End-point device for a sorting and picking system

Abstract

A terminal device for a sorting and order-picking system, wherein the terminal device has at least one transport device having a charge side and a discharge side wherein on the charge side goods of a conveying means can be loaded and stored on the transport devices until the end of a loading cycle. The terminal device, can be integrated into existing sorting and picking systems without costly conversion measures and also enables the largest possible storage capacity for the goods, wherein at least the charge side of the transport device is lowered during the loading cycle from an upper position (H.sub.o) to a lower position (H.sub.u).

Claims

1. A terminal device for a sorting and picking system, the terminal device comprising: at least one transport device having a charge side and a discharge side, wherein on the charge side goods of a conveying means can be loaded and stored on the transport device until the end of a loading cycle, wherein at least the charge side of the transport device is lowered during the loading cycle from an upper position (H.sub.o) to a lower position (H.sub.u), and wherein a loading height sensor (S.sub.1-6) is arranged on the charge side and/or the discharge side of the at least one transport device.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the charge side is lowerable below a level (HA) of the discharge side.

3. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one transport device is pivotally mounted about its discharge side.

4. The terminal device according to claim 3, the discharge side of a first transport device is adjacent to the charge side of a second transport device, wherein the conveying means is composed of the first transport device, wherein the charge side is movable by means of a drive unit between the upper position (H.sub.o) and the lower position (H.sub.u), wherein the drive unit is connected to the charge side of the transport device, wherein the drive unit engages the transport device in the region of its centre of mass (M), and wherein the drive unit comprises a fluid cylinder and/or a linear drive.

5. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the charge side is lowered or raised together with the transport device in a translatory direction.

6. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge side of a first transport device is adjacent to the charge side of a second transport device, wherein the conveying means is composed of the first transport device.

7. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the charge side is movable by means of a drive unit between the upper position (Ho) and the lower position (Hu).

8. The terminal device according to claim 7, wherein the drive unit is connected to the charge side of the at least one transport device.

9. The terminal device according to claim 7, wherein the drive unit engages the at least one transport device in the region of its centre of mass (M).

10. The terminal device according to claim 7, wherein the drive unit comprises a fluid cylinder or a linear drive.

11. The terminal device according to claim 7, wherein a gallows is arranged above the at least one transport device and the drive unit cooperates with a drum a hawser placed thereon, wherein the drive unit or a pulley is attached on the gallows.

12. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one transport device has a transport path from an upper run of a belt conveyor, a roller conveyor, a ball table, a pneumatic table or a chute.

13. A terminal device for a sorting and picking system, the terminal device comprising: at least one transport device having a charge side and a discharge side, wherein on the charge side goods of a conveying means can be loaded and stored on the transport device until the end of a loading cycle, wherein at least the charge side of the transport device is lowered during the loading cycle from an upper position (H.sub.o) to a lower position (H.sub.u) so that pieces of goods can be stored in multiple layers on the transport device, and wherein a substantially vertically aligned holdback wall is arranged between the charge side of the transport device and a discharge side of an upstream conveying means preventing the pieces of goods from slipping down in the lower position (Hu) of the transport device.

14. The terminal device according to claim 13, wherein a loading height sensor (S1.sub.1-6) is arranged on the charge side and/or the discharge side of the at least one transport device.

15. The terminal device according to claim 11, wherein the loading height sensor (S1.sub.l-6) is formed of a light barrier, a light sensor or ultrasonic sensor.

16. The terminal device according to claim 11, wherein a plurality of transport devices are present, the associated (r) loading height sensor(s) (S.sub.1-6) and their respective drive unit an electronic control unit are connected and when exceeding a predefinable loading height (Hw) of the first triggering loading height sensor (S.sub.1-6) initiates a lowering of the associated discharge side.

17. The terminal device according to claim 13, wherein the at least one transport device is pivotally mounted about its discharge side.

18. The terminal device according to claim 17, wherein the discharge side of a first transport device is adjacent to the charge side of a second transport device, wherein the conveying means is composed of the first transport device, and wherein the charge side is movable by means of a drive unit between the upper position (H.sub.o) and the lower position (H.sub.u).

