Pick and place system for logistics applications

Abstract

The invention relates to a pickup and placement system for logistics applications. In order to provide an improved pick-and-place system (1) in which the required pick-and-place distance and the size of the manipulator (2) are minimized and the operating speed of the pick-and-place system (1) is increased, the discharge conveyor (4) is designed as a planar motor (8), wherein the discharge plane motor (48) is designed to synchronize a movement of the shuttle (10) of the discharge plane motor (48) in the transfer zone (5) with a feed movement trajectory (Ti) of the at least one product (6) in the transfer zone (5) at least when the manipulator (2) picks up the at least one product (6) from the feed conveyor (3), or the feed conveyor (3) is designed as a plane motor (8), wherein the feed plane motor (38) is designed to synchronize a movement of the shuttle (10) of the feed plane motor (38) in the transfer zone (5) with a discharge movement trajectory (To) of the at least one product (6) in the transfer zone (5) at least when the manipulator (2) picks up the at least one product (6) from the shuttle (10) of the feed plane motor (38).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pick and place system for conveying products, comprising: a manipulator, an infeed conveyor, and an outfeed conveyor, wherein at least the infeed conveyor or the outfeed conveyor is designed as a planar motor comprising at least one shuttle, the at least one shuttle being movable in a conveying zone of the pick and place system, wherein when the pick and place system is in use, at least one product is arranged on the infeed conveyor and the at least one product is conveyed by the infeed conveyor into the conveying zone, wherein the manipulator is movable in the area of ​​the conveying zone and is arranged to pick up at least one product from the infeed conveyor, move at least one product to the outfeed conveyor, and place at least one product onto the outfeed conveyor during the conveying time when the pick and place system is in use. The present invention also relates to a method for operating a pick and place system for conveying products. Background Art

[0002] The rapid growth of product processing industries such as food and beverages requires more efficient and flexible product handling systems to increase product throughput and minimize manual labor. To meet the needs of these industries, so-called pick and place systems are widely used. These are automated systems for handling products during different processing steps, such as sorting or packaging.

[0003] A pick-and-place system essentially consists of a manipulator (e.g., a robot, a robotic arm, or a delta robot with a gripper) and a plurality of conveyors (e.g., belt conveyors) designed to transport certain products (e.g., food blocks, packages, etc.). The manipulator is arranged in the area of ​​the conveyors and serves to transfer products from one conveyor to another, e.g., from an infeed conveyor to an outfeed conveyor. Thus, an operator picks up products from one conveyor and places the picked-up products on another conveyor, e.g., in a sorting manner. Products are not conveyed directly on the conveyors, but can also be removed from a given container, such as a container or box, on the conveyors. Similarly, products are not placed directly on the conveyors, but can be placed in a given container on the conveyors.

[0004] To optimize the efficiency of a pick and place system, for example, when products appear randomly on a conveyor, complex picking strategies are used to allow multiple manipulators to work with minimal overlap to maximize the pick range and minimize missed products.

[0005] Depending on the product flow and product size, the working space of the conveyor and the manipulator can be very large.

[0006] A major drawback of existing pick-and-place systems is the trade-off between the size and number of manipulators. For larger quantities of smaller products, the number of manipulators needs to be increased to ensure a certain operating speed for the pick-and-place system. Consequently, the complexity of the picking strategy increases, which leads to higher automation costs.

[0007] Heavier products require larger manipulators, which increases the cost of the pick and place system due to the increased arm linkage size, gearbox size, and motor size. This increase in size also affects the operating speed of the manipulator itself due to the higher inertia required for movement, especially when the manipulator is picking and placing over long distances.

[0008] In recent years, the development of planar transport technology, such as planar motors, has enabled greater flexibility and more complex movement profiles in logistics applications. In addition to the horizontal use of planar motors, arrangements are also known for vertical and overhead operation, which enable greater flexibility. Planar motors are well known in the prior art. For example, US 9,202,719 B2 discloses the basic structure and operating mode of a planar motor. Basically, a planar motor has a stator, which forms a movement plane above the active surface of the stator. One or more movable devices, so-called shuttles, can move mainly in two dimensions within the movement plane formed by the stator while floating above the active surface of the stator. With the help of such planar motors, high-precision movements of the suspended shuttle can be carried out in the directions of all six rigid body degrees of freedom.

[0009] In US Pat. No. 10,173,848 B2, a planar motor with multiple shuttles is used to transfer products between transport systems, such as belt conveyors, without the use of manipulators. The belt conveyor is arranged between the active surface of the stator and the multiple shuttles of the planar motor. This arrangement enables the shuttles to move above the belt conveyor, which then propels products being transported on the belt conveyor. Summary of the Invention

[0010] It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved pick and place system, wherein the required pick and place distance and the size of the manipulator are minimized and the operating speed of the pick and place system is increased.

[0011] This object is achieved by the features of the independent claims.The invention proposes a pick and place system comprising at least one planar motor.

[0012] The outfeed conveyor is designed as a planar motor. When using a pick-and-place system, at least one product is transported from an infeed conveyor to a transfer zone along a predetermined feed trajectory, and a shuttle of the outfeed planar motor moves within the transfer zone in the area of ​​the at least one product on the infeed conveyor. The outfeed planar motor is designed to synchronize its movement within the transfer zone with the feed trajectory of the at least one product in the transfer zone, at least when a manipulator picks the at least one product from the infeed conveyor. Due to the synchronized movement of the outfeed planar motor shuttle and the at least one product on the infeed conveyor in the transfer zone, the complexity of the manipulator's movements required to transfer the product to the outfeed conveyor can be significantly reduced. Furthermore, by moving the shuttle within the area of ​​the at least one product on the infeed conveyor, the pick-and-place distance of the manipulator is minimized. This creates a cascading effect, as the minimized pick-and-place distance allows the size of the manipulator to be reduced, and the operating speed of the pick-and-place system to be increased. This also reduces the transfer time required for the manipulator to transfer the at least one product from the infeed conveyor to the outfeed conveyor.

[0013] Alternatively, the infeed conveyor is designed as a planar motor, and the shuttle of the infeed planar motor is designed to convey at least one product to a transfer zone, wherein when a pick-and-place system is used, the at least one product is conveyed out of the transfer zone by the outfeed conveyor along a given outfeed movement trajectory after being placed by the manipulator onto the outfeed conveyor, wherein the infeed planar motor is designed to synchronize the movement of the shuttle of the infeed planar motor in the transfer zone with the outfeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the transfer zone, at least when the manipulator picks up the at least one product from the shuttle of the infeed planar motor. Also in this embodiment, the pick-and-place distance of the manipulator can be minimized, the size of the manipulator can be reduced, and the operating speed of the pick-and-place system can be increased. Since the infeed conveyor or the outfeed conveyor is designed as a planar motor, the proposed pick-and-place system can be used in a variety of different applications, which enhances the flexibility of the pick-and-place system.

[0014] In an advantageous embodiment, the outfeed plane motor is designed to synchronize the movement of the shuttle of the outfeed plane motor in the conveying zone with the infeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the conveying zone when using a pick-and-place system within a given synchronization time, before the manipulator picks up the at least one product from the infeed conveyor. Alternatively, the infeed plane motor is designed to synchronize the movement of the shuttle of the infeed plane motor in the conveying zone with the outfeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the conveying zone when using a pick-and-place system within a given synchronization time, before the manipulator picks up the at least one product from the shuttle of the infeed plane motor. In this way, the pick-and-place distance of the manipulator can be minimized in advance because the movement of the respective shuttle and the respective movement trajectory are already synchronized before the manipulator starts to convey the at least one product.

