Conveyor device

Abstract

A conveyor arrangement (1) comprising:-at least one or more conveyor sections (2), each conveyor section (2) being adapted to convey objects (9) along a conveying direction (d) from an inlet (I) of the conveyor section (2) to an outlet (O) of the conveyor section (2),-a plurality of presence sensors (5), the detector is adapted to detect the presence of an object (9) to be conveyed in a predefined area of the conveyor section (2); -a side guide (6) adapted to prevent unintentional lateral exit of the objects (9) from the conveyor section (2); in particular, the side guide (6) is adapted to divide the space around the conveyor into an inner region (Ai) in which the objects (9) are conveyed and an outer region (Ae) in which the objects to be conveyed by the conveyor device (1) do not lie; wherein the side guide (6) provides a closed guide surface (S1, S2, S3), which extends in the vertical direction (z) from the conveyor surface (Sc) up to an upper edge (611).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveyor device. Background Art

[0002] EP 3 222 564 B1 discloses a conveyor for transporting objects from a starting location to a target location. The conveyor includes a plurality of sections into which the conveyor is divided, and objects are transported between these sections. Each section includes: a linear transport section that transports the object linearly; a transport direction changing section that selects the transport direction of the object and sends the object out in the selected transport direction; a transport destination storage unit configured to temporarily store transport destination information; an information receiving unit configured to receive the transport destination information from an upstream section; and an information transmission unit configured to transmit the transport destination information to a downstream section. The conveyor transmits the transport destination information from the upstream section to the downstream section as the object moves between sections.

[0003] WO 2021 / 048042 A1 discloses a virtual layout tool. This tool uses 3D data of individual transport modules to create transport equipment in a virtual world. The 3D data for the transport equipment is arranged in spatial relationships that correspond to the likely relationships of the associated modules in the real world. The transport equipment created in the virtual world can be used in simulations to predict efficient transport equipment usage and configure sufficient capacity.

[0004] US 2005 / 0087428 A1 discloses a conveyor for conveying articles along a conveying surface. The conveyor includes a pair of opposing side walls on which a plurality of motorized rollers are mounted (US 2005 / 0087428 A1, claim 1). The conveyor operates in response to article sensors positioned along various sections of the conveyor (US 2005 / 0087428 A1,

[0012] ). As can be seen in FIG14 , the sensors are mounted directly on opposing side walls of a support frame, and the motorized rollers are mounted on the support frame.

[0005] US Pat. No. 5,582,286 A discloses a modular powered roller conveyor having a conveyor section for conveying product units. The conveyor section includes a left-side guide rail 12 and a right-side guide rail, with a plurality of idler rollers 14 and a drive roller 16 mounted between the guide rails. An assembly of a photoelectric sensor and a corresponding sensor bracket is positioned on the guide rail in such a manner that a light beam from the photoelectric sensor passes through an opening in the guide rail (column 3, 1.46-55).

[0006] DE 10 2008 017 609 A1 discloses a system for conveying bottles or similar containers. The system comprises at least two adjacent and interconnected guide plates forming a container guide. The container guide is designed so that its upstream end can be adjusted in the conveying direction and against the conveying direction (in DE 10 2008 017 609 A1, the upstream end can be adjusted in the upstream end and against the conveying direction). Figure 1 In the embodiment of the present invention, the container is conveyed along the conveyor guides (indicated by the double arrow C in the figure), wherein the containers pass through this upstream end before entering the corresponding row. This is intended to achieve a staggered arrangement of the ends of the conveying guides, wherein some container guides with upstream ends extend further into the conveyor area before the row divider than other container guides. This is intended to improve the stability of the container conveyance and prevent the containers from tipping over (DE 10 2008 017609 A,

[0016] ). Summary of the Invention

[0007] An object is to provide an improved conveyor arrangement, in particular a planning / assembly method of the conveyor arrangement.In particular, an object is to provide a safe conveyor arrangement which reduces the risk of injury and at the same time gives flexibility in the positioning of the presence sensors.

[0008] The invention comprises the method according to the independent claim; embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims and the description.

[0009] The conveyor device includes:

[0010] - at least one or more conveyor sections, each conveyor section being adapted to convey objects along a conveying direction from an inlet of said conveyor section to an outlet of said conveyor section,

[0011] a plurality of presence sensors adapted to detect the presence of objects to be conveyed within a predefined area of ​​said conveyor section; the predefined area being in particular located within the field of view of the presence sensors;

[0012] - Side guides adapted to prevent objects from unintentionally leaving the conveyor section laterally.

[0013] In particular, the side guides are adapted to divide the space around the conveyor into an inner area, in which said objects are conveyed, and an outer area, in which objects to be conveyed by the conveyor arrangement are not located.

