# US 12,006,162 B2 · Device and method for separating piece goods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,006,162 B2 - Document ID: US12006162B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/208,515 - Filed: 2023-06-12 - Published: 2023-10-12 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2020-01-24 - Assignees: Becton Dickinson Rowa Germany GmbH - Applicants: Becton Dickinson Rowa Germany GmbH - Inventors: Andreas Klapperich - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12006162B2 ## CPC - B65G 47/5104: {for articles} - B65G 47/912: {provided with drive systems with rectilinear movements only} - B65G 47/917: {control arrangements} - B65G 61/00: Use of pick-up or transfer devices or of manipulators for stacking or de-stacking articles not otherwise provided for - G06T 7/70: Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80) - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract Devices for separating piece goods such as pharmaceutical product packages to be stored in a picking device are provided. The device includes a feed device for piece goods, a recording device for recording 3D images of piece goods, a control device for evaluating 3D images and for determining a piece good to be picked, a conveyor for picking a piece good, a deposit surface, and a lateral recording device. The control device is configured so that the orientation of the picked piece good is ascertained and the preferred storage surface is established and that the conveyor is activated in such a way that a picked piece good is situated on a preferred storage surface on the deposit surface. Methods of separating piece goods to be stored in a picking device are also provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A picking device, comprising: a feed device; a first recording device disposed adjacent to the feed device; a second recording device disposed adjacent to the feed device; a conveyor comprising a gripper; and a control device coupled to the first and second recording devices and the conveyor, the control device configured to have the gripper pick one of a plurality of piece goods based on one or more images from the first recording device, to have the second recording device take a first image of the picked piece good, to have the gripper rotate the picked piece good by a predetermined angle about an axis, and to have the second recording device take a second image of the picked piece good. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The picking device of claim 1, wherein the control device causes the rotation of the picked piece good and the second image to be taken by the second recording device when not all dimensions of the picked piece good are able to be determined by the control device based on the first image of the picked piece good from the second recording device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The picking device of claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to determine an orientation of the picked piece good and establish a preferred storage surface of the picked piece good on the basis of specifications. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The picking device of claim 3, wherein the conveyor is configured to be activated as a function of the determined orientation of the picked piece good and of the established preferred storage surface in such a way that the picked piece good is situated on the preferred storage surface on a deposit surface downstream of a receiving area of the feed device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The picking device of claim 1, wherein the first recording device comprises a three dimensional recording device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The picking device of claim 1, wherein the second recording device comprises a two dimensional recording device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The picking device of claim 1, wherein the second recording device comprises a three dimensional recording device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The picking device of claim 1, wherein the conveyor comprises a suction gripper movable in first, second and third directions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The picking device of claim 8, wherein the suction gripper comprises at least one suction head rotatable about an axis extending in the third direction. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The picking device of claim 8, wherein the suction gripper comprises two differently dimensioned suction heads. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The picking device of claim 10, wherein the suction gripper comprises a rotary body on which the two suction heads are situated, wherein the rotary body is rotatable about a horizontally extending rotation axis. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The picking device of claim 1, further comprising a deposit surface situated downstream from a receiving area of the feed device and configured to receive deposited piece goods picked by the conveyor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The picking device of claim 12, wherein the deposit surface is rotatable. ### Claim 14 A method for separating piece goods to be stored in a picking device, the method comprising: situating, with a feed device, a plurality of piece goods in a receiving area; producing, by a first recording device disposed adjacent to the feed device, at least one first image of the plurality of piece goods; determining, by a control device, one of the plurality of piece goods to be picked based on the at least one first image; picking, by a gripper of a conveyor, the determined piece good; producing, by a second recording device disposed adjacent to the feed device, at least one second image of the picked piece good; determining, by the control device, dimensions of the picked piece good based on the at least one second image; and situating the picked piece good on a deposit surface downstream from the receiving area. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: rotating the picked piece good by a predetermined angle about an axis; determining, by the control device, additional dimensions of the picked piece good; and repeating the above rotating and determining steps until all dimensions of the picked piece good are determined. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein a three dimensional image of the picked piece good is produced using the second recording device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: rotating the picked piece good about an axis according to specifications of the control device before situating the picked piece good on the deposit surface. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: determining, by the control device, an orientation of the picked piece good; and establishing a preferred storage surface of the picked piece good on the basis of specifications. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising: moving the picked piece good downstream from the receiving area; and situating the picked piece good on the established preferred storage surface on the deposit surface. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: rotating the picked piece good about an axis; and scanning by the second recording device to determine an identifier.