Device and method for transferring containers in transport system

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for transferring containers in a transport facility. The device comprises: one, two or more inlets each having an inlet channel; an outlet having one or more outlet channels; an inlet detection device designed to detect a feed container for each of the inlets and to generate and output a feed signal based on the number and / or distribution of the feed containers in the inlets; and a robot designed to operate the inlets and the outlet and to transfer the feed containers from the inlet channels to the outlet channels of the outlet based on the feed signal output by the inlet detection device. The invention further relates to a method for transferring containers in a transport system.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for transferring containers in a transport device and a method for transferring containers in a transport device.

[0002] In the handling of containers, for example in the beverage industry, it is common to use diverging systems with which containers from a single lane of transport are distributed to a number of adjustable outlet lanes in the container transport device. In this case, containers can only be distributed from a unique inlet. In the container transport device, individual process steps, for example labelling, can have to be carried out by several parallel machines in order to achieve a specific target output. If two or more parallel container flows are now to be transported, these have to be merged in front of the diverter of the diverging system. If moulded bottles are being transported, the containers can lose their orientation when merging several container flows. Furthermore, the transport speeds of the individual container flows have to be adapted to one another in order to merge, which additionally increases the complexity of the design of the control system.

[0003] Robots are also used in the beverage industry in order to handle containers or container bundles. For this purpose, the containers are fed at specific intervals onto a conveyor belt by controlled deceleration and acceleration before entering the device or the apparatus. The disadvantage here is that the controlled feeding of the containers requires a stacking buffer and controllable elements in order to maintain a specific gap between the containers and the adjacent containers. The stacking buffer and the controlled feeding require space and additional sensor and actuator mechanisms.

[0004] EP 2 669 202 A1 discloses a method for the operation of a pick-up line for inserting products, which are supplied on a feed belt to a packaging machine, are picked up there by a pick-up and are inserted into a packaging slot. FR 2993 870 A1 discloses a method and an apparatus for transporting articles, for example bottles, between M inlets and N outlets, in particular in the case of the use of a gripper robot. A device for handling a large number of articles of a random mass flow is known from EP 3 490 017 A1.

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned disadvantages, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device and a method for transferring containers in a transport device with which greater flexibility in the handling and transfer of infeed and outfeed containers can be achieved.

[0006] In order to achieve this object, the invention provides a device according to technical solution 1 and a method according to technical solution 10. The improvement can be found in the related other technical solutions.

[0007] According to the present application, a device for transferring containers in a transport apparatus is provided, the device comprising one, two or multiple inlets each having an inlet channel, an outlet having one or multiple outlet channels, an inlet detection device designed to detect the number and / or distribution of feed containers in each of the inlets and to generate and output a feed signal based on the number and / or distribution of feed containers in the inlets, and a robot designed to operate the inlets and the outlet and to transfer feed containers from the inlet channels to the outlet channels of the outlet based on the feed signal output by the inlet detection device.

[0008] With such a device it is possible to freely transfer containers from any number of inlet channels to any number of outlet channels. In this way, for example, a distribution system does not need to be provided for this purpose. Correspondingly, the device described herein achieves a high degree of flexibility in handling and transferring feed and discharge containers.

[0009] In this specification, the term "transfer" means transporting containers by moving or lifting between an inlet and an outlet.

[0010] Single-channel transport means transporting containers in a single row, not side by side along the direction of transport. In contrast, multi-channel transport allows containers to be arranged side by side and one after the other along the direction of transport.

[0011] The inlet detection device may, for example, comprise a light barrier for each inlet channel, with which the number and / or distribution of feed containers in each of the inlet channels is detected. It is also possible for the inlet detection device to be designed to explicitly identify a specific container, for example by means of a unique identifier on the container (such as a barcode, a QR code, etc.). Based on the number and / or distribution of feed containers detected, the inlet detection device generates a feed signal, which is transmitted to the robot.

[0012] The number of containers means the number of containers passing through the inlet detection device at a specific time. In addition to the pure number, the distribution also takes into account the distances and gaps between the containers.

