BOX PACKING APPARATUS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to packaging systems, in general and, in particular, to a box packing apparatus.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Automation of packaging devices is known. Systems designed for specific kinds of products are common in the marketplace. One group of common systems close and seal bags of products and release the bags onto a conveyor belt. The sealed bags are transferred to a box packing station, where the bags are inserted into boxes to be delivered. Often, the sealed bags are manually inserted into the boxes by workers, ensuring the consistency of number of bags per box, and efficiently using the available space inside the box. However, such system is expensive in terms of man-hours. In other plants, the sealed bags are transported to a box-filler, which includes a mechanical arm, movable like a human arm to grab and place each bag in a pre-determined place inside a box. Other systems include box forming machines, which build and form a box around a predefined number of sealed bags. These systems require additional floor space in the plant for placing a relatively large packing machine and affixing a conveyor belt for transportation of the bags from the sealing machine to the box filler machine.

Accordingly, there is a long felt need for an apparatus for automatically filling boxes directly from a sealing machine which requires little additional floor space.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be further understood and appreciated from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a box packing apparatus constructed and operative in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the box packing apparatus of Fig. 1 in a tilted position;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a box packing apparatus constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the box packing apparatus of Fig. 3 in a tilted position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a box packing apparatus designed and arranged to automatically pack free-falling articles in a box. The packed articles are introduced into the box in a pre-selected pattern accommodated to optimally utilize its volume. The apparatus of the invention includes a table onto which the box to be packed with articles is placed. The table is coupled to drive mechanisms providing for moving and inclining the table in various distances, directions and inclination angles respectively. These mechanisms are respectively linked to one or more programmable controllers for regulating the motion and inclinations of the table. Referring now to Fig. 1, there is shown a perspective view of a box packing apparatus constructed arranged and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Box packing apparatus 10 provides for filling packaging boxes in an orderly fashion with filled and sealed bags, particularly pillow bags and the like. Box packing apparatus 10 is disposed beneath, or adjacent, a sealing machine such as Bag Form, Fill & Seal Machine (not shown). Box packing apparatus 10 includes table 20, structured and arranged to hold box 30, and suitably position the box so as to successively receive articles such as bag 40 according to a pre-selected pattern as described infra. Table 20 is at least laterally movable along two perpendicular axes respectively designated by x and y. Furthermore table 20 is rotatable at least about one axis that is parallel to the plane including axes x, y. For this purpose table 20 is coupled to drive mechanism 42 and to tilting mechanism 44, both mechanisms are linked to a programmable controller (not shown). Tilting mechanism 44 provides for rotating table 20 about two axes respectively parallel to the x and y axes. Tilting mechanism 44 includes ball joint 46 and means for moving ball joint 46 at two, up to four degrees of freedom, namely rotations about three axes and upwardly or downwardly translating (along the z axis). Alternatively, tilting mechanism 44 may allow only pivoting through two degrees of freedom, or only one degree of freedom, thereby enabling inclining box 30 towards one desired direction. Alternatively, inclining box 30 may be accomplished by a vertical arm that can be

also activated by drive mechanism 42 which lifts one side of table 20 along the z- axis.

Operating box packing apparatus 10 is as follows. Filled bags freely fall under the force of gravity from dispensing sleeve 90. Drive mechanism 42 moves table 20 to suitably place box 30 for receiving bags emerging off dispensing sleeve 90, so that currently falling bag 40' gets into box 30, at the right place and at the right orientation, into a pre-selected space in the box. In order to receive the next bag, the Y-arm of drive mechanism 42 moves table 20 along the Y-axis, such that the next available space in box 30 will be directly below the currently falling bag 40'. In this way, bag 40' is packed adjacent bag 40 which was previously received into the box. The Y-arm of drive mechanism 42 successively moves box 30 by the same distance in order to receive the bags coming next. When filling the first row within box 30 with bags is completed the X-arm of drive mechanism 42 suitably drives table 20 in the X-axis direction while Y-arm moves the table all the way along the y axis back to the point that is suitable for placing the first bag of the second row within the box. At this stage filling the next row within box 30 with the bags starts. Following receiving of the first bag of the second raw the Y-arm of drive mechanism 42 is repeatedly and intermittently active again to move box 30 as described above so as to receive the next coming bags. It will be appreciated that the movement of the table can be adapted according to any other pattern and may be adjusted to best fit a selected box or article of any size and shape. Moving the table is synchronously accomplished with the flow of articles falling into the box. As a result the box, namely any point disposed across its surface, intermittently moves along a predetermined horizontal track. Intermittently moving the box along a three-dimensional piecewise track, namely upwards, downwards and laterally back and forth along two perpendicular directions is in accordance with the present invention.

