EP1220786B1 - Conveyor section arrangement in a filling station - Google Patents

Abstract

An arrangement (1) of a conveyor section (2) is provided for containers (10, 11, 12) that are conveyed on said conveyor section and that are in a filling position. The containers are to be filled with items (3) or with a bulk material in a filling station (4) by means of a filling funnel (5). The conveyor section (2) is provided on at least one side immediately before, in and after the filling station (4) with a continuous toothed belt or a chain belt (6) and with a pertaining intermitting actuator (7) and spaced apart container carrying plates (8). The plates can be positively engaged with the containers (10, 11, 12) that are open towards the top and that arrive on the conveyor section (2). The plates supply the containers to the filling position one by one and return the containers once they are filled from the filling position to the conveying section (2), preferably in an accelerated clocked manner and optionally at the outlet thereof. The carrying plates (8) that are in the filling position, that adjoin and the extend transversely to the direction of conveyance (F) configure a filling funnel wall between the filling funnel (5) and a container to be filled.

Description

The invention relates to an arrangement of a conveyor line for conveyed on the conveyor line, with articles or Bulk material to be filled in a filling station via a hopper, in the filling position located container according to the preamble of claim 1. Such Arrangement is known from DE-A-19 812 248. The invention relates especially that part of a picking machine transfer station, which feeds the shipping containers to the filling station, for the duration of the product or product handover Positioned below the filling or transfer funnels and then discharged from the filling station again.

According to the prior art, the containers are in the area the picking machine transfer over a constantly running Conveyor belt moves. The isolation of the incoming containers is by a arranged in front of the transfer station clamping device accomplished, which the respective foremost container recorded and continue to run until shortly before the filling station leaves. Just below the first clamp downstream filling or transfer funnel is located on both sides of the conveyor belt, a second clamping device, the the incoming container detected and him until the completion of the Holding the filling in the correct position. Subsequently the filled container is released, from continuously driven conveyor belt frictionally entrained and off transported to the transfer area. The container change time and thus in many cases the throughput of the whole Picking system thus depend on the speed with which the containers on the conveyor belt frictionally be further clocked. Moreover, it is not ensured that in the filling position located container in particular different Height also perfect with items or Bulk goods are filled, without the article isolated next to it fall. In addition falling partly expensive items then usually break. In general, usually also the operation of the filling station is interrupted and the fault be resolved.

The object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of the aforementioned type, which by means of simple means a perfect and effective filling one in the filling position located exactly positioned container allows and, if necessary, faster indexing the container is allowed in the area of the filling station.

Solved the problem underlying the invention by a conveyor line arrangement with the specified in claim 1 Features.

Advantageously, the subject of the invention is further developed by the features of claims 2 to 14.

Essence of the invention is that in the filling position, adjacent, extending transversely to the conveying direction driver plates a hopper wall between hopper and one to be filled Tray container.

In an advantageous embodiment variant are preferably six driver plates provided in the circulating toothed belt or chain drive attached at an equal distance, in particular, are suspended, with the distance of the Tank width in the conveying direction corresponds.

The driver plates are in particular thin-walled in itself stable spring steel plates, preferably with a thickness of about 0.7mm.

The driver plates have in particular slots on the top side preferably in the vertical direction, which the elasticity increase or create spring action when in fact an obstacle in the trajectory, which is then overcome becomes.

It is particularly advantageous if two identical, mirror-image constructed, opposite toothed belt or Chain drives with vertical axes and with upper and lower belt are provided on both sides of the conveyor line, wherein the Mitnehmerplatten are about half as wide as the container width transverse to the conveying direction and both shoots from a common Drive motor driven, in particular clocked, are.

The toothed belt or chain drive can be particularly advantageous Development of the invention with a stationary vertical Container guide wall formed in the conveying direction be, which in particular between upper and lower chord of Zahnriemen- or chain drive is arranged, wherein the container guide wall, optionally together with the upper belt, In the area of the filling opening, a filling shaft wall in the conveying direction formed.

The hopper itself can be used as a buffer funnel or with a be formed separate buffer funnel, which is a the filling opening closing and opening horizontal slide contains, wherein preferably formed in two parts Horizontal slide only at one positioned in the filling position Container open and otherwise closed is.

In particular, an emergency running device for input and output the container to be filled especially in case of failure the operation of the toothed belt or chain drive provided.

The emergency facility comprises two lateral ones on each side Stopper, through which on a continuously driven Conveyor belt through the filling station running container in the filling position and in the upstream waiting position preferably positionable by lateral friction and are releasable.

