DEVICE AND METHOD FOR GENERATING DISTANCES BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL CONVEYING UNITS DURING SIMULTANEOUS TRANSPORT OF THE CONVEYING UNITS

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device and a method for generating gaps between individual conveyed goods units during simultaneous transport of the conveyed goods units, particularly in production environments and in logistics. background

[0002] In modern plant engineering and conveyor systems, logistical objects such as boxes, containers, trays, pallets, etc., as well as workpieces or workpiece carriers, are transported using material flow systems. These systems consist of a mechanical structure, electrical wiring, and a control system for regulating the drive speed and thus the flow rates.

[0003] Modern material flow systems are typically mechanically modular in design. A conveyor system generally consists of multiple, interconnected conveying sections. These conveying sections are usually many times larger than the object being conveyed, such as a conveyor belt or a powered roller conveyor, which can accommodate a large number of objects simultaneously.

[0004] An exemplary material flow system is known from the international application WO 2011 / 131 573 A1.

[0005] With the ever-increasing growth of online and mail-order commerce and the growing importance of globally interconnected supply chains, logistics and the handling of packages and other goods have become highly technical and complex tasks. A key component of these material flow systems are the conveyor sections that, in addition to the underlying transport via conveyor belts or roller conveyors, sort the goods. This can involve, for example, distributing identical goods to different destinations or sorting different goods according to their type, properties, or intended destination.However, in most cases the conveyed goods must be fed in an orderly sequence for sorting, usually individually one after the other in the form of a string of pearls, so to speak in single file, or in rows or parallel rows, so that singulation takes place first before the actual sorting begins.

[0006] This results in a multitude of different functions for the singulation and sorting sections of the conveying devices in order to enable high throughput and thus good productivity of the entire conveying system. However, no system is currently known that can sort unordered, unaligned, or even approximately singulated conveyed goods (from a "bulk" feed). Not only the quantity that such a sorting section can successfully process, but also the quality, for example, the reliability and accuracy of the sorting, is significantly determined by the spacing or gaps available between the individual conveyed goods to ensure the various functions of the sorting section can be performed effectively.Here, optimization is always necessary between the conflicting requirements for sorting quality, which favors a large distance between individual conveyed goods, and the throughput rate, so that sorting does not become a bottleneck in the overall conveying process. For this purpose, the smallest possible gaps between the individual conveyed goods are desirable.

[0007] This results in a crucial function of a material flow system that precedes sorting: the function known in technical terms as gapping. Gapping is the deliberate creation of predetermined distances or gaps between individual conveyed goods. These gaps or predetermined distances must be created and maintained both in the conveying direction and perpendicular to it.

[0008] In the simplest case, gapping is achieved by manually placing the conveyed goods onto a feeder leading to the sorting station or even onto the sorting section itself. The technical term for such placement and singulation (possibly coupled with aligning the conveyed goods) is "induction," borrowed from English. Another simple method is to manually create sufficient gaps between conveyed goods passing the operator on a dedicated transport section of the conveyor system upstream of the sorting section. However, manual manipulation to create predetermined, sufficient distances between individual conveyed goods is laborious and comparatively slow. Therefore, the need to automate gapping and find appropriate plant engineering solutions has been, and remains, very high.

[0009] Examples of dynamic gapping devices are described in U.S. patent publications US 8,201,681 B2, US 10,647,522 B1, and US 2020 / 0109011 A1. These publications disclose a device or device section for conveying individual items, in which the conveying area is divided into a plurality of conveyor belts arranged in series, each capable of operating at different speeds. Depending on the existing distances or dimensions of the individual items being conveyed, a control algorithm can adjust the speed of one or more of the conveyor belts arranged in series so that one item is transported faster or slower relative to the adjacent item. In this way, the distance between these two items can be increased or decreased.However, here the gapping occurs exclusively in the direction of conveyance.

[0010] However, these devices have several limitations that are no longer acceptable in a modern material flow system. Firstly, spacing only works well if the conveyed goods are fed into the gapping device individually, one after the other, in a more or less orderly fashion. This is because sensors must first detect the existing distances or dimensions of the conveyed goods. Above all, however, this is due to the underlying conveying technology, which allows for different speeds only in the direction of travel of the conveyor belts. In other words, if the conveyed goods are not sufficiently spaced side-by-side in the transverse direction of travel, no manipulation to increase the distance can take place.Furthermore, such a gapping system will not be variably usable for both small and large conveyed goods, because if several items are to be transported together on one of the conveyor belts arranged one after the other, even the different speeds of the conveyor belts cannot create sufficient distance between these items. They would then be transported faster together.

