Packing station and method for automated loading of piece goods on a load carrier including subsequent foil wrapping

Abstract

An automated packing station for automated loading of load carriers with piece goods and for automated wrapping a stack with a foil, comprising: a fixedly arranged packing robot; and a rotational-arm winding device arranged adjacent to the packing robot and comprising a frame which is adapted to absorb forces which occur during the wrapping of the stack with the foil, and to forward the forces to an environment of the packing station.

Therefore, what we claim is: 
     
         1 . An automated packing station for automated loading of load carriers with piece goods which, in a loaded state of the load carrier, form a stack thereon, and for automated wrapping the stack with a foil, comprising:
 a fixedly arranged packing robot serving a fixedly predefined packing position, which is configured to load the load carrier at the fixedly predefined packing position with the piece goods, and which packing robot has an environment and an action space in which the packing robot acts during the loading, wherein the action space is free from other objects in order not to disrupt automated loading movements of the packing robot; and   a rotational-arm winding device comprising a driven rotational arm, a rotational mast and a winding head and being arranged adjacent to the packing robot and comprising a frame which is adapted to absorb forces which occur during the wrapping of the stack with the foil and to forward the forces to the environment of the packing station and on which frame the driven rotational arm is supported rotatably such that the winding head, which is connected rotatably to the rotational arm and can be adjusted vertically on the rotational mast, rotates on a circular path in a height-adjustable manner around the stack which rests at the fixedly predefined packing position after the loading is completed; and   a load-carrier conveyor for conveying empty or partially packed ones of the load carriers to the fixedly predefined packing position and for conveying the load carriers, holding wrapped stacks, away from the fixedly predefined packing position;   wherein the rotational-arm winding device is supported movably between a rest position outside of the action space and a winding position within the action space, and   
       wherein the frame is arranged stationary relative to the packing robot and comprises a stationary main mast and a pivotal arm which is supported rotatably on the stationary main mast, the stationary main mast having one leg, wherein the rotational arm is supported rotatably in the pivotal arm, wherein the pivotal arm is pivotable from a first position outside of the action space to a second position within the action space. 
     
     
         2 . The automated packing station of  claim 1  further comprising a piece-good conveyor which is configured to fed the piece goods to the packing robot. 
     
     
         3 . The automated packing station of  claim 1 , wherein the pivotal arm comprises a pivotal boom, which is substantially orientated radially, and a pivotal mast, which is substantially orientated axially, wherein the pivotal mast is orientated parallel to the stationary main mast, and wherein the stationary main mast comprises a foot element which is adapted to be connected fixedly to the environment of the packing station and to forward the forces, which occur in the rotational-arm winding device during the wrapping. 
     
     
         4 . The automated packing station of  claim 3 , wherein the forces are forwarded by means of a standing foot which is connected fixedly to the environment and is multi-legged. 
     
     
         5 . The automated packing station of  claim 3 , wherein the foot element is arranged and configured such that a center of gravity of the rotational-arm winding device is closer to the environment. 
     
     
         6 . The automated packing station of  claim 3 , wherein the pivotal arm further comprises a pivotal drive which is mounted to the foot element. 
     
     
         7 . The packing station of  claim 1 , wherein the frame is drivable on a guiding rail by means of a frame drive, wherein the guiding rail and the frame drive are suitable to absorb the forces. 
     
     
         8 . The packing station of  claim 1 , wherein the frame is arranged stationary relative to the packing robot and comprises a guiding unit along which guiding unit a crab is movable, which is configured to move the rotational-arm winding device, which is connected to the crab, over the stack into the action space and to retract the rotational-arm winding device therefrom. 
     
     
         9 . The automated packing station of  claim 1 , wherein the rotational-arm winding device is sized such that a distance between the stack and the rotational arm and the winding head is as small as possible. 
     
     
         10 . The automated packing station of  claim 1 , wherein the packing robot is an articulated-arm robot. 
     
     
         11 . The automated packing station of  claim 1 , wherein the packing robot and the rotational-arm winding device are provided separately to each other and represent units acting independent from each other. 
     
     
         12 . An automated packing station for automated loading of load carriers with piece goods which, in a loaded state of the load carrier, form a stack thereon, and for automated wrapping the stack with a foil, comprising:
 a fixedly arranged packing robot serving a fixedly predefined packing position, which is configured to load the load carrier at the fixedly predefined packing position with the piece goods, and which packing robot has an environment and an action space in which the packing robot acts during the loading, wherein the action space is free from other objects in order not to disrupt automated loading movements of the packing robot; and   a rotational-arm winding device comprising a driven rotational arm, a rotational mast and a winding head and being arranged adjacent to the packing robot and comprising a frame which is adapted to absorb forces which occur during the wrapping of the stack with the foil and to forward the forces to the environment of the packing station and on which frame the driven rotational arm is supported rotatably such that the winding head, which is connected rotatably to the rotational arm and can be adjusted vertically on the rotational mast, rotates on a circular path in a height-adjustable manner around the stack which rests at the fixedly predefined packing position after the loading is completed;   wherein the rotational-arm winding device is supported movably between a rest position outside of the action space and a winding position within the action space.   
     
