Patents by Inventor Marc Ducharme
Marc Ducharme has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20250114950Abstract: A tool, for depalletizing mixed pallet load article units, includes: a frame; a first grip assembly interfacing and engaging with a surface of a pallet load article unit, where the first grip assembly is movable, relative to the frame, in a first direction between gripping and ungripping positions; a second grip assembly, movably connected to the frame, and has at least a grip contact point oriented to interface with and generate a grip force, on another surface of the pallet load article unit, in a direction angled to the first direction, the second grip assembly being configured so as to effect, in combination with the first grip assembly, stable hold and pose of the pallet load article unit in a predetermined position; and an article unit seat member, is movably mounted to the frame, and disposed in opposition to at least one of the first and the second grip assembly.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2024Publication date: April 10, 2025Inventors: Richard B. Cohen, Christian Mori, Simon Gariepy, Marc Ducharme
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Patent number: 11970348Abstract: A palletizing elevator is provided that lowers gradually a pallet thereon from an upper level as it is filled with products, and by providing an empty pallet infeed system that moves empty pallets towards the palletizing elevator simultaneously to the palletizing of products thereon. The empty pallet infeed system includes an empty pallet elevator for raising empty pallets to the upper level and a conveying system between the empty pallet elevator and the palletizing elevator for moving the empty pallets of from the empty pallet elevator at the upper level to the palletizing elevator while a pallet is moved by the palletizing elevator during its filling.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2022Date of Patent: April 30, 2024Assignee: Symbotic Canada, ULCInventors: Marc Ducharme, Jean-Francois Forget, Robert Jodoin, Cédric Kessler, Régis Métivier, Sylvain-Paul Morency
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Patent number: 11845620Abstract: The problem of potentially damaging a pallet layer that is gripped by clamps of a depalletizing tool is solved i) by detecting the real position of the layer using a pad on the tool that is movable with the clamps towards the pallet layer and whose detected stopping position determines the real position of the layer, and ii) while the layer is gripped by the clamp, by inserting under the layer curtains; the pressure on the layer by the clamps being adapted to the ease to go underneath the layer.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2022Date of Patent: December 19, 2023Inventors: Sylvain-Paul Morency, Marc Ducharme, Robert Jodoin, Tristan Pashley, Francis Levesque, Jean-Francois Forget
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Patent number: 11840411Abstract: A vision-assisted robotized depalletizer receives at a pallet station a pallet loaded with products and outputs on a conveyor unitized products aligned in a desired orientation. Such depalletizers include a vision system having one or more image acquisition sensors that are positioned relative to the pallet station so as to have a field of view covering a top portion of the pallet. The sensors send to a controller one or more image of the top portion of the pallet that the controller uses along to determine the position of each product in the top portion of the pallet. The depalletizer further includes a robot equipped with a depalletizing tool that is coupled to the vision system controller for receiving information indicative of the position of each product from the top portion and uses that information to pick and position on the output conveyor each product from the top portion.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2022Date of Patent: December 12, 2023Inventors: Sylvain-Paul Morency, Marc Ducharme, Robert Jodoin, Philippe Hakier, Christian Simon, Jean-François Forget
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Patent number: 11535463Abstract: The problem of potentially damaging a pallet layer that is gripped by clamps of a depalletizing tool is solved i) by detecting the real position of the layer using a pad on the tool that is movable with the clamps towards the pallet layer and whose detected stopping position determines the real position of the layer, and ii) while the layer is gripped by the clamp, by inserting under the layer curtains; the pressure on the layer by the clamps being adapted to the ease to go underneath the layer.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2019Date of Patent: December 27, 2022Inventors: Sylvain-Paul Morency, Marc Ducharme, Robert Jodoin, Tristan Pashley, Francis Levesque, Jean-Francois Forget
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Patent number: 11449978Abstract: A method of inspecting cased goods includes advancing at least one case of goods on a conveyor, generating an illumination sheet of parallel illuminating rays with at least one electromagnetic source, and capturing an image, formed by the illumination sheet passing through a diffuser with at least one camera located so as to capture illumination from diffused parallel rays of the light sheet, where the image case embodies a goods image that is generated by the case goods moving between the light source and the at least one camera, where part of the parallel sheet of light is at least partially blocked by the case of goods, thus generating a gray level image.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2021Date of Patent: September 20, 2022Inventors: Marc Ducharme, Robert Jodoin, Benoit Larouche, Sylvain-Paul Morency, Christian Simon
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Patent number: 11427414Abstract: A palletizing elevator is provided that lowers gradually a pallet thereon from an upper level as it is filled with products, and by providing an empty pallet infeed system that moves empty pallets towards the palletizing elevator simultaneously to the palletizing of products thereon. The empty pallet infeed system includes an empty pallet elevator for raising empty pallets to the upper level and a conveying system between the empty pallet elevator and the palletizing elevator for moving the empty pallets of from the empty pallet elevator at the upper level to the palletizing elevator while a pallet is moved by the palletizing elevator during its filling.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2021Date of Patent: August 30, 2022Inventors: Marc Ducharme, Jean-Francois Forget, Robert Jodoin, Cédric Kessler, Régis Métivier, Sylvain-Paul Morency
