Procedure for monitoring and / or maintaining a conveyor system and conveyor system

Abstract

Method for monitoring and / or maintaining a conveyor system (1) transporting individual piece goods (5), in particular packages, wherein the conveyor system (1) has a display device (8) extending at least in sections along a transport path (2) for the piece goods (5), wherein the display device (8) is designed to display at least one optical signal (9-14, 17, 21) at different points of the at least one transport path (2) and wherein the display device (8) is coupled to a control device (7), - in which the control device (7) receives and / or determines information relating to the ratio of the actual conveyance of at least one piece of goods (5) along the at least one transport path (2) to the predetermined conveyance of the at least one piece of goods (5) along the at least one transport path (2), - in which the display device (8) displays at least in sections an optical signal (9-13, 21) running parallel to a piece of goods (5) transported along the at least one transport path (2) and - in which the optical signal (9-13, 21) traveling with the at least one piece of goods (5) indicates the ratio of the actual conveyance of at least one piece of goods (5) along the at least one transport path (2) to the predetermined conveyance of the at least one piece of goods (5) along the at least one transport path (2) as a function of the respective actual and / or predetermined location of the at least one piece of goods (5).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for monitoring and / or maintaining a conveyor system transporting individual piece goods, in particular packages, wherein the conveyor system has a display device extending at least in sections along a transport path for the piece goods, wherein the display device is designed to display at least one optical signal at different points of the at least one transport path and wherein the display device is coupled to a control device.Furthermore, the invention relates to a conveyor system for transporting piece goods, in particular packages, wherein the conveyor system has a display device extending at least in sections along a transport path for the piece goods, wherein the display device is designed to display at least one optical signal at different points of the at least one transport path and wherein the display device is coupled to a control device.

[0002] A wide variety of conveyor systems and methods for monitoring and maintaining such conveyor systems are known. In this case, conveyor systems are not understood to mean those for transporting bulk materials, but rather unit loads. Such conveyor systems usually have, for example, belt conveyors, belt conveyors, or roller conveyors. If required, the conveyor systems can only be used to transport unit loads from one location to another. In this case, it is sufficient if the conveyor system only has one transport path along which the unit loads are conveyed one after the other and individually. However, it can also be intended that the conveyor system transports different unit loads from a common starting point to different end points. In addition, conveyor systems are known in which unit loads can be transported from different starting points to different end points.Such conveyor systems have at least two different transport paths and are designed for sorting piece goods, if required. Conveyor systems with multiple transport paths, in particular, can be quite complex. The methods for conveying the piece goods along the different transport paths can be correspondingly complex. This is particularly the case for conveyor systems along which the piece goods are transported individually, i.e., spaced apart from one another in the transport direction and one behind the other.

[0003] In addition, conveyor systems with display devices are known which extend at least partially along at least one transport path of the conveyor system. The display devices are coupled to a control device and thus designed to display information relating to the transport of piece goods. For example, a green light can indicate that the piece goods are being transported in the section of the transport path assigned to the light. A red light, on the other hand, can signal, for example, that a traffic jam has occurred in the section of the transport path assigned to the light, or that the conveyance of piece goods has come to a standstill. The individual displays can also be coupled to individual piece goods, so that a signal from the display device is displayed along the display device and thus along the transport path in parallel with the transport of a piece of goods.This allows the actual transport of the corresponding piece goods to be compared with the signals along the display device or transport path. Depending on the corresponding signal or signal shape, it can then be determined whether or not intervention in the conveyor system is necessary to correct a malfunction.

[0004] The publications DE 20 2018 100 245 U1, DE 10 2015 005 443 A1, DE 10 2017 206 772 A1 and DE 10 2008 020 520 A1 are known in this regard.

[0005] As conveyor systems and their operating processes become increasingly complex, increased availability of the conveyor system is required to operate them as economically as possible. It is therefore important to monitor the proper functioning of the conveyor systems in order to detect and / or quickly rectify malfunctions. However, this interest has so far been inadequately addressed, resulting in repeated malfunctions of the conveyor systems that require time-consuming repair, thus reducing the availability of the conveyor systems.

[0006] The present invention is therefore based on the object of designing and developing the method and the conveyor system of the type mentioned at the outset and described in more detail above in such a way that availability is increased by the fact that operational disruptions can be avoided or at least quickly remedied.

[0007] This object is achieved according to claim 1 by a method for monitoring and / or maintaining a conveyor system transporting individual piece goods, in particular packages, wherein the conveyor system has a display device extending at least in sections along a transport path for the piece goods, wherein the display device is designed to display at least one optical signal at different points of the at least one transport path and wherein the display device is coupled to a control device, - in which the control device receives and / or determines information concerning the ratio of the actual conveyance of at least one piece of goods along the at least one transport path to the predetermined conveyance of the at least one piece of goods along the at least one transport path, - in which the display device displays an optical signal running parallel to a piece of goods transported along the at least one transport path, at least in sections, and - in which the optical signal traveling with the at least one piece of goods indicates the ratio of the actual conveyance of at least one piece of goods along the at least one transport path to the predetermined conveyance of the at least one piece of goods along the at least one transport path as a function of the respective actual and / or predetermined location of the at least one piece of goods.

[0008] The stated object is also achieved in a conveyor system according to the preamble of claim 13 in that the conveyor system is designed to carry out a method for monitoring and / or maintenance, in particular according to one of claims 1 to 12, in that the control device is designed to receive and / or determine information relating to the ratio of the actual conveyance of at least one piece of goods along the at least one transport path to the predetermined conveyance of the at least one piece of goods along the at least one transport path, in that the display device is designed to display at least in sections a piece of goods moving parallel to a piece of goods transported along the at least one transport path,optical signal and that the control device is designed to display the ratio of the actual conveyance of at least one piece of goods along the at least one transport path to the predetermined conveyance of the at least one piece of goods along the at least one transport path as a function of the respective actual and / or predetermined location of the at least one piece of goods via the optical signal traveling with the at least one piece of goods.

[0009] The invention therefore provides that the conveyor system comprises at least one transport path along which the piece goods to be conveyed can be transported. However, it will generally be particularly preferred if the conveyor system has several transport paths, which can further preferably branch off. In this way, piece goods can be transported from at least one starting point to different end points. This also allows the piece goods to be sorted along the conveyor system based on predetermined criteria. This is the case, for example, when conveying piece goods in the form of packages, although piece goods in the form of packages, i.e. repackaged objects, are generally preferred. The piece goods are repackaged in particular by packaging in the form of boxes, films or the like, whereby the packaging can vary depending on the repackaged piece goods.More preferably, the packages can be parcels or parcel shipments.

[0010] A display device is provided at least in sections along at least one transport path, which, for the sake of simplicity, can be arranged next to the corresponding transport path. However, the display device can also be arranged at least partially below or above the corresponding transport path. Irrespective of this, the display device will extend in particular such that the display device is recognizably assigned to a transport path and that different sections of the display device are recognizably assigned to different sections of the transport path. Thus, the display device can display an optical signal at different sections of the display device and assigned to different sections of the at least one transport path.If the optical signal can be displayed in rapid succession at slightly offset locations on the display device, the viewer has the impression that the optical signal is traveling along the display device and thus along the transport path. The signal can therefore travel with a piece of goods along at least one transport path, at least in sections. It is also conceivable for the optical signal to have a constant signal shape or to change its signal shape.

[0011] The observer of the conveyor system is a person who observes the display device in order to be able to draw conclusions about the operating status of the conveyor system, possible malfunctions of the conveyor system, or possible causes of a corresponding malfunction of the conveyor system based on the display there. The observer in this case is typically operators or service personnel who maintain and repair the conveyor system. Therefore, the following will refer to operators or service personnel who observe the conveyor system, including the display device, in order to be able to draw conclusions about the operating status of the conveyor system, possible malfunctions of the conveyor system, or possible causes of a corresponding malfunction of the conveyor system based on the display there.

[0012] The signal form of the optical signal and the manner in which the optical signal is displayed, at least in part, along at least one transport path is determined by a control device. This determination is based on predetermined criteria and current operating parameters of the conveyor system. At least one operating parameter of the conveyor system and / or at least one signal characterizing an operating parameter can, if required, be determined at least in part using at least one sensor and passed on to the control device. The control device then processes the available and predetermined information and controls the display device accordingly. This is based on a comparison of information characterizing the predetermined conveying of piece goods and information relating to the actual conveying of the piece goods.The predetermined conveyance corresponds to the conveyance of the piece goods that can be expected during normal operation of the conveyor system and can therefore be easily predicted given knowledge of the normal operating parameters. In other words, the control device receives and / or determines information regarding the ratio of the actual conveyance of at least one piece of goods along the at least one transport path to the predetermined conveyance of the at least one piece of goods along the at least one transport path.

[0013] Due to the design of the conveyor system, an optical signal can travel along with at least one piece of cargo, the piece of cargo traveling along at least one transport path, at least in sections, while the optical signal travels parallel thereto along the display device. Since the control device can compare information relating to the predetermined and thus expected conveyance of a piece of cargo and the actual conveyance of the piece of cargo, the control device is able to display the optical signal in accordance with the ratio of the actual conveyance of at least one piece of cargo along the at least one transport path to the predetermined conveyance of the at least one piece of cargo along the at least one transport path, and furthermore to display it in dependence on the respective actual and / or predetermined location of the at least one piece of cargo.For example, an optical signal can be displayed next to the piece goods along their predetermined conveying path, indicating that the piece goods are being conveyed without disruption. The signal then moves with the piece goods, alternatively or additionally along the predetermined transport route or path of the piece goods, if necessary. However, this is difficult to distinguish, since the piece goods move more or less in the same way along the transport path as predetermined during uninterrupted conveying.

[0014] In the event of a disruption in operation, however, the actual conveyance of the piece goods along the transport path will differ significantly from the predetermined conveyance of the piece goods. In particular, the piece goods may be significantly further forward or backward at certain times than previously calculated. It is also possible that the piece goods are on a different transport path than previously calculated, for example, because the piece goods took an incorrect turn or were incorrectly rerouted at a fork in two transport routes. In principle, it is possible to specify on a case-by-case basis which deviations are still considered to be within a tolerance and which are already considered to be the result of a disruption in operation. This can be stored, for example, in the control device.If the predetermined location of the piece goods for a specific point in time differs significantly from the actual location of the piece goods at that point in time, an optical signal can be displayed at the location of the display device assigned to the predetermined location of the piece goods for the respective point in time. Alternatively or additionally, an optical signal can be displayed at the location of the display device assigned to the actual location of the piece goods. Since the piece goods actually move in a predetermined manner along the at least one transport path, the at least one optical signal preferably also moves along the at least one transport path or the display device, at least in sections.

[0015] To ensure that an operator or service staff can see whether a piece of goods is being moved along the conveyor system as predetermined or whether it is actually moving significantly differently due to a malfunction in the conveyor system, the optical signal can have a signal shape that makes this apparent. For example, no signal may be displayed during normal operation, or a white or green signal may be displayed. In the case of a malfunction, for example, a red signal may be displayed. However, signals in different colors can also be displayed for different piece goods, with the same color being displayed at the actual location and at the predetermined location if necessary. This makes it easy to see where a certain piece of goods would be during normal operation and where it is actually located during actual operation, even when there is a large number of piece goods.

[0016] However, as an alternative or in addition to signal shapes of different colors, signal shapes of different shapes can also be used. These signal shapes can then convey further information to the operator or service staff, for example, regarding the type or location of the fault. For example, a display format can be selected that shows how much time (in seconds, for example) or how much distance (in meters, for example) the piece goods were transported faster or slower than predetermined. It can also indicate, for example, at which fork in two transport paths a particular piece of goods was incorrectly diverted.

[0017] The information provided to the operator or service staff by the display device can make it easier for the operator or service staff to identify impending major operational disruptions at an early stage and / or to quickly rectify existing disruptions. Key information is displayed to the operator or service staff directly on the conveyor system, not just in a control room. Furthermore, the information is displayed in real time and relates to specific piece goods, since under certain conditions the conveyance of only individual piece goods deviates from the predetermined conveyance of the piece goods. The operator or service staff can then recognize this on the conveyor system itself, which can then provide an indication of the respective disruption and the required maintenance.The operator or service staff can also see directly on the conveyor system whether and what success certain maintenance measures have on the operation of the conveyor system.

[0018] For the sake of clarity and to avoid unnecessary repetition, the method and the conveyor system are described together here, without distinguishing between the method and the conveyor system in detail. However, the person skilled in the art will be able to determine from the respective context which features are particularly preferred with regard to the method and the conveyor system.

[0019] In a first particularly preferred embodiment of the method, the at least one optical signal is generated by an LED strip and / or display, in particular an LCD display, of the display device, which extends at least partially along the at least one transport path. This allows optical signals to be displayed with very high resolution and at high speed and to be propagated along the at least one transport path. It is simpler in terms of equipment to alternatively or additionally use a projection device of the display device, which can project at least one optical signal onto a projection path of the display device extending at least partially along the at least one transport path.

[0020] To enable the operator or service staff to make the best possible comparison between the optical signal and the actual piece goods, it is advisable for the at least one optical signal to be displayed with a longitudinal extension along the transport path that at least substantially corresponds to the longitudinal extension of the at least one piece of goods assigned to the signal. In this case, it is easy to determine whether the optical signal representing the predetermined transport of the piece goods overlaps with the actual piece goods or whether there is a shift between the actual piece goods and the piece goods of the predetermined conveyance represented by the optical signal in the longitudinal direction of the transport path.

[0021] Alternatively or additionally, the at least one optical signal can be moved at least sectionally along the transport path in such a way that it corresponds to the predetermined conveyance of the at least one piece of goods assigned to the at least one signal along the at least one transport path. This makes it easy to compare the predetermined conveyance of the piece of goods with the actual conveyance of the corresponding piece of goods. In many cases, the operator can immediately deduce the fault and its cause from the difference that may occur between the optical signal and the transport of the actual piece of goods, which speeds up the repair of the conveyor system. In this case, a comparison of different piece of goods can also provide information about the fault and its cause. For example, consecutive, actual piece of goods do not have to be transported in the same way that deviates from the predetermined conveyance.It may also happen that such a deviation only occurs with certain piece goods or periodically, which could be an indication of a specific malfunction. However, it may also be the case that the transport of different piece goods deviates in different ways from the predetermined transport for the piece goods.

[0022] In order to determine whether the transport of a piece of goods is proceeding as desired or how the actual transport of the piece of goods deviates from the predetermined transport of the same piece of goods, it is advisable for the at least one optical signal and the at least one piece of goods assigned to the at least one signal to be moved in a manner consistent with one another along the at least one transport path and along the display device while the transport of the at least one piece of goods is uninterrupted. If the optical signal moves along the display device in accordance with the transport of the piece of goods along the transport path, it can be concluded that the conveyor system and the transport of the piece of goods are operating smoothly.

[0023] To enable the operator or service staff of the conveyor system to easily identify where a disruption in the operation of the conveyor system is occurring and what is causing this disruption, the signal shape of the optical signal can change when passing a location at which a predetermined deviation occurs between the actual conveyance of at least one piece of goods along the at least one transport path and the predetermined conveyance of the at least one piece of goods along the at least one transport path. For example, the signal shape of the optical signal can be changed by means of the control device from a signal shape characterizing trouble-free transport of the at least one piece of goods to a signal shape characterizing troubled transport of the at least one piece of goods.The operator or service staff of the conveyor system are thus informed when the transport of a piece of goods is disrupted, from when the transport of a piece of goods is disrupted, and where the disruption occurs. This applies in particular if the optical signal traveling with the at least one piece of goods maintains at least one signal form characterizing a disrupted transport of the at least one piece of goods, as long as the signal travels with the piece of goods along the at least one transport path and a disrupted transport of the at least one piece of goods is present at the respective location of the display.

[0024] If the disruption to operation is resolved so that the corresponding piece goods are conveyed as predetermined from a specific location along the transport path, the signal shape can, if required, return to a signal shape characterizing undisturbed conveying of the piece goods. Alternatively, a signal shape can continue to be displayed that indicates disrupted operation. In this case, it can be particularly preferred if the signal shape, when conveying is resumed as intended, differs from the signal shape previously displayed when the conveying of the piece goods did not correspond to the intended conveyance. This makes it clear to the operator or service staff that two non-predetermined events have occurred one after the other and influenced the conveying of the piece goods in a non-predetermined way.This also generally applies if a piece of cargo experiences several consecutive disruptions during transport along the conveyor system, which do not result in the piece of cargo being transported as planned at a specific location. The changing signal shapes along at least one transport path then make it clear to the operator or service staff that the conveyance of the piece of cargo has been disrupted several times in succession. This insight allows the causes of the individual disruptions to be remedied more quickly.

[0025] To increase the information content of the optical display for the operator or service staff, allowing them to distinguish between different operating states and malfunctions that are not readily apparent in the piece goods and their transport itself, it is advisable for the at least one signal shape characterizing trouble-free transport of a piece goods and / or the at least one signal shape characterizing troubled transport of a piece goods to have a predetermined color and / or a predetermined symbol. For example, different optical signals and / or signal shapes can be displayed in different colors if a piece goods is being transported too quickly, too slowly, or at the correct speed.Different signal shapes and colors may also be displayed if only the transport of individual piece goods is disrupted or if a certain number of piece goods transported one after the other are transported in the same way and / or to the same extent with disruption, i.e. if their transport deviates from the respective predetermined transport.

[0026] If the control device detects or determines that, starting at a specific location along the transport path, a predetermined deviation between the predetermined transport of the piece goods and the actual transport of the piece goods is exceeded, this location can be identified as the location of the disruption and displayed to the operator or service staff via the display device. For example, the at least one signal waveform characterizing a disrupted transport of a piece goods can be displayed permanently or periodically at such a location of the disruption as the location at the transition from the uninterrupted transport to the disrupted transport of at least one piece goods. The permanent display has the advantage that the location of the disruption can be consistently identified.The periodic display can be activated whenever a deviation from the predetermined transport of a piece of cargo occurs, indicating the occurrence of the corresponding fault. However, the signal can also be displayed periodically, which is easier to recognize even from a greater distance and can therefore quickly guide the operator or service staff to the location of the fault.

[0027] If necessary, in order to obtain information about different operating states and deviations from the intended operation of the conveyor system, it is helpful if the display device can display at least one signal shape for indicating a fault-free state, at least one signal shape for indicating at least one faulty state, at least one signal shape for indicating at least one fault-incipient state and / or at least one signal shape for indicating at least one operational state. The signal shape can be displayed locally at a location that has the corresponding state or can move along with a piece of goods that is subject to the corresponding condition. In the fault-free state, at least one predetermined parameter relating to the conveyance of at least one piece of goods is within a predetermined tolerance range.In a faulty condition, at least one parameter relating to the conveyance of at least one piece of goods is outside a specified tolerance range. In a fault-inducing condition, at least one specified parameter relating to the conveyance of at least one piece of goods is within a specified tolerance range, but is increasingly approaching a tolerance limit of the tolerance range, so that an imminent exceedance of the tolerance limit is to be expected. In this case, a distinction can be made between primary and secondary parameters. The primary parameters are more important for the conveyance of the piece of goods.In the case of main and secondary parameters, a fault-free state can be characterized by the fact that the at least one main parameter and the at least one secondary parameter are within a predetermined tolerance range with regard to the conveyance of at least one piece of goods, while a functional state is characterized by the fact that only the at least one secondary parameter is outside the tolerance range and the at least one main parameter is within the tolerance range. The faulty state can exist if at least one main parameter is outside the tolerance range. In the fault-inducing state, a distinction can be made between the at least one main parameter and the at least one secondary parameter. However, this is not required.

[0028] Alternatively or additionally, the ratio of the actual conveyance of at least one piece of goods along the at least one transport path to the predetermined conveyance of the at least one piece of goods along the at least one transport path can be determined as a function of the respective location of the at least one piece of goods by at least one comparison between at least one predetermined normative value and at least one measured value relating to the transport of at least one piece of goods along the at least one transport path. In this way, a status of the conveyance of a specific piece of goods and / or of the conveyor system can be determined at each location at which this determination is carried out. The status can then be displayed via the display device, if necessary via a signal shape locally at a location that represents the corresponding status, or moving along with the piece of goods that are subject to the corresponding status.A normative value could, for example, be a nominal value of the corresponding parameter that is reached after the conveyor system has run in. The normative value can correspond to a set parameter or result from the conveyor system's settings. If necessary, the nominal value can be viewed as the technically achievable value of the parameter that can be achieved with the conveyor system and the settings made. The normative value can also be a normal value that includes all values ​​of the parameter between the parameter's tolerance limits. The tolerance limit as a normative value characterizes the tolerance limits outside of which a working condition no longer exists. An intervention value can also be considered a normative value that represents at least one limit value; if exceeded and / or undershot, the conveyor system's failure-free operation until the next scheduled maintenance or repair cannot be guaranteed.

[0029] To ensure that the operator or service staff of the conveyor system are quickly informed of potential malfunctions and their causes, it may be useful to compare the actual conveyance of the piece goods with the predetermined conveyance of the corresponding piece goods, not only for individual items and independently of each other. Additional information can be derived if subsequent piece goods deviate from the predetermined conveyance in the same way, do not deviate from the predetermined conveyance, or deviate from the predetermined conveyance in another way. This information allows for targeted conclusions to be drawn about the cause of the corresponding malfunction.Thus, the ratio of the actual conveyance of a series of piece goods transported one after the other along the at least one transport path to the predetermined conveyance of the same series of piece goods along the at least one transport path can be determined for each piece goods as a function of the respective locations of the corresponding piece goods and compared with the other ratios determined for the other piece goods in the series of piece goods.

[0030] Alternatively or additionally, based on the ratio of the actual conveyance of at least one piece of goods along the at least one transport path to the predetermined conveyance of the at least one piece of goods along the at least one transport path, depending on the respective location of the at least one piece of goods, the control device can determine at least one cause for a deviation between the predetermined conveyance and the actual conveyance of the corresponding piece of goods. This is possible in a targeted manner, for example, if the connection between certain malfunctions in the conveyor system and the resulting relationships between the actual conveyance and the predetermined conveyance of piece goods along a specific transport path is stored in the control device.The operator or service staff of the conveyor system can thus first investigate the malfunction identified by the control system as likely in order to be able to rectify the malfunction as quickly as possible. This is further simplified in that at least one signal from the display device travels at least sectionally, in particular repeatedly, along the transport path of the at least one piece of goods in the direction of the point of origin assigned to the at least one cause and / or at least one signal from the display device is displayed at a location on the display device assigned to the point of origin. Alternatively or additionally, the at least one signal can travel, in particular repeatedly, from the location actually assigned to the piece of goods to the location of the malfunction as the location at the transition from the uninterrupted transport to the disrupted transport of at least one piece of goods.In both cases, the conveyor system operator or service staff are directed fairly quickly to the location where intervention to rectify the fault is likely to be necessary.

[0031] This can be further supported by having at least one signal, in particular repeatedly, travel from the location of the malfunction, as the location at the transition from the uninterrupted transport to the disrupted transport of at least one piece of goods, to the location of the display device associated with the malfunction's origin. The operator or service personnel of the conveyor system can then very easily follow the signal to the location of the suspected intervention.

[0032] In a first particularly preferred embodiment of the conveyor system, the display device comprises an LED strip extending at least partially along the at least one transport path and / or a projection device for projecting the signal onto a projection path extending at least partially along the at least one transport path and / or a display, in particular an LCD display, extending at least partially along the at least one transport path. This allows very different signals to be displayed very easily and quickly at different locations along the at least one transport path in order to inform the operator or service staff of the conveyor system very quickly and comprehensively about possible malfunctions and / or their causes.

[0033] The invention is described in more detail below with reference to a drawing which merely illustrates exemplary embodiments. The drawing shows Fig. 1 a conveyor system according to the invention in a schematic plan view, Fig. 2A-C a detail of a conveyor system according to the invention in different operating states in a schematic side view, Fig. 3 a detail of a conveyor system according to the invention in a schematic side view, Fig. 4 a detail of a conveyor system according to the invention in a schematic side view, Fig. 5A-C a detail of a conveyor system according to the invention in different operating states in a schematic side view, Fig. 6 a detail of a conveyor system according to the invention in a schematic side view, Fig. 7 a detail of a conveyor system according to the invention in a schematic side view and Fig. 8 a detail of a conveyor system according to the invention in a schematic side view.

[0034] In the Fig. 1 shows a conveyor system 1 which provides a plurality of transport paths 2. The transport paths 2 originate from different starting positions 3 and end in different end positions 4 depending on the respective transport path 2. The conveyor system 1 can also be designed significantly differently. However, it is important that the conveyor system 1 has at least one transport path 2 for transporting individual piece goods 5, which can be packages, in particular parcel consignments. The piece goods 5 are fed onto the conveyor system 1 in the starting portions 3. The conveyor system 1 is set up for specific transport and / or sorting tasks. Based on the settings and corresponding specifications, the conveyance of at least individual or specific piece goods 5 along the specified transport path 2 can be calculated in advance in terms of time.How the corresponding piece goods 5 actually moves over time along the transport path 2 can be recorded by means of sensors 6 that are distributed along the at least one transport path 2, in particular along the conveyor system 1 as such. The sensors 6 can, for example, be scanners that detect a code provided on the respective piece goods 5 and thus determine where the piece goods 5 are located at a specific point in time. However, the piece goods 5 can be provided with so-called RFID tags or the like, which are detected by sensors 6 integrated into the conveyor system 1 in the form of reading units for reading the RFID tags. This also determines which piece goods 5 are located at which location at what time. Other suitable sensors are conceivable and known per se.

[0035] The sensors 6 distributed across the conveyor system 1 are connected to a control device 7, to which the sensors 6 send signals or information relating to the positions of the piece goods 5 at specific times. The control device 7 also receives or determines information relating to the predetermined temporal conveyance of the piece goods 5 along the transport paths 2. The control device 7 processes these signals or information and compares the actual conveyance of the piece goods 5 at specific times with the predetermined conveyance of the piece goods 5 for these times. This results in a comparison between the theoretical, i.e. pre-calculated conveyance of the piece goods 5 and the practical, i.e. actual conveyance of the piece goods 5. Based on this comparison orBased on this ratio, the control device 7 controls a display device 8 which, in the conveyor system 1 shown, extends along the transport paths 2. The display device 8, under the control of the control device 7, can display optical signals and assign these signals to specific piece goods 5, so that optical signals assigned to piece goods 5 can be displayed which depend on the result of the comparison between the predetermined conveying and the actual conveying for this corresponding piece goods 5. However, the optical signal is not only displayed once at a specific location along the transport path of the corresponding piece goods. Rather, the signal runs with, or at least assigned to, the piece goods 5 along at least one transport path 2. For this reason, the display device 8 is not arranged locally but at least in sections along at least one transport path 2.

[0036] The control of the display device 8 by the control device 7 assigned to the actual transport of certain piece goods 5 is, for example, in the Fig. 2A-C. In the Fig. 2A, two piece goods 5 of different lengths are shown in the transport direction T. The display device 8 displays optical signals 9, 10 assigned to the locations of the piece goods 5, the longitudinal extent of which along the transport path 2 at least substantially corresponds to the longitudinal extent of the piece goods 5. The optical signals 9, 10 travel with the piece goods 5 along the transport path 2. The optical signals 9, 10 illustrate the pre-calculated arrangement of the piece goods 5 at the different times of their conveyance. From the fact that the piece goods 5 move along the transport path 2 in the same way as the associated optical signals 9, 10 along the display device 8, without any significant offset occurring between the piece goods 5 and the associated optical signal 9, 10, it can be deduced that the transport of the piece goods 5 is taking place as predetermined.Thus, conveyor system 1 is apparently operating as configured and intended. Therefore, there is no need to fear any operational disruptions.

[0037] In the Fig. 2B, on the other hand, shows a disrupted conveyance of a piece of goods 5. The movement of the optical signal 9 along the display device 8 represents the conveyance of the piece of goods 5 along the transport path 2 during uninterrupted operation, as calculated in advance. The actual conveyance of the associated piece of goods 5 lags behind the predetermined conveyance of the piece of goods 5 by a certain offset V. This can be easily determined from a comparison between the optical signal 5 representing the expected transport of the piece of goods 5 and the actual transport of the piece of goods 5. Alternatively or in addition to an optical signal 9 representing the expected transport of the piece of goods 5, which may be at a considerable distance from the actual piece of goods 5 during disrupted operation of the conveyor system 1, can be compared with the actual transport of the piece of goods 5 and always directly assigned or linked to it.parallel to this, an optical signal 11 is displayed, from whose signal shape, here for example a red cross, it is directly apparent that the corresponding piece goods 5 is not currently being transported along the transport path 2 as expected. The conveyance of this particular piece goods 5 is therefore disrupted. The type of signal shape or its color can additionally represent the type and / or extent of the disruption to the conveyance of the piece goods 5. Since the operator of the conveyor system 1 or a service employee can use the display devices 8 according to . Fig. If 2B-C receives up-to-date information about the malfunction on-site at the conveyor system, the cause can be quickly identified and the malfunction can be resolved quickly. This may significantly increase the availability of conveyor system 1.

[0038] In order to further increase the information content for the operator of the conveyor system 1 or a service employee, even if a large number of piece goods 5 are transported at short intervals along a transport path 2, a representation according to Fig. 3. In the event of a disruption, the actual piece goods 5 are difficult to assign to the optical signals 12 that represent the uninterrupted conveyance of the piece goods 5. In this case, an optical signal 13 of a color is assigned to a piece goods 5 that matches the color of the optical signal 12 that represents the uninterrupted conveyance of the corresponding piece goods 5. Different piece goods 5 can be assigned different colors, thus facilitating the assignment of the piece goods 5 to the optical signals 12 that represent the uninterrupted conveyance of the same piece goods 5. Alternatively or additionally, the optical signal 12, which represents the predetermined transport of a piece goods 5 that has not been transported as predetermined, can contain information about the degree of deviation between the actual conveyance and the expected conveyance.In this case, "-3" is displayed, which could indicate a delay of 3 seconds or 3 meters. Other information, such as symbols, is also conceivable.

[0039] According to the Fig. 4, when monitoring the conveyance of the piece goods 5 and regularly comparing it with the expected conveyance of the piece goods 5, the control device 7 can determine approximately where a conveyance disruption first occurred and then indicate this location to the operator of the conveyor system 1 or a service employee via an optical signal 14 on the display device 8. The operator is then quickly guided to the location of the disruption. The location of the disruption is purely exemplary as the transition of the piece goods 5 from one conveyor device 15 of the conveyor system 1 to a subsequent conveyor device 16 of the conveyor system 1. In the present case, two piece goods 5 are shown, with the piece goods 5 shown on the left moving synchronously with the optical display 9, which shows the expected conveyance of the piece goods 5. The piece goods 5 shown on the right, in contrast, has an offset V to the associated optical signal 11, which represents the expected conveyance of the same.Since this is due to a disruption in the conveyance of the piece goods 5, the optical signal 11 is composed of a signal waveform representing the length of the piece goods 5 and a signal waveform in the form of a red cross. Furthermore, the location of the disruption is indicated by the control device 7 using an optical signal 14, for example, in the form of a triangle. This optical signal 14 does not move across the display device 8 with a piece goods 5, but remains in this position until the disruption in the conveyance of the piece goods 5 no longer occurs at this location.

[0040] If the location of the fault is at least partially known, an optical signal 17 can be displayed starting from a location on the display device 8 which is assigned to the location at which a piece of goods 5 is currently located which has been affected by the corresponding fault, and which represents a fault, in this case a triangle, and can then be moved against the transport direction T of the piece of goods 5 along the display device 8 to the location which is assigned to the location of the suspected fault along the transport path 2. In the Fig. 5A shows how the optical signal 17 representing the fault is displayed next to the faulty conveyed piece goods 5. In the Fig. 5B, the piece goods 5 have been moved further in the transport direction T and the optical signal 17 has been moved further against this transport direction T. In the Fig. 5C shows the optical signal 17 at the location of the fault, where the optical signal 17 may remain and / or flash for a while to additionally indicate the location of the fault.

[0041] In the Fig. Figure 6 shows an exemplary conveyor system 1 in which the piece goods 5 must pass through three different conveyor devices 15, 16, 18 along the transport path 2, and wherein the conveyance of the piece goods 5 is disrupted at the transitions 19, 20 between the conveyor devices 15, 16, 18. The transitions 19, 20 of the conveyor devices 15, 16, 18 are illustrated here only as examples. Other locations where the conveyance of the piece goods 5 is disrupted are conceivable. A piece of goods 5 in front of the first transition 19 is still undisturbed and the optical signal 9 assigned to the piece of goods 5 runs synchronously with the piece of goods 5 along the transport path 2 in the transport direction T, only on the display device 8. After the first transition 19 there is an offset V between the piece of goods 5 and the optical signal 9 linked to it. In addition, a symbol 21 is displayed adjacent to the piece of goods 5 or the optical signal 9, which symbol represents a first disruption to the conveying process.In this case, this is an example of a "1." After the next transition 20 between two subsequent conveyors 16, 18, the offset V between the piece goods 5 and the optical signal 9 assigned to the piece goods 5 becomes even greater because a second disturbance has occurred. This is indicated here by an optical signal in the form of a "2" adjacent to the piece goods 5. However, the symbols or signals 21 could also be displayed in the area of ​​the other optical signal 9 for this piece goods 5, which indicates the respective expected position of the piece goods 5. Alternatively or additionally, other symbols are also possible.

[0042] In the Fig. Figure 7 shows a conveyor system 1 in detail, in which not all piece goods 5, but only certain piece goods 5 are not being conveyed as expected. In this case, the malfunction can either occur periodically or with smaller piece goods 5. This cannot be determined more precisely from the details shown. However, this would be possible upon closer observation of the actual conveyor system 1. On the far left, a piece of goods 5 is shown on a transport path 2 that is lagging behind the associated optical signal 10. Thus, contrary to expectations, the conveyance is delayed. The same is the case with the piece of goods 5 shown on the far right. However, the three piece goods 5 in between are moving synchronously and adjacent to the associated optical signals 9, representing the expected conveyance of the piece goods 5. Thus, the malfunction can only affect every fourth piece of goods 5 or only the smaller piece goods 5.This is additional information that may indicate the cause of the problem.

[0043] In the Fig.8 shows a conveyor system 1 with a fork 22. The piece goods 5 moving towards the fork 22 overlaps with the optical signal 9 and moves synchronously with it. There is therefore no disruption to operation. The same applies to the piece goods 5 on the far right. The middle piece goods 5, on the other hand, has taken the wrong turn at the fork 22 for some reason. The associated optical signal 9 is displayed on the other branch of the fork 22, where the piece goods 5 should have been expected. In fact, however, the piece goods 5 is transported along the other branch of the fork 22. An optical signal 11 in the form of a cross assigned to the piece goods 5 moves with it along the further transport route or transport path 2, so that it is clear that the piece goods 5 has not been conveyed as intended.In addition, the control device 7 can conclude from the observation of the piece goods 5 that the location of the fault must be in the area of ​​the fork 22, which is why a further optical signal 17 is displayed stationary at the fork 22, which is intended to indicate the supposed location of the fault.

Claims

[1] Method for monitoring and / or maintaining a conveyor system (1) transporting individual items (5), in particular packages, wherein the conveyor system (1) has a display device (8) extending at least sectionally along a transport path (2) for the items (5), wherein the display device (8) is configured to display at least one optical signal (9-14, 17, 21) at different points along the at least one transport path (2) and wherein the display device (8) is coupled to a control device (7), - in which the control device (7) receives and / or determines information concerning the ratio of the actual conveyance of at least one unit of goods (5) along the at least one transport path (2) to the predetermined conveyance of the at least one unit of goods (5) along the at least one transport path (2), - in which the display device (8) displays at least sectionally an optical signal (9-13,21) running parallel to a piece of cargo (5) transported along the at least one transport path (2) and - in which the optical signal (9-13,21) accompanying the at least one unit of goods (5) indicates the ratio of the actual conveyance of at least one unit of goods (5) along the at least one transport path (2) to the predetermined conveyance of the at least one unit of goods (5) along the at least one transport path (2) depending on the respective actual and / or predetermined location of the at least one unit of goods (5). [2] Method according to claim 1, - in which the at least one optical signal (9-14,17,21) is generated by an LED strip of the display device (8) extending at least sectionally along the at least one transport path (2) and / or - in which the at least one optical signal (9-14,17,21) is generated by a projection device of the display device (8) extending at least sectionally along the at least one transport path (2) and / or - in which the at least one optical signal (9-14,17,21) is generated by a display, in particular an LCD display, of the display device (8) extending at least sectionally along the at least one transport path (2). [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one optical signal (9-13) is displayed with a longitudinal extent along the transport path (2) which corresponds at least substantially to the longitudinal extent of the at least one package (5) associated with the optical signal (9-13). [4] Method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, - wherein the at least one optical signal (9-13) is moved at least sectionally along the transport path (2) in such a way as to correspond to the predetermined conveyance of the at least one unit load (5) associated with the at least one signal (9-13) along the at least one transport path (2) and, preferably, - in which the at least one optical signal (9-13) and the at least one piece of cargo (5) associated with the at least one signal (9-13) are moved accordingly along the at least one transport path (2) and along the display device (8) during undisturbed transport of the at least one piece of cargo (5). [5] Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, - wherein the optical signal (9-13) changes from a signal shape characterizing a disturbance-free transport of the at least one unit item (5) to a signal shape characterizing a disturbed transport of the at least one unit item (5) when passing a location where a predetermined deviation of the actual conveyance of at least one unit item (5) along the at least one transport path (2) occurs compared with the predetermined conveyance of the at least one unit item (5) along the at least one transport path (2), and, preferably, - in which the optical signal (9-13) running with the at least one unit of goods (5) maintains at least one signal shape characterizing a disturbed transport of the at least one unit of goods (5) as long as the signal (9-13) runs with the unit of goods (5) along the at least one transport path (2) and a disturbed transport of the at least one unit of goods (5) is present at the respective location of the indication. [6] Method according to claim 5, wherein the at least one signal shape characterizing a trouble-free transport of a package (5) and / or the at least one signal shape characterizing a troubled transport of a package (5) has a predetermined color and / or a predetermined symbol. [7] Method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the at least one signal shape characterizing a disturbed transport of a package (5) is permanently or periodically displayed at a location of the disturbance as the location at the transition from the undisturbed transport to the disturbed transport of at least one package (5). [8] Method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the display device (8) can display at least one signal form for indicating a fault-free state, at least one signal form for indicating at least one faulty state, at least one signal form for indicating at least one fault-initiating state and / or at least one signal form for indicating at least one operational state. [9] Method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, - wherein the ratio of the actual conveyance of at least one unit load (5) along the at least one transport path (2) to the predetermined conveyance of the at least one unit load (5) along the at least one transport path (2) as a function of the respective location of the at least one unit load (5) is determined by at least one comparison between at least one predetermined standard value and at least one measured value relating to the conveyance of at least one unit load (5) along the at least one transport path (2) and, preferably, - where at least one nominal value, at least one intervention value, at least one normal value and / or at least one limit value is used as the normative value. [10] Method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the ratio of the actual conveyance of a series of unit loads (5) transported successively along the at least one transport path (2) to the predetermined conveyance of the same series of unit loads (5) along the at least one transport path (2) is determined as a function of the respective locations of the corresponding unit loads (5) for each unit load (5) and is compared with the other ratios determined for the other unit loads (5) of the series of unit loads (5). [11] Method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, - in which, based on the ratio of the actual conveyance of at least one unit item (5) along the at least one transport path (2) to the predetermined conveyance of the at least one unit item (5) along the at least one transport path (2) depending on the respective location of the at least one unit item (5), the control device (7) infers at least one cause and, preferably, - in which at least one signal of the display device (8) travels at least sectionally along the transport path (2) of the at least one piece of cargo (5) in the direction of the place of origin associated with the at least one cause and / or at least one signal (14,17) of the display device (8) is displayed at a location of the display device (8) associated with the place of origin. [12] Method according to claim 11, - in which at least one signal (17), in particular repeatedly, travels from the location of the disturbance as the location at the transition from the undisturbed transport to the disturbed transport of at least one package (5) to the location of the display device (8) associated with the origin of the disturbance and / or - in which at least one signal (17), in particular repeatedly, travels from the location actually assigned to the package to the location of the disturbance as the location at the transition from the undisturbed transport to the disturbed transport of at least one package (5). [13] Conveyor system (1) for transporting unit loads (5), in particular packages, wherein the conveyor system (1) has a display device (8) extending at least sectionally along a transport path (2) for the unit loads (5), wherein the display device (8) is configured to display at least one optical signal (9-14, 17, 21) at different points along the at least one transport path (2) and wherein the display device (8) is coupled to a control device (7), characterized bythat the conveying system is configured for carrying out a method for monitoring and / or maintenance, in particular according to one of claims 1 to 12, that the control device (7) is configured for obtaining and / or determining information concerning the ratio of the actual conveying of at least one unit load (5) along the at least one transport path (2) to the predetermined conveying of the at least one unit load (5) along the at least one transport path (2), that the display device (8) is configured for displaying at least a portion of a unit load (5) moving parallel to a unit load (5) moving along the at least one transport path (2),optical signal (9-13) and that the control device (7) is designed to display the ratio of the actual conveyance of at least one unit of goods (5) along the at least one transport path (2) to the predetermined conveyance of the at least one unit of goods (5) along the at least one transport path (2) as a function of the respective actual and / or predetermined location of the at least one unit of goods (5) via the optical signal (9-13) which travels with the at least one unit of goods (5). [14] Conveyor system according to claim 13, characterized by, that the display device (8) comprises an LED strip extending at least sectionally along the at least one transport path (2) and / or a projection device for projecting the signal onto a projection path extending at least sectionally along the at least one transport path (2) and / or a display, in particular an LCD display, extending at least sectionally along the at least one transport path (2).

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