Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
  • B65G47/74—Feeding, transfer, or discharging devices of particular kinds or types
  • B65G47/94—Devices for flexing or tilting travelling structures; Throw-off carriages
  • B65G47/96—Devices for tilting links or platform
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B61—RAILWAYS
  • B61B—RAILWAY SYSTEMS; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B61B13/00—Other railway systems
  • B61B13/08—Sliding or levitation systems
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G23/00—Driving gear for endless conveyors; Belt- or chain-tensioning arrangements
  • B65G23/22—Arrangements or mountings of driving motors
  • B65G23/23—Arrangements or mountings of driving motors of electric linear motors

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a device for sorting products, comprising successive carrier units, conveying means for supporting and conveying the carrier units along a conveying path, each carrier unit comprising a chassis and a support element supported by the chassis, which support element has a supporting surface for supporting at least one product to be sorted, said chassis comprising a longitudinal girder and a cross member provided at one end of the longitudinal girder, being connected thereto, said conveying means comprising drive means for providing a driving force for the transport of the carrier units along the conveying path, said driving means comprising stator means fixedly disposed along a part of the conveying path, which stator means are provided with a plurality of windings for generating magnetic fields through electrical energization of the windings, and reaction elements provided on respective separate carrier units, which each comprise an elongated carrier plate and a number of aligned permanent magnets connected to the associated carrier plate, which are provided in such a manner relative to the stator means that the permanent magnets move through the magnetic fields generated by the electrical
• WO 2004/011351 discloses a device as described in the introductory paragraph.
• Said known device has a train of interconnected carrier units, which can be conveyed along a conveying path by being magnetically driven.
• a row of permanent magnets is mounted on the frame of each carrier unit, which magnets interact with coils fixedly disposed along the conveying path.
• the permanent magnets are fixed on a carrier plate to this end.
• a cover is provided which covers the assembly of the carrier plate and the magnets. The cover and the carrier plate with magnets can subsequently be slid into a slot in the frame, which slot is adapted to the cover.
• a fixation of the magnets on the chassis is effected by flanged edges of the frame being in contact with edges of the cover such that the cover, and thereby also the carrier plate with magnets, is biased against the frame in a fixed position which results from the geometry of the slot.
• the described construction demands a high dimensional accuracy of the several components in order to realise a desired gap height between the magnets and the coils.
• This object is accomplished with the device according to the present invention, which is characterised in that the connecting means are also designed for variable adjustment of a spacing between the permanent magnets and the chassis on the basis of a desired gap width between the permanent magnets and the stator means.
• An advantage of this is that because the connecting means are also designed for variable adjustment of the aforesaid spacing on the basis of the (predetermined) desired gap width, larger manufacturing and assembly tolerances of components of the device can be maintained, since any ensuing inaccuracies in the gap width will be compensated by the fact that the aforementioned gap width is variably adjustable. This has a cost reducing effect on the device.
• variable adjustment of the aforesaid spacing for each carrier unit takes place once only, beforehand in a factory, for example in a jig, or when the device is put into service. Since it can be ensured to a great extent that a correct gap width between magnets and stator means is set by adjusting the aforesaid spacing, driving takes place with a high degree of efficiency.
• a reason for this is the fact that the width of the (air) gap between the magnets and the stator means, more specifically the coils thereof, is relevant for the efficiency of the driving system. Too small a gap width means a great risk of contact between a magnet and the stator means, resulting in an increased risk of damage to the device in use.
• the magnetic fields to be generated by the coils of the stator means will be so strong (so as to generate sufficient driving power) that the magnetic field will be unacceptably high at other locations in the device, for example at the location of products present on the carrier units. Moreover, the efficiency of the driving system will be low in that case.
• the connecting means comprise a number of screw means that can be passed through holes formed in the carrier plate and be screwed into associated respective threaded bores in the chassis.
• the carrier plate can be effectively secured to the longitudinal girder by means of the aforesaid screw means.
• the carrier plate can also be readily removed again, for example within the framework of a replacement or when the device is to be recycled at the end of its life span.
