WO2011080205A1 - Système et procédé de sélection de palettes parmi différents types de palettes - Google Patents

Système et procédé de sélection de palettes parmi différents types de palettes Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2011080205A1
WO2011080205A1 PCT/EP2010/070621 EP2010070621W WO2011080205A1 WO 2011080205 A1 WO2011080205 A1 WO 2011080205A1 EP 2010070621 W EP2010070621 W EP 2010070621W WO 2011080205 A1 WO2011080205 A1 WO 2011080205A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
pallet
pallets
selection unit
forwarding
receiving unit
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/EP2010/070621
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Tomi Piskunen
Jussi Lemola
Original Assignee
Deutsche Post Ag
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Deutsche Post Ag filed Critical Deutsche Post Ag
Publication of WO2011080205A1 publication Critical patent/WO2011080205A1/fr

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C5/00—Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or measure such characteristic or feature; Sorting by manually actuated devices, e.g. switches
    • B07C5/04—Sorting according to size
    • B07C5/08—Sorting according to size measured electrically or electronically

Definitions

  • the pallet selection unit or parts of the pallet selection unit are arranged as the weighting means, preferably as a floor scale or platform scale, more preferably as a ball top scale or a roller top scale.
  • the weight of the pallets is measured and not derived from any coded information. This prevents pallet type identification failures in case of damaged and/or non-readable coded information applied to the pallets. Also some pallet types may not carry any coded information.
  • the direct measurements of the weight (and also of the geometrical size) of the pallets enables to process (forwarding and/or selecting) all kind of pallets applied worldwide without any required additional effort such as inspecting pallet, whether they carry code information and eventually applying such information to pallets not carrying such coded information.
  • the complete pallet selecting unit might be placed on a floor scale as the weighting means, or parts of the pallet selection unit might be placed on a scale as the weighting means as part of the pallet selection unit, or the upper surface of the pallet selection unit carrying the pallets is the upper surface of the weighting means, e.g. a scale.
  • the pallet selection unit may be arranged as weighting means without comprising reading means and/or alignment means.
  • the upper surface comprises by an array of 360° pivot-mounted balls or two vertically arranged arrays of alternatively operational carrier means both being able to be lowered to a level below the upper surface independently.
  • the mounting of the 360° pivot-mounted balls might be similar or equal to a trackball mounting for computers or the ball mounting of a mechanical computer mouse, where a part of the balls (or spheres) is mounted in an adapted cavity, where a smaller part of the balls protrude from the cavity.
  • the protruding parts of the balls establish the upper surface of the pallet selecting unit. Insight the cavity the balls or a certain number of balls might by driven by a motor in order to move, align or forward the pallets into a desired direction.
  • the pallet selection unit may comprise a control unit in order to drive the balls.
  • a suitable driving scheme will also allow rotating the pallet on top of the balls.
  • This embodiment will provide the highest variability of possible movements of the pallet on top of the pallet selection unit.
  • the pallet may be forwarded into one direction with one array of carrier means as part of the upper surface of the pallet selection unit, while the other vertically arranged array is lowered below the upper surface in order not to hamper the forwarding into this direction.
  • the forwarding of pallets into the vertical direction is executed by the formally lowered array now at the level of the upper surface, while the formerly upper array is lowered below the upper surface not to hamper the forwarding of the pallet into the vertical direction.
  • Both arrays are arranged to be able to forward the pallet in both directions, back and forth.
  • the latter embodiment can be realized with lesser mechanical and driving effort compared to the array of the 360° pivot-mounted balls.
  • pallet entry terminal denotes a pallet receiving units, where pallets can be inserted (entry) into the system for further forwarding the pallets along the carrier means.
  • pallet exit terminal denotes a pallet receiving unit, where pallets can be received from the system for being further transported within the logistic center, e.g. via a forklift.
  • the pallet entry and exit terminals may have the same functionality as the pre-stacker without the functionality to be able to up-stack and/or down-stack pallets.
  • a pallet pre-stacker is an embodiment of pallet entry and exit terminals with the additional functionality being able to up-stack and/or down-stack pallets or stacks of pallets.
  • the pallet receiving unit as a vertical lift and/or as a pallet storage magazine and/or as a pallet pre-stacker and/or as a pallet entry terminal and/or as a pallet exit terminal is applied together with a pallet selection unit comprising an upper surface to carry pallets and/or comprising weighting means and/or comprising reading means and/or comprising alignment means.
  • the invention further relates to a method to operate a system for selecting and forwarding pallets according to the present invention comprising the steps of
  • the selection process of particular pallet for further forwarding may be controlled by a system control unit or by a control unit as part of the pallet selection unit, where e.g. a control program running on said control unit comprises a look-up table specifying the desired destination of each pallet type.
  • Fig .1 System according to the present invention in a top view
  • Fig .2 pallet selection unit and pallet receiving unit in a top view
  • Fig .7 pallet receiving unit as a pallet storage magazine
  • Fig.1 shows a system 1 for selecting and forwarding pallets 2 comprising a carrier means 3 to randomly transport pallets 2 of different types of pallets with five pallet selection units 4 arranged within the carrier means 3.
  • the number of pallet selection units 4 shown in this figure is only one example. The number of required pallet selection means depends on the particular logistic requirements of the system.
  • pallet receiving units 5 are directly connected to the pallet selection units 4 to receive selected pallets 2 from the pallet selection units 4.
  • three pallet receiving units 5 are arranged as pallet storage magazines 52, and two pallet receiving units 5 are arranged as pallet pre-stacker 53, pallet entry terminals 54 and/or pallet exit terminals 55.
  • the last three embodiments of a pallet receiving unit 5 are suitable for inserting (entry) pallets from the outside world and/or suitable to provide (exit) pallets from the system to the outside world.
