Object conveying and orienting device

Abstract

An object conveying and orienting device comprises a first conveyor belt having a conveying section (11) guided on a guide surface and / or between two equidistant guides and having holding means associated with the first conveyor belt (10); an object orientation section (12) at least partially overlapping the conveying section (11) in which the first conveyor belt (10) is twisted to create a twisted surface; wherein at least one first opening (41) communicating with at least one suction chamber (40) is defined on the guide surface and / or between the equidistant guides along the conveying section (11), and wherein the holding device comprises a plurality of suction cups (30) on the front face of the first conveyor belt, an opening of the first conveyor belt (10) facing the at least one first opening (41) is in fluid communication with the at least one suction chamber (43).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for conveying and orienting objects (usually containers) in a production line, a packaging line, a labeling line, etc. Background Art

[0002] Object transport and orienting devices are known, ie devices for transporting objects and changing their orientation while being transported.

[0003] Examples of such devices are those described in documents CN211641517U, CN212829358U and CN111689134A, which use a first conveyor belt with a twisting orientation section that allows the orientation of the object supported on its surface to be changed. However, in these documents, during the orientation change, the conveyed object is held on the first conveyor belt by a second twisting conveyor belt facing the first conveyor belt, between which a channel of limited width is defined to hold the conveyed object. This prevents or hinders the device from adapting to objects of different shapes and sizes.

[0004] An alternative solution described in document EP0956253B1 is also known, in which a first conveyor belt is associated with a holding device consisting of magnets along an orientation section. This allows metal objects to be held continuously on the front face of the first conveyor belt without having to hold the objects between the front faces of two opposing conveyor belts. However, this solution only allows the processing of ferromagnetic objects and is therefore not suitable for another type of non-ferromagnetic container, for example containers made of plastic, glass, cardboard or other non-ferromagnetic materials such as aluminum.

[0005] The present invention solves the foregoing and other problems. Summary of the invention

[0006] The invention relates to an object transport and orientation device as claimed in claim 1.

[0007] In a known manner, the proposed device comprises a first conveyor belt forming a closed loop, wherein the first conveyor belt comprises:

[0008] a conveying section defined along a portion of the first conveyor belt and guided on a guide surface and / or between two equidistant guides, the conveying section comprising a retaining device associated with the conveying section, the retaining device being configured to retain an object on a front face of the first conveyor belt as the object is conveyed along the conveying section; wherein

[0009] An object orienting section is defined to at least partially overlap the conveying section along a portion of the first conveyor belt, wherein the first conveyor belt is twisted to produce a twisted surface having a cross-section having an increasing and / or decreasing inclination along the object orienting section.

[0010] Thus, the first conveyor belt defines two continuous segments, one corresponding to the conveying segment and the other corresponding to the return segment, the ends of which are connected to form a single continuous loop. Thus, each point of the first conveyor belt will first move along the conveying segment and then move along the return segment, returning to the starting point of the conveying segment. The movement of the conveyor belt will be guided by guide surfaces, guides and / or rollers.

[0011] The conveying segment is a segment of the first conveyor belt on which the objects to be conveyed are held while being conveyed, and the first conveyor belt will therefore not be configured to hold objects along the return segment. Typically, this means there is an object collection station at the beginning of the conveying segment and an object delivery station at the end of the conveying segment.

[0012] According to the proposed device, the objects are held by the holding device along the conveying section and on the front side of the first conveyor belt.

[0013] The first conveyor belt also includes an orienting section responsible for changing the orientation of the objects held on its front side in order to perform different operations thereon, such as filling, labeling, printing, washing, sterilizing, sealing, transferring the objects from one machine to another in a production or packaging line in a new orientation, placing the objects on a support (called a puck in the industry), or simply releasing the objects from the conveyor belt where they are arranged in a new orientation different from the initial orientation.

[0014] The orientation section consists of a twisted conveyor belt section, ie its cross section has an increasing, decreasing or continuously increasing and decreasing inclination along the orientation section, for example relative to the horizontal direction or relative to the vertical direction.

[0015] This allows the front face of the conveyor belt to have a cross-section with a first orientation (e.g., horizontal direction) at one end of the oriented segment, and a cross-section with a second orientation different from the first orientation (e.g., vertical direction) at the other end of the oriented segment or at the middle point of the oriented segment, with the cross-section of the front face of the conveyor belt in the middle area of ​​the oriented segment having an orientation that increases or decreases in transition between the first orientation and the second orientation.

[0016] However, the present invention provides the following in a manner unknown in the prior art:

[0017] at least one first opening, communicating with at least one suction chamber, is defined along the conveying section on the guide surface and / or between the equidistant guides and is covered by the back side of the first conveyor belt, the at least one suction chamber being connected to at least one air suction device;

[0018] The holding device includes a plurality of suction cups on the front side of the first conveyor belt, each suction cup being fluidically connected to the at least one suction chamber through an opening of the first conveyor belt, and facing the at least one first opening along the conveying section, so that suction is generated in each suction cup 30 along the conveying section.

[0019] According to the above, the holding device comprises a plurality of suction cups fixed on the front face of the first conveyor belt, each suction cup being in fluid communication with the at least one suction chamber connected to at least one air suction device. The fluid communication is achieved along the conveying section through an opening of the first conveyor belt, the opening preferably facing the at least one first opening, so as to generate suction in each suction cup along the conveying section.

[0020] The fluid communication is a communication allowing a fluid to circulate between the connected spaces, in this case the fluid will be ambient air, and it will circulate from the interior of the suction cup to the interior of the suction chamber through the openings of the first conveyor belt and the at least one first opening.

