FEEDING DEVICE OF AN INTRA-LOGISTICS SYSTEM

Abstract

The invention relates to a feeding device for feeding products to a conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting line of an intra-logistics system, including a supply conveyor, a standby circular conveyor having a plurality of transport units, which are arranged spaced apart from one another in a variably conveyable manner, an accumulation section, in which the transport units can be accumulated, an acceleration section, in which the transport units can be accelerated. The supply conveyor is provided with a transfer point, at which the products are transferred to a respective transport unit of the standby circular conveyor. The feeding device is configured such that the feeding device delivers the products in a controlled manner to designated receiving units of the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting line.

Claims

1. A feeding device (3.1-3.6) for feeding products to a conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section (2, 2) of an intra-logistics system, the feeding device (3.1-3.6) comprising: a supply conveyor (31, 31.1), a preparation circuit (32, 32.1) with a plurality of transport units (321.3, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) which are arranged to be conveyable with variable spacing from one another, an accumulation section (3.65) in which the transport units (321.3, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) can be accumulated, and an acceleration section (3.64) in which the transport units (321.3, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) can be accelerated, wherein the supply conveyor (31, 31.1) includes a transfer point (3.61) at which the products are each transferred to a transport unit (321.3, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) of the preparation circuit (32, 32.1) and wherein the feeding device (3.1-3.6) is configured to deliver the products in a controlled manner to designated receiving units (21) of the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section (2, 2).

2. The feeding device (3.1-3.6) according to claim 1, wherein the feeding device (3.1-3.6) comprises a delivery conveyor (33, 33) arranged relative to the preparation circuit (32, 32.1) so that the transport units (321.3, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) deliver the products to the delivery conveyor (33, 33) and the delivery conveyor (33, 33) delivers the products to designated receiving units (21) of the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section (2, 2).

3. The feeding device (3.1-3.6) according to claim 2, wherein the preparation circuit (32, 32.1) is configured for controlled delivery of the products to the delivery conveyor (33) and/or the delivery conveyor (33) for controlled delivery of products to the designated receiving units (21) of the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section (2, 2).

4. The feeding device (3.1-3.6) according to claim 1, wherein a control unit is provided which checks that the transport units (321.3, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) of the preparation circuit (32, 32.1) only leave the transfer point when the transport units (321.3, 321.7, 324.1, 324.9) have accepted a product.

5. The feeding device (3.1-3.6) according to claim 1, wherein the transport units (321.3, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) are conveyable on the preparation circuit (32, 32.1) independently of one another.

6. The feeding device (3.1-3.6) according to claim 1, wherein the transport units (321.3, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) of the preparation circuit (32, 32.1) comprise holding means, preferably hooks or grippers (322.5-322.8, 324.94) or pockets for receiving and/or holding and/or delivering the products.

7. The feeding device (3.1-3.6) according to claim 1, wherein the transport units (321.3, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) are configured as carriages (324, 324.1-324.9) with holding means, preferably hooks or grippers (322.5-322.8, 324.94) or pockets, said carriages being freely moveable on a running rail (323, 323).

8. An intra-logistics system comprising a feeding device (3.1-3.6) according to claim 1 and a conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section (2, 2) with receiving units (21).

9. The intra-logistics system according to claim 8, wherein the intra-logistics system comprises at least one collecting device (5.1, 5.2) and at least one intermediate conveyor (4) for transporting products from the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section (2, 2) to the at least one collecting device (5.1, 5.2), wherein the intermediate conveyor (4) comprises a plurality of transport units (321.3, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) for receiving and/or holding and/or delivering the products and a shunting device (6).

10. The intra-logistics system according to claim 9, wherein the shunting device (6) comprises at least one directing group with at least one gate (62) and at least one supply section (611).

