WO2021011833A4 - Range sensing conveyor package management system for measuring and controlling density of parcels on a conveyor - Google Patents

Range sensing conveyor package management system for measuring and controlling density of parcels on a conveyor Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2021011833A4
WO2021011833A4 PCT/US2020/042429 US2020042429W WO2021011833A4 WO 2021011833 A4 WO2021011833 A4 WO 2021011833A4 US 2020042429 W US2020042429 W US 2020042429W WO 2021011833 A4 WO2021011833 A4 WO 2021011833A4
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
conveyor
receiving
range sensing
occupancy
feed
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2020/042429
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
WO2021011833A1 (en
Inventor
Steven Vann Schroader
Gus NOWOTNY
Original Assignee
Fives Intralogistics Corp.
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 Fives Intralogistics Corp. filed Critical Fives Intralogistics Corp.
Priority to CN202080064651.0A priority Critical patent/CN114341032B/en
Priority to EP20840370.9A priority patent/EP3999458A4/en
Priority to JP2022502938A priority patent/JP7397162B2/en
Publication of WO2021011833A1 publication Critical patent/WO2021011833A1/en
Priority to US17/165,340 priority patent/US11459188B2/en
Publication of WO2021011833A4 publication Critical patent/WO2021011833A4/en

Links

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
    • B65G47/52—Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors i.e. discharging or feeding devices
    • B65G47/68—Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors i.e. discharging or feeding devices adapted to receive articles arriving in one layer from one conveyor lane and to transfer them in individual layers to more than one conveyor lane or to one broader conveyor lane, or vice versa, e.g. combining the flows of articles conveyed by more than one conveyor
    • B65G47/681—Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors i.e. discharging or feeding devices adapted to receive articles arriving in one layer from one conveyor lane and to transfer them in individual layers to more than one conveyor lane or to one broader conveyor lane, or vice versa, e.g. combining the flows of articles conveyed by more than one conveyor from distinct, separate conveyor lanes
    • 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
    • B07C1/00—Measures preceding sorting according to destination
    • B07C1/02—Forming articles into a stream; Arranging articles in a stream, e.g. spacing, orientating
    • B07C1/04—Forming a stream from a bulk; Controlling the stream, e.g. spacing the articles
    • 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
    • B65G43/00—Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting
    • B65G43/08—Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged
    • 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
    • B65G43/00—Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting
    • B65G43/10—Sequence control of conveyors operating in combination
    • 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
    • B65G47/22—Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors
    • B65G47/26—Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors arranging the articles, e.g. varying spacing between individual articles
    • B65G47/30—Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors arranging the articles, e.g. varying spacing between individual articles during transit by a series of conveyors
    • B65G47/31—Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors arranging the articles, e.g. varying spacing between individual articles during transit by a series of conveyors by varying the relative speeds of the conveyors forming the series
    • 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
    • B65G2201/00—Indexing codes relating to handling devices, e.g. conveyors, characterised by the type of product or load being conveyed or handled
    • B65G2201/02—Articles
    • B65G2201/0285—Postal items, e.g. letters, parcels
    • 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
    • B65G2203/00—Indexing code relating to control or detection of the articles or the load carriers during conveying
    • B65G2203/02—Control or detection
    • B65G2203/0208—Control or detection relating to the transported articles
    • B65G2203/0241—Quantity of articles
    • 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
    • B65G2203/00—Indexing code relating to control or detection of the articles or the load carriers during conveying
    • B65G2203/04—Detection means
    • B65G2203/042—Sensors
    • B65G2203/044—Optical

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Control Of Conveyors (AREA)
  • Sorting Of Articles (AREA)

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of using different sensing and detection methods to determine parcel flow density 1D lineal, 2D area or 3D volumetrically on a selected section of a feed conveyor and receiving conveyor and adjusting conveyor speed ratios proportioned according to ratio of desired density to current density to increase the density or volume of parcels in a selected area of the receiving conveyor.

