Cross-conveyor sorter with clearing apparatus, and method for removing items misplaced on a cross-conveyor sorter

Abstract

A cross-conveyor sorter with a clearing apparatus for removing misplaced items (Sd) is described, wherein the cross-conveyor sorter has a plurality of carriages which are connected to one another on an endless conveying track, the carriages are provided with a cross-conveyor device, which is oriented transversely to the transportation direction (x) and on which the items (Sp) can be transported and unloaded at predetermined unloading locations. The cross-conveyor sorter clearing apparatus enables the risk-free removal of misplaced items (Sd) during operation. The clearing apparatus is a blow-off device which is arranged on a first side alongside the conveying track.

Claims

1. A cross-conveyor sorter, comprising: a clearing apparatus for removing misplaced items (S.sub.d), wherein the cross-conveyor sorter has a plurality of carriages which are connected to one another on an endless conveying track, the carriages are provided with a cross-conveyor device, which is oriented transversely to the transportation direction (x) and on which the items (S.sub.p) can be transported and unloaded at predetermined unloading locations, and wherein the clearing apparatus is a blow-off device which is arranged stationary on a first side alongside the conveying track.

2. The cross-conveyor sorter according to claim 1, wherein the misplaced item (S.sub.p) is deposited on a carriage component of the carriage and the blow-off device has at least one stationary air outlet opening located on or above a vertical level (z.sub.F) of the carriage component.

3. The cross-conveyor sorter according to claim 2, wherein the cross-conveyor sorter is a cross-belt sorter and the carriage component of which is a cover apron which spans a distance (d) between adjacent carriages.

4. The cross-conveyor sorter according to claim 2, wherein the cross-conveyor sorter is a tilt-tray sorter.

5. The cross-conveyor sorter according to claim 4, wherein the carriage component of the tilt-tray sorter is a cover plate which is arranged under a movably mounted tilt-tray and/or a chassis of the respective carriage and/or a gaiter which spans a distance (d) between adjacent carriages.

6. The cross-conveyor sorter according to claim 2, wherein the at least one air outlet opening is arranged in such a manner that air discharged therefrom flows over the carriage component.

7. The cross-conveyor sorter according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of air outlet openings are arranged one behind the other in the transport direction (x).

8. The cross-conveyor sorter according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of air outlet openings are activated simultaneously.

9. The cross-conveyor sorter according to claim 7, wherein a single one of the plurality of air outlet openings is activated one after the other in the transport direction (x).

10. The cross-conveyor sorter according to claim 9, wherein activation of the respective single air outlet opening is dependent on a conveying speed of the cross-conveyor sorter in the transport direction (x).

11. The cross-conveyor sorter according to claim 1, wherein a second blow-off device (27) is arranged next to the conveying track on a second side oppositely to the first side.

12. The cross-conveyor sorter according to claim 1, wherein the blow-off device(s) is/are connected to a blower or to a compressor.

13. A cross-conveyor sorter, comprising: a clearing apparatus for removing misplaced items (S.sub.d), wherein the cross-conveyor sorter has a plurality of carriages which are connected to one another on an endless conveying track, the carriages are provided with a cross-conveyor device, which is oriented transversely to the transportation direction (x) and on which the items (S.sub.p) can be transported and unloaded at predetermined unloading locations, wherein the clearing apparatus is a blow-off device which is arranged on a first side alongside the conveying track, and wherein a collection table is arranged next to the conveying track on a second side which is oppositely to the first side.

14. The cross-conveyor sorter according to claim 13, wherein the collection table is arranged on or below a vertical level (z.sub.F) of the plurality of carriages.

15. A cross-conveyor sorter, comprising: a clearing apparatus for removing misplaced items (S.sub.d), wherein the cross-conveyor sorter has a plurality of carriages which are connected to one another on an endless conveying track, the carriages are provided with a cross-conveyor device, which is oriented transversely to the transportation direction (x) and on which the items (S.sub.p) can be transported and unloaded at predetermined unloading locations, wherein the clearing apparatus is a blow-off device which is arranged on a first side alongside the conveying track, and wherein in the transport direction (x) prior to the blow-off device, a sensor unit is arranged in such a manner that it identifies the distance (d) between the adjacent carriages and a misplaced item (S.sub.d) located on one of the plurality of carriages.