[0021] In other words, the present invention proposes to apply a holding force to objects on the conveyor belt by means of a suction cup fixed on the front face of the conveyor belt, which applies suction to any object placed on the conveyor belt, keeping the object fixed on the conveyor belt as the object is conveyed along the conveying section.

[0022] The suction applied by the suction cups is obtained by connecting the interior of each suction cup to a suction chamber in which a partial vacuum has been created, while the suction cups are transported by the conveyor belt along the conveying section.

[0023] The suction chamber will be in communication with an air suction device which reduces the air pressure within the suction chamber to a pressure below atmospheric pressure, thereby creating a partial vacuum.

[0024] According to the above, the first conveyor belt slides on at least one first opening along the conveying section in a guided manner, and the at least one first opening is in fluid communication with the suction chamber, and the at least one first opening is covered by the back side of the first conveyor belt. Since the at least one first opening is covered by the back side of the first conveyor belt, a partial vacuum can be maintained in the suction chamber.

[0025] The first conveyor belt comprises an opening coinciding with the suction cup, and since the back side of the conveyor belt faces one or a series of first openings communicating with the suction chamber, these openings put the interior of the suction cup in fluid communication with the interior of the suction chamber. This will cause a partial vacuum of the suction chamber to reach the interior of the suction cup, through the opening of the conveyor belt and through at least the first opening covered by the back side of the conveyor belt.

[0026] Thus, the at least one first opening extends from the beginning of the conveying section, where the suction cup will start to apply suction, to the end of the conveying section, where the suction cup will stop applying suction to the object, thereby releasing the object.

[0027] The at least one first opening may be defined along the orientation segment on a support surface supporting the first conveyor belt and / or between two equidistant guides defining a geometrical plane between them.

[0028] Coincident with at least a portion of the object orienting section of the first conveyor belt, the support surface or the plane defined between the two equidistant guides is a torsion surface.

[0029] The twisted surface and / or the two equidistant guides are configured to guide the first conveyor belt along the directional section by twisting the first conveyor belt, thereby forming the twisted surface.

[0030] A conveyor belt driven on the torsion surface or guided between two equidistant guides defining between them a torsion geometric plane will adopt a twisted shape, the conveyor belt being twisted but keeping its back side facing the at least one first opening, always subject to the partial vacuum of the suction chamber.

[0031] It should be understood that with respect to geometric positions, eg, parallel, perpendicular, tangential, etc., deviations of up to ±5° from the theoretical position defined by this nomenclature are permitted. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The foregoing and other advantages and features will be more fully understood based on the following detailed description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, which must be interpreted in an illustrative and non-limiting manner, in which:

[0033] Figure 1 A schematic stereogram of an object conveying and orienting device is shown, the device comprising a conveying section having a first straight section, a curved section and a second straight section, a portion of the second straight section comprising an object orienting section, the object orienting section twisting the first conveyor belt to rotate the suction cup from a horizontal position to a vertical position. In this embodiment, the object orienting section extends beyond the end of the conveying section, at which end the first conveyor belt is twisted in the opposite direction to return the first conveyor belt to a horizontal position. In this example, the first conveyor belt is a chain, wherein those twisted portions are not shown to allow observation of two equidistant guides that guide the chain in the object orienting section and define a twisting geometric plane between them. Articles in the form of bottles are shown at both the collection station and the delivery station to facilitate understanding of the operation of the device.

[0034] Figure 2A schematic perspective view of a portion of an oriented segment of a first conveyor belt, which is a flexible conveyor belt or a chain shown in a simplified manner as a belt, including suction cups fixed to the first conveyor belt, wherein the cross-section of the first conveyor belt is horizontal at one end and passes through an intermediate cross-section with increasing inclination to a vertical cross-section at the opposite end.

[0035] Figure 3 A section of a first conveyor belt according to an embodiment is shown, in which it is a chain consisting of links connected by a plurality of transverse pins inserted into a housing of the consecutive links, with transverse hinged attachments provided between each transverse pin around the consecutive links, the transverse pins inserted into the housing through gaps sufficient to allow slight rotation between the consecutive links about an axis parallel to the direction of advance of the first conveyor belt, thereby enabling the first conveyor belt to twist about the direction of advance within a range of motion generally limited to at least 5 links between the consecutive links. Figure 6 and Figure 1 As shown, the gap can also be arranged and dimensioned to allow the first conveyor belt to have a certain curvature, keeping the chain links in the same plane around a third direction perpendicular to the longitudinal and transverse directions. At least some of the chain links include a perforation passing therethrough and a suction cup fixed to the perforation, so that the interior of the suction cup is connected to the interior of the suction chamber through the first conveyor belt.

[0036] Figure 4 A portion of a suction chamber of an object conveying and orienting device is shown, which includes a first attachment, a second attachment, and a third attachment in sequence, wherein the first attachment and the second attachment close the upper hole of the portion of the suction chamber, and the third attachment closes the lower hole of the portion of the suction chamber, wherein the first attachment defines a flat surface and two equidistant guides for guiding the first conveyor belt, the two equidistant guides define a flat geometric plane between them and include the first opening between them, wherein the second attachment defines a torsion surface and two equidistant guides for guiding the first conveyor belt, the two equidistant guides define a torsion geometric plane between them and include the first opening between them, and wherein the third attachment defines a flat surface and two equidistant guides for guiding the first conveyor belt, the two equidistant guides define a flat geometric plane between them without the first opening between them.

