Method and device for arranging toothbrush bodies and machine equipped with such device

Method for arranging toothbrush bodies, which toothbrush bodies (3) either or not are already provided with brush hair, wherein this method at least comprises the steps of supplying the toothbrush bodies (3) to be arranged;

• detecting the position of the supplied toothbrush bodies (3) by means of a visual recognition system (4);
• controlling a sorting element in function of the detections performed by the recognition system (4);
• and separating, by means of this sorting element, at least a number of the toothbrush bodies (3), as well as arranging them at least partially ordered in discharge means (6);
• further wherein, for the sorting element, use is made of a manipulator (5);
• and further wherein by means of the movement of the manipulator (5), where it is necessary, one or more of the following operations are performed:
• turning the gripped toothbrush body (3D-3F) according to an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (L) of this toothbrush body (3D-3F), in such a manner that all toothbrush bodies (3A-3B-3C-3D-3F) treated by the manipulator (5) are oriented with their handles (33) in one and the same direction;
• turning the gripped toothbrush body (3C-3F) around its longitudinal axis (L), in such a manner that all toothbrush bodies (3A-3B-3C-3D-3F) treated by the manipulator (5) are placed with their backside in the same direction;
• gripping the toothbrush bodies (3) by means of the manipulator (5) at different locations along the longitudinal axis (L) and/or positioning the manipulator (5) at different locations when disposing the toothbrush bodies (3) again, in such a manner that they are put down in an aligned manner.

A method for arranging elongate toothbrush bodies for further processing, comprising:

• depositing in random order onto a surface toothbrush bodies transported from a source, wherein the random order that may include overlapping toothbrush bodies, toothbrush bodies disposed with their longitudinal orientations disposed at various angles relative to a predetermined desired orientation angle, and toothbrush bodies disposed other than flat on their back side;
• viewing the toothbrush bodies deposited on the surface by means of a visual recognition system that outputs signals representative of the positions of the toothbrush bodies on the surface;
• providing a sorting device controlled by said signals, said sorting device arranged to pick up toothbrush bodies from said surface;
• and
• actuating the sorting device to take up from the surface for further processing only those toothbrush bodies which are oriented in positions that meet predetermined criteria.

Apparatus for arranging elongate toothbrush bodies for further processing comprising:

• a bulk supply source of toothbrush bodies in random orientation and position;
• a toothbrush body deposit device arranged to transport toothbrush bodies from the supply source to a position that is elevated relative to a surface and to deposit transported toothbrush bodies onto such surface in random order;
• an electronic visual recognition system arranged to view the surface and toothbrush bodies deposited thereon by said deposit device, and to provide signals representative of the position of toothbrush bodies deposited on said surface;
• a sorting device arranged to receive said signals from said visual recognition system and to remove from the surface only those toothbrush bodies that are oriented in positions that meet predetermined criteria.

Method for arranging toothbrush bodies, which toothbrush bodies (3) either or not are already provided with brush hair, wherein this method at least comprises the steps of supplying the toothbrush bodies (3) to be arranged;

• detecting the position of the supplied toothbrush bodies (3) by means of a visual recognition system (4);
• controlling a sorting element in function of the detections performed by the recognition system (4);
• and separating, by means of this sorting element, at least a number of the toothbrush bodies (3), as well as arranging them at least partially ordered in discharge means (6);
• further wherein the sorting element is controlled in such a manner that it separates at least toothbrush bodies (3) which either fulfil one of the following criteria, or a combination of two or more of the following criteria:
• toothbrush bodies (3) which are situated such that the longitudinal axis (L) thereof shows a direction which is parallel to a predetermined direction or shows only a certain angular deviation (A) in respect to this predetermined direction;
• toothbrush bodies (3) which are lying free in respect to the other toothbrush bodies (3);
• toothbrush bodies (3) which are lying flat, in other words, on their bottom or top side.