11. The intra-logistics system according to claim 9, wherein the transport units (321.3, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) of the intermediate conveyor (4) are independent of one another and are arranged to be conveyable with variable spacing from one another and are preferably configured as freely movable carriages (324.1-324.9) in a running rail (323, 323) with holding means, preferably hooks or grippers (322.5-322.8, 324.94) or pockets.

12. The intra-logistics system according to claim 11, further comprising a carriage (324.1-324.9) in the directing group placed in storage by one or a plurality of gates (62, 622) on one of a plurality of supply sections (611) in each case.

13. The intra-logistics system according to claim 12, wherein the carriage (324.1-324.9) in the directing group can be removed from storage actively or passively from one of a plurality of supply sections (611) in each case and compiled by one or a plurality of gates (63, 631) with further carriages (324.1-324.9) from the same and/or further supply sections (611) into a predetermined sequence.

14. A method for operating an intra-logistics system according to claim 8, comprising the steps: i) collection of product compilations made up of a plurality of products in receiving units (21) along a conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section (2, 2), wherein the products are fed in a controlled manner to the receiving units (21) from at least one feeding device (3.1-3.6); and ii) transfer of the products and transportation to at least one collecting device (5.1, 5.2), for the production of collections or stacks or packages which takes place according to a product sequence S.sub.act.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, following the transfer from the supply conveyor (31, 31.1) to a transport unit (321.3, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) of the preparation circuit (32, 32.1), the products are transported from said preparation circuit to a delivery conveyor (33) and delivered thereto and the delivery conveyor (33) then delivers the products to the designated receiving units (21) of the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section (2, 2).

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the preparation circuit (32, 32.1) delivers the products in a controlled manner to the delivery conveyor (33).

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein a control unit checks that the transport units (3213, 321.7, 324.1-324.9) of the preparation circuit (32, 32.1) only leave the transfer point when they have received a product.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the products are collected in the receiving units (21) of the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section (2, 2) into product units, in particular end products with product collections, wherein at least a proportion of the end products are target-specifically individualized product units and wherein the end products are delivered in accordance with an actual product sequence (Sact) to at least one collecting device (5.1, 5.2) for the production of stacks or packages.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein after the product collections have been collected, the product units comprising the product collections are completed, the product units according to a product sequence (S.sub.act) are transferred to a shunting device (6), the actual sequence of the individual product units of the product sequence (S.sub.act) are compared with a planned sequence of product units according to a product sequence (S.sub.set), the product units transported without any change to the sequence through the shunting device (6) when the product sequence (sact) agrees with the production sequence (S.sub.set) or a repair group comprising a plurality of product units with a sequence differing from the production sequence (S.sub.set) is temporarily stored in a supply section (611) of a directing group and subsequent corrected and/or subsequently produced product units compiled in the correct sequence with the product units of the repair group and the product units in the correct sequence are transported to at least one collecting device (5.1, 5.2) for the production of route-adapted packages or stacks.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0103] Embodiments of the invention are explained in greater detail with the help of the following figures and the associated descriptions. In the figures:

[0104] FIG. 1 shows as a schematic plan view a first exemplary embodiment of an intra-logistics system as a post-press processing system with a collecting section with five feeding devices, each with a preparation circuit and a collecting conveyor, a jacketing station, an intermediate conveyor, two stacking devices and a delivery device;

[0105] FIG. 2 shows in a schematic plan view a second exemplary embodiment as a post-press processing system with a collecting section with eight feeding devices, a collecting conveyor, a jacketing station, an intermediate conveyor with a shunting device, comprising six supply sections in a directing group, two stacking devices and a delivery device;

[0106] FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view of a portion of a preparation circuit according to FIG. 1 with a portion of a running rail on which four freely movable transport units in the form of carriages with grippers transport a first type of printed products in suspended fashion;

[0107] FIG. 4 shows a schematic side view of a portion of a supply section of a directing group of a shunting device according to FIG. 2 with a portion of a running rail on which four freely movable transport units in the form of carriages with grippers transport a first type of finished printed products;