[0037] Figure 5 and Figure 4 Same, but exploded view.

[0038] Figure 6Three consecutive cross-sections of the object orientation segment are shown, showing the zero initial lateral twist of the first conveyor belt cross-section (left part), the intermediate lateral twist of the first conveyor belt cross-section and the final maximum lateral twist of the first conveyor belt cross-section, the initial lateral twist is horizontal, and the final maximum lateral twist is vertical.

[0039] Figure 7 A schematic plan view of a portion of an object conveying and orienting device according to an embodiment is shown, wherein the device comprises a first conveyor belt and a second conveyor belt, whose object orientation sections are symmetrical and whose suction cups face at least a portion of a path coinciding with a delivery station. The figure comprises a schematic view of objects being conveyed and oriented, in this case bottles, showing that before reaching the orientation section, the first conveyor belt conveys bottles in a first transverse orientation and the second conveyor belt conveys bottles in a second symmetrical transverse orientation, which bottles have been collected by suction cups in these orientations in the collection station, the bottles on the first conveyor belt not facing the bottles on the second conveyor belt. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The accompanying drawings show illustrative, non-limiting embodiments of the invention.

[0041] According to a basic embodiment of the proposed object conveying and orienting device, the device comprises a first conveyor belt 10 in the form of a closed loop, which defines an object conveying section 11 along a portion of the first conveyor belt 10, and also defines an object orienting section 12, which at least partially overlaps the conveying section 11, wherein the first conveyor belt 10 is twisted to produce a twisted surface, the cross-section of which has an increasing and / or decreasing inclination along the object orienting section 12.

[0042] It should be understood that the cross section is a portion of the first conveyor belt transverse to its direction of movement, i.e., a cross section, preferably perpendicular to the direction of movement of the first conveyor belt. It should also be understood that the transverse direction is contained in the cross section and is parallel to the surface of the first conveyor belt in the cross section.

[0043] For example, Figure 2 A section of a first conveyor belt is shown which is twisted from an initial position in which the cross section is horizontal to a final position in which the cross section is vertical, resulting in a 90 degree orientation change in the cross section and therefore also in a 90 degree orientation change in the objects held by suction in the suction cups of the first conveyor belt.

[0044] Although not shown, other changes in orientation less than or greater than 90 degrees are possible, for example, a 120 degree or 180 degree twist may be performed.

[0045] After twisting the first conveyor belt in one direction, e.g. Figure 2A clockwise rotation as shown would normally result in twisting in the opposite counterclockwise direction to return to the original orientation.

[0046] The orienting section at least partially overlaps the conveying section 11, so that retention of the objects on the first conveyor belt is maintained along at least a portion of the orienting section or optionally along the entire orienting section, depending on the requirements of the installation.

[0047] The proposed device also comprises holding means associated with the conveying section 11 , which holding means are configured to hold the objects to be conveyed on the front side of the first conveyor belt 10 while these objects are being conveyed along the conveying section 11 .

[0048] For example, during a first twist causing a change in orientation of an object held by the holding device, the holding force may be maintained and the holding force may end before performing an opposite twist to return to the initial orientation, thereby releasing the object with the changed orientation after the first twist of the first conveyor belt.

[0049] Optionally, the holding force may be maintained along the entire orientation segment, allowing the object to be continuously held while twisted in one direction and in an opposite direction to return to the original orientation, allowing operations to be performed on the object during its orientation changes.

[0050] The proposed holding device includes a plurality of suction cups 30 on the front side of the first conveyor belt and at least one suction chamber 40 connected to at least one suction device 43, each suction cup 30 being fluidically connected to at least one suction chamber 43 along the conveying section 11 through an opening of the first conveyor belt 10, the fluid connection allowing the partial vacuum existing inside the suction chamber to extend to the inside of these suction cups, thereby generating suction in each suction cup 30 along the conveying section 11.

[0051] This arrangement allows the orientation of the conveyed objects to be changed in a simple, economical and reliable manner.

[0052] The first conveyor belt 10 slides in a guided manner along the conveying section 11 on a guide surface and / or between two equidistant guides.

[0053] The at least one first opening 41 communicating with the suction chamber 40 is defined on the guide surface and / or between the two equidistant guides, the at least one first opening 41 being in fluid communication with the suction chamber and being covered by the back surface of the first conveyor belt 10. Accordingly, the support surface and / or the space defined between the two equidistant guides is placed between the first conveyor belt and the suction chamber.

[0054] This allows maintaining a partial vacuum inside the suction chamber 40 while allowing the fluid to communicate the suction cups 30 with the partial vacuum through openings on the first conveyor belt 10 , which are arranged to be connected to the inside of the suction cups and facing the at least one first opening 41 .

[0055] The mentioned at least one first opening 41 extends along the entire conveying section 11 and may be, for example, an elongated opening, a grid or a series of continuous holes extending along the entire conveying section 11 .

[0056] The guide surface and / or the geometrical surface defined between two equidistant guides along the orientation section 12 may be, for example, a torsion surface. In this case, the at least one opening will also be integrated in the torsion surface.

[0057] The guide surface and / or the geometric surface defined between two equidistant guides may preferably be a non-twisted surface or a flat surface along the conveying section 11 not overlapping with the orientation section 12. In this case, the at least one opening will be integrated in the non-twisted surface or the flat surface.

