DE29815924U1 - Separating device with separating rollers and movable stop element - Google Patents

Description

Description

The present invention relates to a device for separating containers in formatted layers with the features specified in the preamble of claim 1.

The box-shaped containers used in the beverage industry usually have a rectangular base. For stability reasons, these box-shaped containers with a rectangular base are usually nested and placed in layers on transport pallets.

In order to insert or remove bottles into or from such rectangular box-shaped containers, due to the straight arrangement of the bottle gripper heads, it is necessary to arrange the box-shaped containers, which are delivered nested on pallets, in a line-like manner one behind the other as part of a separation process and to align them in the same direction.

A device for separating box-shaped containers arranged in homogeneous rows is known from the prior art, which comprises a conveyor that feeds the container layer, a roller-shaped container transport device downstream of this and a conveyor that removes the containers downstream. The conveying direction of the conveyor that removes the containers runs at right angles to the conveying direction of the conveyor that feeds the containers and the roller-shaped container transport device.

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This device has numerous disadvantages:

On the one hand, the box-shaped containers can easily twist and get caught in each other, especially when being transferred from the feeding conveyor to the roller-shaped container transport device. Labor-intensive personnel are required to eliminate the resulting disruption to the operating process. Such disruptions also lead to a significant reduction in the system's throughput due to machine downtime.

Another particularly serious disadvantage of such a device for separating containers arranged in layers is that a particularly large number of work cycles are required to separate containers arranged in a nested manner. This circumstance also results in a low system throughput.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a device for separating containers in formatted, possibly nested layers, which excludes the risk of twisting or snagging of the containers when the containers are transferred from the feeding conveyor to the downstream roller-shaped container transport device, which requires a particularly small number of work steps for separating containers fed in nested layers and which has a particularly high throughput and operational reliability.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in a generic device by the features specified in the characterizing part of claim 1.

Particularly preferred embodiments are the subject of the subclaims.

Embodiments of the invention are described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 shows a schematic cross section through an inventive device for separating containers in formatted layers with a feeding conveyor, a movable stop element, a downstream roller-shaped container transport device and, downstream of this, a container removal conveyor;

Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of the Y-shaped splitting area of a container removal conveyor;

0 Figure 3 shows a schematic cross-section through the container removal conveyor shown in Figure 2 along the line A-A;

Figure 4 is a schematic plan view of a nested layer of box-shaped containers.

As can already be seen from Figure 1, the device according to the invention for separating containers (3) present in formatted layers comprises at least one conveyor means (1) for feeding containers (3) layer by layer.

The device according to the invention preferably further comprises at least one container transport device (4) downstream of the feeding conveyor (1), which

at least one rotationally driven transport roller (10) with a smooth surface and/or a surface with a high coefficient of friction.

In addition or as an alternative to the roller-shaped container transport device (4) with one or more transport rollers (10), the device according to the invention can comprise a discharge track (2) which is arranged downstream of the roller-shaped container transport device (4) or the container-feeding conveyor (1) and can transport one or more rows of containers one after the other or simultaneously.

A particularly important feature of the device according to the invention is that at least one essentially vertically and/or horizontally movable single- or multi-part stop element (5) is provided between the container-feeding conveyor means (1) on the one hand and the roller-shaped container transport device (4) or the container-removing discharge track (2) on the other hand.

In particularly preferred embodiments, the at least one roller-shaped container transport device (4) comprises at least three rotationally driven transport rollers (10) that are aligned essentially horizontally and are only slightly spaced apart from one another and essentially parallel to one another. The longitudinal axes of the transport rollers (10) preferably run at right angles or parallel to the conveying direction of the feeding conveyor (1). The number of transport rollers (10) depends on the container dimensions on the one hand and on whether only one row of containers or several rows of containers are to be taken over by the feeding conveyor (1) on the other.

In principle, it is possible to design the container transport device (4) in addition to or as an alternative to the roller-shaped design in the form of at least one essentially rod-, pin-, hook-, gripper- or rake-shaped driver that can be moved in the conveying direction and acts on the containers (3) from below and/or from above and/or from the side.

