EP1588946B1 - Method and apparatus for sorting containers in boxes - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for the unmixed insertion of vessels, in particular bottles, in containers, in particular boxes, according to the preamble of claim 1 and a device for its implementation, according to the preamble of claim 7.

It is already such a method and an associated device is known in which the advancing movement of the container is constant at each power stroke and corresponds to that number of containers that could be filled with a maximum of vessels during a working cycle with all packing heads. If all packing heads are sufficiently filled with containers, then all containers are filled per working cycle. However, if one or the other packing head is not or not adequately supplied with containers, the associated containers are not filled with containers and empty out. These empty containers must then be sorted out in a complex manner.

Although in the known method the supply of the vessels to the packing stations is monitored, but only for the purpose of deactivating those packing heads with poor vascular supply, whereby disturbances in the packing process to be counteracted. However, empty boxes can not be prevented in this way.

The EP 0 010 686 A1 (D1) shows a system for further processing sorted bottles, in particular empty bottles. The sorted bottles are conveyed separately and placed separately in crates. With a single packing machine, the gripped bottles are inserted into the crates. Here, a separate bottle storage table is provided for each bottle. Depending on the machine performance, bottle grippers can be provided with a separate bottle gripper for all storage tables or for each storage table. The bottle crates filled with uniform bottles can then be palletized separately according to variety and stored until further use.

The invention is based on the object, in a method for the unmixed insertion of vessels in containers to avoid the sorting out of empty boxes as far as possible. In addition, a simple and inexpensive constructed device for carrying out the method is to be created.

This object is achieved with regard to the method by the features of claim 1 and with respect to the device by the features of claim 7.

In a method according to the invention and a device according to the invention, a filling of all containers is made possible by the special container feed in connection with the monitoring of the vessel supply to the packing heads and their control as far as at least one packing head with containers is sufficiently supplied.

Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

Figur 1

die Draufsicht auf eine Vorrichtung zum sortenreinen Einpacken von Flaschen in Kästen

Figur 2

die Ansicht A nach Figur 1

Figur 3

die schematische Draufsicht auf eine Vorrichtung nach Figur 1 und 2 in einem ersten Betriebszustand

Figur 4a bis 4c

die schematische Draufsicht auf eine Vorrichtung nach Figur 1 und 2 in einem zweiten Betriebszustand

Figur 5a bis 5c

die schematische Draufsicht auf eine Vorrichtung nach Figur 1 und 2 in einem dritten Betriebszustand.

In the following, embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Show it:

FIG. 1

the top view of a device for sorted packing of bottles in boxes

FIG. 2

the view A after FIG. 1

FIG. 3

the schematic plan view of a device according to FIG. 1 and 2 in a first operating state

FIGS. 4a to 4c

the schematic plan view of a device according to FIG. 1 and 2 in a second operating state

FIGS. 5a to 5c

the schematic plan view of a device according to FIG. 1 and 2 in a third operating state.

With the device 1 according to FIG. 1 and 2 For example, four different types of bottles labeled Fa, Fb, Fc, Fd are sorted into similar boxes K sorted by type. The four bottle types are fed separately on a common collecting table 2, formed by a plurality of parallel hinge bands driven in the direction of the arrow. For this purpose, four lanes of about double box width are divided on the collecting table 2 by guide railing 3. In the end region of the collecting table 2, the bottles F are formed by stationary stops 4 and further parallel guide rails 5 corresponding to the arrangement of the bottles F in two or four adjacent boxes K, respectively.

The four channels of the collecting table 2 are sorted by a Sortierauspacker 6 with the four bottle types Fa to Fd fed, the filled with mix boxes K are fed by a conveyor 7. The structure of the Sortierauspackers 6 can in detail the EP 0 638 478 B1 be removed.

The device 1 further comprises a horizontal cross member 8, which is reciprocable by a linear robot 9 in a vertical plane on a downwardly open U-shaped path and forth. At the Traverse 8 four packing heads 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d are suspended. Each packing head 10 is one certain bottle types Fa assigned to Fd and includes a plurality of grippers, eg. B. in the form of pneumatic packing tulips, as they are each required for the simultaneous filling of four adjacent boxes K. The packing heads 10 are controlled so that they are closed after placing on the bottles F on the collecting table 2 and opened after inserting the bottle F in the boxes K. The arrangement of the gripper depends on the configuration of the bottles F and the boxes K to be filled, and only one box K or two boxes K can be filled with one bottle type. Each packing head 10 thus forms a packing station for each bottle type, which are moved synchronously in the present case, since they are suspended from the common cross member 8. However, a single drive of the packing heads 10 is possible.