16. A cross-conveyor sorter, comprising: a clearing apparatus for removing misplaced items (S.sub.d), wherein the cross-conveyor sorter has a plurality of carriages which are connected to one another on an endless conveying track, the carriages are provided with a cross-conveyor device, which is oriented transversely to the transportation direction (x) and on which the items (S.sub.p) can be transported and unloaded at predetermined unloading locations, wherein the clearing apparatus is a blow-off device which is arranged on a first side alongside the conveying track, and wherein the blow-off device is arranged in the transport direction (x) beyond the unloading locations.

17. A method for removing items (S.sub.d) that have been misplaced on a cross-conveyor sorter, wherein the cross-conveyor sorter has a plurality of carriages connected to one another on an endless conveying track, wherein the carriages are provided with a cross-conveyor device oriented transversely to the transportation direction (x), comprising the steps of: transporting items (S.sub.p) on the cross-conveyor device and the items at predetermined unloading locations, blowing off the misplaced items (S.sub.d) with a blow-off device, and identifying, with a sensor unit, a distance (d) between adjacent carriages and a misplaced item (S.sub.d) located on a cover apron or a gaiter.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the sensor unit activates the blow-off device in the event of an identification of a misplaced item (S.sub.d) located on the cover apron or the gaiter.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the blow-off device has a plurality of air outlet openings arranged one behind the other in the transport direction (x), wherein the air outlet opening is selectively activated, in front of which the misplaced item (S.sub.d) is located to be blown off.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) For a better understanding, the invention is explained below with reference to five figures showing in

(2) FIG. 1: a plan view of a cross-conveyor sorter as a cross-belt sorter with a blow-off device;

(3) FIG. 2: a side view of the cross-belt sorter shown in FIG. 1 with a blow-off device;

(4) FIG. 3: a side view of a cross-conveyor sorter as a tilt-tray sorter with a blow-off device;

(5) FIG. 4: a plan view of the tilt-tray sorter shown in FIG. 3 with opposing blow-off devices and

(6) FIG. 5: a flow chart of the method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) FIG. 1 shows a top view of a section of a cross-conveyor sorter 10 in the form of a cross-belt sorter 10a, the carriages 12 of which are mechanically coupled to one another to form a circulating chain and are positively guided on a conveying track 30. The mechanical connection between adjacent carriages 12 allows a relative movement of the involved carriages 12, especially when cornering. The carriages 12 each have wheels 16 which roll on the conveying track 30. When the cross-conveyor sorter 10 is running, all of the carriages 12 move synchronously in a transport direction x.

(8) Each carriage 12 is provided with a cross-conveyor device 13 which, in the exemplary embodiment shown, has a conveyor belt 15 running over pulleys 14. During loading of the cross-conveyor sorter 10, correctly placed items S.sub.p arrive at the respective cross-conveyor device 13 and remain there until reaching an unloading location 31. As soon as this unloading location 31 is reached, the cross-conveyor device 13 is put into operation and the items S.sub.p correctly placed thereon are thrown off in the discharge direction y.

(9) The discharge direction y is at right angles and in a plane to the transport direction x. In the case of error-free transferring and discharging, correctly placed items S.sub.p lie exclusively on the cross-conveyor device 13 of a carriage 12.

(10) There is a distance d (see FIG. 2) between adjacent carriages 12 of the cross-belt sorter 10a or between the cross-conveyor devices 13 located thereon, which is necessary for relative movement of the carriages 12 to one another and is covered by a cover apron 11a. The cover apron 11a prevents misplaced items S.sub.d from getting between the cross-conveyor devices 13 of adjacent carriages 12 in the transport direction x, from falling between the carriages 12 or onto the conveying track 30 and being destroyed there. The cover apron 11a is a carriage component 11 of the cross-belt sorter 10a, on which typically misplaced items S.sub.d remain.

(11) The misplaced item S.sub.d lying on the cover apron 11a often does not capture any of the cross-conveyor devices 13, neither those of the leading nor those of the trailing carriage 12, so that the misplaced item S.sub.d initially remains on the cover apron 11a and cannot be dropped at the intended unloading location 31 or any other unloading location 31. After several revolutions, the cross-conveyor sorter 10 would block the cross-conveyor device 13 located in front of and behind the misplaced item S.sub.d in the transport direction x, so that it would then no longer be available until the next maintenance shift.

(12) Items S.sub.d misplaced on a cover apron 11a passes a sensor unit 24 which detects both the presence of the distance d in front of it between the carriages 12 and the presence of the item S.sub.d that is misplaced on the cover apron 11a. This avoids that an item S.sub.p possibly correctly placed on the cross-conveyor device 13 is removed by the blow-off device 20 described below.

