This Invention relates to Automised Stacking of Liquid Filled Pouches/Sachets in a Container, which is relatively easy as related to the conventional manual methods that are being followed, as it is totally automised, thereby saving considerable time.

Introduction:

The Liquid filled pouches/sachets find important usage in everyone's day to day life. Normally, in Food processing and Consumer goods industry, the liquids like milk, curd, oil, water, ghee, butter, etc are filled in a pouch by automatic filling machine and the pouch is sealed. These sealed pouches from filling machine are transferred through moving conveyor and at the end of the conveyor and the filled pouches are dropped through a hopper. The dropped pouches are collected in a Crate/Bin/Box/Tray. The collected pouches are falling in a dis-orderly manner, without proper orientation and subsequently the pouches are counted and re-arranged in the crate marnually, before despatch. This manual method of stacking results in involvement of huge manpower and also cost. This invention is aimed at providing for automating the stacking process for Liquid Pouches.

Limitations:

The liquid pouches are collected and stacked in undefined fashion in the container, which may be a bin/crate/box/tray as described above. Normally, the process of re-arranging/ stacking in vertical and horizontal patterns is done manually in the industry.

The automation of the stacking of solid packets or solid products into bins and box is quite possible due to definite shape of solid, which is comfortable for gripping of the solid objects. Whereas, the automation of the stacking of Liquid Pouches in systematic or orderly manner is very difficult because liquid will not take definite shape in a pouch and does not have a viable gripping for holding. Sometimes, collection and handling of the Liquid Pouches in disorderedly manner in automated process damages the pouch and liquid is spilled out, causing problems to operations and huge wastage. One of the biggest challenges faced today in the automation of stacking process is gripping the flexible in-definite shape of liquid pouch, orient pouch in the proper direction and stacking these items in orderly horizontal (or) vertical pattern. Secondly, a lot of manpower is engaged in this stacking process, which in turn contributes to the rise of unit cost of the product, thereby reducing the productivity.

Proposed Solution:

Though the concept of stacking exists for several years for solid objects, there is no existence of proven mechanism to handle Liquid Pouches for automatic stacking in a Bin/ Crate/Box /Tray. Accordingly, the present invention provides an automated process of handling the pouches filled with any liquid having in-definite shape. The present invention uses advanced multi-axes robotic technology and specially designed finger gripper for automating the process. The Liquid Pouches are held with finger gripper with minimum deformation when handling from the running conveyor. The invention also aims to increase automated speed of the stacking process and stack with minimum time by engaging a high speed finger gripper and a robotic platform. By this invention, the inventor proposes to eliminate the involvement of labour forces for handling Liquid Pouches. This invention eliminates possible errors that may creep in while stacking like, physical orientation and quantity evaluation, etc. The automated process for stacking the Liquid Pouches has been explained in detail in following sections. The liquid is filled in the pouch by automated filling machine. Once the pouch is filled and sealed by filling machine, the pouch is forwarded to the running conveyor. The pouch travels on the conveyor and reaches the stacking point, where the finger gripper grips the pouch with minimum distortion of its shape. With multi-axes robotic programming, pouches will be stacked at desired location in the Crate/Box/bin/Tray. The same operation will be repeated until the Crate/Box/Bin/Tray is fully occupied with required quantity. The program is repeated with filling crates with automated high speed around 0.5-0.7secs per poUch.

Figure A of the accompanied drawings depicts the conventional stacking of liquid pouches in a crate or bin, which is essentially manual, as a person has to be present there, manually lifting the liquid filled pouches from the output bin and arranging it in order in a crate or a box. In this method, the Conveyor (3) of Figure A will carry liquid filled Pouches (2) of Figure A to the Hopper (4) of Figure A. The Hopper will collect pre-determined quantities of liquid filled pouches from the Conveyor. The bottom of the Hopper is arranged with pneumatically operated doors which are opened and closed, based on the requirement. The Hopper door is opened to collect the liquid pouches in a Crate (1) of Figure A, which in turn allows the liquid filled pouches to fall in a dis-orderly manner or zigzagged manner, as illustrated. These collected pouches are to be manually arranged or re-arranged, either in a vertical or horizontal pattern, depending upon the requirement and availability, in any event, the process being manual.

Multi- axes robot is a standard robotic system which houses or accommodates the gripper mechanism assembly. This robot is a standard 4-axes SCARA robot with extendable arms, provided with 360 degree angular orientation of axis. Arm angular .orientation of 150 degree and two linear movements. The relative movements of robot will enable the gripper mechanism assembly to position/orient itself for picking and placing the objects.