As the FIG. 2 shows, each packing head 10 is suspended by means of several guide rods 11 vertically movable on the cross member 8 and by means of its own lifting motor 12, z. B. in the form of a pneumatic cylinder, either lowered into an active position lowered or in an inactive position. In the lowered, active position, the respective packing heads 10 are lowered onto the bottles F standing on the collecting table 2 and grasp these packing heads 10a, 10c and 10d in FIG Fig. 2 , In the raised, inactive position, the pack head 10 in question is not lowered onto the bottles F at the end of the lowering movement of the crossbeam 8 above the collection table 2, but remains at a distance above it (pack head 10b). In this way, at each power stroke, formed by a back and forth on the U-shaped trajectory of the traverse 8, each pack head 10 be active or passive by itself.

The device 1 further comprises a parallel to the traverse 8 and arranged perpendicular to the collection table 2, horizontal box conveyor 13 in the form of an intermittently driven in the direction of the arrow drive chain. The box conveyor 13 is preceded by a feed conveyor 14 in the form of a continuously drivable in the arrow direction conveyor belt with an end-side, controllable box stopper 15 as Eintakteinrichtung and downstream of a discharge conveyor 16 in the form of a continuously circulating in the arrow direction conveyor belt. If, as in the exemplary embodiment shown, the boxes K are transported in two parallel rows through the four packing stations 10, then the feed conveyor 14 has a corresponding grouping station 17 and the discharge conveyor 16, if required, has a merge 18.

The linear robot 9, the bottle stopper 15, the box conveyor 13 and the lifting motors 12a to 12d are actuated by an electronic programmable controller 17, which in FIG. 2 is shown schematically. Four monitoring devices 18a to 18d, which monitor the fill level of the collecting table 2 separately for each bottle type Fa to Fd, are also connected to this control device 17; in FIG. 1 only the monitoring device 18d for the bottle type Fd is shown. The monitoring devices 18 register the inlet of the bottles F and notify the control device 17 when a number of bottles F in the correct formation has been formed for the filling of four bottle cases K of one bottle type. In addition, for each type of bottle further Staufühler 19 may be provided, which react when the bottles F in the corresponding Dammed alley over a longer distance. In this way, the degree of filling each lane is queried, including other options exist.

With the above-described device 1, various methods can be performed, defined by different programming of the control device 17. One of them will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5 described in more detail. In this method, the box conveyor 13 at each joint working cycle of the four packing heads 10a to 10d by a pitch t, ie the distance between two adjacent carriers M, moved on. In the present case, the pitch t essentially corresponds to the width of two adjacent boxes. In addition, a four-group of adjacent empty boxes K from the feed conveyor 14 is clocked into the box conveyor 13 at each power stroke by the bottle stopper 15 each and it is a filled group of four boxes K transferred to the discharge conveyor 16. Each group of four boxes K thus requires four working cycles to get from the end of the feed conveyor 14 to the fourth packing head 10d. The box movement on the box conveyor 13 can thus be accurately tracked and stored in the control device 17, for example by a shift register.

Is, as in Fig. 3 shown, only the first lane for the bottles Fa filled sufficiently, so the controller 17 assigns each box group K bottles of the type Fa. This means that at each power stroke, the packing head 10a is activated and the packing heads 10b to 10d are deactivated. In this way, in turn, all box groups K are filled as they pass through the packing head 10a and then gradually and without intervention by the others Packing heads 10b, 10c, 10d past this and finally moved on the discharge conveyor 16.

Is, as in Fig. 4a to 4c 1, the first passage for the bottles Fa and the third passage for the bottles Fc are filled sufficiently, the controller 17 alternately assigns bottles of the sort Fa and every other box group bottles of the sort Fc to each first box group. This means that at standstill of each first box group under the first packing head 10 a of these and at the standstill of each second box group K under the third packing head 10 c is activated. Conversely, this means that when passing through the second box group, the packing head 10a remains deactivated and the packing head 10c remains deactivated when passing through the first box group. These thus work alternately, so that even in this case at each stroke a box group is completely filled and only filled boxes K, alternately filled with bottles of the type Fa and Fc, leave the device 1. The packing heads 10b and 10c remain permanently deactivated.

Are, as in Fig. 5a to 5c shown, the lanes for the bottle types Fa, Fb and Fc filled sufficiently, the controller 17 assigns the bottle type Fa to each first box group, each second box group the bottle type Fb and every third box group the bottle type Fc. Only when the associated box group arrives at its packing head 10, this is activated. All other gripper groups remain deactivated. Thus, exclusively filled boxes K run alternately with the bottle types Fa, Fb and Fc, out of the device 1.