[0011] Another significant disadvantage is the considerable length of the device, which is solely occupied by the conveyor belts arranged one behind the other to create gaps between the conveyed goods. The extremely large space requirement is not significantly reduced by positioning several of these gapping systems side by side, as space must then be provided behind the multiple systems for merging or crossing the conveyed goods.

[0012] According to US patent US 9,790,035 B2, attempts are made to address these limitations at least partially by using smaller, consecutive conveyor belts compared to the aforementioned systems, and by controlling and operating them dynamically, i.e., with varying and non-linear speeds.

[0013] These problems are well known, and there are other gapping conveyor systems that attempt to at least partially improve or simplify these processes, or to eliminate the aforementioned disadvantages.

[0014] European patent EP 2059467 B1 discloses a technical gapping device in which one or more robots are used to create sufficient spacing between conveyed goods. These robots lift individual goods from the main conveyor, transfer them to a secondary conveyor, and then re-thread them into a suitable gap between the goods on the main conveyor. This is a very complex and throughput-limited solution for a gapping system, as the removal and replacement of individual goods by the robot(s) is very time-consuming. Furthermore, this system also occupies a significant amount of productive space.

[0015] Furthermore, European patent EP 1556297 B1, which shows the preamble of claim 4, describes a conveying device with handling of the distributed articles, which, with reference number 26, comprises a gapping system formed by adjacent, non-parallel and comparatively short conveyor belts 54a-54h (cf. Figure 1 Passing through this section, the adjacent individual conveyed items are moved apart not only in the conveying direction but also perpendicular to it. However, the distances achievable with such an arrangement are very limited. Furthermore, the directions of the movement vectors acting on the conveyed items to create this distance are fixed by the orientation of the conveyor belt and cannot be subsequently changed. Therefore, this setup is very static and only applicable to recurring conveyed items or tasks.

[0016] All known gapping conveyor systems thus require a very large amount of space, particularly with regard to the distances between conveyed goods that they can achieve. They are also limited in their ability to create sufficient distances over short transport distances and therefore within a short timeframe. Furthermore, it should be noted that all known gapping systems that utilize conveyor technology have mechanically fixed directions of movement that affect the conveyed goods in such a way that they are moved either differently along the conveying direction or, to a lesser extent, perpendicular to it. These mechanically fixed directions of movement cannot be subsequently changed without modifying the system.While the use of robots can offer a solution in this regard, their use is associated not only with high costs and maintenance requirements, but also with the disadvantage that they are very slow in picking up and placing individual items. High throughput is therefore not achievable. Furthermore, it should be noted that existing systems cannot perform individual and variable manipulation of individual items, especially if the items are not fed in individually one after the other, but rather in a disordered group with several items lying side by side, even perpendicular to the conveying direction ("bulk"). Crossing the movement paths of the items to be spaced out is also not possible without requiring considerable space. Task

[0017] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a device and a method that make it possible to create a predetermined target distance between conveyed goods, even when the goods are not arranged in a specific order and / or are not fed individually one after the other, while maintaining a small footprint for the device. For this purpose, the device and the method should preferably enable the creation of distances between the conveyed goods by moving them (dynamic gapping). Furthermore, the throughput of the gapping device should be high with reliable gapping functionality. Finally, the gapping device or the gapping method should be modifiable without structural modifications to the system, allowing for adjustments to the movement possibilities of the conveyed goods that determine the distance. Description of the invention