[0014] According to the invention, the side guides provide closed guide surfaces which extend vertically from the conveyor surface up to the upper edge. Figure 1 ), the present invention reduces any risk that might occur as a result of a person putting a finger in the gap between the side guides and other components (such as the sensor, including any fixing means for the sensor).

[0015] In an embodiment, the side guide element comprises a plurality of side guide fins, wherein a first side guide fin is located upstream of a second side guide fin. The first side guide fin is positioned adjacent to the second side guide fin, in particular without a gap therebetween, in particular overlapping, whereby the overlap refers to the direction of travel. This advantageously results in the absence of any gaps in the transition area between the two side fins that could cause the aforementioned injury.

[0016] Unless otherwise stated, the terms upstream and downstream refer to the direction of travel.

[0017] In an embodiment, at least one of the side guide blades comprises a sensor opening; wherein the presence sensor is aligned with the sensor opening such that the field of view (V) of the presence sensor passes through the sensor opening. In particular, on the outside of the blade, the sensor can close the opening, thereby improving the safety of the side guide.

[0018] In an embodiment, the sensor opening is located at the bottom of the side guide, in particular so that the field of view of the sensor is located short above the level of the conveyor surface, so that also very flat objects can be detected by the sensor.

[0019] The term sensor should be understood in a broad sense and may include more than just the active part of the sensor device; in particular, the term sensor also includes any optically passive components necessary for a presence detector, such as a reflector. Thus, a reflector located behind the sensor opening may be understood as a sensor.

[0020] In an embodiment, the first and second side guides overlap each other at the overlap region in a direction parallel to the conveying direction. This overlap again prevents any risk of injury and allows for flexibility in positioning the side guides. As described below, the position of the side guides may be limited by the location of the sensors, which reduces the degree of freedom in positioning all side guides.

[0021] In particular, the overlapping length of the overlapping region is thereby adjustable.

[0022] In one embodiment, the first side guide is located upstream of the second side guide. In the overlapping region, the first side guide is located inwardly relative to the second side guide in the direction of the inner region. This arrangement facilitates a smooth transition of any object sliding along the overlapping side guides.

[0023] In an embodiment, the side guide blade comprises:

[0024] a first guide surface, in particular wherein the sensor opening is located in said first guide surface, and

[0025] - a second guide surface and / or a third guide surface positioned at an angle to the first guide surface or positioned offset in parallel to the first guide surface.

[0026] The first guide surface is located downstream of the second guide surface and / or the third guide surface, wherein

[0027] - the first guide surface is located further inwards in the direction of the inner region than the second guide surface and / or the third guide surface, and / or

[0028] The second guide surface is arranged at an angle to the first guide surface and points starting from the first surface in the direction of the outer region.

[0029] In an embodiment, the presence sensor is positioned at a lateral distance from the side guide, particularly from the side guide bracket and / or the side guide opening. A sensor vision tube is provided to span the lateral distance and enclose the space surrounding the sensor's field of view. The tube also enhances safety, allowing the sensor to be positioned at a distance. Thus, the tube extends the "unsafe" interior area behind the level of the side guide while still allowing for unobstructed viewing of the object.

[0030] In an embodiment, there is no transparent cover over the sensor opening that could become damaged or contaminated or otherwise negatively impact the field of view in which the sensor is present.

[0031] Since no other sensors are mentioned in this application, the terms sensor and presence sensor are used synonymously.

[0032] The claimed method for planning and / or assembling a conveyor device as described above comprises the following steps:

[0033] - defining a position of at least one presence sensor at a conveyor section area;

[0034] - Planning and / or assembling lateral guides based on the defined position of the at least one presence sensor.

[0035] The method takes into account that the sensor positions are defined based on the conditions set by the conveyor itself. The predefined sensor positions are then used to plan or (directly) assemble the side guides. Since the side guides include closed surfaces, the side guides require attention to the sensor positions.

[0036] In particular, in the above method, the position of the presence sensor is defined in such a way that a sensor opening of the lateral guide element is aligned with one of the presence sensors, in particular such that a live view of the sensor passes through the sensor opening.

[0037] In an embodiment, planning and / or assembling the side guide element comprises the step of selecting a plurality of side guide blades, wherein the side guide blades comprise:

[0038] - A first side guide tab including a sensor opening.

[0039] In an embodiment, in a second step of planning and / or assembling the side guides, a first side guide piece is selected and positioned to align with the presence sensor, and in a subsequent second step of planning and / or assembling the side guides, a second side guide piece is selected and positioned to close the gap between the two first side guide pieces.

[0040] The invention makes it possible to define the position of the second side guide piece in a stepless manner in a second step of planning and / or assembling the side guide element.