[0013] In the present specification, a robot refers to a device designed to transport one or more containers using mechanical means, for example by moving or lifting. In this case, the robot is controlled by an internal or external control device, for example a computer. The control device provides an algorithm for controlling the robot. In particular, the control device acquires the feed signal from the inlet detection device and on this basis calculates how the feed containers must be transferred to the outlet channel. On the basis of this information, the algorithm controls the functioning of the robot, in particular must be transported or transferred according to which mode the feed containers in order to achieve the desired distribution in the outlet channel. In particular, the control of the robot can take place automatically. In this case, the algorithm can be changed during the downtime of the device, or also during its operation, for example in order to react to changes in the inlet (for example a breakdown of the inlet channel). Likewise, the operator of the device can access the control of the robot manually.

[0014] The device can be designed to transfer all the feed containers to the outlet channel of the outlet. The number of feed containers can therefore correspond to the number of discharged containers after the transfer.

[0015] Each of the inlets can have exactly one inlet channel. The device can comprise exactly one outlet.

[0016] The number of inlets and the number of outlet channels can be different, but also the same.

[0017] As mentioned above, the device is suitable for a wide variety of situations in which containers must be transferred from an inlet to an outlet having one or more outlet channels, so the use is extremely versatile and flexible.

[0018] The robot can have a gripping tool in order to be able to grip one or more containers at the same time. In this case, the gripping tool can in principle be designed to move the one or more containers or to lift the one or more containers for the transport.

[0019] In particular when several containers can be gripped at the same time, the production efficiency of the robot, and in turn of the device, is increased, so that a higher throughput of containers is possible.

[0020] The robot can be a tripod robot, in particular with a triangular kinematics, or a jointed arm robot with up to six degrees of freedom.

[0021] Such robots are already used in the beverage industry, for example for handling containers bales. In this case it is crucial that the robot has a suitable kinematics in order to be able to transport and / or distribute containers at high speed. Therefore, together with the device described here, these robots allow a high productivity in the environment for transporting and distributing containers.

[0022] Furthermore, the apparatus can comprise an outlet detection device designed to detect the outfeed containers at the outlet and to generate and output an outfeed signal based on the number and / or distribution of the outfeed containers in the outlet channel, wherein the robot is designed to additionally transfer the containers to the outlet channel based on the outfeed signal, or wherein the containers are additionally transferred to the outlet channel based on the number of containers in one or more of the outlet channels.

[0023] In principle, the outlet detection device can be designed like the inlet detection device, for example comprising a light barrier. It is also possible that the outlet detection device is designed to explicitly identify specific containers, for example by means of a unique identifier on the containers, such as a barcode, a QR code or the like. The outlet detection device then generates an outfeed signal based on the number and distribution of the detected outfeed containers, which is transmitted to the robot.

[0024] By introducing the outfeed signal when controlling the robot, it is possible to also take into account the situation in the outlet when distributing the infeed containers. Correspondingly, it is also possible to individualize the distribution of the containers depending on the situation in the specific outlet channel of the plurality of outlet channels. For example, an outlet channel can be blocked, so that the robot cannot transfer more containers to this outlet channel. Alternatively, it is also possible to transfer to the outlet channels uniformly, wherein uniformly means that all outlet channels are loaded with the same number of containers, or that the containers are equally spaced in all outlet channels.

[0025] It is also possible that the robot, in particular its control device, detects to which outlet channels the containers are transferred. In this case, the outlet detection device can only be used for process monitoring, not for process control. In practice, this means that the transfer of the containers is based on the infeed signal and the transfer of the previous containers determined by the robot. The outlet detection device calculates the number of containers in the outlet channels and can in this way identify outlet channels that are empty or blocked, and then outputs a message. In this configuration, the outlet detection device does not directly influence the transfer of the containers by the robot.

[0026] The robot can be designed to determine the outlet channel with the lowest load of containers based on the outfeed signal and to transfer the infeed containers to the outlet channel with the lowest load of containers.

