Cushion supply system and method of operation for a cushion supply system

Abstract

In a cushion supply system for a logistic center, for example a warehouse or a dispatch hall, which comprises a cushion source for providing cushion products, such as cushion pads, in particular paper cushion pads; several packing stations at which containers can be loaded with goods and filled with cushion products; and a cushion transport system, such as a belt conveyor, for transporting the cushion products from the cushion source to the packing stations, the one cushion source is configured to supply said plurality of packing stations.

Claims

1. A cushion supply system for a logistic center comprising: a cushion source for providing cushion products having a width of 5 cm to 15 cm, a length of 15 cm to 300 cm, and a density of 1 kg/m.sup.3 to 100 kg/m.sup.3; several packing stations at which containers can be loaded with goods and filled with cushion products; a cushion transport system for transporting the cushion products from the cushion source to the packing stations, wherein the cushion source is configured to supply the plurality of packing stations; a deflection device that includes a switch and a deflection shovel, the deflection shovel being configured to at least partially lift and feed at least one of the cushion products to at least one packing station of the plurality of packing stations; at least one optical transport good sensor assigned to the deflection device and configured to determine, in a conveying direction upstream of the assigned deflection device, whether a cushion product is arranged at a predetermined location of the cushion transport system; and regulating electronics configured to: control the cushion transport system to deliver the cushion products to individual packing stations of the plurality of packing stations according to a predetermined prioritization, wherein a highest priority is assigned to a packing station, of the plurality of packing stations, furthest away from the cushion source and a lowest priority is assigned to a packing station, plurality of packing stations, closest to the cushion source; and switch the deflection device actively or passively as a function of a sensor.

2. The cushion supply system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the packing stations comprises at least 10 stock withdrawal containers.

3. The cushion supply system according to claim 1, wherein at least one stock withdrawal container has at least one filling quantity sensor for determining the filling level of the stock withdrawal container occupied by cushion products and/or in that at least one stock withdrawal container has at least one filling level sensor for detecting whether the filling level of the stock withdrawal container occupied by cushion products exceeds a predetermined filling level limit.

4. The cushion supply system according to claim 3, wherein at least one stock withdrawal container has a loading opening on an upper side for feeding cushion products from the transport system into the stock withdrawal container and/or in that at least one stock withdrawal container has an unloading opening in a horizontal direction for unloading of a cushion product by packing personnel, wherein the unloading opening being arranged between 0.8 m and 2.2 m in height.

5. The cushion supply system according to claim 4, wherein the cushion transport system comprises: a unidirectional main conveyor line comprising a belt conveyor; and a trap door for feeding at least one cushion product from the main conveyor line to at least one packing station.

6. The cushion supply system according to claim 5, wherein the main conveyor line transports the cushion products at a height of at least 2 m and/or above the at least one stock withdrawal container in the horizontal direction.

7. The cushion supply system according to claim 5, wherein the main conveyor line comprises a plurality of individually movable transport device sections, further comprising conveyor belt sections with separate conveyor belts, wherein a plurality of transport device sections are connected in series one behind the other.

8. The cushion supply system according to claim 7, wherein the regulating electronics are configured to successively switch the transport device sections on or off based on a sensor.

9. The cushion supply system according to claim 5, wherein one of the at least one deflection device and a transport device section, comprising a conveyor belt section, and the stock withdrawal container each form a conveyor segment with control and/or regulation are coordinated with one another.

10. The cushion supply system according to claim 1, wherein the deflection device is rotatable about a vertical pivot axis.

11. The cushion supply system according to claim 1, wherein the regulating electronics are configured to control the cushion source so that at least one cushion product is always present in the belt conveyor and in the stock withdrawal container.

12. The cushion supply system according to claim 1, wherein the regulating electronics are configured to control the cushion source and the cushion transport system so that exclusively predetermined series are transported, wherein each series comprises a plurality of cushion products and a conveying gap, wherein in particular the conveying gap having a length in the conveying direction which is at least as long as a cushion product.