[0041] In an embodiment, the conveyor arrangement is adapted to selectively convey objects from the at least one feed station to a selected destination of a plurality of destinations.

[0042] In an embodiment, the conveyor arrangement comprises a plurality of conveyor segments which are arranged in such a way that the objects can be transferred from an outlet of a preceding, in particular directly upstream, conveyor segment to an inlet of a subsequent, downstream conveyor segment.

[0043] In an embodiment, the conveyor arrangement comprises at least one or more controllers adapted to control the operation of the conveyor sections. The controllers control the operation of the conveyor sections based on sensor signals provided by presence sensors. The presence sensors are adapted to detect the presence of objects to be conveyed within the conveyor sections, in particular within a predefined area of ​​the conveyor sections.

[0044] In particular, the steps of selecting and positioning may be done virtually with the aid of a layout tool or similar; alternatively, the selection and positioning may be done by real hardware, wherein the real hardware is thereby actually assembled.

[0045] The material of the side guide elements, in particular the side guide blades, can be various; in particular, the material is metal or plastic. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in more detail with the aid of the accompanying drawings;

[0047] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a conventional conveyor section;

[0048] Figure 2 It is a traditional basic conveyor device;

[0049] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of different conveyor sections;

[0050] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the conveyor device;

[0051] Figure 5 A personal computer on which the placer is running during the initial planning phase;

[0052] Figure 6 for Figure 5 of personal computers are in subsequent planning steps;

[0053] Figure 7 for Figure 6 of personal computers are in subsequent planning steps;

[0054] Figure 8 for Figure 7 of personal computers are in subsequent planning steps;

[0055] Figure 9 The "build area" in the layouter that is in the subsequent planning step;

[0056] Figure 10 is a perspective view of a section of a conveyor device of the present invention;

[0057] Figure 11 a) Based on Figure 11 A more detailed perspective view of the conveyor device: b) is based on Figure 11 Schematic top view of the conveyor device:

[0058] Figure 12 Catalog for various side guide blades:

[0059] Figure 13 Based on Figure 11 Detailed perspective view of the sensors of the conveyor device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] Figure 1 An exemplary conveyor section 2 is shown, comprising a plurality of conveyor rollers 3 driven together by a common motor. For this purpose, one of the conveyor rollers 3 is designed as a motorized conveyor roller 3M. In particular, the motorized conveyor roller 3M is driven by a three-phase electric motor arranged within the conveyor roller. The conveyor rollers 3 of the conveyor section 2 are drivingly connected to one another via one or more drive connectors 31 (e.g., drive belts) and are driven together by the motorized conveyor roller 3M. The upper sides of the rollers form a conveyor surface Sc, on which objects 9 are conveyed linearly, in particular along a conveying direction d, from an inlet I to an outlet O.

[0061] In another embodiment, a conveyor belt is used instead of rollers; accordingly, the conveying surface Sc is formed by the conveyor belt ( Figure 1 and Figure 2The upper side of the PCB is formed (not shown).

[0062] The presence of a conveying object 9 on the conveyor section 2 can be determined by the presence sensor 5 as soon as the object enters the sensor's field of view V. The presence sensor 5 does not have to cover the entire conveyor section 2; it is sufficient for the presence sensor 5 to detect the presence of a conveying object 9 in a partial area of ​​the conveyor section 2. The presence sensor 5 thus generates a sensor signal, which is connected via a signal line (not shown) to a local section controller 11 (see FIG. Figure 2 ).

[0063] In particular, the presence sensor 5 comprises a photoelectric sensor, in particular in the form of a through-beam or reflective type (see https: / / en.wikipedia.org / wiki / Photoelectric_sensor, version of November 16, 2022), often also called a “light barrier”. Alternatively, any other sensor based on light detection may be used.

[0064] The conveyor rollers 3 and the presence sensors 5 are attached to a common support frame 4. The conveyor rollers 3 of a plurality of conveyor sections 2 can also be attached to a common support frame 4.

[0065] The motorized conveyor rollers 3M are each controlled by at least one or more local section controllers 11. The local section controllers 11 can control the motorized conveyor rollers of a plurality of conveyor sections 2. A plurality of section controllers 11 are arranged on the conveyor device 1 ( Figure 2 ) and communicate with each other via bus connection 13.

[0066] Figure 2 A basic conveyor arrangement 1 is shown in which the previously described conveyor segments 2a...e are used. A number of segment controllers 11 control the operation of the conveyor segments 2. A PLC 12 (Programmable Logic Controller) may be provided to control the overall operation of the conveyor arrangement 1.