• the screw means may extend transversely to the aforesaid spacing, for example, substantially in the plane of the magnets.
• the carrier plate can first be held at the correct distance relative to the longitudinal girder, for example in a jig, whereupon the carrier plate is screwed down on the longitudinal girder, so that a correct gap width between magnets and stator means is realised in use.
• the connecting means comprise spacer means provided between the carrier plate and the longitudinal girder.
• the spacer means comprise a spacer element of a predetermined thickness.
• the standard use of a spacer element having a specific nominal thickness may be considered, for example, in which case relatively thick spacer element is fitted if (after assembly) the spacing is too large and a thinner spacer element is used if (after assembly) the spacing is still small.
• the screw means can in that case be used in such a manner that they are screwed into the longitudinal girder through the carrier plate in the direction of the spacing so as to thus fix the spacer element to the chassis, in which case the spacer element fills the spacing.
• the longitudinal girder is provided with a slot at the location of the surface thereof that faces the reaction element, which slot extends parallel to the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal girder, wherein the chassis comprises a fastening strip that can be slid into the slot from a short end of the longitudinal girder, wherein the slot is designed to secure the fastening strip in directions perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal girder, which fastening strip is provided with the threaded bores, wherein a passage is present in a wall of the longitudinal girder at the location of the bores, in a mounted condition, such that screw means can be screwed into the associated bore in the fastening strip through an associated hole in the carrier plate and through the passage in the wall of the longitudinal girder, with the spacer element filling the spacing between the permanent magnets and the longitudinal girder.
• Aluminium or a plastic are usual materials of which the longitudinal girder is made. Such materials are less suitable for forming threaded bores therein.
• the use of the aforesaid fastening strip makes it possible to use a longitudinal girder made of aluminium, for example, with the script being made of steel, for example, or another material that lends itself better to forming threaded bores therein.
• the passage in the wall of the longitudinal girder may be a slot-like passage which preferably extends along the length of the longitudinal girder.
• the passage in the wall of the longitudinal girder may comprise several separate holes, which holes are in line with the holes in the carrier plate and with the bores, in a mounted condition.
• the spacer element comprises at least one spacer ring or shim, which is provided between the carrier plate and the longitudinal girder at the location of at least one of said number of screw means. Furthermore preferably, a spacer ring is provided between the carrier plate and the longitudinal girder at the location of each of said number of screw means.
• the spacer element may comprise an elongated strip-shaped spacer element of predetermined thickness, which strip extends over at least part of the surface of the carrier plate, which strip is furthermore preferably provided with holes for screw means.
• spacer means makes it possible to keep the entire carrier plate spaced from the longitudinal girder, or to vary said spacing locally, along the length of the carrier plate.
• Figure 1 is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of a part of the device according to the present invention.
• Figure 2 is a sectional view along the line H-ll in figure 1 ;
• Figure 3 is an isometric view of two chassis of carrier units of the device shown in figure 1 ;
• FIG 4 is an exploded view of a chassis according to figure 3;
• Figure 5 is a sectional view along the line V-V in figure 3.
• Figure 1 shows a part of the device 1 according to the present invention for sorting products.
• the device 1 is used for the automated sorting of products, such as baggage at an airport, for example, or (postal) parcels at a distribution centre.
• the device 1 comprises a number of successive carrier units 2 connected head-to-tail, which are each provided with a support element 8 having a supporting surface 10 for supporting a part of a product, one product, or several products.
• the support element 8 itself may comprise a conveying element, for example the conveyor belt 80 shown in figure 1 , which extends in transverse direction 5, i.e. perpendicularly to the conveying direction 3. The presence of a conveying element on the support element 8 is not necessary, however.
• the carrier unit 2 itself may furthermore, or as an alternative to the aforesaid conveying element, comprise pivot means for pivoting the supporting surface 10 about an axis parallel to the conveying direction 3 so as to push products off the supporting surface 10, for example within the framework of a sorting action.
