Sorting conveyor and conveyor carriage for a sorting conveyor

Abstract

Sorting conveyor (5), comprising: at least one guide element (8L, 8R), and a plurality of carriages (3) designed to be conveyed along the guide element (8L, 8R) of the sorting conveyor (5) in a conveying direction (FR), wherein the carriages (3) can be coupled together to form a carriage train by providing a connecting element (13) with at least one articulated unit between each carriage (3), via which adjacent carriages (3) can be coupled to one another, wherein each carriage (3) comprises a carriage frame (17) and at least one first roller element with a rotatable roller connected to the carriage frame (17), wherein in an operating state the first roller element positions the associated roller such that the roller acts as a guide roller (9L, 9R) for the carriage (3), enabling the carriage (3) to roll on the associated guide element (8L, 8R).and wherein the carriages (3) each comprise at least one second roller element with a rotatable roller, connected to the carriage frame (17) and associated with the at least one guide element (8L, 8R), wherein in an operating state the second roller element positions the at least one associated roller such that the roller functions as a lateral guide roller (10L, 10R) for the carriage (3), characterized in that the joint unit is offset to the rear relative to the axis of the guide roller (10L, 10R) when viewed in the conveying direction (FR) of the sorting conveyor (5), and in that the first roller element comprises a pivoting device which enables the running roller (9L, 9R) to pivot about a vertical pivot axis (18), wherein the joint unit of the connecting element (13) is positioned at the level of the pivot axis (18) of the running roller (9L, 9R) when viewed in the conveying direction (FR) of the sorting conveyor (5).

Description

The invention relates to a sorting conveyor, in particular a transverse belt sorter, comprising at least one guide element, and a plurality of conveying carriages, which are designed to be conveyed along the guide element of the sorting conveyor in a conveying direction FR, wherein the conveying carriages can be coupled together to form a conveying carriage train in that a connecting element with at least one joint unit is provided in each case between the conveying carriages, via which connecting element adjacent conveying carriages can be coupled to one another, wherein the conveying carriages each comprise a carriage frame and at least one first roller element connected to the first roller element having a rotatable roller, wherein, in an operating state, the first roller element positions the associated roller in such a way that the roller functions as a roller for the conveying carriage, which roller roller allows the conveying carriage to roll on the associated guide element.The first roller element can comprise a pivot device which enables the roller to pivot about a substantially perpendicular pivot axis. In addition, the conveying carriages can each comprise at least one second roller element with a rotatable roller, which is connected to the carriage frame and is assigned to the at least one guide element, wherein, in an operating state, the second roller element positions the at least one associated roller in such a way that the roller acts as a lateral guide roller for the conveying carriage.The invention further relates to a conveyor carriage for such a sorting conveyor.Sorting conveyors are batch sorting systems for "identifying batch arriving in a disordered order based on predetermined distinctive features and distributing to destinations determined according to the respective requirements" (see VDI Guideline 3619). A classification takes place in particular according to the performance. Highest throughput rates with more than 10,000 products per hour are achieved here by so-called transverse belt sorters, for example.The usual basic structure of the aforementioned sorters comprises, according to the representation in FIG. 1, a sorting section 1, wherein ejection stations 2 (terminals) and infeed stations (not shown) are arranged successively along this sorting section 1. On the sorting section 1, conveying carriages 3, often also referred to as carriers, are guided and driven in succession. In the case of transverse belt sorters, the conveying carriages 3 have belt conveyors 4 which can be driven transversely to the conveying direction for the introduction and removal of the material to be sorted, as is shown by way of example in FIG. 1.Sorting conveyors of the type in question here are constructed from a multiplicity of carriers. The individual carriers of a sorting conveyor usually have a left-handed and a right-handed roller assembly with a respective plurality of rollers which, during operation, contact two guide elements of the sorting conveyor running along the sorting section at a defined distance from one another. The guide elements are usually designed as guide tubes with a substantially circular cross section. The rollers function here either as rollers or as guide / support rollers for the conveying carriage. While the rollers rest on the guide tubes and roll on them, the guide / support rollers hold the carriage in position.A coupling rod, which is located, for example, at the end of each carrier, forms the connecting