[0058] According to the above, the at least one first opening 41 can be defined on a torsion surface defined by a portion of the support surface and / or defined on a torsion geometric plane between two equidistant guides along at least a portion of the oriented segment 12. The torsion surface including the at least one first opening 41 and / or the two equidistant guides guides the first conveyor belt to twist it, converting a section of the first conveyor belt that is consistent with the oriented segment into the torsion surface.

[0059] The proposed at least one first opening 41 can be defined along the conveying section 11 , without overlapping the orienting section 12 , on a non-torsional or flat surface of the suction chamber 40 and / or between two equidistant guides defining a non-torsional or flat geometrical plane between them.

[0060] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the guide surface and / or two equidistant guides along the conveying section 11 that do not overlap with the orienting section 12 define a non-twisted surface or a flat surface, and the corresponding at least one opening is contained on or between the non-twisted surface or the flat surface, and the guide surface and / or the two equidistant guides can be integrated in the first attachment 45.

[0061] Similarly, the guide surface along the orientation section 12 and / or the two equidistant guides defining a torsion surface comprising a respective at least one opening thereon or therebetween may be integrated in the second attachment 46 .

[0062] In this case, the first and second accessories 45, 46 will be attached to the suction chamber 40 in turn, closing its elongated hole 42. Since the first and second accessories integrate at least one opening, the closing of the elongated hole of the suction chamber is only partial, allowing suction to be guided through the at least one opening.

[0063] In other words, the proposed suction chamber 40 has a hole 42, and a portion of the hole is blocked by the first attachment 45 inserted therein. The first attachment 45 will have at least one first opening 41, which passes through the first attachment 45, so that the partial vacuum in the suction chamber communicates with the back side of the first conveyor belt 10, which is guided on the non-torsion or flat surface of the first attachment 45 or between equidistant guides that define a non-torsion or flat geometric plane between them.

[0064] Similarly, according to this embodiment, a portion of the hole 42 of the suction chamber 40 will be blocked by a second attachment 46 inserted therein. The second attachment 46 will include a torsion surface and / or equidistant guides defining a torsion geometric plane between them and also have at least one first opening 41 passing through the second attachment 46 to connect the partial vacuum in the suction chamber with the back side of the first conveyor belt 10 guided on the torsion surface or between the equidistant guides defining a torsion geometric plane in the portion of the orientation section coinciding with the conveying section 11.

[0065] The first conveyor belt 10 slides in a guided manner along the return section connecting the two ends of the conveying section 11 to form a closed loop.

[0066] Preferably, at least a portion of the return section slides on a guide surface or between two equidistant guides integrated in a third attachment 47 fixed to the suction chamber, closing a portion of its hole, the third attachment 47 not including the at least one first opening 41, preventing communication with the fluid inside the suction chamber 40.

[0067] According to a preferred embodiment, the suction chamber 40 may include two opposite and facing side walls 80, which are spaced apart by a distance and define therebetween an interior space of the suction chamber 40. The distance between the edges of the two side walls 80 will define the above-mentioned hole.

[0068] The two side walls 80 will be connected by the first and second attachments 45, 46 or by the first, second and third attachments 45, 46, 47 arranged in the hole, completing the closure of the suction chamber together with the side walls 80. The first, second and optional third attachments seal the distance between the two side walls over at least most of the periphery of the interior space defining the suction chamber, which contains a partial vacuum, directing suction through the at least one first opening included in the first attachment 45 and the second attachment 46. The third attachment will simply block the hole, completely closing the entrance to the interior of the suction chamber through the third attachment.

[0069] The two walls 80 will be connected to each other by means of the first and second attachments, for example by means of screws.

[0070] The third attachment 47 does not have the first opening 41, so it does not connect the suction cup 30 to the interior of the suction chamber, thereby rendering the vacuum of the suction cup ineffective.

[0071] Optionally, some transverse partition walls 81 are arranged between two opposing side walls 80. The partition walls define the beginning and the end of each suction chamber.

[0072] When a single continuous suction chamber is used, the transverse partition walls will define the beginning and end of the conveying section 11 in the conveying direction. On the other hand, the intermediate partition walls can divide the vacuum chamber into a plurality of different continuous independent vacuum chambers, along which the at least one opening extends.

[0073] Preferably, if Figure 5 As shown, the partition wall 81 extends from the third attachment 47 to the first attachment 45 or the second attachment 46 located at the opposite side of the suction chamber 40 , completely closing one side of the suction chamber 40 .

[0074] In the example shown in the figure, the two side walls 80 are two vertical walls 80, and a hole is defined between the upper edge and the lower edge of the two side walls 80, and the first accessory 45 and the second accessory 46 are inserted into the upper hole, so that along the conveying section 11, in the part that does not overlap with the orienting section 12, the first conveyor belt 10 is in a horizontal position and the suction cup 30 is oriented upward.

[0075] In this embodiment, at least a portion of the return segment may be defined in the lower hole along which the first conveyor belt 10 runs with the suction cup 30 facing downward without suction, although the return segment may also be defined on a portion of the upper hole.

[0076] The geometry of the torsion support surface and / or the equidistant guides which define the torsion geometric plane between them is a complex geometry and is therefore difficult and expensive to manufacture. Including these elements with complex geometry in the second attachment 46 allows the suction chamber 40 to have a simple structure, concentrating the elements with complex geometry in the second attachment which can be manufactured with other more suitable techniques for obtaining the complex geometry.

[0077] For example, it is proposed to manufacture the second accessory by means of additive manufacturing techniques (such as 3D printing) or subtractive manufacturing techniques (such as CNC milling), thereby allowing the second accessory to be manufactured from metal or plastic. It is also conceivable to manufacture the second accessory by molding.

