METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETERMINING A QUALITY OF EMPTIES

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for determining a quality of empties comprising pallets, boxes and bottles which are fed to an equipment for sorting the empties according to the quality and for controlling the equipment. The method comprises: Receiving a pallet that is palletized with boxes that can comprise bottles, assigning information about an origin of the pallet; feeding the pallet to a depalletizer, determining whether the pallet is depalletizable, and assigning information to depalletizability to the pallet, and if the pallet is depalletizable, depalletizing the pallet; assigning information about the origin to each of the depalletized pallets; feeding the boxes to an empties inspection system, determining whether the boxes are unloadable, and assigning information about unloadability to each of the boxes; if the boxes are unloadable, checking the fullness with bottles and assigning information about the fullness to each of the boxes.

Claims

1. A method for determining a quality of empties comprising pallets, boxes, and bottles, which are fed to an equipment for sorting the empties according to the quality and for controlling the equipment, wherein the method comprises: receiving a pallet that is palletized with boxes that can comprise bottles, assigning information about an origin to the pallet, feeding the pallet to a depalletizer, determining whether the pallet is depalletizable, and assigning information about the depalletizability to the pallet, if the pallet is depalletizable, depalletizing the pallet, assigning information about the origin to each of the depalletized boxes, feeding the boxes to an empties inspection system, determining whether the boxes are unloadable, and assigning information about unloadability to each of the boxes, if the boxes are unloadable, checking the filling with bottles and assigning information about the fullness to each of the boxes, and using the information to control the equipment.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the empties inspection system, it is also ascertained whether the boxes are correct and whether the boxes are uniform, and wherein information about correctness and information about uniformity can be assigned to each of the boxes.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein if the boxes are unloadable, correct and homogenous, the boxes are unloaded and the boxes are fed to a box checking system, and the bottles are fed to a bottle checking system.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the assignment of the information about the origin of the pallet comprises: arranging a mark with the origin on the pallet and/or forwarding the information about the origin to a data processing device by means of controlling, counting and/or positioning by devices of the equipment.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein after depalletizing the following is performed: feeding the pallet to a pallet check, checking the pallet and assigning information about the check to the pallet, wherein, for example, the check comprises at least one from the following list: the pallet meets predetermined criteria, the pallet is intact, bottom boards and/or deck boards and/or blocks of the pallet are intact, tensile strength of the pallet meets predetermined values.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining a height of a stack of boxes and determining a number of boxes therefrom.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the assignment of the information about the origin to each of the boxes comprises: arranging a label with the origin on each of the boxes and/or forwarding the information about the origin to a data processing device by means of controlling, counting and/or positioning by devices of the equipment.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the check for being filled with bottles comprises: a first number of bottles that meet predetermined criteria, a second number of bottles that do not meet predetermined criteria, and/or a third number of missing bottles.

9. The method according to claim 5, further comprising checking each box, for example in a box checking system, and assigning information about the check to each of the boxes, wherein, for example, the check comprises at least one from the following list: the box fulfills predetermined criteria, the box does not fulfill predetermined criteria, the box is intact.

10. The method according to claim 5, further comprising checking each bottle, for example in a bottle checking system, and assigning information about the check to each of the bottles, wherein, for example, the check comprises at least one from the following list: the bottle fulfills predetermined criteria, the bottle does not fulfill predetermined criteria, the bottle is intact.

11. The method of claim 1, creating an empties quality statistic based on the existing information.

12. A device for determining a quality of empties comprising pallets, boxes and bottles which are fed to an equipment for sorting the empties according to the quality and for controlling the equipment, wherein the device is designed to carry out the method according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a depalletizer and an empties inspection system.

13. The device according to claim 12, further comprising a data processing device.

14. The device according to claim 12, further comprising an unloading device for unloading the boxes.

15. The device according to claim 12, further comprising an unloading device, a bottle checking system, and a box checking system.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0057] The accompanying figures are for better understanding and for illustrating aspects of the invention. In the drawings:

[0058] FIG. 1 shows empties comprising a pallet, boxes and bottles.

[0059] FIG. 2A shows a first level of an equipment in which a method for determining a quality of empties which is supplied to the equipment can be carried out for sorting the empties according to quality and for controlling the equipment, and

[0060] FIG. 2B shows a second level of the equipment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0061] FIG. 1 shows empties 1 which, for example, can be delivered by a truck to a reuse system for beverage production. The empties 1 comprise a pallet 2, for example a Euro pallet, on which 24 boxes 3 in three layers of 2×4 boxes are arranged, in the illustration 18 boxes 3.sub.1-3.sub.18. A box 3 has a height h.sub.k, and the stack of boxes 3 on the pallet has a height h.sub.s which is 3.Math.h.sub.k. It may also happen that different boxes, different dimensions, colors and/or material or the like are on a pallet 2.