[0067] Scanners (not shown) can be arranged along the sections and provide identification data about objects 9a...c that pass through the scanners within the section. This identification data is sent to the PLC 12 via the bus connection 13. The PLC 12 can access an object database (not shown) that provides destination data based on the identification of the object 9. Based on the acquired data, the PLC 12 provides operating instructions to the local section controller 11, indicating how to handle the object 9, that is, to which exit O the object 9 should be conveyed.

[0068] In an alternative embodiment (as described in European Patent Application 22 180 381.0), no PLC or similar device is required. Instead of a PLC, the segment controllers are connected to a common, higher-level object data agent, typically via a bus connection, through which the segment controllers are also connected to one another. The data agent provides destination data associated with the identified objects, and the segment controllers are adapted to control the operation of the segments based on the provided destination data.

[0069] In particular, the segment controller 11 controls the motorized conveyor rollers 3M so that successively approaching conveyed objects 9 do not collide with each other, a process often referred to as "zero pressure buildup." This control ensures that essentially only one conveyed object 9 is present in each conveyor segment 2. However, slight overlap may occur. For example, an upstream conveyed object 9b located in an upstream conveyor segment 2c may have already entered a downstream conveyor segment 2d, even though a downstream conveyed object 9a has not yet completely left the downstream conveyor segment 2d. While ensuring that two conveyed objects 9 do not come into contact and thus damage each other, the sensor signal of the presence sensor 5 serves as an input variable.

[0070] The conveyor section 2 is equipped with lateral side guides 6 adapted to support objects 9 laterally to prevent them from falling laterally from the conveyor section 2. Conventionally, the side guides 6 are in the form of guide rails, which consist of guide rails mounted on the frame 4 ( Figure 1 and Figure 2 ) is supported by a plurality of support rods 62 at the frame 4, the side guide 6 and the rod 62, and an opening A is created between the two rods 62, and the finger f (see Figure 1 ) can be inserted into the opening. When the finger f is inserted through the opening A, the object 9 passing by may cause damage to the finger f due to the large shear force.

[0071] In the subsequent description of the present invention, the following will be used Figure 3 The conveyor section 2 is described with reference to the schematic diagram of the conveyor section 2 shown in FIG. Figure 3 a schematically represents Figure 1 The conveyor section 2 has a first inlet I1 and a first outlet O1. No further inlets and outlets are provided. The conveyor section 2 can also be curved or have other shapes.

[0072] Figure 3 b shows a schematic diagram of another conveyor section 2 with an extended operating range. Figure 3In addition to the conveyor section 2 of FIG. 1 , the conveyor section 2 further includes a second outlet O2. Objects 9 can be selectively conveyed from the first inlet I1 to one of the first outlet O1 and the second outlet O2. Optionally, the conveyor section 2 further includes a third outlet O3. In this option, objects 9 can be selectively conveyed from the first inlet I1 to one of the first outlet O1, the second outlet O2, and the third outlet O3.

[0073] As an example, Figure 3 The conveyor section 2 of b may be composed of Figure 1 The conveyor section 2 shown is formed, which is additionally equipped with a conveyor according to EP 3 222 564 B1 Figure 5 The transmission device described in (in this document and the drawings, the transmission device has the reference number 20).

[0074] Figure 3 c shows a schematic diagram of a conveyor section 2 with an extended operating range. Figure 3 In addition to the conveyor section 2 of FIG. 1 , the conveyor section 2 has an additional second inlet I2. Objects 9 can be conveyed from one of the first inlet I1 and the second inlet I2 to the first outlet O1.

[0075] Reference Figure 3 b) The transmission device described is also suitable for providing the additional second inlet I2.

[0076] Figure 3 d shows a schematic diagram of a conveyor section 2 with an extended operating range. Figure 1 The conveyor section 2 has an additional second inlet I2 and an additional second outlet O2, and is Figure 3 b and Figure 3 Example of a combination of embodiments of c.

[0077] All conveyor sections 2 consist of Figure 1 or Figure 2 The segment controllers 11 shown control, in particular one segment controller 11 may be adapted to control the operation of more than one segment 2 .

[0078] from Figure 4 Initially, planning of the conveyor 1 is performed by an individual, herein referred to as a planner.

[0079] Figure 4 A principle sketch of what an exemplary conveying device 1 should ultimately look like is shown.

[0080] The exemplary conveyor arrangement 1 according to the sketch has two feed stations F, where a user can input objects 9 to be conveyed. The objects 9 are conveyed from the feed stations F to a plurality of destinations D via a plurality of conveyors C. A plurality of intersection points J are provided, at which the objects 9 are selectively transferred onto one of a plurality of routes along the conveyors C. Such a sketch may exist only in the planner's mind.