19. The terminal device according to claim 18, wherein the drive unit is connected to the charge side of the transport device, wherein the drive unit engages the transport device in the region of its centre of mass (M), and wherein the drive unit comprises a fluid cylinder or a linear drive.

20. The terminal device according to claim 18, wherein a gallows is arranged above the at least one transport device and the drive unit cooperates with a drum and a hawser placed thereon, wherein the drive unit or a pulley is attached on the gallows, wherein a loading height sensor (S.sub.1-6) is arranged on the charge side or the discharge side of the at least one transport device, and wherein the loading height sensor (S.sub.1-6) is formed of a light barrier, a light sensor or ultrasonic sensor.

21. The terminal device according to claim 20, wherein a plurality of transport devices are present, the associated (r) loading height sensor(s) (S.sub.1-6) and their respective drive unit an electronic control unit are connected and when exceeding a predefinable loading height (Hw) of the first triggering loading height sensor (S.sub.1-6) initiates a lowering of the associated discharge side, and wherein the at least one transport device has a transport path from an upper run of a belt conveyor, a roller conveyor, a ball table, a pneumatic table or a chute.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) For a better understanding of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to seven figures, wherein

(2) FIG. 1 shows a side view of a terminal device with two transport devices according to a first embodiment in a first functional position;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a view of the transport devices according to FIG. 1 in a second functional position;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a view of the transport devices according to FIGS. 1 and 2 in a third functional position;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a cross section through a terminal device with two transport devices according to a second embodiment;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a side view of a terminal device with two transport devices according to a third embodiment;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a terminal device with two transport devices according to a fourth embodiment in a first functional position and

(8) FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the terminal device with the transport devices according to FIG. 6 in a second functional position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(9) FIG. 1 shows a terminal device 10 as part of a sorting and picking system 20 at the beginning of a loading cycle. By means of a sorter 23, the terminal device 10 is discontinuously supplied with goods 40, which are firstly placed on an accumulation roller conveyor 24 of the terminal device 10. The accumulation roller conveyor 24 has driven support rollers and reduces the speed of movement of one or several good(s) 40 on it.

(10) From the accumulating roller conveyor 24, the goods 40 reach transport devices 11, namely a first transport device 11a and a second transport device 11b. For the first transport device 11a, the accumulating roller conveyor 24 and for the second transport device 11b the first transport device 11a each represents a conveying means 21.

(11) In the illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIG. 4, the first and second transport devices 11a, 11b each have a belt conveyor 17. Essential part of the belt conveyor 17 is an endless conveyor belt 17c, which is defined by an upper run 17a and a lower run 17b being powered by a motor. The upper run 17a serves as a transport path 16 (see FIG. 2), picks up the goods 40 and transports them at a predetermined speed from a charge side 12 to a discharge side 13 of the respective transport device 11. At the discharge side 13 the goods 40 leave the respective first and second transport device 11a, 11b. In the conveying direction X, the goods 40 pass from the second transport device 11b to an unloading table 22, from which the goods 40 are occasionally picked up by a person by hand.

(12) The accumulation roller conveyor 24 and the first and second transport device 11a, 11b are aligned with each other in their axial extent and are also arranged in cascade to each other such that the goods 40 are handed over without appreciable drop height.

(13) Each transport device 11 is rotatably mounted on the discharge side 13 with a pivot bearing 39 and supported on the opposite charge side 12 via fluid cylinder 31 of a drive unit 30. The drive unit 30 comprises the fluid cylinder 31, which engage on the first and second transport device 11a, 11b and are stationarily mounted at its opposite end, as well as a servomotor 38 to which the fluid cylinders 31 are connected by means of connection lines which are not described in more detail. The servomotor 38 may in particular be a hydraulic pump driven by an electric motor.

(14) By activating the fluid cylinder 31, the charge side 12 of the first and second transport device 11a, 11b is lowered and later raised to the original level again. In the functional position shown in FIG. 1, the loading with pieces of goods 40 on the terminal device 10 begins. At this stage, the fluid cylinders 31 of the first and second transport devices 11a, 11b are fully extended and, accordingly, each of the charge sides 13 is at an upper position H.sub.o. For clarity, only the upper position H.sub.o of the first transport device 11a is shown in FIG. 1. The first and second transport devices 11a, 11b have a negative inclination angle α, which is spanned between the respective transport device 11, 11a, 11b and a horizontal plane.