[0078] The at least one hole 42 of the suction chamber 40 to which the second attachment 46 is fixed may be defined on a non-torsed or flat surface of the suction chamber 40 and / or between two equidistant edges defining a non-torsed or flat geometric plane therebetween.

[0079] It should be understood that the at least one first opening 41 and the at least one hole 42 covered by the second attachment 46 may be identical and continuous.

[0080] This allows the structure of the suction chamber 40 to be simple, i.e., the portion where the conveying section 11 does not overlap with the orienting section 12 and the portion of the conveying section 11 in the orienting section 12 are consistent. The orienting section is defined by adding a second accessory 46 to the suction chamber 40, which reduces structural costs and simplifies the structure. In addition, it provides the flexibility to modify the orienting section in a quick and simple manner by simply replacing the second accessory 46.

[0081] The proposed at least one suction chamber 40 can consist of a series of suction chamber segments connected to each other, wherein these segments can be selected from: straight segments defining a straight section of the conveying section 11, curved segments defining a curved section of the conveying section 11 and / or inclined segments defining an inclined section of the conveying section 11. This allows standardizing the manufacture of the segment while allowing the conveying and orienting device to be adapted to different applications and locations by simply modifying the combination of these segments.

[0082] The first conveyor belt 10 may be a belt-like object made of a flexible and sealing material, provided with through holes that coincide with the suction cups 30 to be fixed on its surface.

[0083] Alternatively, the first conveyor belt 10 can be a chain consisting of flat links 50 connected to each other by anchoring elements provided with transverse articulated attachments, which are articulated around axes transverse to the direction of advancement of the first conveyor belt 10, which allows the first conveyor belt 10 to bend around several transverse axes, transforming it into a flexible belt in at least one direction.

[0084] With this solution, each suction cup will be attached to the rigid surface of one flat link, providing a better and more secure airtight connection of the suction cup to the first conveyor belt.

[0085] The chain consisting of flat links 50 can be connected to each other by anchoring elements, which are provided with transverse articulated attachments, which are articulated around axes transverse to the advancement direction of the first conveyor belt 10, and are provided with longitudinal articulated attachments, which are articulated around longitudinal axes parallel to the advancement direction.

[0086] Alternatively, the chain consisting of flat links 50 can be connected to each other by anchoring elements, which are provided with transverse articulated attachments, which are articulated around an axis transverse to the advancement direction of the first conveyor belt 10 and in which a gap is provided, which gap is selected to act as a longitudinal articulated attachment within a certain range of movement, which longitudinal articulated attachment is articulated around a longitudinal axis parallel to the advancement direction, or as a longitudinal articulated attachment articulated around a longitudinal axis parallel to the advancement direction, which longitudinal articulated attachment is configured to provide the first conveyor belt 10 with at least 5 degrees of freedom of torsional movement between consecutive links 50.

[0087] Small twists between consecutive links 50 accumulated over a plurality of links 50 allow any desired twist to be achieved. For example, if the twist between consecutive links is 5 degrees, then a 90 degree twist can be achieved for every eighteen links 50, given that 5 degrees is one eighteenth of 90 degrees.

[0088] It is conceivable that only some of the links include suction cups 30 , and one or more links without suction cups or through holes are inserted between the links provided with suction cups 30 and with corresponding through holes, which connect the suction cups with the suction chamber 40 .

[0089] The mentioned transverse articulated connection can be provided by a transverse pin 51 which, perpendicularly to the direction of advance of the first conveyor belt 10, is inserted into a housing 52 of two consecutive links 50 of the first conveyor belt 10 or of two consecutive links of a drive chain, to which the links are fixed.

[0090] The pin 51 and corresponding housing 52 may include a selected gap that constitutes the longitudinal hinged attachment described above.

[0091] Alternatively, the longitudinal articulated attachment may be defined by a longitudinal pin parallel to the conveying direction of the first conveyor belt 10, which is inserted into the housings of two consecutive links 50 of the first conveyor belt 10 or of two consecutive links of the drive chain.

[0092] Preferably, the chain consisting of flat links 50 covers at least 95% or at least 98% of the at least one first opening 41 mentioned in communication with the suction chamber 40, in addition to the opening in communication with the suction cup 30. This ensures the ability to maintain a sufficient partial vacuum in the suction chamber 40 without excessive ingress of air into the links 50, which would weaken the suction in the suction cup 30 until it becomes insufficient to hold the object.

[0093] According to an embodiment, each suction cup 30 protrudes from the front face of the first conveyor belt 10 without a surrounding housing, and each suction cup 30 defines an exposed and accessible contact surface on which the object to be held is placed, allowing objects of different sizes to be placed on the contact surface without the need to adjust the suction cup 30. Preferably, the exposed surface is defined on a flexible bellows construction of the suction cup, allowing a more flexible adaptation to the shape of the object.

[0094] It is also proposed that the object orientation section 12 includes a first torsion section that twists along a first direction, twists from the first orientation to a second orientation, or twists from a first orientation with the suction cup facing upward to keep the object in a horizontal orientation to a second orientation with the suction cup facing sideways to keep the object in a vertical orientation, and optionally includes a first intermediate section located after the first torsion section to maintain the second orientation.

