Transporter device
A transport device is provided comprising an actuator, a body coupled to the actuator, and a plurality of arms.
The present invention relates to transporters, such as conveyor systems, and in particular to gripper transporters used in the food industry.
Many types of products are transported by transporters, such as conveyor systems. For instance, in the food industry prepared food items, such as pizzas, entrees, and desserts, are assembled from various component pieces, including foodstuffs and packaging, which are transported by one or more transporters. Furthermore, the finished product and/or the component pieces are often transported on or by transporters between processing stations such as a packaging station.
The creation of the finished product from the component pieces often requires that the component pieces be brought together at certain times. Furthermore, such transport must be tailored to the piece being transported.
In one exemplary embodiment, a transport device is provided comprising an actuator a body coupled to the actuator having an abutment surface, and a plurality of arms coupled to the actuator that selectively extend from and retract into the body. The arms are spring loaded when within the body, and the arms provide a support surface for an item when extended outside the body.
An another embodiment, a method of transporting an item is provided including the steps of providing a transporter including an actuator; abutting the item with the transporter; activating the actuator to couple the transporter to the item; moving the transporter and the item coupled thereto; de-activating the actuator to uncouple the transporter from the item; and disengaging the transporter from the item.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method of providing sanitary transport of a donut is provided including the steps of providing a transporter including an annular surface, abutting a top surface of the donut with the annular surface of the transporter, extending at least one arm from a position within the transporter to a position external to the transporter such that the at least one arm contacts the donut and hold the donut in contact with the annular surface, moving the transporter and donut about a facility, retracting the at least one arm from the external position to the internal position to release the donut from the transporter, and moving the transporter to disengage the transporter from the donut.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a transport device is provided comprising, an actuator, a body coupled to the actuator having an abutment surface, and a plurality of arms coupled to the actuator that selectively extend from and retract into the body. Extension of the arms from the body provides for grasping of an item between the arms and the abutment surface.
Additional features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In automated or semi-automated assembly systems, a number of transporters and conveyors are typically present. The transporters and conveyors provide consistency of part placement and process repeatability. Thus, a particular transporter is programmed to know where to go to retrieve a certain piece and knows to move the piece to a second location where it may be processed or otherwise subjected to another transporter. Such a system is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/678,708 titled A Transport System assigned to Raque Food Systems, Inc. that is expressly incorporated herein.
A transporter 10 is described herein that provides a gripping strength sufficient to grab and hold a baked product, such as a donut, but not crush the product during the gripping. Accordingly, transporter 10 includes a cylinder 12 and shell 14 coupled to cylinder 12 by adapter 16. Transporter 10 further includes piston attachment 18 that couples a piston 24 of cylinder 12 to at least two, preferably four, arms 22 via arm coupler 20.
Cylinder 12 is preferably a pneumatic cylinder having a piston 24 therein. Cylinder 12 has one or more air supply lines (not pictured) coupled thereto. Cylinder 12 is also coupled to an arm (not pictured) that provides for movement of the cylinder 12 vertically and horizontally about a facility. The arm is preferably a mechanical arm that is computer controlled. First end 40 of cylinder 12 includes a threaded portion to engage adapter 16. Piston 24 is movable relative to cylinder 12 so as to have a retracted position (
Adapter 16, shown in
Shell 14, shown in
Bore 28 includes three sections 42, 44, 46. First section 42 is at proximal end 30 and is the largest of the three sections 42, 44, 46. As previously described, first section 42 is threaded, sized, and shaped to threadably receive adapter 16 therein. The diameter of second section 44 is smaller than the diameter of first section 42 but larger than the diameter of third section 46. The diameter of second section 44 is sized to slidably receive arm coupler 20 therein.
Arm coupler 20, shown in
Piston attachment 18 shown in
Arms 22 are originally flat thin metal pieces as shown in
In assembly, bore 38 of adapter 16 threadably couples to first end 40 of cylinder 12. Then, piston bore 72 of piston attachment 18 of arm assembly 80 threadably couples to piston 24. Shell 14 is placed over arm assembly 80 to receive arm assembly 80 within bore 28. Finally, first section 42 of bore 28 is threadably coupled to adapter 16, and thus cylinder 12.
In use, piston 24 and arm assembly 80 selectively assume first positions and second positions. First position of piston 24 and assembly 80 is a retracted position shown in
It should be appreciated that the force exerted by arms 22 on donut 82 is of a magnitude that binds donut 82 between arms 22 and contact surfaces 34 but does not crush donuts 82. Alternatively, the force exerted by arms 22 is just greater than the weight of donut 82 such that the weight of donut 82 does not cause significant deflection of arms 22 and does not allow donut 82 to fall.
All parts of transporter 10 are preferably manufactured out of materials so as to preserve the sanitary conditions of food production, packaging, and distribution facilities where transporter 10 is located. Such a material, for example, is stainless steel.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, exemplary embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intent to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1-20. (canceled)
21. A transport device comprising;
- an actuator;
- a body coupled to the actuator having an abutment surface; and
- a plurality of arms coupled to the actuator that selectively extend from and retract into the body, extension of the arms from the body providing for grasping of an item between the arms and the abutment surface.
22. The transport of claim 21, wherein the arms are sized and shaped to enter a void in the item.
23. The transport of claim 21, wherein the arms are flexible such that the arms expand as the arms extend from the body and the arms contract as the arms retract into the body.
24. The transport of claim 23, wherein the expansion and contraction of the arms is governed by walls of an internal aperture of the body.
25. The transport of claim 21, wherein the actuator is a pneumatic cylinder.
26. The transport of claim 21, wherein the arms are springs.
27. The transport of claim 26, wherein the springs have a spring constant to allow the carrying of a baked good while substantially maintaining the shape and integrity of the baked good.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 13, 2004
Publication Date: Feb 16, 2006
Inventor: Jesse McLeod (Louisville, KY)
Application Number: 10/917,972
International Classification: B65B 5/00 (20060101);