[0081] Now refer to Figure 5 For detailed planning, the planner uses an IT tool 8, which is an application running on a personal computer 7, the term personal computer also including tablet computers (PCs) or similar devices. The IT tool 8 is also referred to here as a "layouter".

[0082] The layouter 8 provides a construction area 81 in which a planner can create a digital schematic diagram of the conveyor 1. The layouter 8 also provides a selection area 82 in which components are provided for the planner to select. Through the user interaction UI, the user can select a graphical schematic diagram 83 of a specific component and transfer the selected component to the construction area 81 by dragging and dropping.

[0083] After several iterations, a small conveying device 1 comprising a linear roller conveyor C has been created in the building area 81 .

[0084] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the conveyor device 1 further developed in the building area 81 is shown. Figure 5 In addition to the situation in FIG, the conveyor device 1 now also includes an intersection J and a plurality of merging points M branching out at the intersection J.

[0085] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the conveyor device 1 further developed in the building area 81 is shown. Figure 6 In addition to the situation in FIG, the conveyor arrangement 1 now also comprises an additional conveyor C downstream of the junction M. A feed station F and connecting conveyors C are also provided, which are connected to the preceding conveyors C via intersections J.

[0086] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the conveyor device 1 further developed in the building area 81 is shown. Figure 7 In addition to the case in FIG. 1 , the conveyor arrangement 1 further comprises a destination D branching off from the conveyor C downstream of the junction M. At the destination D branching off from the conveyor C, an additional intersection J is provided.

[0087] By comparison Figure 8 and Figure 7 It can be seen that planners can change the focus of the built area.

[0088] The intersection J can be realized by various embodiments. As a common embodiment, the intersection J can be implemented by a transmission device (such as European Patent EP 3 222 564 B1). Figure 5 The roller conveyor shown in FIG.

[0089] The schematic diagram of the conveyor device 1 also includes a plurality of presence sensors 5. The presence sensors 5 are positioned at locations where they are required for proper control of the conveyor device 1 via the user input UI.

[0090] Now, according to Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the main components of the conveyor device 1 within the building area 81 of the embodiment is provided, which perform the conveying and sorting operations when intended to be used.

[0091] according to Figure 9 , the user can insert the side guide 6 into the existing schematic. The side guide 6 has a plurality of side guide pieces 61 that provide a closed guide surface to enable the sensor 5 to detect the presence of an object 9 on the conveyor surface. Some side guide pieces 61 include a sensor opening 615 that enables the sensor 5 to be viewed through the side guide piece 61.

[0092] Obviously, the side guides are separate from the frame of the conveyor.

[0093] Therefore, when planning the conveyor, the side guide blades 61 are selected and positioned based on the position of the sensors 5 ; thus, said position is defined before the side guide blades 61 are selected and positioned.

[0094] The IT planning tool supports this task. If the defined position of the side guide 6 and the sensor 5 does not match, the IT planning tool can provide the user with an alert indicating the mismatch. This alert can have various implementations. For example, a pop-up window indicating the mismatch can appear; another alert is for the IT planning tool to simply provide feedback by disallowing the user from positioning the side guide in the mismatched position.

[0095] Alternatively or additionally, the IT planning tool can automatically define the side guides based on the position of the sensor. For example, the IT planning tool can select a guide piece 61 having a sensor 61O (rather than a sensor without a sensor opening) and automatically position the selected side guide piece in such a way that the sensor opening 61O is aligned with the sensor 5.

[0096] Figure 10 A perspective view of a section of an exemplary conveyor C is shown. Here, the conveyor surface Sc is formed by the upper side of the conveyor belt (however, it is also possible that the conveyor surface Sc is formed by the upper sides of a plurality of rollers). Details of the side guide blades 61 are shown in FIG. Figure 11shown.

[0097] The side guide blades 61 form a closed guide surface extending from a lower edge 612 to an upper edge 611 and from a front edge 613 to a rear edge 614. Thus, with respect to the conveying direction d, the front edge 613 is located downstream and the rear edge 614 is located upstream. The side guide blades are separated from the frame 4.

[0098] The closed guide surface divides the space into an inner area Ai and an outer area Ae. The inner area is where the object 9 travels at high speed, which usually leads to a certain risk of injury. In contrast, the outer area Ae is a safe area for human fingers f. Figure 1 In contrast to the situation above, the closed guide surface can prevent a person from inserting his fingers from the outer area Ae into any place between the fixed components in the inner area Ai.

[0099] The side guide piece 61 has a fixing section 616 at which the side guide piece 61 is fixed to the frame 4 of the conveyor C. In particular, the fixing section 616 includes at least one or more elongated fixing holes 617 .