Figure B of the accompanying drawings describes the finger gripping mechanism in this newly invented AUTOMISED STACKING OF LIQUID FILLED POUCHES/SACHETS IN A CONTAINER. The Liquid filled pouches are passed through a Conveyor (3) to a pre-determined picking point, after getting filled from the liquid filling station. A special high end gripper assembly (4) of Figure B has been invented to handle the liquid pouch (2) for suitable and appropriate gripping and transfer of the liquid filled pouches in to the Crate (1). At this picking point, multi-axes robot (4) is introduced with arm equipped, specially designed gripper to handle the liquid pouch without damaging the pouch, orient the pouch in right direction and stack these pouches in a orderly manner in the crate (l).The effective gripping and transferring of the liquid pouches is essentially by a pneumatic operation. The gripper has well-defined friction surfaces to hold wet pouches, without slipping. The grippers ensure effective handling of the liquid filled pouches and at the same time make sure that the pouches are not damaged while gripping the pouches.

Figure C depicts the construction of special gripper assembly mechanism to hold liquid pouches. There are two standard gripper blocks (01) which are mounted /coupled one above other and fixed on the bracket (05). Each gripper block has two movable hinges to house the individual gripper arms. In this present construction, only one movable hinge is engaged in each gripper block to constitute the right arm (02) and left arm (03) of the gripper mechanism assembly and other movable hinge is not engaged. These gripper blocks are equipped with pneumatic solenoid valves, which control the opening and closing movement of gripper arms (02) & (03). A friction pad (04) has been attached to each gripper arm (02) & (03) to grip the pouch. The friction pad surface will be of very rough nature and made out of rubber or similar material. The pneumatic solenoid valves are controlled by electric signals through a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), consequent to which each gripper block can be controlled independently and synchronously to operate different gripping options (6), (7), (8) to perform the tasks. The gripping option (07) shows the closed option where the both gripper block's solenoid valves are operated synchronously. The gripping option (06) shows the right arm opening and left arm closing with independent operation of one gripper block's solenoid valve. Similariy, the gripping option (08) shows the right arm closing and left arm opening with independent operation of one gripper block's solenoid valve. This gripper mechanism assembly can be actuated independently or synchronously, each gripper arm for performing tasks. The whole gripper assembly with mounted bracket is assembled on multi axes robot as shown in the Fig D. The modification of standard gripper blocks are customized to suit this kind of application. Therefore, the concept is unique in its own right for handling such kind of products.

Figure D depicts the present scenario of automatic stacking of pouches. The Figure depicts the typical multi-axes and sophistically controlled robot handles liquid pouch and stacking of these pouches takes place in a systematic manner in vertical and horizontal patterns. Comparing the Fig.A with present automatic stacking process, manual intervention is totally eliminated to arrange these liquid pouches and the crates can be directly dispatched for delivery.

We Claim,

1. AUTOMISED STACKING OF LIQUID FILLED POUCHES/SACHETS IN A CONTAINER, offering a totally automized solution for stacking liquid filled pouches, wherein Conveyor (A3) carries liquid filled Pouches (A2) to the Hopper (A4); The Hopper collects pre-determined quantities of liquid filled pouches from the Conveyor and the bottom of the Hopper is arranged with pneumatically operated doors which are opened and closed, based on the requirement; the Hopper door is opened to collect the liquid pouches in a Crate (Al), which in turn allows the liquid filled pouches to fall in a dis-orderly manner or zigzagged manner, as illustrated;

a special high end gripper assembly (B4) handles the liquid pouch (B2) for suitable and appropriate gripping and transfer of the liquid filled pouches in to the Crate (Bl), essentially by a pneumatic operation, wherein the gripper has well-defined friction surfaces to hold wet pouches, without slipping and the grippers ensure effective handling of the liquid filled pouches and at the same time make sure that the pouches are not damaged while gripping the pouches, which is ensured by two standard gripper blocks (CI) mounted /coupled one above other and fixed on the bracket (C5), with each gripper block having two movable hinges to house the individual gripper arms, wherein, only one movable hinge is engaged in each gripper block to constitute the right arm (C2) and left arm (C3) of the gripper mechanism assembly, whereas the other movable hinge is not engaged; these gripper blocks having in¬built pneumatic solenoid valves, which control the opening and closing movement of gripper arms (C2) & (C3); A friction pad (C4) is attached to both the gripper arms (C2) & (C3) to grip the pouch, made of rubber or like material, having a rough gripping surface; the whole gripper assembly with mounted bracket is assembled on multi axes robot (Fig D), which is a standard robotic system, enabling the gripper mechanism assembly to position/orient itself for picking and placing the objects without damaging the pouch and stacking these pouches in a orderly manner in the crate (Dl).

2. AUTOMISED STACKING OF LIQUID FILLED POUCHES/SACHETS IN A CONTAINER, as claimed in Claim (1), wherein, the gripper blocks (CI) are equipped with pneumatic solenoid valves, which are controlled by electric signals through a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) and each gripper block can be controlled independently and synchronously to operate different gripping options (C6), (C7), (C8) to perform the tasks

3. AUTOMISED STACKING OF LIQUID FILLED POUCHES/SACHETS IN A CONTAINER, as
claimed in Claims (1) & (2) herein above and as substantially explained herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings.