DE19914816C2 - Vertically swiveling conveyor module - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a vertically pivotable conveyor module for transporting and discharging conveyed goods, in particular flat items such as letters, magazines and envelopes.

If several such conveyor modules are arranged one behind the other, the material to be conveyed can be discharged in the Mo containers assigned to the columns are sorted. Short gaps between the goods to be sorted and thus a ho To enable hen throughput, it is necessary to Perform pivotal movements while on this För the conveyed goods module is located. So z. B. already on a conveyor pivoted downwards in the discharge position modul conveyed goods that are actually horizontal to be transported. When swinging up this conveyor The module and stops in the end position can then loosely open jump the conveyed goods located and the Lose contact with the funding. This could undefi tied locations of the goods to be conveyed, including gaps in the gap exercises arise. Furthermore, with the sudden braking increased wear from the full swivel speed and a high level of noise.

To avoid these disadvantages the speed of the To design pivoting movement so that the accelerations at The start and end of the swivel movements are as small as possible, was the use of a crank mechanism in DE 44 38 207 A1 with a sinusoidal course of motion for the drive of vertically pivotable transfer devices proposed. The conveyor module must after För a certain time in the end positions, remain stable, especially in the upper end position. This  is only with an elaborate positioning control and strong dimensioned drive with relatively high energy consumption possible.

The invention specified in claim 1 is therefore the pro underlying, a low-effort and energy-saving Swivel drive for a vertically swiveling conveyor module for Transport and discharge of conveyed goods, especially fla Chen shipments, using a crank mechanism create.

The following advantages are associated with the arrangement described:

• - The upper stop together with the tension spring prevents leaving the end position of the crank mechanism, e.g. B. by very heavy consignment, which over the flap in ho conveyed in a horizontal direction to the next conveyor flap becomes.
• - The lower stop causes the crank mechanism, he has once reached its lower end position, without further energy The insert can hold the lower position for as long as you want. Due to the small angular misalignment of the lower end position of the maximum extension of the spring element the work / time to be minimal until the saved te spring force can be activated for the upward movement can.
• - It is not an energy expenditure (current supply) to keep the un lower and upper conveyor module position required, with what due to the reduced duty cycle of the energy set / heating for the system is minimal.
• - Because of the energy storage, also with the help the weight of the material being conveyed and the minimized loading The load on the drive unit can be smaller and more compact be dimensioned.  
• - The arrangement is driven by a DC motor ben, it is advantageous that part of the Braking energy is not applied by countercurrent (= Wear and thus reduced service life), but is made by an energy store.
• - The crank mechanism can be contemporary in a simple version controls and without complex angle detection and regulation being constructed.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are in the Un claims specified.

The invention is then described in an exemplary embodiment explained in more detail with reference to drawings.

Show

FIG. 1a is a schematic side view of egg nes conveyor module with endless ribbon Trans port in the transport position,

FIG. 1b is a schematic side view of egg nes conveying module in Ausschleuse- position,

Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of a regulated motor drive.

As can be seen from Fig. 1a, the conveyor module 1 has a driven rotating conveyor belt 2 , which is ge over two rollers. The extended axis of the roller on the incoming side is also the pivot axis of the module. A conveyed item 3 is currently located on the conveyor belt 2 . The roller on the outgoing side is mounted on a push rod 7 of a crank mechanism. The conveyor belt 2 is in the horizontal conveying position from module to module, the crank mechanism is just at top dead center. The arrow indicates the half turn of the crank to be carried out at the bottom dead center for the discharge position of FIG. 1b, ie the crank diameter corresponds to the pivoting stroke of the delivery module. The arrow in Fig. 1b indicates that to swing up the cure bel 6 in the opposite direction of rotation makes half a turn upwards.

Since the drive should consume as little energy as possible, but movement times should be as short as possible, an energy storage in the form of a tension spring 4 is used, which is connected to the crank 6 at the connection point to the push rod 7 . In the discharge of a be on the conveyor module 1-sensitive conveyed material 3 downward due to a half-order of the crank 6 turn downward, the tension spring 4 is tensioned by the drive, and the mass of the conveyor module 1 and the Fördergü ter. 3 If the conveyed goods 3 have been discharged, the conveying module 1 must then swivel upwards as quickly as possible in order to avoid that the following conveyed goods 3 are pinched if there are short gaps between the conveyed goods 3 . The tensioned spring enables this process to be carried out quickly with relatively little energy.