[0018] The task is solved by a conveying system for generating distances d between a first conveyed goods unit and a second conveyed goods unit while simultaneously transporting the conveyed goods units in a conveying direction z, comprising: A feeding device for feeding at least the first conveying unit and the second conveying unit, wherein the first conveying unit and the second conveying unit have a first distance, one or more subsequent conveying sections with several conveying unit drives located one behind the other and next to each other in the conveying direction z for transporting the conveying units at an actual speed, detection means for the standardized detection of the individual conveying units, means for determining a target position of the first conveying unit and the second conveying unit, a control / regulation for controlling or regulating a target distance d between the first conveying unit and the second conveying unit based on the said target positions, characterized in that the conveying unit drives are designed and configured in such a way as tothat they, individually or in multiples, can move the individual conveyed goods units in any direction in the conveying plane such that the target distance d between the first conveyed goods unit and the second conveyed goods unit is present when transitioning to a subsequent conveying section, wherein the target distance is different from the first distance, wherein the conveyed goods drives are each individually driven by a motor and individually controllable by the control system, and wherein the sensing means can send a signal to the control system with information on the properties of the first conveyed goods unit and the second conveyed goods unit.The control system receives signals from the means to determine a target position for the first and second conveyed goods units and, depending on these signals, determines and outputs control signals to the conveying goods drives to move the first and second conveyed goods units to the target position, such that the first and second conveyed goods units can be moved individually and variably in any direction of the conveying plane by the conveying goods drives to generate the target distance d, whereby the first and second conveyed goods units are simultaneously transported in the conveying direction z.

[0019] A target distance d can be predefined and, for example, have a specific value. However, the target distance can also depend on one or more parameters of the conveyed unit(s). For example, it may be intended that a different (larger) target distance d should result for a large and / or fast conveyed unit than for a small and / or slow conveyed unit. For example, depending on the size / speed of the conveyed unit, the size for the calculation can be scaled by a factor greater than 1, e.g., 1.1, before the distance is calculated. Similarly, consideration can be given to whether a conveyed unit is elongated, i.e., if the ratio of its sides (length / width) is, for example, greater than 2 or less than 0.5.An example of a target distance chosen in relation to parameters of the conveyed goods units is a fraction of the shortest side length of a conveyed goods unit, preferably the shortest side length of the first and / or second conveyed goods unit.

[0020] A conveying direction z can be understood as either a local conveying direction, e.g. based on one or more adjacent conveyed goods units, or globally between a feed device and a desired exit point (e.g. the end of a conveying section of the conveying system) without excluding other definitions.

[0021] The device according to the invention advantageously makes it possible to create a predetermined target distance between conveyed goods, even when the goods are not arranged in a specific order and / or are not fed individually one after the other. Furthermore, the device requires little space because, due to the variable movement of the conveyed goods in any direction along the conveying plane, the movements to create the distances can be performed without requiring a large distance. Thus, the device according to the invention has the ability to create sufficient distances even over a short transport distance and therefore within a short time. In addition, the device according to the invention can create the required distances between the conveyed goods individually by moving them (dynamic gapping).There is no restriction on the direction of movement, particularly the direction of movement away from each other, so that a direction of movement and its path length can be calculated and executed individually for each conveyed item. Furthermore, the conveying speed can be individually adjusted; it can even be negative if, for example, a single conveyed item needs to cross paths with other conveyed items or their movements without collision in order to reach its target position. This is not possible with previously known systems.

[0022] Furthermore, the throughput of the gapping device is very high with reliable gapping functionality, since the individual gapping movements of the conveyed goods are performed in a very small space compared to previously known systems. Moreover, the device according to the invention can be modified without structural changes to the system in terms of the movement possibilities of the conveyed goods underlying the creation of the gaps.

[0023] The present invention relates to a conveying system for creating gaps between individual conveyed goods units while simultaneously transporting the conveyed goods units in a conveying direction z, which can also be referred to as gapping. Essentially, two functions are performed simultaneously for subsequent sorting, precise identification, or further transport at a distance by the device and its components: Firstly, the conveyed goods are transported in the conveying direction z; secondly, the conveyed goods are manipulated such that they have a sufficient distance d from each other for subsequent steps. The conveying direction z can run along a straight line, but can also describe a non-straight path, which, for example, includes curves, bends, and / or changes in direction.

[0024] The conveying system according to the invention comprises a feed device for feeding a plurality of conveyed goods units. The feed device can be either actively conveying or non-actively conveying. For example, a feed device can consist of a table or a workstation for operating personnel; alternatively, a feed device can consist of, for example, a chute or a driven or non-driven belt or roller conveyor.

[0025] For the purposes of the present invention, the term "conveyed goods" is understood to mean, in particular, individual items. Conveyed goods units can be packaged or unpackaged. Preferably, these are goods packaged in cartons, envelopes, or films, or goods carriers such as trays, small load carriers, and shelves. The conveyed goods units can be of the same type, in particular of the same dimensions. Preferably, however, they are of different types, in particular of different dimensions.

