COLLECTING DEVICE FOR A CONVEYOR

Abstract

A collecting device for collecting discrete items that are delivered from a conveyor to a delivery location. The collecting device includes a collecting region with a collecting device, in which collecting region the discrete items are collected, a delay region with a discrete items support, and a feed region having a feed device. The delay region is prior to the collecting region and is the region in which the discrete items delivered from the conveyor are held up. The feed region is prior to the delay region and is the region through which the discrete items are fed from conveyor to the delay region. The delay region has a conveying mechanism that is capable of conveying the held-up discrete item from the delay region into the collecting region by way of a conveying-active movement.

Claims

1. A collecting device for collecting discrete items that are delivered from a conveyor to a delivery location, wherein the collecting device forms the following regions: a collecting region with a collecting device, in which collecting region the discrete items are collected; a delay region with a discrete items support, said delay region being prior to the collecting region and in which the discrete items delivered from the conveyor are held up, and a feed region with a feed device, said feed region being prior to the delay region and via which the discrete items are fed from the delivery location to the delay region, wherein the delay region comprises a conveying mechanism that is capable of conveying the held-up discrete item from the delay region into the collecting region by way of a

2. The collecting device according to claim 1, wherein the conveying mechanism comprises at least one conveying-active advance body which, by way of a conveying-active movement, acts such that the held-up discrete item is conveyed further in the conveying direction.

3. The collecting device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one conveying-active advance body is designed for executing a cyclic movement.

4. The collecting device according to claim 1, wherein the discrete items support forms a curvature with an ascending curvature section, in particular a receiving trough, for the discrete item.

5. The collecting device according to claim 4, wherein the discrete items support is a flexible, extensive support body.

6. The collecting device according to claim 5, wherein the conveying mechanism is designed to lift the flexible, extensive support body in the region of the curvature, in particular of the receiving trough, during its conveying-active movement, such that a discrete item that is arranged in the region of the curvature, in particular in the receiving trough, is conveyed further in the conveying direction by way of the lifting of the support body.

7. The collecting device according to claim 5, wherein the conveying mechanism is designed to move the flexible, extensive support body in a wave-like manner.

8. The collecting device according to claim 2, wherein the discrete items support comprises at least one recess, through which the at least one conveying-active advance body acts upon the discrete item during the execution of a conveying-active movement.

9. The collecting device according to claim 8, wherein the at least one conveying-active advance body comprises a plurality of advance elements that are arranged distanced to one another transversely to the conveying direction and which, in each case, act through a recess in the discrete items support.

10. The collecting device according to claim 8, wherein the recesses are slot openings aligned parallel to the conveying direction.

11. A sorting facility with a conveyor and with at least one collecting device according to claim 1.

12. A method for collecting discrete items that are delivered from a conveyor to a delivery location of a collecting device according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: feeding a discrete item from the feed device of a feed region to the discrete items support of a delay region and holding up the discrete item in the delay region; acting upon the discrete item by way of a conveying mechanism that executes a conveying-active movement in the delay region, by which means the discrete item is conveyed from the discrete items support in the delay region into a collecting region.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the conveying mechanism comprises at least one conveying-active advance body, and the at least one conveying-active advance body during its conveying-active movement and considered in the conveying direction is moved behind the discrete item held up on the discrete items support, towards the discrete item with a vertical movement component directed counter to the gravitational force and with a horizontal movement component directed in the conveying direction.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the conveying mechanism comprises at least one conveying-active advance body which, during its conveying-active movement, is moved in a revolving device along a closed movement path, in particular rotates about an axis.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the discrete items support is a flexible, extensive support body that forms a curvature with an ascending curvature section, and in particular a receiving trough for the discrete item, and the conveying mechanism lifts the flexible, extensive support body in the region of the curvature by way of the conveying-active movement, and thus conveys a discrete item, which is arranged in the region of the curvature, in particular in the receiving trough, in the conveying direction by way of the lifting of the support body.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the discrete items support comprises recesses, through which the at least one conveying-active advance body of the conveying mechanism, considered in the conveying direction is moved behind a discrete item held up on the discrete items support, on execution of the conveying-active movement.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one conveying-active advance body acts directly or indirectly upon the discrete item.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0112] The subject-matter of the invention is hereinafter explained in more detail by way of embodiment examples which are represented in the accompanying drawings. There are shown schematically in each case wherein:

[0113] FIG. 1 is a perspective view obliquely from below, of an embodiment of a collecting device with a conveying mechanism in the delay region, according to the first embodiment variant;

[0114] FIG. 2 is a lateral view of parts of the collecting device according to FIG. 1;

[0115] FIGS. 3a-3d are lateral views of the collecting device according to FIGS. 1 and 2, with the conveying mechanism in different advance positions;

[0116] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a collecting device, with a conveying mechanism in the delay region, according to the second embodiment variant;

[0117] FIGS. 5a-5d are lateral views of the collecting device according to FIG. 4, with the conveying mechanism in different advance positions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0118] The collecting device 1.1, 1.2 according to FIGS. 1 and 4 in each case include a feed region A with a feed device 7. The feed device 7 in each case comprises a conveying chute, via which the discrete items 2 are fed to the delay region B, in particular in a singularised which is to say individual manner.