     
         13 . The automated packing station of  claim 12 , wherein the frame is arranged stationary relative to the packing robot and comprises a stationary main mast and a pivotal arm which is supported rotatably on the stationary main mast, the stationary main mast having one leg, wherein the rotational arm is supported rotatably in the pivotal arm, wherein the pivotal arm is pivotable from a first position outside of the action space to a second position within the action space. 
     
     
         14 . The automated packing station of  claim 13 , wherein the pivotal arm comprises a pivotal boom, which is substantially orientated radially, and a pivotal mast, which is substantially orientated axially, wherein the pivotal mast is orientated parallel to the stationary main mast, and wherein the stationary main mast comprises a foot element which is adapted to be connected fixedly to the environment of the packing station and to forward the forces, which occur in the rotational-arm winding device during the wrapping. 
     
     
         15 . The automated packing station of  claim 14 , wherein the forces are forwarded by means of a standing foot which is connected fixedly to the environment and is multi-legged. 
     
     
         16 . The automated packing station of  claim 14 , wherein the foot element is arranged and configured such that a center of gravity of the rotational-arm winding device is closer to the environment. 
     
     
         17 . The automated packing station of  claim 14 , wherein the pivotal arm further comprises a pivotal drive which is mounted to the foot element. 
     
     
         18 . The packing station of  claim 12 , wherein the frame is drivable on a guiding rail by means of a frame drive, wherein the guiding rail and the frame drive are suitable to absorb the forces. 
     
     
         19 . The packing station of  claim 12 , wherein the frame is arranged stationary relative to the packing robot and comprises a guiding unit along which guiding unit a crab is movable, which is configured to move the rotational-arm winding device, which is connected to the crab, over the stack into the action space and to retract the rotational-arm winding device therefrom. 
     
     
         20 . The automated packing station of  claim 12 , further comprising a load-carrier conveyor for conveying empty or partially packed ones of the load carriers to the fixedly predefined packing position and for conveying the load carriers, holding wrapped stacks, away from the fixedly predefined packing position. 
     
     
         21 . The automated packing station of  claim 12 , wherein the packing robot is an articulated-arm robot. 
     
     
         22 . The automated packing station of  claim 12 , wherein the packing robot and the rotational-arm winding device are provided separately to each other and represent units acting independent from each other. 
     
     
         23 . A method for automated loading a load carrier with piece goods forming, in a loaded state of the load carrier, a stack ( 56 ), and for wrapping the stack with a foil at a packing station which comprises: a fixedly arranged packing robot serving a fixedly predefined packing position, which is configured to load the load carrier at the fixedly predefined packing position with the piece goods, and which packing robot has an environment and an action space in which the packing robot acts during the loading, wherein the action space is free from other objects in order not to disrupt automated loading movements of the packing robot; and a rotational-arm winding device comprising a driven rotational arm, a rotational mast and a winding head and being arranged adjacent to the packing robot and comprising a frame which is adapted to absorb forces which occur during the wrapping of the stack with the foil and to forward the forces to the environment of the packing station and on which frame the driven rotational arm is supported rotatably such that the winding head, which is connected rotatably to the rotational arm and can be adjusted vertically on the rotational mast, rotates on a circular path in a height-adjustable manner around the stack which rests at the fixedly predefined packing position after the loading is completed; wherein the rotational-arm winding device is supported movably between a rest position outside of the action space and a winding position within the action space; and wherein the method comprises the following steps:
 feeding the load carrier, which is to be loaded, to the fixedly predefined packing position;   feeding the piece goods into the action space of the packing robot which receives the fed piece goods, transfers the piece goods and puts the piece goods on the to-be-loaded load carrier in accordance with a predefined packing pattern until all of the required piece goods have been loaded to the load carrier and form the stack;   pivoting the rotational-arm winding device from the rest position outside the action space of the packing robot to the winding position which is arranged at least partially within the action space of the packing robot so that the stack is wrapable with the foil;   wrapping the stack with the foil by rotating the winding head, which is mounted to the rotational arm in a height-adjustable manner, around the stack; and   transporting away the load carrier holding the stack which is completely wrapped.