(13) The sensor unit 24 is connected to the blow-off device 20 arranged on a first side 32 next to the conveying track 30. In the embodiment according to FIG. 1, the sensor unit 24 is on the same first side 32 as the blow-off device 20. In the event of a misplaced item S.sub.d, the sensor unit 24 puts the blow-off device 20 into operation, whereby an air flow emerges from one or more air outlet opening(s) 21 formed on the side of the blow-off device 20 facing the cross-conveyor sorter 10 blowing down the misplaced item S.sub.d from the cover apron 11a.

(14) The blow-off device 20 is connected to a rearward blower apparatus or a compressor 23. Preferably the blower apparatus or compressor 23 maintains a permanent pressure gradient and the air outlet openings 21 are preferably controlled with electromechanical valves, so that even with a high-speed cross-conveyor sorter 10, the misplaced item S.sub.d to be blown-off is removed from the air outlet opening(s) 21 by providing an air flow without delay. In order to minimize the air volume flow necessary for blowing-off the misplaced item S.sub.d, the several air outlet openings 21 emit an air flow one after the other in the transport direction x, alternating according to the speed of the cross-conveyor sorter 10. Therefore, only the air outlet opening 21 is active in the area of which—in the transport direction x—the misplaced item S.sub.d is currently located. Each of the air outlet openings 21 involved blows the misplaced item S.sub.d on in sections in the discharge direction y.

(15) The misplaced item S.sub.d, blown-off contactlessly from the cover apron 11a in this way, arrives at a collection table 22 which is stationary on a second side 33 next to the conveying track 30 and remains there until a manual removal, which can take place, depending on the occurrence of misplaced items S.sub.d, even during the ongoing operation of the cross-conveyor sorter 10.

(16) The collection table 22 is always located on the other side of the conveying track 30 in relation to the blow-off device 20, so that misplaced items S.sub.d are carried along by the blowing effect of the air flowing out of the air outlet openings 21 and transported away from the cross-conveyor device 13 in the direction of flow.

(17) FIG. 2 shows the blow-off device 20 arranged on the cross-conveyor sorter 10 in a side view, the carriages 12 with their respective cross-conveyor devices 13 traveling in transport direction x past the blow-off device 20, which is placed stationary next to the conveying track 30.

(18) A correctly placed item S.sub.p could be unloaded before reaching the blow-off device 20 by means of the below located cross-conveyor device 13 at an unloading location 31 provided for this purpose but omitted for reasons of clarity. It would also be possible to arrange the unloading location 31 also in the transport direction x behind the blow-off device 20, since the blow-off device 20 only removes misplaced item S.sub.d lying on the cover apron 11a.

(19) A misplaced item S.sub.d is identified by means of the sensor unit 24, which comprises an item sensor 25 and a carriage sensor 26. The item sensor 25 is used to qualitatively detect an item S.sub.p, S.sub.d. The carriage sensor 26 measures the distance d between two carriages 12. If, at the same point in time, the carriage sensor 26 detects a distance d and the item sensor 25 detects items S.sub.p, S.sub.d, it must be a misplaced item S.sub.d lying on the cover apron 11a. By emitting an air flow escaping from the air outlet openings 21, a contactless removal of the misplaced item S.sub.d from the cover apron 11a then takes place.

(20) The item sensor 25 is arranged in the vertical direction above the carriage sensor 26 and is preferably located on or above a vertical level z.sub.F of the cover apron 11a.

(21) The collection table 22 to be seen in FIG. 1 should be placed with its upper side on or below the vertical level z.sub.F of the cover apron 11a. As a result, the misplaced items S.sub.d blown down by the blow-off device 20 can slide barrier-free onto the collection table 22 and remain there.

(22) FIGS. 3 and 4 show a cross-conveyor sorter 10 as a tilt-tray sorter 10b. Each carriage 12 has a chassis 11c with wheels 16 mounted on it, with the aid of which the carriage 12 is positively guided on a conveying track 30 in the transport direction x. The chassis 11c is spanned by a cover plate 11b, the cover plate 11b covering both the wheels 16 and parts of the chassis 11c, not shown, and thus mostly preventing misplaced items S.sub.d from penetrating below a level of the cover plate 11b.

(23) Arranged on the cover plate 11b is an upwardly projecting tilt-tray arm 18, at the free end of which a tilt-tray 17 is pivotably attached. For unloading, the tilt-tray 17 pivots about a pivot axis aligned in the transport direction x, so that, by initiating a tilting movement, a correctly placed item S.sub.p located thereon slides off at the unloading location 31 provided for this purpose.