Of course, it is possible, alternatively or additionally, to design the container transport device (4) in the form of at least one endlessly rotating conveyor belt, a link chain or a mat chain.

In particularly preferred embodiments, the conveying speed of the roller-shaped container transport device (4) and/or the container-transporting discharge track (2) is at least somewhat greater than the conveying speed of the container-feeding conveyor (1).

The increased conveying speed of the roller-shaped container transport device (4) and/or the container-transporting discharge track (2) leads, among other things, to the advantage that containers (3) resting at least partially thereon are moved faster in the conveying direction than the containers resting on the container-feeding conveyor (1).

This results in a gap being formed between the containers (3) still resting on the container-feeding conveyor (1) and those containers (3) which are already resting on the roller-shaped container transport device (4) and/or the container-removing discharge track (2).

The formation of such a gap is a prerequisite for the extension or raising of the stop element (5) as described in more detail below.

The stop element (5) is generally essentially bar-shaped, strip-shaped, tubular, rake-shaped, pin-shaped, cord-shaped, hook-shaped or grid-shaped and is designed in one or more parts.

The cross-sectional area of the stop element (5) can correspond to a letter I, L, T, C, J, P, S, V, Y or an upside-down letter L. The longitudinal axis of the stop element (5) usually runs essentially at right angles to the direction of travel of the feeding conveyor (1).

In particularly preferred embodiments, the essentially vertically and/or horizontally movable, at least one stop element (5) is directly or indirectly connected to at least one lifting or pivoting device (6) for lifting, lowering or pivoting.

Preferably, the lifting or swiveling device (6) is mechanically, pneumatically or electrically connected to at least one control device (7). The control device (7) can in turn be connected to at least one device (8) for detecting the complete or partial presence of containers (3) on the stop element (5).

Additionally or alternatively, the control device (7) can be connected to a time-controlled pulse generator.
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Preferably, the control device (7) is designed in such a way that it outputs control variables for retracting or pivoting back the stop element (5) to the at least one lifting and/or pivoting device (6) as soon as the

Detection device (8) of the control device (7) signals the complete or partial contact of a row of containers with the stop element (5) and/or when a preset time has elapsed. 5

In particularly preferred embodiments, the control device (7) is further designed in such a way that it outputs control variables for extending or pivoting the stop element (5) into the container path to the at least one lifting or pivoting device (6) when the detection device (8) detects the essentially complete passage of the one or more rows of containers originally lined up at the stop element (5) in the starting position, for example by detecting a gap that has become free, and signals this to the control device (7).

The lifting and/or pivoting device (6) of the stop element (5) is, for example, at least one hydraulic or pneumatic lifting cylinder, at least one servomotor, a hydraulic, pneumatic or electric motor, a worm drive, a gear drive or a lever drive.

The discharge track (2) located downstream of the roller-shaped container transport device can transport at least one or more rows of containers simultaneously and is preferably essentially plate- or table-shaped or in the form of an actively transporting conveyor (9).

The conveyor means (1) for feeding containers (3) in layers and/or the container (3) essentially in one or more rows (9) can be, for example, a hinged belt chain, a mat chain, a

Conveyor belt, a pushing device, a pulling device or a single or multi-part hook or a combination of these.

In preferred embodiments, the at least one device (8) for detecting the complete and/or partial presence of containers on the stop element (5) is at least one vertically and/or horizontally and/or obliquely acting light barrier or a camera-like device. Alternatively or additionally to this, the device (8) for detecting can be at least one pressure sensor preferably attached to the stop element (5), at least one mechanically acting button and/or switch and/or at least one ultrasonic sensor.

A particular advantage of the device according to the invention is that not only a single row of containers but several, possibly nested, rows of containers can be transported away simultaneously on the roller-shaped container transport device (4) and/or on the downstream discharge track (2).

In the case of simultaneous removal of several nested rows of containers, the conveyor (9) downstream of the stop element (5) or the roller-shaped container transport device (4) preferably splits up as it continues. As can be seen in particular from Figure 2, the splitting area (12) of the conveyor (9) can essentially correspond to a letter Y in plan view.