element between in each case two adjacent carriers. As a result, the entire sorter can become an endless chain of a plurality of conveying cars. While one end of the coupling rod is generally fixedly connected to the carriage, the other end piece is articulated. Such an arrangement enables travel in slopes and curves. The necessary driving force is provided by a motor which transmits the energy to a drive chain of the sorting conveyor. Connected by an articulated connection, the carriers are set in motion via the drive chain, which is usually designed as a rubber block chain.In the prior art, the driving behavior of the carriers often proves to be problematic. Particularly in tight curves, undesired deviations from optimum curve travel sometimes occur. In this case, it may happen, for example, that the carriers rotate excessively strongly with respect to one another in curves, as a result of which a large offset is produced. It can likewise occur that the pivot points of the rollers move outside the neutral fiber of the guide tubes or that the guide rollers project into the guide tubes. All the effects mentioned can also have an influence on the rubber block chain of the sorting conveyor and can shift the latter with respect to its optimum course. All in all, any deviation from an optimum handling of the carriers causes increased wear, namely both on the carrier itself, in particular with regard to the running and guide rollers, and on the rubber block chain.From DE 10 2019 120 604 A1, a sorting conveyor with a guide element and a plurality of conveying carriages is already known, wherein the conveying carriages are designed to be conveyed in a conveying direction by means of pivotable running rollers along the guide element of the sorting conveyor. The conveying carriages can be coupled together to form a conveying carriage train by means of a carriage coupling arrangement consisting of a coupling plate and a coupling disc. The carriage coupling arrangement is configured such that gaps between the carriages can be minimized or eliminated via a linear displacement of the center of rotation of the coupling disc, as a result of which a smooth movement and operation of the carriages along the sorting conveyor is intended to be achieved.The sorting conveyor known from the cited publication is disadvantageous, however, in that the specific configuration and position of the carriage coupling arrangement may result in a limited optimization of the driving behavior of the individual carriages. In particular in tight curves, undesired deviations from optimum curve passage are unavoidable in the construction described.DE 10 2020 202 938 A1 already discloses a sorting conveyor having a multiplicity of conveying carriages, wherein a connecting element having at least one joint unit is provided in each case between the conveying carriages. The joint unit is positioned in a front section, as viewed in the conveying direction, or at the height of the front edge of the respective conveying carriages.U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,254 B1 likewise already discloses a sorting conveyor having a multiplicity of conveying carriages, wherein a pivot axis of the rollers of the conveying carriages and the axis of the guide rollers of the conveying carriages, as seen in the conveying direction, are situated exactly at one height, while, in contrast, the articulation unit of the connecting element, as seen in the conveying direction, is offset forwards. The distance between the individual conveying carriages is adjustable in order to enable optimum tilting of the trays of the sorting conveyor designed as a tray sorter.The object of the present invention is to design and further develop a sorting conveyor and a conveying carriage for a sorting conveyor of the type mentioned at the beginning in such a way that the driving behavior of the conveying carriages is optimized.According to the invention, the above object is achieved by the features of claim 1. According to this, the sorting conveyor in question is characterized in that the articulation unit, as seen in the conveying direction of the sorting conveyor, is offset to the rear with respect to the axis of the guide roller, and in that the first roller element comprises a pivoting device which allows the roller to pivot about a vertical pivot axis, wherein the articulation unit of the connecting element, as seen in the conveying direction of the sorting conveyor, is positioned at the height of the pivot axis of the roller.The above object is furthermore achieved by a conveyor carriage for a sorting conveyor according to claim 10. According to this, the conveyor carriage in question is characterized in that the articulation unit, as seen in the conveying direction of the sorting conveyor, is offset to the rear with respect to the axis of the guide roller, and in that the first roller element comprises a pivoting device which allows the roller to pivot about a substantially perpendicular pivot axis, wherein the articulation unit of the connecting element, as seen in the conveying direction of the sorting conveyor, is positioned substantially at the height of the pivot axis of the roller.In a manner according to the invention, it has first been recognized that the connecting element via which two adjacent conveyor trucks are connected to one another