CONVEYING SYSTEM HAVING PRODUCT DISPENSING MONITORING

Abstract

A conveyor system for conveying and delivering conveyed goods and including a tray conveyor having a plurality of conveyor trays displaceable along a conveyor track. The conveyor trays each include at least one conveyor tray element. The system further includes at least one sensor device disposed along the conveyor track of the conveyor trays for detecting conveyed goods. The at least one conveyor tray element has at least one pass-through opening. The sensor device is implemented and disposed such that a measuring beam path of the sensor device is aimed through the at least one pass-through opening on the at least one conveyor tray element in a defined conveying position of the at least one conveyor tray element.

Claims

1. A conveyor system conveying and delivering conveyed goods and comprising a tray conveyor having a plurality of conveyor trays displaceable along a conveyor track, the conveyor trays each comprising at least one conveyor tray element, and comprising at least one sensor device disposed along the conveyor track of the conveyor trays for detecting conveyed goods, wherein the at least one conveyor tray element comprises at least one pass-through region, and the sensor device is designed and disposed such that a measuring beam path of the sensor device is aimed through the at least one pass-through region on the at least one conveyor tray element in a defined conveying position of the at least one conveyor tray element.

2. The conveyor system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one conveyor tray element is flat in design.

3. The conveyor system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor device is designed for detecting an at least partial covering, by a conveyed good or foreign object, of the at least one pass-through region in the at least one conveyor tray element.

4. The conveyor system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one pass-through region is a pass-through opening in the conveyor tray element.

5. The conveyor system according to claim 4, wherein the at least one pass-through opening is a viewing window or a passage hole.

6. The conveyor system according to claim 4, wherein the at least one pass-through opening is elongated in design, and the longitudinal axis of the pass-through opening is aligned particularly parallel to the conveying direction.

7. The conveyor system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor device comprises at least one sensor unit, particularly at least one optoelectronic sensor unit, such as a laser sensor unit.

8. The conveyor system according to claim 7, wherein the sensor device comprises a plurality of sensor units spaced apart from each other, particularly a plurality of optoelectronic sensor units, such as laser sensor units, the measuring beam paths thereof being disposed: successively in the conveying direction, and/or successively transverse to the conveying direction.

9. The conveyor system according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor tray forms a receiving space for receiving a conveyed good and the at least one conveyor tray element is a pivotable side wall bounding the receiving space.

10. The conveyor system according to claim 9, wherein the conveyor system comprises at least one delivery station disposed along the conveyor track for delivering a conveyed good from the conveyor tray, and the sensor device is disposed such that a measuring beam path of the sensor device is aimed through the at least one pass-through region of the side wall of the conveyor tray pivoted down for delivering the conveyed good at the delivery station in a measurement interval at the delivery station.

11. The conveyor system according to claim 9, wherein the sensor device is designed for detecting an at least partial covering, by a conveyed good, of the at least one pass-through region of the side wall pivoted down at the delivery station, particularly a temporary covering by a conveyed good sliding down to the delivery station from the conveyor tray across the side wall pivoted down.

12. The conveyor system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one conveyor tray element forms the conveyor tray floor of the conveyor tray.

13. The conveyor system according to claim 12, wherein the sensor device is designed for detecting a covering, by a conveyed good present on the conveyor tray, of the at least one pass-through region in the conveyor tray floor.

14. The conveyor system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one conveyor tray element forms a cover element of a cover device for at least partially covering an intermediate space between two conveyor trays adjacent to each other along the conveyor track.

15. The conveyor system according to claim 14, wherein the sensor device is designed for detecting a covering, by a misplaced conveyed good or foreign object, of the measuring beam path leading through the at least one pass-through region in the cover element.

16. A method for detecting conveyed goods conveyed by means of a conveyor system according to claim 1, wherein a measuring beam of the sensor device is aimed through the at least one pass-through region on the at least one conveyor tray element in a defined conveying position of the at least one conveyor tray element, and detects a covering, by a conveyed good, of the measuring beam path leading through the pass-through region.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the sensor device comprises an optoelectronic sensor unit by means of which the reflection of the measuring beam at the conveyed good at least partially covering the at least one pass-through region is detected.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the sensor device determines whether a conveyed good at the delivery station has slid down from the conveyor tray to the delivery station across the side wall pivoted downward.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein measuring beams of a plurality of sensor units are each aimed through a pass-through region in the side wall pivoted down, by means of which the sliding behavior, such as the sliding speed, of the conveyed good is determined.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein measurement intervals are matched to the conveying motion or to the conveying cycle of the conveyor trays, wherein the measurement intervals each take place synchronously with the motion of the at least one pass-through region, in particular pass-through opening, through the measuring beam path of the sensor device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0144] The object of the invention is explained in further detail below using preferred embodiment examples shown in the attached figures. They show, schematically in each case:

[0145] FIG. 1: a plan view of a sorting conveyor;

[0146] FIG. 2: a perspective view of a conveyor unit;

[0147] FIG. 3: a view of a sorting system according to FIG. 1 in the conveying direction from the region of the delivery stations, having two conveyor units in each of a first and second tipped position according to one embodiment;

[0148] FIG. 4: a view of a sorting system according to FIG. 1 in the conveying direction from the region of the delivery stations, having two conveyor units in each of a first and second tipped position according to a further embodiment;

[0149] FIG. 5a: a side view of two conveyor trays of a further embodiment;

[0150] FIG. 5b: a plan view of the two conveyor trays according to FIG. 5a;

[0151] FIG. 6: a perspective view of a detail of a further embodiment of a conveyor unit;

[0152] FIG. 7: a perspective view of a detail of a further embodiment of a conveyor unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0153] FIG. 1 shows a schematic depiction of a sorting conveyor 1. The sorting conveyor 1 implements a closed conveyor track 2, along which conveyor units 13 for loading with conveyed goods 60 and having tipping trays 7 can be displaced (see also FIG. 2).

[0154] The sorting conveyor 1 implements a loading zone Z1. The loading zone Z1 defines a conveyor track segment along which the conveyor units 13 are loaded with conveyed goods 60 by means of one or more loading stations 14.

[0155] The conveyor units 13 loaded with conveyed goods 60 are conveyed past a capturing station 41 in the conveying direction F, at which an information carrier 61 on the conveyed good 60 is read out for identification of the conveyed good 60. The data is transmitted to a control device 30. The conveyor units 13 are conveyed onward subsequent to the capturing station 41 into a delivery zone Z2, in which the conveyed goods 60 are delivered from the conveyor units 13 to a takeover device 70 at delivery stations 4 disposed successively along the conveyor track 2.

[0156] The sorting conveyor 1 includes delivery stations 4 disposed on both sides of the conveyor track 2 in the delivery zone Z2. This allows delivering of the conveyed goods toward two delivery sides.

[0157] To this end, the tipping trays 7 of the conveyor units 13 are displaced through the delivery zone Z2 in the tipped position. By assuming a tipped position of the tipping trays 7 when entering into the delivery zone Z2, it is already predetermined on which delivery side the conveyed good 60 will be delivered.

[0158] Because the tipping tray 60 is present along the delivery zone Z2 in the tipped position, the side wall 15, 16 of the tipping tray 7 on the delivery side need only be pivoted downward from a retaining position into a delivery position for delivering the conveyed good when passing the relevant delivery station 4 (see also FIGS. 3 and 4). This is done, for example, by a control element 31 associated with each delivery station 4. For clarity, only one control element 31 is sketched schematically in FIG. 1. The control element 31 can be a switching element for releasing a locking mechanism (see also FIGS. 3 and 4) for locking the side wall 15, 16. The control element 31 is controlled by the control device 30.

[0159] As soon as the corresponding side wall 15, 16 has been pivoted downward into the delivery position, the conveyed good 60 can slide down from the tilted tipping tray 7 toward the delivery station 4.

[0160] The conveyed good 60 is taken over by a takeover device 70 at the delivery station 4. After departing the delivery zone Z2, the tipping tray 7 is displaced back from the tipped position into the horizontal conveying position.

[0161] The conveyor units 13 are then displaced back into the loading zone Z1, where said units are again loaded with a conveyed good 60. A new conveying and sorting cycle thus begins.

[0162] Further stations can, of course, also be provided along the conveyor track 2 of the sorting conveyor 1, particularly between the loading zone and the delivery zone, such as a discharge station for discharging damaged or incorrectly placed conveyed goods 60 or foreign objects.

[0163] The sorting conveyor 1 is driven by a drive 32. The drive 32 is controlled by a the control device 30.

[0164] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a track-guided, i.e. rail-guided conveyor unit 13, such as can be used in a sorting conveyor 1 according to FIG. 1, for example.

[0165] The conveyor unit 13 includes a tippable conveyor tray 7 and a running carriage 10. The conveyor tray 7 is disposed on the running carriage 10 and connected thereto by a tipping mechanism 12 (see FIG. 3).