(15) As a result, the first and second transport devices 11a, 11b are inclined downwards. The positions of the first and second transport devices 11a, 11b indicated by broken lines correspond to maximum lowered positions of both charge sides 12, which then have taken a lower position H.sub.u. The discharge sides 13 of the first and second transport devices 11a, 11b always remain at a constant height level H.sub.A. The height level H.sub.A is typically between the upper position H.sub.o and the lower position H.sub.u.

(16) In order to prevent the goods 40 from falling off the transport devices 11a, 11b, they are bounded on both sides by sidewalls 14a, of which, for reasons of clarity, only a single sidewall 14a is shown, which is placed in the image plane behind the second transport device 11b. The sidewalls 14a may be fixedly secured to the transport devices 11a, 11b and pivoted together therewith. However, it is preferably also possible to arrange the sidewalls 14a in a stationary manner and to allow the transport devices 11, 11a, 11b to pivot past the sidewalls 14a.

(17) FIG. 2 shows an advanced functional position of the terminal device 10 with increasing loading by several pieces of goods 40, which already project beyond a predefinable loading height H.sub.W at least of the unloading table 22. For detecting the loading height, a plurality of loading height sensors S.sub.1-S.sub.6 are arranged in the axial extent of the terminal device 10 and connected to an electronic control unit 36. The loading height in the region of the unloading table 22 has already been detected by the loading height sensor S.sub.6 and due to this the belt conveyor 17 of the transport device 11b stopped. By retracting the fluid cylinder 31, the charge side 12 of the second transport device 11b is pivoted about the pivot bearing 39 down to the lower position H.sub.u.

(18) The inclination angle α is now positively aligned, that is, the second transport device 11b increases in the conveying direction X (see FIG. 1).

(19) As a result of the lowering pivoting movement of the second transport device 11b, a storage space 15 has been created which, in the representation of FIG. 2, is already filled with goods 40. To prevent goods 40 from falling into the space between the charge side 12 of the second transport device 11b and the discharge side 13 of the first transport device 11a, a substantially vertically aligned holdback wall 14 extends between the first and second transport devices 11a, 11b with those goods 40 lying against that holdback wall 14. Another holdback wall 14 is located in the transition region of the first transport device 11a and accumulation roller conveyor 24 (see FIG. 3).

(20) The loading state of the second transport device 11b is monitored by loading height sensors S.sub.5, S.sub.6, wherein the loading height sensor S.sub.5 is arranged on the discharge side 13 and the loading height sensor S.sub.4 on the charge side 12. Both loading height sensors S.sub.5, S.sub.4 are recognizable covered by goods 40 so that they have triggered and transmitted a corresponding signal to the electronic control unit 36. Thereupon, the electronic control unit 36 stopped the belt conveyor 17 of the first transport device 11a and pivots down the charge side 12 into the functional position shown in FIG. 3.

(21) FIG. 3 shows the maximum loading state of the terminal device 10. The first transport device 11a has the same position as the second transport device 11b and is completely covered with partially several layers of goods 40. The loading height sensors S.sub.3, S.sub.2 identify the complete loading state of the first transport device 11a.

(22) The sorter 23 has then continued conveying until the accumulation roller conveyor 24 is filled with goods 40 up to the loading height sensor S.sub.1.

(23) For emptying the terminal device 10, first of all the goods 40 in the region of the removal table 22 are removed and then the second transport device 11b, the first transport device 11a and finally the accumulation roller conveyor 24 are emptied. In order to keep the drop height of the goods 40 as low as possible, the respectively downstream transport device 11 should initially be pivoted back again into the upper position H.sub.o.

(24) FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the terminal device 10 in the first functional position. Notwithstanding the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, instead of fluid cylinders 31, stationary pedestals 37 are arranged in the region of the respective charge sides 12, which project upwards above the first and second transport devices 11a, 11b. A gallows 32 is mounted at each of the pedestals 37, which projects across the respective transport device 11, 11a, 11b and carries a rotatably mounted pulley 35. A hawser 34 is put on the pulley 35 and fixed with its first end in the region of the charge side 12 to the transport device 11, 11a, 11b. A second end of the hawser 34 is attached to a drum 33, which up- or unrolls the hawser 34 by operation of the servomotor 38 and thereby allows pivoting the charge sides 12 of the first and second transport devices 11a, 11b in the lower position H.sub.u and back into the upper position H.sub.o.