has a decisive influence on the driving behavior of the conveyor trucks and that the underlying object can be achieved accordingly by a special configuration of this connecting element. Furthermore, it has been recognized that the positioning of the joint unit is of particular importance for optimizing the driving behavior.According to an embodiment according to the invention, each conveying carriage comprises a carriage frame on which a second roller element is arranged at least indirectly. The second roller element comprises a rotatable roller assigned to the at least one guide element, which is positioned by the second roller element in an operating state such that the roller acts as a lateral guide roller for the conveying carriage. If the guide of the sorting conveyor has two guide elements running along the sorting section at a defined distance from one another, two second roller elements with respectively associated lateral guide roller are correspondingly provided, wherein one of the roller elements is designed as a left-handed roller element and the other as a right-handed roller element. With a view to a further improvement of the handling, it is provided in this connection that the articulation unit, as seen in the conveying direction of the sorting conveyor, is offset to a certain extent towards the rear with respect to the axis of the guide rollers. The exact dimension is preferably determined in dependence on the specific construction of the sorting conveyor in such a way that it is ensured that the outer guide roller is in contact with the outer guide element for the narrowest curves present in the sorting conveyor.Furthermore, according to the invention, the conveying carriages each comprise a roller which is designed to be pivotable about a substantially perpendicular pivot axis and which enables the conveying carriage to roll on the associated guide element. If the guide of the sorting conveyor has two guide elements running along the sorting section at a defined distance from one another, two first roller elements with respectively associated roller are correspondingly provided, wherein one of the roller elements is designed as a left-handed roller element and the other as a right-handed roller element. The pivot axis is positioned in front of the axis of the respective caster when viewed in the direction of travel, so that the caster is automatically forced into the corresponding cam positions when cornering. Specifically, according to the invention, an arrangement is provided in which the articulation unit of the connecting element is positioned at the height of the pivot axis of the roller, as viewed in the conveying direction of the sorting conveyor. This relative positioning reduces the displacement of the conveyor carriage to a minimum during cornering.According to one embodiment, it can be provided that the articulation unit is positioned in a front section of the respective rear of adjacent conveyor carriages. The front section of a conveying carriage thereby fundamentally denotes the region from the carriage center of the respective conveying carriage, defined by an equal distance, as seen in the conveying direction, from a front edge and from a rear edge of the conveying carriage, up to the front edge of the conveying carriage. According to a preferred embodiment, the joint unit is positioned in a front quarter of the conveyor car, according to a further preferred embodiment even in a front eighth of the conveyor car. Such a displacement of the joint unit in the forward direction prevents excessive outward rotation when the transport cars are cornering.According to one embodiment, it can even be provided that the articulated unit, as seen in the conveying direction of the sorting conveyor, is displaced so far forward that it is substantially aligned with the front edge of the respective rear of adjacent conveying carriages. This, in addition to the effect that an excessively strong rotation of the conveying carriages outwards during cornering is prevented, has the advantage of an easy installation possibility of the joint unit. In this case, the rollers (or more precisely their pivot axis) and / or the lateral guide rollers would have to be moved forward accordingly. By further displacement of the joint unit forwards, i.e. into the region between two adjacent conveyor carriages, an undesired inward rotation of the conveyor carriages results in a disadvantageous manner.In terms of design, it can be provided that the connecting element comprises a coupling rod between each two adjacent conveyor carriages. The coupling rod can have, for example, a fixed or rigid connection to the respective front one of the adjacent conveyor carriages and a connection, which is designed in an articulated manner via the articulated unit, to the respective rear one of the adjacent conveyor carriages.According to an advantageous embodiment, the joint unit is designed as a joint bearing, whereby a high degree of flexibility can be achieved. In particular, due to the specific properties of the articulated bearing, a mobility of the transport trucks relative to one another in a plurality of degrees of freedom can be achieved depending on the specific installation situation. In combination with the above-described positioning of the articulated bearing, an optimized driving behavior of