Sorter

Abstract

The invention concerns a sorter having a base element that can be swiveled around a horizontal swivel axis with a number of support surfaces uniformly arranged about the swivel axis. Each of the support surfaces can be swiveled into a conveyor for conveying a product along a product stream and swiveled out of the conveyor for ejection of a product from the product stream.

Claims

1. A sorter for sorting products which are transported in a conveying direction along a conveyor, the sorter comprising: (a) a base element; (b) multiple support surfaces provided on the base element, each support surface lying in a respective plane extending parallel to a swivel axis of the base element, and the support surfaces being evenly arranged around the swivel axis so as to form the sides of a regular prism; and (c) the base element being mounted for rotation about the swivel axis so that each of the support surfaces is adapted to be swiveled into the conveyor, each respective support surface when swiveled into the conveyor extending parallel to the conveying direction and providing a transport layer for (i) receiving thereon a product delivered to the sorter by the conveyor so that the weight of the product is received by the transport layer and for (ii) further transport of the product in the conveying direction with the weight of the product received by the transport layer.

2. The sorter of claim 1 wherein the product received on the transport layer is removed from the conveyor by swiveling the base element by a swing angle or a whole number multiple of the swing angle about the swivel axis so that a respective support surface providing the transport layer when the product is received moves out of the conveyor to move the product to a sorting path that departs from the conveying direction.

3. The sorter of claim 2 wherein the swing angle is defined by the expression 360°/n, where 1<n<5.

4. The sorter of claim 2 wherein swiveling the base element about the swivel axis by the swing angle moves a different one of the support surfaces into the conveyor to provide the transport layer, the different one of the support surfaces comprising a respective support surface which is adjacent in a circumferential direction to the respective support surface providing the transport layer when the product was received.

5. The sorter of claim 1 further including a drivable means of transport at least along the transport layer, the drivable means of transport being operable for actively transporting products lying on the transport layer further in the conveying direction or along a sorting path that departs from the conveying direction.

6. The sorter of claim 5 wherein the drivable means of transport comprises a conveyor belt which extends around the base element.

7. The sorter of claim 6 further including a respective pulley between each two support surfaces which are adjacent to each other in a circumferential direction about the base element.

8. The sorter of claim 7 wherein at least one of the pulleys is drivable to propel the conveyor belt.

9. The sorter of claim 6 wherein: (a) the conveyor belt is driven by a drive roller arranged with a drive roller axis extending parallel to the swivel axis, the conveyor belt being guided around the drive roller on a side of the drive roller facing away from the transport layer; and (b) the drive roller is spaced further from the swivel axis than an imaginary intersection of planes formed by two adjacent support surfaces of the multiple support surfaces.

10. The sorter of claim 6 wherein: (a) the base element includes exactly three support surfaces which are arranged at an angle of 120° to each other; (b) the conveyor belt circulates around, and is supported by, all three of the support surfaces; and (c) at least one pulley is operable for propelling the conveyor belt around the three support surfaces.

11. A method for selectively removing products from a product stream, the method including: (a) delivering a first product to a transport layer of a sorter in a first sorter state, the first product being delivered in a conveying direction at a conveyor speed and when delivered resides on the transport layer so that the weight of the first product is received by the transport layer with the first product in position to be conveyed further in the conveying direction with the weight of the first product received by the transport layer, the transport layer in the first sorter state being provided by a first support surface extending parallel to the conveying direction, the first support surface comprising one of multiple support surfaces provided on a base element, each of the multiple support surfaces lying in a respective plane extending parallel to a swivel axis of the base element, and the support surfaces being evenly arranged around the swivel axis so as to form the sides of a regular prism; and (b) where the first product is to be removed from the product stream, swiveling the base element about the swivel axis in a rotation direction and through a swing angle to thereby transport the first product further to a sorting path that departs from the conveying direction.