13. The cushion supply system according to claim 1, wherein the regulating electronics are configured to control the cushion source that it provides cushion products based on a signal, from a filling level sensor or a filling quantity sensor, that indicates a cushion product requirement.

14. A system comprising: the cushion supply system according to claim 1; and cushion products having a width of 5 cm to 15 cm, a length of 15 cm to 300 cm and a density of 1 kg/m.sup.3 to 100 kg/m.sup.3.

15. A cushion supply system for a logistic center comprising: a cushion source for providing cushion products having a width of 5 cm to 50 cm, a length of 15 cm to 300 cm and a density of 1 kg/m.sup.3 to 100 kg/m.sup.3, wherein the cushion source transforms a flat paper web into individual cushion products; several packing stations at which containers can be loaded with goods and filled with cushion products; and a cushion transport system for transporting the cushion products from the cushion source to the packing stations, wherein the cushion source is configured to supply the plurality of packing stations, wherein the cushion source is arranged next to the cushion transport system at its upstream end.

16. A cushion supply system for a logistic center comprising: a cushion source for providing cushion products having a width of 5 cm to 50 cm, a length of 15 cm to 300 cm and a density of 1 kg/m3 to 100 kg/n3; several packing stations at which containers can be loaded with goods and filled with cushion products; and a cushion transport system for transporting the cushion products from the cushion source to the packing stations, wherein the cushion source is configured to supply the plurality of packing stations, wherein exclusively predetermined series of individual and separate cushion products are transported.

17. The cushion supply system according to claim 15, wherein the individual cushion products are separate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The system and method may be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments are described with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the drawings, like referenced numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.

(2) FIG. 1 a schematic top view of an cushion supply system according to the invention in an empty state in which it does not contain any cushion products;

(3) FIG. 2a the cushion supply system according to the invention in accordance with FIG. 1 in an operating state in which the previously empty cushion supply system is filled starting with the cushion transport system and the packing station furthest away from the cushion source;

(4) FIG. 2b the cushion supply system according to the invention in accordance with FIG. 1 in an operating state in which, starting from a previously completely empty cushion supply system, the packing station furthest away from the cushion source is being filled with cushion pads;

(5) FIG. 2c the cushion supply system according to the invention in accordance with FIG. 1 in an operating state in which, starting from the state according to FIG. 2b, the packing station furthest away from the cushion source and the cushion transport system are just filled with cushion pads;

(6) FIG. 3 the cushion supply system according to the invention in accordance with FIG. 1 in an operating state in which the two packing stations closest to the paper source require cushion pads and in which the third closest packing station to the paper source is currently filled with cushion pads;

(7) FIG. 4 the cushion supply system according to the invention in accordance with FIG. 1, in completely filled condition;

(8) FIG. 5a cushion supply system according to the invention in accordance with FIG. 1 in an operating state in which a packing station requiring cushion pads is currently being filled;

(9) FIG. 5b cushion supply system according to the invention in accordance with FIG. 1 in an operating state in which starting from the operation state shown in FIG. 5a the requirement for cushion pads at the second packing station has just been covered;

(10) FIG. 6a a detailed front view of a switch;

(11) FIG. 6b a detailed side view of the switch according to FIG. 6a; and

(12) FIG. 7 perspective view of a cushion supply system according to the invention with a stock withdrawal container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(13) Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When appropriate, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. The numerous innovative teachings of the present application will be described with particular reference to presently preferred embodiments (by way of example, and not of limitation). The present application describes several inventions, and none of the statements below should be taken as limiting the claims generally.

(14) For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures illustrate the general manner of construction, and description and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention. Additionally, elements in the drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, some areas or elements may be expanded to help improve understanding of embodiments of the invention.