To limit the crank movement, an upper stop 9 and a lower stop 10 are provided, the upper stop 9 just behind top dead center and the lower stop 10 at bottom dead center or just before it. The drive can be implemented for example by a stepper motor or by a DC gear motor. The counter bearing of the tension spring 4 is attached to a spring suspension 5 and is located above the upper stop 9 . As a result, the crank 6 is pulled by the tension spring 4 against the upper stop 9 into a small kink position and also against the lower stop 10 when it is moved beyond the imaginary circumferential line 11 which runs straight through the counter bearing and the crank axis of rotation 8 . Thus, a defined Ver the crank 6 remains secured in the end positions without special locking means or drives with energy-consuming holding functions are necessary.

Due to the high dynamics of the rotary movement at a speed of rotation of Vmax = 3 revolutions / second, stopping which ends quickly (<50 ms) and exactly at the stops 9 , 10 is not possible without angle detection and control, since the stop point is influenced by, for example

• - Load on the conveyor module by the material to be conveyed (weight Va rianz)
• - Motor winding temperature
• - bearing friction
• - Manufacturing tolerances of all kinds (feed module weight, motor tolerances)
• - Operating voltage of the DC motor

These factors also affect the pivoting times of the För dermoduls 1 .

In order to ensure as same swiveling times and defined stop points, a motor is shown in Fig. 2 17, operated in this example, a DC motor, having a slightly higher voltage than the rated voltage (about 10-20% more), which is loaded only low at a Funding module would lead to a fast turnaround time.

A motor controller 13 in the form of a microprocessor wins from the movement of the motor 17 , detected via two devices for angle detection 12 , implemented as Hall sensors, egg ner arranged behind a driver module 15 device for current detection 16 and a possibly in front of a sorting line thickness, Height and length sensors all required information to influence the motor 17 by means of a pulse width modulation 14 so that the movement does not fall below a predetermined minimum time even with a lightly loaded conveyor module and the dynamics are approximate to a target curve. The device for current detection 16 enables a reliable determination of the load torque, since I = f (M) for the DC motor.

The thickness, height and length sensor and its measurement information replaces assuming proportionality between volumes and weight an elaborate weighing.

To detect the direction / speed of the motor ren, two Hall sensors were staggered on the Mo Torwelle used.

The service not used for very light consignments reserves are then available to balance the above listed load factors and disturbance variables where is achieved by a constant turnaround time.

The starting point of the braking and its duration is also derived from the sensor information by the motor controller 13 in order to enable the stops 9 , 10 to be approached exactly. As a result, elastic stops, unnecessary wear, noise, etc. are avoided. The starting point of the braking and its duration is determined dynamically depending on the load torque and the angular velocity / angular position of the crank mechanism. The motor controller 13 can control the motor 17 so that the crank has no more movement energy at the stops.

For an especially smooth and jerk-free pivoting of the För dermoduls 1, the angular velocity of the drive motor has a sinusoidal waveform so that the pivoting operation of the conveyor module 1 possesses an adjustable course.

In a further simple drive design without angular position sensors and control of the motor 17 , which can be used if, for example, the maintenance of certain pivoting times of the conveyor modules does not make high demands or the influences of the disturbance variables are small (e.g. lower weight variance), the time-controlled drive is designed so that the elastically designed stops take up part of the kinetic energy of the crank mechanism even under different operating conditions (high operating voltage, low bearing friction, minimally loaded conveyor module).

By the arrangement as shown in Fig. 1b, in particular by a clever choice of the angle α, which describes the angle between the point of transition of the crank mechanism and the lower end position, a safe reaching of the end positions is given ge.

If there should be no disruption to the drive or material being conveyed in the event of overloads or jams, or personnel injuries should be avoided in the event of incorrect operation, the push rod 7 is designed as a spring element, preferably as a gas pressure spring. Furthermore, in the embodiment according to FIG. 2, an irregular operating state can be detected by the motor control 13 via a time monitoring of the movement process, via the device for motor current detection 16 and the devices for win kel capture 12 and thus dispense with a spring element.

