Conveyor device and method for converting a serially transported piece goods flow into a parallel transported piece goods flow

Abstract

Conveying device (1, 20) for converting a serially transported piece goods flow (2) into a parallel transported piece goods flow (5), with a feed belt conveyor (4, 22) for serially feeding the piece goods flow (2) and with a plurality of discharge belt conveyors (6, 23) for parallel discharge of the fed piece goods flow (2), wherein the discharge belt conveyors (6, 23) are directly or indirectly assigned to a longitudinal side (11) of the feed belt conveyor (4, 22), wherein the transport directions (T) of the discharge belt conveyors (6) are aligned at least substantially parallel to one another and transversely to the transport direction (T) of the feed belt conveyor (4, 22), and wherein the longitudinal side (11) of the upper run (15) of the feed belt conveyor (4, 22) assigned to the discharge belt conveyors (6, 23), in particular in a transfer position and, at least in a transfer section (10, 21) of the Upper run (15), for passing the piece goods (3) to the discharge belt conveyors (6,23) is arranged lower than the opposite longitudinal side (19) of the upper run (15) of the feed belt conveyor (4, 22), characterized in that the discharge belt conveyors (6, 23) are designed as telescopic belt conveyors, that a control device (14) is provided and that the control device (14) is designed for the cyclic operation of the feed belt conveyor (4, 22) and / or the discharge belt conveyors (6, 23).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a conveyor device for converting a serially transported piece goods flow into a parallel transported piece goods flow, with a feed belt conveyor for the serial feeding of the piece goods flow and with a plurality of discharge belt conveyors for the parallel discharge of the fed piece goods flow, wherein the discharge belt conveyors are directly or indirectly assigned to a longitudinal side of the feed belt conveyor, wherein the transport directions of the discharge belt conveyors are aligned at least substantially parallel to one another and transversely to the transport direction of the feed belt conveyor and wherein the discharge belt conveyors are designed as telescopic belt conveyors.Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for converting a serially transported piece goods flow into a parallel transported piece goods flow, with a feed belt conveyor for serially feeding the piece goods flow and with a plurality of discharge belt conveyors designed as telescopic belt conveyors for parallel discharge of the fed piece goods flow, wherein the discharge belt conveyors are directly or indirectly assigned to a longitudinal side of the feed belt conveyor, wherein the transport directions of the discharge belt conveyors are aligned at least substantially parallel to one another and transversely to the transport direction of the feed belt conveyor.

[0002] Conveyor systems and methods for converting a serially transported stream of unit loads into a parallel stream of unit loads are already known in various configurations. The idea is to divert unit loads, which are fed at least substantially in a row one behind the other via an infeed belt conveyor, to discharge belt conveyors in such a way that the unit loads are distributed among the discharge belt conveyors and then transported at least substantially parallel to one another. In other words, a row of unit loads on the infeed belt conveyor is to be converted into several approximately parallel rows of unit loads on the discharge belt conveyors.

[0003] A conveyor device and a method for converting a serially transported piece goods flow into a parallel transported piece goods flow is known, for example, from US 6 015 039 A. US 2012 / 0160636 A1, US 8 622 199 B2 and US 6 484 862 B1, on the other hand, relate to belt conveyors.

[0004] For the aforementioned purpose, the discharge belt conveyors are usually located directly at a transfer section on one long side of the infeed belt conveyor, so that the piece goods can be transferred directly from the side of the infeed belt conveyor to the various discharge belt conveyors. It would also be conceivable, however, to provide at least one short intermediate conveyor between the infeed belt conveyor and the discharge belt conveyors, which could be designed, for example, as a chute or inclined roller conveyor. In order to guide the piece goods laterally down from the infeed belt conveyor and distribute them among the several discharge belt conveyors, appropriate guidance devices, such as rollers, guide plates, or cams, are provided. If the transport path of the piece goods is to be varied in the direction of transport on the discharge belt conveyors, discharge belt conveyors in the form of telescopic belt conveyors can be considered.The length of the telescopic belt conveyors can be extended and shortened again by extending and retracting individual sections against each other.

[0005] Such conveyor systems are used, for example, for loading cargo spaces. The unit loads can be delivered via the discharge belt conveyors, distributed across the width of the cargo space, where they can then either be picked up by an employee and placed or stacked in the cargo space, or unloaded automatically. This means that the employee does not have to move the individual unit loads across the cargo space, or only to a very limited extent, and in particular, they do not have to carry them back and forth across the width of the cargo space.

[0006] Alternatively, loading can be achieved automatically across the entire width of the loading area.

[0007] However, existing conveyor systems and processes of this type are relatively complex and therefore prone to failure, which impairs the efficiency of such systems. Therefore, there is still room for improvement in this regard.

[0008] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to design and further develop the conveying direction and the method of the type mentioned at the outset and described in more detail above in such a way that the conversion of a serially transported piece goods flow into a parallel transported piece goods flow can be carried out more easily and reliably.