[0027] The robot can be designed to determine the outlet channel with the lowest load of containers based on the infeed signal and the transfer of the previous containers determined by the robot, in particular its control device, and to transfer the infeed containers to the outlet channel with the lowest load of containers.

[0028] By preferentially loading the outlet channels with the least amount of load at the time of dispensing, a more uniform dispensing of containers in the outlet channels can be achieved. In particular, this prevents certain outlet channels from being overfilled, which can lead to blockages and operational malfunctions. At the same time, this also prevents the possible emptying of outlet channels, which can likewise lead to malfunctions if the downstream device is not supplied with further containers. The load refers to the number of containers in a particular inlet or outlet channel.

[0029] In addition, the device can also comprise one or more further robots, wherein the further robots are arranged between the robots and the outlets, wherein the robots and the further robots are designed as a robot unit, and wherein the robot unit is designed to operate the inlets and the outlets and to transfer the feed containers from the inlet channels to the outlet channels of the outlets based on the feed signals output by the inlet detection device.

[0030] From the perspective of the inlets, the robots and the further robots can be arranged successively or side by side.

[0031] The two or more robots can be controlled by the same control device. There can also be a joint algorithm for jointly controlling the two or more robots. In this case, the work performed by the two or more robots can be coordinated with one another in different ways. For example, a robot can operate one or more specific inlet channels and transfer the feed containers in the specific inlet channels to the outlet channels. The further robots take over the remaining inlet channels that are not operated by the robot and independently perform the transfer of the feed containers into the remaining inlet channels. Thus, all inlet channels are operated by the robot unit and a specific dispensing of the outfeed containers is generated. Since each of the two or more robots only operates a part of the inlet channels, a higher overall throughput can be achieved with this robot unit than with a single robot, since the two or more robots operate in parallel and the capacity of the individual robots is virtually added.

[0032] Alternatively, the two or more robots can also complement one another in another way. The robots can be designed to operate all inlet channels and to generate an intermediate dispensing of the feed containers. This intermediate dispensing is taken over by the further robots and processed to produce a specific dispensing of the outfeed containers in the outlets. In this case, the further robots can operate all outlet channels. In this case, a higher throughput can also be achieved compared to a single robot if the intermediate dispensing takes less time or work steps to produce than the dispensing of the outfeed containers.

[0033] It is also feasible for two or more robots to operate the same inlet channel alternately or in an irregular sequence. In this case, the robots sometimes do not operate one or more inlet channels, which are then operated by another robot. In this way, the two or more robots handling the inlet channels in parallel are also complementary and can achieve a higher throughput than a single robot.

[0034] In summary, it is also feasible to increase the throughput of the device, i.e. the throughput of the containers, by using additional robots, by the method that the feed containers are handled simultaneously by several robots.

[0035] The details described above regarding the design of the robots can also apply to the additional robots. In particular, each additional robot can have a gripping tool so that one or more containers can be gripped simultaneously. The additional robots can be tripod robots, in particular tripod robots with triangular kinematics, or articulated arm robots with up to six degrees of freedom.

[0036] In addition to transferring the feed containers to the outlet channel with the least load, other criteria can also be used for transferring the containers. For example, a decision matrix can be saved in the programming logic for each robot in the robot unit to determine which robot will transfer a particular container in order to minimize the transfer distance. If a container is to be transferred to a particular outlet channel, the robot can have to perform the transfer on routes of varying lengths. In this case, the decision matrix indicates which robot will transfer the container with the shortest required route. By this solution, the time required for transferring the containers is reduced, as is the torque acting on the respective robot.

[0037] The device can comprise a robot unit and an outlet detection device. In this case, the robot unit is designed to additionally transfer the containers to the outlet channel on the basis of the discharge signal.

[0038] The robots and / or additional robots can be designed to operate only certain inlet channels and / or outlet channels, in particular not each of the inlet channels and / or outlet channels, or to operate all inlet channels and / or outlet channels.