12. The method of claim 11: (a) wherein swiveling the base element about the swivel axis in the rotation direction and through the swing angle also moves the sorter to a second sorter state in which a second support surface of the multiple support surfaces provides the transport layer; and (b) further including delivering a second product to the transport layer when the sorter is in the second sorter state, the second product comprising a product immediately following the first product in the product stream.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the sorter resides in a respective sorter state for each of the multiple support surfaces and reaches each respective sorter state by swiveling the base element in the rotation direction.

14. The method of claim 11 further including transporting the first product along the first support surface on a conveyor belt.

15. The method of claim 11: (a) wherein where the first product is to be retained in the product stream, maintaining the sorter in the first sorter state; and (b) further including transporting the first product along the first support surface on a conveyor belt where the first product is to be retained in the product stream and the sorter is maintained in the first sorter state and where the first product is to be removed from the product stream and the base element is swiveled about the swivel axis in the rotation direction.

16. A conveyor system including: (a) a sorter for sorting products which are transported in a conveying direction along a conveyor, the sorter comprising, (i) a base element, (ii) multiple support surfaces provided on the base element, each support surface lying in a respective plane extending parallel to a swivel axis of the base element, and the support surfaces being evenly arranged around the swivel axis so as to form the sides of a regular prism, and (iii) the base element being mounted for rotation about the swivel axis so that each of the support surfaces is adapted to be swiveled into the conveyor, each respective support surface when swiveled into the conveyor extending parallel to the conveying direction and providing a transport layer for (i) receiving thereon a product delivered to the sorter by the conveyor so that the weight of the product is received by the transport layer and for (ii) further transport of the product in the conveying direction with the weight of the product received by the transport layer; and (b) an outfeed unit adjacent to the sorter downstream in the conveying direction, the outfeed unit defining an outfeed transport layer substantially aligned with the transport layer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a perspective lateral view of a sorter in a simplified representation.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a modified embodiment of the sorter with a drive for a conveyor belt, the drive being located outside of the base element.

DESCRIPTION OF REPRESENTATIVE EMBODIMENTS

(3) FIG. 1 shows a sorter A according to the invention, which is suitable for integration into a conveyor line indicated in FIG. 2. The sorter A is comprised in particular a base element L, which can be swiveled around a swivel axis S, which is arranged centrally to base element L and is horizontally aligned in these illustrated embodiments.

(4) In cross section with respect to swivel axis S the base element L has the outline of an equilateral triangle, where each side is formed in each case by a support surface T.sub.1, T.sub.2 and T.sub.3. The base element L can be swiveled around axis S, so that each of the support surfaces T.sub.1 to T.sub.3 forms the top side of the triangular base element L and thus forms a transport layer, to which a product to be removed or sent on can be delivered (FIG. 1 shows the base element L in a different rotary position. By pivoting the base element by 60° in the indicated direction of rotation D from the orientation shown in FIG. 1, the support surface T.sub.2 forms the transport layer just described).

(5) In the version in FIG. 1 the support surfaces T.sub.1 to T.sub.3 are designed as low-friction sliding surfaces, on which a product can slide along with a low sliding resistance. By pivoting the base element L around the swivel axis S a product lying on the uppermost support surface can be moved out of the transport layer, so that it can slide down on its relative support surface because of the force of gravity and from there can fall into a sorting container, which is not shown in more detail.

(6) FIG. 2 shows a modified embodiment of a sorter A according to the invention. Here, too, the base element L (shown opened) is formed by three support surfaces T.sub.1 to T.sub.3, which are regularly arranged around the swivel axis S as an equilateral prism. The base element L can be swiveled around the swivel axis S in the direction D by a drive, which is not shown in more detail, so that in each case one of the support surfaces T.sub.1 to T.sub.3 takes an upper, preferably horizontal, orientation, in which the relevant support surface comes to lie in an imaginary transport layer E.sub.F.