  • the term "outside world" denotes all logistic processes outside the system according to the present invention.
  • the pallet receiving unit 5 could also be a pallet lift 51 not shown in Fig. 1 .
  • Each pallet selection unit 4 is suitable to select one or more pallets 2 according to at least one type of the pallets out of multiple pallets 2 of different pallet types passing the pallet selection unit 4, to forward FS the selected pallet 2 to the pallet receiving unit 5 and to forward FN the non-selected pallets 2 along the carrier means 3.
  • additional carrier means 3 may be connected to the pallet selection units 4.
  • the pallet receiving units 5, 51 , 52, 53, 54, 55 might not be connected directly to the pallet selection units 4, but being connected to the pallet selection units 4 via a carrier means 3 located between the pallet selection unit 4 and the pallet receiving unit 5, 51 , 52, 53, 54, 55.
  • Pallet size and pallet weight might be derived from the pallet type.
  • the upper surface 44 of the pallet selection unit 4 is established by an array of 360° pivot-mounted balls 47 also acting as a alignment means 43 for the pallet 2, because the pallet 2 can be moved or rotated by the 360° pivot-mounted balls 47, preferably being moved or rotated automatically by a control unit (not shown in this figure) as part of the pallet selection unit 4 driving motors and/or actuators arranged in the cavity, where the balls are mounted.
  • a suitable driving scheme will also allow rotating the pallet on top of the balls.
  • the pallet receiving unit 5, 51 , 52, 53, 54, 55 in fig. 2 comprises positioning means 56 arranged at three sides above a loading surface 57 of the pallet receiving unit 5 to position the selected pallets 2 inside the pallet receiving unit 5, 51 , 52, 53, 54, 55.
  • the positioning means 56 are adjustable to different types of pallets by moving the positioning means 56 along the direction A indicated by the dashed arrow to adjust the width of the positioning means to the particular selected pallet 2 to be forwarded FS to the pallet receiving unit 5.
  • the control unit of the pallet selection unit 4 provided a signal to the pallet receiving unit 5 specifying the width of the selected pallet 2, e.g. either measured directly or derived from coded information specifying the pallet type, and the pallet receiving unit 5 adjusts the positioning means 56 accordingly.
  • Fig. 3 shows a pallet selection unit 4 with weighting means 42 in a side view.
  • the upper surface 44 carrying a pallet 2 is mounted on top of a scale located underneath the upper surface 44.
  • the vertical movement of the upper surface 44 corresponds to the weight of the pallet 2.
  • Such a direct measurement of the weight of the pallet 2 is able to distinguish several kinds of pallet types from each other.
  • metal cages may have weights more than 100 kg, e.g. 120 kg.
  • ISO or EUR pallets have weight of approximately 15 kg.
  • the weight measurements can be executed very accurate. Therefore even pallet types with small weight differences can be distinguished.
  • the weight of a pallet can be derived from reading coded information attached to the pallet 2 using suitable reading means 41 1 .
  • Fig.5 shows a pallet selection unit 4 with two arrays 45, 46 of carrier means in (a) top view and (b) side view.
  • the arrays 45, 46 are aligned vertically to each other in order to be able to forward the pallet either in X-direction or in Y-direction.
  • one of the arrays has to be lowered to a lower level LL below the upper surface 44 established by the other array of carrier means not lowered.
  • the array 45 is lowered to the lower level LL, while the pallet 2 can be forwarded along the moving direction of array 46 now establishing the upper surface 44 of the pallet selection unit 4. Both arrays can be operated in back and forth direction (as indicated by the dashed double arrows).
  • Fig .6 shows a pallet receiving unit 5 as a pallet lift 51 .
  • the pallet 2 selected by the pallet selection unit 4 is forwarded FS to the loading surface 57 of the pallet lift 51 .
  • the positioning means 56 are arranged above the pallet 2 for ease of
  • Fig.7 shows a pallet receiving unit 5 as a pallet storage magazine 52.
  • the pallet storage magazine 52 comprises multiple movable pick-up elements 521 to support at least one pallet 2 stored in the pallet storage magazine and a lifting unit 522 suitable to vertically lift the pallets 2 to a storing level STL in order to vertically stack the pallets 2 one upon each other.
  • the lifting unit 522 comprises all required mechanical parts and electrical parts for lifting the pallets 2.
  • the lifting unit may comprise 2-4 synchronized lift elements including 1 -2 pick-up units, which take hold of the pallet to-be-lifted.
  • the pick-up unit may comprise two movable bolds arranged on two opposite sides of the lifting unit 522 at the same height.
  • the movable bolds will be arranged under the pallet formally inserted into the pallet lift 52 in order to carry the pallet 2 during lifting the pallet 2 to the storing level STL.
  • the lifting unit 522 can be operated either with electrical motors or as a pneumatic system or as a combination of these two. Through suitable programming, the lifting unit 522 of the pallet storage magazine 52 can handle multiple pallets 2 at the same time. All details of the lifting unit shown for the pallet storage magazine can also be applied for the pallet lift 51 .
  • the movable pick-up elements 521 overtake supporting of the pallet from the pick-up unit (here movable bolds). The moveable bolds are removed from their supporting position and lowered to their initial position in order to lift the next pallet 2 to the next storing level.
  • the movable pick-up elements 521 may be rotatable in order to support or release a pallet 2 entering or leaving its storing level inside the pallet storage magazine 52.
  • the movable pick-up elements 521 may be arranged as movable back and forth or may be rotatable around a horizontal rotation axis to achieve the same purpose.
  • the movable pick-up elements 521 and the movable pick-up units might be controlled by a pallet lift control unit.
  • Fig.8 shows a pallet receiving unit 5 as a pallet pre-stacker 53 or as an entry / exit terminal 54, 55 comprising a cavity 58 suitable to insert the fork 61 of a forklift 6 below the entry and/or exit level EL of the pallets 2 denoting the level, at which the pallet 2 rests for further handling.
  • the cavity 58 may have any suitable shape allowing placing of a forklift 6 underneath the pallet 2 present at the exit/entry level EL.
  • a cavity 58 with a U-shape has the advantage to guide the fork 61 of a forklift 6 into the pallet receiving unit 5 resulting in a proper placing of the pallet 2 on top of the forklift 6 for taking the pallet 2 out of the system 1 according to the present invention.
  • the U-shaped cavity 58 is also beneficial, because the position of the pallet 2 is determined and further positioning to forward the pallet 2 to the carrier means 3 is not required.