[0015] Preferably, the outfeed plane motor is designed to synchronize the movement of the shuttle of the outfeed plane motor in the transfer zone with the movement of the manipulator in the transfer zone during the transfer time after the manipulator has picked up at least one product, at least for a given transfer synchronization time, when a pick and place system is used. Alternatively, the infeed plane motor is designed to synchronize the movement of the shuttle of the infeed plane motor in the transfer zone with the movement of the manipulator in the transfer zone during the transfer time after the manipulator has picked up at least one product, at least for a given transfer synchronization time, when a pick and place system is used. Since the relative movement of the respective shuttles and the manipulator during the transfer time has a significant influence on the (ultimately) required pick and place distance, synchronizing the movement of the respective shuttles and the manipulator helps to reduce said distance and the transfer time.

[0016] In yet another embodiment, the pick and place system further comprises a control unit designed to control the movement of the manipulator and / or the movement of the shuttle of the infeed plane motor and / or the movement of the shuttle of the outfeed plane motor in the transfer area.

[0017] The present invention also proposes a method, wherein the outfeed conveyor is designed as a planar motor, and at least one product is conveyed on the infeed conveyor into a transfer zone along a predetermined infeed motion path, wherein a shuttle of the outfeed planar motor is moved in the transfer zone in the region of the at least one product on the infeed conveyor, wherein the movement of the shuttle of the outfeed planar motor in the transfer zone is synchronized with the infeed motion path of the at least one product in the transfer zone at least when a manipulator picks up the at least one product from the infeed conveyor. Alternatively, the infeed conveyor is designed as a planar motor, and at least one product is conveyed on the shuttle of the infeed planar motor into the transfer zone, and at least one product, after being placed on the outfeed conveyor by the manipulator, is conveyed out of the transfer zone by the outfeed conveyor along a predetermined outfeed motion path, wherein at least when a manipulator picks up the at least one product from the shuttle of the infeed planar motor, the movement of the shuttle of the infeed planar motor in the transfer zone is synchronized with the outfeed motion path of the at least one product in the transfer zone. Due to the synchronization of the movement of the respective shuttles and the at least one product on the infeed conveyor in the transfer zone, the movement of the manipulator required to transfer the product to the outfeed conveyor can be significantly simplified. Furthermore, because the shuttles are moved in the area of ​​the at least one product on the infeed conveyor, the pick-and-place distance of the manipulator is minimized. With the reduced pick-and-place distance, the size of the manipulator can also be reduced, which can increase the operating speed of the pick-and-place system. Compared to known pick-and-place systems, the transfer time of the manipulator to transfer the at least one product from the infeed conveyor to the outfeed conveyor is significantly reduced.

[0018] Preferably, before the manipulator picks up the at least one product from the infeed conveyor, the movement of the shuttle of the outfeed plane motor in the conveying area is synchronized with the infeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the conveying area within a given synchronization time. Alternatively, before the manipulator picks up the at least one product from the shuttle of the infeed plane motor, the movement of the shuttle of the infeed plane motor in the conveying area is synchronized with the outfeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the conveying area within a given synchronization time. Because the respective shuttle movements and respective movement trajectories are already synchronized before the manipulator begins conveying the at least one product, the required pick-up and placement distances can be minimized in advance.

[0019] Advantageously, after the manipulator has picked up at least one product, during the transfer time, at least within a given transfer synchronization time, the movement of the shuttle of the infeed plane motor or the movement of the shuttle of the outfeed plane motor in the transfer zone is synchronized with the movement of the manipulator in the transfer zone. Since the relative movement of the respective shuttle and manipulator during the transfer time has a significant influence on the (ultimately) required pick-up and placement distance, synchronizing the movement of the respective shuttle and manipulator reduces this distance and the transfer time.

[0020] Furthermore, during the transfer synchronization time, the shuttle of the outfeed plane motor is moved in the transfer area toward the manipulator, or during the transfer synchronization time, the shuttle of the infeed plane motor is moved in the transfer area away from the manipulator. In this way, the pick and place distance is further reduced, which further reduces the transfer time and thus increases the operating speed of the pick and place system.

[0021] Preferably, the outfeed conveyor is designed as a planar motor and the infeed conveyor is designed as a planar motor, wherein an outfeed shuttle boundary shape is defined for the shuttle of the outfeed planar motor, said outfeed shuttle boundary shape enclosing the shuttle of the outfeed planar motor, and an infeed shuttle boundary shape is defined for the shuttle of the infeed planar motor, said infeed shuttle boundary shape enclosing the shuttle of the infeed planar motor, and wherein during the transfer time, a shuttle distance between the outfeed shuttle boundary shape and the infeed shuttle boundary shape is maintained between a given minimum pick-and-place distance and a given maximum pick-and-place distance, wherein the shuttle distance is preferably between zero and a maximum extension in one direction of the outfeed shuttle boundary shape or the infeed shuttle boundary shape. This ensures that the required pick-and-place distance is minimized when at least one product is transferred.

[0022] Alternatively, the outfeed conveyor is designed as a planar motor, wherein an outfeed shuttle boundary shape is defined for the outfeed planar motor shuttle, the outfeed shuttle boundary shape enclosing the outfeed planar motor shuttle, with a pick-up distance between the outer periphery of the outfeed planar motor shuttle and the outfeed shuttle boundary shape, so that a product zone is formed between the outer periphery of the outfeed planar motor shuttle and the outfeed shuttle boundary shape, wherein the pick-up distance is preferably maximum, i.e., the maximum extension in one direction of the outfeed planar motor shuttle, and / or the movement of the manipulator is controlled so as to keep at least one product in the product zone during the transfer time. This also helps to significantly reduce the required pick-and-place distance and the transfer time.

[0023] Furthermore, before the manipulator picks up the at least one product from the infeed conveyor in the product area, the shuttle of the outfeed plane motor moves toward the at least one product in the product area, and after the manipulator picks up the at least one product from the infeed conveyor, the manipulator places the at least one product on the shuttle of the outfeed plane motor. In this way, the transfer time and the required pick-up and placement distance are even further minimized.

[0024] Alternatively, the infeed conveyor is designed as a planar motor, wherein an infeed shuttle boundary shape is defined for the shuttle of the planar motor, the infeed shuttle boundary shape enclosing the shuttle of the planar motor, with a placement distance between the outer periphery of the planar motor shuttle and the infeed shuttle boundary shape, such that a product zone is formed between the outer periphery of the planar motor shuttle and the infeed shuttle boundary shape, wherein the placement distance is preferably maximum, i.e., the maximum extension of the planar motor shuttle in one direction, and wherein the movement of the planar motor shuttle and / or the movement of the manipulator is controlled so as to keep the at least one product in the product zone during the transfer time. Thus, the at least one product is transferred in the product zone in such a way that the required pick-up and placement distance is minimized.

[0025] Preferably, in the transfer zone the movement of the manipulator and / or the movement of the shuttle of the infeed plane motor and / or the movement of the shuttle of the outfeed plane motor is controlled by a control unit of the pick and place system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Refer to the following Figures 1 to 4 Describing the present invention in more detail, Figures 1 to 4 Exemplary, schematic and non-limiting advantageous embodiments of the present invention are shown. In the drawings:

[0027] Figure 1 Shows the basic components of a pick and place system

[0028] Figure 2 Showing a side view of the pick and place system

[0029] Figure 3 An alternative embodiment of a pick and place system is shown

[0030] Figure 4 Another alternative embodiment of a pick and place system is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Figure 1 An exemplary embodiment of a pick-and-place system 1 according to the invention is shown, horizontally arranged, as viewed from above. The pick-and-place system 1 comprises a manipulator 2, an infeed conveyor 3, and an outfeed conveyor 4. The pick-and-place system 1 is used to transfer products 6 from the infeed conveyor 3 to the outfeed conveyor 4. The pick-and-place system 1 can be used in various product processing industries, such as food and beverages, or in logistics, such as packaging logistics centers. Depending on the application of the pick-and-place system 1, various or similar products 6 can be transported and transferred, for example, food pieces or packaging devices such as packages or boxes.