(15) In the figures, a cushion supply system according to the invention is generally provided with the reference number 1. The main components of the cushion supply system are a cushion source 3, a cushion transport system 5 and several packing stations 101, 201, 301 and x01. It is clear that the number of four packing stations depicted in the figures is preferred, but that a cushion supply system 1 according to the invention can in principle also have any other number of at least two, at least six, at least ten or more packing stations. The packing stations 101, 201, 301, x01 are each part of an individual conveyor segment 100, 200, 300 or x00 according to the preferred embodiment shown. The individual conveyor segments 100, 200, 300 and x00 can essentially be designed in the same way. The components of the conveyor segments 100, 200, 300 and x00 are marked with three-digit reference numbers for simplicity's sake, wherein the first number indicating the respective conveyor segment and the two rear numbers indicating the respective conveyor segment component. For the sake of simplicity, similar reference symbols are used for the same or similar conveyor segment components.

(16) FIG. 1 shows a schematic top view of an empty cushion supply system 1 without cushion pads or other cushion products. When using the invention-compliant cushioning supply system according to the invention-compliant method of operation described in detail below, the condition illustrated in FIG. 1 may occur, for example, if the cushioning supply system has been installed for the first time and has not yet been put into operation.

(17) The cushion supply system 1 has a cushion source 3, which is realized as a device for the production of cushion pads 7, especially made of paper. The cushion source 3 can, for example, be fed from a paper web leporello stack or a paper web roll with a flat paper web which is transformed into individual paper cushion pads 7 by the cushion source 3. The cushion source 3 is arranged at the upstream end of a cushion transport system 5 in order to provide the cushion transport system with 5 cushion pads 7 for transport, i.e. in particular to eject them. The cushion transport system 5 consists of several (here: four) conveyor belt sections 111, 211, 311 and x11 arranged in series one behind the other, which can preferably only transport cushion products 7 unidirectionally in one direction from the cushion source 3 to the packing stations 101, 201, 301 and x01.

(18) Each packing station 101, 201, 301 and x01 is assigned one stock withdrawal container 103, 203, 303, x03, the capacity of which can hold numerous cushion pads 7. For example, a paper cushion pad 7 can have a width of 10 cm to 30 cm, a length of 30 cm to 150 cm and a density between 3 kg/m3 or 30 kg/m3. Particularly preferably, a cushion pad 7 has a width of about 15 cm, a length of about 40 cm and a density of about 6.8 kg/m3, the density being defined with respect to a reference volume in accordance with a cuboid describing the respective cushion pad 7 in its entire circumference, at least in part, in a contact with the outer sides of the cushion. A stock withdrawal container 103, 203, 303, x03 can preferably hold 20 to 200 cushion pads 7, especially according to the preferred dimensions.

(19) In the preferred embodiment of a cushion supply system 1, each stock withdrawal container 103, 203, 303, x03 is equipped with a filling level sensor 105, 205, 305 or x05. The filling level sensor 105 can be used to determine whether the associated stock withdrawal container 103 contains a sufficient quantity of cushion pads 7 so that the filling level of the stock withdrawal container 103 occupied by the cushion pads 7 is occupied by cushion pads 7 up to a predetermined filling level. The filling level sensor 105 preferably detects whether cushion pads 7 are arranged at a predetermined fill level in the upper half, in particular in the upper third, preferably in the upper quarter of the stock withdrawal container. If the cushion pad filling height is below the predetermined filling height detected by the filling level sensor 105, the control and/or regulating electronic 9 of the cushion supply system 1 registers that there is a cushion product requirement at the packing station 101 in the stock withdrawal container 103. For example, a horizontally aligned light barrier can be provided as filling level sensor 105. Other measurement methods are also conceivable. For example, a (non-displayed) filling level sensor can detect the weight of the cushion pads in a stock container to determine whether the total weight of cushion pads 7 in a stock withdrawal container 103 is above a fill weight threshold or not.

