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DE-212025000121-U1 - System for unpacking a pallet

DE212025000121U1DE 212025000121 U1DE212025000121 U1DE 212025000121U1DE-212025000121-U1

Abstract

System (100) for unpacking a pallet (500) containing products (510) arranged in layers on or against a base (520) or plate, wherein the pallet (500) is coated or covered with a protective film (550) for holding and protecting the products (510), the film (550) being adapted to cover the top surface (501) and the side surface (502) of the pallet (500) up to the base (520), the system (100) comprising cutting means installed on an anthropomorphic robot (201) to cut the protective film (550) such that it is separated into two segments (550s), each of which forms an upper flap (551s) of an upper section (551) of the film (550) on the top surface (501) of the pallet (500) and a lower flap (551s) of the upper section (551) of the film (550) on the top surface (501) of the pallet (500). The system (100) comprises a flap or flap (552s) of a side section (552) of the film (550) on the side surface (502) of the pallet (500), the system (100) further comprising means for removing the protective film (550), the removal means being installed on the anthropomorphic robot (201) to distance the two segments (550s) from the pallet (500), characterized in that it comprises pressing means (130) adapted to be positioned on or at the upper surface (501) of the pallet (500) and to exert a force directed orthogonally to the upper surface (501) of the pallet (500) and applied to a first or second section of the upper surface (501) that is opposite or opposite to the section from which the segment (550s) of the film (550) is distanced, in order not to come into contact with the upper flap. (551s) of the upper section (551) of the film (550) of the segment (550s) being removed; wherein the pressing means (130) comprise a pressing element (131) with dimensions equal to or less than half the upper surface (501).

Assignees

  • E2PACK S R L

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20250320
Priority Date
20250320

Claims (10)

  1. System (100) for unpacking a pallet (500) containing products (510) arranged in layers on or against a base (520) or plate, wherein the pallet (500) is coated or covered with a protective film (550) for holding and protecting the products (510), the film (550) being adapted to cover the top surface (501) and the side surface (502) of the pallet (500) up to the base (520), the system (100) comprising cutting means installed on an anthropomorphic robot (201) to cut the protective film (550) such that it is separated into two segments (550s), each of which forms an upper flap (551s) of an upper section (551) of the film (550) on the top surface (501) of the pallet (500) and a lower flap (551s) of the upper section (551) of the film (550) on the top surface (501) of the pallet (500). The system (100) comprises a flap or flap (552s) of a side section (552) of the film (550) on the side surface (502) of the pallet (500), the system (100) further comprising means for removing the protective film (550), the removal means being installed on the anthropomorphic robot (201) to distance the two segments (550s) from the pallet (500), characterized in that it comprises pressing means (130) adapted to be positioned on or at the upper surface (501) of the pallet (500) and to exert a force directed orthogonally to the upper surface (501) of the pallet (500) and applied to a first or second section of the upper surface (501) that is opposite or opposite to the section from which the segment (550s) of the film (550) is distanced, in order not to come into contact with the upper flap. (551s) of the upper section (551) of the film (550) of the segment (550s) being removed; wherein the pressing means (130) comprise a pressing element (131) with dimensions equal to or less than half the upper surface (501).
  2. System (100) according to Claim 1 , comprising transfer and/or carrier means configured to position the pallet (500) in the work area of the at least one anthropomorphic robot (201), wherein the transfer and/or carrier means include a device rotating about a vertical axis (Z) and configured to rotate the pallet (500) about its vertical axis of symmetry.
  3. System (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the pressing element (131) is rotatable.
  4. System (100) according to Claim 2 and 3 , wherein the pressing element is rotatable about the vertical axis of rotation (Z) of the rotary device.
  5. System (100) according to Claim 4 , wherein the pressing element (131) is driven into rotation by contact friction with the upper surface (501) of the pallet (500), which is set into rotation about its axis of symmetry by the rotating device.
  6. System (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the pressing means (130) comprise at least one actuator (133) to bring the pressing element (131) from the first to the second section of the upper surface (501) of the pallet (500) with which it is to come into contact.
  7. System (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cutting means and the removal means are installed on a single anthropomorphic robot (201).
  8. System (100) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a movement device (135) on which the pressing means (130) are installed for their displacement or translation in a vertical and/or horizontal direction.
  9. System (100) according to Claim 8 and 2 , wherein the motion device (135) and the anthropomorphic robot (201) are arranged on opposite sides of the transfer and/or carrier means with respect to the feed direction of the pallet (500).
  10. System (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the pressing element (131) has a rectangular shape.