[0032] When the pick and place system 1 is used, at least one product 6 is arranged on the feed conveyor 3 and the at least one product 6 is conveyed by the feed conveyor 3 into the transfer area 5 of the pick and place system 1. For example, the at least one product 6 can be conveyed directly on the feed conveyor 3, or the at least one product 6 can be conveyed in a given container on the feed conveyor 3, such as in some kind of container or box.

[0033] The manipulator 2 is arranged in the pick and place system 1 such that the manipulator 2 (at least the gripper 7 of the manipulator) can be moved in the region of a transfer zone 5. In said transfer zone 5, the manipulator 2 transfers at least one product 6 conveyed by the infeed conveyor 3 to the outfeed conveyor 4. The transfer zone 5 thus passes through at least parts of the infeed conveyor 3 and the outfeed conveyor 4, between which at least one product 6 can be transferred by the manipulator 2. In one possible embodiment, the infeed conveyor 3 and the outfeed conveyor 4 at least partially overlap (e.g. Figure 1 As shown). Figure 1 As shown, the transfer zone 5 preferably comprises an intersection at which the infeed conveyor 3 and the outfeed conveyor 4 overlap. Of course, the infeed conveyor 3 and the outfeed conveyor 4 can also be arranged in a different manner in the transfer zone 5, for example adjacent or abutting each other, and in particular non-overlapping.

[0034] The manipulator 2 is movable in the area of ​​the conveying zone 5, which means that when the pick and place system 1 is used, during the conveying time, the manipulator 2 is arranged to pick up at least one product 6 from the infeed conveyor 3, move the at least one product 6 to the outfeed conveyor 4, and place the at least one product 6 onto the outfeed conveyor 4. Thereafter, the at least one product 6 is conveyed out of the conveying zone 5 by the outfeed conveyor 4. For example, the at least one product 6 can be conveyed directly on the outfeed conveyor 4, or the at least one product 6 can be conveyed in a given container on the outfeed conveyor.

[0035] The transfer zone 5 is only used to illustrate the present invention and is indicated in the figure by a dotted line in an exemplary Cartesian coordinate system with x, y and z directions. The transfer zone 5 is essentially limited by the possible movement range of the manipulator 2, in particular the gripper 7 of the manipulator 2.

[0036] The manipulator 2 is preferably designed as a single-axis or multi-axis manipulator, such as a robot, a robotic arm, a delta robot, etc. Figure 1In the sense of the present invention, the manipulator 2 is exemplarily shown as a robotic arm. Furthermore, the manipulator 2 preferably comprises a gripper 7 which is designed to grip at least one product 6 and to pick up at least one product 6 from the infeed conveyor 3 in the transfer zone 5. Depending on the type of at least one product 6, different types and sizes of manipulators 2 and grippers 7 can be used. In the sense of the present invention, any device capable of holding a product is considered a gripper 7. The manipulator 2 preferably comprises a manipulator control unit 20 (e.g. a microcontroller) which controls the movement of the manipulator 2, in particular the movement of the gripper 7. The manipulator control unit 20 can also control the actuation of the gripper 7 of the manipulator 2. In Figure 1 In the sense of the present invention, the manipulator control unit 20 is only shown schematically. Furthermore, a plurality of sensors (not shown) can be used for controlling the manipulator 2 and the gripper 7. The movement of the manipulator 2 comprises the direction of the movement in space (e.g. x-y-z direction) and the velocity in said direction of movement.

[0037] The infeed conveyor 3 and the outfeed conveyor 4 can be designed as a planar motor 8 or as a known industrial conveyor, such as a ring conveyor, a belt conveyor, a roller conveyor, a chain conveyor, etc. Depending on the type of industrial conveyor, different conveying means 13 can be used on which at least one product 6 is arranged and by which at least one product 6 is conveyed. In Figure 1 In the sense of the present invention, the infeed conveyor 3 is designed as a known belt conveyor (in Figure 1 and Figure 2 not fully shown) with a belt as conveying means 13. For example, at least one product 6 is arranged on the belt of the belt conveyor as infeed conveyor 3.

[0038] The infeed conveyor 3 is configured to convey at least one product 6 into the transfer zone 5 by the conveying means 13 with a given infeed movement trajectory Ti. The infeed movement trajectory Ti defines the direction (path) of the movement of at least one product 6 on the infeed conveyor 3 and the conveying velocity (dynamics) in said direction of movement. In order to convey at least one product 6 into the transfer zone 5, the conveying means 13 of the industrial conveyor as infeed conveyor 3 can be actively driven by a drive unit (not shown), e.g. an electric motor. The drive unit can be controlled by a conveyor control unit 30 (e.g. a microcontroller). For example, the conveyor control unit 30 can control the conveying velocity of the conveying means 13. In Figure 1 In the sense of the present invention, the conveyor control unit 30 is only indicated schematically. Of course, the present invention is not limited to actively driven types of industrial conveyors. Also passively driven industrial conveyors can be used, e.g. where at least one product 6 is moved by gravity. In Figure 1In FIG. 1 , the feed trajectory Ti schematically indicates the movement of at least one product 6 into the transfer zone 5 in the x-direction, along the known direction of movement of the feed conveyor 3, at a known conveying speed of the conveying device 13 in the x-direction. The conveying speed of the at least one product 6 is not limited to a constant speed along the movement trajectory. The conveying speed of the at least one product 6 can also vary along the movement trajectory. For example, in the case of a passively driven industrial conveyor, the at least one product 6 can accelerate or decelerate along the movement trajectory.

[0039] According to the invention, at least the infeed conveyor 3 or the outfeed conveyor 4 is designed as a planar motor 8. Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the embodiment shown, the outfeed conveyor 4 is configured as a planar motor 8 and is therefore described as an outfeed planar motor 48. If the infeed conveyor 3 is configured as a planar motor 8, it will be described as an infeed planar motor 38 in the following, which will be combined with Figure 3 It is also possible that both the infeed conveyor 3 and the outfeed conveyor 4 are designed as planar motors 8, which will be described below in conjunction with Figure 4 Provide a description.

[0040] As initially mentioned, planar motor 8 essentially comprises a stator 9 and at least one shuttle 10. Stator 9 of planar motor 8 can comprise a modular structure, in that stator 9 comprises two or more stator segments. The stator segments can be connected in virtually any manner necessary for the respective application of planar motor 8. In the following description of the proposed pick-and-place system 1, stator 9 is described as a single structure having, for example, a rectangular shape. Of course, stator 9 is not limited to the geometric shapes shown in the figures.

[0041] In the following, only one shuttle 10 is described per planar motor 8. Of course, the proposed pick and place system 1 may comprise more than one shuttle 10 per planar motor 8, which shuttles may move simultaneously with the planar motor 8 and independently of each other.

[0042] The stator 9 of the planar motor 8 defines a movement plane M of the shuttle 10 above the active surface of the stator 9. For example, the movement plane M may extend in the xy plane at a certain height in the z direction above the active surface of the stator 9, such as Figure 2The term "active surface" describes a surface of the stator 9 above which the shuttles 10 can be moved in a known manner by electromagnetic forces. The at least one shuttle 10 can be suspended in a movement plane M above the active surface of the stator 9 and can generally be moved in at least two directions of movement. For example, the shuttles 10 can be moved in the x and y directions in the movement plane M. The shuttles 10 can also be moved in the z direction by adjusting the height of suspension above the stator 9 by lowering or raising the movement plane M, independently for each shuttle. In addition, the shuttles 10 can be rotated about their rotational axis. As mentioned at the outset, the shuttles 10 can essentially be moved in all six degrees of freedom of a rigid body above the active surface of the stator 9. However, for the sake of simplicity, the present application is further explained by the two directions of movement of the shuttles 10 in the x and y directions. Since the function and structure of the planar motor 8 are known, the stator 9 and the shuttles 10 are not described in more detail at this point. In order to control the movement of the shuttles 10, in particular in the conveying area 5, the planar motor 8 can comprise a planar motor control unit 40 (e.g. a microcontroller). The conveyor control unit 30 only Figure 1 is indicated schematically in the middle.