(20) In the preferred embodiment shown in the figures, the cushion pads 7 are conveyed from the cushion source 3 to the stock withdrawal containers 103, 203, 303 and x03 of the packing station 101, 201, 301 or x01 by means of conveyor belt sections 111, 211, 311, x11 arranged in series. At each of the conveyor belt sections 111, 211, 311, x11 a switch 107, 207, 307 or x07 is provided for deflecting at least one cushion pad 7 from the respective conveyor belt section 111, 211, 311 or x11 in a stock withdrawal container 103, 203, 303 or x03 arranged directly adjacent thereto. In order to load the stock withdrawal container 103 with cushion pads 7, the associated switch 107 can move from its passive position shown in FIG. 1, in which the switch allows cushion pads 7 to pass unhindered on its associated conveyor belt portion 111, to an active position (not shown), in which the switch 107 deflects the cushion pads 7 moved by the conveyor belt portion 111 so as to fall laterally from the conveyor belt portion 111 down into an upper opening of the stock withdrawal container 103. Preferably, an transport good sensor 109 is arranged in upstream convey direction of the switch 107, i.e. in conveying direction F, which detects whether at least one cushion pad 7 is arranged on the conveyor belt section 111 at this point or not.

(21) In the preferred embodiment shown in the figures of an invention-compliant cushion supply system 1, an individually controllable conveyor segment 100 (or 200, 300 or x00) is formed, which comprises a transport device section in the form of a conveyor belt section 111, a deflection device in the form of a switch 107 and a stock withdrawal container 103, and optionally a segment's own control and/or regulating electronic subunit (not shown). Together with a transport good sensor 109 and/or a filling level sensor 105 or filling quantity sensor, each conveyor segment 100 (or 200, 300, x00) can form an individually controllable and/or regulatable cushion supply system subgroup.

(22) FIGS. 2a, 2b and 2c illustrate how, starting from the cushion supply systems 1 shown in FIG. 1 in an operating state in which it is completely empty of cushion pads 7 or other cushion products, cushion supply system is filled. The control and/or regulation electronic 9 is configured in such a way that when filling the stock withdrawal containers 103, 203, 303 and x03 of the individual packing stations 101, 201, 301 or x01, a filling prioritisation is taken into account according to which the packing station furthest away from the cushion source 3, in this case x01, enjoys the highest filling priority. The packing station 101 next to the cushion source 3 in conveying direction F is assigned the lowest filling priority accordingly. The further away a packing station 101, 201, 301 to x01 is from a cushion source 3 in conveying direction F, the higher the filling priority of the respective packing station is with this preferred configuration. In this way, it is to be ensured that during operation of the cushion supply system it is avoided that a packing station remote from the cushion source or furthest from the cushion source runs empty because packing stations arranged upstream of it also show a requirement for cushion material. In particular for an initialisation procedure for the first filling of an cushion supply system 1 it is nevertheless conceivable that another prioritisation, e.g. according to the first come, first serve principle, the packing stations 101, 201, 301 to x01 in conveying direction F are filled one after the other.

(23) Cushion supply system 1 may be equipped with at least one emergency stop switch for disconnecting the power supply to cushion supply system 1. When an emergency condition occurs, cushion supply system 1 may re-initialise, as described in FIGS. 1, 2a to 2c, 3 and 4, as in an emergency the cushion supply system 1 is likely to be largely filtered with cushion products, so that this re-initialisation after an emergency will generally be very rapid, as a complete refill of the stock withdrawal containers 103, 203, 303 to x03 will not necessarily be necessary.

(24) In accordance with the preferred method of operation as illustrated in FIG. 2a, the packing station x01 furthest away from the cushion source enjoys the highest filling priority. Cushion pads 7 are transported for the fastest possible filling of the stock withdrawal container x03 the packing station x01 with the highest filling priority. For this purpose, the control and/or regulation electronic 9 of cushion supply system 1 activates cushion source 3 to produce cushion pads 7.

(25) It is preferred that the cushion pads 7 are transferred from the cushion source 3 to the transport system 5 in such a way that cushion pad series 11 are always conveyed along the cushion transport system 5 consisting of a predetermined number of cushion pads 7 and an adjacent conveying gap 13. For simplicity's sake, FIGS. 2a to 2c show the production series or cushion series 11 as consisting of three cushion pads 7 and an adjacent conveying gap 13, with small conveying distances between the cushion pads 7. The conveying gap 13 extends from the last cushion pad 7 of series 11 in conveying direction F to the following first cushion pad of series 11.