[0166] The tipping mechanism 12 allows tipping of the conveyor tray 7 relative to the running carriage 10 toward a first tipping side into a first tipped position and toward a second tipping side opposite the first tipping side into a second tipped position.

[0167] The conveyor tray 7 includes a conveyor tray floor 19 forming a support surface for a conveyed good 60. The conveyor tray floor 19 is enclosed by a first left and second right side wall 15, 16 as seen in the conveying direction F, and by a front and rear bounding wall 17, 18 as seen in the conveying direction F. The side and bounding walls 15-18 together with the conveyor tray floor 19 implement, i.e. form a receiving space 8 for the conveyed good 60. Furthermore, the side and bounding walls prevent the conveyed good 60 from sliding off the support surface.

[0168] The side walls 15, 16 are each correspondingly disposed toward one tipping side. The side walls 15, 16 can be pivoted between a conveying position, in which said walls prevent the conveyed good 60 from sliding off the support surface, into a delivery position, in which said walls expose a delivery opening for delivering the conveyed good 60 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

[0169] The side walls 15, 16 are each pivotably supported about a pivot axis independently of each other. The side walls 15, 16 each interact with a pretensioned torsion spring 24 disposed in the pivot axis for exerting on the side walls 15, 16 a return force in the direction of the delivery position.

[0170] The side walls 15, 16 are retained in the locked position by a locking mechanism 25 in the conveying position, that is, when the side walls 15, 16 are pivoted upward. For pivoting the side walls 15, 16 downward, the locking of the locking mechanism 25 is released, whereby the side walls 15, 16 are autonomously pivoted into the delivery position due to the return force of the rotary spring 24, that is, are pivoted downward.

[0171] The releasing of the locking of the locking mechanism 25 takes place by the control element 31 actuating an actuating element 26 on the locking mechanism 25. The control element 31 can be switched on by the control device 30.

[0172] The locking mechanism 25 is connected to the conveyor tray 7 by a rotary joint connection. A pretensioned torsion spring 27 disposed in the rotary axis autonomously presses the locking mechanism 25 into the locking position. The control element 31 displaces the locking mechanism 25 opposite the return force of the torsion spring 27 out of the locking position when the actuating element 26 is actuated, so that the side wall 15, 16 can pivot downward.

[0173] The side walls 15, 16 implement a sliding surface for the conveyed good 60 in the delivery position.

[0174] For pivoting the side walls 15, 16 upward into the conveying position, said walls are folded up again by a control element (not shown) opposite the return force of the torsion spring 24. Said walls consequently catch in a latched position on the locking mechanism 25.

[0175] Other technical solutions for pivoting and locking the side walls 15, 16 between the conveying position and the delivery position are possible, of course.

[0176] The running carriage 10 includes rollers 11 for rolling along guide surfaces in a guide channel implemented by a guide rail 6. The guide rail 6 is disposed centered relative to the conveyor units 13. The running carriages 10 of the conveyor units 13 are each connected to each other by a hinged connection and thus form a chain of the conveyor units 13.

[0177] The side walls 15, 16 each include a series of elongated holes 23 disposed in a row one after the other as seen in the conveying direction F. The conveyor tray floor 19 also includes a row of elongated holes 23 disposed one after the other as seen in the conveying direction F. The function of said elongated holes 23 is explained in detail using FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0178] FIGS. 3 and 4 show sorting systems 1 such as is shown in FIG. 1, for example, each having a different arrangement of the sensor device, i.e. the sensor units 50, 51. The view is in the conveying direction F from the region of the delivery stations 4 and shows two conveyor units 13 each having a tipping tray 7 present in a first and opposite second tipping position toward the left and right side.

[0179] The conveyor units 13 each include a conveyor tray, i.e. tipping tray 7 and a running carriage 10 having rollers 11. The conveyor trays 7 are each connected to the running carriage 10 by a tipping mechanism 12. The tipping of the conveyor trays 7 takes place, for example, by a cam track, not shown here, making contact with a contact element on the conveyor tray 7 or the tipping mechanism 12.

[0180] The running carriage 10 and thus the conveyor unit 13 runs along a guide rail 6 by the rollers 11. The guide rail 6 correspondingly defines the conveyor track 2 of the conveyor units 13.

[0181] The two conveyor units 13 shown are disposed one after the other and are present at the height of a delivery station 4 disposed at the left and right side. The conveyor trays 7 of the conveyor units 13 are correspondingly tipped to the left and right sides in the conveying direction F.