[0043] However, as mentioned at the outset, the stator 9 is not limited to a horizontal arrangement, for example in the x-y plane, as shown. The stator 9 can also be arranged in a vertical arrangement, for example forming the movement plane M in the x-z or y-z plane. In addition, an overhead arrangement of the stator 9 is also possible, since the movement plane M in the x-y plane is suspended from the active surface of the stator 9 in the negative z direction. For the sake of simplicity, in the following the present application will describe a horizontal arrangement of the stator 9, wherein the movement plane M is in the x-y plane.

[0044] The shuttles 10 of the planar motor 8 can be designed in different shapes, for example rectangular, circular, etc. The shuttles 10 can also be designed in different sizes (extension in the x, y and z directions). For example, the size of the shuttles 10 can depend on the size of the at least one product 6 to be conveyed. As shown, the shuttles 10 have a rectangular (box-like) shape, extending in the x direction (length L), in the y direction (width W) and in the z direction (height H). Generally, the width W and the length L of the shuttles are much greater than their height H.

[0045] Since the shuttles 10 are suspended above the active surface of the stator 9 of the planar motor 8, there is an air gap. The conveying device 13 of the industrial conveyor is preferably arranged in the air gap between the suspended shuttles 10 and the working surface of the stator 9. Figure 2A side view of a preferred embodiment of a pick and place system 1 is shown, wherein the outfeed conveyor 4 is designed as a planar motor 8 and the infeed conveyor 3 is designed as a belt conveyor. The shuttle 10 of the outfeed planar motor 48 is suspended above the stator 9 of the outfeed planar motor 48. Figure 2 As shown by way of example in FIG, a belt as a conveyor device 13 can be arranged at least partially in the air gap between the shuttle 10 and the active surface of the stator 9 of the outfeed plane motor 48. In this way, when the pick and place system 1 is used, at least one product 6 arranged on the conveyor device 13 can be conveyed into the transfer area 5, and the shuttle 10 can be moved over the conveyor device 13 and thus in the area of ​​the at least one product 6 on the conveyor device 13 in the transfer area 5. Although in Figure 2 In the embodiment, the outfeed conveyor 4 is designed as a planar motor 8, but the same arrangement can be realized with an infeed planar motor 38, as Figure 3 As shown, the outfeed conveyor 4 is designed as a belt conveyor and the infeed conveyor 3 is designed as a planar motor 8 .

[0046] like Figure 1 As shown, when using the pick and place system 1, at least one product 6 is conveyed on the feed conveyor 3 into the transfer zone 5 with a given feed movement trajectory Ti, and the shuttle 10 of the discharge plane motor 48 is moved in the transfer zone 5 in the area of ​​the at least one product 6 on the feed conveyor 3. The feed movement trajectory Ti is Figure 1 When the shuttle 10 of the discharge plane motor 48 is moved in the transfer area 5, the shuttle 10 has a specific direction and speed of movement in the direction of movement, for example in the xy direction, which is Figure 1 The shuttle vector S is indicated in FIG. The shuttle 10 of the discharge plane motor 48 can be moved into and out of the transfer area 5, for example, along a specific conveying path 16. The conveying path 16 is only Figure 1 Since the shuttle 10 of the discharge plane motor 48 can move in various directions of movement in the movement plane M, the movement of the shuttle 10 in the transfer area 5 and in and out of the transfer area 5 can be basically without any restrictions.

[0047] The outfeed plane motor 48 is designed to synchronize the movement of the shuttle 10 of the outfeed plane motor 48 in the conveying zone 5 with the infeed movement trajectory T1 of the at least one product 6 in the conveying zone 5 at least when the manipulator 2 picks up the at least one product 6 from the infeed conveyor 3. Preferably, the outfeed plane motor 48 is designed to synchronize the movement of the shuttle 10 of the outfeed plane motor 48 in the conveying zone 5 with the infeed movement trajectory T1 of the at least one product 6 in the conveying zone 5 within a given synchronization time before the manipulator 2 picks up the at least one product 6 from the infeed conveyor 3. The synchronization time can depend on the conveying speed of the conveying device 13. For example, the synchronization time can be chosen to ensure that the movement of the shuttle 10 and the infeed movement trajectory T1 of the at least one product 6 are synchronized when the at least one product 6 enters the conveying zone 5.

[0048] Furthermore, the outfeed plane motor 48 is preferably designed to synchronize the movement of the shuttle 10 of the outfeed plane motor 48 in the conveying zone 5 with the movement of the manipulator 2 in the conveying zone 5 at least within a given conveying synchronization time during a conveying time after the manipulator 2 has picked up the at least one product 6 when using the pick-and-place system 1. For example, the conveying synchronization time can be equal to the conveying time. Thus, after the manipulator 2 has conveyed the at least one product 6 to the shuttle 10 of the outfeed plane motor 48, said shuttle 10 with the at least one product 6 can move out of the conveying zone 5 independently of the movement of the manipulator 2.

[0049] The term "synchronization" essentially means in this context that the movement of the shuttle 10 of the outfeed plane motor 48 is controlled to achieve a predetermined relative movement between said shuttle 10 and the infeed movement trajectory T1 of the at least one product 6 in the conveying zone 5. Preferably, the shuttle 10 of the outfeed plane motor 48 and the at least one product 6 move in the conveying zone 5 in substantially the same direction and at substantially the same speed relative to each other. For example, the speed of the shuttle 10 is thus controlled to be substantially the same as the conveying speed of the at least one product 6 on the infeed conveyor 3 during the synchronization time. As already mentioned, the present application is not limited to a constant conveying speed of the at least one product 6. The term "substantially the same speed" means that said speeds differ by a maximum of 30%, preferably 10%, more preferably 5%. Furthermore, the direction of the movement of the conveying device 10 is controlled in the conveying zone 5 to correspond to the direction of the movement of the at least one product 6 on the infeed conveyor 3. For example, as already mentioned, the conveying device 13 can be designed to convey the at least one product 6 in the conveying zone 5 in the same direction as the movement of the shuttle 10 of the outfeed plane motor 48 in the conveying zone 5. Figure 1As schematically shown in , during the synchronization time, the shuttle vector S is substantially parallel to the vector of the infeed movement trajectory Ti. The term "substantially in the same direction" means that the directions are within a maximum angle of one another, for example, 1° to 5°. More preferably, the relative movement between the shuttle 10 and the at least one product 6 is zero, at least when the manipulator 2 picks up the at least one product 6 from the infeed conveyor 3. The term "synchronized" excludes the situation where both the shuttle 10 and the at least one shuttle 6 are stationary.

[0050] The at least one product 6 is typically arranged on the feed conveyor 3 in a random orientation and / or random position. As described above, in order to synchronize the movement of the shuttle 10 with the movement of the at least one product 6 in the transfer zone 5, the planar motor control unit 40 must know the feed movement trajectory Ti of the at least one product 6. Therefore, the pick and place system 1 preferably also includes a machine vision unit 11 and / or a sensor unit 12, which are arranged along the feed conveyor 3 and / or in the transfer zone 5 (e.g., Figure 1 and Figure 2 exemplarily shown in FIG).