[0039] If each of the two or more robots can only operate certain inlet channels and / or outlet channels, it is feasible to design the two or more robots more compactly, thereby reducing the overall footprint of the device. However, as described above, with this form it is also feasible to achieve a higher throughput compared to a single robot.

[0040] Between the inlet and the outlet, a conveyor belt can be arranged, and the robots and / or additional robots can be designed to move the feed containers on the conveyor belt and / or to adjust the speed of the feed containers to the speed of the conveyor belt.

[0041] Moving the containers on a mobile conveyor is less susceptible to disturbances, such as can be caused by containers falling over, than transporting the containers by lifting them. Furthermore, the containers have already been transported on the conveyor in the direction of transport, so that they only have to be moved perpendicularly to the direction of transport in order to be transferred to the exit channel. This takes less time than transporting the containers by lifting them. As a result, the distribution can be completed in a short time, or a higher throughput can be achieved within a certain time.

[0042] The invention also relates to a method for transferring containers in a transport device. The method comprises the following steps:

[0043] detecting incoming feed containers in one, two or multiple inlets each having an inlet channel into the transport device,

[0044] generating and outputting a feed signal based on the number of feed containers in the inlets and / or the distribution, and

[0045] transferring the feed containers to an exit having one or multiple exit channels by means of a robot,

[0046] wherein the robot operates the inlets and the exit and transfers the feed containers from the inlet channels to the exit channels of the exit based on the feed signal.

[0047] Like the device, the method also has the advantage that containers can be transferred freely from any number of inlet channels to any number of exit channels without, for example, having to provide a distribution system for this purpose. Correspondingly, the method described herein achieves a high degree of flexibility in handling and distributing feed and discharge containers.

[0048] The method can also comprise the following steps:

[0049] detecting containers being discharged from the transport device in one or multiple exit channels of the exit,

[0050] generating and outputting a discharge signal based on the number of discharge containers in the exit channels and / or the distribution, and

[0051] transferring the containers to the exit channels additionally based on the discharge signal or to the exit channels additionally based on the number of containers in one or multiple of the exit channels.

[0052] By introducing the discharge signal when controlling the robot, it is possible to also take into account the situation in the exit when transferring the feed containers. Correspondingly, it is also possible to individualize the transfer of the containers depending on the situation in a specific exit of multiple exits. Further advantages in this regard are explained in connection with the figures.

[0053] The distribution of the feed containers in at least one of the inlet channels can be irregular.

[0054] Irregular distribution within the inlet channel is to be understood as meaning that the spacing between adjacent containers in the inlet channel is irregular. Furthermore, the number of feed containers in different inlet channels can also be different. This can be due, inter alia, to the containers in different inlets being supplied by various other devices, which each have different throughput rates. Sorting the containers in one of the inlet channels can also lead to irregular distribution.

[0055] By means of the method, such irregular feed container flows can also be processed and converted into a specific distribution in the outlet. This obviates the need to compensate for this irregular flow by means of a distribution system and / or certain adjustments to the transport speed. The corresponding device can thus be designed compactly and no corresponding control system is required, simplifying the structure of the device as a whole.

[0056] The feed containers can be transferred to the one or more outlet channels in accordance with a predetermined pattern. In particular, the pattern can be predetermined by a user. Furthermore, the pattern can be changed during operation. For example, one or more outlet channels can be selected, which are permanently or temporarily loaded with more containers than other outlet channels.

[0057] The distribution of the feed containers thus enables a very high degree of flexibility. The method can therefore be used for a plurality of container transport devices, since corresponding requirements in terms of container transport can be taken into account.

[0058] The robot or robot unit can determine the outlet channel with the least load of containers on the basis of the discharge signal and transfer the feed container to the outlet channel with the least load of containers.

[0059] The robot or robot unit can determine the outlet channel with the least load of containers on the basis of the feed signal and the transfer of a preceding container determined by the robot or robot unit, in particular by a control device thereof, and transfer the feed container to the outlet channel with the least load of containers.