the conveyor trucks for different driving situations can thus be ensured.According to an advantageous embodiment, the articulated bearing is designed as a radial articulated bearing. As is known, this is a sliding bearing in which there is a sliding contact between a spherical inner ring and an outer ring with a hollow spherical inner shape. Due to the spherical shape of the sliding surfaces, a radial articulated bearing enables rotational, tilting or pivoting movements which can be transmitted to the conveying carriages when the radial articulated bearing is installed in the connecting element.With regard to simple assembly and high stability, an embodiment of the articulated bearing as a standing bearing is appropriate. In this case, the radial articulated bearing, optionally together with an adjusting ring which accommodates the coupling rod, can be accommodated in a housing of the bearing post. The housing could preferably be made of cast iron or stainless steel.The radial articulated bearing can be designed as a maintenance-dependent bearing, the individual parts of which must be separated from one another by an oil or lubricating film. In this embodiment, preferably steel / steel slide pairs are used, wherein rolling bearing steel is preferred as the steel. Alternatively, the articulated bearing can also be designed as a maintenance-free radial articulated bearing. In this case, for example, it is possible to use this method. Hard chromium / PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) or chromium steel / PTFE slide pairings are used. Owing to the special material composition, these articulated bearings do not require any re-lubrication, which has proven to be advantageous in particular in view of the relatively difficult installation situation on the conveyor truck.According to an advantageous embodiment, the sorting conveyor comprises a drive means for driving the conveying carriages, for example in the form of a rubber block chain. For this purpose, the conveying carriages each have a connection arrangement, via which they are connected to the drive means of the sorting conveyor. The relative positioning (as viewed in the conveying direction) of this connection arrangement with respect to the articulation unit or the articulation bearing of the connecting element between adjacent conveying trucks likewise has an effect on the driving behavior of the conveying trucks. In a preferred embodiment, the joint unit is positioned (substantially) at the height of the connection arrangement, as seen in the conveying direction of the sorting conveyor. This ensures that the drive means / the rubber block chain experiences an optimum curve profile and runs in particular centrally between the two guide elements.According to an advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that the conveying carriages are coupled together to form a closed conveying carriage train, whereby operation of the sorting conveyor is simplified overall, in particular with regard to the control outlay.There are now various possibilities for advantageously embodying and developing the teaching of the present invention. For this purpose, reference is made on the one hand to the dependent patent claims and on the other hand to the following explanation of preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention with reference to the drawing. In conjunction with the explanation of the preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention on the basis of the drawing, preferred embodiments and refinements of the teaching are also generally explained. The drawing shows FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of the general structure of a transverse belt sorter according to the prior art, FIG. 2 shows a perspective illustration of an installation situation of a conveying carriage in a sorting installation with connection to a drive means according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, FIG. 3 shows a schematic top view of conveying carriages of a sorting conveyor coupled to one another in cornering with a positioning of the articulated bearings according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, FIG. 4 shows a schematic top view of a conveyor carriage according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, FIG. 5 shows the front section of the conveyor carriage according to FIG. 4 in a first enlarged side view, FIG. 6 shows the front section of the conveyor carriage according to FIG. 4 in a second enlarged side view, and FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a roller together with a pivoting device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.In the figures, unless otherwise indicated, like reference numerals designate like components.FIG. 2 shows a perspective illustration of an installation situation of a conveying carriage 3 in a distribution conveyor 5 (also referred to below as a sorting conveyor or sorting installation) with a connection to a drive means 6 of the distribution conveyor 5 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The entire sorting installation 5 comprises a plurality of conveying carriages 3, which are coupled to one another and usually form an endless chain.As can be seen in FIG. 2, each conveyor carriage 3 (also referred to below as a carrier) comprises a roller assembly 7L, 7R per side, which