Method of erecting a case and an automated case erecting unit
AssigneeBoxEm ApS
InventorOle HANSEN
Life of this patent
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Abstract
By the method, a case having four sidewalls and at least four flaps at the bottom of the case is erected from a blank in a number of steps. The automated case erecting unit for use in erecting case blanks comprises a supporting device (9) and a picking and handling device (2), said picking and handling device being a robot with a robotic arm, wherein said robotic arm comprising a picking member (3) with a first leg and a second leg, which are placed perpendicularly and are locked in relation to each other, each leg comprising gripping means for picking up case blanks.
Claims21
1-14. (canceled)
A method of erecting a case having four sidewalls and at least four flaps, the method comprising:
- picking a blank in a flattened condition from a blank storage with a picking and handling device, the blank comprising four panels and at least four flaps;
- moving the blank upwards causing the blank to assume an unflattened condition;
- moving the unflattened blank to a supporting device, the supporting device comprising at least one transversally positioned gap and at least one gap positioned in the longitudinal direction of the supporting device;
- moving the unflattened blank downwards such that a first flap is folded towards a first sidewall to form a partially folded case;
- moving the partially folded case in the longitudinal direction of the supporting device to reach the transversally positioned gap;
- moving the partially folded case downwards such that a second flap enters the transversally positioned gap;
- moving the partially folded case in the longitudinal direction of the supporting device to fold the second flap towards a second sidewall;
- moving the partially folded case substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the supporting device to fold a third flap towards a third sidewall;
- moving the partially folded case upwards until a bottom edge of a fourth flap is lifted above the supporting device;
- and
- moving the partially folded case subtnaitally perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the supporting device to fold a fourth flap towards a fourth sidewall, thereby providing a case in a folded condition.
An automated case erecting device for erecting case blanks, the automated case erecting device comprising:
- a supporting device;
- and
- a picking and handling device, the picking and handling device comprising a robotic arm, wherein the robotic arm comprises a picking member comprising a first leg and a second leg, wherein the first leg and the second leg are positioned substantially perpendicularly and are substantially fixed in relation to each other, the first leg comprises a first gripping device, the second leg comprises a second gripping device, and the first and second gripping devices are configured to pick up one or more case blanks.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.