[0026] For the purposes of the present invention, the first and second conveying units can in particular be any two adjacent conveying units.

[0027] Furthermore, a multiple of individual conveying units can be fed to the conveying sections via the feeding device, either in an ordered manner, but preferably in a disordered manner ("in bulk"). If the conveying units are fed in an ordered manner, they can be fed individually in a row and / or side by side. Preferably, however, the conveying units are not fed individually in a row. Particularly preferably, the conveying rate is more than 50, more than 100, more than 150, or more than 200 units per minute, which are fed from the feeding device to the subsequent conveying sections.

[0028] The term "bulk" refers to a plurality of unordered conveying units. It specifically describes a loose collection of conveying units that can vary in shape, dimensions, weight, and properties (e.g., surface, material). The position and orientation of an individual conveying unit within the "bulk" need not follow any defined arrangement. A single conveying unit may be in contact with one or more other conveying units, or the conveying units may overlap. For example, the conveying units may be at completely different distances from each other and may touch, or they may additionally or alternatively have different orientations of their main axes that do not point in the conveying direction.

[0029] The device according to the invention further comprises one or more subsequent conveying sections with several conveying material drives located one behind the other and next to each other in the conveying direction z for transporting the conveying material units at an actual speed.

[0030] The conveying section(s) are arranged downstream of the feed device in the conveying direction such that they receive the conveyed material units from the feed device and transport them in the conveying direction z. According to the invention, at least for the purpose of transporting the conveyed material units, several conveying material drives are provided per conveying section, located next to and one behind the other in the conveying direction z.

[0031] In the context of the present invention, a conveying material drive is understood to be, in particular, a device by which a motion impulse is transmitted to a conveying material unit such that it is moved in the conveying direction and in another direction of the conveying plane. This variable movement can be determined and executed either by a single conveying material drive or by several conveying material drives acting together.

[0032] Examples of conveying material drives include rollers that are smaller than the contact area of ​​the conveyed material unit and are driven by a motor. A single motor can drive one roller or multiple coupled rollers, for example, two or three rollers, which together form a conveying material drive. In other words, the conveying material drives can optionally be driven and / or controlled in groups. Particularly preferred are conveying material drives such as those known in conveyor technology as motor-driven omnidirectional wheels or Mecanum wheels. In omnidirectional wheels, the running surface of the wheel consists of rollers whose axes of rotation are at an angle to the axis of rotation of the main wheel. A special type of Mecanum wheel, in which the rollers are mounted at an angle to the main axis (usually 45°), is similarly constructed to an omnidirectional wheel.This means that the rotation of the wheel and the rotation of the rollers cannot be decoupled from each other.

[0033] According to the present invention, by arranging the conveying drives side by side and one behind the other in the conveying direction, and by appropriately aligning the conveying drives, it is achieved that the conveyed goods units can be moved individually in different directions to establish a desired distance between them and simultaneously transport the conveyed goods units to a subsequent section. Preferably, the conveying drives are not conveyor belts, not rotatable discs (where the term "disc" refers to the support surface for the conveyed goods units), and not rotatable balls.

[0034] The conveying drives can transport the conveyed goods units individually or in multiples in the conveying direction. According to the invention, the conveying goods drives can also, in addition to transporting the goods in the conveying direction, move the conveyed goods units variably in any direction of the conveying plane, wherein the conveying goods drives operate individually or in multiples working together. Within the scope of the present invention, the term "movability in any direction of the conveying plane" is understood to mean, in particular, that a conveyed goods unit can be moved both in the conveying direction and at a variable angle deviating from the conveying direction, such as, for example, in a first subsection of the conveying section at 90° to the conveying direction, i.e., transversely to the conveying direction, in a further subsection at 20° to the conveying direction, and in a subsequent subsection at 5° to the conveying direction.The motion vector, which deviates from the conveying direction, is therefore dynamically adjustable, both in terms of its variability in direction and its magnitude, and thus in the acceleration or speed of the conveyed goods units. It can even be provided that the movement of the conveyed goods units in the conveying direction is slowed down or even reversed (negative speed) by the conveying drives.

