Conveyor system

Abstract

Conveyor system comprehensive several conveying elements (10) forming a conveyor chain (100) for conveying hanging garments, wherein the conveyor chain (100) runs along a conveying path (110), several suspended elements (14) movable along a guide (120) and supported on the guide (120), wherein the guide (120) runs at least partially parallel to the conveying path (110), wherein the hanging elements (14) have an attack section (16) which is designed to contact each of the conveying elements (10) in order to receive a driving force of the conveying element (10) directed along the guide (120), characterized by the fact that the attack section (16) of the hanging elements (14) can be tilted between a conveying position and a storage position, wherein the attack section (16) is erect in the conveying position to receive the driving force, and is tilted away in the storage position to avoid the driving force, and the attack section (16) pushes into its conveying position.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveyor system comprising a plurality of conveyor elements forming a conveyor chain for conveying hanging garments, wherein the conveyor chain runs along a conveyor path. The conveyor system further comprises a plurality of hanging elements movable along a guide and mounted on the guide, wherein the guide runs parallel to the conveyor path at least in sections. Furthermore, the hanging elements have an engagement section designed to contact one of the conveyor elements in order to absorb a driving force of the conveyor element directed along the guide.

[0002] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a hanging element for such a conveyor system, which has one or more rollers via which the hanging element can be mounted on a guide of the conveyor system. STATE OF THE ART

[0003] Conveyor systems in the above-mentioned technical field are generally known from the prior art. In particular, German Patent Application DE 40 17 821 A1 discloses a "transport device for an overhead conveyor device" in which an endless conveyor chain consisting of conveyor elements is provided with bristles that interact with overhead elements like a slip clutch to drive them. The overhead elements are designed as carrier carriages that are moved along a guide rail and each have an engagement section through which the bristles engage the carrier carriage to drive it.

[0004] Basically, the design of the conveyor elements with bristles offers the advantage that the bristles are stiff enough to carry the carrier wagons, but in the event of a jam they slide over the attack sections of the carrier wagons and thus act like a slip clutch.

[0005] However, when the suspended elements, known in the prior art as carriers, are stacked, a considerable force is exerted on the suspended elements. This places stress on the stopper used for stacking, as well as on the bristles of the conveyor elements and all other components used in connection with the drive of the suspended elements.

[0006] DE 10 2010 010 107 A1 discloses a conveyor system for conveying and accumulating hanging objects, comprising a drive chain mounted on a support rail and holding elements mounted on rollers below it, with the objects suspended therefrom as conveyed goods. The objects are conveyed by the drive chain in a conveying direction and, if necessary, stopped and accumulated by means of a stop device. The drive connection is then released by moving the drive chain upwards.

[0007] DE 100 31 033 A1 relates to an overhead conveyor system in which material carriers are supported by rollers on guide rails for movement along a conveyor line. Brush elements are arranged as carriers on a drive chain guided along the conveyor line and can be moved between a ready-to-carry position and a non-carrying position.

[0008] EP 1 690 811 A1 teaches a transport system for hanging objects suspended from holding elements guided in a transport rail. The holding elements are driven by downwardly projecting, bolt-shaped carriers of a drive chain. Means are provided between the transport rail and the holding elements to prevent the projections projecting between the carriers from disengaging from the carriers.

[0009] DE 91 06 794 U1 discloses a suspended conveyor device with a drive and a conveyor means that is movable along a conveying path defined by a rail and suspended laterally so as to swing relative to the rail. The drive has a conveying element covered with bristles that is arranged such that the bristles overlap with the conveyor means and can be engaged with a portion of the conveyor means. The bristles are arranged substantially horizontally and overlap with the conveyor means over a length range. The length range, the elasticity of the bristles, and the mass of the conveyor means are coordinated such that the conveyor means is held in conveying engagement with the bristles by gravity in the direction of the bristles' extension.

[0010] US 5,404,992 A discloses a conveyor system comprising a conveyor device that rolls along a guide rail with straight sections, curves, and / or switches. The conveyor device comprises a bearing element provided with a support element for the articles to be conveyed and at least two swivel rollers arranged symmetrically with respect to a plane of symmetry on the bearing element.

[0011] Against this background, one object of the present invention is to provide a conveyor system that allows a more gentle accumulation of the hanging elements and thus increases durability and reliability without having to rely on more resistant materials. PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The above object is achieved according to the invention by a conveyor system according to claim 1. Furthermore, this object is achieved by a hanging element according to claim 8. Advantageous embodiments of the invention emerge from the respective subclaims.

