Adaptive Roller Conveyor

Abstract

An adaptive roller conveyor for conveying objects, comprises a plurality of rollers and a control device, wherein the control device is connected with a sensor for detecting at least one parameter of an object, wherein at least one roller is connected with an adjustable brake device, wherein the brake device is connected with the control device, and wherein the control device is configured to control the brake device in dependence on the detected parameter to change the braking effect of the roller.

Claims

1. An adaptive roller conveyor for conveying objects, comprising: a plurality of rollers; and a control device, wherein the control device is connected with a sensor for detecting at least one parameter of an object, and wherein at least one roller is connected with an adjustable brake device, wherein the adjustable brake device is connected with the control device, and wherein the control device is configured to control the adjustable brake device in dependence on the detected at least one parameter to change a braking effect of the roller.

2. The adaptive roller conveyor of claim 1, wherein the adjustable brake device comprises an eddy-current brake, wherein the eddy-current brake comprises a magnet and a metal element in which the eddy currents are generated.

3. The adaptive roller conveyor of claim 2, wherein the magnet is a permanent magnet and the distance between the permanent magnet and the metal element is variable to change the braking force.

4. The adaptive roller conveyor of claim 2, wherein the magnet is an electromagnet and the eddy current is variable to change the braking force.

5. The adaptive roller conveyor of claim 1, wherein the adjustable brake device is an adjustable mechanical brake, wherein the friction of a brake element is variable to change the braking force.

6. The adaptive roller conveyor of claim 1, wherein the brake device is integrated in the at least one roller or is arranged below the at least one roller.

7. The adaptive roller conveyor of claim 1, wherein the plurality of rollers are rotatable independent of each other.

8. The adaptive roller conveyor of claim 1, wherein a number of rollers of the plurality of rollers are coupled with each other, so that the coupled rollers can be rotated together.

9. The adaptive roller conveyor of claim 1, further comprising a chute, wherein the chute is arranged upstream of the plurality of rollers in a direction of movement of the object.

10. The adaptive roller conveyor of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter is a velocity of the object on a predetermined section of an inclined path.

11. The adaptive roller conveyor of claim 10, wherein the sensor for determining the velocity comprises a light barrier, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, a Doppler radar, a high frequency sensor, or an optical sensor.

12. The adaptive roller conveyor of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter is the weight of the object.

13. The adaptive roller conveyor of claim 12, wherein the sensor for detecting the weight is arranged immediately at an inlet of the adaptive roller conveyor.

14. The adaptive roller conveyor of claim 12, wherein the sensor for detecting the weight is arranged in a roller.

15. The adaptive roller conveyor of claim 12, wherein the sensor is arranged to detect the weight upon discharge of the object, wherein the control device is configured to store the weight, and wherein the control device controls the brake device when the object reaches the adaptive roller conveyor.

16. The adaptive roller conveyor of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter is an outer material of the object.

17. The adaptive roller conveyor of claim 16, wherein the sensor for detecting the outer material is configured as a microwave sensor, wherein the microwave sensor comprises a microwave resonator for determining the change in resonance by the outer material.

18. The adaptive roller conveyor of claim 1, wherein the sensor is integrated in at least one roller.

19. The adaptive roller conveyor of claim 18, wherein the at least one roller comprises a plurality of sensor sections in an axial direction and/or along its circumference, for a detection of the width and the length of the object.

20. A sorter for sorting objects comprising at least one of the adaptive roller conveyors of claim 1.

21. A method for operating an adaptive roller conveyor comprising a plurality of rollers for conveying objects in which a parameter of the objects is determined, the method comprising the step of: changing a braking effect of an adjustable brake device connected with at least one roller, based on the parameter.

22. The method of claim 21, comprising the adaptive roller conveyor of claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] In the Figures:

[0035] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an adaptive roller conveyor according to the present invention in use,

[0036] FIG. 2a is an adaptive roller conveyor according to an embodiment,

[0037] FIG. 2b is an adaptive roller conveyor according to a further embodiment of the present invention,

[0038] FIG. 2c is a further embodiment of the adaptive roller conveyor according to the present invention,

[0039] FIG. 2d is another embodiment of the adaptive roller conveyor of the present invention,

[0040] FIG. 2e is another embodiment of the adaptive roller conveyor of the present invention, and

[0041] FIG. 3 a detail view of a roller.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0042] FIG. 1 illustrates an adaptive roller conveyor 10 according to the present invention. An object 12, such as e.g. packages, piece goods, parcels, packets, mailings, bags and other packaged goods, arrives from a sorter (not illustrated) on the adaptive roller conveyor 10 and is moved towards a collecting box 16 by driven rollers or by weight force as indicated by the arrow 14. The collecting box 16 may then be loaded into a vehicle, e.g. a delivery vehicle 18, for delivery. In order to avoid that objects in the collecting box 16 are damaged by objects 12 arriving, the velocity of the objects arriving must not be too high. At the same time, excessive braking of the object 12 is not desired, since the throughput of objects to be conveyed is reduced thereby. For this purpose, brake rollers 20 are provided which are connected with an adjustable brake device. The adjustable brake device is in particular an eddy-current brake whose effect can be varied. In FIG. 1, only two brake rollers 20 are provided. However, the number of brake rollers 20 is freely selectable, so that more or fewer brake rollers 20 may be provided to ensure a suitable control of the movement of the objects 12.