Table 20 is rotatable about axes respectively parallel to the x or y arms of drive mechanism 42 relative to the axis of dispensing sleeve 90. Such rotations are synchronously accomplished with the flow of falling articles for suitably orienting the box with the axis of a currently received article. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of

box packing apparatus 10 the table of which inclined at two respective intermediate inclination angles relative to the axis of dispensing sleeve 90. Prior to receiving the first article into box 30, table 20 is, say counterclockwise rotated about both axes (one of which, which is the first axis, is parallel to the x-axis, the second axis is parallel to the y-axis) by a first and a second maximal rotational angles respectively. At these two maximal inclination angles the first article gets into the box adjacent to, say its left and front corner. At this stage the row of articles which is adjacent the front wall of box 30 is to be currently filled with articles. Following the receiving of the first article table 20 is clockwise rotated by a predefined incremental rotational angle about the second axis (that is parallel to y-axis) for receiving the second article to be packed in box 30. Table 20 is further successively rotated about the second axis by a series of predefined incremental rotational angles thereby providing for orderly packing articles such as bags 40 along the first row. Meanwhile each such rotation about the second axis are accomplished the table is moved along the y axis as described above. By the end of the first row, table 20 is counterclockwise rotated by the same second maximal inclination angle concomitantly with it's being clockwise rotated by the first of another series of predefined incremental rotational angles that are associated with the first axis. Meanwhile being rotated about the first axis, the table is moved back by the full range along the y- axis and further moved by the suitable step along the x- axis. At this stage the box is waiting to receive the first article of the second row. The process in which the table is successively rotated clockwise at the respective incremental rotational angle successively selected from the series associated with the second axis is repeated again up to the end of packing the second row with articles. Obviously rotating about each of the first or second axis is associated with a respective translation of the table along the axis that is parallel to the axis of rotation considered. Such repetitive inclinations and translations of box 30 provide for leaning the currently introduced article against a wall or walls of the box and/or adjacent articles that were previously received into the box. As a result the box is densely packed with articles, since laterally laying articles are avoided. Such rotational capability is especially relevant when packing pillow bags the bottom of

which is not planar. Such dense packing also facilitates the unloading of box 30 and the placement of the articles such as bags 40 on a store shelf. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that box 30 may be inclined at angles between 0-90° with respect to the axis of dispensing sleeve 90. Figs. 3 and 4 show perspective views of box packing apparatus 50 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, table 20 is mounted on a robotic arm 60. Robotic arm 60 includes a plurality of joints 65, enabling different manipulations of robotic arm 60. Robotic arm 60 allows moving and tilting of table 20 in different directions, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, respectively.

Operating such system is substantially the same as described above with reference to Figs 1, 2.

It will be appreciated that the box packing apparatus may be used to pack other falling objects, and not only sealed bags, as shown in Figs 1-4.

It will be further appreciated that the drive mechanism and the tilt mechanism of a box packing apparatus may be according to the present invention controlled by a computer, thereby facilitating programming of different patterns of motion for suitably placing and/or inclining boxes while successively filling them with articles. The computer, the main controller, or any other controllers of the filling machine can be similarly employed for controlling and operating the mechanisms of box packing apparatuses of the invention. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the main controller of the bag filling machine is operative in regulating and manipulating the drive mechanism and the tilt mechanism of the box packing apparatus. Therefore accommodating the patterns in which each of the drive and tilt mechanisms independently and synchronously operate to various geometrical shapes of the articles to be packed within a box and/or boxes of different dimensions, can be accomplished by automatically selecting among different pre-stored programs. Wherever coupling a programmable controller to any of these mechanisms of a box

packing apparatus of the invention is hereinafter referred to, it is meant to any of such controllers or computers as described hereinabove.

While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations, modifications and other applications of the invention may be made. It will further be appreciated that the invention is not limited to what has been described hereinabove merely by way of example. Rather, the invention is limited solely by the claims which follow.