(7) The transport layer E.sub.F preferably lies at the same height as a schematically shown infeed layer E.sub.Z and outfeed layer E.sub.A. Individual products P.sub.a, P.sub.b, P.sub.c are conveyed one after the other in conveying direction F from the infeed layer E.sub.Z over the transport layer E.sub.F to the outfeed layer E.sub.A, in order to be sent from there to further processing. In the infeed layer E.sub.Z and/or the outfeed layer E.sub.A conveying means can be provided, for example, conveyor belts, in order to produce or support transport of the products. These transport means are not shown in the simplified view of FIG. 1.

(8) In the embodiment shown for purposes of example in FIG. 2, a conveyor belt B, which is guided around a drivable drive roller G, encircles the base element L. A drive roller G is arranged on the side of the swivel axis S away from the transport layer E.sub.F. Rotation of the drive roller G propels the conveyor belt B around the base element L as the two directional arrows show. In doing so, it passes over the support surface T.sub.1, which has now been swiveled into the transport layer E.sub.F and which the conveyor belt therefore supports from below in the vertical direction. A product P.sub.c provided from the infeed layer E.sub.Z can therefore be transported further by the conveyor belt B along the transport layer E.sub.F and in the conveyor direction F and can be transferred to the outfeed layer E.sub.A.

(9) Products P.sub.b and P.sub.c, which are not slated for removal from the product stream, are forwarded in this way from the infeed layer E.sub.Z to the outfeed layer E.sub.A. The base element L maintains its rotary position relative to the infeed and outfeed layers without change. The rotary speed of the drive roller G is in this case selected so that the speed of the conveyor belt B corresponds to the speed V at which the individual products are delivered to the transport layer E.sub.F or are taken from it. This ensures a smooth transfer of the products.

(10) The surfaces of the support surfaces T.sub.1 to T.sub.3 that are turned outward are preferably made of low-friction material, so that the conveyor belt B sliding along on them can be driven with only low sliding resistance.

(11) If a product to be removed from the product stream (for example, product P.sub.b in FIG. 2) reaches the transport layer E.sub.F and the conveyor belt B, which is supported there by the current support surface T.sub.1, this product can be removed by swiveling the base element L around the swivel axis S. Upon swiveling the base element L the support surface T.sub.1 carrying the product to be removed leaves the transport layer E.sub.F. The support surface T.sub.1 tilts relative to conveyor direction F and while the rear end of the support surface T.sub.1 lifts upward temporarily above the transport layer E.sub.F, the forward end of the support surface T.sub.1 moves downward below the transport layer E.sub.F and thus below the outfeed plane E.sub.A. Depending on the speed of the conveyor belt B and the swivel speed ω of the base element L around the swivel axis S a gap will form between the support surface T.sub.1 and the outfeed layer E.sub.A, through which the product P.sub.b intended for removal is moved out of the product speed along a sorting path W.

(12) Through the pivoting of the base element L about the swivel axis S not only is the uppermost support surface T.sub.1 pivoted out of the transport layer, but the next support surface T.sub.2 adjacent to said support surface in the circumferential direction is pivoted into the transport layer E.sub.F. It thus takes on the function of the support surface T.sub.1 that was just there, in order to receive another product P.sub.C, which follows the product P.sub.B that was removed. Said following product can, without the base element L being swiveled again, be sent in the transport direction F to the outfeed plane E.sub.A by the conveyor belt B transporting the product P.sub.C along the second support surface T.sub.C, while the base element L essentially remains in the same position. If the product P.sub.C is also to be removed, the previously described swiveling operation is repeated, the product P.sub.C leaves the transport F along the sorting path W and the third support surface T.sub.3 reaches the transport layer E.sub.F.

(13) The movement of a product P.sub.b that is being removed along the sorting path W can be affected by the speed of the conveyor belt B and the angular speed ω of the base element L. A relatively simple procedure provides that the speed of the conveyor belt B is kept constant and corresponds approximately to the speed V at which the product P.sub.b is delivered to or taken from the sorter along the conveyor. The angular speed m of the base element L can likewise be essentially kept constant during a swiveling operation.