[0051] The machine vision unit 11 and / or sensor unit 12 are designed to determine the position of at least one product 6 on the infeed conveyor 3 and the infeed movement trajectory Ti of the at least one product 6 on the infeed conveyor 3 as it is conveyed into the transfer zone 5 before the manipulator picks the at least one product 6 from the infeed conveyor 3 when the pick-and-place system 1 is in use. For example, the machine vision unit 11 comprises an imaging unit (e.g., a digital camera), an evaluation unit (e.g., a processor), and some kind of lighting. The machine vision unit 11 preferably images the at least one product 6 conveyed on the infeed conveyor 3 before it enters the transfer zone 5 and determines the position of the at least one product 6, in particular its infeed movement trajectory Ti, based on the captured image. Alternatively or additionally, the sensor unit 12 comprises a plurality of sensors (e.g., position sensors) that can be arranged along the infeed conveyor 3 and / or in the transfer zone 5 to determine the infeed movement trajectory Ti of the at least one product 6 conveyed on the infeed conveyor 3 into the transfer zone 5. Furthermore, the machine vision unit 11 and / or the sensor unit 12 may be designed to determine the orientation of at least one product 6 on the feed conveyor 3. In order to transmit said determined infeed movement trajectory Ti to the manipulator control unit 20 and / or the planar motor control unit 40, the machine vision unit 11 and / or the sensor unit 12 are preferably connected to the manipulator control unit 20 and / or the planar motor control unit 40 via a suitable connection, such as a wired or wireless connection (not shown in the figures).

[0052] Since the conveyor control unit 30 controls the drive unit of the feed conveyor 3 so that the conveying device 13 can have a certain conveying speed, and since the at least one product 6 is arranged on the conveying device 13, preferably without any slipping, the conveying speed of the at least one product 6 on the feed conveyor 3 corresponds to the conveying speed of the conveying device 13. Therefore, the conveying speed of the at least one product 6 on the feed conveyor 3 is known and can be transmitted to the planar motor control unit 40 in order to determine the feed movement trajectory Ti. The communication between the conveyor control unit 30 and the planar motor control unit 40 can be via a suitable connection, for example via a wired connection (such as Figure 1 Furthermore, due to the configuration of the feed conveyor 3 and the conveying device 13, the direction of movement of at least one product 6 is also known. For example, Figure 1 As shown, the direction of movement is along the x direction.

[0053] However, these are merely examples of how to determine the feed movement trajectory Ti, and those skilled in the art may foresee other applicable methods. It largely depends on the application environment which method is most practical.

[0054] The planar motor control unit 40 can use the determined feed movement trajectory Ti of the at least one product 6 on the infeed conveyor 3 to control the movement of the shuttle 10 of the outfeed planar motor 48. Furthermore, by knowing the position of the at least one product 6 on the infeed conveyor 3 and how the at least one product 6 is oriented on the infeed conveyor 3, as well as how the at least one product 6 is moved by the infeed conveyor 3 in the transfer zone 5, the shuttle 10 of the outfeed planar motor 48 can be moved over the infeed conveyor 3 (e.g., in the xy plane) in the area of ​​the at least one product 6 in the transfer zone 5 without colliding with said product 6.

[0055] The determined infeed movement trajectory Ti of the at least one product 6 can also be transmitted to the manipulator control unit 20. The manipulator control unit 20 can determine a pick-up position in the transfer area 5 based on the known infeed movement trajectory Ti, in which pick-up position the at least one product 6 is picked up by the manipulator 2 from the infeed conveyor 3. The pick-up position can also be transmitted to the planar motor control unit 40, so that the shuttle 10 of the outfeed planar motor 48 can be moved into the area of ​​the pick-up position in the transfer area 5 and preferably synchronized with the infeed movement trajectory Ti of the at least one product 6. Therefore, the manipulator control unit 20 is connected via a suitable connection, for example via a wireless or wired connection (such as Figure 1 ) is connected to the planar motor control unit 40. It is also possible that the manipulator control unit 20 is connected to the conveyor control unit 30 to receive information about the conveying speed of the conveying device 13, for example.

[0056] Furthermore, the direction and speed of movement of the shuttle 10 of the discharge plane motor 48 can be controlled to be synchronized with the direction and speed of movement of the manipulator 2 in the transfer zone 5. For example, during the transfer synchronization time, the shuttle 10 of the discharge plane motor 48 moves toward the manipulator 2 in the transfer zone 5, or the shuttle 10 of the discharge plane motor 48 and the manipulator 2 in the transfer zone 5 move toward each other. In order to synchronize the relative movements, the manipulator control unit 20 can be connected to the plane motor control unit 40 to control the movement of the shuttle 10 of the discharge plane motor 48 in the transfer zone 5. Thus, the movement of the manipulator 2 can be defined as "active movement," which in turn defines the movement of the shuttle 10 as "slave movement." For example, the manipulator control unit 20 can determine a placement position in the transfer zone 5, wherein the manipulator control unit 20 moves the manipulator 2 with the picked-up product 6 to the determined placement position. In order to place the picked-up product 6 onto the shuttle 10 of the outfeed planar motor 48, the manipulator control unit 20 controls the movement of the shuttle 10, also moving to the placement position (dominates the planar motor control unit 40). It is also possible that the movement of the shuttle 10 can be defined as "active movement", which in turn defines the movement of the manipulator 2 as "slave movement". For example, the planar motor control unit 40 defines the placement position in the transfer area 5, where the shuttle 10 is moved to the placement position. The planar motor control unit 40 can also control the movement of the manipulator 2 (dominates the manipulator control unit 20), as the manipulator 2 with the picked-up product 6 is moved to the placement position in order to place at least one product 6 onto the shuttle 10 of the outfeed planar motor 48.

[0057] However, these are only examples, as depending on the specific application, defining the movement of the manipulator 2 or the movement of the shuttle 10 as "active movement" may have certain advantages. However, the overall goal is to synchronize their movements to achieve a predetermined relative movement, thereby reducing the transfer time as much as possible and thus reducing the pick and place distance.

[0058] In a preferred embodiment, the manipulator control unit 20, the conveyor control unit 30 and the planar motor control unit 40 are implemented in a single control unit (not shown) of the pick and place system 1. This can be advantageous because all necessary information is collected in the control unit in order to control the movement of the components of the pick and place system 1 in the transfer area 5 and during the transfer of at least one product 6.

[0059] Preferably, an outfeed shuttle boundary shape So is defined for the shuttle 10 of the outfeed plane motor 48. The outfeed shuttle boundary shape So surrounds the shuttle 10 of the outfeed plane motor 48 with a pickup distance Pi between the outer periphery of the shuttle 10 of the outfeed plane motor 48 and the outfeed shuttle boundary shape So. The pickup distance Pi may vary along the periphery of the shuttle 10. Figure 1 As shown in the example, the outfeed shuttle boundary shape So has a rectangular shape and is defined in the xy plane. The pick-up distance Pi is preferably maximum, i.e. the maximum extension of the shuttle 10 in one direction of the outfeed plane motor 48. For example, Figure 1 The maximum extension of the middle shuttle 10 is in the x-direction or the y-direction. Furthermore, a product zone 15 is formed between the outer periphery of the shuttle 10 of the outfeed plane motor 48 and the outfeed shuttle boundary shape So.