[0060] By preferentially loading the outlet channel with the least load of containers when distributing, a more uniform distribution of the containers in the outlet channels can be achieved. In particular, this prevents certain outlet channels from being overloaded, which can lead to blockages and operational faults.

[0061] The transport speed of the outlet can be equal to or proportional to the maximum transport speed of the inlet, or the transport speed of the outlet can be lower than any transport speed of the inlet.

[0062] Such coordination of the transport speed of the inlets and the outlets can avoid gaps between the outfeed containers. When a feed container moves into a gap, i.e. a certain spacing is formed between the feed containers, it is particularly suitable to select an outlet transport speed which is lower than any inlet transport speed. In this way, fewer or smaller or no gaps between the outfeed containers are formed and the multi-lane transport to a downstream machine, such as a packaging or filling machine, can be designed to be shorter. Another effect of the lower transport speed of the outlets compared to the inlets is an increased occupancy of the different outlet lanes, i.e. the number of containers in the different outlet lanes. Conversely, if the transport speed of the outlets is higher than the transport speed of the inlets, a certain spacing between the outfeed containers can be formed.

[0063] Further features and advantages will be explained below by means of exemplary drawings. Therein:

[0064] Figure 1 A schematic top view of an apparatus for transferring containers in a transport device according to a first embodiment is shown;

[0065] Figure 2 A schematic top view of an apparatus for transferring containers in a transport device according to a second embodiment is shown;

[0066] Figure 3 A schematic perspective view of an apparatus comprising a robot unit is shown; and

[0067] Figure 4 A schematic view of a control system of a robot or robot unit is shown.

[0068] In the following and in the drawings, the same reference signs are used for the same or corresponding elements in different embodiments, unless stated otherwise.

[0069] Figure 1 A top view of an apparatus 1 for transferring containers in a transport device according to the present application is shown. The apparatus 1 comprises two inlets 2 each having an inlet lane, so that the inlets 2 together have two inlet lanes 2a, 2b. The inlets 2 can in particular be spatially separated from each other. One or more inlet lanes can have a conveyor belt on which the containers are transported to the apparatus 1. These containers are referred to as feed containers 10. Furthermore, the apparatus 1 comprises an outlet 3 having one or more outlet lanes, in the shown example three outlet lanes 3a, 3b, 3c. The outlet 3 can also have a conveyor belt in order to transport the containers out of the apparatus. These containers are referred to as outfeed containers 11 in the following.

[0070] In the shown example, the outfeed containers 11 are transferred to the different outlet channels 3a, 3b, 3c such that the same number of containers is present in each outlet channel and the spacing of the containers in the respective outlet channels 3a, 3b, 3c is uniform. The distribution of the outfeed containers 11 over the outlet channels can, however, be done freely and is not limited to the shown configuration.

[0071] In this embodiment, the device 1 is constructed such that the two inlet channels 2a, 2b are arranged on different sides and next to the outlet 3. In this way, the feed containers can be transported by moving them to the outlet 3, wherein only a short transport path is required. Therein, the configuration is particularly compact and the time required for moving the containers is short, thereby allowing a high overall throughput.

[0072] Each of the two inlets has an element of an inlet detection device 20, which for example each comprises a light barrier. The inlet detection device 20 detects each of the inlets 2 and in turn also the number and the transfer of the feed containers 10 in each of the inlet channels 2a, 2b.

[0073] The robot 4 itself is only shown schematically in this drawing. For more detailed information about the robot 4, see Figure 3 and Figure 4 and the associated description. The robot 4 is designed to transfer the feed containers 10 from the inlet channels 2a, 2b to the outlet channels 3a, 3b, 3c. For this purpose, the feed signals generated by the inlet detection device 20 are used, which are transmitted to the robot 4.

[0074] In the shown embodiment of the device 1, also irregularly distributed feed containers 10 can be processed. The spacing of the feed containers 10 in the inlet channel 2a is uniform and thus regular, while the distribution in the inlet channel 2b is irregular. The robot 4 is, however, designed to create a uniform distribution of the outfeed containers 11 using the control signals of the inlet detection device 20, wherein the same number of containers 11 is loaded for all outlet channels 3a, 3b, 3c and the spacing of the containers 11 in the outlet channels 3a, 3b, 3c is uniform.