The sensors of the actuator of the or the toothed belt or Chain drives and possibly existing emergency running device includes in particular five light barriers, one Inductive transmitter and a scanner, being on the input side the filling station in the conveyor line another stopper is provided for separating the container, which in the Movement path of the subsidized container are provided or can release the movement path of the conveyed container.

The entire system can be made so that a single continuous conveyor line before, in and after the filling station preferably designed as a belt conveyor or belt drive is.

The conveyor line can be located in the area of the circulating toothed belt or chain drive be interrupted and a separate Have belt conveyor or belt drive with its own drive.

The upstream of the toothed belt or chain drive input side Conveyor line can be a conveyor belt, a zero pressure Accumulation roller conveyor or a struckruckaktiv Treibrollenbahn be.

The belt conveyor or belt drive can in the area of the filling position also have a stationary upper sliding surface, wherein the belt conveyor or belt drive in the region of the sliding surface formed over pulleys down parallel offset can be.

By the invention, at a filling station, a container change preferably accelerated and in particular exactly be performed. The container to be filled is hereby positioned exactly in the filling position and filled easily. The containers (boxes or the like) become positive by a flat driver under a transfer funnel (Puffertrichter) very quickly weiteretaktet. being the invention is particularly that when falling down the Products from the transfer hopper into the containers below, the additionally different high (h or h ') be can, can not fall off any products. This is erfindungsgeäß achieved in that a shaft-like training from the opening of the transfer funnel to the opening the container is formed, regardless of the Height of a container. The opening becomes transverse to the conveying direction formed by the driver plates or aprons themselves, which together with side baffles the total opening determine.

So that no products fall by the way, the gauge is of the so-called indexer on the containers or boxes, that seen in about the front and rear in the conveying direction only a total game of approx. 6 mm total game exists. The container or carton thus has only in the conveying direction a total game of about 6mm. In that the usual Products may have approximately 12mm to 15mm minimum size no product will fall off during filling.

In particular, the indexer has a toothed belt or chain drive left and right side of the container with vertical Axes up. This drive is by a common Chain or a common double toothed timing belt driven by a single servomotor or actuator. On each toothed belt or chain drive are in particular six drive plates preferably made of spring steel, which represent about half the container width. Thereby, that the left and the right toothed belt or chain drive are synchronized via a drive, it is possible that the driver plates the container under the transfer point further overclock. At this moment, the driver plates form or aprons in combination with the transfer point and the Container a shaft that is designed so tight that too the smallest products can not fail.

Furthermore, it is also intended for an emergency running property. Should the lateral drives or the driver plates not be more functional, it is possible by dismantling the pass plates located in the passage (preferably here a total of four - with six equally spaced driver plates on each side) and by sensory activity of two stoppers each holding the container in the transfer or fix in the waiting position, at least in emergency mode to be able to continue.

The sensor system consists of five photoelectric sensors, an inductive sensor and a scanner. Furthermore, there is a stopper to to let the containers retract occasionally. About that There are also two more stoppers that will be included in any event Emergency operation, in which the driver plates partially removed and are no longer in function, the position of Determine container.

The invention will be described with reference to the initially discussed Prior art, the frictional entrainment of the container replaced by a positive entrainment, namely by the inventively provided driver plates, the in engagement with einzutaktenden in the filling container can reach the conveyor line.

The driver plates engage behind on the input side of the Fill the containers and allow if necessary standstill a great acceleration of the containers, under the engagement of a driver plate on the Container rear side, which faces away from the conveying direction. Because the positioning of the container is form-fitting, and not by clamping the container as in the prior art not only can comparatively stable containers such as plastic, but also made of containers more sensitive material, such as cardboard, used according to the invention.

Fig. 1

in einer schematischen perspektivischen Ansicht eine Anordnung einer Förderstrecke einer Kommissionieranlage im Bereich einer Füllstation, in welcher offene auf der Förderstrecke geförderte Behälter mit Artikeln bzw. Produkten befüllt werden und anschließend einer Versandstation zugeführt werden können, wobei seitlich vom Durchlauf der Behälter bzw. seitlich von der Förderstrecke jeweils ein doppelter Zahnriementrieb mit Vertikalachsen mit Mitnehmerplatten vorgesehen ist, die von einem gemeinsamen Stellantrieb über einen Zahnriemen angetrieben sind,

Fig. 2

die Anordnung nach Figur 1 in einer schematischen perspektivischen Ansicht, wobei der Fülltrichter und der Puffertrichter weggelassen sind,