[0060] The movement of the shuttle 10 of the outfeed plane motor 48 and / or the movement of the manipulator 2 is preferably controlled so as to transfer at least one product 6 to the shuttle 10 within the outfeed shuttle boundary shape So during the transfer time. Furthermore, the shuttle 10 of the outfeed plane motor 48 is preferably moved towards the at least one product 6 arranged in the product area 15 before the manipulator 2 picks up the at least one product 6 from the infeed conveyor 3 in said product area 15. Preferably, when the manipulator 2 has picked up at least one product 6, for example, at least up to the height H of the shuttle 10 in the z-direction, the shuttle 10 moves towards the at least one product 6 picked up by the manipulator 2, or the shuttle 10 and the manipulator 2 with the picked up product 6 move towards each other, so that the pick-up and placement distance is minimized. Preferably, manipulator 2 only needs to move the product substantially vertically in the z-direction, at least by the height H of shuttle 10, when picking at least one product 6 from infeed conveyor 3. Shuttle 10 can be moved beneath the at least one product 6, and manipulator 2 can place the at least one product 6 onto shuttle 10 without substantially any movement of manipulator 2 in the x- and y-directions. This significantly reduces transfer time because the pick-and-place distance required by manipulator 2 is limited to moving the at least one product 6 only in the z-direction. Consequently, the operating speed of pick-and-place system 1 can also be increased.

[0061] As already mentioned, after at least one product 6 is picked up from the feed conveyor 3 by the manipulator 2, the manipulator 2 places the at least one product 6 onto the shuttle 10 of the outfeed plane motor 48. For example, the at least one product 6 is placed by the manipulator 2 arranged on the shuttle 10 into a container, such as a carton, a box or a case. It is also possible that more than one product 6 can be placed by the manipulator 2 onto the shuttle 10 of the outfeed plane motor. Thus, the products 6 are picked up from the feed conveyor 3 and placed one by one onto the shuttle 10 by the manipulator 2, wherein the shuttle 10 can be moved individually to each of the products 6 (as already described) to minimize the pick-and-place distance. Alternatively, the products 6 are picked up from the feed conveyor 3 all at once by the manipulator 2 and placed onto the shuttle 10 by the manipulator 2 at the same time. After the manipulator 2 places the at least one product 6 onto the shuttle 10, the shuttle 10 can be moved out of the transfer area 5 (as already described). Figure 1 exemplarily indicated along the conveying path 16).

[0062] In passing Figure 1 and Figure 2 After describing in detail the basic components of the proposed pick and place system 1 in the illustrated embodiment, the following alternative embodiments will be described. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The pick and place system 1 according to the present invention is described. Basically, the operation of the pick and place system 1 is similar to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The arrangement shown has already been explained.

[0063] Figure 3 An alternative embodiment of the pick and place system 1 is shown, in which the infeed conveyor 3 is designed as a planar motor 8 instead of the outfeed conveyor 4, and the shuttle 10 of the infeed planar motor 38 is designed to convey at least one product 6 into the transfer area 5. Of course, more than one product 6 can be arranged on the shuttle 10 of the infeed planar motor 38 and can be conveyed by said shuttle 10 into the transfer area 5.

[0064] The discharge conveyor 4 is designed as an industrial conveyor, such as a belt conveyor. Figure 1 As described above, the belt of the outfeed conveyor 4, which is a belt conveyor, can also be arranged in the air gap between the shuttle 10 and the working surface of the stator 9 of the outfeed plane motor 38. When the pick and place system 1 is used, after being placed on the outfeed conveyor 4 by the manipulator 2, at least one product 6 is conveyed by the outfeed conveyor 4 out of the conveying area 5 along a given outfeed movement trajectory. The outfeed movement trajectory To defines the direction (path) and conveying speed (dynamics) of movement of the at least one product 6 on the outfeed conveyor 4 (analogously to the infeed movement trajectory Ti already described).

[0065] As about Figure 1 and Figure 2 As described above for the infeed conveyor 3, the conveyor control unit 30 can control the drive unit of the outfeed conveyor 4 and thus the conveying speed of the conveying device 13. Thus, the conveying speed of at least one product 6 on the outfeed conveyor 4 is known and can be transmitted to the planar motor control unit 40. Figure 1 In the embodiment, the communication between the conveyor control unit 30 and the planar motor control unit 40 can be via a suitable connection, for example, via a wired connection (such as Figure 3 Furthermore, due to the structure of the outfeed conveyor 4 and the conveying device 13, the direction of movement of at least one product 6 can be predetermined. For example, Figure 3 As shown, the direction of movement is along the x direction. In this way, it is possible to determine the outfeed movement trajectory To, by which at least one product 6 is moved out of the transfer zone 5 after being placed on the outfeed conveyor 4. Figure 1 and Figure 2 In contrast, in the case of this embodiment, the machine vision unit 11 and / or the sensor unit 12 may not be required. Therefore, the machine vision unit 11 and / or the sensor unit 12 may not be required. Figure 3 Not shown.

[0066] The infeed plane motor 38 is designed to synchronize the movement of the shuttle 10 of the infeed plane motor 38 in the conveying area 5 with the outfeed movement trajectory To of the at least one product 6 in the conveying area 5, at least when the manipulator 2 picks up at least one product 6 from the shuttle 10 of the infeed plane motor 38. Furthermore, the infeed plane motor 38 is preferably designed to synchronize the movement of the shuttle 10 of the infeed plane motor 38 in the conveying area 5 with the outfeed movement trajectory To of the at least one product 6 in the conveying area 5, before the manipulator 2 picks up at least one product 6 from the shuttle 10 of the infeed plane motor 38, when the pick-and-place system 1 is used, within a given synchronization time.

[0067] Preferably, when using the pick and place system 1, the feed plane motor 38 is designed to synchronize the movement of the electric motor 10 of the feed plane motor 38 in the transfer zone 5 with the movement of the manipulator 2 in the transfer zone 5, at least during a given transfer synchronization time, during the transfer time after the manipulator 2 has picked up at least one product 6. Preferably, during the transfer synchronization time, the shuttle 10 of the feed plane motor 38 moves away from the manipulator 2 in the transfer zone 5.

[0068] As already described for the outfeed plane motor 48, the term "synchronization," in the context of embodiments with an infeed plane motor 38, essentially also means controlling the movement of the shuttle 10 of the infeed plane motor 38 to achieve a predetermined relative movement between the shuttle 10 and the infeed movement trajectory To of at least one product 6 in the conveying zone 5. Preferably, the shuttle 10 of the infeed plane motor 48 and the at least one product 6 move relative to each other in the conveying zone 5 in substantially the same direction and at substantially the same speed. Furthermore, the manipulator control unit 20 is preferably connected to the plane motor control unit 40 of the infeed plane motor 38 and is designed to control the movement of the manipulator 2 and / or the movement of the shuttle 10 of the infeed plane motor 38 in the conveying zone 5. Preferably, the manipulator control unit 20 defines the movement of the manipulator 2 as an "active movement" in the conveying zone 5. For example, a pick-up position in the conveying zone 5 is defined by the manipulator control unit 20, to which the shuttle 10 of the infeed plane motor 38 is moved. Furthermore, the manipulator control unit 20 can define a placement position on the outfeed conveyor 4 in the conveying area 5 , wherein the manipulator unit 20 controls the movement of the shuttle 10 of the infeed conveyor 38 as the shuttle 10 of the infeed plane motor 38 is moved away from the placement position in the conveying area 5 .

[0069] Preferably, a feed shuttle boundary shape Si is defined for the shuttle 10 of the feed plane motor 38. The feed shuttle boundary shape Si surrounds the shuttle 10 of the feed plane motor 38, with a placement distance Po between the outer periphery of the shuttle 10 of the feed plane motor 38 and the feed shuttle boundary shape Si. Figure 3 As shown in the example, the feed shuttle boundary shape Si has a rectangular shape and is defined in the xy plane. The placement distance Po is preferably the maximum, ie the maximum extension of the shuttle 10 of the feed plane motor 48 in one direction. For example, Figure 3 The maximum extension of the shuttle 10 is in the x-direction or the y-direction. Furthermore, a product zone 15 is formed between the outer periphery of the shuttle 10 of the feed plane motor 38 and the feed shuttle boundary shape Si.