[0119] The discrete items 2, as is shown in FIG. 2, are delivered from the tilt-tray conveyor 3 to a delivery location and are transferred from the delivery location of the conveying slide to the feed device 7 in the feed region A. Of course, a different conveyor, such as, e.g., a gripper conveyor or a belt conveyor can also be provided instead of a tilt-tray conveyor 3.

[0120] A delay region B with a discrete items support 6.1, 6.2 is arranged subsequently to the conveying slide 7 or the feed region A.

[0121] The discrete items 2, which are fed via the conveying chute 7 to the discrete items support 6.1, 6.2, in particular, in an individual manner, are braked and caught or received on the discrete items support 6.1, 6.2.

[0122] The delay region B moreover includes a conveying mechanism 8.1, 8.2, by way of which the discrete items 2 can be fed to the collecting region C, in particular in an individual and controlled manner.

[0123] The collecting region C for this includes a collection table 14, on which the fed discrete items 2 are collected.

[0124] The discrete items support 6.1 is a flexible, extensive belt according to the embodiment according to the first embodiment variant (FIGS. 1, 2 as well as 3a-d). The belt 6.1 in the delay region B between two support or fastening locations forms a freely sagging region with a receiving trough 10, for the purpose of receiving an, in particular, individual discrete item 2 (see FIG. 3b).

[0125] A conveying mechanism 8.1 with an advance body 12.1 in the form of a crank or arm, which rotates at a radial distance about an axis, is arranged below the belt 6.1.

[0126] The crank or the arm 12.1 is moved upwards to the belt 6.1 in the region of the receiving trough 10, in a rotation movement. The crank or the arm 12.1 with an advance rotation movement lifts the belt 6.1 behind the deepest location of the receiving trough 10, considered in the conveying direction F (see FIG. 3c).

[0127] The discrete item 2 in the receiving trough 10 gets into an inclined trough section due to the lifting of the belt 6.1 and is brought into movement in the conveying direction F due to gravity on account of this (see FIG. 3d). Since the lifting procedure of the belt 6.1 propagates in the conveying direction F, the inclined trough section and, with this, the discrete item 2 also moves on in the conveying direction F.

[0128] The discrete item 2 is fed to the collecting region C of the collecting device 1.1 and transferred to this, in this manner (see FIG. 3d).

[0129] The crank or the arm 12.1 due to the rotation movement and in the course of its conveying-active movement reaches a highest point, at which the belt 6.1 is lifted to the maximum extent (see FIG. 3a).

[0130] The crank or the arm is moved down again in a subsequent movement section of the conveying-active movement. The next discrete item 2 can already be fed to the delay region B at this point in time.

[0131] The crank or the arm 12.1 after completion of the conveying-active movement is moved further downwards and with a continued rotation movement with a movement component counter to the conveying direction F is moved further into the initial position. The belt 6.1 after completion of the conveying-active movement again assumes its initial position amid a renewed formation of the receiving trough (see FIG. 3b).

[0132] According to the embodiment according to the second embodiment variant (FIGS. 4 and 5a-d), the discrete items support 6.2 is a support grating with a plurality of slot openings 11, which are arranged next to one another and spaced from one another.

[0133] The conveying mechanism 8.2 include several advance bodies 12.1 that are formed by a plurality of brush strips, which are arranged rotating about an axis. The brush strips include individual advance elements 13 in the form of bristles.

[0134] The brush strips 12.2 are brought into rotation about the axis for the purpose of conveying a discrete item 2 lying on the support grating 6.2, to the collecting region C. A brush strip 12.2 is thereby moved upwards through the slot openings 11 to above the support surface of the support grating 6.1, behind the discrete item 2 considered in the conveying direction F (see FIG. 5b).

[0135] The brush strip 12.1 is simultaneously moved up to the discrete item 2 from the rear considered in the conveying direction F and assumes a conveying contact with this, due to the fact that the rotation movement of the brush strip 12.2 also includes a horizontal movement component in the conveying direction F (see FIG. 5c).

[0136] The brush strip 12.1 now pushes the discrete item 2 in the conveying direction F away from the support grating 6.2 towards the collecting region C, with a continuation of the rotation movement, which is to say conveying-active movement (see FIG. 5d).

[0137] The brush strip in the course of its conveying-active movement and on account of its rotation movement reaches a highest point, at which the brush strip 12.2 projects maximally above the support surface (see FIG. 5c).

[0138] In a subsequent movement section of the conveying-active movement, the brush strip 12.2 is again moved downwards, wherein this still continues to exert a conveying-active movement (see FIG. 5d) until reaching the level of the support surface.

[0139] The conveying-active movement is completed as soon as the brush strip 12.2 with the continued rotation movement is again arranged below the support surface.

[0140] The brush strip 12.2 with the continued rotation movement is now moved further with a horizontal movement component counter to the conveying direction F, into the initial position.