Robotic carton unloader
A robotic carton unloader for automatic unloading of cartons from a carton pile, such as a carton pile stacked within a trailer. In various embodiments, a robotic carton unloader may comprise a conveyor system, a robotic positioner, and a manipulator having a conformable face configured to conform to irregularities of the carton pile, and the manipulator may be movable attached to an end of the robotic positioner.
1. A robotic carton unloader for unloading a carton pile, comprising:
a conveyor system;
a robotic positioner; and
a manipulator moveably attached to an end of the robotic positioner, wherein the manipulator has a conformable face configured to passively conform to irregularities of the carton pile by contact therewith and to apply vacuum to attach to the contacted cartons of the carton pile to unload the contacted cartons therefrom.
2. The robotic carton unloader of claim 1 , wherein the conformable face comprises a plurality of carton connectors, each of the plurality of carton connectors configured to be biased towards the carton pile and to individually conform to the irregularities of the carton pile by contact therewith.
3. The robotic carton unloader of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of carton connectors is biased towards the carton pile by a spring.
4. The robotic carton unloader of claim 2 wherein the conformable face of the manipulator comprises at least one horizontal row of carton connectors configured to unload a horizontal row of cartons.
5. The robotic carton unloader of claim 1 , wherein the conformable face comprises more than one bank of pluralities of carton connectors, each bank of a plurality of carton connectors configured to move independent of the other banks of pluralities of carton connectors towards the carton pile to conform to the irregularities of the carton pile by contact therewith and to move independent of the other banks of pluralities of carton connectors away from the carton pile to unload the contacted cartons.
6. The robotic carton unloader of claim 5 , wherein each bank of pluralities of carton connectors comprises at least one fluid activated cylinder to move that bank of pluralities of carton connectors towards and away from the carton pile.
7. The robotic carton unloader of claim 1 , further comprising a control and visualization system connected to the conveyor system, the robotic positioner, and the manipulator, wherein the control and visualization system is configured to automatically control the conveyor system, the robotic positioner, and the manipulator to unload the carton pile.
8. The robotic carton unloader of claim 1 , wherein the manipulator further comprises a moveable shelf movable towards and away from the carton pile, the moveable shelf configured to support cartons drawn from the carton pile.
9. The robotic carton unloader of claim 8 , wherein the moveable shelf slides towards and away from the carton pile.
10. The robotic carton unloader of claim 8 , wherein the moveable shelf includes a bumper to stabilize the carton pile as cartons are unloaded.
11. The robotic carton unloader of claim 8 , wherein the moveable shelf pivots.
12. The robotic carton unloader of claim 8 , further comprising a control and visualization system connected to the conveyor system, the robotic positioner, and the manipulator, wherein the control and visualization system is configured to automatically control the conveyor system, the robotic positioner, the manipulator, and the moveable shelf to unload the carton pile.
13. The robotic carton unloader of claim 1 , further comprising a control and visualization system connected to the conveyor system, the robotic positioner, and the manipulator, wherein the control and visualization system is configured to automatically control the conveyor system, the robotic positioner, and the manipulator to unload the carton pile.
14. The robotic carton unloader of claim 13 , wherein the control and visualization system is configured to control the robotic positioner to rotate the manipulator perpendicular to a floor of a truck or trailer to lift a carton from the floor.
15. The robotic carton unloader of claim 1 , wherein the manipulator further comprises at least one carton connector configured to extend out from a side of the manipulator perpendicular to the conformable face.
16. The robotic carton unloader of claim 15 , wherein the at least one carton connector is configured to attach to contacted cartons on the side of the manipulator to unload the contacted cartons.
17. The robotic carton unloader of claim 16 , wherein the at least one carton connector is configured to apply vacuum to attach to the contacted cartons.
18. The robotic carton unloader of claim 17 , further comprising a control and visualization system connected to the conveyor system, the robotic positioner, and the manipulator, wherein the control and visualization system is configured to automatically control the conveyor system, the robotic positioner, the manipulator, and the at least one carton connector to unload the carton pile.
19. The robotic carton unloader of claim 1 wherein the conveyor system is configured to extend from a front to a rear of the robotic carton unloader to convey cartons downstream thereon.
20. The robotic carton unloader of claim 19 wherein at least a portion of the conveyor system is configured to extend across at least a substantial width of the robotic carton unloader.
21. The robotic carton unloader of claim 1 further comprising a mobile body, wherein the conveyor system, the robotic arm, and the manipulator attach thereto and are movable therewith.
22. The robotic carton unloader of claim 21 wherein the conveyor system comprises a front portion and a rear portion with the rear portion extending from front to rear along the mobile body and the front portion extending from the front of the mobile body to receive cartons thereon.
23. The robotic carton unloader of claim 22 wherein the front portion of the conveyor is pivotally attached to the mobile body and angularly pivotally movable up and down relative to the rear portion.
24. The robotic carton unloader of claim 22 wherein the front portion of the conveyor is a bumper to stabilize the carton wall while removing cartons with the manipulator.
25. The robotic carton unloader of claim 22 wherein at least the front portion of the conveyor is configured to receive and convey a plurality of cartons thereon as a row generally parallel to a front of the conveyor system.
26. The robotic carton unloader of claim 1 wherein the conformable face of the manipulator is configured to unload a plurality of cartons as a horizontal row substantially parallel to at least a portion of the conveyor system.
27. The robotic carton unloader of claim 26 wherein at least two of the unloaded cartons in the horizontal row are side by side.
28. The robotic carton unloader of claim 26 wherein unloaded cartons in the horizontal row are irregular in size.
29. The robotic carton unloader of claim 1 wherein the robotic positioner comprises a plurality of pivotally joined segments configured to move the manipulator along a path between unloading cartons from the carton pile and placing at least a portion of the unloaded cartons onto the conveyor system.
30. The robotic carton unloader of claim 29 wherein the plurality of pivotally joined segments of the robotic positioner are configured to position the conformable face of the manipulator parallel to the floor, and when the robotic positioner moves the manipulator into contact with cartons that have fallen onto the floor, the manipulator is configured to passively conform from contact with tops of the cartons.
31. The robotic carton unloader of claim 29 wherein the plurality of pivotally joined segments of the robotic positioner are configured to position the conformable face of the manipulator and irregular cartons attached thereto substantially parallel to the body conveyor system, and when the robotic positioner moves the attached the irregular cartons into contact with the conveyor system, the manipulator is configured to passively conform from contact of the cartons with the conveyor system.
32. The robotic carton unloader of claim 1 wherein the robotic positioner is configured to move the manipulator into contact with the carton pile to unload contacted cartons therewith.
33. The robotic carton unloader of claim 1 wherein the robotic positioner is configured to move the manipulator and at least one unloaded cartons attached thereto into contact with the front conveyor system before release thereon.
34. The robotic carton unloader of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the robotic positioner comprises a pair of spaced apart arms.