[0070] The movement of the shuttle 10 of the infeed plane motor 38 and / or the movement of the manipulator 2 is preferably controlled by the manipulator control unit 20 to keep the at least one product 6 in the product area 15 during the transfer time. When the at least one product 6 is picked up by the manipulator 2 from the shuttle 10 of the infeed plane motor 38, during the transfer time, the shuttle 10 is preferably moved away from the at least one product 6 picked up by the manipulator 2, or the shuttle 10 and the manipulator 2 with the picked up product 6 are moved away from each other so that the manipulator can place the product 6 on the outfeed conveyor 4 in the product area 15. Preferably, the manipulator 2 only needs to move the at least one product 6 vertically in the z direction by a certain amount to transfer the at least one product by picking up the product 6 from the shuttle 10 and by placing the at least one product 6 on the outfeed conveyor 4 in the product area 15 (with substantially no movement in the x and y directions), wherein the shuttle 10 of the infeed plane motor 38 moves away from under the picked up product 6. Of course, the shuttle 10 of the infeed plane motor 38 is preferably moved from the product area 15 away from under the picked product 6 so that the manipulator 2 can place the product 6 onto the outfeed conveyor without colliding with the shuttle 10.

[0071] Thereafter, at least one product 6 on the outfeed conveyor 4 is conveyed out of the transfer zone 5 along the outfeed movement trajectory To. Furthermore, with this alternative embodiment of the proposed pick-and-place system 1, the transfer time is significantly reduced, since the pick-and-place distance required by the manipulator 2 is minimized. Consequently, the operating speed of the pick-and-place system 1 can be increased.

[0072] Figure 4 FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of a pick and place system 1 according to the invention, wherein both the infeed conveyor 3 and the outfeed conveyor 4 are designed as planar motors 8. Figure 4 As shown by way of example in FIG, the infeed plane motor 38 and the outfeed plane motor 48 are adjacent to each other in the conveying zone 5 .

[0073] When the pick and place system 1 is used, the shuttle 10 of the infeed planar motor 38 as the infeed conveyor 3 transfers at least one product 6 into the transfer area 5, and the manipulator 2 transfers at least one product 6 onto the shuttle 10 of the outfeed planar motor 48 as the outfeed conveyor 4. Since both the movement of the shuttle 10 of the infeed planar motor 38 and the movement of the shuttle 10 of the outfeed planar motor 48 can be controlled, preferably by respective planar motor control units 40, the movement of the shuttle 10 of the infeed planar motor 38 and the movement of the shuttle 10 of the outfeed planar motor 48 are synchronized at least when the manipulator 2 picks up at least one product 6 from the shuttle 10 of the infeed planar motor 38. Therefore, the two planar motor control units 40 can be connected to each other, as Figure 4In the case of this embodiment, the machine vision unit 11 and / or the sensor unit 12 may not be required. Therefore, the machine vision unit 11 and / or the sensor unit 12 are not in the Figure 4 Shown in.

[0074] Preferably, the movement of the shuttle 10 of the infeed plane motor 38 in the transfer zone 5 is synchronized with the movement of the manipulator 2 in the transfer zone 5 within a given synchronization time before the manipulator 2 picks up at least one product 6 from the shuttle 10 of the infeed plane motor 38. Therefore, the manipulator control unit 20 can be connected to the plane motor control unit 40 of the infeed plane motor 38 to control the movement of the shuttle 10 of the infeed plane motor 38 as the shuttle 10 is moved by the manipulator control unit 20 to a predetermined pick-up position in the transfer zone 5.

[0075] Furthermore, after the manipulator 2 has picked up at least one product 6 from the shuttle 10 of the infeed conveyor 38, during a transfer time, the movement of the shuttle 10 of the infeed plane motor 38 and / or the movement of the shuttle 10 of the outfeed plane motor 48 is synchronized with the movement of the manipulator 2 in the conveying zone 5 for at least a given transfer synchronization time. During the transfer synchronization time, the shuttle 10 of the outfeed plane motor 48 moves toward the manipulator 2 in the conveying zone 5, and / or during the transfer synchronization time, the shuttle 10 of the infeed plane motor 38 moves away from the manipulator 2 in the conveying zone 5. Therefore, the manipulator control unit 20 can also be connected to the plane motor control unit 40 of the outfeed plane motor 38 to control not only the movement of the shuttle 10 of the outfeed plane motor 38 but also the movement of the shuttle 10 of the outfeed plane motor 48.

[0076] Preferably, during transfer, the shuttle distance D between the outgoing shuttle boundary shape So, preferably corresponding to the periphery of the shuttle 10 of the outgoing plane motor 48, and the feed shuttle boundary shape Si, preferably corresponding to the periphery of the shuttle 10 of the feed plane motor 38, is maintained between a given minimum pick and place distance and a given maximum pick and place distance, wherein the shuttle distance D is preferably between zero and the maximum extension in one direction of the outgoing shuttle boundary shape So or the feed shuttle boundary shape Si.

Claims

1. A pick and place system (1) for conveying products (6), comprising: a manipulator (2), an infeed conveyor (3) and an outfeed conveyor (4), wherein at least the infeed conveyor (3) or the outfeed conveyor (4) is designed as a planar motor (8) comprising at least one shuttle (10) movable in a transfer zone (5) of the pick and place system (1), wherein when the pick and place system (1) is used, at least one product (6) is arranged on the feed conveyor (3) and the at least one product (6) is conveyed by the feed conveyor (3) into the transfer zone (5), wherein the manipulator (2) is movable in the area of ​​the transfer zone (5) and is arranged to pick up the at least one product (6) from the infeed conveyor (3), move the at least one product (6) to the outfeed conveyor (4), and place the at least one product (6) onto the outfeed conveyor (4) during a transfer time when the pick and place system (1) is used, 1. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one product (6) is conveyed on the feed conveyor (3) into the transfer zone (5) along a given feed movement trajectory (Ti) and the shuttle (10) of the outfeed planar motor (48) is moved in the transfer zone (5) in the region of the at least one product (6) on the feed conveyor (3), wherein the outfeed planar motor (48) is designed to synchronize the movement of the shuttle (10) of the outfeed planar motor (48) in the transfer zone (5) with the feed movement trajectory (Ti) of the at least one product (6) in the transfer zone (5) at least when the manipulator (2) picks up the at least one product (6) from the feed conveyor (3). Or it is characterized in that the feed conveyor (3) is designed as a planar motor (8), and the shuttle (10) of the feed planar motor (38) is designed to transport the at least one product (6) into the conveying area (5), wherein when the pick-and-place system (1) is used, the at least one product (6) is placed on the discharge conveyor (4) by the manipulator (2) and then transported out of the conveying area (5) by the discharge conveyor (4) along a given discharge movement trajectory (To), wherein the feed planar motor (38) is designed to synchronize the movement of the shuttle (10) of the feed planar motor (38) in the conveying area (5) with the discharge movement trajectory (To) of the at least one product (6) in the conveying area (5) at least when the manipulator (2) picks up the at least one product (6) from the shuttle (10) of the feed planar motor (38).

2. The pick and place system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that The discharge plane motor (48) is designed to synchronize the movement of the shuttle (10) of the discharge plane motor (48) in the conveying area (5) with the feed movement trajectory (Ti) of the at least one product (6) in the conveying area (5) within a given synchronization time before the manipulator (2) picks up the at least one product (6) from the feed conveyor (3) when the pick and place system (1) is used.

3. The pick and place system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that The feed plane motor (38) is designed to synchronize the movement of the shuttle (10) of the feed plane motor (38) in the conveying area (5) with the outfeed movement trajectory (To) of the at least one product (6) in the conveying area (5) within a given synchronization time before the manipulator (2) picks up the at least one product (6) from the shuttle (10) of the feed plane motor when the pick and place system (1) is used.