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Patent number: 11358811Abstract: A vision-assisted robotized depalletizer receives at a pallet station a pallet loaded with products and outputs on a conveyor unitized products aligned in a desired orientation. Such depalletizers include a vision system having one or more image acquisition sensors that are positioned relative to the pallet station so as to have a field of view covering a top portion of the pallet. The sensors send to a controller one or more image of the top portion of the pallet that the controller uses along to determine the position of each product in the top portion of the pallet. The depalletizer further includes a robot equipped with a depalletizing tool that is coupled to the vision system controller for receiving information indicative of the position of each product from the top portion and uses that information to pick and position on the output conveyor each product from the top portion.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2021Date of Patent: June 14, 2022Inventors: Sylvain-Paul Morency, Marc Ducharme, Robert Jodoin, Philippe Hakier, Christian Simon, Jean-François Forget
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Patent number: 10981736Abstract: A vision-assisted robotized depalletizer receives at a pallet station a pallet loaded with products and outputs on a conveyor unitized products aligned in a desired orientation. Such depalletizers include a vision system having one or more image acquisition sensors that are positioned relative to the pallet station so as to have a field of view covering a top portion of the pallet. The sensors send to a controller one or more image of the top portion of the pallet that the controller uses along to determine the position of each product in the top portion of the pallet. The depalletizer further includes a robot equipped with a depalletizing tool that is coupled to the vision system controller for receiving information indicative of the position of each product from the top portion and uses that information to pick and position on the output conveyor each product from the top portion.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2019Date of Patent: April 20, 2021Inventors: Sylvain-Paul Morency, Marc Ducharme, Robert Jodoin, Philippe Hakier, Christian Simon, Jean-François Forget
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Patent number: 10964007Abstract: A method of inspecting cased goods includes advancing at least one case of goods on a conveyor, generating an illumination sheet of parallel illuminating rays with at least one electromagnetic source, and capturing an image, formed by the illumination sheet passing through a diffuser with at least one camera located so as to capture illumination from diffused parallel rays of the light sheet, where the image case embodies a goods image that is generated by the case goods moving between the light source and the at least one camera, where part of the parallel sheet of light is at least partially blocked by the case of goods, thus generating a gray level image.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2017Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Inventors: Marc Ducharme, Robert Jodoin, Benoit Larouche, Sylvain-Paul Morency, Christian Simon
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Patent number: 10934107Abstract: A palletizing elevator is provided that lowers gradually a pallet thereon from an upper level as it is filled with products, and by providing an empty pallet infeed system that moves empty pallets towards the palletizing elevator simultaneously to the palletizing of products thereon. The empty pallet infeed system includes an empty pallet elevator for raising empty pallets to the upper level and a conveying system between the empty pallet elevator and the palletizing elevator for moving the empty pallets of from the empty pallet elevator at the upper level to the palletizing elevator while a pallet is moved by the palletizing elevator during its filling.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2019Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Inventors: Marc Ducharme, Jean-Francois Forget, Robert Jodoin, Cédric Kessler, Régis Métivier, Sylvain-Paul Morency
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Patent number: 10457502Abstract: The problem of potentially damaging a pallet layer that is gripped by clamps of a depalletizing tool is solved i) by detecting the real position of the layer using a pad on the tool that is movable with the clamps towards the pallet layer and whose detected stopping position determines the real position of the layer, and ii) while the layer is gripped by the clamp, by inserting under the layer curtains; the pressure on the layer by the clamps being adapted to the ease to go underneath the layer.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2015Date of Patent: October 29, 2019Assignee: SYMBOTIC CANADA ULCInventors: Sylvain-Paul Morency, Marc Ducharme, Robert Jodoin, Tristan Pashley, Francis Levesque, Jean-Francois Forget
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Patent number: 10370199Abstract: A palletizing elevator is provided that lowers gradually a pallet thereon from an upper level as it is filled with products, and by providing an empty pallet infeed system that moves empty pallets towards the palletizing elevator simultaneously to the palletizing of products thereon. The empty pallet infeed system includes an empty pallet elevator for raising empty pallets to the upper level and a conveying system between the empty pallet elevator and the palletizing elevator for moving the empty pallets of from the empty pallet elevator at the upper level to the palletizing elevator while a pallet is moved by the palletizing elevator during its filling.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2016Date of Patent: August 6, 2019Assignee: SYMBOTIC CANADA ULCInventors: Marc Ducharme, Jean-Francois Forget, Robert Jodoin, Cédric Kessler, Régis Métivier, Sylvain-Paul Morency
