Packaging

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 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,
• wherein the end effector includes:
• a holding arrangement configured to:
• grip the tube and secure the tube to the end effector;
• and
• wherein the holding arrangement grips the tube adjacent the closed bottom end of the tube,
• wherein the holding arrangement comprises an at least one movable component, wherein the at least one component is movable between a disengaged position and an engaged position;
• wherein when the at least one component is in the disengaged position, the component(s) is/are out of contact with the tube;
• and
• wherein when the at least one component is in the engaged position, the movable component(s) is/are in contact with the tube to squeeze and deform the tube.

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,
• further comprising a produce packaging device,
• wherein the robot positioning apparatus provides at least four degrees of freedom to move the end effector along x, y and z axes with respect to items of produce to be packaged and rotate the end effector about a horizontal axis between inverted and up-right orientations;
• wherein the produce packing device further comprises a controller programmed to:
• i) control the robot positioning apparatus to position the end effector in an inverted orientation in x and y directions vertically above a first item of produce to be packaged, wherein the end effector is moved vertically downwards to receive the first item of produce in the tube within the end effector;
• ii) actuate the actuatable movable element from the retracted position to the extended position to receive a first item of produce in the tube, wherein once the first item of produce is within the tube, the actuatable moveable element is further actuated to the retracted position to retain the first item of fruit within the tube;
• and
• iii) control the robot positioning apparatus to move the end effector vertically upwards.

An automated method of packing items of produce using 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, said method comprising:
• conveying items of produce on a plurality of spaced apart holders with an upper rim on which the single item of produce sits;
• and
• using the tube of the end effector to pick up items of produce from the spaced apart holders for packaging therein.