[0100] For better illustration, the individual side guide fins 61 are provided with reference numerals 61a, 61b, 61c, 61d, wherein the suffixes a, b, c, ... indicate the position of the individual side guide fins 61 in the conveying direction d. Thus, a single second side guide fin 61b is located downstream of a single first side guide fin 61a, and so on.

[0101] The side guide fins 61 are additionally provided with reference numerals indicating the type of side guide fin. A first type of side guide fin 610 is provided with the sensor opening 615 in a closed guide surface. A second type of side guide fin 61S is not provided with the opening and is therefore completely closed.

[0102] As described above, in the first step, the position of the sensor 5 is defined. After the position of the sensor 5 is defined, in the second step, the first type of side guide piece 610 is selected and positioned in such a way that the sensor opening 615 is aligned with the position of the sensor 5. Figure 1 In the conveyor, the first side guide piece 61a and the fourth side guide piece 61d are positioned along the conveying direction d.

[0103] After the second step, a gap g is left between the first side guide piece 61a and the fourth side guide piece 61d. In the same way, a plurality of gaps g are left, for example, between the fourth side guide piece 61d and the next side guide piece of the first type 610 ( Figure 11 A gap is left between the two (not shown).

[0104] In the third step, at least one or more side guide pieces 61b, 61c, 61e, 61f, ... of the second type 61S are selected and positioned in the gaps. The selection is performed in such a way that a continuous side guide surface extending over the plurality of side guide pieces is created without any gaps between adjacent side guide pieces.

[0105] To meet the above selection and positioning requirements, a set of side guides 61 of different sizes are provided. For example, the first side guide 61a is smaller in size, the sixth side guide 61f is larger in size, and the remaining side guides 61b, 61c, 61d, and 61e have different intermediate sizes.

[0106] In addition, the side guide pieces 61 are adapted to be positioned in a stacked manner relative to each other ( Figure 11 ). Therefore, in the overlapping area Ao, the adjacent side guide pieces 61 overlap each other with an adjustable overlapping length Lo in a direction parallel to the conveying direction d.

[0107] The overlapping state enables various configurations to be realized with a limited number of side guide fins 61 of different sizes, even though the sensor 5 can be freely positioned without any restriction on the availability of suitable side guide fins 61 .

[0108] The first side guide fin 61a is located upstream of the second side guide fin 61b. In the overlapping area Ao, the upstream first side guide fin 61a is located inward of the downstream second side guide fin 61b in the direction toward the inner area Ai. This arrangement allows objects 9 to smoothly pass through the transition between the side guide fins 61 along the conveying direction d without adversely abutting any of the front edges 613 or rear edges 614 of the side guide fins 61.

[0109] Figure 12 A plurality of side guides 61 are shown, which can be selected from a catalog of a plurality of different predefined side guides 61 available in a prefabricated manner. The catalog comprises two types of side guides 61. A first type of side guide 610 ( Figure 12 a) having a sensor opening 615; a second type of side guide piece 61S ( Figure 12 b) Without sensor opening 615 .

[0110] Figure 12Figure c shows an optional modification. Here, the second-type side guide piece 61S, in particular, has a circular line in the first guide surface S1, with a predetermined breaking point Bp, typically produced by laser cutting. The predetermined breaking point BP can be broken, for example, with the aid of a cutting tool. After breaking the predetermined breaking point BP, a sensor opening 615 is created, thereby allowing the first-type side guide piece 61O to be generated from the second-type side guide piece 61S as desired. This can be done on-site at the final location, where the conveyor is assembled, as desired.

[0111] Figure 12 Three guide surfaces S1, S2, S3 are shown. The first guide surface S1 forms the main guide surface of the side guide piece 61. The third surface S3 is located upstream of the first guide surface S1. The third guide surface S3 is intended to be arranged in the above-mentioned overlapping arrangement with the first surface S1 area of ​​the upstream side guide piece 61. An example thereof is shown in FIG. Figure 11 Here, the third guide surface S3 of the second (downstream) side guide piece 61b is in a partially overlapping state with the first guide surface S1 of the first (upstream) side guide piece 61a.

[0112] The first surface S1 and the third surface S3 are oriented parallel to each other with an offset Os in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction d. The offset Os corresponds to the thickness of the side guide piece 61, particularly the thickness of the metal sheet. By varying the overlap length Lo, the side guide pieces can be aligned with each other in a stepless manner, thereby ensuring that the sensor opening 615 is always aligned with the sensor 5.

[0113] The second guide surface S2 is located between the first surface S1 and the third surface S3 and forms an obtuse angle with the first surface and the third surface to form a transition between the first surface and the third surface.

