System and method for automated unpacking

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to the field of automated unpackaging, and more particularly to a system and method for information handling system chassis bulk packaging for automated extraction of the chassis from packaging.

#2. Description of the Related Art

#The present invention may be better understood, and its numerous objects, features and advantages made apparent to those skilled in the art by referencing the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference number throughout the several figures designates a like or similar element.

#FIG. 1 depicts a side cut away view of bulk packaged information handling system chassis aligned for automated extraction by a robotic arm;

#FIG. 2 depicts a top view of an information handling system chassis exposed for automated extraction; and

#Protective bags package information handling system components to support automated unpackaging and recycling of packaging materials with removable coupling of the protective bag to the packaging container and a vacuum release that relieves a vacuum created during automated extraction of the information handling system component from the container. For purposes of this disclosure, an information handling system may include any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operable to compute, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information, intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, or other purposes. For example, an information handling system may be a personal computer, a network storage device, or any other suitable device and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and price. The information handling system may include random access memory (RAM), one or more processing resources such as a central processing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic, ROM, and/or other types of nonvolatile memory. Additional components of the information handling system may include one or more disk drives, one or more network ports for communicating with external devices as well as various input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a video display. The information handling system may also include one or more buses operable to transmit communications between the various hardware components.

#Referring now to FIG. 1, a side cut away view depicts bulk packaged information handling system chassis housings 10 aligned for automated extraction by a robotic arm 12. Robotic arm 12 has a vision mechanism 14 that guides a lifting mechanism 16, such as a suction-based lifting mechanism, to align with and couple to chassis 10. The use of robotic equipment for movement and assembly of information handling system components increases efficiency and reduces labor costs unless the robotic equipment fails and thus requires manual intervention to maintain proper operations. One cause of failure is contamination by packaging material of the robotic arm operating area, such as material that interferes with robotic vision 14. To limit the introduction of contaminants from the packaging material to the assembly environment, a protective bag 18 encases each chassis within a partition 20 of a bulk package container 22.

#Protective bag 18 helps to contain contaminants within a partition 20 but is also susceptible to inadvertent extraction from partition 20 during removal of a chassis 10. For instance, as robotic arm 12 lifts a chassis 10, small projections or electrostatic force may lift protective bag 18 along with chassis 10. Similarly, a vacuum that forms as chassis 10 lifts from protective bag 18 may lift protective bag 18 out of partition 20. Once protective bag 18 leaves its partition, it may interfere with the operation of robotic arm 12 or vision mechanism 14 leading to a failure of automated extraction of chassis 10 and perhaps a shutdown of the assembly process until a technician is able to remove the offending protective bag and reset the assembly process. In order to removably secure protective bag 18 to container 22, opposing extension couplers 24 attach protective bag 18 to opposing slots 26 in the upper portion of a partition 20 to secure the upper portion of protective bag 18 to the partition without an adhering glue. A vacuum release 28, depicted as opposing triangular cuts at the bottom portion of protective bag 18, relieves the vacuum created by extraction of a chassis 10 from a partition 20 by allow air to pass through. The extension couplers and vacuum release cooperate to maintain protective bag 18 in partition 20 during extraction of a chassis 10 without permanent adherence of the bag to the container that would inhibit recycling or reuse of the packaging materials.