[0075] The transport speed in each of the inlets 2 and the outlet 3 can be set independently of one another. In the following, the transport speed of the first inlet channel 2a is referred to as v ein,1 , the transport speed of the second inlet channel 2b is referred to as v ein,2 and the transport speed of the outlet is referred to as v aus . By setting the transport speeds independently of one another, a high flexibility of the device 1 is achieved. The specific manner of setting the transport speeds and the purpose thereof are explained in the above text in connection with Figure 3 .

[0076] In addition to the technical effect of increasing flexibility in handling and transferring containers mentioned at the outset, the device 1 has further advantages. Thus, for example, it is possible to dispense with uniform distribution of the feed containers 10 in the inlet channels 2a, 2b. The robot 4 can individually cope with the distribution of the feed containers 10 on the basis of the feed signals, thus avoiding disadvantages of the function of the device 1 by defects and gaps between the feed containers 10. For example, it is thus possible to dispense with a stacking buffer and controllable elements, such as conveyor belts or belts, which were previously necessary in order to achieve uniform distribution of the containers. For the same reason, it is also not necessary to accelerate and decelerate the containers strongly, thus handling the containers more gently. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to reserve corresponding distances for acceleration and deceleration of unnecessary containers, the device 1 or the plant comprising the device 1 can be designed in a more space-saving manner.

[0077] Figure 2 A further embodiment of a device 1 according to the application for transferring containers in a transport plant is shown in the form of a plan view. In this case, the device 1 comprises an inlet 2 and an outlet 3, which are connected to each other by means of an inlet channel 2a and an outlet channel 3a. The inlet channel 2a and the outlet channel 3a are connected to each other by means of a transfer channel 7. The transfer channel 7 is designed as a straight line. The device 1 comprises a robot 4, which is designed to transfer feed containers 10 from the inlet channel 2a to the outlet channel 3a on the basis of a feed signal output by an inlet detection device 20. The inlet detection device 20 is designed to detect the feed containers 10 in the inlet channel 2a and to generate and output the feed signal on the basis of the distribution of the feed containers 10 in the inlet channel 2a. The feed signal is transmitted to the robot 4. The robot 4 is designed to transfer the containers 10 to the outlet channel 3a on the basis of the feed signal. Figure 1

[0078] The device 1 comprises a robot unit 6, which consists of the robot 4 and a further robot 5. The robot unit 6 is designed to operate the inlet 2 and the outlet 3 and to transfer the feed containers 10 from the inlet channels 2a, 2b to the outlet channels 3a, 3b, 3c of the outlet 3 on the basis of the feed signals output by the inlet detection device 20. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the device 1 comprises an outlet detection device 30, which is designed to detect the discharge containers 11 of the outlet 3 and to generate and output a discharge signal on the basis of the distribution of the discharge containers 11 in the outlet channels 3a, 3b, 3c. Therein, the outlet detection device 30 can comprise a light barrier or other suitable device, similarly to the case of the inlet detection device 20. The discharge signal is transmitted to the robot unit 6. The robot unit 6 is designed to transfer the containers 10 to the outlet channels 3a, 3b, 3c on the basis of the feed signals and the discharge signals.

[0079] In principle, the distribution of the discharge containers 11 in the different outlet channels 3a, 3b, 3c can be arbitrary or freely set, Figure 1 ​The uniform distribution shown in the middle represents only one possibility. Conversely, in this embodiment, the different outlet channels 3a, 3b, 3c are loaded with different numbers of containers 11. It can be advantageous for the outlet channels 3a, 3b, 3c to be unevenly loaded, for example, because the different channels are processed differently by a downstream device. Alternatively, this uneven loading can also be compensated for. To this end, the outlet detection device detects the outlet channel 3c with the least loading 3d, in the example shown. The robot unit 6 then gradually transfers containers to the outlet channel 3c in order to balance the loading in the different outlet channels 3a, 3b and 3c relative to one another. This process can be run continuously in order to permanently maintain the uniform distribution of the outfeed containers 11.