[0043] The brake rollers 20 are connected with a control device 22 by which the brake device in the brake roller 20 can be controlled to adapt the braking effect. Further, a sensor roller 24 is provided, wherein the sensor roller 24 detects at least one parameter of the object 12. The parameter is e.g. the weight of the object 12, the velocity of the object 12 or the outer material of the object 12. The sensor roller 24 is connected with the control device 22, wherein the control device 22 controls the brake device in the brake roller 20 corresponding to the parameter detected by the sensor roller 24. If the velocity of an object 12 is too high, which is detected by the sensor roller 24, the control device 22 increases the braking effect of the brake rollers 20, so that a sufficient reduction of the velocity of the object 12 can be achieved along the adaptive roller conveyor 10 and the object 12 thus does not damage other objects in the collecting box 16.

[0044] Hereinafter, identical or similar components will be identified by the same reference numerals.

[0045] FIG. 2a shows an alternative embodiment of the adaptive roller conveyor 10, in which a chute 28 is provided upstream of the rollers 26 in the direction of movement. Further, a first light barrier 30 is provided in the area of the chute 28, and a second light barrier 32 is provided downstream of the first light barrier 30 in the direction of movement, which is also arranged in the area of the chute 28. The chute 28 forms a defined section of the adaptive roller conveyor 10, wherein the first light barrier 30 and the second light barrier 32 allow the velocity of an object 12 to be determined. Since the properties of the movement of the object 12, which is defined by the chute 28, are identical for all objects 12, i.e. identical initial velocity and identical surface, measuring the velocity by means of the first light barrier 30 and the second light barrier 32 allows to conclude on the further movement behavior of a respective object 12 on the adjoining roller conveyor. The brake rollers 20 are then controlled by the control device 22 in a suitable manner to obtain a braking effect that, on the one hand, ensures an optimal throughput and, on the other hand, avoids damage to other objects e.g. in the collecting boxy 16.

[0046] FIG. 2b comprises a first sensor 34 and a second sensor 36 instead of the first light barrier 30 and the second light barrier 32, wherein the first sensor 34 and the second sensor 36 cant detect the presence of an object, such as e.g. a mail item, on the chute 36. The first sensor 34 and the second sensor 36 are e.g. an inductive sensor, a capacitive sensor or an ultrasound sensor by which the presence of an object 12 can be detected in a simple manner. Thus, the first sensor 34 and the second sensor 36 detect the velocity of the object 12 in the section of the adaptive roller conveyor 10 defined by the chute 28. The brake rollers 20 are controlled correspondingly by the control device 22 to achieve an optimal movement behavior of the object 12.

[0047] As an alternative, the defined section may of course be formed in the area of the rollers 26.

[0048] In FIG. 2c, a camera 38 is provided which detects the velocity of the objects in a defined section of the adaptive roller conveyor 12, using imaging. Since the properties of the movement are the same for all objects 12 in the defined section, the detected velocity of a respective object 12 allows to conclude on the further movement behavior along the adaptive roller conveyor 10. The brake rollers 20 are correspondingly controlled in a suitable manner by the control device 22 to obtain an optimum movement behavior for a respective object 12.

[0049] In FIG. 2d, two sensor rollers 24 are provided. The sensor rollers 24 may e.g. be sensor rollers which detect the presence of an object by means of an emitted high frequency signal, as known from DE 10 2014 109 A1 that is incorporated herein in its entirety.

[0050] The sequence of rollers 26 and chute 28 illustrated in FIGS. 2a-2d can be adapted to the respective application as desired. For example, further rollers 26 may be provided upstream of the chute 28 in the direction of movement 14 of the object 12. Further, it is possible that individual or a plurality of rollers 26 are driven for an active advancing of the objects 12. Likewise, the arrangement of the brake rollers can be selected freely among the plurality of existing rollers 26 so it can be adapted to a respective application. Similarly, the adaptive roller conveyor 10 may be subdivided into one or a plurality of sections 45a to 45b, wherein individual sections 45a to 45d each comprise at least one brake roller 20 which can be controlled differently by the control device 22. Thus, further objects 44 can be moved on the adaptive roller conveyor 10 at the same time.

[0051] FIG. 3 is a detail view of a sensor roller 24. The sensor roller 24 has a plurality of sensor surfaces 46. By providing the sensor surfaces 46 it is possible to detect the width of the object, depending on which of the sensor surfaces 46 are covered by the object. At the same time, the sensor roller 24 is connected with an encoder 48 so that the rotation speed of the sensor roller 24 is known. From the known circumference of the sensor roller 24 it is possible on the one hand to conclude on the rolling velocity of the sensor roller 24, on the other hand, by providing the sensor surfaces 46, it is possible to thereby conclude on the length of the object, so that by providing the sensor surfaces 46 the width and the length of the object can be determined.

[0052] The embodiments illustrated herein are mere examples of the present invention and should therefore not be construed as being limiting. Alternatives provided by a skilled person in consideration of the embodiments are likewise encompassed by the scope of protection of the present invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. The invention described hereinabove is defined by the appended claims and all changes to the invention that fall within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope. Further, the features of the individual embodiments may be combined freely, so that the arrangement of rollers 20 and chute 28, as well as the arrangement of the sensors can be combined freely with each other.