• the chassis 6 of a carrier unit 2 (two directly successive chassis 6 are shown in figure 3) comprises essentially a longitudinal girder 24, which extends parallel to the conveying direction 3 or, in other words, in the longitudinal direction of the conveying path, and a cross member 26 connected to the longitudinal girder 24 at a short end thereof.
• a running wheel 55 is provided at the two opposite short ends of the cross member 26, which running wheel 55 is rotatable about an axis 57 extending in the transverse direction 5 of the device. If the device 1 is disposed on a horizontal surface, the transverse direction 5 and usually also the conveying direction 3 of the device 1 , will normally lie in a horizontal plane.
• guide wheels 54 are provided near the aforesaid ends of the cross member 26, which guide wheels 54 are rotatable about an axis 58 extending in a direction 7 perpendicularly to the conveying direction and the transverse direction, or, in other words, an axis 58 that normally extends in vertical direction if the device 1 is disposed on a horizontal surface.
• Directly successive carrier units 2 are connected by coupling means 30, 31.
• the coupling means are made up of a ball joint 30 and a pin 31 that can be passed therethrough (see figure 4). Quite preferably, said coupling means are designed to allow pivoting in all directions relative to each other of two directly successive carrier units 2.
• the device 1 has a frame provided with guides 51 , 52.
• the guides 51 , 52 define a spacing between them, which spacing is slightly larger than the diameter of the running wheel 55.
• the guides 51 , 52 thus effectively retain the carrier units 2 in the direction 7 perpendicular to the cross direction 5 and the conveying direction 3.
• the frame of the device furthermore comprises guides 53, which cooperate with the above-described guide wheels 54.
• the guides 53 are disposed on respective opposite outer sides of the guide wheels 54, the guides 53 form an effective limitation of the movement of the carrier units 2 in the transverse direction 5.
• the aforesaid guides 51 , 52, 53 are rigidly interconnected via vertical members 59 and horizontal members 60 likewise forming part of the frame of the device 1.
• a reaction element 14 is provided at the bottom side of the longitudinal girder 24 of each chassis 6 of a respective carrier unit 2.
• the reaction element 14 is substantially made up of an elongated carrier plate 16, on one side of which a number of spaced-apart, aligned permanent magnets 18 are mounted.
• the carrier plate 16 is connected to the longitudinal girder 24.
• An even number of magnets 18 of alternating polarity are mounted on the carrier plate 16.
• the first magnet of said number of magnets 18, which first magnet is disposed at a first short end of the carrier plate 16 has its north pole facing down.
• the adjacent magnet of said number of magnets 18 has its south pole facing down, the next magnet has its north pole facing down again, etc.
• the last magnet of said number of magnets 18, which is provided at the second, opposite short end of the carrier plate 16, has its south pole facing down. It is also possible, however, for the first magnet of said number of magnets to have its south pole facing down. Analogously to the above, the last magnet of said number of magnets will have its north pole facing down in that case.
• the magnets 18 on a carrier plate 16 all have the same dimensions, being provided a small, regular distance, also called pitch, apart. As is shown in particular in figure 3, the spacing between the reaction elements 14 of two directly successive interconnected chassis 6 is selected so that the first magnet 18 of one reaction element 14 is spaced from the adjacent magnet of the other reaction element 14 by a distance equal to two positions, or, in other words, twice the pitch.
• the polarity of a last magnet of the number of magnets 18 on a chassis is in that case opposed to the polarity of the adjacent first magnet of the number of magnets 18 on the adjacent chassis 6. Since there is provided an interspace measuring twice the pitch between carrier elements 16 of two adjacent chassis 6, the pattern of alternating polarities consistently continues over the successive interconnected chassis 6 of the device 1.
• a number of holes 21 are formed in the carrier plate 16 of a reaction element 14, of which holes only the hole 21 located at the left-hand, at least in the view shown in figure 4, short end of the carrier plate 16 is shown in figure 4. Further holes 21 are formed in spaces between the magnets 18 on the carrier plate 16. The holes 21 are adapted to fit the diameter of the screw means embodied as bolts 23.
