Technical Field

The present invention relates to a deboxing station.

Background Art

It is known that, in the industrial sector, both raw materials and the components to be assembled to obtain the finished product, and the finished products themselves are boxed inside boxes and packaging of various types.

Such boxes generally have a parallelepiped shape, are normally made of corrugated cardboard and are used to transport objects of various kinds, so as to protect the latter and keep them free from contamination.

The boxes are closed and sealed by means of adhesive means so as to ensure the containment of the load during transport, before being finally cut and opened to take out the contents.

Considering the high production volumes, in the industrial sector it is necessary to proceed with deboxing quickly, so as not to slow down the production lines. Such boxes can be opened manually by assigned personnel using cutters, which make it possible to cut the wrapping so as to have access to the contents.

Nevertheless, this is a wasteful method in terms of time, and one which is not suitable for automated contexts where sustained working speeds are required.

An alternative used in the industrial sector in order to at least partially automate the deboxing operations consists in the use of cutting means comprising a cutting disc which is made to rotate at high speed, passing over the top part of the box, so as to make an incision on it.

After cutting, however, the box has to be opened manually and its contents taken out.

This deboxing method of the packs does however have a number of drawbacks. In particular, the known cutting means do not permit automating the deboxing operations, but require manual intervention in order to complete operations and take the contents out of the box.

Furthermore, the need to perform part of the operations manually affects production speed, and slows this down. Mechanical cutting systems do not allow production continuity because they periodically require the replacement or the sharpening of the blades, causing production downtimes.

Again, the manual performance of part of the deboxing operations involves a considerable increase in costs tied to labor, which are inevitably passed onto the retail price of the finished product.

Description of the Invention

The main aim of the present invention is to provide a deboxing station which permits totally automating the deboxing operations.

Within the illustrated aim, one object of the present invention is to permit cutting the time tied to the deboxing operations.

Another object of the present invention is to cut the costs tied to labor and, consequently, the retail price of the finished product.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a deboxing station, which allows overcoming the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art within the scope of a simple, rational, easy, efficient to use and cost-effective solution.

The aforementioned objects are achieved by the present deboxing station ac cording to claim 1.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more evident from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive embodiment of a deboxing station, illustrated by way of an indicative, but non-limiting example, in the attached drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an axonometric view of the station according to the invention;

Figures 2 to 6 show in a succession of views from different angles the operation of the station according to the invention.

Embodiments of the Invention

With particular reference to these illustrations, reference numeral 1 globally indicates a deboxing station.

The deboxing station 1 comprises:

at least one feeding line 2 moveable along a direction of advancement A adapted for the transport of at least one box 3 containing at least one load 4, made of at least one packaging material; and

at least a first movement member 5 with which are associated cutting means 6 adapted to make at least one incision 17, 18 on the box 3;

wherein the cutting means 6 comprise at least one laser emitter 7 adapted to make the incision 17, 18.

Advantageously, the use of the laser emitter 7 allows making the incision on the box 3, without affecting the load 4.

In particular, the laser emitter 7 is a device capable of emitting high intensity and extremely concentrated beams of coherent electromagnetic radiation, practically making the incision 17, 18.

These laser beams can be focused on very small areas with the possibility of obtaining a very high electromagnetic radiation power density concentrated in a very small area, even with dimensions of the micrometer range.

These features mean that the laser can be used in a variety of applications, including making a cut and incision on different materials.

In this case, the laser emitter 7 is intended to emit a collimated beam of light, or having a predetermined cutting power, towards a focal point, which coincides with the point at which the incision 17, 18 is made.

In the preferred embodiment shown in the figures, the laser emitter 7 consists of a single emitter provided with lenses, which allow focusing the laser beam at the focal point, thus concentrating the intensity thereof in a very circumscribed area.

Alternatively, the possibility cannot be ruled out of providing for the use of multiple laser emitters 7 arranged in an inclined matter, in which the respective beams converge at the focal point.

Usefully, the box 3 comprises:

at least one lower face 8 adapted to rest on the feeding line 2;

at least one upper face 9 opposing the lower face 8;

at least two first lateral faces 10 opposing each other, each connected to the lower face 8 and to the upper face 9 respectively, by means of at least a first lower side 11 and at least a first upper side 12; and

at least two second lateral faces 13 opposing each other, each connected to the lower face 8 and to the upper face 9 respectively, by means of at least a second lower side 14 and at least a second upper side 15.