(26) A production and conveying of cushion pads 7 in series 11 can, for example, be realized that the first conveyor belt section 111 immediately adjacent to the cushion source 3 in the conveying direction F moves continuously in the conveying direction F, while the cushion source 3 first provides the predetermined number of cushion pads 7 of a series 11, i.e. preferably produces and ejects them, and then pauses briefly. It is also conceivable that the paper source 3 is operated at continuous ejection speed and the conveying speed of the first conveyor belt section 111 varies such that product series 11 consisting of a predetermined amount of cushion pads 7 and a conveying gap 13 are formed. The transport of cushion pads 7 in series 11 consisting of a predetermined number of cushion pads, a conveying gap 13 and possibly small conveying distances 7 between the cushion pads ensures that no compression pressure occurs between successive cushion pads 7 in conveying direction F which could lead to a deformation of the cushion pads 7 in the sense of compression, which would result in a deteriorated cushioning effect of the cushion pads 7.

(27) In order to fill the stock withdrawal container x03 of the packing station x01 with cushion pads 7, the deflector switch x07 of the conveyor segment x00 is brought into its active position so that it transports the cushion pads 7 from the conveyor section x11 in the stock withdrawal container x03. By conveying the cushion pads 7 in series 11, which have several cushion pads 7 and a gap 13, it can be ensured that the path of a switch is always cushion-free, so that when the switch is moved from the inactive to the active deflection position, no cushion product can be trapped between the switch and the conveyor section.

(28) Filling of the stock withdrawal container x03 continues until the filling level sensor x05 of the stock withdrawal container x03 detects that the cushion pads 7 taken up in the stock withdrawal container x03 have reached or exceeded a predetermined number of cushion pads. In the example shown here, reaching the predetermined cushion pad amount can be detected by a filling level sensor x05 with a horizontal light barrier at a predetermined filling level.

(29) The transport good sensor x09 of the conveyor belt section x11 is arranged directly upstream of the switch x07 in order to detect whether at least one cushion pad 7 is arranged at this point, or whether there is no cushion 7 pad, i.e. a gap 13. For filling the stock withdrawal container x03, the switch x07 is kept in the active switch position by the control and/or regulating electronic 9 of the cushion supply system or, for example, a control and/or regulating electronic subunit of the conveyor belt section x11 at least as long as the transport good sensor x09 detects the presence of a cushion pad 7. The presence of a cushion pad 7 is preferably detected with a particularly predetermined time tolerance, so that the conveying distances between the cushion pads 7 of a series 11 are ignored. If the filling level sensor x05 detects that the predetermined filling level has been reached or exceeded, and preferably a first cushion pad 7 following a gap 13 is subsequently detected with the transport good sensor x09 (FIG. 2c), the conveyor movement of conveyor belt section x11 can preferably be stopped.

(30) If the sensors x05 and x09 of the conveyor segment x00 detect that there is no further cushion pad requirement in the conveyor segment x00, the packing station (here: 301) can be filled with the next highest filling priority. For the filling of the stock withdrawal container 303 of the conveyor segment 300 with the packing station 301, the conveyor components (conveyor belt section 311 and diverter 307) of the conveyor segment 300 are controlled in accordance with the control of the components of the conveyor segment x00 for the filling of its stock withdrawal container x03 described above with regard to FIGS. 2a to 2c, depending in particular on the filling level sensor 305 and/or the transport good sensor 309. In this way, the conveyor segments 100, 200, 300 and x00 can be served one after the other with cushion pads 7 according to their respective filling prioritisation.