[0182] The delivery stations 4 each include a tilted sliding element 5 implementing a sliding surface for the conveyed good 60 to be delivered. The side wall 15, 16 facing toward the delivery station 4 in each case is correspondingly pivoted downward toward the sliding element 5 and the inner wall surface thereof itself implements a sliding surface for adjoining to the sliding or slipping surface of the sliding element 5.

[0183] The conveyed good 60 thus slides at the delivery station 4 from the tilted conveyor tray 7 onto the sliding surface of the sliding element 5 under the influence of gravity across the side wall 15, 16 pivoted downward.

[0184] The side walls 15, 16 include penetrations 23, i.e. openings as shown in FIG. 2, for example.

[0185] An optoelectronic sensor unit 51 of a sensor device 50 is disposed below the conveyor tray 7, i.e. below the side wall 15, 16 pivoted downward. The measuring beam, i.e. the measuring beam path 52 thereof leads through a penetration 23, i.e. opening of the side wall 15, 16 pivoted downward in a defined measurement interval during a delivery time window.

[0186] The measurement interval is clocked or synchronized by the control device 30 to the motion of the conveyor trays 7 or of the at least one penetration 23, i.e. opening along the conveyor track 2, such that the measuring procedure takes place when the measuring beam path 52, i.e. the measuring beam of the sensor device 50, i.e. the sensor unit 51 is aimed through the penetration 23, i.e. opening of the side wall 15, 16 pivoted downward passing by in conveying direction F. The duration of the measurement interval is particularly matched to the span of time in which the measuring beam path 52 is aimed through the penetration 23 passing by at the conveying speed. For an elongated hole 23 aligned in the conveying direction F, said span of time is longer than for a round hole, for example.

[0187] The optoelectronic sensor unit 51 is a reflective light sensor. When the conveyed good 60 sliding down covers the penetration 23 and the measuring beam 52, the measuring beam 52 emitted by the transmitter of the sensor unit 51, such as a laser beam, is at least partially reflected through the penetration 23 by the conveyed good 60 and is received by the receiver of the sensor unit 51. The information that the conveyed good 60 has been delivered at the delivery station 4 is derived therefrom.

[0188] If, however, the penetration 23 and accordingly the measuring beam 52 is not covered by the conveyed good 60, then the measuring beam 52 aimed through the penetration is not reflected. The information that no conveyed good 60 has been delivered at the delivery station 4 is derived therefrom.

[0189] According to FIG. 2, a plurality of elongated holes 23 disposed one after the other in a row in the conveying direction F are disposed in the side wall 15, 16. The control device 30 can be implemented such that one measurement interval is triggered for each penetration 23, i.e. hole passing through the stationary measuring beam path 52. There are thus a plurality of successive measurement intervals during the delivery time window. The delivery of the conveyed good 60 can thus be monitored by the sensor device 50 over the duration of the delivery time window.

[0190] According to the embodiment according to FIG. 4, the conveyor tray floor 19 includes penetrations 23, i.e. openings or holes, at the side edge regions thereof facing toward the delivery sides, as are shown in FIG. 2, for example. Said side edge regions are typically not covered by the conveyed good 60 during conveying, but rather only when the conveyed good 60 is delivered.

[0191] An optoelectronic sensor unit 51 of a sensor device 50 is disposed below the conveyor tray 7. The measuring beam, i.e. the measuring beam path 52 thereof leads through a penetration 23, i.e. hole in the conveyor tray floor 19 in a defined measurement interval at the point in time of delivering.

[0192] The measurement interval is clocked or synchronized by the control device 30 to the motion of the conveyor trays 7 or of the penetration 23 along the conveyor track 2, such that the measuring procedure takes place when the penetration 23 in the conveyor tray floor 19 is displaced through the measuring beam path 52 of the sensor device 50, i.e. the sensor unit 51. The duration of the measurement interval is particularly matched to the span of time in which the measuring beam path 52 is aimed through the penetration 23 passing by at the conveying speed. For an elongated hole 23 aligned in the conveying direction F, said span of time is longer than for a round hole, for example.

[0193] The optoelectronic sensor unit 51 is a reflective light sensor. When the conveyed good 60 sliding down covers the penetration 23 or the measuring beam 52, the measuring beam 52 emitted by the transmitter of the sensor unit 51, such as a laser beam, is at least partially reflected through the penetration 23 by the conveyed good 60 and is received by a receiver of the sensor unit 51. The information that the conveyed good 60 has been delivered at the delivery station 4 is derived therefrom.