Advantageously, the first movement member 5 comprises at least one robotized arm l6a adapted to move the laser emitter 7 to make a plurality of first incisions 17 formed in the proximity of at least one of the first lower sides 11 and the second lower sides 14, and a plurality of second incisions 18 formed on the upper face 9 and on at least one of the first lateral faces 10 and the second lateral faces 13.

Different cutting paths cannot however be ruled out according to different types of packaging, in order to guarantee the correct opening of the box 3.

The use of the robotized arm l6a, l6b allows considerably reducing costs, accelerating and improving production without the need for manual intervention, as the product type and size vary.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the cutting means 6 provide for making a pair of first incisions 17, obtained on the first lateral faces 10, spaced away from the first lower sides 11 by a predetermined distance, so as to have no interaction between the laser emitter 7 and the feeding line 2.

Moreover, the second incisions 18 are made on the first lateral faces 10, in which they extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first incisions 17, and on the upper face 9.

In particular, the first incisions 17 and the second incisions 18 define at least two portions 19 of the box 3 separate from each other.

The second incisions 18 define at least a substantially vertical cutting plane X-X extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to the lower face 8.

Advantageously, the station 1 comprises opening means 20, 21 adapted to open the box 3 by means of the displacement of the portions 19 from a first configuration, in which the portions 19 are mutually arranged side by side to define the box 3, to a second configuration, in which the portions themselves are mutually spaced apart, leaving the load 4 uncovered. In other words, the opening means 20, 21 allow opening the box 3 in an automated manner, without the need for manual operations, thus freeing the load 4 from the box itself and making it accessible from the outside.

In the particular embodiment shown in the figures, the opening means 20, 21 comprise suction means 20 associated with at least one pair of second movement members 21 which are adapted to move the portions 19 along at least one direction of moving away B from the cutting plane X-X.

In particular, the suction means 20 are made to adhere to the second lateral faces 13 and, by means of the second movement members 21, are moved also by dragging the portions 19 along the direction of moving away B.

Each of the second movement members 21 comprises at least one moveable arm hinged to the feeding line 2 and adapted to rotate around at least one axis of rotation C substantially horizontal and parallel to the cutting plane X-X.

The possibility of providing each moveable arm hinged to a fixed support separate from the feeding line 2 cannot however be ruled out.

The rotation of the moveable arms around the axis of rotation C causes the portions 19 to be moved along a substantially circular trajectory, away from the cutting plane X-X.

Moreover, when the opening means 20, 21 move the portions 19 of the box 3 along the direction of moving away B, on each of the second lateral faces 13 is defined at least one folding line 22 around which each portion 19 rotates passing from the first configuration to the second configuration.

It should be pointed out that the opening means 20, 21 are schematically shown only in Figure 3, while they are not shown in the remaining figures for simplicity of representation.

It is easy to notice from the figures that the feeding line 2 is narrower than the lower face 8 of the box 3, so as not to hinder the rotation of the portions 19 around the respective folding lines 22.

Usefuuly, the station 1 comprises displacement means l6b, 24, 25 adapted to move the load 4 from the feeding line 2 to at least one outfeed line 23.

In particular, the outfeed line 23 consists of a conveyor belt which allows the load 4 to be moved away from the station 1 once it has been taken out of the box 3, so as to make it available for the production lines in a rapid manner.

In this way, therefore, it is possible to take the load 4 out and move it away from the box 3 in an automated manner, without requiring manual displacements. Furthermore, the displacement means l6b, 24, 25 comprise at least one gripping element 24 of the load 4 associated with at least a third movement member 25, comprising at least one robotized arm l6b.

As can be seen from the relevant figures, the gripping element 24 is composed of a robotized gripper element, which is able to take and displace the load 4 inside the station 1, although the possibility of providing a gripping element 24 of a different type cannot be ruled out.

In the preferred embodiment shown in the figures, the station 1 comprises at least one intermediate deboxing location 26 interposed between the feeding line 2 and the outfeed line 23 adapted to receive and support the load 4 wrapped in at least one auxiliary casing 27.

In many cases, in fact, the load 4 is arranged on a support 29 and wrapped in an auxiliary casing 27 typically made of cellophane or other plastic materials in the form of a thin film, so as to provide additional protection to the load itself.

Consequently, when the load 4 is arranged at the intermediate deboxing location 26, the cutting means 6 make a plurality of auxiliary incisions 28 on the auxiliary casing 27 and the displacement means l6b, 24, 25 move the load itself which is free of the auxiliary casing 27 from the intermediate deboxing location 26 to the outfeed line 23, while the auxiliary casing itself is moved away from the station 1 by means of a moving away line 32.