[0108] FIG. 5A shows in a schematic view a further exemplary embodiment of a collecting section according to the invention with feeding devices, two of which are configured as feeding devices, each with a supply conveyor, a preparation circuit and a collecting conveyor;

[0109] FIG. 5B shows in a perspective detail enlargement the transfer of a printed product in a transfer point of the supply conveyor to a transport unit of a preparation circuit according to FIG. 5a;

[0110] FIG. 5C shows in a perspective detail enlargement a delivery conveyor of a feeding device according to FIG. 5a, wherein the transfer of printed products from a transport unit of the preparation circuit to the delivery conveyor and the delivery of printed products to receiving units of the collecting section are depicted;

[0111] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a feeding device;

[0112] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a transport unit with a buffer element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0113] FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of an intra-logistics system as a post-press processing system in a schematic plan view. In a collecting section 2 with five feeding devices 3.1-3.5, collections of printed products D are produced. The feeding devices 3.1-3.5 each comprise a supply conveyor 31.1, a preparation circuit 32.1 with a plurality of transport units and a delivery conveyor which is not shown in FIG. 1. With the five feeding devices 3.1-3.5, up to five different types of printed products are delivered to a collecting circuit with a plurality of receiving units 21.

[0114] In this way, preferably target-specific collections of printed products are produced, which after passing through the collecting line in the exemplary embodiment shown, are covered in a jacketing station 8 with a preferably target-specifically produced jacket products, for example digitally printed folded sheets.

[0115] After the jacketing station 8, the product units P now completed in the correct product sequence are received by an intermediate conveyor 4, preferably a gripper transporter, which is able to transport and deliver the product units in the example shown to either one of the two stacking units 5.1, 5.2. The transport and delivery takes place according to a previously defined production schedule, so that all product units come in the correct sequence in the correct product for their distribution route.

[0116] Details of a delivery conveyor 33 according to a preferred embodiment can be inferred from FIG. 5C. The delivery conveyor 33 is configured as a belt conveyor in such a manner that it delivers the products D1, D2, D3, D4 individually from above to the designated receiving units 21 of the collecting line 2. The printed products D1, D2, D3, D4 are deposited by individual transport units 324.4 of the preparation circuit onto a depositing region of the delivery conveyor arranged on the top side. By means of control means not shown in the figure, the delivery of products D1, D2, D3, D4 from the preparation circuit is controlled in such a manner that the delivery conveyor can run continuously at the speed adapted to the conveying speed of the receiving units.

[0117] If no product is required for a receiving unit, delivery of the product from the gripper of the corresponding transport unit can be omitted. In the example shown in FIG. 5C, this happened following delivery of the product D2. The following product D3 was only delivered after an interval of two cycles, so that in the product flow on the delivery conveyor 33 a gap of two product cycles has occurred. Following delivery of the products D1 and D2 into two consecutive receiving units 21, the two subsequent consecutive receiving units 21 are not supplied with products. Two more products D3 and D4 are then delivered into the receiving units.

[0118] The fact that the products D1, D2, D3, D4 can be transported in and delivered in a controlled manner in a continuous sequence by the transport units is ensured in that at one delivery point of the supply conveyor 31 a printed product D1, D2, D3 is delivered in each case to a transport unit of a preparation circuit 32, as is depicted in FIG. 5B. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the clip arranged on the carriage 324.1 has gripped a product D1 and has been conveyed with the carriage by means not depicted in the figure in the conveying direction from the acceptance point away in the direction of the delivery conveyor. The next products D2 supplied by the supply conveyor 31 were delayed in arriving at the delivery point and can now be received by the waiting transport unit with carriage 324.2. The short waiting time does not have negative repercussions, thanks to the unsynchronized conveying system in the preparation circuit.