Essential in the method described above is that due to the exact assignment of boxes and bottle types for each box K only the associated packing head 10 is activated, while all other packing heads remain passive when passing through these boxes. The empty boxes K are thus moved forward in the pilgrim step method until they arrive at the predetermined packing head 10. In this way, in the most diverse fillings of the lanes with the different bottle types Fa to Fd always a complete filling of all boxes can be achieved.

The first method described above is particularly expedient in the case of greatly differing or changeable supply of the bottle types to the packing heads. It avoids both empty boxes and thus their excretion as well as gaps between the filled boxes.

In one with the device after Fig. 1 to 2 feasible second method, the box conveyor 13 is moved on each collective working cycle of the four packing heads by four pitches t, corresponding approximately to the width of the collecting table 2. In addition, during the movement of the box conveyor 13 through the bottle stopper 15 those divisions t a box group clocked for the sufficient bottles are provided on the collecting table 2. In the operating state after Fig. 3 this is the last incoming pitch t for the bottles Fa, according to the operating state Fig. 4a to 4c These are the second and fourth incoming divisions for the bottles Fc and Fa, the operating state after Fig. 5a to 5c these are the second, third and fourth incoming divisions t for the bottles Fc, Fb and Fa. In addition, the associated packing heads 10 are activated by the control device 17.

Then, during a single work cycle, the boxes K in the packing stations are filled by the activated packing heads 10. During the next working cycle then all filled boxes K are led out of the device 1 and transferred to the discharge conveyor 16.

The second method described above is particularly useful in a more regular and consistent supply of bottle types to the packing heads. It also avoids empty boxes; but there may ever be gaps between the expiring filled boxes. These can ever be closed in a simple manner by catching up on the discharge conveyor.

In one with the device 1 according to Fig. 1 and 2 feasible third method, the box conveyor 13 is moved forward by a variable number of divisions T at each power stroke. The number of cycles depends on how many adjacent packing heads 10 are sufficiently filled with bottles F. In the operating state after Fig. 3 if this is a division t, according to the operating state Fig. 5a to 5c these are three divisions t.

The above-described third method is only applicable if a smaller or larger number of immediately adjacent packing heads 10 are sufficiently filled, but not in alternately empty and filled packing stations according to Fig. 4a to 4c , It provides completely filled boxes in the same way as the first and second methods and also prevents gaps between the filled boxes.

Of course, in practical operation with a corresponding programming of the control device 17 and a connection of sufficient monitoring devices, the various methods can also be operated alternately and automatically.

Claims (10)

1. Method of packing vessels, sorted according to type, into containers, wherein the containers are moved, in stepwise fashion, past a plurality of packing heads of which each is for one vessel type, the packing heads that have an insufficient supply of vessels appertaining thereto being de-activated, wherein the forward movement of the vessels is controlled such that each container that passes the packing heads is filled with vessels by an active packing head, characterised in that the respective vessel types are supplied, separated from each other, by way of a common collecting table.
2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the forward movement of the containers along the packing heads is controlled in dependence on the supply of the vessels to the packing heads.
3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the forward movement of the containers along the packing heads is controlled in dependence on the state of the packing heads (activated or de-activated).
4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that each of the containers travelling towards the packing heads has allocated to it a given packing head with a sufficient supply of vessels, and each container, upon reaching its allocated packing head, is filled with vessels by the activated packing head.
5. Method according to one of claims, 1 to 4 characterised in that the containers, upon each forward movement, are moved by a space which corresponds to the distance centre to centre between two neighbouring packing heads, and upon each working step only one packing head is activated.
6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the containers, upon each forward movement, are moved by a plurality of spaces corresponding to the distance centre to centre between two neighbouring packing heads, and upon each working step at least one packing head is activated.
7. Apparatus for packing vessels (F), sorted according to type, into containers (K), having a plurality of packing heads (10) which are respectively allocated to one vessel type and which are controllable to be activated or de-activated, and having monitoring devices (18, 19) for the supply of vessels to the packing heads, and having a container conveyor (13) which moves the vessels past the packing heads in stepwise fashion, and the stepwise forward movement of the container conveyor (13) being controllable such that each of the containers (K) moving past the packing heads (10) can be filled with vessels by an activated packing head (10), characterised in that the respective vessel types can be supplied, separated from each other, by way of a common collecting table (2).
8. Apparatus according to claim 7, characterised in that a feed conveyor (14) with a single stroke device (15) is arranged upstream of the container conveyor (13) and a discharge conveyor (16) is arranged downstream of the container conveyor (13).
9. Apparatus according to one of claims 7 to 8, characterised by a control device (17) for the packing heads (10) and the container conveyor (13), the control device (17) receiving signals from the monitoring devices (18, 19) for the supply of vessels to the packing heads (10).
10. Apparatus according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterised in that the packing heads (10) are arranged in a straight line and the container conveyor (13) extends parallel to the line of the packing heads (10).

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