roller assembly is in turn constructed from a total of three rollers. The guide elements 8L, 8R of the carriers 3 form tubes (not shown in FIG. 2 for reasons of clarity) on which a roller 9L, 9R of a roller assembly 7L, 7R resting on top rolls and a lateral guide roller 10L, 10R and a lower support roller 11L, 11R hold the carrier 3 in position. A coupling rod 12, which is located at the rear end of each carrier 3 as viewed in the conveying direction FR, forms the connecting element 13 between the carriers 3. As a result, the entire sorter becomes an endless chain of a plurality of conveying carriages 3. This arrangement enables travel in slopes and curves. The pivot bearing 14 defines the pivot point of the conveyor carriage 3.The necessary driving force is provided by a motor which transmits the energy to the driving means 6 which is designed in the form of a rubber block chain 15. The carriers 3 are connected to the rubber block chain 15 by an articulated connection arrangement 16 and are accordingly set in motion by the rubber block chain 15. In other words, the drive energy of the rubber block chain 15 is transmitted to the respective carrier 3 via the connection arrangement 16.The driving behavior of the carriers 3 depends on the arrangement of the components, wherein the positionings of the pivot bearing 14 of the connecting element 13, the rollers 9L, 9R, the lateral guide rollers 10L, 10R and the attachment arrangement 16 in the direction of the central axis of the sorting conveyor 5, i.e. viewed in the conveying direction FR, in particular also the relative positioning of the mentioned components with respect to one another, are of particular importance.An important parameter for the travel behavior of the carriages 3 in curves of the sorting conveyor 5 is the relative positioning of the pivot bearing 14 of the connecting element 13 with respect to the lateral guide roller 10L, 10R. If the axes of the guide rollers 10L, 10R are positioned at the height of the pivot bearing 14, as seen in the conveying direction FR, there is no contact between the guide rollers 10L, 10R and the guide elements 8L, 8R in the curves. If, on the other hand, the axes of the guide rollers 10L, 10R are positioned a certain distance in front of the pivot bearing 14, as viewed in the conveying direction FR, there is contact between the outer guide roller 10L and the outer guide element 8L in a curve. If the axes of the guide rollers 10L, 10R are positioned behind the pivot bearing 14 by a certain amount, as seen in the conveying direction FR, there is contact between the inner guide roller 10R and the inner guide element 8R in a curve.The relative positioning of the pivot bearing 14 of the connecting element 13 with respect to the caster 9L, 9R likewise has an influence on the driving behavior of the conveying trucks 3. In this respect, the position of the pivot axis 18 of the roller 9L, 9R (hereinafter also referred to as the pivot point) which, viewed in the direction of travel, is located in front of the axis of the roller 9L, 9R is of importance.Finally, the relative positioning of the articulated bearing 14 of the connecting element 13 with respect to the connecting arrangement 16 to the rubber block chain 15 has an influence on the driving behavior of the conveying carriages 3. By displacing the two points mentioned above relative to each other, i.e. positioning the pivot bearing 14 and positioning the connecting arrangement 16, viewed in the conveying direction FR of the sorting conveyor 5, deviations from an optimum course of the rubber block chain 15 result, depending on the displacement direction, either in the direction of the inside of the curve or in the direction of the outside of the curve.Taking into account the above findings, it is provided according to a preferred embodiment of the sorting conveyor 5 according to the invention that the articulated bearing 14, as shown in FIG. 5, is positioned (substantially) at the height of the pivot axis 18 of the roller 9L, 9R, as seen in the conveying direction FR of the sorting conveyor 5. This allows a lateral displacement of the conveying trucks during cornering to be reduced to a minimum.Alternatively or additionally, it is provided that the axes of the lateral guide rollers 10L, 10R are positioned a certain distance in front of the pivot bearing 14. As described in detail further below in connection with FIGS. 4-6, it can thereby be achieved that in curves the respective outer one of the lateral guide rollers 10L, 10R of the carriers 3 abuts the respective outer one of the guide elements 8L, 8R.The connecting arrangement 16 for connecting the carrier 3 to the rubber block chain 15 of the sorting conveyor 5 is, as can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, fastened according to a preferred embodiment exactly below the pivot bearing 14 on the carriage frame 17 of the carrier 3. As a result, the rubber block chain 15 undergoes optimum running in the curve and lies centrally between the two guide elements 8L, 8R.FIGS. 4-6 show schematic side views and top views of a conveyor carriage 3 of a sorting conveyor according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. For the sake of completeness only, FIG. 4 shows the complete carriage frame 17 including the drive device 20 for the belt conveyor 4; however, this is not of any