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS received by the International Bureau on 12 February 2021 (12.02.2021)
1. (Cancel)
2. Cancel
3. A method of managing and controlling density of articles on a conveyor, comprising the steps of: selecting a transition zone between a feed conveyor and a receiving conveyor each one having independent drive means; selecting a range sensing photo eye array field of measurement of said selected transition zone; determining a percentage of said actual occupancy of said feed conveyor occupancy defined zone; determining a percentage of said desired occupancy of said receiving conveyor occupancy defined zone; selecting a percentage of a desired occupancy of said receiving conveyor afer a merger of said articles from said feed conveyor to said receiving conveyor; feeding said articles from said feed conveyor at a selected rate of speed to said receiving conveyor occupancy defined zone; and merging said articles at said transition zone between said feed conveyor and said receiving conveyor and adjusting conveyor speed ratios proportioned according to a ratio of desired density to current density to increase the density of said articles in a said desired occpancy of said receiving conveyor after said merger of said articles from said feed conveyer.
4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the steps of monitoring and controlling speed and movement of said feed conveyor and said receiver conveyor with a computer based upon signals received from said photo eyes array identifying a gap between packages on said receiving conveyor of sufficient space for insertion of an additional package from said feeding conveyor.
5. The method of claim 3 including the step of providing multiple range sensing photo eyes arrays to monitor selected positions of said conveyor flow.
6. The method of of claim 5 including the step of providing an IP address to each range sensing photo eye array.
7. The method of claim 3, including the step of setting a speed or movement of said feed conveyor, said receiving conveyor, or both said feed conveyor and said receiving conveyor as a function of occupancy on a collector.
8. The method of claim 3, including the step of setting a speed or movement of said feed conveyor, said receiving conveyor, or both said feed conveyor and said receiving conveyor as a function of occupancy just prior to conveyance of said packages onto a singulator.
9. A range sensing photo eye array apparatus, comprising: a feed conveyor and a receiving conveyor each one having independent drive motors; said feed conveyor including a range sensing field of measurement at a distal discharge end adjacent said receiving conveyor; said receiving conveyor including a range sensing field of measurement at a distal receiving end adjacent said feed conveyor; a range sensing photo eye array in communication with a virtual encoder and a signal generating and detecting means extending across a transition zone comprising a conveying surface of said feed conveyor field of measurement and a conveying surface of said receiving conveyor field of measurement for calculating a feed conveyor density of articles on said feed conveyor as a percentage of said feed conveyor occupancy and calculating a receiving conveyor density of articles on said receiving conveyor as a percentage of said receiving conveyor density in said transition zone; computer means for controlling said conveyor speed (velocity) and movement based upon signals received from said range sensing photo eyes identifying gaps between said articles on said receiving conveyor of sufficient space for insertion of an additional said articles from said feeding conveyor; wherein the speed (velocity) of said feed conveyor, of said receiver conveyor, or both said feed conveyor and said receiver conveyor is controlled at a selected speed (velocity) or time to achieve a desired density based on a percentage of said conveyor area occupancy on said receiving conveyor.
10. (Cancel)
11. (Cancel)
12. (Cancel)
13. The range sensing photo eye array apparatus of claim 9, wherein said data from at least one pair of opposing range sensing photo eyes array and said virtual encoder is in electrical communication with a receiving conveyor selected from the group consisting of, a collector conveyor, a singulator conveyor, a sorting conveyor and combinations thereof is in communication with said computer for measuring conveyor occupancy in said transition zone for maintaining a desired occupancy (volume, area, or density) of articles on a selected conveyor.
14. The range sensing photo eye array apparatus of claim 9 wherein conveyor speed or velocity is controlled as a function of occupancy (volume, area, or density) on a selected conveyor just prior to a slide sorter, a collector conveyor, a singulator conveyor, said receiving conveyor with a control algorithm to recognize incoming flow occupancy (volume, area, weight, and density), in terms of both belt utilization and throughput rate to control said article input flow.
15. The range sensing photo eye array assembly of claim 9, further comprising at least one pair of opposing range sensing photo eyes, at least one camera, at least one pixel detecting device, at least one digital imaging device, and combinations thereof positioned at an input point of said receiving conveyor, said collector conveyor, said singulator conveyor, said sorting conveyor and combinations thereof.
16. The range sensing photo eye array apparatus of claim 9, wherein said computer comprises a programmable logic controller having an algorithm for calculating an average measured occupancy of said range sensing photo eye array representing a percentage of fullness of said receiving conveyor.
17. The range sensing photo eye array apparatus of claims 9, wherein said computer calculates a selected maximum percentage of occupancy of said receiving conveyor based on said rate of speed of said feed conveyor.
18. The range sensing photo eye assembly of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of opposing photo eyes for creating a table of sensing ranges, wherein each photo eye has two outputs and each one is independently adjustable to obtain two different ranges, said plurality of photo eyes including a first photo eye installed on a first side of said conveyor and a second photo eye installed on an opposing second side of said conveyor in said transition zone including said range sensing field of measurement of said feed conveyor and said range sensing field of measurement of said receiving conveyor.
19. The range sensing photo eye assembly of claim 18, wherein said virtual encoder is programmable to produce a pulse at selected intervals of said feed conveyor.
20. The range sensing photo eye assembly of claim 9, wherein said range sensing photo eye array includes a plurality of array elements, each of the array elements representing one pulse of the virtual encoder defining a selected length of said range sensing field of measurement.
21. The range sensing photo eye assembly of claim 9, further comprising a computer interface to define and control and integrate with said conveyor computer control system via Ethernet, WIFI, BLUETOOTH, and other smart electronic devices including a smart phone, a
41 computer tablet, a laptop computer and visual aid computer based devices capable of communicating with a computer system.
22. The method of claim 3, including the step of using said range detection photo eye arrays positioned at selected individual input points in wired or wireless communication with a programmable logic controller, “PLC” or computer utilizing a process control algorithm to recognize incoming flow density in terms of both belt utilization and throughput rate.
23. The method of claims 3, including the step of calculating an average parcel size (area or volume), a parcel length, a parcel width, and parcel height with said control algorithm.
24. The method of claim 3, including the step of identifying, locating, or tracing said article by its digital image, a scanner code, or a digital footprint with said control algorithm.
25. The method of claim 3, including the step of creating a table of sensing ranges with a plurality of photo eyes, wherein each photo eye has two outputs and each one is independently adjustable to obtain two different ranges, and said plurality of photo eyes are installed on a first side and an opposing second side of a selected field of measurement of said feed conveyor and said receiving conveyor at a selected distance from an discharge end of said feed conveyor and said receiving end of said receiving conveyor, and a pulse is produced at selected intervals along said field of measurement of said conveying surface with a programmable virtual encoder.
26. The method of claim 25, including the steps of forming an array including a plurality of array elements, each one of said plurality of array elements representing one pulse of the virtual encoder defining a selected length of the selected distance, and the average measured occupancy of said array is calculated by determining the combination of photo eye outputs blocked when an encoder pulse occurs representing a percentage of fullness of the receiving conveyor with a programmable logic controller using an algorithm, wherein a measured occupancy of said feed conveyor is compared to is compared to a desired occupancy of said receiving conveyor and
42 calculating a speed ratio by dividing the desired occupancy by the measured occupancy and regulating the speed of said feed conveyor, said receiving conveyor, or both said feed conveyor and said receiving conveyor to obtain a desired occupancy on said receiving conveyor.
27. The method of claim 26, including the step of providing range sensing photo eye arrays to monitor said articles at selected positions along said receiving conveyor identifying areas of low density and controlling the activation and speed of said feed conveyor to increase the density of articles in a given area of said receiving conveyor.
28. The method of claim 26, including the step of counting, identifying, locating, an article on said receiving conveyor by its digital image or footprint.
29. The method of claim 9, including the step of providing a range sensing conveyor article management system regulating an input flow to a collector conveyor system by placing a range sensing photo eye array assembly at each feed conveyor input of said articles to a collector conveyor, allowing control of the speed of each feed conveyor input with respect to the speed of the collector conveyor to the maximize the flow of packages through the system.
43
PCT/US2020/042429 2018-11-13 2020-07-16 Range sensing conveyor package management system for measuring and controlling density of parcels on a conveyor WO2021011833A1 (en)