(31) The filling of the stock withdrawal container 303 is shown in FIG. 3, whereby the filling of the stock withdrawal container 303 of packing station 301 is shown in FIG. 3 in the state which the stock withdrawal container x03 of packing station x01 has in FIG. 2a. A perspective view of a storage tank is shown in FIG. 7. Upstream of conveyor segment 300, the remaining conveyor section x11 is at a standstill (or the remaining conveyor sections, if more, are not shown; not shown in detail). The switch x07 or the switches of conveyor segments upstream of the conveyor segment 300 can be either in an active or passive state in the present preferred embodiment of an cushion supply system, since the deflector devices realised as switches do not act on the cushion pads as long as the respective conveyor belt section is at a standstill, if the sphere of influence of the respective deflector device or switch is limited to a conveyor gap in this state. Preferably the switches are in their passive state, so control errors can be avoided.

(32) Preferably, the deflector device of a conveyor segment (here: x00) at the rear of the conveyor flow device can always be in the active deflection state. The switch x07 of the rear conveyor segment x00 can therefore also be implemented as positionally rigid limited to an active position. Alternatively, it is also conceivable that a further packing station (not shown) with a stock withdrawal container in conveying direction F is arranged downstream of the end of the last conveyor belt section x11. In such an arrangement, the active or passive position of the switch x07 of the last conveyor segment x00 determines whether cushion pads 7 are conveyed from the last conveyor belt section x11 with active switch x07 into the stock withdrawal container x03 of the last conveyor segment x00 shown, or, with passive position of the switch x07 into the stock withdrawal container of another packing station (not shown).

(33) FIG. 4 shows a cushion supply system 1 completely filled with cushion pads 7, in which no cushion pad requirement is recorded in any of the stock containers 103, 203, 303, x03 and in any of the conveyor belt sections 111, 211, 311 or x11. The conveyor belt sections 111, 211, 311 and x11 of the cushion transport system 5 are at a standstill. The switches 107, 207, 307 and x07 can be in their passive position. The filling level sensors 105, 205, 305 and x05 of the stock withdrawal containers all detect a maximum fill level of cushion pads 7 in the stock withdrawal containers above the nominal fill level. Each of the transport good sensors 109, 209, 309 and x09 detect one cushion pad 7 each.

(34) FIG. 5a shows the cushion supply system 1 according to the invention in an operating state at packing station 201 of the second conveyor segment 200, in which a cushion pad requirement is recorded. In the stock withdrawal container 203 of packing station 201, the filling level sensor 205 detects that the current filling level on cushion pads 7 has fallen below the predetermined target fill level.

(35) In order to fill the stock withdrawal container 203 according to FIG. 5a in conveying direction 2 of the packing station 201 in accordance with the detected requirement for cushion pads 7, the control and/or regulating electronic 9 of the cushion supply system 1 causes the deflection device of the second conveying segment 200, realised as a switch 207, to take its active position and cause the cushion transport system 5 to convey cushion pads 7 preferably in series 11 from the cushion source 3 to the packing station 201. To supply the second packing station 201 with cushion pads 7, all conveyor belt sections up to packing station 201, i.e. here the first conveyor belt section 111 and the second conveyor belt section 211 of the first and second conveyor segment 100, 200, are controlled to carry out a conveyor movement.

(36) The filling of the stock withdrawal container 203 of the second packing station 201 by activating the switch 207 and the first two conveyor belt sections 111, 211 is shown in FIG. 5a. In the operating state of the cushion supply system 1 according to the invention shown in FIG. 5b, the filling level sensor 205 of the stock withdrawal container 203 detects that the cushion pads 7 in the stock withdrawal container 203 have reached or exceeded the predetermined nominal filling level. Conveyor belt sections 111 and 211 continue to move to convey series 11 of cushion pads 7. The transport good sensor 209 of the second conveyor segment 201 detects a conveying gap 13 in the condition shown in FIG. 5b.