• the longitudinal girder 24 is provided with a slot 32 extending in the longitudinal direction thereof, and thus parallel to the conveying direction 3.
• a steel fastening strip 26 can be slid into the slot 32 from a short end of the longitudinal girder 24, the geometry of which slot 32 is adapted essentially to the dimensions of the strip 26.
• the slot 32 is provided with two retaining lips 34 at the location of an outer wall of the longitudinal girder 24, which retaining lips on the one hand retain the strip 26 in the slot 32 whilst on the other hand defining a slot-like space 35 between the two lips 34 through which bolts 23 extend in the mounted condition of a carrier plate 16 on the longitudinal girder 24.
• Threaded bores or tapped holes 36 are formed in the fastening strip 26, the spacing between which tapped holes 36 corresponds to the spacing between the holes 21 in the carrier plate 16.
• the reaction element 14 can now be secured to the longitudinal girder 24 by means of the bolts 23.
• a spacer element of a predetermined thickness is provided between the carrier plate 16 and the longitudinal girder 24.
• the spacer element is made up of a number of shim rings 22 of a predetermined thickness, so that, as shown in the example of figure 5, a specific space between the reaction element 14 and the longitudinal girder 24 is realised by placing two shim rings 22 at the location of each bolt 24.
• Said spacing filled by the shim rings 22 has been determined on the basis of the desired gap width 15 between the magnets and the stator means, as will be explained in more detail below.
• the spacing between the carrier plate and the longitudinal girder can be variably adjusted by placing more or fewer shim rings.
• the reaction elements 14 form part of driving means for providing a driving force for the transport of the carrier units along the conveying path.
• the driving means further comprise stator means 12 fixedly disposed along part of the conveying path (see figure 2), which stator means comprise a plurality of windings for generating magnetic fields through electric energization of the windings.
• the stator means 12 are mounted on girders 60 of the frame of the device 1.
• the carrier units 2 can be magnetically driven, in a manner which is known per se and as described, for example, in WO 2004/01 1351 , through suitable energisation of the windings.
• the gap width 15 between the underside of the permanent magnets 18 and the upper side of the stator means 12 can be measured for each carrier unit 2, which gap width 15 can be set with a high degree of precision, also varying along the length of the carrier plate 16, if desired, through variable adjustment of the spacing between the carrier plate 16 and the longitudinal girder 24, using more or fewer shims 22 or shims 22 of a different thickness.
• a carrier unit 2 or at least the chassis 6 thereof, can be placed in a jig, which jig is designed to hold the reaction element 14 at a desired distance from the longitudinal girder 24, after which said spacing is filled, for example with the aforesaid shim rings 22, or alternatively or in combination therewith, by a strip-shaped spacer element, for example, if desired of varying thickness.
• a plastic cover 40 is provided, which can be simply snapped onto the reaction element 4 by means of snap hooks 41.
• a number of the chassis 6 are provided with a sliding contact element 70 for interaction with contact paths on the frame of the device 1 , so as to thus realise electrical energization of electric motors 72 mounted in the carrier units 2 for driving the transversely oriented conveyor belt via a belt transmission 74, an upper surface of which conveyor belt forms a supporting surface 10 for products.
• the interspace between adjacent successive carrier units 2 is filled by spacer plates 95 and 96 at relevant locations, so that a substantially closed supporting surface for products is realised, whilst the risk of products getting between two carrier units is significantly reduced due to the use of the spacer plates 95 and 96.
• the spacer 95 plates are attached to a first of two adjacent carrier units, while the spacer 96 plates are attached to a second of two adjacent carrier units.
• the second carrier unit of the two adjacent carrier units is further provided with slots, which are each designed for at least partially accommodating an associated spacer plate 95, so that the spacer plates 95 extend into the slots depending on the course of the conveying path, for example in an inside bend.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Non-Mechanical Conveyors (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=43734223

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (4)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (2)

• 2010
  • 2010-09-09 NL NL2005338A patent/NL2005338C2/nl not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2011
  • 2011-09-08 WO PCT/NL2011/050615 patent/WO2012033408A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (2)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events