further significance for the present invention; accordingly, FIGS. 5 and 6 show, in different side views, a detail of the front part of the conveyor carriage in an enlarged illustration. While FIG. 5 shows the right-hand outer side of the conveyor carriage 3 as viewed in the conveying direction FR, FIG. 6 is a sectional illustration along the line a-a in FIG.. 4As can be clearly seen in the top view of FIG. 4 and in the side view of FIG. 6, the articulated bearing 14 for the connecting element 13, i.e. the coupling rod 12, is positioned in a front section of the conveyor carriage 3, which facilitates both the installation and accessibility during operation. Specifically, the pivot bearing 14 is offset rearward by the dimension A relative to the front end of the carriage frame 17 according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment.According to a particularly preferred embodiment, with regard to the positioning of the articulated bearing 14 relative to the lateral guide roller 10L, 10R, it is provided that the articulated bearing 14 is slightly offset to the rear with respect to the axis of the lateral guide roller 10L, 10R, as seen in the conveying direction FR. The size of this offset, which is denoted by 'B' in FIG. 4, is advantageously defined as a function of the specific construction of the sorting conveyor. In concrete terms, the measure 'B' can be determined according to the fact that it is ensured that the respective outer guide roller 10L, 10R is in contact with the respective outer guide element 8L, 8R for the narrowest curves present in the sorting conveyor, as can be seen in FIG. 3.To enable cornering, the rollers 9L, 9R are designed to be pivotable about a substantially vertical axis 18, for which purpose the first roller element which carries the rollers 9L, 9R is each equipped with a pivot mechanism. FIG. 7 shows a schematic perspective illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a pivoting mechanism for a right-handed caster 9R. According to the specifically illustrated exemplary embodiment, the rollers 9L, 9R are mounted on a holder 21 via their respective axis 19. The holder 21, in turn, is pivotably connected to the carriage frame 17 via a pivot joint 22. In the usual manner, the construction is designed in such a way that the axis 19 of the rollers 9L, 9R lies behind the pivot axis 18, as seen in the conveying direction FR, so that the rollers 9L, 9R automatically align themselves according to the respective curve radius when the vehicle is travelling through a curve by the pivoting mechanism.According to a preferred embodiment, with regard to an optimized handling behavior of the carriers, a configuration of the holder 21 is provided in such a way that the distance between the axis 19 of the rollers 9L, 9R and the pivot axis 18, as seen in the conveying direction, is greater than the radius of the rollers 9L, 9R, and the rollers 9L, 9R are therefore located completely behind the pivot axis 18.According to a particularly preferred embodiment, with regard to the positioning of the articulated bearing 14 relative to the pivot axis 18 of the rollers 9L, 9R, it is provided that these rollers-as viewed in the conveying direction FR-are positioned at the same height, corresponding to the dashed line in FIGS. 4-6. In this way, the displacement of the carrier 3, i.e. specifically the displacement of the rollers 9L, 9R to the neutral fiber of the guide rails 8L, 8R, can be reduced to a minimum.According to a further preferred embodiment, with regard to the positioning of the articulated bearing 14 relative to the connection arrangement 16 for connecting the carrier 3 to the rubber block chain 15 of the sorting conveyor 5, it is provided that these are likewise positioned at the same height, as seen in the conveying direction FR, according to the dashed line in FIG. 5. the rubber block chain 15 thereby experiences an optimum running in the curve and lies centrally between the two guide elements 8L, 8R.With regard to further advantageous embodiments of the sorting conveyor or conveying carriage according to the invention, reference is made to the general part of the description and to the appended claims in order to avoid repetitions.Finally, it should be expressly pointed out that the above-described exemplary embodiments of the sorting conveyor or conveying carriage according to the invention serve merely for the discussion of the teaching claimed, but do not restrict it to the exemplary embodiments.List of reference characters1 Sorting section 2 Ejection station (end point) 3 Conveying carriage 4 Belt conveyor 5 Distributing conveyor 6 Drive means 7L, 7R Roller assembly 8L, 8R Guide element 9L, 9R Roller 10L, 10R Lateral guide roller 11L, 11R Lower support roller 12 Coupling rod 13 Connecting element 14 Articulated bearing 15 Rubber block chain 16 Connecting arrangement 17 Carriage frame 18 Pivot axis of the roller 19 Axis of the roller 20 Drive device 21 Holder 22 Pivot joint FR Conveying direction

Claims