[0114] like Figure 13 As shown, the sensor 5 is mounted on the frame 4. Thus, the sensor fixing member 54 is attached to the frame 4. The sensor mounting bracket 55 is attached to the sensor fixing member 54. The sensor 5 is mounted on the mounting bracket 55.

[0115] The presence sensor 5 is located at a lateral distance Ly from the side guide 6, the side guide piece 61 and the sensor opening 615. In particular, the remote position protects the sensor 5 from damage by any objects and obstacles in the inner area Ai. The lateral distance Ly between the sensor 5 and the side guide 6 is closed by the sensor vision tube 56. The sensor vision tube 56 encloses a space in which the field of view V of the sensor 5 spans the distance between the sensor 5 and the side guide 6, the side guide piece 61 and / or the sensor opening 615. In particular, obstacles can protrude from the outer area Ae into the field of view V of the sensor 5. Additionally, the sensor vision tube 56 closes the gap between the sensor 5 and the side guide 6. Thus, the risk of a person inserting a finger f into the gap, which could cause injury, is prevented. Figure 1 Already explained in .

[0116] The side guides 61 divide the conveyor area into an inner area Ai, where goods are conveyed, and an outer area Ae. The inner area Ai is particularly unsafe, and injuries could occur if a person enters it during operation. Furthermore, the inner area Ai should be free of any edges or obstacles that could hinder the smooth conveyance of objects 9.

[0117] Reference Signs List

[0118] 1 Conveyor device

[0119] 2 conveyor sections

[0120] 2a…e

[0121] 3 conveyor rollers

[0122] 3M motor driven conveyor rollers

[0123] 31 drive connector

[0124] 4 Support frame

[0125] 5 Presence Sensor

[0126] 54 Sensor fixing parts

[0127] 55 Sensor mounting bracket

[0128] 56 sensor vision tube

[0129] 6 Side guides

[0130] 61 side guide

[0131] 611 top edge

[0132] 612 bottom edge

[0133] 613 front edge

[0134] 614 rear edge

[0135] 615 sensor opening

[0136] 616 fixed section

[0137] 617 long fixed hole

[0138] 62 support rod

[0139] 7 PC, personal computer

[0140] 8 IT Tools / Layouters

[0141] 9 Objects to be transported

[0142] 11 Local section controller

[0143] 12 PLC

[0144] 13 Bus connection

[0145] 81 Build Area

[0146] 82 Select Area

[0147] 83 Graphical diagram of components

[0148] C conveyor

[0149] D Destination

[0150] F Feeding Station

[0151] I entrance

[0152] I1…2

[0153] J-junction

[0154] L Line

[0155] M Junction

[0156] O Exit

[0157] UI User Interaction

[0158] F finger

[0159] Ao overlapping area

[0160] Ai internal area

[0161] Ae External Area

[0162] d Transmission direction

[0163] g gap

[0164] Lo is the length of the overlapping area

[0165] Ly lateral distance

[0166] Os is the deviation perpendicular to the conveying direction.

[0167] V Field of View

[0168] Sc conveyor surface

[0169] S1, S2, S3 guide surfaces

[0170] A Opening

[0171] Oa overlap region

[0172] 61O First type of side guide

[0173] 61S Second type of side guide

[0174] SG1…3 Side guide surface; guide surface

Claims

1. A conveyor device (1), comprising: - at least one or more conveyor sections (2), each of said conveyor sections (2) being adapted to convey objects (9) along a conveying direction (d) from an inlet (I) of said conveyor section (2) to an outlet (O) of said conveyor section (2), - at least one or more presence sensors (5) adapted to detect the presence of objects (9) to be conveyed within a predefined area of ​​the conveyor section (2); - lateral guides (6) adapted to prevent objects (9) from unintentionally leaving the conveyor section (2) laterally; In particular, the lateral guides (6) are adapted to divide the space around the conveyor into an inner area (Ai) in which the objects (9) are conveyed and an outer area (Ae), wherein the objects to be conveyed by the conveyor device are not located; It is characterized by: The side guides (6) provide closed guide surfaces (S1, S2, S3) extending in the vertical direction (z) from the conveyor surface (Sc) up to the top edge (611).

2. Conveyor device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized by: The side guide member (6) includes a plurality of side guide pieces (61), The first side guide piece (61a) is located upstream of the second side guide piece (61b). The first side guide piece (61a) is directly attached to the second side guide piece (61b), in particular in a gap-free, in particular overlapping manner, with the second side guide piece (61b).

3. Conveyor device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized by: At least one of the side guide pieces (61) includes a sensor opening (615); wherein a presence sensor (5) is aligned with the sensor opening (615) such that a field of view (V) of the presence sensor (5) passes through the sensor opening (615).