(37) Starting from the operating state shown in FIG. 5b, the first and second conveyor belt sections 111, 211 of series 11 of cushion cushions 7 move in the conveying direction F, in that first the transport good sensor 209 of the second conveyor segment 200, as shown in FIG. 4, detects a cushion pad 7 following the conveying gap 13, causes the control and/or regulating electronic 9 and/or the control and/or regulating electronic subunit of the second conveyor segment 200 the conveyor belt section 211 to stop. At the same time, the switch 207 of the second conveyor segment 200 can also be caused to return to the passive position. At this moment there is no further requirement for cushion pads 7 in the second conveyor segment 200.

(38) If there is no further cushion pad requirement in the second conveyor segment 200 and at full stock withdrawal container 103 of the first conveyor segment 100 a cushion pad 7 within the detection region of the transport good sensor 109 is present at its transport good sensor 109, this is detected by the control and/or regulation electronic 9 and/or the control and/or regulation electronic subunit of the first conveyor segment 100, so that the first conveyor belt section, 111, and the switch 107, associated therewith can also be made inactive. As soon as this condition is reached, cushion supply system 1 returns to the fully filled condition shown in FIG. 4.

(39) For the expert, it is readily clear that starting from the full condition as shown in FIG. 4, when identifying a requirement at any of the conveyor segments 100, 200, 300 or x00, filling can be carried out as described above, regardless of how many conveyor segments the cushion supply system 1 comprises.

(40) FIGS. 6a and 6b show in detail a switch x07 for the cushion supply system 1 according to the invention. The switch x07 has a pivot shaft 21 to rotate the switch around its pivot axis S, especially between the inactive and active position. A flag 23, which has an angled lower section 25 and a flat upper section 27, is non-rotatably arranged on the pivot shaft 21. The lower flag section is angled relative to the swivel axis S extending in the vertical direction for lifting the cushion pads 7, in particular by about 10°. The upper flag section 27 extends without inclination to the vertical direction. The height of the flag 23 attached to the pivot shaft 21 can be between 10 cm and 30 cm and is preferably around 20 cm. The lower angled flag section 25 extends in vertical direction over one to 10 cm, preferably less than 5 cm, in particular about 4 cm. The length of the flag 23 of a switch x07 in conveying direction F is preferably between 20 cm and 60 cm, especially about 40 cm. The flag length is preferably at least 1.5×, in particular at least 2× as large as the width of the conveyor belt x11, from which switch x07 is to deflect cushion pads 7. The lower angled flag section 25 may alternatively be curved and/or at least half the height of a cushion pad 7.

(41) The features revealed in the above description, figures and claims may be relevant, either individually or in any combination, to the realisation of the invention in its various forms.

(42) The illustrations of the embodiments described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of the various embodiments. The illustrations are not intended to serve as a complete description of all of the elements and features of apparatus and systems that utilize the structures or methods described herein. Many other embodiments may be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the disclosure. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived from the disclosure, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Additionally, the illustrations are merely representational and may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions within the illustrations may be exaggerated, while other proportions may be minimized. Accordingly, the disclosure and the figures are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

(43) One or more embodiments of the disclosure may be referred to herein, individually and/or collectively, by the term “invention” merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any particular invention or inventive concept. Moreover, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that any subsequent arrangement designed to achieve the same or similar purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all subsequent adaptations or variations of various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the description.

(44) The above disclosed subject matter is to be considered illustrative, and not restrictive, and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications, enhancements, and other embodiments, which fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, to the maximum extent allowed by law, the scope of the present invention is to be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the following claims and their equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited by the foregoing detailed description. While various embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(45) 1 cushion supply system 3 cushion source 5 cushion transport system 7 cushion pad 9 control- and/or regulate electronic 11 cushion pad series 13 conveying gap 21 pivot shaft 23 flag 25, 27 flag section 100, 200, 300, x00 conveyor segment 101, 201, 301, x01 packing station 101, 201, 301, x01 stock withdrawal container 105, 205, 305, x05 filling level sensor 107, 207, 307, x07 switch 109, 209, 309, x09 transport good sensor 111, 211, 311, x11 conveyor belt section F conveying direction S pivot axis