[0095] The end of the first torsion segment or the first intermediate segment, wherein the object is held in the second orientation, is preferably associated with one or more of the following stations:

[0096] a labeling station including a label applicator configured to be aligned with an object for printing or applying a label to the object;

[0097] a filling station comprising a feed nozzle configured to be positioned above and aligned with a filling opening of an object held in a vertical position for pouring a product into the filling opening to fill the object, and optionally, the feed nozzle further configured to be coupled to and / or inserted into the filling opening;

[0098] a sealing station including a seal applicator configured to be positioned over and aligned with a fill opening of the object, maintained in an upright position, for sealing the fill opening of the object with a complementary cover or cap;

[0099] a cleaning station including a cleaning nozzle directed toward the object and configured to spray a cleaning fluid toward an exterior of the object;

[0100] an interior cleaning station including an interior cleaning nozzle configured to be positioned below and aligned with a fill opening of the object, held in an inverted position, for spraying cleaning fluid toward an interior of the object, and optionally, the interior cleaning nozzle further configured to be inserted into the object through the fill opening;

[0101] a disinfection station including a heating device configured to disinfect an object using heat;

[0102] The delivery station 70, coinciding with the end of the conveying section 11, results in the release and conveying of the objects in a second orientation.

[0103] In this case, the conveying section 11 may terminate in a portion of the orienting section 12 arranged in the second orientation, coinciding with the delivery station 70, resulting in release and conveyance of the object in this second orientation.

[0104] Furthermore, the object may be processed by any of the other stations described above while in a second orientation, which is a vertical positioning, prior to releasing the object.

[0105] It will be appreciated that the object extends from a base end to a head end of the object, defining a principal object direction.Preferably, the object is elongate in the principal object direction.

[0106] The horizontal and vertical orientations of objects refer to the main object direction. A vertically oriented object can be head-up or head-down.

[0107] Alternatively, the object orientation segment 12 may include, successively after the first torsion segment or after the first intermediate segment, a second torsion segment in the second direction and a third torsion segment in the second direction, the second torsion segment twisting from the second orientation to the first orientation, the third torsion segment twisting from the first orientation to a third orientation, the third orientation being reversed relative to the second orientation or in which the suction cup faces sideways to hold the object in a vertical orientation reversed relative to the second orientation.

[0108] Optionally, a second intermediate section maintaining the first orientation is located between the second and third torsion sections, and / or a third intermediate section maintaining the third orientation is located after the third torsion section.

[0109] The third orientation may also be a vertical orientation, but opposite to the second orientation, so that when the second orientation is a vertical orientation with the object head down, the third orientation is a vertical orientation with the object head up, and vice versa.

[0110] The third torsion segment or the third intermediate segment has an end associated with one or more of the above-mentioned stations, at which end the object is maintained in a third orientation.

[0111] Accordingly, the object conveying and orienting device can first orient all objects in a second orientation, such as vertical and upside down, and perform some operations on the objects through some stations, such as cleaning the outside and / or inside of the objects. Then, the object conveying and orienting device can orient all objects in a third orientation, such as vertical and upside down, and perform other operations thereon through some of the above-mentioned stations, such as filling objects, sealing objects, labeling objects, and finally releasing the objects.

[0112] The start and end of the conveying section are defined by the start and end of at least the first opening 41 or by the end of the communication between the first opening 41 and the suction chamber 40 .

[0113] As part of the delivery station 70, a delivery conveyor belt 71 may be included, which is adjacent to the front side of the first conveyor belt 10 and at a lower height than the front side of the first conveyor belt 10, and is located in the second oriented portion of the oriented section 12. The delivery conveyor belt 71 receives the delivered object by relying on gravity by interrupting the suction of the suction cup.

[0114] According to non-limiting examples, the first orientation is a lateral orientation, wherein the front face of the first conveyor belt 10 is arranged approximately horizontally with the suction cups facing upward, and the second orientation is a vertical orientation, wherein the front face of the first conveyor belt 10 is arranged approximately vertically with the suction cups facing sideways.

[0115] Optionally, the object conveying and orienting device comprises a second conveyor belt 20 associated with respective holding means having the same features as the first conveyor belt and the associated holding means.

[0116] The first conveyor belt will have a first torsion segment that twists in a first torsion direction, such as a clockwise direction, opposite to a second torsion direction, such as a counterclockwise direction, of the first torsion segment of the second conveyor belt.

[0117] In this case, the ends of the first torsion segments or the first intermediate segments are adjacent to each other and share at least one station where the objects are held in the second orientation of the first and second conveyor belts.

[0118] Additionally or alternatively, the first conveyor belt will have first, second and third torsion segments having a torsion direction opposite to the torsion direction of the corresponding first, second and third torsion segments of the second conveyor belt.

[0119] The ends of the third twisting segment or the third intermediate segment are adjacent to each other and share at least one station where the object is held in a third orientation of the first and second conveyor belts.

[0120] For example, the first torsion segment of the first conveyor belt may be rotated in a first clockwise torsion direction, in which case the second and third torsion segments of the first conveyor belt will be twisted in a second counterclockwise torsion direction. In this example, the first torsion segment of the second conveyor belt will be twisted counterclockwise in the second torsion direction, and the second and third torsion segments of the second conveyor belt will be twisted clockwise in the first torsion direction.

[0121] In this embodiment, the object feeder will be configured to arrange objects in a first predetermined orientation on the suction cup 30 of the first conveyor belt 10, and to arrange objects in a second predetermined orientation opposite to the first predetermined orientation on the suction cup of the second conveyor belt 20, and all objects fed to the same conveyor belt are arranged in the same orientation, such as a horizontal orientation, with the head of the object on the left side of the conveyor belt on the first conveyor belt and the head on the right side of the conveyor belt on the second conveyor belt.

