Variety packing system
A variety packing system includes a donor case unloading station for receiving donor cases having first and second articles, a variety packing conveyor having a packing zone for forming a variety packing case, a conveyance system arranged as a loop between the donor case unloading station and the variety packing conveyor, the conveyance system including a plurality of carriages configured to move along the conveyance system, each carriage of the plurality of carriages configured to receive the first and second articles, a first pick and place system configured to move the first articles and the second articles from the donor case unloading station to the conveyance system, a second pick and place system configured to move the first articles and the second articles from the conveyance system to the variety packing conveyor, and a control system, where the variety packing case includes at least one of the first and second articles.
1. A variety packing system comprising:
a donor case unloading station having a first zone for receiving a donor case having a plurality of a first article and a second zone for receiving a donor case having a plurality of a second article different from the first article;
a variety packing conveyor having a packing zone for receiving at least some of the plurality of the first articles and at least some of the plurality of the second articles within an empty case to form a variety packing case;
a conveyance system arranged as a loop between the donor case unloading station and the variety packing conveyor, the conveyance system comprising a plurality of carriages configured to move along the conveyance system, each carriage of the plurality of carriages configured to receive at least some of the plurality of the first articles and/or at least some of the plurality of the second articles;
a first pick and place system configured to move individual ones of the plurality of the first articles and individual ones of the plurality of the second articles from the donor case unloading station to the conveyance system;
a second pick and place system configured to move individual ones of the plurality of the first articles and individual ones of the plurality of the second articles from the conveyance system to the variety packing conveyor; and
a control system programmed to operate the conveyance system, the first pick and place system, and the second pick and place system to form a variety packing case, wherein the variety packing case includes at least one of the first article and at least one of the second article.
2. The variety packing system of claim 1 , wherein each carriage includes a plurality of openings, and wherein each opening of the plurality of openings is configured to receive only a single one of the plurality of the first articles or a single one of the plurality of the second articles.
3. The variety packing system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of carriages includes a first carriage and a second carriage, wherein the first pick and place system is programmed to provide the plurality of the first articles to the first carriage and is programmed to provide the plurality of the second articles to the second carriage.
4. The variety packing system of claim 1 , wherein the loop of the conveyance system includes a first conveyor arranged adjacent the donor case unloading station, a second conveyor arranged adjacent the variety packing conveyor, a third conveyor extending from the first conveyor to the second conveyor, and a fourth conveyor extending from the second conveyor to the first conveyor.
5. The variety packing system of claim 4 , wherein the first conveyor extends substantially parallel to the second conveyor and the third and fourth conveyors extend transverse to the first and second conveyors.
6. The variety packing system of claim 4 , further comprising a fifth conveyor extending between the fourth and third conveyors as a bypass of the first conveyor.
7. The variety packing system of claim 1 , further comprising an empty case conveyor configured to move the donor case from the donor case unloading station when the donor case is emptied by the first pick and place system.
8. The variety packing system of claim 1 , wherein the first zone of the donor case unloading station is spaced apart from and distinct from the second zone of the donor case unloading station.
9. The variety packing system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second pick and place systems is configured to simultaneously engage and transport multiple articles of the first and/or second articles.
10. A variety packing system comprising:
a first conveyor positioned at a loading zone for receiving a plurality of articles including a first article of a first variety and a second article of a second variety, the first conveyor configured to move the first article and the second article away from the loading zone;
a second conveyor positioned at an unloading zone for unloading the plurality of articles, the second conveyor extending substantially parallel to the first conveyor;
a third conveyor extending transverse to the first and second conveyors and configured to move the first article and the second article from the first conveyor to the second conveyor;
a fourth conveyor extending transverse to the first conveyor and the second conveyor such that the first conveyor, the third conveyor, the second conveyor, and the fourth conveyor form a loop between the loading zone and the unloading zone; and
a plurality of carriages configured to move across the first conveyor, the second conveyor, the third conveyor, and the fourth conveyor, each carriage of the plurality of carriages including a plurality of openings configured to each receive one of the first article or the second article.
11. The variety packing system of claim 10 , further comprising a fifth conveyor extending substantially parallel to the first conveyor and the second conveyor, the fifth conveyor extending between the third conveyor and the fourth conveyor and configured to move the plurality of carriages from the fourth conveyor to the third conveyor, bypassing the first conveyor.
12. The variety packing system of claim 10 , further comprising a first pick and place system configured to provide a plurality of the first articles and a plurality of the second articles to one or more of the plurality of carriages on the first conveyor and a second pick and place system configured to remove the plurality of the first articles and the plurality of the second articles from the one or more of the plurality of carriages at the second conveyor.
13. The variety packing system of claim 10 , wherein each conveyor of the first conveyor, the second conveyor, the third conveyor, and the fourth conveyor is distinct and separate from one another.
14. The variety packing system of claim 10 , further comprising a control system programmed to control movement of the first conveyor, the second conveyor, the third conveyor, and the fourth conveyor based on a quantity and a variety of the articles within the plurality of carriages.
15. A method of forming a variety packing case, the method comprising:
providing a donor case of a plurality of articles of a first variety and a donor case of a plurality of articles a second variety to a loading zone;
operating a first pick and place system to remove individual articles of the plurality of articles of the first variety and individual articles of the plurality of articles of the second variety from the respective donor case and place the removed articles into individual openings of a plurality of carriages;
transporting the plurality of carriages along a conveyor arranged as a loop extending between the first pick and place system and a second pick and place system; and
operating the second pick and place system to transport a desired ratio of the individual articles of the first and second varieties from the plurality of carriages to an empty variety packing case at a variety packing conveyor.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein transporting the plurality of carriages along the conveyor includes transporting the plurality of carriages along a first conveyor on which the first pick and place system is operable to deposit the individual articles of the first and second varieties, and transporting the plurality of carriages along a second conveyor on which the second pick and place system is operable to remove the individual articles of the first and second varieties, the second conveyor configured to move the carriage substantially parallel to the first conveyor.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein transporting the plurality of carriages along the conveyor includes transporting the plurality of carriages from the first conveyor, along a third conveyor, and to the second conveyor and transporting the plurality of carriages from the second conveyor, along a fourth conveyor, to the first conveyor, the third and fourth conveyors extending transverse to the first and second conveyors.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein transporting the plurality of carriages along the conveyor includes selectively transporting the plurality of carriages along a fifth conveyor extending from the fourth conveyor to the third conveyor, bypassing the first conveyor.
19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first pick and place system removes the individual articles of the first variety and places them within a first carriage of the plurality of carriages, and wherein the first pick and place system removes the individual articles of the second variety and places them within a second carriage of the plurality of carriages.
20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the variety packing conveyor maintains a position of the empty variety packing case until the variety packing case is filled with the desired ratio of the individual articles of the first and second varieties, the method further comprising moving the filled variety packing case from the variety packing conveyor.