If 1 sorting container is arranged under the successively arranged conveying modules, the conveyed goods can be directed according to certain sorting criteria into the sorting container assigned to the sorting criteria by the corresponding conveying module 1 swiveling downward and conveying the conveyed material 3 into a relevant container. To achieve a spatially compact arrangement, two or more such rows of conveyor modules with sorting containers can be arranged one above the other. The input conveyor modules then serve as switches for the division into the different levels.

Claims (14)

1. Vertically pivotable conveyor module for transporting and transferring conveyed goods ( 3 ), in particular flat shipments, the rear part of which in the conveying direction is connected to a push rod ( 7 ) of a driven crank mechanism for performing the pivoting movements, characterized in that the up and downward pivoting movements can be carried out by oppositely directed crank movements, that in each case a stop ( 9 , 10 ) for limiting the crank movement is arranged in the vicinity of the dead center of the crank mechanism, that the end of the crank ( 6 ) connected to the push rod ( 7 ) has a Spring element ( 4 ) for energy storage in the downward movement of the conveyor module ( 1 ) and energy output in the upward movement is connected and the stationary counter bearing of the Fe derelementes ( 4 ) and the stops ( 9 , 10 ) are arranged so that the crank ( 6 ) by a force component of the spring directed towards the stops ( 9 , 10 ) lementes ( 4 ) on the strokes ( 9 , 10 ) is held. 2. Vertically pivotable conveyor module according to claim 1, characterized in that the strikes ( 9 , 10 ) are just behind the top and bottom dead center, the spring element ( 4 ) is designed as a tension spring and its stationary counter bearing above and behind the top At impact ( 9 ) is arranged. 3. Vertically pivotable conveyor module according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one device for angular detection ( 12 ) is provided, with the help of the angular position and speed of egg nes motor ( 17 ) for driving the crank ( 6 ) the Schwenkpositi on and -speed is determined at all times. 4. Vertically pivotable conveyor module according to claim 2, characterized in that two directions for angular detection ( 12 ) are arranged angularly offset on the motor shaft for determining the direction of rotation. 5. Vertically swiveling conveyor module according to one of Ansprü che 1 to 4, characterized in that the motor control ( 13 ) is designed so that changes in the motor angular speed due to Lich on the conveyor module, differently heavy goods ( 3 ) during the pivoting can be adjusted. 6. Vertically pivotable conveyor module according to one of Ansprü che 1 to 5, characterized in that the motor control ( 13 ) for holding the crank ( 6 ) at a defin th position depending on the angular position of the cure bel ( 6 ) and The angular velocity of the motor ( 17 ) determines the start and the size of the braking acceleration dynamically. 7. Vertically pivotable conveyor module according to claim 6, characterized in that the braking process is controlled so that the crank ( 6 ) at the stops gene ( 9 , 10 ) comes to a stop. 8. Vertically pivotable conveyor module according to claim 6, characterized in that the stops GE ( 9 , 10 ) are elastic and the braking process is controlled so that the elastic stops ( 9 , 10 ) absorb part of the movement energy Be. 9. Vertically pivotable conveyor module according to one of Ansprü che 1 to 8, characterized in that the motor control ( 13 ) is designed so that the angular speed of the motor ( 17 ) has an adjustable course. 10. Vertically pivotable conveyor module according to one of Ansprü che 1 to 9, characterized in that the motor control ( 13 ) is designed so that it from the signals from a device for motor current detection ( 16 ) and Einrich lines for angle detection ( 12 ) irregular operating conditions recognizes. 11. Vertically pivotable conveyor module according to claim 1, characterized in that the push rod ( 7 ) is designed as a spring element. 12. Vertically pivotable conveyor module according to claim 11, characterized in that the push rod ( 7 ) is designed as a gas spring. 13. Distribution device with successively arranged, vertically swiveling conveyor modules according to claim 1, on which the conveyed goods ( 5 ) transported one behind the other, characterized in that a distribution compartment is arranged under each conveyor module, whereby according to the respective distribution information associated with this in the corresponding distribution compartment can be directed by swiveling out the conveyor module. 14. Distribution device according to claim 1 and 13, characterized in that at least two rows of vertically swiveling conveyor modules with associated distribution compartments of which are arranged in front of which at least one is vertical swiveling conveyor module for distribution among the various Rows are arranged.