[0009] This object is achieved by a conveying device according to claim 1.

[0010] The stated object is further achieved according to claim 8 by a method for converting a serially transported piece goods flow into a parallel transported piece goods flow, with a feed belt conveyor for the serial feeding of the piece goods flow and with a plurality of discharge belt conveyors designed as telescopic belt conveyors for the parallel discharge of the fed piece goods flow, wherein the discharge belt conveyors are directly or indirectly assigned to a longitudinal side of the feed belt conveyor, wherein the transport directions of the discharge belt conveyors are aligned at least substantially parallel to one another and transversely to the transport direction of the feed belt conveyor, preferably with a conveyor device according to one of claims 1 to 7, - in which a stream of piece goods is fed serially by means of the feed belt conveyor, - in which the infeed belt conveyor is stopped when or before the piece goods at the front in the transport direction of the infeed belt conveyor reach the front end of the infeed belt conveyor in the transport direction of the infeed belt conveyor, - in which the piece goods are transferred from the infeed belt conveyor to the discharge belt conveyor or are taken over by the discharge belt conveyor from the infeed belt conveyor, - in which the piece goods are transported, in particular at least substantially simultaneously, by the discharge belt conveyors away from the feed belt conveyor transversely to the transport direction of the feed belt conveyor, - in which the infeed conveyor feeds further piece goods to the outfeed conveyors.

[0011] By using a longitudinal side of the upper run of the infeed belt conveyor that is assigned to the discharge belt conveyors and is positioned lower than the opposite longitudinal side of the upper run of the infeed belt conveyor, at least in one transfer section of the upper run for transferring the piece goods to the discharge belt conveyors, the piece goods can, if necessary, slide from the infeed belt conveyor toward the discharge belt conveyors by gravity alone. Therefore, if necessary, additional guidance devices can be completely dispensed with, or the guidance devices can be designed to be particularly simple and reliable.

[0012] In terms of the method, this can be used by using the infeed belt conveyor to feed a stream of piece goods serially until the piece goods at the front in the transport direction have reached a certain section of the infeed belt conveyor. It is particularly expedient if the infeed belt conveyor is stopped as soon as the piece goods at the front in the transport direction of the infeed belt conveyor reach the area of ​​the front end of the transfer section. The piece goods arranged one behind the other in the transfer section of the infeed belt conveyor are then diverted to the laterally assigned discharge belt conveyors. It can be particularly useful if the piece goods in the transfer section are arranged one behind the other at a distance that at least essentially corresponds to the distance between the discharge belt conveyors, preferably the distance between the center lines of the adjacent discharge belt conveyors.In the manner described, each piece of goods can then be transferred to a different discharge belt conveyor, so that the overall throughput can be increased.

[0013] The piece goods diverted to the discharge belt conveyors can now be transported further, at least essentially parallel to one another. For the sake of simplicity, this preferably takes place simultaneously. In other words, the piece goods are preferably transported on the discharge belt conveyors not only spatially but also temporally, at least essentially parallel to one another. During this time, further piece goods can be fed in via the infeed belt conveyor in order to divert them to the discharge belt conveyors in a next step. However, it is particularly preferred if the infeed belt conveyor is not put back into operation until the discharge belt conveyors have been stopped, so that no unnecessary friction of the piece goods on the discharge belt conveyors occurs, in order to protect the piece goods from corresponding damage.Since the serially fed unit loads are converted into a parallel unit load flow, transporting the unit loads step by step on the discharge belt conveyors prevents them from backing up and gives employees sufficient time, if necessary, to remove the unit loads one after the other from the discharge belt conveyors and place or stack them in the loading area. The discharge belt conveyors should preferably be moved step by step until there is sufficient space at their rear ends to accommodate another unit load.

[0014] For the sake of clarity and to avoid unnecessary repetition, the conveying device and the method are described together below, without distinguishing between the individual conveying device and the method. However, the skilled person will recognize, based on the context, which features are particularly preferred with regard to the conveying device and the method.

[0015] In a first particularly preferred embodiment of the conveyor device, the feed belt conveyor is designed to be adjustable from a transport position to the transfer position and back again. In the transport position, the piece goods can therefore be transported safely and reliably, while in the transfer position the piece goods can then be transferred safely and reliably to the discharge belt conveyor. It is advisable for the upper run to be at least essentially flat in the transport position, at least in the region of the transfer section. The flat alignment can refer in particular to the cross-sections of the upper run, at least in the transfer section, which can then be flat and / or at least essentially horizontal. If necessary, it is then possible for the upper run to run upwards or downwards in the transfer section, so that a height difference can be overcome during the transport of the piece goods.In the transfer position, however, the upper run is tilted to the side, at least in the transfer section, so that the longitudinal side of the upper run associated with the discharge belt conveyors is positioned lower than the opposite longitudinal side of the upper run, at least in the transfer section. The piece goods then slide down from the infeed belt conveyor toward the discharge belt conveyors, preferably without any further action.