Fig. 3

eine schematische Draufsicht auf die Anordnung nach Figur 2 unter Weglassung der Behälter,

Fig. 4

eine schematische Stirnansicht auf die Anordnung nach Figur 2, wobei auf der linken Seite die Mitnehmerplatte des linken doppelten Zahnriementriebs weggelassen ist,

Fig. 5

eine Mitnehmerplatte in einer perspektivischen Ansicht von schräg oben,

Fig. 6

die Mitnehmereplatte nach Figur 5 in einer Stirnansicht, und

Fig. 7

die Anordnung nach den Figuren 1 bis 4 mit eingangs- und ausgangsseitigem Anschluß einer Förderstrecke sowie mit Darstellung von Lichtschranken.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings; show it:

Fig. 1

in a schematic perspective view of an arrangement of a conveyor line of a picking in the region of a filling station, in which open on the conveyor line funded container filled with articles or products and can then be fed to a shipping station, wherein the side of the passage of the container or laterally of the Conveyor each a double toothed belt drive is provided with vertical axes with driver plates, which are driven by a common actuator via a toothed belt,

Fig. 2

the arrangement of Figure 1 in a schematic perspective view, wherein the hopper and the buffer funnel are omitted,

Fig. 3

a schematic plan view of the arrangement of Figure 2 with the omission of the container,

Fig. 4

2 is a schematic end view of the arrangement according to FIG. 2, the left double-toothed belt drive plate being left out on the left-hand side,

Fig. 5

a driver plate in a perspective view obliquely from above,

Fig. 6

the Mitnehmereplatte according to Figure 5 in an end view, and

Fig. 7

the arrangement of Figures 1 to 4 with input and output side connection of a conveyor line and with representation of light barriers.

According to the drawing includes a not interesting here Picking system with, for example, high-speed turning machines, Article storage shelves, stacker cranes, etc. among others also an arrangement 1 of a conveyor line 2 for (shipping) container or over cartons from a container storage station a container shipping station with an intermediate Filling station 4, in the picked item 3 or bulk goods via a hopper 5 in one on the conveyor line 2 promoted, arranged under the hopper, open at the top Container 10, 11, 12 are filled, as in particular can be seen from Figure 1.

The article 3 or the bulk material will be over an oblique central conveyor belt 30 the hopper 5 in the arrow direction P supplied.

The conveyor line 2, which in principle, for example, a continuous conveyor belt, a driving roller conveyor or a Stollen roller conveyor may be in the immediate area before, in and after the filling station 4 right and left, i. on both sides of the conveyor belt or the like a toothed belt or Chain drive 6 with a common dynamic drive in the form of an intermittent actuator 7, which a slip-free accelerated continuation of one or more Container concerned, located in the immediate area of Filling station 4 are located.

In particular, each of the side toothed belts has or Chain drive 6 from each other equally spaced container-Mitnehmerplatten 8, in the embodiment six, through which on the conveyor line 2 incoming open-topped container 10, 11, 12 isolated both in the filling position and after accelerated filling from the filling position clocked and the output side of the conveyor line 2 are fed again.

The revolving toothed belt or chain drive 6 on both Broad sides of the conveyor line is axially symmetrical to the conveyor line designed such that associated drive plates 8 on each side in the conveying direction F of the container at the same height or length.

The conveyor line 2 has before the toothed belt or chain drive 6 a stopper 21, which in the trajectory of subsidized container are made or the trajectory the subsidized container can release.

The arrangement of the conveyor line 2 is made such that in particular through in the filling position, adjacent, extending transversely to the conveying direction F driver plates 8 a Füllschachtwand between hopper 5 and a container to be filled is formed.

The six driver plates 8 are in the associated circumferential Toothed belt drive at the same distance in particular hung, wherein the distance of the container width in the conveying direction F corresponds.

The driver plates 8 are thin-walled spring steel plates and have slots 9 on the upper side in the vertical direction. The driver plate 8 is shown in detail in Figures 5 and 6 shown. It has a verikales fastening tape with top bracket 26 for attachment to a Timing belt fastening point 25, in particular on the upper strand 14 the associated toothed belt drive 6, while the vertical fastening strap on the underside of the lower strand 15 in exact vertical Alignment of a Mitnhemerplatte 8 also attached or supported laterally.

So there are two identical, mirror-image built, each other opposite toothed belt drives 6 with vertical axes 13 and with upper and lower chord 14, 15 on both sides of the conveyor line 2 provided, wherein the driver plates 8 approximately half are as wide as the container width transverse to the conveying direction F and both drives 6 driven by a common actuator 7, in particular clocked are.