[0122] The objects are placed on the first conveyor belt or the second conveyor belt according to their initial orientation and thus according to which one requires less orientation modification of the object feeder, which allows to speed up the object delivery process. After the orientation change produced in opposite directions by the corresponding orientation segments of each of the first and second conveyor belts, all the objects will be arranged in the same vertical orientation, for example all the objects are head-up.

[0123] According to a preferred embodiment, the initial part of the transport section 11 is associated with an object collection station 60 comprising at least one object feeder 61 which delivers the objects to the suction cups 30 so that they are held by suction.

[0124] The at least one feeder can be, for example, at least one robotic arm associated with an observation camera and a visual recognition system to detect the position and orientation of objects within the action radius of the robotic arm and to control the robotic arm so as to collect one or more objects and deliver them to one of the suction cups 30 in a predetermined orientation.

[0125] The objects located within the action radius of the robot are preferably objects located on a collection belt, where the objects are preferably arranged in a random arrangement.

Claims

1. An object conveying and orienting device, comprising a first conveyor belt forming a closed loop, wherein the first conveyor belt comprises: A conveying section, defined as being guided along a portion of the first conveyor belt and on a guide surface and / or between two equidistant guides, comprising: a holding device associated with the conveying segment and configured to hold an object to be conveyed along the conveying segment on the front side of the first conveyor belt; an object orienting section defined to at least partially overlap the conveying section along a portion of the first conveyor belt, wherein the first conveyor belt is twisted to produce a twisted surface having a cross-section having an increasing and / or decreasing inclination along the object orienting section; It is characterized in that at least one first opening, communicating with at least one suction chamber, defined along said conveying section on a guide surface and / or between equidistant guides and covered by the back side of said first conveyor belt, said at least one suction chamber being connected to at least one air suction device; wherein The holding device includes a plurality of suction cups on the front side of the first conveyor belt, each suction cup being fluidically connected to the at least one suction chamber through an opening of the first conveyor belt, and facing the at least one first opening along the conveying section so that suction is generated in each suction cup along the conveying section.

2. The object transport and orientation device according to claim 1, wherein: Along the orienting section, the guiding surface and / or the geometric surface defined between the two equidistant guides is a twisted surface, and wherein along the conveying section not overlapping the orienting section, the guiding surface and / or the geometric surface defined between the two equidistant guides is a non-twisted surface or a flat surface.

3. The object transport and orientation device according to claim 2, wherein: The guide surface along the conveying section that does not overlap with the orienting section and / or the two equidistant guides are integrated in a first accessory, and wherein the guide surface along the orienting section and / or the two equidistant guides are integrated in a second accessory, the first and second accessories being attached in turn to the suction chamber, closing the elongated hole of the suction chamber.

4. The object transport and orientation device according to claim 3, wherein: The first conveyor belt slides in a guided manner along a return section connecting the two ends of the conveying section, wherein at least a portion of the return section slides on a guide surface or between two equidistant guides integrated in a third attachment, the third attachment being fixed to the suction chamber and closing a portion of the hole of the suction chamber, the third attachment not including the at least one first opening, the third attachment preventing communication with the internal fluid of the suction chamber.

5. The object transport and orientation device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein: The suction chamber comprises two opposite and facing side walls which are spaced a distance apart and define an interior space of the suction chamber between the side walls, wherein a distance between the edges of the two side walls defines the hole, and wherein the two side walls are connected by the first and second attachments or by the first, second and third attachments arranged in the hole.

6. The object transport and orientation device according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one suction chamber is comprised of a series of interconnected suction chamber segments, wherein the segments are selected from: straight segments defining straight segments of the delivery segment, curved segments defining curved segments of the delivery segment, and / or inclined segments defining inclined segments of the delivery segment.

7. The object transport and orientation device according to claim 1, wherein: The first conveyor belt is: a strip of flexible and sealing material, the strip being provided with through holes coinciding with the suction cups; or a chain consisting of flat chain links connected to one another by anchoring elements provided with transverse articulated attachments articulated about axes transverse to the direction of advance of the first conveyor belt and with longitudinal articulated attachments articulated about longitudinal axes parallel to the direction of advance, or A chain consisting of flat chain links connected to each other by anchoring elements, the anchoring elements being provided with transverse articulated attachments articulated about an axis transverse to the direction of advancement of the first conveyor belt and with gaps provided in the transverse articulated attachments, the gaps being selected to act within the range of motion as longitudinal articulated attachments articulated about a longitudinal axis parallel to the direction of advancement or as longitudinal articulated attachments articulated about a longitudinal axis parallel to the direction of advancement, the longitudinal articulated attachments being configured to provide the first conveyor belt with at least 5 degrees of freedom of torsional movement between consecutive said chain links.

8. The object transport and orientation device according to claim 7, wherein: The transverse articulated attachment is provided by a transverse pin which, perpendicular to the direction of advancement of the first conveyor belt, is inserted into the housings of two consecutive links of the first conveyor belt or of two consecutive links of a drive chain, to which the links are fixed, and wherein the longitudinal articulated attachment is provided by: The pin and the corresponding housing include a selected gap; or Longitudinal pins are inserted, parallel to the conveying direction of the first conveyor belt, into the housings of two consecutive links of the first conveyor belt or of two consecutive links of the drive chain.

9. The object transport and orientation device according to claim 7, wherein: The chain consisting of flat chain links covers at least 95% or at least 98% of the at least one first opening communicating with the suction chamber, except for the opening communicating with the suction cup.