[0062] Bottles 4 are arranged in the boxes 3. In this case, there can be one or more vacancies 5 at each of which a bottle is missing. This is, for example, the case with the boxes 3.sub.6, 3.sub.16 and 3.sub.18. It may also happen that a box does not comprise any bottles, i.e., is empty. It may also happen that different types of bottles are in one or more of the boxes 3.

[0063] For determining a quality of the empties 2, the pallets 2, boxes 3 and bottles 4 can each be checked separately in checking devices provided for this purpose. A batch or an inspection lot which is used for determining a quality of the empties 2 can comprise one or more pallets 2, each of which is palletized with boxes 3 and bottles 4 contained therein.

[0064] FIGS. 2A and 2B show by way of example a reuse system which is arranged in two levels, wherein the two levels are connected by means of an elevator. Alternatively, a reuse system can be formed on one level.

[0065] FIG. 2A shows a first level 6, for example the ground floor, a reuse system, also referred to as an equipment for short, in which a method for determining a quality of empties 1 (as shown for example in FIG. 1) comprising pallets 2, boxes 3, bottles 4, which are supplied to the equipment, can be carried out for sorting the empties 1 according to the quality and for controlling the equipment.

[0066] The empties 1 can be delivered to the equipment by means of a truck. Each of the pallets 2, or the pallets 2 which belong to a batch or to an inspection lot, is assigned information about an origin. The assignment of the information about the origin to the pallet 2 can comprise arranging a mark with the origin on the pallet 2 and/or sending the information about the origin by means of controlling, counting and/or positioning by devices of the equipment. The origin can refer to the truck, the supplier, the carrier and/or a supermarket from which the pallet 2 originates.

[0067] The empties 1 can be fed at a feed point to the equipment 7 by a forklift directly from the truck which has delivered the empties 1. From the feed point 7, the empties 1 are fed along a first transport path 8 and a second transport path 9 by means of transport devices to a pallet extraction station 10.

[0068] In the pallet extraction station 10, the pallet 2 is replaced with an empty pallet 11. The empty pallet 11 can be a checked pallet which had a required quality in a pallet check. The empty pallet 11 can be fed to the pallet extraction station 10 from an empty pallet magazine 12.

[0069] The pallet 2 can be fed to a depalletizer, wherein it can first be ascertained whether the pallet 2 is depalletizable, that is to say whether the boxes 3 with the bottles 4 contained therein are removable from the pallet 2. If the pallet 2 can be depalletized, the pallet 2 and the boxes 3 with the bottles 4 are depalletized in the pallet extraction station 10 on an empty pallet 11. The pallet 2 is assigned information about the depalletizability to the pallet 2. The assignment of the information about the origin to the pallet 2 can comprise arranging a mark with the origin on the pallet 2 and/or sending the information about the origin to a data processing device by means of controlling, counting and/or positioning by devices of the equipment.

[0070] The empty pallet 11 with the boxes 3 and bottles 4 is transported along a third transport path 19 by means of transport devices to an elevator 20, by means of which it is transported from the first level 6 of the equipment to a second level of the equipment (see FIG. 2B).

[0071] The pallet 2 is fed via a fourth transport path 13 to a pallet check 14. In the pallet checking system 14, the pallet 2 is checked, and information about the check is assigned to the pallet 2. The check can comprise at least one from the following list: the pallet 2 meets predetermined criteria, the pallet 2 is intact, bottom boards and/or deck boards and/or blocks of the pallet 2 are intact, tensile strength of the pallet 2 meets predetermined values. The assignment of the information about the check to the pallet 2 can comprise arranging a mark with the information about the check on the pallet 2, and/or sending the information about the check to the data processing device by means of controlling, counting and/or positioning by devices of the equipment.

[0072] If the check reveals that the pallet 2 is defective, i.e., for example, does not meet the predetermined criteria, it can be fed via a fifth transport path 17 to a defective pallet magazine 15.

[0073] If the check reveals that the pallet 2 is good, i.e., for example, meets the predetermined criteria, it can be fed via a sixth transport path 18 to a good pallet magazine 16. Pallets 2 from the good pallet magazine 16 can be transferred to the empty pallet magazine 12 and then used as empty pallets 11.