(14) Preferably, however, the angular speed is preset in dependence on the swing angle in order to be able to set a specific falling curve for the product being removed. Preferably, a swiveling operation does not begin until a product being removed has moved over half of the support surface that is supporting the product. If the swiveling operation begins earlier, the product would be located on the segment of the support surface that was initially raised upward a bit above the transport surface E.sub.F, which would accelerate the product being removed upward against the force of gravity and could give rise to an uncontrolled further conveyance. However, if the product being removed has reached the front half of the support surface, with a view to the swivel direction, before the beginning of the swiveling operation, it can follow the front half of the support surface that is dipping below the transport layer E.sub.F upon swiveling and can be ejected in a controlled way.

(15) The belt speed of the conveyor belt B and the angular speed ω of the base element L can, moreover, be selected so that a product being removed undergoes accelerating force, which is exerted by the relevant supporting surface on the product, as the following observation illustrates:

(16) A product P.sub.b moving at velocity V in conveyor direction F exactly above the swivel axis S, or in the middle of the support surface T.sub.1 lying above it, would from this position follow the force of gravity in a free parabolic trajectory if the base element L were not present. However, since it is present, the free trajectory can only then be observed if the swiveling of the base element L and the speed of the conveyor belt B are appropriately matched. The reverse is correspondingly true: the belt speed and the angular speed can affect the path of the removed product P.sub.b if these parameters are set differently. For example, the belt speed could be set relative to base element L so that the sorted product is engaged by the segment of the relevant support surface that is at the rear in the circumferential direction and from the rotary motion of the base element experiences an accelerated force perpendicular to support surface T. In turn, depending on the parameter ω, the current swing angle and the current position of the product P.sub.b along the support surface T that is being pivoted, the point at which the product P.sub.b leaves the pivoting support surface can be determined. From that, different sorting paths can be established, of which one path W′ is indicated as an example in FIG. 2.

(17) An alternative to the conveyor belt B drive arrangement shown in FIG. 2 may include one or more driven pulleys included on the base element L itself. For example, in the base element L shown in FIG. 1, each element at the corners of the triangular structure of base element L may comprise a pulley. One or more of these pulleys R may be driven by suitable means to drive a conveyor belt (not shown in FIG. 1) around the base unit. Such an alternative arrangement dispenses with the need for the external drive roller G shown in FIG. 2.

(18) As used herein, whether in the above description or the following claims, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, that is, to mean including but not limited to. Also, it should be understood that the terms “about,” “substantially,” and like terms used herein when referring to a dimension or characteristic of a component indicate that the described dimension/characteristic is not a strict boundary or parameter and does not exclude variations therefrom that are functionally similar. At a minimum, such references that include a numerical parameter would include variations that, using mathematical and industrial principles accepted in the art (e.g., rounding, measurement or other systematic errors, manufacturing tolerances, etc.), would not vary the least significant digit.

(19) Any use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., in the following claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another, or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed. Rather, unless specifically stated otherwise, such ordinal terms are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term).

(20) The term “each” may be used in the following claims for convenience in describing characteristics or features of multiple elements, and any such use of the term “each” is in the inclusive sense unless specifically stated otherwise. For example, if a claim defines two or more elements as “each” having a characteristic or feature, the use of the term “each” is not intended to exclude from the claim scope a situation having a third one of the elements which does not have the defined characteristic or feature.

(21) The above described preferred embodiments are intended to illustrate the principles of the invention, but not to limit the scope of the invention. Various other embodiments and modifications to these preferred embodiments may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in some instances, one or more features disclosed in connection with one embodiment can be used alone or in combination with one or more features of one or more other embodiments. More generally, the various features described herein may be used in any working combination.