[0035] A target distance d can be predefined and, for example, have a specific value. However, the target distance can also depend on one or more parameters of the conveyed unit(s). For example, it may be intended that a different (larger) target distance d should result for a large and / or fast conveyed unit than for a small and / or slow conveyed unit. For example, depending on the size / speed of the conveyed unit, the size for the calculation can be scaled by a factor greater than 1, e.g., 1.1, before the distance is calculated. Similarly, consideration can be given to whether a conveyed unit is elongated, i.e., if the ratio of its sides (length / width) is, for example, greater than 2 or less than 0.5.For example, the target distance d, the distance between the nearest points of the first and second conveyed units, can be defined as a specific fraction of the shortest side length of a conveying unit, such as one-quarter, one-third, one-fifth, or one-tenth of the shortest side length. Alternatively, a range can be specified for the target distance d, such as between one-tenth and one-quarter of the shortest side length. The target distance d should be selected, in particular, taking into account the intended average conveying speed in the conveying direction z (and thus the intended throughput of the conveying system).

[0036] Within the scope of the present invention, the term "detection means for the standardized detection of individual conveyed goods units" refers to both actively detecting and non-actively detecting means. Actively detecting means are understood to include, in particular, one or more means for detecting the geometry, contour, height, marking, height contour, color, machine-readable optical markings, human-readable optical markings, machine-readable radio-based markings, such as cameras, depth cameras (3D cameras), other optical sensors, radio receivers, or ID readers for reading printed codes, e.g., barcode scanners, QR code scanners, etc.Non-active detection means can also preferably include and serve as detection means stored in a control system or on a data carrier, relating to the conveyed goods units, in particular to their geometry, contour, height, labeling, height contour, color, marking, or to their possibly predetermined distances during feeding into the conveying system according to the invention.

[0037] In the context of the present invention, the term "typical detection" refers specifically to the fact that not all detectable parameters of a conveyed item unit are detected, but rather that the detection of a single property, characteristic, or parameter is sufficient to determine a conveyed item unit in such a way that its movement to establish a target position, and thus a target distance to its neighboring conveyed item units, can be determined, and the movement can be executed by the device according to the invention. Outlines, object types, colors, volumes, lengths, or even just the distances between neighboring conveyed item units can be detected.

[0038] Furthermore, tables containing information on conveyed unit types, including a preferred movement pattern for each unit type, can be stored in the control system. It is also conceivable that the system's typing process recognizes a conveyed unit type, writes it to an empty table field, and thereby creates a new conveyed unit type.

[0039] The conveying system according to the invention also includes means for determining a target position of a conveyed unit. Within the scope of the present invention, the term "means for determining a target position" refers in particular to stored data that can be read in a controller or on a data carrier. This data determines a target position at the end of the conveying section, for example, based on a defined algorithm or dynamically based on recorded actual positions of the conveyed units in the feed area or at the beginning of the subsequent conveying section, or preferably based on the classification of the conveyed units.

[0040] Furthermore, the conveying device according to the invention comprises a control / regulation for controlling or regulating a target distance d between individual conveyed goods units based on the respective, individual target positions mentioned.

[0041] According to the invention, the conveying drives are designed and configured in such a way that they can move the individual conveying units in any direction in the conveying plane such that the target distances d between the conveying units are present when transitioning to a subsequent conveying section, wherein The conveying units are each individually driven by a motor and individually controllable by the control system, and the sensing means can send a signal to the control system with information on the properties of the individual conveying unit, the control system receives signals from the means to determine a target position of the conveying unit and, depending on these signals, determines and outputs control signals to the conveying units to move the individual conveying units to the target position, such that the conveying units can be moved individually and variably in any direction in the conveying plane by the conveying units to generate the target distance d.

[0042] The core of the invention is thus the interaction of the conveying material drives, which are driven individually or in groups by a motor and can be controlled individually or in groups, with the control system. Depending on the signals from the sensing devices and the means for determining a target position, the control system moves the conveyed material units in such a way as to establish the necessary distances between the individual conveyed material units. The conveying material drives can move the conveyed material units individually or in combination with a plurality of drives in any direction on the conveying plane, even against the conveying direction.

[0043] Interacting conveying drives can preferably be arranged together in drive modules. A drive module can, for example, have two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, or ten conveying drives. The conveying drives or their motors arranged in a drive module can each be driven and controlled individually. Preferably, however, the conveying drives of a drive module are coordinated and controlled in such a way that they jointly transmit a predetermined direction of movement and a predetermined acceleration to a conveyed item.