(24) Despite the presence of the cover plate 11b, it happens again and again that misplaced items S.sub.d get into the chassis 11c, as is indicated in the carriage 12 on the far left in the plane of FIG. 3.

(25) A gaiter 11d is provided between each of the carriages 12, bridging the distance d between the carriages 12 and at the same time allowing the carriages 12 to articulate to one another.

(26) Displaced items S.sub.d can, for example, lie on the gaiter 11d and can no longer be removed when the tilt-tray 17 is actuated.

(27) However, misplaced items S.sub.d lying on the cover plate 11b during operation are particularly problematic, since this often limits the function of the tilt-tray 17. In particular in the case of towering, misplaced items S.sub.d, the bottom of the tilt-tray 17 hits the misplaced item S.sub.d and is thereby blocked in its movement.

(28) The cover plate 11b, the chassis 11c and the gaiter 11d represent carriage components 11 of a tilt-tray sorter 10b, onto which frequently misplaced items S.sub.d end up. According to the invention, on the vertical level z.sub.F of these carriage components 11 there is a stationary blow-off device 20 standing next to the conveying track 30, the air outlet openings 21 of the blow-off device 20 emitting an air flow which blows-off any misplaced item S.sub.d lying in the area of action.

(29) FIG. 4 illustrates a situation in which a misplaced item S.sub.d located on the cover plate 11b of the tilt-tray sorter 10b is blown by the blow-off device 20 arranged on the first side 32 of the conveying track 30, but not removed due to its operative contact with the tilt-tray arm 18. In the transport direction x beyond the blow-off device 20, a second blow-off device 27 is stationary placed on the second side 33, which blows any misplaced item S.sub.d remaining on the cover plate 11b and thereby moves the misplaced item S.sub.d towards the first side 32. To receive this misplaced item S.sub.d, a second collection table 28 is also set up on the first side 32. The second blow-off device 27 and the second collection table 28 are constructed identically to the blow-off device 20 and the collection table 22.

(30) The process steps that run with the aid of the cross-conveyor sorter 10 and the blow-off device 20 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention are listed in the flow chart shown in FIG. 5. In a first process step, the cross-conveyor sorter 10 is loaded with items S.sub.p, S.sub.d. It is irrelevant here whether the loading, as is usual with a cross-belt sorter 10a, takes place by means of the cross-conveyor sorter 10 itself and a pulling-in movement of the cross-conveyor device 13 located on it, or by means of a separate conveyor. In case of a tilt-tray sorter 10b, the tilt-trays 17 are typically loaded by means of a separate conveying means, not shown here.

(31) In a second, optional process step, the items S.sub.p, S.sub.d are transported on the cross-conveyor sorter 10 in the transport direction x. It is initially irrelevant whether an item S.sub.p is correctly deposited on the cross-conveyor device 13 or an item S.sub.d is out of place on a carriage component 11.

(32) In a third process step, the items S.sub.p correctly placed on the cross-conveyor device 13 are discharged at the unloading location 31 provided for this purpose. Should it be a misplaced item S.sub.d which is not sufficiently grasped and discharged by the cross-conveyor device 13, it remains on the carriage component 11 and is driven past the intended unloading location 31 following the transport direction x.

(33) In a fourth, optional process step, there is an identification of whether a misplaced item S.sub.d is present on a carriage component 11. This identification is carried out by the sensor unit 24 which, in the presence of a misplaced item S.sub.d, puts the blow-off device 20 into operation in a fifth process step.

(34) If the sensor unit 24 does not detect any misplaced item S.sub.d, the blow-off device 20 remains in a deactivated state.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(35) 10 cross-conveyor sorter 10a cross-belt sorter 10b tilt-tray sorter 11 carriage component 11a cover apron 11b cover plate 11c chassis 11d gaiter 12 carriage 13 cross-conveyor device 14 pulley 15 conveyor belt 16 wheels carriage 17 tilt-tray 18 tilt-tray arm 20 clearing apparatus, blow-off device 21 air outlet opening 22 collection table 23 blower, compressor 24 sensor unit 25 item sensor 26 carriage sensor 27 second blow-off device 28 second collection table 30 conveying track 31 unloading location 32 first side conveying track 33 second side conveying track d distance between carriages S.sub.p item S.sub.d misplaced item x transport direction y discharge direction z.sub.F level carriage component