Abstract

L'invention concerne un système (1), pour sélectionner et acheminer des palettes (2), qui comporte un moyen porteur (3) approprié pour transporter de façon aléatoire des palettes (2) de différents types de palettes, au moins une unité de sélection de palettes (4) agencée à l'intérieur du moyen porteur (3) et au moins une unité de réception de palettes (5) reliée à l'unité de sélection de palettes (4) pour recevoir des palettes sélectionnées (2) de l'unité de sélection de palettes (4), l'unité de sélection de palettes (4) étant appropriée pour sélectionner une ou plusieurs palettes (2) en fonction d'au moins un type de palettes parmi de multiples palettes (2) de différents types de palettes passant par l'unité de sélection de palettes (4), de façon à acheminer (FS) la palette sélectionnée (2) vers l'unité de réception de palettes (5) et à acheminer (FN) les palettes non sélectionnées (2) le long du moyen porteur (3), l'unité de sélection de palettes (4) comportant un moyen de détection de taille (41) configuré de façon à identifier la taille géométrique et l'alignement de la palette (2) par rapport à l'unité de réception de palettes (5) et/ou au moyen de détection de poids (42) configuré de façon à identifier le poids des palettes (2) afin de sélectionner la palette (2) d'au moins un type de palette. L'invention concerne également un procédé pour faire fonctionner un tel système.
PCT/EP2010/070621 2009-12-29 2010-12-23 Système et procédé de sélection de palettes parmi différents types de palettes WO2011080205A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP09016081.3 2009-12-29
EP09016081A EP2340894A1 (fr) 2009-12-29 2009-12-29 Système et procédé de selection d'une palette parmi des différents types de palettes

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2011080205A1 true WO2011080205A1 (fr) 2011-07-07

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/EP2010/070621 WO2011080205A1 (fr) 2009-12-29 2010-12-23 Système et procédé de sélection de palettes parmi différents types de palettes

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP2340894A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2011080205A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ITBZ20110054A1 (it) * 2011-11-07 2013-05-08 Tanzer Peter Maschb Macchina selezionatrice per cassette a sponde ribaltabili

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1997039968A1 (fr) 1996-04-22 1997-10-30 Wettersten Kenth Systeme permettant d'empiler des palettes
JP2000321215A (ja) * 1999-05-14 2000-11-24 Asahi Breweries Ltd パレットの判別装置
ES2283174A1 (es) * 2005-02-14 2007-10-16 Logifruit S.L. Clasificador automatico de cajas.
ES2283173A1 (es) * 2005-02-14 2007-10-16 Logifruit S.L. Clasificador automatico de paletas de carga.

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1997039968A1 (fr) 1996-04-22 1997-10-30 Wettersten Kenth Systeme permettant d'empiler des palettes
JP2000321215A (ja) * 1999-05-14 2000-11-24 Asahi Breweries Ltd パレットの判別装置
ES2283174A1 (es) * 2005-02-14 2007-10-16 Logifruit S.L. Clasificador automatico de cajas.
ES2283173A1 (es) * 2005-02-14 2007-10-16 Logifruit S.L. Clasificador automatico de paletas de carga.

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
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