(25) In FIG. 5, by way of example, the transport paths 16 of the first transport device 11a is formed from a non-driven roller conveyor 18 and those of the second transport device 11b is formed from a chute 19. For emptying the terminal device 10 according to FIG. 5, first the chute 19 of the second transport device 11b is lifted by means of the fluid cylinder 31 until all of the goods 40 have slipped onto the unloading table 22. At the latest when the height level H.sub.A of the discharge side 13 of the first transport device 11a is exceeded, the goods 40 deposited thereon begin to slip in the direction of the unloading table 22.

(26) FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment of the terminal device 10 according to the invention, which, viewed in the conveying direction X, comprises an accumulation roller conveyor 24, a first transport device 11a and a second transport device 11b. In the illustration of FIG. 6, both the first and the second transport devices 11a, 11b are in a transport position, that is, the charge side 12 of the first transport device 11a and the entire transport device 11b are each set in the upper position H.sub.o. In FIG. 7 the first and second transport devices 11a, 11b of the terminal device 10 according to FIG. 6 are arranged in the lower position H.sub.u, which in operation corresponds with a loaded state of goods 40.

(27) The accumulating roller conveyor 24 simultaneously forms the incoming-side conveying means 21 for the first transporting device 11a and the first transporting device 11a forms the incoming-side conveying means 21 for the second transporting device 11b.

(28) The first transport device 11a is formed in the present embodiment as a belt conveyor 17 in the form of a strip belt conveyor.

(29) The belt conveyor 17 is rotatably mounted in the region of its discharge side 13 with a predetermined height level H.sub.A and the charge side 12 is pivotally arranged between the upper position H.sub.o shown in FIG. 6 and the lower position H.sub.u for storing goods 40 (not shown) according to FIG. 7.

(30) In a substantially empty terminal device 10, goods 40 are initially transported via the first transport device 11a and fall down from this onto the second transport device 11b. The second transport device 11b is shown by way of example as a chute 19 in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, but could also be a belt conveyor 17, a roller conveyor 18, an air or ball table (not shown).

(31) The second transport device 11b is movably mounted exclusively in a translatory direction of movement Z and is located with the charge side 12 and the discharge side 13 in the upper position H.sub.o. Due to the restraint-guided support of the second transport device 11b, the charge side 12 and the discharge side 13 always take simultaneously their corresponding upper or lower position H.sub.o, H.sub.u. The corresponding upper or lower position H.sub.o, H.sub.u is adjustable by means of a fluid cylinder 31, which preferably engages in the centre of mass M from below the second transport device 11b.

(32) The chute 19 of the second transport device 11b is bounded in the conveying direction X on both sides by a stationary holdback wall 14 and laterally surrounded by opposite sidewalls 14a, from which only the rear sidewall 14a is shown in the image plane for reasons of clarity. The two sidewalls 14a and the two holdback walls 14 adjoin one another alternately in the circumferential direction and form a box-shaped storage space 15, in which goods 40 can be stacked in a plurality of planes, in particular in the lower position H.sub.u of the second transport device 11b.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(33) 10 terminal device 11 transport device 11a first transport device 11b second transport device 12 charge side 13 discharge side 14 holdback wall 14a sidewall 15 storage space 16 transport path 17 belt conveyor 17a upper run 17b lower run 17c conveyor belt 18 roller conveyor 19 chute 20 sorting and picking system 21 conveying means 22 unloading table 23 sorter 24 accumulating roller conveyor 30 drive unit 31 fluid cylinder 32 gallows 33 drum 34 hawser 35 pulley 36 electronic control unit 37 pedestal 38 servomotor 39 pivot bearing 40 goods α inclination angle H.sub.A height level discharge side H.sub.o upper position H.sub.u lower position H.sub.W preselected loading height M centre of mass S.sub.1-6 loading height sensor X conveying direction Z translatory direction of movement