Sorting conveyor (5) comprising: at least one guide element (8L, 8R) and a plurality of conveying carriages (3) which are designed to be conveyed along the guide element (8L, 8R) of the sorting conveyor (5) in a conveying direction (FR), wherein the conveying carriages (3) can be coupled together to form a conveying carriage train in that a connecting element (13) with at least one joint unit is provided in each case between the conveying carriages (3), via which connecting element adjacent conveying carriages (3) can be coupled to one another, wherein the conveying carriages (3) each comprise a carriage frame (17) and at least one first roller element, connected to the carriage frame (17), with a rotatable roller, wherein, in an operating state, the first roller element positions the associated roller in such a way that the roller is configured as a roller (9L, 9r) for the conveyor carriage (3) which enables the conveyor carriage (3) to roll on the associated guide element (8L, 8R), and wherein the conveyor carriages (3) each comprise at least one second roller element which is connected to the carriage frame (17) and is associated with the at least one guide element (8L, 8R) and has a rotatable roller, wherein, in an operating state, the second roller element positions the at least one associated roller in such a way that the roller acts as a lateral guide roller (10L, 10R) for the conveyor carriage (3), characterized in that the articulated unit, as seen in the conveying direction (FR) of the sorting conveyor (5), is offset to the rear with respect to the axis of the guide roller (10L, 10R), and in that the first roller element comprises a pivoting device, which allows the roller (9L, 9R) to swivel movements about a vertical swivel axis (18), wherein the joint unit of the connecting element (13), as viewed in the conveying direction (FR) of the sorting conveyor (5), is positioned at the height of the swivel axis (18) of the roller (9L, 9R).The sorting conveyor (5) according to claim 1, wherein the articulation unit is positioned on or in a front section, as seen in the conveying direction (FR) of the sorting conveyor (5), of the respective rear one of the adjacent conveying carriages (3).Sorting conveyor (5) according to claim 1, wherein the articulated unit, as seen in the conveying direction (FR) of the sorting conveyor (5), is aligned with a front edge of the respective rear of the adjacent conveying carriages (3).Sorting conveyor (5) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the connecting element (13) comprises a coupling rod (12) which has a fixed connection to the respective front of the adjacent conveyor carriages (3) and a connection, which is articulated via the articulation unit, to the respective rear of the adjacent conveyor carriages (3).Sorting conveyor (5) according to one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the articulated unit comprises an articulated bearing (14) designed as a standing bearing.Sorting conveyor (5) according to claim 5, wherein the articulated bearing (14) is designed as a maintenance-free radial articulated bearing.Sorting conveyor (5) according to one of Claims 1 to 6, comprising a drive means (6) for driving the conveying carriages (3), wherein the conveying carriages (3) each comprise a connection arrangement (16) for connecting the conveying carriage (3) to the drive means (6) of the sorting conveyor (5), and wherein the articulated unit is positioned at the height of the connection arrangement (16), as seen in the conveying direction (FR) of the sorting conveyor (5).Sorting conveyor (5) according to one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the conveying carriages (3) are coupled together to form a closed conveying carriage train.The sorting conveyor (5) according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the sorting conveyor (5) is designed as a transverse belt sorter.Conveyor carriage (3) for a sorting conveyor (5), wherein the conveyor carriage (3) is designed to be conveyed along at least one guide element (8L, 8R) of the sorting conveyor (5) in a conveying direction (FR), wherein the conveyor carriage (3) comprises a connecting element (13) for coupling to an adjacent conveyor carriage of the sorting conveyor (5), and wherein the conveyor carriage (3) comprises a carriage frame (17) and at least one first roller element, which is connected to the carriage frame (17) and has a rotatable roller, wherein, in an operating state, the first roller element positions the associated roller in such a way that the roller acts as a roller (9L, 9R) for the conveyor carriage (3) which allows the conveyor carriage (3) to roll on the associated guide element (8L, 8R), and wherein the conveyor carriages (3) each comprise at least one second roller element with a rotatable roller connected to the carriage frame (17) and assigned to the at least one guide element (8L, 8R), wherein in an operating state the second roller element positions the at least one associated roller in such a way that the roller acts as a lateral guide roller (10L, 10R) for the conveyor carriage (3), characterized in that the joint unit is offset to the rear, as seen in the conveying direction (FR) of the sorting conveyor (5), with respect to the axis of the guide roller (10L, 10R), and in that the first roller element comprises a pivoting device which allows the roller (9L, 9R) to pivot movements about a vertical pivot axis (18), wherein the articulation unit of the connecting element (13) is positioned at the height of the pivot axis (18) of the roller (9L, 9R), as viewed in the conveying direction (FR) of the sorting conveyor (5).

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