Each toothed belt drive 6 is a stationary vertical Container guide wall 16 is formed in the conveying direction F, which in particular between the upper and lower chords 14, 15 of the Toothed belt drive 6 is arranged, wherein the container guide wall 16, optionally together with the upper flange 14, In the area of the filling opening, a filling shaft wall in the conveying direction F trains.

The hopper 5 can be used as a buffer funnel or with a separate Buffer funnel 17 may be formed, which has a the filling opening closing and opening horizontal slide Contains 18, wherein the two-part formed horizontal slide only with one positioned in the filling position Container 11 is opened and otherwise closed.

It is also an emergency running device for input and output the container to be filled 10, 11, 12 in case of failure of Operation of the toothed belt drive 6 is provided.

The emergency facility comprises two lateral ones on each side Stopper 19, 20, through which on a continuously driven Conveyor belt through the filling station 4 running container 10, 11, 12 in the filling position and in the upstream Waiting position preferably by lateral friction can be positioned and released.

The sensor system of the actuator 7 of the toothed belt drive 6 comprises five photoelectric sensors LS1, LS2, LS3, LS4, LS5, one inductive sensor 23 and a scanner 22 according to Figure 7, wherein on the input side of the filling station in the conveying path of Stopper 21, the separation of the containers 10, 11, 12 worried.

Thus, according to FIG. 1, it is a so-called indexer with a built-up indexer Buffer funnel provided. From the left, the central band promotes or the riser of the central band a product heap, at the transfer point in the boxes or in the Container is handed over. The function of the buffer funnel here in particular provides a two-part slider, wherein both slide halves are opened as soon as the carton is positioned below. The advantage is that you can during of the positioning process of the carton the funnel over the Sliders can already fill. Is the carton positioned the slide opens and the products fall down in the postitioned container.

Another advantage of the indexer here is that even if the boxes or containers are the same height, a distance held between the slider halves and the cardboard top can be, e.g. 100mm, so supernatant products not to be clamped when walking the slider halves.

The procedure or functioning of the indexer is like follows.

The indexer is completely empty. The box moves to the light barrier LS1 and drives through to the time standing at this time Mitnehmerplatte 8, right, according to Figure 7. Then the Mitnehmerplatte durchgetaktet on the position of in FIG 7 illustrated driver plate 8, left, i. in the filling position, positively entrained the container and at the same time read. A second following container is now driving through the light barriers LS1 and LS2 through, until again to Driver plate 8, right, and occupies the light barrier LS3. If a third container comes, must - by the fact that the light barriers LS3 and LS4 are occupied - the light barrier LS1 activate the stopper 21, and the container remains in front of the Indexer stand. The light barrier LS2 is only a control light barrier. Should for some reason the stopper be driven over and the light barrier LS2 be occupied, the indexer goes to error ("Dumping the tanks"), otherwise in a further transport of the container over the Indexer a "crash" would come about. After the filling process of the container in the filling position, the indexer clocks by one Driving position continues. Thus, the container reaches the Waiting position in the filling position. The filled container drives out, and gets on the output side conveyor line 2 discharged to a packaging station.

The light barrier LS5 is also a control light barrier, which controls the outgoing container. The indexer may not switch again until this area is cleared is. The inductive sensor directly detects the driver plates, whereby the following function is fulfilled: that the drive via a servo motor and a corresponding Ramp, in particular an asymmetrical sine square ramp, is driven.

The inductive sensor is aimed directly at the driver plate, but they are not really related to the beginning and the end is, i. each time a file is indexed, it is referenced once, and the servo motor steers over its entered ramp and counting clocks the position of the drive plates at.

Control procedure during emergency operation:

The indexer is out of order. Corresponding driver plates in the pass must be dismantled to clear passage to ensure. Control is everything like at Normal Bet. The light barrier LS3 and the light barrier LS4 are then simultaneously trigger photocell for the Stopper. The forwarding of the container is done by friction over the corresponding continuous conveyor belt. The indexer together with its inductive sensor is completely out of operation. The throughput is correspondingly lower, because not form-fitting and clocked through with high acceleration can.