[0080] In Figure 3 An oblique view of the device 1 according to the application is shown in the middle, in which the structure and function of the robot 4 and the further robot 5 are highlighted in particular. In this example, a robot unit consisting of the robot 4 and the further robot 5 is shown, in which the two robots are designed as so-called tripod robots. It goes without saying that the two robots can also be of a different type and are not limited to the type shown. The robot 4 and the further robot 5 each have a gripping tool 40 which is designed to grip and lift or move one or more containers 10. In order to be able to grip a plurality of containers 10, the containers 10 must in particular be arranged one after the other or side by side.

[0081] The device comprises two inlets 2 each having an inlet channel 2a, 2b. Between the two inlets 2 in the device 1 there is arranged a conveyor belt 7, on which the robot 4 and the further robot 5 are mounted. The robot 4 operates the inlet channel 2b and moves the feed containers 10 entering the channel 2b on the conveyor belt 7 by means of the gripping tool 40. Likewise, the further robot 5 operates the inlet channel 2a and moves the feed containers 10 entering the channel 2a on the conveyor belt 7 by means of the gripping tool 40. The conveyor belt 7 leads to an outlet 3. The robot unit consisting of the two robots 4, 5 generates a distribution of the outfeed containers 11 on the three outlet channels 3a, 3b, 3c in the outlet 3 in the manner described.

[0082] The conveyor belt 7 and the inlets 2 can be controlled in different ways from one another and, in turn, for example, the speed of the inlets 2 and the conveyor belt 7 can be set, whereby the speed of the outlet 3 is also set. As described above, for example, the transport speed of the outlet 3 can be set to be lower than the transport speed of all the inlets 2 in order to overcome the gaps between the feed containers 10 in the outlet 3 or to increase the occupancy of the outlet channels. In this way, the transport route of a downstream device, for example a labelling machine or a filling machine, can be implemented more short.

[0083] The tripod robot offers a high degree of spatial flexibility and can therefore handle various entry passages in a compact design. Furthermore, it allows for high-speed manipulation with high precision and is therefore very suitable for the described application in a dispensing device, in which a high throughput of containers is to be achieved.

[0084] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a control system of the robot or robot unit, including a control device, is shown. The control device 41 can be designed as a separate external unit or can be integrated into the robot 4 or robot unit 6. The control device 41 receives the infeed signal generated by the entry detection device 20. The infeed signal can be transmitted via a conventional transmission channel for this purpose. Furthermore, the control device 41 receives the outfeed signal generated by the exit detection device 30. It is noted that the device according to the embodiment shown in Figure 1 The device according to the embodiment shown in

[0085] The control device 41 comprises an algorithm for controlling the robot 4 or robot unit 6. The algorithm is programmed to calculate the necessary working steps of the robot 4 or robot unit 6 on the basis of the infeed signal and, if necessary, the outfeed signal, and to control the robot 4 or robot unit 6 accordingly via the control device 41. The algorithm stored in the control device can be updated continuously for this purpose, for example if a new dispensing of outfeed containers is to be generated in the outlet.

[0086] The embodiments shown can be combined with one another as appropriate. For example, if the device comprises only one robot, an exit detection device can also be provided.

Claims

1. An apparatus (1) for transferring containers in a transport device, the apparatus comprising: one, two or multiple inlets (2) each having an inlet channel (2a, 2b), an outlet (3) having one or multiple outlet channels (3a, 3b, 3c), an inlet detection device (20) designed to detect the feed containers (10) in each of the inlets (2) and to generate and output a feed signal based on the number and / or distribution of the feed containers (10) in the inlets (2), and a robot (4) designed to operate the inlets (2) and the outlet (3) and to transfer the feed containers (10) from the inlet channels (2a, 2b) to the outlet channels (3a, 3b, 3c) of the outlet (3) based on the feed signal output by the inlet detection device (20).