[0119] In a schematic side view in FIG. 3 of a portion of the preparation circuit according to FIG. 1 or FIG. 5 it can be seen that gaps between the individual transport units 321.3, 321.7 caused by the waiting time can be balanced out, or else reduced, with no problem thanks to the free movability of the carriages 324.1-324.4 on the running rail 323. In the depiction according to FIG. 3, the carriages 324.1-324.4 run in the conveying direction F on the running rail 323 from right to left through the image. The gripper clamps attached to the carriages are all closed and they all hold a printed product D1-D4. The leading carriage 324.1 has been slowed down by delay means not shown in the figure, so that the gap to the following carriage 324.2 has substantially reduced compared with the following carriages 324.3 and 324.4 which are each spaced further apart from one another. Since the four freely movable transport units in the form of carriages 324.1-324.4 each transport a first type of printed products D1-D4 in a suspended manner, the gap between these products D1-D4 is also reduced accordingly. In this way, it is very easy to ensure that the products can be delivered in the required number and without any interruption or gaps to the transfer conveyor and therefore to the receiving units of the collecting circuit.

[0120] FIG. 2 shows a schematic plan view of a second exemplary embodiment as a post-press processing installation. In a collection section with eight feeding devices 3.1 to 3.8, collections of printed products are produced. The feeding devices 3.1 to 3.8 may be conventional feeders and/or feeding devices of the previously described type with a preparation circuit. A jacketing station 8 is arranged downstream of the collecting conveyor 2 in which the collections can be jacketed. Following the jacketing, a transfer unit 4 of an intermediate conveyor accepts the finished product units which preferably exist as printed end products with a target-specific product collection and/or a target-specific jacket. The intermediate conveyor comprises a shunting device 6 which, in the exemplary embodiment shown, has a transit section 621 and three supply sections 611 arranged on the left and right sides in each case. A directing group with five inlet gates, namely a 3-way gate 62 and four downstream 2-way gates 622, is arranged upstream of the six supply sections 611. Via the inlet gates 62, 622, incoming transport units in the form of carriages can be distributed in a controlled manner between the transit section or one of the supply sections 611.

[0121] Correctly compiled product units in the correct product sequence are preferably guided without a gate movement on the transit section 612 by the shunting device and processed into in-sequence packages in the two stacking devices arranged downstream.

[0122] If errors are made during the production of product units and if individual errors or a plurality of errors have to be corrected or subsequently produced, the correctly produced product units of a group can be diverted in the shunting device 6 via the inlet gates 62, 622 to a supply section and stored there temporarily.

[0123] A repair group of this kind will usually comprise a group of product units which are provided for a joint package.

[0124] The corrected or subsequently produced product unit is moved to the correct sequence position within its group in the shunting device. For this purpose, it is preferably guided on the transit section by the shunting device to an infeed gate 63. Depending on its position in the predefined package, the product units of the repair group preceding it are moved out of the supply section 611 via the infeed gates 6341, 63 to an ejection section 64, then the gates 63 are switched to the transit section and the corrected or subsequently produced product unit is inserted in the correct sequence. The gates 63 are then switched to the supply section with the remaining product units of the repair group and these are fed to the group in the correct sequence for the joint package.

[0125] If the corrected and subsequently produced product unit is conveyed between two package sequence groups, the bringing-together is very simple. The product units of the advancing group are guided via the infeed gates and the following group is preferably slowed down and held back/accumulated in the transit section until the corrected or subsequently produced product unit is inserted into its group in the correct sequence.

[0126] In the event that the corrected or subsequently produced product unit is supplied in the middle of a group of product units for a foreign package, these associated product units are diverted in the directing group in the correct sequence to a supply section 611, the corrected or subsequently produced product unit is only conducted to the transit section and, as described above, is combined with its package group in the correct sequence. The group in temporary storage can then be conveyed from the supply section 611 to the stacking devices to form packages.

[0127] In the event that the production of corrected or subsequently produced product units should take place very quickly and in the event that the size and storage capacity of the shunting device allows this, the corrector group and all following package groups can be temporarily stored until the corrected or subsequently produced product unit arrives at the supply sections. In this case, the product units, including the corrected or subsequently produced product unit, can be delivered in the completely correct production sequence to the stacking devices and no manual adjustments need be made.

