the bag depending on a shape of the bag. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the support is configured to operate as a feeler for modifying the path of the transporter. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the transporter comprises a robotic arm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the support comprises a device configured to transform an angular position of the cutter into an output signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The device according to claim 5, wherein the support comprises an encoder configured to transform the angular position of the cutter into the output signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The device according to claim 6, further comprising an actuator configured to modify the path for transporting the bag according to the output signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The device according to claim 6, further comprising a resilient coupling configured to connect the encoder and the rocker. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the cutter comprises a blade. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The device according to claim 9, wherein the blade comprises continuous edges and two cutting faces oriented perpendicularly to one another. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the compression spring has an elastic constant greater than that of the compensation spring. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A method for emptying a bag of frozen blood product using the device of claim 1, the method comprising: transporting, using the transporter, the bag along a path from the reception area to the product removal device; cutting, using the cutter, the bag at a cutting position over the product reception hopper such that the frozen blood product falls into the product reception hopper from the bag; and causing the rocker assembly to oscillate for absorbing energy of an impact of the bag against the cutter at the cutting position and to return the cutter to the cutting position after the impact, wherein the rocker assembly comprises: a rocker coupled to the cutter such that the cutter angularly oscillates together with the rocker in response to impacts against the cutter, a compression spring configured to exert force to the rocker in a first direction for supporting the cutter to cut the bag, and a compensation spring configured to exert force to the rocker in a second direction against the first direction for returning the cutter to the cutting position.