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Patent number: 10343857Abstract: A vision-assisted robotized depalletizer receives at a pallet station a pallet loaded with products and outputs on a conveyor unitized products aligned in a desired orientation. Such depalletizers include a vision system having one or more image acquisition sensors that are positioned relative to the pallet station so as to have a field of view covering a top portion of the pallet. The sensors send to a controller one or more image of the top portion of the pallet that the controller uses along to determine the position of each product in the top portion of the pallet. The depalletizer further includes a robot equipped with a depalletizing tool that is coupled to the vision system controller for receiving information indicative of the position of each product from the top portion and uses that information to pick and position on the output conveyor each product from the top portion.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2015Date of Patent: July 9, 2019Assignee: Symbiotic Canada ULC.Inventors: Sylvain-Paul Morency, Marc Ducharme, Robert Jodoin, Philippe Hakier, Christian Simon, Jean-François Forget
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Patent number: 10239210Abstract: The problem of picking tightly-pack generally uniformed products such as rubber bales in a bin is solved by sequentially selecting each one of the products based on the products depths in the bin, using a robot with a tool to grip each selected product, and moving on an output station each gripped product considering its position relative to the gripping tool. A first sensor system is used to determine the product depths in the bin. The sensor system can be mounted on the robot tool or be positioned above the bin. The position of each gripped product in the gripping tool is achieved by analyzing an image of the gripped product in the gripping tool.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2015Date of Patent: March 26, 2019Assignee: Symbotic Canada ULCInventors: Sylvain-Paul Morency, Marc Ducharme, Robert Jodoin, Christian Simon, Jonathan Fournier, Sebastien Lemay
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Patent number: 9914601Abstract: The problem of the lag time in picking and dropping mixed load products during a palletization process is solved by using a tool having i) a gripping member that can be partially closed in a first fast movement while it is moved by a robot towards a product and then closed onto the product in a second shorter movement and ii) a product abutting plate that is movable in unison with the tool in opposite direction thereof as the tool is moved by a robot towards and away the mixed load pallet.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2017Date of Patent: March 13, 2018Assignee: Symbotic, Canada ULC.Inventors: Sylvain-Paul Morency, Marc Ducharme, Robert Jodoin, Regis Metivier, Jean-François Forget, Maxime Lamy-Poirier, Eric Lajoie
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Patent number: 9701490Abstract: The problem of the lag time in picking and dropping mixed load products during a palletization process is solved by using a tool having i) a gripping member that can be partially closed in a first fast movement while it is moved by a robot towards a product and then closed onto the product in a second shorter movement and ii) a product abutting plate that is movable in unison with the tool in opposite direction thereof as the tool is moved by a robot towards and away the mixed load pallet.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2015Date of Patent: July 11, 2017Assignee: Symbotic Canada ULC.Inventors: Sylvain-Paul Morency, Marc Ducharme, Robert Jodoin, Regis Metivier, Jean-François Forget, Maxime Lamy-Poirier, Eric Lajoie
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Patent number: 9359150Abstract: The problem of singulating products that are provided in a pallet layer is solved by breaking up the pallet layer so that each product can be handled separately by a robot tool and outputted in at least one line according to a predetermined orientation. The singulator includes a layer drop zone that receives a pallet layer of products, a break-up system that separates the products by creating gaps therebetween, yielding separated products, a vision system that determines characteristics and position of each separated product; and a robot equipped with a tool that receives information indicative of the characteristics and position of said each separated product to grip and position each separated product onto an output station within at least one line.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2014Date of Patent: June 7, 2016Assignee: AXIUM Inc.Inventors: Robert Jodoin, Sylvain Morency, Nicolas Durand, Marc Ducharme, Régis Métivier, Philippe Hakier, Christian Simon, Jean-François Forget
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Patent number: 9221622Abstract: Embodiments of a product orientor include a turner conveyor that defines conveying plan and direction for a product received thereon and that has an initial orientation relative to the conveying direction. The initial orientation is determined by a vision system that is positioned upstream from the turner conveyor. The turner conveyor is rotatable about an axis that is perpendicular to the conveying plan between a conveying orientation, wherein the product is in the initial orientation, and a rectifying orientation, wherein the product is in a predetermined orientation relative to the conveying orientation. The product orientor further includes pressure plates that are movable between a retracted configuration and a holding configuration wherein the product is maintained in the predetermined orientation while the turner conveyor is moved from the rectifying orientation to the initial conveying orientation.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2015Date of Patent: December 29, 2015Assignee: AXIUM Inc.Inventors: Sylvain-Paul Morency, Regis Metivier, Marc Ducharme, Robert Jodoin, Jean-Francois Forget, Christian Simon
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Publication number: 20150314455Abstract: The problem of the lag time in picking and dropping mixed load products during a palletization process is solved by using a tool having i) a gripping member that can be partially closed in a first fast movement while it is moved by a robot towards a product and then closed onto the product in a second shorter movement and ii) a product abutting plate that is movable in unison with the tool in opposite direction thereof as the tool is moved by a robot towards and away the mixed load pallet.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 5, 2015Publication date: November 5, 2015Inventors: Sylvain-Paul Morency, Marc Ducharme, Robert Jodoin, Regis Metivier, Jean-François Forget, Maxime Lamy-Poirier, Eric Lajoie