2. The device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the number of inlets (2) and the number of outlet channels (3a, 3b, 3c) are different.

3. The device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the robot (4) has a gripping tool (40) in order to be able to grip one or multiple containers simultaneously.

4. The device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the robot (4) is a tripod robot, in particular a tripod robot having a triangular kinematics, or a jointed arm robot having up to six degrees of freedom.

5. The device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: an outlet detection device (30) designed to detect the discharge containers (11) of the outlet (3) and to generate and output a discharge signal based on the number and / or distribution of the discharge containers (11) in the outlet channels (3a, 3b, 3c), wherein the robot (4) is designed to additionally transfer the containers to the outlet channels (3a, 3b, 3c) based on the discharge signal, or wherein the containers are additionally transferred to one or multiple of the outlet channels (3a, 3b, 3c) based on the number of containers in the outlet channels (3a, 3b, 3c).

6. The device (1) according to claim 5, wherein the robot is designed to determine the outlet channel having the least load (3d) of containers based on the discharge signal, and transfer the feed containers to the outlet channel having the least load (3d) of containers.

7. The device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising one or multiple further robots (5), wherein the further robots (5) are arranged between the robot (4) and the outlet (3), wherein the robot (4) and the further robots (5) are designed as a robot unit (6), and wherein the robot unit (6) is designed to operate the inlets (2) and the outlet (3) and to transfer the feed containers (10) from the inlet channels (2a, 2b) to the outlet channels (3a, 3b, 3c) of the outlet (3) based on the feed signal output by the inlet detection device (20).

8. The device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the robot (4) and / or the further robot (5) is designed to operate only certain inlet and / or outlet channels, in particular not each of the inlet and / or outlet channels, or to operate all inlet and / or outlet channels.

9. The device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a conveyor belt (7) is arranged between the inlet (2) and the outlet (3), and wherein the robot (4) is designed to move the feed containers (11) on the conveyor belt (7) and / or to adjust the speed of the feed containers (11) in accordance with the speed of the conveyor belt (7).

10. A method for transferring containers in a transport device, the method comprising: detecting feed containers (10) entering the transport device in one, two or multiple inlets (2) each having the inlet channels (2a, 2b), generating and outputting a feed signal based on the number and / or distribution of the feed containers (10) in the inlets (2), and transferring the feed containers (10) to an outlet (3) having one or multiple outlet channels (3a, 3b, 3c) by means of a robot (4), wherein the robot (4) operates the inlets (2) and the outlet (3) and transfers the feed containers (10) from the inlet channels (2a, 2b) to the outlet channels (3a, 3b, 3c) of the outlet (3) based on the feed signal.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: detecting containers (11) being discharged from the transport device in the one or multiple outlet channels (3a, 3b, 3c) of the outlet (3), generating and outputting a discharge signal based on the number and / or distribution of the discharge containers (11) in the outlet channels (3a, 3b, 3c), and transferring the containers to the outlet channels (3a, 3b, 3c) additionally based on the discharge signal, or transferring the containers to the outlet channels (3a, 3b, 3c) additionally based on the number of containers in one or multiple of the outlet channels (3a, 3b, 3c).

12. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 11, wherein the distribution of the feed containers (10) in at least one of the inlet channels (2a, 2b) is irregular.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the feed containers (10) are transferred to the one or multiple outlet channels (3a, 3b, 3c) according to a predetermined pattern.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the robot (4) determines the outlet channel (3a, 3b, 3c) having the least load (3d) of containers based on the discharge signal and transfers a feed container (10) to the outlet channel having the least load (3d). ​ ​ 15. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the transport speed (v aus ) of the outlet (3) is equal to or proportional to the maximum transport speed (V ein,1 , V ein,2 ) of the inlet (2) or​​​ wherein the transport speed (v aus ) of said outlet (3) is lower than any transport speed (v ein,1 , v ein,2 ) of said inlet (2).

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