Preferably, the containers (3) which are initially nested next to one another and then discharged separately on the free Y-ends are brought together again downstream onto a common conveyor (9).

There they are no longer nested head-to-head next to each other, but are arranged individually in a line one behind the other. The straight bottle gripper heads can then optimally access the containers.
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As a rule, the conveying means (9) has a section (13) at least slightly upstream of the splitting region (12), in which at least one pair of transport rollers (11) aligned essentially in a V-shape or herringbone pattern is provided.

In preferred embodiments, the tip of the V-arrangement or the herringbone pattern points in the conveying direction in plan view.

Figure 3 shows a cross-section along the line A-A in Figure 2. From Figure 3 it can be seen that the cross-sectional area of the conveying means (9) being transported away, at least in the roller area (13), upstream of the Y-shaped split (12), essentially corresponds to an upside-down letter V.

This enables particularly fast, effective and trouble-free separation and separation of rows of containers running side by side and/or nested at the same time.

The present invention further relates to a method for separating containers in formatted layers, which essentially comprises the following method steps:

First, a layered combination or a layered nesting of containers (3) is placed on the feeding conveyor (1) essentially while maintaining the delivery formation. With the help of the feeding conveyor (1), the container layer is then

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in the starting position and protruding into the container track, activated stop element (5) transported.

At least one detection device (8) sends a signal to the movement device (6) of the stop element (5) directly or indirectly via a control device (7) to release the container track as soon as the desired number of containers (3) rests on the stop element (5) for a predetermined time.

The single or multi-row, front-facing container arrangement is now captured by the transporting, roller-shaped container transport device (4) and/or by the discharge track (2).

Due to the higher conveying speed of the container transport device (4) and/or discharge track (2) transporting away compared to the conveying speed of the feeding conveyor (1), a gap is formed between the container row(s) transported away at an accelerated rate and the containers fed in at a slower rate (3).

The feeding conveyor (1) can, for example, be operated at a constant conveying speed. However, to enlarge the gap or to create a continuous gap that extends essentially over the entire width of the stop element (5), the feeding conveyor (1) is preferably operated with a short delay and/or at least stopped for a short time.

As soon as the at least one detection device (8) signals the presence of a continuous or partial gap immediately upstream and/or above the stop element (5) to the control device (7), the at least one stop element (5) is at least partially introduced into the container track by means of at least one lifting device (6).

With the help of the feeding conveyor (1), the next containers (3) are now transported to the stop element (5) and the aforementioned process steps are repeated until the last container or until the last row of containers in the layer.

The provision of the vertically and/or horizontally movable stop element (5) ensures that the box-shaped containers are aligned exactly in a line immediately before being transferred from the feeding conveyor (1) to the roller-shaped container transport device (4). Twisting or snagging of the containers during transfer is thus ruled out. The device according to the invention can therefore be operated without interruption by faults caused by twisted and snagged containers. The system's throughput is therefore significantly higher than that of the fault-prone separating device known from the prior art.

A further outstanding advantage of the device according to the invention with at least one movable stop element (5) is that in the case of nested containers, a significantly lower number of work cycles is required to separate the containers compared to the separating device of the prior art, and thus a much higher throughput can be achieved.

This advantage is particularly evident in the nested formatting of a layer shown in Figure (4):

According to the invention, in a first work cycle, the box-shaped containers (3) marked with dots are transferred from the feeding conveyor (1) to the roller-shaped container transport device (4) and forwarded to the discharge track (2).

In a second work cycle, according to the invention, the box-shaped containers (3) shown in hatched lines are transferred, in a third work step the dash-dotted containers (3) and in a fourth work cycle the containers marked with circles (3).

In contrast, the prior art separation device without a stop element (5) requires significantly more work steps.

There is also a risk of the containers becoming twisted or jammed.

The smaller number of working cycles in the device according to the invention also leads to a significantly increased throughput compared to the separating device known from the prior art.