10. The object transport and orientation device according to claim 1, wherein: Each suction cup protrudes from the front face of the first conveyor belt without a surrounding shell, and each suction cup defines an exposed and accessible contact surface, on which the object to be held is placed, allowing objects of different sizes to be placed on the contact surface without adjusting the suction cup.

11. The object transport and orientation device according to claim 1, wherein: The object orienting section includes a first torsion section, which twists along a first direction, twisting from a first orientation to a second orientation, or from a first orientation to a second orientation, in which the suction cup faces upward to hold the object in a horizontal orientation, and in which the suction cup faces sideways to hold the object in a vertical orientation, and optionally includes a first intermediate section that holds the second orientation, the first intermediate section being located after the first torsion section.

12. The delivery and orientation device according to claim 11, wherein: An end of the first torsion segment or the first intermediate segment is associated with one or more of the following stations, wherein the object at the end is maintained in the second orientation: a labeling station including a label applicator configured to be aligned with the object for printing or applying a label on the object; a filling station, comprising a feed nozzle configured to be positioned above and aligned with a filling opening of the object held in a vertical position for pouring a product into the filling opening to fill the object, and optionally, the feed nozzle further configured to be coupled to and / or inserted into the filling opening; a sealing station including a seal applicator configured to be positioned over and aligned with a filling opening of the object held in a vertical position for sealing the filling opening of the object with a complementary cover or cap; a cleaning station including a cleaning nozzle directed toward the object and configured to spray a cleaning fluid toward an exterior of the object; an interior cleaning station including an interior cleaning nozzle configured to be positioned below and aligned with a fill opening of the object held in an inverted position for spraying cleaning fluid toward an interior of the object, and optionally, the interior cleaning nozzle further configured to be inserted into the object through the fill opening; a disinfection station including a heating device configured to disinfect the object using heat; A delivery station, coincident with the end of the conveying segment, causes release and delivery of the object in the second orientation.

13. The delivery and orientation device according to claim 12, wherein: The object orientation section comprises, after the first torsion section or after the first intermediate section, the following in sequence: a second twisting segment twisted in a second direction from the second orientation to the first orientation; a third twisting segment twisting in the second orientation from the first orientation to a third orientation, the third orientation being opposite to the second orientation, or in the third orientation the suction cup faces sideways to hold the object in a vertical orientation opposite to the second orientation; and an optional second intermediate segment and / or a third intermediate segment, wherein the second intermediate segment is located between the second and third torsion segments to maintain the first orientation, and the third intermediate segment is located after the third torsion segment to maintain the third orientation; and wherein an end of the third torsion segment or the third intermediate segment is associated with one or more of the following stations, at which an object is held in the third orientation: a labeling station including a label applicator configured to be aligned with the object for printing or applying a label on the object; a filling station, comprising a feed nozzle configured to be positioned above and aligned with a filling opening of the object held in a vertical position for pouring a product into the filling opening to fill the object, and optionally, the feed nozzle further configured to be coupled to and / or inserted into the filling opening; a sealing station including a seal applicator configured to be positioned over and aligned with a filling opening of the object held in a vertical position for sealing the filling opening of the object with a complementary cover or cap; a cleaning station including a cleaning nozzle directed toward the object and configured to spray a cleaning fluid toward an exterior of the object; an interior cleaning station including an interior cleaning nozzle configured to be positioned below and aligned with a fill opening of the object held in an inverted position for spraying cleaning fluid toward an interior of the object, and optionally, the interior cleaning nozzle further configured to be inserted into the object through the fill opening; a disinfection station including a heating device configured to disinfect the object using heat; A delivery station, coincident with the end of the conveying segment, causes release and delivery of the object in the second orientation.

14. The object transport and orientation device according to claim 12 or 13, wherein: The object conveying and orienting device comprises a second conveyor belt associated with respective holding means, the holding means having the same features as the first conveyor belt and the associated holding means, wherein The first conveyor belt has a first torsion segment and an end of the first torsion segment or the first middle segment, the first torsion segment is twisted in a first torsion direction, the first torsion direction is opposite to a second torsion direction of the first torsion segment of the second conveyor belt, the end of the first torsion segment or the first middle segment is adjacent to each other, wherein the objects are maintained in the second orientation of the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt, sharing at least one of a labeling station, a filling station, a sealing station, a cleaning station, an interior cleaning station, a disinfection station and a delivery station; and / or wherein The first conveyor belt has a first torsion segment, a second torsion segment and a third torsion segment, the torsion directions of the first torsion segment, the second torsion segment and the third torsion segment of the first conveyor belt are opposite to the torsion directions of the corresponding first torsion segment, the second torsion segment and the third torsion segment of the second conveyor belt, the ends of the third torsion segment or the third middle segment are adjacent to each other, wherein the objects are maintained in the third orientation of the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt, and share at least one of a labeling station, a filling station, a sealing station, a cleaning station, an internal cleaning station, a disinfection station and a delivery station.

15. The object transport and orientation device according to claim 1, wherein: An initial portion of the conveying section is associated with an object collection station, which includes at least one object feeder, which is configured to convey objects to each suction cup in a predetermined orientation, or includes at least one object feeder, which includes a robotic arm associated with an observation camera and a visual recognition system, and the robotic arm is configured to collect one or more objects in the initial orientation, or collect one or more objects in the initial orientation from a collection belt and convey the object to one of the suction cups with a predetermined orientation.

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