Priority Applications (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CN202080064651.0A CN114341032B (en) 2019-07-16 2020-07-16 Range sensing conveyor package management system for measuring and controlling density of parcel on a conveyor
EP20840370.9A EP3999458A4 (en) 2019-07-16 2020-07-16 Range sensing conveyor package management system for measuring and controlling density of parcels on a conveyor
JP2022502938A JP7397162B2 (en) 2019-07-16 2020-07-16 Distance sensing conveyor package management system that measures and controls the density of parcels on a conveyor
US17/165,340 US11459188B2 (en) 2018-11-13 2021-02-02 Range sensing conveyor package management system for measuring and controlling density of parcels on a conveyor

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US201962874902P 2019-07-16 2019-07-16
US62/874,902 2019-07-16

Related Parent Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US16/188,992 Continuation-In-Part US10906746B2 (en) 2017-05-05 2018-11-13 Article typing and sorting system

Related Child Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US16/188,992 Continuation-In-Part US10906746B2 (en) 2017-05-05 2018-11-13 Article typing and sorting system
US17/165,340 Continuation-In-Part US11459188B2 (en) 2018-11-13 2021-02-02 Range sensing conveyor package management system for measuring and controlling density of parcels on a conveyor

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2021011833A1 WO2021011833A1 (en) 2021-01-21
WO2021011833A4 true WO2021011833A4 (en) 2021-04-15

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2020/042429 WO2021011833A1 (en) 2018-11-13 2020-07-16 Range sensing conveyor package management system for measuring and controlling density of parcels on a conveyor

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP3999458A4 (en)
JP (1) JP7397162B2 (en)
CN (1) CN114341032B (en)
WO (1) WO2021011833A1 (en)

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EP4300227A1 (en) * 2022-06-30 2024-01-03 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Control of conveyor systems for piece goods
JP2024129207A (en) 2023-03-13 2024-09-27 オムロン株式会社 Method for controlling conveying device and control device for conveying device
CN118172716B (en) * 2024-05-11 2024-10-18 中科微至科技股份有限公司 Method for detecting package state of crossed belt trolley based on RGB-D image

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Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CN114341032B (en) 2024-05-24
WO2021011833A1 (en) 2021-01-21
EP3999458A4 (en) 2024-01-03
JP7397162B2 (en) 2023-12-12
CN114341032A (en) 2022-04-12
JP2022540937A (en) 2022-09-20
EP3999458A1 (en) 2022-05-25

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