Description

Cross-reference to related registrations This patent application claims priority over Italian patent application No. 102024000006424, filed on March 22, 2024, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Technical field The present invention falls within the field of unpacking palletized cargo. In particular, it relates to a system for ensuring the removal of the protective film from palletized cargo. background Packaging or, for example, filling plants are supplied with palletized loads consisting of different layers of products or containers surrounded by a heat-shrinkable or elastic covering. A palletized load or pallet refers to a number of products, preferably arranged in layers on a base, typically a board made of wood or plastic. A plastic or cardboard pad may be placed between each layer to contribute to the pallet's stability. This pad may also be positioned between the board and the load. A product retention cap may be present above the palletized load. Before the product is depalletized in the processing lines, such as the filling lines, if it is a container like a bottle or a jar, the pallet is stored and moved between the product production systems and the subsequent processing systems. To ensure their integrity and stability during the various steps mentioned above, the pallet is usually wrapped with a protective film that forms a shell in which the products are enclosed. This film is usually made of plastic. In the case of containers for the food industry, the film completely wraps the products and the tray on which the load is carried to ensure that no insects or dirt can penetrate, and to give stability to the palletized load. The covering can be applied by wrapping the pallet's circumference with a stretchable film or by fitting a heat-shrinkable film onto the pallet, so that it adheres to the pallet's circumference through heat shrinkage. Alternatively, the pallet can be wrapped in a stretch-hood film, which, thanks to its elasticity, fits and conforms to the pallet without the need for heat shrinkage. Even a section around the base of the pallet should be wrapped in protective film. The process of removing the protective film from the pallet is known in industry jargon as "pallet unpacking" and is very often carried out manually. In fact, variables related to product stability, uneven adhesion of the protective film, and the risk of damaging the product and/or pads have always made unpacking by automated machines unreliable. At the same time, however, manual unpacking carried out by one or more operators is a process that, in addition to posing risks to the integrity of the palletized load, also poses risks to the operator's safety. In fact, the operator may find themselves in a dangerous situation during unpacking, as products may fall while being pulled away from the removed film. To overcome this disadvantage, several automatic means and methods for unpacking pallets are known in the prior art. However, these means and methods have a number of problems, especially when the pallet load includes many unstable and fragile products, such as pallets of glass bottles. Especially when unpacking with heat-shrinkable films, the main problem with existing machines is that the plastic film develops creases or folds, which alter the film's behavior during cutting and tearing, as well as the relative behavior of the load during the unwinding process from section to section. As a result, the load can tip over, become entangled in the film, and some bottles may even fall off. In particular, the patent application discloses WO2022153184 a process that involves a separation The protective film is divided into at least two segments, each comprising an upper flap of an upper section of the film on the upper surface of the pallet and a lower flap of a side section of the film on the side surface of the pallet. This solution makes it easier to remove the film from the pallet, thus reducing the risk of the product falling off. This solution does not always guarantee reliable removal, as it can happen that when the first or second segment of the film is moved away from the pallet, the film gets caught in the product, in the pad between the layers, or in the cap on the top layer of the pallet. It has frequently been observed that the heat shrink film gets caught in the openings at the edges of any cap covering the top layer of the pallet. As a result, because the first or second film segment becomes separated from the pallet, the cap and consequently the product layer (if not a large portion of the products on the pallet) can be torn away. Another common problem is that the neck of the bottle can come out of the openings at the edges of the cap placed on the top layer of the pallet and pierce the film so far that it comes out of it. Therefore, it can happen that, due to the first or second film segment being distanced from the pallet, the bottle and consequently the cap and the product