In particular, the auxiliary incisions 28 are formed peripherally around the auxiliary casing 27, so as to allow rapid separation from the load 4 during the displacement from the intermediate deboxing location 26 to the outfeed line 23. The empty auxiliary casing 27 is moved away from the intermediate deboxing location 26, so as not to interfere with the operations.

The possibility of providing the gripping element 24 with suction cups in the upper part cannot be ruled out, so that both the upper part of the auxiliary casing 27 and the load 4 can be taken at the same time.

Consequently, by releasing the load 4 on the outfeed line 23 and subsequently the auxiliary casing 27 on the moving away line 32, the total cycle time of the system is maximized, accelerating the production output thereof.

The station 1 also comprises at least one suction assembly 30 externally associated with the gripping element 24 and adapted to grip the box 3 and to move it away from the feeding line 2.

In other words, the suction assembly 30 allows the empty box 3 to be displaced towards an unloading line 31 , leaving the feeding line available for the incision of a new box 3.

The empty box 3 is moved away subsequently to the movement of the load 4 from the feeding line 2 to the intermediate deboxing location 26 or to the outfeed line 23, in particular substantially simultaneously to the realization of the auxiliary incisions 28.

Advantageously, the first movement member 5, the opening means 20, 21 and the second movement members 21 are operatively connected to at least one control unit, by simplicity not shown in the figures, which allows using a special software to control the movement of the various parts of the station 1 in an automated manner.

In this way, all the movements of the parts of the station 1 are calibrated and timed in relation to each other, so as to obtain a high operating efficiency and minimize the time required for the deboxing operations.

The possibility cannot be ruled out of providing the station 1 with sensor means operatively connected to the control unit, the sensor means allowing detecting the dimensions of the box 3, so as to automatically evaluate the extension and positioning of the first incisions 17 and of the second incisions 18.

By means of the invention it is possible to implement the following procedure for the deboxing of a box 3, which comprises at least the steps of:

supplying of at least one box 3 containing at least one load 4, made of at least one packaging material;

incision of the box 3 by means of at least one laser emitter 7 to make at least one incision 17, 18;

opening of the box 3; and

taking the load 4 out of the box 3.

In particular, the box 3 supplied comprises:

at least one lower face 8 which is adapted to rest on the feeding line 2;

at least one upper face 9 opposing the lower face 8;

at least two first lateral faces 10 opposing each other, each connected to the lower face 8 and to the upper face 9 respectively by means of at least a first lower side 11 and at least a first upper side 12; and

at least two second lateral faces 13 opposing each other, each connected to the lower face 8 and to the upper face 9 respectively by means of at least a second lower side 14 and at least a second upper side 15.

Advantageously, the incision step of the box 3 comprises:

at least a first incision step of the box 3 adapted to obtain a plurality of first incisions 17 formed in the proximity of at least one of the first lower sides 11 and the second lower sides 14; and

at least a second incision step of the box 3 adapted to obtain a plurality of second incisions 18 formed on the upper face 9 and on at least one of the first lateral faces 10 and the second lateral faces 13;

wherein the first incisions 17 and the second incisions 18 define at least two portions 19 of the box 3 separate from each other and the second incisions define at least a substantially vertical cutting plane X-X which extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the lower face 8.

Usefully, the opening step of the box 3 is achieved by displacing the portions 19 from a first configuration in which the portions 19 are arranged side by side to each other to define the box itself to a second configuration in which the portions 19 are moved away from each other, leaving the load 4 uncovered.

The procedure also comprises at least one intermediate deboxing step (following the opening step of the box 3) of the load 4 wrapped in at least one auxiliary casing 27.

This intermediate deboxing step is achieved by means of the laser emitter 7 and comprises at least one cutting step of the auxiliary casing 27 by means of the laser emitter 7 to provide a plurality of auxiliary incisions 28, and at least one separation step of the load 4 from the auxiliary casing itself.

It has in practice been found that the described invention achieves the intended objects.

In this respect, it is underlined that the particular solution of providing a deboxing station permits speeding up the deboxing operations at industrial level. Moreover, the particular solution of providing a first movement member and a second movement member permits totally automating the deboxing operations. Again, the particular solution of providing cutting means provided with a laser emitter permits making a plurality of cuts on the box which enable it to be opened more easily and quickly compared to manual operations.

What is more, the particular solution of providing a totally automated deboxing station permits cutting the costs tied to labor, and consequently reducing the retail price of the finished product.

Furthermore, the particular solution of providing the outfeed line, the moving away line and the unloading line permits separating the different parts of the box, which are normally made of materials which differ from each other, thereby maximizing the reuse or recycle of the different materials.