[0128] If production of the corrected or subsequently produced product units should take place very quickly and if the size and storage capacity of the shunting device allows this, the correction group and all following package groups can be temporarily stored until the corrected or subsequently produced product unit arrives at the supply sections. In this case, the product units, including the corrected or subsequently produced product unit, can be delivered in the completely correct production sequence to the stacking devices and no manual adjustment need take place.

[0129] If production of the corrected or subsequently produced product units should not take place quickly enough and/or if the size and storage capacity of the shunting device should not be sufficient to store temporarily the correction group and all following package groups until the corrected or subsequently produced product unit arrives at the supply sections, the correct sequence of the product units within all packages is nevertheless guaranteed. The package produced from the corrected sequence of product units must, however, still be moved into the correct position within the sequence of packages for the corresponding supply route.

[0130] FIG. 4 shows in a schematic side view how the gaps between the freely movable transport units in the form of carriages 324.5-324.8 can in turn be varied. The grippers 322.5-322.8 each hold a complete product unit P5-P6. While the product units P5 and P6 are still slightly spaced apart in a space-saving manner on the running rail 323 of a supply line, the products P7 and P8 are accelerated by conveying means which are not shown in the direction of infeed gates located outside the image detail. The conveying may take place actively in a completely supported manner or, in sections, also passively in a gravity-driven manner.

[0131] FIG. 5A shows in schematic view a further exemplary embodiment of a collecting section 2 according to the invention with five feeding devices, three of which are configured as conventional feeding conveyors and two as feeding devices 3.1 and 3.2, each with a supply conveyor, a preparation circuit and a delivery conveyor.

[0132] Thanks to their low error rate, it has proved advantageous for the new feeding devices to be retrofitted with a supply conveyor, a preparation circuit and a delivery conveyor in each case, even in the case of existing collecting sections. They are then preferably used to convey very difficult printed products, for example very thin products, products with very poor paper quality or very smooth products or products that are very difficult to split up.

[0133] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a supply device which is configured as an overhead conveying device 3.6. The overhead conveying device 3.6 is shown without transport units. The overhead conveying device 3.6 comprises a running rail 323, a transfer point 3.61, a delivery point 3.62, a delivery conveyor 33 and a return flow portion 3.63. The running rail 323 is tilted sectionally, in particular to the delivery point 3.62, so that transport units can be driven by gravity in these sections. A barrier element (not shown in the figure) is arranged at the delivery point 3.62, by means of which transport units can be blocked in an accumulation section 3.65. In embodiments with buffer elements, the buffer elements of the transport units can be loaded by subsequent transport units by means of the mass thereof. Through acceleration from the delivery point 3.62, the transport units move in an acceleration section 3.64 parallel to a delivery conveyor 33 at which the transport units can deliver products, e.g. printed products. The empty transport units are moved to the delivery point 3.61 again via the return flow section 3.63. At the delivery point 3.61 the empty transport units can receive products and be moved to the delivery point 3.62.

[0134] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the transport unit 324.9. The transport unit 324.9 comprises a buffer element 324.91 which is attached to a surface 324.92 of the transport unit 324.9. The buffer element 324.91 is shown in an unloaded state. The transport unit 324.9 in the embodiment shown is a carriage with rollers 324.93 and 324.93 and also a gripper 324.94. The transport unit 324.9 shown is particularly suitable for conveying printed products which can be taken up by the gripper 324.94. An opening or closing of the gripper 324.94 can be achieved in a known manner with a suitable crank via which the roller 324.93 runs. The transport unit 324.9 has a stabilizing element 324.95 which is used to hold or align the required product, e.g. a printed product, in a preferred position. In the embodiment shown, the stabilization element 324.95 is configured as an elastic plastic tongue.