[0013] The conveyor system according to the invention in the above technical field comprises a plurality of conveyor elements forming a conveyor chain for conveying hanging goods, wherein the conveyor chain runs along a conveyor path, a plurality of hanging elements movable along a guide and mounted on the guide, wherein the guide runs parallel to the conveyor path at least in sections, wherein the hanging elements have an engagement section designed to contact one of the conveyor elements in each case in order to absorb a driving force of the conveyor element directed along the guide. This conveyor system is characterized according to the invention in that the engagement section of the hanging elements is tiltable between a conveying position and a storage position, wherein the engagement section is upright in the conveying position in order to absorb the driving force, and is tilted away in the storage position in order to avoid the driving force.The attack section is pushing into its conveying position.

[0014] Because the engagement section of the hanging elements can be tilted between the conveying position and the storage position, the force exerted by the conveying elements can be transferred to the hanging element when the engagement section is in the upright state, while the engagement section is also able to avoid this driving force by tilting away.

[0015] The present invention fundamentally adopts the principle of a slip clutch-like transmission of the drive force, as known, for example, from DE 40 17 821 A1. Furthermore, the suspension element is designed to selectively reduce the frictional resistance between the suspension element and the conveyor element, thus limiting the load on the entire system when the suspension elements are in a stacked state.

[0016] By pushing the engaging section into its conveying position, it is ensured that the suspended element does not remain in its stowed position, where it does not absorb any driving force from the conveying element. This can be achieved through various mechanisms. In particular, the suspended element can be designed so that it always stands upright, like a tumbler, due to the effect of gravity.

[0017] On the one hand, the drive force of the conveyor element acts on the hanging element when and as long as the hanging element is in the conveying position. In addition, the hanging element is subjected to a frictional force from the guide on which the hanging element is mounted. An uprighting force, which pushes the engaging section into its conveying position, counteracts the drive force of the conveyor element.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the hanging element is designed such that the drive force acts on the engagement section and the friction force acts on another part of the hanging element, namely the part over which the hanging element is mounted on the guide, such that the sum of the drive force and the friction force results in a first torque, which urges the hanging element to tilt from the conveying position into the storage position. Preferably, an opposing righting torque is formed by the righting force and the friction of the hanging element, which enables the conveyance of the hanging element by preventing the engagement section from tilting from the conveying position into the storage position.

[0019] Alternatively, the uprighting force can also be generated by a spring element.

[0020] Since the attack section tilts from the conveying position into the storage position as soon as the driving force acting on it exceeds the righting force, the maximum friction force that can be overcome can be determined by the magnitude of the righting force: If the friction, for example caused by a stopper or a similar element used for damming, exceeds the righting force, the attack section tilts away into the storage position before a driving force that exceeds the friction can be applied to the hanging element.

[0021] To drive the suspended element, a driving force must be exerted on the suspended element that is greater than the opposing frictional force. At the same time, the driving force must not be greater than the uprighting force of the engaging section, so that the engaging section does not tip from the conveying position to the accumulating position and thus yield.

[0022] As soon as the frictional force falls below the uprighting force again, the driving force required to overcome this lower frictional force can be applied to the hanging element, thus driving it. At low friction, i.e., when the uprighting force exceeds the frictional force, a driving force that exceeds the friction can be applied to the hanging element to drive it.

[0023] The present invention therefore makes it possible to define a maximum drive force to be exerted on the suspended element, thus reducing the load on the components connected to the drive when the suspended elements are stacked up. This increases the reliability and durability of the conveyor systems compared to the prior art.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the conveyor chain is closed. The present invention, and in particular the ability to deflect the drive force and thus reduce the load on the components connected to the drive, has particular advantages in connection with an endless drive system using a closed conveyor chain. Alternatively, however, the conveyor chain can also be open, i.e., have a beginning and an end.

[0025] It is preferred that at least one of the conveying elements has bristles for contacting the engagement portion of the hanging elements to apply the driving force. Further preferably, several conveying elements, particularly preferably all conveying elements, have bristles for contacting the engagement portion of the hanging elements to apply the driving force.

[0026] Such bristles are generally known from the prior art and are shown in particular in document DE 40 17 821 A1 for implementing a type of slip clutch, i.e. a largely flexible contact between a conveyor element and a hanging element or carrying carriage or the like. In connection with the present invention, however, bristles are also particularly advantageous because they enable the driving force between the conveyor element and the hanging element to be spontaneously resumed at any time. If, for example, a stopper or the like is released to accumulate the hanging elements, the righting force immediately causes the engagement sections to tilt back into their conveying position and to be immediately gripped by the bristles, since these form a quasi-continuous coupling of the conveyor elements to the hanging elements.This means that the hanging elements do not have to wait for an approaching conveyor element, but can absorb the driving force directly when they are erected.

[0027] In this way, the conveyor system according to the invention enables a particularly fast response time to the control impulses for a stopper or the like for accumulating and conveying the suspended elements. The accumulating and conveying of the suspended elements can thus be implemented with particular precision, thus maximizing the efficiency of the system.

[0028] Alternatively, comb conveyors or other types of conveyor elements can be used to interact with the engagement section of the hanging elements and apply the driving force to the hanging element.

[0029] The guide preferably has a rail designed to accommodate one or more rolls. Such a rail makes it particularly easy to guide the hanging elements in the guide such that they are movable along the guide, while also being supported in the guide and tiltable relative to the guide or other static elements. Alternatively, however, the guide can also be designed, for example, as a combination of a guide rail and a bearing, whereby the guide rail is not designed directly to accommodate and support the roll or rolls, but merely to guide them.

[0030] The hanging elements are advantageously designed to hold a piece of hanging goods, particularly in the form of pockets. Such (preferably pocket-shaped) hanging elements have proven effective when individual items are to be conveyed through the conveyor systems. This is especially important when the individual items do not have the same shape and, in particular, cannot be easily hung.

[0031] While hangers or similar elements can be used as hanging elements for garments that can be transported hanging on a hanger, packages or other flat items cannot be easily transported on such a hanger and must therefore be placed on a storage surface or in a bag or similar element. As an alternative to a bag or similar element for holding a piece of hanging garment, the hanging element can also be designed as a hanger, which is particularly suitable for conveying garments or similar items.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the hanging element is designed such that the engagement section is pushed into the conveying position by the force of gravity acting on the hanging element or by a spring force. Gravity can be utilized in particular by the hanging element forming a lever mechanism, so that the force of gravity acting on the hanging element, in particular the goods hanging thereon, erects the engagement section to reach the conveying position. In addition to gravity, a spring force can also preferably be used. This is also preferred because it does not require an additional energy source, which makes the conveyor system less complex and expensive and leads to virtually no maintenance in connection with the pushing of the engagement section into the conveying position.However, as an alternative to gravity or spring force, other power sources can also be used, such as actuators that can move the attack section into a conveying position in a targeted manner and, if necessary, under computer control. Especially with actuators, it is also possible to transfer the attack section from the storage position to the conveying position and vice versa by other means than tilting.

[0033] The conveyor system preferably has a stopper for accumulating the hanging elements along the guide. Such a stopper is of great importance for the implementation of an accumulating conveyor system and enables targeted control of the movement sequence of the individual hanging elements and the parts conveyed thereby. The stopper can selectively accumulate the hanging elements by interrupting the conveying of the hanging elements and also permits further conveying. The stopper is thus a very effective instrument for controlling the conveyor system and offers significant advantages, especially in connection with the present invention.

[0034] In conjunction with the present invention, the stopper can exploit its strengths even more effectively than in prior art systems. The frictional forces and other loads that otherwise act on the suspended elements, conveyor elements, and other drive-connected parts of the conveyor system, which arise when the suspended elements are backed up, i.e., when the conveyor is interrupted, can be significantly reduced by the invention. This allows the stopper to be used more versatilely without having to fundamentally redesign the conveyor system, for example, by reinforcing it.

[0035] Alternatively, such a stopper can be omitted if the conveyor system uses other elements to control the conveyance of the individual parts. State-of-the-art solutions generally offer solutions for this that are familiar to those skilled in the art.

[0036] A hanging element according to the invention for a conveyor system, as described above, has one or more rollers, via which the hanging element can be mounted on a guide of the conveyor system. The hanging element further has an engagement section designed to contact a conveyor element in order to absorb a driving force directed along the guide. According to the invention, the engagement section of the hanging element can be tilted between a conveying position and a storage position, wherein the engagement section is upright in the conveying position in order to absorb the driving force, and is tilted away in the storage position in order to avoid the driving force. The engagement section thereby pushes into its conveying position.

[0037] Such a hanging element is particularly well suited for a conveyor system according to the present invention and thus achieves or at least contributes to the advantages mentioned in connection with the description of the conveyor system.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment, the hanging element is designed to accommodate hanging goods, particularly as a bag. This allows for particularly flexible use of the hanging element, even for flat goods, because the requirements of the goods to be conveyed, which are required by the hanging element, are minimal. Alternatively, the hanging element can also be designed as a hanger.

[0039] The present invention is particularly suitable for use in a conveyor chain for conveying hanging garments according to DE 10 2014 224 253 A1, the relevant disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Further advantages and preferred features of the invention will become apparent from the entirety of the patent claims and the following description of the figures. SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Fig. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a conveyor system in which hanging elements are being accumulated. Fig. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of a conveyor system in which hanging elements are not accumulated but are conveyed parallel to each other. Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 show a preferred embodiment of a hanging element for a preferred conveyor system. WAYS OF IMPLEMENTING THE INVENTION

[0040] Fig. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a conveyor system with several conveyor elements 10 forming a conveyor chain 100 for conveying hanging goods. The conveyor chain 100 can in particular be designed like the conveyor chain described in DE 10 2014 224 253 A1.

[0041] The conveyor chain 100 runs along a Fig. 1, which in the present embodiment is designed as a rail and guide for the conveyor chain 100, i.e., the individual conveyor elements 10. In the embodiment shown here, the conveyor path 110 runs parallel to a guide 120, along which several hanging elements 14 are movable and on which these hanging elements 14 are also mounted.

[0042] Although the lead 120 in the Fig. 1 runs completely parallel to the conveyor section 110, this does not have to apply to every section of the conveyor section 110 or guide 120. In particular, the distance between the conveyor section 110 and thus the conveyor elements 10 on the one hand, and the guide 120 and thus the hanging elements 14 on the other hand, can change over the course of the conveyor section 110 and the guide 120. A variation in this distance leads to a change in the engagement, or more precisely the extent of the engagement, between the conveyor elements 10 and the hanging elements 14, which, among other things, also affects the driving force of the conveyor elements 10 on the hanging elements 14.

[0043] The Fig. 1 shows an engagement section 16 for each of the hanging elements 14, which is designed to contact one of the conveyor elements 10 in order to absorb a driving force of the conveyor element 10 directed along the guide 120. In the present embodiment, this engagement section 16 is formed by the end of the respective hanging element 14 that projects furthest in the direction of the conveyor elements 10.

[0044] The attack section 16 attacks in the Fig. 1, the drive force is applied to the bristles 18 of the conveying elements 10, which are used for transmitting force between the conveying elements 10 and the hanging elements 14, i.e. for applying the driving force. If the distance between the guide 120 and the conveying section 110 changes, the extent to which the engagement section 16 extends into the bristles 18 also changes. The deeper the engagement sections 16 of the hanging elements 14 penetrate into the bristles 18, the greater the driving force that can be applied to the hanging elements 14 by the bristles. Along the conveying section 110, the required driving force may vary, for example, if the hanging elements have to travel a distance that alternates between upwards and downwards. In such a situation, the distance between the conveying section 110 and the guide 120 could be reduced in such a way that the engagement of the engagement section 16 with the bristles 18 is sufficiently increased oris reduced.

[0045] On the tour 120 is located in the Fig. 1 further includes a stopper 28 that accumulates the hanging elements 14. In this situation, the hanging elements 14 are conveyed by the conveyor elements 10 along the guide 120 until they come into contact with the stopper 28 or a preceding hanging element 14 and are thereby stopped. Thus, the hanging elements 14 are accumulated at the stopper 28.

[0046] Since the force transmission between the conveying elements 10 and the hanging elements 14 via the bristles 18 allows slippage and the hanging elements 14 are also suitable according to the invention to avoid the driving force by the conveying elements 10 by tipping away, a damming of the hanging elements 14 at the stopper 28 and a conveying of the hanging elements 14 further upstream can take place at the same time, so that the hanging elements can be compressed in this way, ie their distance on the guide 120 can be reduced.

[0047] On their side opposite the engaging section 16 with respect to the guide 120, the hanging elements 14 have an eyelet 20 into which a hook 24 of a bag 22 or a coat hanger can engage. In addition to the hook 24, the bag 22 also has, among other things, a bag body 26 into which the goods to be conveyed can be placed. The force of gravity exerted on the bag 22 and, if applicable, its contents acts on the hanging elements 14 via the eyelet 20 in such a way that the engaging section 16 always tends to stand upright, i.e., it pushes into its conveying position.

[0048] In the jammed state, i.e., when the stopper 28 is closed, the friction of the hanging elements 14 increases dramatically, so that the driving force required to overcome this friction is greater than the uprighting force. In the jammed state, in which the uprighting force is less than the required driving force, the driving force of the conveyor elements 10 on the hanging elements 14 causes the hanging elements 14 to tilt in the conveying direction to largely avoid the driving force.

[0049] Fig. 2 shows the same embodiment as Fig. 1, but in a state in which the stopper 28 is open after the hanging elements 14 have been accumulated. In comparison to Fig. 1 it is noticeable that the individual hanging elements 14 already accumulated in the right-hand part of the image are arranged much closer to each other than the hanging elements still to be accumulated in the left-hand part of the Fig. 1.

[0050] Furthermore, the Fig. 1 shown elements exactly those from Fig. 2, so that a repeated description of these elements is omitted.

[0051] Through the Fig. 1 and Fig. The embodiment shown in Figure 2 illustrates a conveyor system that allows for efficient accumulation of suspended elements without placing significant stress on the components associated with driving the suspended elements. At the same time, the conveyor system can be operated particularly efficiently because the suspended elements can be conveyed further immediately after the stopper 28 causing the accumulation is released. In this way, the preferred conveyor system can achieve a particularly high conveying density, which noticeably increases the efficiency of the entire conveyor system.

[0052] Fig. 3 and Fig.4 shows a preferred embodiment of a hanging element 14. This hanging element has a hook, the outer portion of which is designed as an engagement portion 16 in the sense of the previously described conveyor system. The engagement portion allows the bristles 18 of the conveyor elements 10 to engage with it and thereby absorb a driving force.

[0053] The hanging element 14 has a roller 30, which in the present embodiment is designed as a double roller and by which the hanging element 14 is mounted on the guide 120. The roller 30 rolls in the guide 120, so that even heavy objects can be conveyed by the hanging element 14 with relatively little effort.

[0054] The roller 30 has an axis about which the hanging element 14 can be tilted between the conveying position and the storage position. The hook with the engagement section 16 on the one hand and a body with the eyelet 20 on the other hand move around the roller 30 as a rocker composed of opposing levers extending in opposite directions, tilting back and forth between the conveying position and the storage position.

Claims

[1] Conveyor system comprehensive a plurality of conveyor elements (10) forming a conveyor chain (100) for conveying hanging goods, wherein the conveyor chain (100) runs along a conveyor path (110), a plurality of hanging elements (14) movable along a guide (120) and mounted on the guide (120), wherein the guide (120) runs at least partially parallel to the conveyor line (110), wherein the hanging elements (14) have an engagement section (16) which is designed to contact one of the conveyor elements (10) in order to absorb a driving force of the conveyor element (10) directed along the guide (120), characterized by , that the engagement section (16) of the hanging elements (14) can be tilted between a conveying position and a storage position, wherein the engagement section (16) is erected in the conveying position to absorb the driving force and is tilted away in the storage position to avoid the driving force, and wherein the attack section (16) pushes into its conveying position. [2] Conveyor system according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor chain (100) is closed. [3] Conveyor system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the conveyor elements (10) has bristles (18) for contacting the engagement section (16) of the hanging elements (14) for applying the driving force, wherein preferably several, more preferably all conveyor elements (10) have bristles (18) for contacting the engagement section (16) of the hanging elements (14) for applying the driving force. [4] Conveyor system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the guide (120) comprises a rail which is designed to receive one or more rollers. [5] Conveyor system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the hanging elements (14) are designed to receive a piece of the hanging goods, in particular as pockets. [6] Conveyor system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the hanging element (14) is designed such that the engagement section (16) is urged into the conveying position by the force of gravity acting on the hanging element (14) or a spring force. [7] Conveyor system according to one of the preceding claims, which has a stopper for accumulating the hanging elements (14) along the guide (120). [8] Hanging element (14) for a conveyor system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the hanging element (14) has one or more rollers, via which the hanging element (14) can be mounted on a guide (120) of the conveyor system, wherein the hanging element (14) has an engagement section (16) which is designed to contact a conveyor element (10) in order to absorb a driving force directed along the guide (120), characterized by , that the engagement section (16) of the hanging element (14) can be tilted between a conveying position and a storage position, wherein the engagement section (16) is erected in the conveying position to absorb the driving force and is tilted away in the storage position to avoid the driving force, and wherein the attack section (16) pushes into its conveying position. [9] Hanging element according to claim 8, which is designed to receive hanging goods, in particular as a bag.

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