[0016] Alternatively or additionally, the discharge belt conveyors can have belts that have areas of different static friction. These areas are preferably provided alternately or alternately in the transport direction of the belt. The areas of low static friction and / or the areas of high static friction can each have the same longitudinal extent. Furthermore, all areas can have the same longitudinal extent. However, this is not required. It is advisable if the length of the areas of high static friction and / or low static friction are slightly greater than the length, height and / or width of the piece goods. The areas of different static friction are particularly useful if the infeed belt conveyor in the transfer section and the adjacent areas of the discharge belt conveyor are inclined approximately V-shaped relative to one another. Adjusting the transfer area of ​​the infeed belt conveyor is then not absolutely necessary.The low-friction zones can be positioned adjacent to the infeed belt conveyor, while piece goods are fed via the infeed belt conveyor, allowing them to slide off the discharge belt conveyors without significant friction. Once the piece goods have been fed in, the discharge belt conveyors can be started while the infeed belt conveyor can be stopped. The high-friction zones then transport the piece goods from the roughly V-shaped section of the conveyor system formed by the transfer section and the adjacent sections of the discharge belt conveyors. The static friction is then high enough to transport the piece goods. The discharge belt conveyors can also be continuously driven.The feeding of further piece goods can then be carried out as required, coordinated with the timing of the discharge belt conveyors with regard to the change of the areas of different static friction adjacent to the transfer section of the feed belt conveyor.

[0017] The static friction coefficient of the high static friction region, together with a specific piece of goods, in particular with a cardboard contact surface, preferably has a value that is at least twice, in particular at least three times, as high as the static friction coefficient of the low static friction region together with the specific piece of goods, in particular with a cardboard contact surface. Alternatively or additionally, the static friction coefficient for the low static friction region and the specific piece of goods, in particular with a cardboard contact surface, is less than 0.5, preferably less than 0.4, in particular less than 0.3. Alternatively or additionally, the static friction coefficient for the high static friction region and the specific piece of goods, in particular with a cardboard contact surface, is greater than 0.5, preferably greater than 0.6, in particular greater than 0.7.The static friction coefficient is often also referred to as the friction number and is regularly expressed as µ. H or µ G specified.

[0018] In order for the piece goods in the transfer section of the feed belt conveyor to slide down reliably and, more preferably, without any further action, from the feed belt conveyor, it is advisable if, at least in the transfer position, at least the transfer section of the upper run of the feed belt conveyor is inclined to the side at an angle of at least 25°, preferably of at least 35°, in particular of at least 45°. Since the upper run does not have to have a completely straight cross-section in the transfer section, the aforementioned inclination can be a medium inclination. The inclination or the corresponding angle can be averaged over at least substantially the entire width of the upper run in the transfer section. However, it is particularly preferred if the angle of inclination of the upper run is at least substantially constant across the width of the upper run.This allows the piece goods to be transferred from the infeed conveyor to the outfeed conveyor with exceptional reliability and without any additional intervention. Regardless of this, the inclination is preferably designed so that the long side of the infeed conveyor associated with the outfeed conveyors hangs downwards.

[0019] Converting the serially transported piece goods flow into a parallel transported piece goods flow is preferably also accompanied by a change in the transport direction of the piece goods flow. This can preferably be done such that the transport directions of the discharge belt conveyors form angles of at least 60°, preferably at least 70°, in particular at least 80°, with the transport direction of the feed belt conveyor. These angles between the transport direction of the corresponding discharge belt conveyor and the transport direction of the feed belt conveyor can be formed, on the one hand, in the transport direction upstream and, on the other hand, in the transport direction downstream of the corresponding discharge belt conveyor. For the sake of simplicity and to save installation space, it can be particularly preferred if these angles are at least substantially 90°.

[0020] In order to operate the discharge belt conveyors on the one hand and the feed belt conveyor on the other hand independently of each other, it is advisable to assign different drive devices to the discharge belt conveyors and the feed belt conveyor. The discharge belt conveyors can be driven jointly via a common drive device, if required, or independently of each other via separate drive units, if required. However, at least one drive device of the discharge belt conveyors is preferably provided so that it can be activated independently of the at least one drive device of the feed belt conveyor.

[0021] For effective control of the conveyor system, a control device is provided that is designed to operate the infeed belt conveyor and / or the discharge belt conveyors intermittently. For example, the discharge belt conveyors can be stopped while the infeed belt conveyor continues to feed additional piece goods. The piece goods can thus be placed one behind the other with a short distance between them, thereby increasing the dwell time. This also allows an employee to operate multiple discharge belt conveyors side by side without piece goods falling to the floor. Therefore, it is particularly preferred for the discharge belt conveyors to be operated intermittently, especially if the discharge belt conveyors operate at the same cycle rate.Independently of this, the advance of the infeed belt conveyor can be stopped while the piece goods are forwarded towards the discharge belt conveyors in order to improve the reliability of this process step and to make the distribution of the piece goods to the discharge belt conveyors more even.

[0022] If the control device is configured to stop the transport of the infeed belt conveyor before activating the transport of the discharge belt conveyor, a suitable decoupling can be achieved, which improves the reliability and predictability of the transport of the piece goods flows. This is particularly true if the control device is configured to activate the transport of the infeed belt conveyor on the one hand and the transport of the discharge belt conveyor on the other hand, one after the other.

[0023] In a first particularly preferred embodiment of the method, after the infeed belt conveyor has stopped, the infeed belt conveyor is tilted, in particular tipped, from a transport position to a transfer position in the direction of the discharge belt conveyors, at least in a transfer section of the upper run. Thus, the upper run can initially be appropriately aligned, at least in the transfer section, in order to reliably guide the piece goods even over longer distances. Furthermore, the infeed belt conveyors can be moved into a suitable tilted position during the transfer of the piece goods toward the discharge belt conveyors.After the piece goods have been transferred or passed on in the direction of the discharge belt conveyor, the feed belt conveyor can be tilted, in particular tipped, from the transfer position back into the transport position, at least in the transfer section of the upper run, so that a suitable alignment of the upper run for the subsequent feeding of further piece goods is again ensured.

[0024] Alternatively or additionally, the piece goods can be transported along areas of the discharge belt conveyor belts with low static friction in the transport direction of the infeed belt conveyor. In addition, the piece goods can be transported by areas of the discharge belt conveyor belts with high static friction in the transport directions of the discharge belt conveyor. The areas of low static friction and high static friction are then preferably provided alternately or alternately in the transport direction of the belt. The areas of low static friction and / or the areas of high static friction can each have the same longitudinal extent. Furthermore, all areas can have the same longitudinal extent. However, this is not required. It is advisable if the length of the areas of high static friction and / or low static friction are slightly greater than the length, height and / or width of the piece goods.The areas of different static friction are particularly useful when the infeed conveyor in the transfer section and the adjacent sections of the discharge conveyor are inclined approximately in a V-shape relative to each other. Adjusting the transfer section of the infeed conveyor is then not absolutely necessary. The transfer section of the infeed conveyor is then inclined downwards laterally toward the discharge conveyor. The adjacent sections of the discharge conveyor are then in turn inclined downwards laterally toward the transfer section of the infeed conveyor.

[0025] The piece goods can be transported by the infeed belt conveyor and slide off the belts of the discharge belt conveyor without significant friction. The discharge belt conveyors can then take over the piece goods with the high static friction zones and transport them in the transport direction of the discharge belt conveyors. The discharge belt conveyors and / or the infeed belt conveyor can preferably be operated intermittently and sequentially. However, it is also conceivable for the discharge belt conveyors and / or the infeed belt conveyor to operate continuously. The feeding of additional piece goods can be coordinated as needed with the timing of the discharge belt conveyors with regard to the change between the zones of different static friction adjacent to the transfer section of the infeed belt conveyor.

[0026] The static friction coefficient of the high static friction region, together with a specific piece of goods, in particular with a cardboard contact surface, preferably has a value that is at least twice, in particular at least three times, as high as the static friction coefficient of the low static friction region together with the specific piece of goods, in particular with a cardboard contact surface. Alternatively or additionally, the static friction coefficient for the low static friction region and the specific piece of goods, in particular with a cardboard contact surface, is less than 0.5, preferably less than 0.4, in particular less than 0.3. Alternatively or additionally, the static friction coefficient for the high static friction region and the specific piece of goods, in particular with a cardboard contact surface, is greater than 0.5, preferably greater than 0.6, in particular greater than 0.7.The static friction coefficient is often also referred to as the friction number and is regularly expressed as µ. H or µ G specified.

[0027] In order to avoid the structural and procedural complexity of adjusting the upper run between the transport position and the transfer position, it may be expedient to keep the infeed belt conveyor inclined, in particular tilted, towards the discharge belt conveyors at least in one transfer section of the upper run during the transport of the piece goods and during the acceptance and / or transfer of the piece goods. In this case, it is also advisable for the piece goods arranged at least on the transfer section of the upper run to come into contact with at least one discharge belt conveyor. In this way, the piece goods in the transfer section can initially be held in contact with the infeed belt conveyor by the discharge belt conveyors during transport by the infeed belt conveyor, and the piece goods can then be more easily accepted by the discharge belt conveyors, if necessary without further assistance.With appropriate process management, it is also advisable to operate the discharge belt conveyors and the infeed belt conveyor one after the other for a while to protect the unit loads. This avoids unnecessary friction between the unit loads and the discharge belt conveyors and ensures an even distribution of the unit loads among the discharge belt conveyors.

[0028] If at least one discharge belt conveyor is extended and / or retracted in the telescopic direction of the discharge belt conveyors after the transport of at least one piece of goods with the at least one discharge belt conveyor, the location to which the piece goods are transported and can be conveniently removed from the discharge belt conveyors by an employee can be varied. In particular when loading and unloading a cargo space with piece goods, it is advisable for the discharge belt conveyors to be extended or retracted step by step in order to adapt the discharge belt conveyors to the changing loading condition of the cargo space. Thus, the at least one discharge belt conveyor can preferably be extended or retracted step by step in the telescopic direction after the transport of different piece goods with the at least one discharge belt conveyor.

[0029] Furthermore, the method and the conveyor system are particularly suitable when packages are used as piece goods. The packages are then repackaged goods, in particular repackaged piece goods. For this purpose, the aforementioned advantages are particularly evident. The packages can comprise packaging known from the prior art. However, packages with cardboard and / or plastic packaging, in particular film packaging, are particularly preferred. The piece goods or packages can further preferably be parcel shipments.

[0030] The advantages of the method described above are particularly evident when the method is used to load a cargo space, preferably the body of a commercial vehicle, in particular a truck, trailer, or semi-trailer. This allows the unit loads to be transported very conveniently side by side into the cargo space via the discharge belt conveyors.

[0031] This can be further supported in a suitable manner, for example, to relieve the workload of the employee loading the piece goods or to facilitate automatic loading of the cargo space. For this purpose, at least one discharge belt conveyor, in particular the discharge belt conveyors, can be retracted in the telescopic direction, in particular step by step, as the loading space becomes increasingly loaded. During unloading, the at least one discharge belt conveyor can also be retracted step by step. For automatic loading of the cargo space, the ends of the discharge belt conveyors can be adjustable in height, as seen in their transport direction, preferably when the discharge belt conveyors are designed as telescopic belt conveyors.

[0032] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to a drawing which merely represents an exemplary embodiment. Fig. 1 a conveyor device according to the invention in a schematic, perspective view, Fig. 2A-C a detail of the conveyor system from Fig. 1 in a transport position and in a transfer position in a schematic sectional view during different process steps and Fig. 3 a discharge conveyor of the conveyor system Fig. 1, partly in a loading compartment of a body of a commercial vehicle in a schematic side view and Fig. 4A-C a detail of an alternative conveyor device in the area of ​​the transfer section during different process steps in a schematic sectional view.

[0033] In the Fig. 1 shows a conveyor device 1 with which a piece goods stream 2 consisting of piece goods 3 is fed in a row, i.e. serially, via an infeed belt conveyor 4 in order to convert this stream into a plurality of piece goods streams 5, which are discharged as a plurality of serial piece goods streams 5 on a plurality of discharge belt conveyors 6 in parallel to one another. The piece goods 3 shown and, in this respect, preferred are packages in the form of parcel consignments. The discharge belt conveyors 6 are telescopic belt conveyors whose transport length L can be varied in the transport direction T of the discharge belt conveyors 6 by extending or retracting individual segments 7 of the discharge belt conveyors 6 relative to one another.The discharge belt conveyors 6 can thus be extended to varying depths into a loading space 8 of a body 9 of a commercial vehicle, allowing an employee to stack the piece goods 3 in the loading space 8 without great physical effort and thus very quickly, or allowing the loading space to be loaded automatically. As the loading space 8 becomes increasingly loaded, the discharge belt conveyors 6 are then gradually retracted.

[0034] The discharge belt conveyors 6 are assigned to a transfer section 10 of a longitudinal side 11 of the feed belt conveyor 4. In the illustrated and thus preferred conveyor device 1, the discharge belt conveyors 6 are directly adjacent to the feed belt conveyor 4. However, at least one chute, at least one roller conveyor, or another conveying means could also be provided between the feed belt conveyor 4 and the discharge belt conveyors 6, via which the piece goods 3 are passed from the feed belt conveyor 4 to the discharge belt conveyors 6. Furthermore, the discharge belt conveyors 6 in the illustrated and thus preferred conveyor device 1 are aligned with the feed belt conveyor 4 such that the transport directions T of the feed belt conveyor 4 and the discharge belt conveyors 6 are arranged at least substantially at right angles to one another.Furthermore, the discharge belt conveyors 6 are located directly next to each other, so that a maximum of a small gap remains between the individual discharge belt conveyors 6.

[0035] In order to be able to distribute the piece goods 3 from the infeed belt conveyor 4 evenly and easily to the discharge belt conveyors 6, in the illustrated and in this respect preferred conveyor device 1, a separating device 12 is provided assigned to the infeed belt conveyor 4 or upstream thereof, which separates the piece goods 3 from one another such that the distance between the successive piece goods 3 corresponds at least approximately to the distance between the discharge belt conveyors 6. However, this does not mean the distance between the mutually assigned sides of the discharge belt conveyors 6, i.e. not the gap between the discharge belt conveyors 6, but rather the distance between identical points on the discharge belt conveyors 6. For example, this means the distance between the center lines of the adjacent discharge belt conveyors 6.When the front piece goods 3 of the piece goods stream 2 fed via the feed belt conveyor 4 in the transport direction T of the feed belt conveyor 4 has reached the area of ​​the front discharge belt conveyor 6 in this direction, the feed belt conveyor 4 can be stopped. Then, a piece goods 3 is also located on the feed belt conveyor 4 adjacent to each of the other discharge belt conveyors 6.

[0036] The corresponding row of piece goods 3 in the transfer section 10 can now be passed on together to the discharge belt conveyors 6, which are initially still stopped at this time. However, when the piece goods 3 are taken over, the discharge belt conveyors 6 are driven, specifically jointly and simultaneously in the illustrated and thus preferred conveyor device 1. When the piece goods 3 previously picked up by the discharge belt conveyors 6 have been moved further and the discharge belt conveyors 6 have space at their rear ends to pick up further piece goods 3, the discharge belt conveyors 6 are stopped again. After the front piece goods 3 of the feed belt conveyor 4 have been passed on to the discharge belt conveyors 6, the feed belt conveyor 4 is driven again to feed in further piece goods 3.The infeed belt conveyor 4 is then stopped again when the front piece goods 3 of the row of piece goods 3 on the infeed belt conveyor 4, as seen in the direction of transport T of the infeed belt conveyor 4, reaches the area of ​​the front discharge belt conveyor 6 in this direction. The front piece goods 3 are then transferred again in the transfer section 10 to the laterally adjacent discharge belt conveyors 6, as already described above.

[0037] The discharge belt conveyors 6 and the feed belt conveyor 4 are then each driven incrementally, so that the serial piece goods flow 2 of the feed belt conveyor 4 is converted into several serial and parallel piece goods flows 5. In order to provide the corresponding step-by-step or synchronized operation of the discharge belt conveyors 6 and the feed belt conveyor 4, the discharge belt conveyors 6 and the feed belt conveyor 4 are each assigned their own drive devices 13 in the illustrated and thus preferred conveyor device 1. The drive devices 13 are also connected to a common control device 14.

[0038] In the Fig. 2A-C, the conveyor device 1 is shown in a sectional view in the area of ​​the transfer section 10 of the feed belt conveyor 4. In the Fig. In the situation shown in Figure 2A, a row of piece goods 3 is located one behind the other on the infeed conveyor 4 in the transfer section 10 of the infeed conveyor 4 and in the receiving area of ​​a discharge conveyor 6. Both the infeed conveyor 4 and the discharge conveyor 6 are stationary at this time. Now, the transfer section 10 of the infeed conveyor 4 is removed from the Fig. 2A, in the direction of the adjacent discharge conveyor 6, as shown in the Fig. 2B is shown.

[0039] The upper run 15 of the infeed belt conveyor 4 is now in a transfer position, at least in the transfer section 10. In the transfer position, the longitudinal side 11 of the infeed belt conveyor 4 assigned to the discharge belt conveyor 6 is arranged lower, at least in the transfer section 10, than the opposite longitudinal side 19 of the infeed belt conveyor 4. In this position, the upper run 15, viewed in cross-section, is at an angle to the horizontal of approximately 45°, at least substantially uniformly across the width of the upper run 15 in this section. Thus, the piece goods 3 slide from the infeed belt conveyor 4 to the rear end of the discharge belt conveyor 6. The same happens in parallel with other piece goods 3 that slide down from the infeed belt conveyor 4 to other discharge belt conveyors 6 at other points in the transfer section 10.

[0040] The feed belt conveyor 4 is then moved back to the position shown in the Fig. 2C and driven again to bring in further piece goods 3. Temporarily or independently of each other, the discharge conveyor 6 is also driven briefly to create space at its rear end for receiving another piece of goods 3. The process steps are then repeated according to Fig. 2A-C step by step.

[0041] In the Fig. 3 is a discharge belt conveyor 6 of the conveyor device 1 from Fig. 1 in the form of a telescopic belt conveyor, which partially extends into a loading space 8 of the body 9 of the commercial vehicle 16. The discharge belt conveyor 6 has several mutually extendable segments 7, wherein the belt 17 of the discharge belt conveyor 6 extends from the rear end of the discharge belt conveyor 6 to its front end, regardless of how far the front end of the discharge belt conveyor 6 is extended. At the beginning of loading the loading space 8, the discharge belt conveyors 6 are moved into the loading space 8 up to the vicinity of the end wall 18 of the loading space 8. As the loading of the loading space 8 increases, the discharge belt conveyors 6 are then gradually extended.

[0042] In the Fig. 4A-C, an alternative conveyor device 20 is shown in a sectional view in the area of ​​the transfer section 21 of the feed belt conveyor 22. The transfer section 21 forms, together with the adjacent sections of the discharge belt conveyors 23, an at least substantially V-shaped area 24 of the conveyor device 20. This has the consequence that the piece goods 3, while being transported according to Fig. 4A are fed from the feed belt conveyor 22, not only come into contact with the belt 25 of the feed belt conveyor 22, but also with the belt 26 of the at least one discharge belt conveyor 23. Adjacent to the transfer section of the feed belt conveyor 22, there is a region of low static friction 27 of the belt 26 of the at least one discharge belt conveyor 23, so that the piece goods 3 can slide off the belt 26 of the at least one discharge belt conveyor 23 without great friction in order to transport the piece goods 3 to a discharge belt conveyor 23 further forward in the transport direction T of the feed belt conveyor 22. If, for example, piece goods 3 are provided adjacent to the discharge belt conveyors 23, the areas with higher static friction 28 take over the piece goods 3 as a result of the operation of the discharge belt conveyors 23 and then transport the piece goods 3 in the transport direction T of the discharge belt conveyors 23.Thus, further, subsequent areas of low static friction 27 of the belts 26 of the discharge belt conveyor 6 reach a position bordering on the transfer section 21 of the feed belt conveyor 22, so that according to . Fig. 4C, piece goods 3 transported via the feed belt conveyor 22 can now be transported past the discharge belt conveyors 23. The feed belt conveyor 22 and / or the discharge belt conveyors 23 can be driven intermittently or continuously, although an intermittent drive is likely to be simpler in terms of control technology. List of reference symbols: 1 conveyor system 2 General cargo flow 3 general cargo 4 feed belt conveyors 5 General cargo flow 6 discharge belt conveyors 7 segments 8 cargo space 9 Structure 10 Transfer section 11 Long side 12 Separation device 13 Drive device 14 Control device 15 Upper strand 16 commercial vehicles 17 volumes 18 Front wall 19 Long side 20 conveyor system 21 Transfer section 22 feed belt conveyors 23 discharge belt conveyors 24 V-shaped area 25 volumes 26 volumes 27 Low static friction area 28 Area of ​​high static friction L Transport length T Transport direction

Claims

[1] Conveying device (1, 20) for converting a serially transported piece goods flow (2) into a parallel transported piece goods flow (5), with a feed belt conveyor (4, 22) for serially feeding the piece goods flow (2) and with a plurality of discharge belt conveyors (6, 23) for parallel discharge of the fed piece goods flow (2), wherein the discharge belt conveyors (6, 23) are directly or indirectly assigned to a longitudinal side (11) of the feed belt conveyor (4, 22), wherein the transport directions (T) of the discharge belt conveyors (6) are aligned at least substantially parallel to one another and transversely to the transport direction (T) of the feed belt conveyor (4, 22), and wherein the longitudinal side (11) of the upper run (15) of the feed belt conveyor (4, 22) assigned to the discharge belt conveyors (6, 23), in particular in a transfer position and at least in a transfer section (10,21) of the upper run (15), for passing on the piece goods (3) to the discharge belt conveyors (6,23) is arranged lower than the opposite longitudinal side (19) of the upper run (15) of the feed belt conveyor (4,22), , characterized by that the discharge belt conveyors (6,23) are designed as telescopic belt conveyors, that a control device (14) is provided and that the control device (14) is designed for the cyclic operation of the feed belt conveyor (4,22) and / or the discharge belt conveyors (6,23). [2] Conveying device according to claim 1, characterized by that the feed belt conveyor (4,22) is adjustable from a transport position with an at least substantially planar alignment of at least the transfer section (10,21) of the upper run (15) into the transfer position with a downwardly inclined longitudinal side (11) of the upper run (15) of at least the transfer section (10,21) assigned to the discharge belt conveyors (6,23) and back. [3] Conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized bythat the discharge belt conveyors (23) have belts (26) with, preferably alternately arranged, regions of different static friction (27, 28) and that, preferably, the transfer section (21) and the adjacent sections of the discharge belt conveyors (23) together form an at least substantially V-shaped region (24) of the conveyor device (20). [4] Conveying device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by that at least in the transfer position, at least the transfer section (10) of the upper run (15) of the feed belt conveyor (4, 22) is inclined downwards at an angle of at least 25°, preferably of at least 35°, in particular of at least 45°, averaged over at least substantially the entire width of the upper run (15), to the longitudinal side (11) of the feed belt conveyor (4, 22) assigned to the discharge belt conveyors. [5] Conveying device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized bythat the transport directions (T) of the discharge belt conveyors (6,23) enclose angles of at least 60°, preferably at least 70°, in particular at least 80°, with the transport direction (T) of the feed belt conveyor (4,22). [6] Conveying device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by that different drive devices (13) are assigned to the discharge belt conveyors (6, 23) and the feed belt conveyor (4, 22) and that the at least one drive device (13) of the discharge belt conveyors (6, 23) can be activated independently of the at least one drive device (13) of the feed belt conveyor (4, 22). [7] Conveying device according to claim 6, characterized bythat the control device (14) is designed to stop the transport of the feed belt conveyor (4,22) before the transport of the discharge belt conveyors (6,23) is activated, and that, preferably, the control device (14) is designed to activate the transport of the feed belt conveyor (4,23) on the one hand and the transport of the discharge belt conveyors (6,22) on the other hand, one after the other. [8] Method for converting a serially transported piece goods stream (2) into a parallel transported piece goods stream (5) with a feed belt conveyor (4, 22) for serially feeding the piece goods stream (2) and with a plurality of discharge belt conveyors (6, 23) designed as telescopic belt conveyors for parallel discharge of the fed piece goods stream (5), wherein the discharge belt conveyors (6, 23) are directly or indirectly assigned to a longitudinal side (11) of the feed belt conveyor (4, 22), wherein the transport directions (T) of the discharge belt conveyors (6, 23) are aligned at least substantially parallel to one another and transversely to the transport direction (T) of the feed belt conveyor (4, 22), preferably with a conveyor device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, - in which a stream of piece goods (2) is fed serially by means of the feed belt conveyor (4,22), - in which the feed belt conveyor (4,22) is stopped when or before the front piece goods (3) in the transport direction (T) of the feed belt conveyor (4,22) reach the front end of the feed belt conveyor (4,22) in the transport direction (T) of the feed belt conveyor (4,22), - in which the piece goods (3) are transferred from the infeed belt conveyor (4,22) to the discharge belt conveyors (6,23) or are taken over by the discharge belt conveyors (6) from the infeed belt conveyor (4,22), - in which the piece goods (3), in particular at least substantially simultaneously, are transported away from the feed belt conveyor (4,22) by the discharge belt conveyors (6,23) transversely to the transport direction (T) of the feed belt conveyor (4,22), - in which the feed belt conveyor (4,22) feeds further piece goods (3) to the discharge belt conveyors (6,23). [9] Method according to claim 8, - in which the feed belt conveyor (4, 22) is inclined, in particular tilted, from a transport position into a transfer position in the direction of the discharge belt conveyors (6, 23) after the feed belt conveyor (4, 22) has stopped, at least in a transfer section (10, 21) of the upper run (15), and - in which, after the transfer of the piece goods (3) to the discharge belt conveyors (6, 23), the feed belt conveyor (4, 22) is inclined, in particular tilted, from the transfer position back into the transport position at least in the transfer section (10, 21) of the upper run (15). [10] Method according to claim 8 or 9, - in which the piece goods (3) are transported along areas of the belts (26) of the discharge belt conveyors (23) with low static friction (27) in the transport direction (T) of the feed belt conveyor (22) and - in which the piece goods (3) are transported by areas of the belts (26) of the discharge belt conveyors (23) with high static friction (28) in the transport directions (T) of the discharge belt conveyors (23) and in which the areas of low static friction (27) and the areas of high static friction (28) alternate on the belts (26). [11] Method according to one of claims 9 to 11, - in which the feed belt conveyor (4, 22) is inclined, in particular tilted, in the direction of the discharge belt conveyor (6, 23) during the transport of the piece goods (3) and during the acceptance and / or transfer of the piece goods (3) at least in a transfer section (10, 21) of the upper run (15) and - in which the piece goods (3) arranged at least on the transfer section (10, 21) of the upper run (15) come into contact with at least one discharge belt conveyor (6, 23). [12] Method according to one of claims 8 to 11, - in which at least one discharge belt conveyor (6, 23) is extended or retracted in the telescopic direction after the transport of at least one piece goods (3) with the at least one discharge belt conveyor (6, 23) and - in which the at least one discharge belt conveyor (6,23) is gradually retracted or extended in the telescopic direction after the transport of different piece goods (3) with the at least one discharge belt conveyor (6,23). [13] Method according to one of claims 8 to 12, in which packages are transported as piece goods (3) with the feed belt conveyor (4, 22) and the discharge belt conveyors (6, 23). [14] Method for loading a loading space (8), preferably a body (9) of a commercial vehicle (16), in particular a lorry, trailer or semi-trailer, using the method according to one of claims 8 to 13, - in which the piece goods (3) are transported side by side into the loading space (8) via the discharge belt conveyors (6,23). [15] Method according to claim 14, - in which at least one discharge conveyor (6, 23), in particular the discharge belt conveyors (6, 23), is / are retracted in the telescopic direction, in particular step by step, with increasing loading of the loading space (8).

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