4. Conveyor device (1) according to the preceding claim, It is characterized by: The presence sensor opening (615) is located at the bottom of the side guide piece (61).

5. Conveyor device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized by: Adjacent side guide pieces (61), in particular, a first side guide piece (61a) and a second side guide piece (61b), overlap each other at an overlapping area (Ao) in a direction parallel to the conveying direction (d).

6. Conveyor device (1) according to the preceding claim, It is characterized by: The overlapping length (Lo) of the overlapping area (Ao) is adjustable.

7. Conveyor device (1) according to claim 5 or 6, It is characterized by: The first side guide piece (61a) is located upstream of the second side guide piece (61b), Wherein, in the overlapping area (Ao), the first side guide piece (61a) is located on the inner side of the second side guide piece (61b) in the direction toward the inner area (Ai).

8. Conveyor device (1) according to claim 2 and any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized by: The side guide piece (61) includes - a first guide surface (S1), in particular wherein The sensor opening (615) is located in the first guide surface (S1), and - a second guide surface (S2) and / or a third guide surface (S3) positioned at an angle to said first guide surface (S1) or positioned offset parallel to said first guide surface (S1), The first guide surface (S1) is located downstream of the second guide surface (S2) and / or the third guide surface (S3), wherein - the first guide surface (S1) is located further inwards in the direction of the inner area (Ai) than the second guide surface (S2) and / or the third guide surface (S3), and / or - the second guide surface (S2) is arranged at an angle to the first guide surface (S1) and points from the first surface (S1) in the direction of the outer area (Ae).

9. Conveyor device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized by: The presence sensor (5) is held at a lateral distance (Ly) from the side guide (6), in particular from the side guide bracket (61) and / or the sensor opening (615), A sensor vision tube (56) is provided, which spans the lateral distance (Ly) and encloses the space around the field of view (V) of the sensor (5).

10. Conveyor device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized by: The conveyor roller comprises a frame (4), wherein at least one roller is attached to the frame (4), wherein the side guide member (6), in particular the side guide piece (61) of the side guide member (6), is separated from the frame (4), In particular, the roller is one of a motorized conveyor roller, an idler conveyor roller, a drum motor for driving a conveyor belt, and a deflection roller for deflecting a conveyor belt.

11. A method for planning and / or assembling a conveyor arrangement (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising the following steps: - defining the position of at least one presence sensor (5) at the conveyor section (2); - planning and / or assembling the lateral guide elements (6) based on the defined position of the at least one presence sensor (5).

12. The method according to the preceding claim, in, The side guide (6) is defined in such a way that the sensor opening (615) of the side guide (6) is aligned with one of the presence sensors (5).

13. The method according to the preceding claim, in, After the position of the at least one presence sensor (5) has been defined, the position of the lateral guide element (6), in particular the lateral guide blade (61), having the sensor opening (615) is defined.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 12, in, Defining, in particular planning and / or assembling the side guide element (61) comprises the step of selecting a plurality of side guide pieces (61), wherein the side guide pieces (61) comprise - a first type of side guide blade (610) comprising a sensor opening (615), - A second type of side guide blade (61S) that does not include a sensor opening.

15. The method according to the preceding claim, in, In a second step of planning and / or assembling the side guide (6), the first type of side guide piece (610) is selected and positioned in alignment with the presence sensor (5), and In a subsequent second step of planning and / or assembling the side guide element (6), the second type of side guide piece (61S) is selected and positioned to close the gap (g) between the two first type of side guide pieces (61O).

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, in, During the step of planning and / or assembling the lateral guide element (6), the position of the lateral guide blades (61S) of the second type is defined in a stepless manner.

17. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 16, in, In case the method relates to the planning of the conveyor arrangement, the method is performed by using an IT planning tool (8), The IT planning tool (8) provides a user interface (8) via which a user provides a user interaction (UI) for defining, in particular selecting and / or positioning the position of the side guides and / or the sensors and / or the position of the side guide blades.

18. The method according to the preceding claim, in, The IT planning tool (8) is adapted to - automatically comparing the defined position of the presence sensor (5) with the definition of the side guide and, based on the comparison, adapting the IT planning tool to provide an error message if the definition of the side guide does not match the defined position of the presence sensor (5), and / or Automatically defining the lateral guides or adjusting the definition of the lateral guides in such a way that the definition of the lateral guides matches the position of the presence sensors.

19. The method according to the preceding claim, -in, The definition of the side guide matches the position of the presence sensor in that the sensor opening of the side guide is aligned with the position of the presence sensor, - wherein the definition of the side guide does not match the position of the presence sensor in case the sensor opening of the side guide is not aligned with the position of the presence sensor.

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