Claims (14)

Protection claims 1. Device for separating containers in formatted layers, characterized in that it comprises at least one conveyor (1) for feeding containers (3) layer by layer, at least one downstream container transport device (4) with at least one rotary-driven transport roller (10) with a smooth surface and/or a high friction coefficient and/or at least one discharge track (2) downstream of the essentially roller-shaped container transport device (4) or the container-feeding conveyor (1) and transporting away one or more rows of containers one after the other or simultaneously, wherein between the container-feeding conveyor (1) on the one hand and the container transport device (4) or the container-removing discharge track (2) on the other hand at least one essentially vertically and/or horizontally movable single- or multi-part stop element (5) is provided. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one roller-shaped container transport device (4) comprises at least three rotationally driven, essentially horizontally aligned, only slightly spaced apart from one another and essentially parallel to one another transport rollers (10), the longitudinal axes of which run essentially at right angles or parallel to the conveying direction of the feeding conveyor (1). 3. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the conveying speed of the roller-shaped container transport device (4) and/or the container-transporting discharge track (2) is at least somewhat greater than the conveying speed of the container-feeding conveyor (1). 4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stop element (5) is essentially bar-shaped, strip-shaped, strip-shaped, tubular, rake-shaped, pin-shaped, cord-shaped, hook-shaped or grid-shaped and is designed in one or more parts. 5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cross-sectional area of the stop element (5) essentially corresponds to a letter I, L, T, C, J, P, S, V, Y or an upside-down letter L and the longitudinal axis of the stop element (5) runs essentially at right angles to the running direction of the feeding conveyor (1). 6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the essentially vertically and/or horizontally movable, at least one stop element (5) is directly or indirectly connected to at least one lifting or swiveling device (6) for lifting, lowering or swiveling, wherein this lifting or swiveling device (6) is connected to at least one control device (7) which is connected to at least one device (8) for detecting the complete or partial presence of containers (3) on the stop element (5) and/or to a time-controlled pulse generator. 7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control device (7) is designed in such a way that it outputs control variables for retracting or pivoting back the stop element (5) to the at least one lifting and/or pivoting device (6) when the detection device (8) of the control device (7) signals the complete or partial contact of a row of containers with the stop element (5) and/or when a preset time has elapsed. 8. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control device (7) is designed in such a way that it outputs control variables for extending and/or pivoting the stop element (5) into the container path to the at least one lifting and/or pivoting device (6) when the detection device (8) detects the essentially complete passage of the one or more rows of containers originally standing at the stop element (5) in the starting position and signals this to the control device (7). 9. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lifting and/or pivoting device (6) is at least one hydraulic or pneumatic lifting cylinder, at least one servomotor, a hydraulic, pneumatic or electric motor, a worm drive, a gear drive, or a lever drive . 10. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one discharge track (2) transporting away one or more rows of containers is essentially plate-shaped or table-shaped or in the form of an actively transporting conveying means (9). 11. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the conveyor means (1) for feeding containers (3) in layers and/or the conveyor means (9) transporting the containers (3) away essentially in rows is a hinged belt chain, a mat chain, a conveyor belt, a pushing device, a pulling device or a one- or multi-part hook or a combination thereof. 12. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one device (8) for detecting the complete and/or partial presence of containers on the stop element (5) is at least a vertically and/or horizontally and/or obliquely acting light barrier or camera and/or at least one pressure sensor attached to the stop element (5), at least one mechanically acting button and/or switch and/or at least one ultrasonic sensor. 13. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the case of simultaneous transport of several rows of containers, the conveyor means (9) connected downstream of the stop element (5) or the roller-shaped container transport device (4) splits in its further course, its shape in the Top view in the splitting area (12) essentially corresponds to a letter Y and wherein the conveying means (9) has a section (13) at least slightly upstream of the splitting area (12) in which at least one pair of transport rollers (11) aligned essentially in a V-shape or herringbone pattern is provided, wherein the tip of the V-arrangement or the herringbone pattern points in the conveying direction in the top view. 14. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cross-sectional area of the transporting conveyor (9) at least in the roller area (13), upstream of the Y-shaped split (12), essentially corresponds to an upside-down letter V.