4. A pick and place system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The discharge plane motor (48) is designed to synchronize the movement of the shuttle (10) of the discharge plane motor (48) in the transfer area (5) with the movement of the manipulator (2) in the transfer area (5) at least within a given transfer synchronization time when the pick and place system (1) is used, or it is characterized in that the feed plane motor (38) is designed to synchronize the movement of the shuttle (10) of the feed plane motor (38) in the transfer area (5) with the movement of the manipulator (2) in the transfer area (5) at least within a given transfer synchronization time during the transfer time after the manipulator (2) has picked up the at least one product (6) when the pick and place system (1) is used.

5. Pick and place system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The pick and place system (1) further comprises a control unit designed to control the movement of the manipulator (2) and / or the movement of the shuttle (10) of the infeed plane motor (38) and / or the movement of the shuttle (10) of the outfeed plane motor (48) in the transfer zone (5).

6. A method for operating a pick and place (1) system for transferring products (6) between an infeed conveyor (3) and an outfeed conveyor (4) using a manipulator (2), wherein at least one product (6) is arranged on the infeed conveyor (3) and the at least one product (6) is transferred by the infeed conveyor (3) to a transfer zone (5) of the pick and place system (1), wherein in the transfer zone (5), during a transfer time, the manipulator (2) picks up the at least one product (6) from the infeed conveyor (3), moves the at least one product (6) to the outfeed conveyor (4), and places the at least one product (6) on the outfeed conveyor (4), and wherein the at least one product (6) is transferred out of the transfer zone (5) by the outfeed conveyor (4), It is characterized by: The outfeed conveyor (4) is designed as a planar motor (8), and the at least one product (6) is conveyed on the infeed conveyor (3) into the transfer zone (5) with a given infeed movement trajectory (Ti), wherein a shuttle (10) of the outfeed planar motor (48) is moved in the transfer zone (5) in the region of the at least one product (6) on the infeed conveyor (3), wherein the movement of the shuttle (10) of the outfeed planar motor (48) in the transfer zone (5) is synchronized with the infeed movement trajectory (Ti) of the at least one product (6) in the transfer zone (5) at least when the manipulator (2) picks up the at least one product (6) from the infeed conveyor (3), Or it is characterized in that the feed conveyor (3) is designed as a planar motor (8), and the at least one product (6) is conveyed into the conveying area (5) on the shuttle (10) of the feed planar motor (38), and the at least one product (6) is conveyed out of the conveying area (5) by the discharge conveyor (4) along a given discharge movement trajectory (To) after being placed on the discharge conveyor (4) by the manipulator (2), wherein at least when the manipulator (2) picks up the at least one product (6) from the shuttle (10) of the feed planar motor (38), the movement of the shuttle (10) of the feed planar motor (38) in the conveying area (5) is synchronized with the discharge movement trajectory (To) of the at least one product (6) in the conveying area (5).

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that Before the manipulator (2) picks up the at least one product (6) from the feed conveyor (3), the movement of the shuttle (10) of the discharge plane motor (48) in the transfer area (5) is synchronized with the feed movement trajectory (Ti) of the at least one product (6) in the transfer area (5) within a given synchronization time.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that Before the manipulator (2) picks up the at least one product (6) from the shuttle (10) of the feed plane motor (38), the movement of the shuttle (10) of the feed plane motor (38) in the conveying area (5) is synchronized with the discharge movement trajectory (To) of the at least one product (6) in the conveying area (5) within a given synchronization time.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that After the manipulator (2) has picked up the at least one product (6), during the transfer time, at least within a given transfer synchronization time, the movement of the shuttle (10) of the feed plane motor (38) in the transfer area (5) or the movement of the shuttle (10) of the discharge plane motor (48) in the transfer area (5) is synchronized with the movement of the manipulator (2) in the transfer area (5).

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that During the transfer synchronization time, the shuttle (10) of the discharge plane motor (48) is moved in the transfer area (5) toward the manipulator (2), or it is characterized in that, During the transfer synchronization time, the shuttle (10) of the feed plane motor (38) is moved away from the manipulator (2) in the transfer area (5).

11. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that The outfeed conveyor (4) is designed as a planar motor (8), and the infeed conveyor (3) is designed as a planar motor (8), characterized in that an outfeed shuttle boundary shape (So) is defined for the shuttle (10) of the outfeed planar motor (48), the outfeed shuttle boundary shape (So) surrounds the shuttle (10) of the outfeed planar motor (48), and an infeed shuttle boundary shape (Si) is defined for the shuttle (10) of the infeed planar motor (38), the infeed shuttle boundary shape The shuttle (10) is provided with a shape (Si) surrounding the feed plane motor (38), and is characterized in that during the transfer time, a shuttle distance (D) between the outfeed shuttle boundary shape (So) and the infeed shuttle boundary shape (Si) is maintained between a given minimum pick and place distance and a given maximum pick and place distance, wherein the shuttle distance (D) is preferably between zero and a maximum extension in one direction of the outfeed shuttle boundary shape (So) or the infeed shuttle boundary shape (Si).

12. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that The discharge conveyor (4) is designed as a planar motor (8), characterized in that a discharge shuttle boundary shape (So) is defined for the shuttle (10) of the discharge planar motor (48), the discharge shuttle boundary shape (So) surrounding the shuttle (10) of the discharge planar motor (48), wherein there is a pick-up distance (Pi) between the outer periphery of the shuttle (10) of the discharge planar motor (48) and the discharge shuttle boundary shape (So), so that the shuttle (10) of the discharge planar motor (48) ) and the discharge shuttle boundary shape (So), wherein the pick-up distance (Pi) is preferably maximum, i.e., the maximum extension in one direction of the shuttle (10) of the discharge plane motor (48), and is characterized in that the movement of the shuttle (10) of the discharge plane motor (48) and / or the movement of the manipulator (2) are controlled to transfer the at least one product (6) to the shuttle 10 within the discharge shuttle boundary shape (So) during the transfer time.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that Before the manipulator (2) picks up the at least one product (6) from the feed conveyor (3) in the product area (15), the shuttle (10) of the discharge plane motor (48) is moved toward the at least one product (6) in the product area (15), and after the at least one product (6) is picked up from the feed conveyor (3) by the manipulator (2), the manipulator (2) places the at least one product (6) onto the shuttle (10) of the discharge plane motor (48).

14. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that The feed conveyor (3) is designed as a planar motor (8), characterized in that a feed shuttle boundary shape (Si) is defined for the shuttle (10) of the feed planar motor (38), the feed shuttle boundary shape (Si) surrounding the shuttle (10) of the feed planar motor (38), wherein there is a placement distance (Po) between the outer periphery of the shuttle (10) of the feed planar motor (38) and the feed shuttle boundary shape (Si), so that the feed shuttle (10) of the feed planar motor (38) is positioned at a distance (Po) from the outer periphery of the shuttle (10) of the feed planar motor (38). A product zone (15) is formed between the outer periphery of the shuttle (10) and the feed shuttle boundary shape (Si), wherein the placement distance (Po) is preferably maximum, i.e. the maximum extension in one direction of the shuttle (10) of the feed plane motor (48), and is characterized in that the movement of the shuttle (10) of the feed plane motor (38) and / or the movement of the manipulator (2) are controlled to keep the at least one product (6) in the product zone (15) during the transfer time.

15. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 13, characterized in that In the transfer area (5), the movement of the manipulator (2) and / or the movement of the shuttle (10) of the infeed plane motor (38) and / or the movement of the shuttle (10) of the outfeed plane motor (48) are controlled by the control unit of the pick and place system (1).

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