Unpacking device and method, and unpacked content manufacturing method

Abstract

An unpacking device unpacks a package and takes out contents. The package includes a primary package formed by packing the contents with a primary packing material and a secondary package formed by packing the primary package with a secondary packing material. The secondary packing material of the secondary package has an incision. The unpacking device includes a robot, and a control unit for controlling the robot such that the robot takes out the primary package through the incision of the secondary packing material and then takes out the contents from the primary package.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An unpacking device comprising:
 a robot; and   a control unit configured to control the robot such that the robot takes out a primary package through an incision of a secondary packing material of a secondary package and then takes out content from the primary package,   wherein the primary package is formed by packing the content with a primary packing material, and the secondary package is formed by packing the primary package with the secondary packing material.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the robot such that the robot takes out the primary package through the incision of the secondary packing material by own weight of the primary package. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the primary packing material is a flexible bag, and the control unit is configured to control the robot such that the robot grips the primary packing material of the primary package, lifts up the primary packing material and takes out the content from the bag by own weight of the content. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the robot such that, prior to taking out the content, the robot performs a preparatory grip operation of gripping a specified portion of the primary packing material of the primary package, lifting up the primary package by a specified displacement amount and releasing the primary package and a main grip operation of gripping the specified portion or the vicinity of the specified portion. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the robot such that the robot performs an up-down operation between the preparatory grip operation and the main grip operation and, in the up-down operation, the robot is moved upward or downward in a state that the robot has released the primary package in the preparatory grip operation so that the position where the robot grips the primary package in the main grip operation is shifted. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the primary packing material is a flexible bag, the content is sealed within the primary packing material of the primary package, and the control unit is configured to control the robot such that the robot grips the primary packing material of the primary package, forms an incision in the primary packing material and takes out the content through the incision formed in the primary packing material using the own weight of the content. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the robot such that, prior to forming the incision in the primary packing material, the robot performs a preparatory grip operation of gripping a specified portion of the primary packing material of the primary package, lifting up the primary package by a specified displacement amount and releasing the primary package and a main grip operation of gripping the specified portion or the vicinity of the specified portion. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the robot such that the robot performs an up-down operation between the preparatory grip operation and the main grip operation and, in the up-down operation, the robot is moved upward or downward in a state that the robot has released the primary package in the preparatory grip operation so that the position where the robot grips the primary package in the main grip operation is shifted. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the robot such that the robot ceases to operate for a specified time while gripping the specified portion of the primary packing material in the preparatory grip operation. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a packing material cutting unit for forming the incision in the secondary packing material by cutting the secondary packing material of the secondary package in a location other than a location where the primary package is taken out by the robot and other than a location where the content is taken out by the robot;   a conveying unit for conveying the secondary package from the packing material cutting unit to an operation region of the robot; and   a scrap removal unit for removing scraps generated during the cutting operation from the secondary package in a location between the packing material cutting unit and the operation region of the robot, other than the location where the primary package is taken out by the robot and other than the location where the content is taken out by the robot.   
     
     
         11 . An unpacked content manufacturing method, comprising:
 forming an incision in a secondary packing material of a secondary package;   taking out a primary package through the incision of the secondary packing material; and   taking out content from the primary package through the use of a robot,   wherein the primary package is formed by packing the content with a primary packing material, and a secondary package is formed by packing the primary package with the secondary packing material.   
     
     
         12 . An unpacking method for unpacking a package and taking out contents, comprising:
 forming an incision in a secondary packing material of a secondary package;   taking out a primary package through the incision of the secondary packing material; and   taking out content from the primary package through the use of a robot   wherein the primary package is formed by packing the content with a primary packing material, and a secondary package is formed by packing the primary package with the secondary packing material.