Claims (14)

1. An assembly (1) comprising conveyor means (2) for containers (10, 11, 12) transported on said conveyor means (2) to be filled with articles (3) or bulk material in a filling station (4) via a filling hopper (5) and located in the filling position, in which said conveyor means (2) exhibit, directly upstream of, in, and/or directly downstream of, said filling station (4), on at least one side thereof, a continuously circulating synchronous belt or chain drive (6) with its own intermittent actuator (7) and container-entraining plates (6) set at a distance from each other, which can be brought into form-fitting engagement with open-top containers (10, 11, 12) arriving on the conveyor means (2) and by means of which the containers can be individually clocked, preferably with acceleration, into the filling position and away from the filling position after filling has been carried out and can optionally be returned to said conveyor means (2) by an external route,
   characterized in that
   adjacent entrainer plates (8) located in the filling position and extending at right angles to the direction of transport (F) form a feeder chute wall between said filling hopper (5) and a container to be filled.
2. An assembly as defined in claim 1,
   characterized in that
   preferably six entrainer plates (8) are provided and are fixed, in particular suspended, in the continuously circulating synchronous belt or chain drive at equal distances, said distance being equal to the width of the container in the direction of transport (F).
3. An assembly as defined in claim 1 or claim 2,
   characterized in that
   the entrainer plates (8) are thin-walled spring steel plates.
4. An assembly as defined in any one of claims 1 to 3,
   characterized in that
   the entrainer plates (66) have at their upper end slits (33) preferably extending vertically.
5. An assembly as defined in any one of claims 1 to 4,
   characterized in that
   two identical synchronous belt or chain drives (6) are provided on each side of the conveyor means (2) in mirror-inverted relationship to each other, said drives having vertical axles (13) and upper and lower belts (14, 15), and the entrainer plates (8) are approximately half as wide as the width of the container at right angles to the direction of transport (F) and both drives (6) are driven, in particular clocked, by a common actuator (7).
6. An assembly as defined in any one of claims 1 to 5,
   characterized in that
   the synchronous belt or chain drive (6) exhibits a stationary vertical container guide wall (16) in the direction of transport (F), which is disposed, in particular, between said upper and lower belts (14, 15) of the synchronous belt or chain drive (6), which container guide wall (16) forms, in the region of the filling hole and optionally together with the upper belt (14), a feeder chute wall extending in the direction of transport (F).
7. An assembly as defined in any one of claims 1 to 6,
   characterized in that
   the filling hopper (5) is in the form of a control funnel or is provided with a separate control funnel (17), which contains a horizontal slide (18) designed to open or close the filling hole, and the horizontal slide, which is preferably composed of two parts, is normally in the closed position and is only opened when the container (11) is in the filling position.
8. An assembly as defined in any one of claims 1 to 7,
   characterized in that
   there is provided an emergency device for clocking-in or clocking-out the containers (10, 11, 12) before and after filling thereof respectively, particularly in the case of a break-down of the synchronous belt or chain drive (6).
9. An assembly as defined in claim 8,
   characterized in that
   the emergency device comprises two lateral chain stoppers (19, 20) on each side, by means of which containers (10, 11, 12) travelling on a continuously driven conveyor belt through the filling station (4) can be held in, preferably by lateral frictional engagement, or released from, the filling position or the upstream queued position.
10. An assembly as defined in any one of claims 1 to 9,
    characterized in that
    the sensor means for the actuator (7) of the synchronous belt or chain drive(s) (6) and any emergency device present comprise five photoelectric barriers (LS1, LS2, LS3, LS4, LS5), an inductive transmitter (23) and a scanner (22), whilst on the input side of the filling station in the conveyor means there is provided another stopper (21) for the purpose of isolating the containers (10, 11, 12) from the queue, which stopper can be projected into the path of movement of the transported container or moved out therefrom so as to unblock the path of movement of the transported container.
11. An assembly as defined in any one of claims 1 to 10,
    characterized in that
    a single continuous conveyor (2) is provided upstream of, in, and downstream of, the filling station (4) preferably in the form of a belt conveyor or belt drive.
12. An assembly as defined in claim 11,
    characterized in that
    the conveyor means (2) are interrupted in the region of the continuously running synchronous belt or chain drive (6) and exhibit a separate belt conveyor or belt drive having its own drive.
13. An assembly as defined in claim 12,
    characterized in that
    the conveyor means (2) located on the entrance side upstream of the synchronous belt or chain drive (6) comprise a conveyor belt, a pile-up roller conveyor void of back pressure or a driven roller conveyor counteracting back pressure.
14. An assembly as defined in claim 12 or claim 13,
    characterized in that
    the belt conveyor or belt drive possesses a stationary upper slip plane in the region of the filling position, and, in the region of the slip plane, the belt conveyor or belt drive can be staggered downwardly in parallel via deflection rollers.

Images