[0194] If, however, the penetration 23 and the measuring beam 52 is not covered by the conveyed good 60, then the measuring beam 52 aimed through the penetration 23 is not reflected. The information that no conveyed good 60 has been delivered at the delivery station 4 is derived therefrom.

[0195] According to FIG. 2, a plurality of elongated holes 23 disposed one after the other in a row in the conveying direction F are disposed in the conveyor tray floor 19. The control device 30 can now be implemented such that one measurement interval is triggered for each penetration 23 displaced through the measuring beam path 52. There are thus a plurality of successive measurement intervals during the delivery time window. The delivering of the conveyed good 60 can thus be monitored by the sensor device 50 over the duration of the delivery time window.

[0196] Alternatively, the penetrations 23, i.e. the openings or the holes, can also be disposed in a central region of the conveyor tray floor 19. In this case, failure to cover the penetrations 23 would indicate delivering of the conveyed good 60, while covering the penetrations 23 would indicate a lack of delivering. In this case, the sensor unit 51 would be disposed closer to the end of the delivery station 4 or after the same along the conveyor track 2.

[0197] FIGS. 5a and 5b show conveyor trays 7 having a covering device 20 for covering the intermediate space 9 between two successive conveyor trays 7.

[0198] The covering device 20 is implemented as multiple parts and includes a first and second cover plate element 21.1, 21.2 connected to the rear bounding wall 18 of the conveyor tray 7 by a hinge 35. The second cover plate element 21.2 is connected to the first cover plate element 21.1 by a further hinge 36. The cover device 20 is supported on a support mandrel 38 on which the second cover plate element 21.2 is displaceably supported. The support mandrel 38 is disposed, i.e. arranged at the front bounding wall 17 of the following conveyor tray 7.

[0199] The cover elements 21.1, 21.2 can alternatively also be connected to the front bounding wall 17 by a hinge and the support mandrel 38 can be disposed on the rear bounding wall 18.

[0200] The two first and second cover plate elements 21.1, 21.2 are further connected to each other across the hinges by a return spring 37 disposed below the plate elements. The return spring 37 exerts a return force on the two plate elements 21.1, 21.2, holding down the cover plate elements 21.1, 21.2.

[0201] In case of relative motions between two successive conveyor units, the cover device 20 can slide on the support mandrel 38 or can roll on the support mandrel 38. The support mandrel 38 serves as a support for displaceably supporting the cover device 20. Furthermore, the cover plate elements 21.1, 21.2 can be folded together or compressed by the hinge 36 when the intermediate space 9 is reduced, for example on curved tracks.

[0202] The two cover plate elements 21.1, 21.2 include penetrations 23, i.e. holes or openings through which the measuring beam path 52 of a sensor unit 51 disposed, i.e. arranged below the conveyor trays 7, i.e. conveyor units 13 is aimed in a defined measurement interval in an analogous manner to the embodiment examples of FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0203] When the cover device 20, i.e. the cover plate elements 21.1, 21.2 thereof are covered by incorrectly placed conveyed good 60 or a foreign object, then said state is registered accordingly by the sensor unit 51, in that the receiver of the sensor unit 51 receives the at least one measuring beam partially reflected by the conveyed good 60 or a foreign object.

[0204] When incorrectly placed conveyed good 60 or a foreign object covering the cover device 20 is detected, the operating personnel can be informed of said state by a corresponding warning. The personnel then remove the incorrectly placed conveyed good 60 or foreign object and places the same correctly in the conveyor tray 7.

[0205] The conveyor system is preferably stopped and thus placed in a safe operating state until the incorrectly placed conveyed good or foreign object has been removed or discharged.

[0206] The measurement method and determining of the measurement intervals follows in an analogous manner to the embodiments described above in conjunction with penetrations 23 in the pivotable side wall 15, 16 or in the conveyor tray floor 19.

[0207] FIG. 6 shows a detail of a further embodiment of a conveyor unit or conveyor tray, wherein the pass-through region 28 is implemented, i.e. formed directly in each case by the pivotable side walls 15, 16, said walls being made of a transparent material such as glass or acrylic glass.

[0208] It can also be provided that the conveyor tray floor or the cover device 20 or the cover plate elements 21.1, 21.2 are made of a transparent material such as glass or acrylic glass and thus implement the pass-through region.

[0209] FIG. 7 shows a detail of a further embodiment of a conveyor unit or conveyor tray, wherein the pass-through openings are implemented as viewing windows 29. The viewing windows 29 can be made of a transparent material, for example, such as glass or acrylic glass.

[0210] The penetrations shown in FIGS. 2 through 5 can also fundamentally be viewing windows.