[0074] FIG. 2B shows a second level 21 of the equipment in which the boxes 3 and the bottles 4 are checked. The empty pallet 11 with the boxes 3 and the bottles 4 contained therein enters the second level 21 by means of the elevator 20. Along a seventh transport path 22, the empty pallet 11 is transported with the boxes 3 and the bottles 4 to an unloading device 23 which is designed here as a duplex unloader. In the unloading device 23, it is also possible to determine a height of the stack of boxes 3 on the empty pallet 11 and therefore a number of existing boxes 3. The boxes 3 with the bottles 4 are unloaded, wherein information about the origin is assigned to each of the boxes 3 during unloading. The assignment of the information about the origin to each of the boxes 3 can comprise arranging a mark with the origin on the box 3 and/or sending the information about the origin to the data processing device by means of controlling, counting and/or positioning by devices of the equipment.

[0075] By means of a bundle transport device 24, the unloaded boxes 3 are fed past a first inspection device 25 and a second inspection device 26 via a first feed 28 to a box merging system 27 and therefore to an empties inspection system 30. The first and second inspection devices 25, 26 can each be used to check for empties-related defects that may require operator intervention.

[0076] For each box 3, the empties inspection system 30 can determine whether the box 3 can be unloaded with an unloading device 35, that is to say, whether the bottles 4 can be removed from the box 3 by means of the unloading device 35. Information about unloadability is assigned to each of the boxes. The assignment of the information about unloadability to each of the boxes 3 can comprise arranging a mark with the information about unloadability on the box 3 and/or sending the information about unloadability to the data processing device by means of controlling, counting and/or positioning by devices of the equipment. In addition, it is ascertained whether the box 3 is correct, i.e., whether it corresponds to a predetermined type (e.g., color, dimensions, shape and/or logo, etc.). Information about the correctness is assigned to each of the boxes. The assignment of the information about the correctness to each of the boxes 3 can comprise arranging a mark with the information about correctness on the box 3 and/or sending the information to the data processing device by means of controlling, counting and/or positioning by devices of the equipment.

[0077] In addition, a first number of correct bottles, i.e., bottles which correspond to a predetermined type (e.g., color, dimensions and/or shape, etc.), a second number of incorrect bottles, i.e., bottles that deviate from a predetermined type (e.g., color, dimensions and/or shape, etc.), and a third number of vacancies 5 in the box 3 can be determined. Information about the numbers is assigned to each of the boxes 3. The assignment of the information about the numbers to each of the boxes 3 can comprise arranging a mark with the information about the numbers on the box 3 and/or sending the information about the numbers to the data processing device by means of controlling, counting and/or positioning by devices of the equipment. A box 3 can be considered uniform when it has only a first number of bottles 4 and/or a third number of vacancies 5.

[0078] Boxes 3 which are unloadable and correct and have only a first number of bottles 4 and/or a third number of vacancies 5 can be fed via a tenth transport path 34 to a subsequent unloading device 35. The bottles 4 can be removed from the box 3 by means of the unloading device 35 and then fed to a bottle checking system in which, for example, damage (for example, damage exists or no damage exists) to the bottles 4 can be checked. Information about origin and damage can be assigned to each of the bottles 4. The assignment of the information about the origin and damage to each of the bottles 4 can comprise arranging a mark with information about the origin and damage on the bottle 4 and/or sending the information about the origin and damage to the data processing device by means of controlling, counting and/or positioning by devices of the equipment.

[0079] The emptied box 3 can be fed to a box checking system in which, for example, the box 3 can be checked for damage (for example, damage exists or no damage exists). Information about damage can be assigned to each of the boxes 3. The assignment of the information about damage to each of the boxes 3 can comprise arranging a mark with the information about damage on the box 3 and/or sending the information about damage to the data processing device by means of controlling, counting and/or positioning by devices of the equipment.

[0080] Boxes 3 that are not unloadable and/or not correct and/or comprise a second number of bottles can be fed via an eighth transport path 31 to a manual sorting system 32. There, non-unloadability can be rectified, for example by removing an object from the box 3 which prevents unloading, and/or an incorrect box 3 can be removed and/or the second number of bottles can be removed. Thereafter, the box 3 can be supplied with bottles 4 via a ninth transport path 33 to a second feed 29, which introduces the box 3 with the bottles 4 into the box merging system 27. In the empties inspection system 30, no new information is assigned to the boxes 3 and bottles 4 that come from the manual sorting system.

[0081] FIGS. 1-2 are drawn to scale, although other relative sizing and positioning may be used, if desired.