[0044] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the conveying drives are arranged in several drive modules, such that each drive module comprises two, three, or four conveying drives. The conveying drives of a drive module can be driven either individually or in groups, in particular in groups of two or three coupled omnidirectional wheels, by a controllable motor.

[0045] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the rotation axes of the conveying material drives of a drive module are arranged either parallel or, preferably, not parallel to each other.

[0046] In particular, when three conveying drives with their respective conveying directions are arranged at an angle of 60° to each other, a conveying module can move a conveyed item in any direction of the conveying plane. This allows movement to be transmitted and executed by the conveyed item even in a very small space. As a result, the space requirement of the conveying system according to the invention can be kept very small compared to previously known gapping systems.

[0047] Alternatively or cumulatively, in a further embodiment the rotation axes of the conveying material drives of a drive module are not arranged parallel to the conveying direction.

[0048] The conveying drives can, for example, be formed from individually rotatable drives. In this case, it is not necessary to combine the individual drives into conveying modules. The interaction of the individually rotatable drives can be controlled in such a way that individual movement of the conveyed unit in any desired direction along the conveying plane is enabled, while simultaneously transporting the units to a subsequent conveying section.

[0049] In a preferred embodiment of the conveying system according to the invention, the conveying material drives are dimensioned smaller than the contact surface of a conveying material unit.

[0050] In this configuration, it is particularly possible to impose both movement in the conveying direction and movement at a variable angle to the conveying direction on the conveying units individually, even by means of conveying drives fixed in a carrier plate or in one or more carrier modules. This allows the device to perform a fast and reliable gapping function in a very small space, and it can also be adapted to different requirements regarding the conveying units without modifications.

[0051] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the conveying material drives of the first conveying section are rotatably mounted.

[0052] Examples of rotatably mounted conveying drives include driven rotatable rollers, discs, wheels, or small-format belts or conveyors. In this embodiment, the conveying drives are preferably individually controlled and rotatable.

[0053] This allows the variability of the movement that can be transferred to the conveyed goods units by the conveying drives to be greatly increased compared to previously known systems.

[0054] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the detection means for the typifying detection of the conveyed goods units are sensors, light barriers, cameras, depth cameras (3D cameras), photodiodes, radar devices, other optical sensors, radio receivers or ID readers for reading printed codes, e.g. barcode scanners, QR code scanners or combinations thereof.

[0055] The detection methods can be selected depending on the type and possible markings of the conveyed goods units. For example, if the conveyed goods units contain an RFID chip, a corresponding radio-based detection device can be used. However, if the conveyed goods units have, for example, colored markings, photodiodes can be used. This also applies to the detection of contours using strips with photodiodes. If the conveyed goods units do not have uniform, recurring markings, it may be more efficient to use cameras or light barriers as detection methods. Similarly, one or more barcode scanners can be used if each conveyed goods unit has a barcode.

[0056] In one embodiment of the conveying system according to the invention, the means for determining the target position of a conveyed unit are a computer program. This can, for example, be a defined algorithm for calculating the movements and speeds required to achieve the target distances between the conveyed units. It is equally possible not to use a defined algorithm, but rather a self-learning program, e.g., using a computer logic routine. The computer program can be implemented in a centralized or decentralized control system. Preferably, however, it is implemented in a centralized control system. Signals from the detection means for the standardized detection of the individual conveyed units are used by the computer program to determine the target position of the conveyed unit.Control signals can then be generated from this and sent to the individually controllable conveying drives, so that the conveying drives can execute the movement of the conveying unit required to reach the target position.

[0057] In a further embodiment of the invention, the control system comprises a control / regulation system for controlling or regulating a target distance between individual conveyed goods units based on said target position, sending control signals to at least two adjacent, preferably at least three adjacent, and particularly preferably at least four, five, or six adjacent conveyed goods drives. The adjacent conveyed goods drives can all belong to one conveyed goods drive module, or they can belong to different modules and be adjacent only in their position within the conveying section.

[0058] This allows for a very high throughput of conveyed goods units that are spaced at a predetermined distance from each other.

[0059] Preferably, in a further embodiment of the invention, the conveying system comprises means for checking the achieved target distances. Like the means for detecting the conveyed goods units, the checking can be carried out by sensors, light barriers, cameras, photodiodes, radar devices, ID readers for reading printed codes such as barcode scanners or QR code scanners, or combinations thereof.

[0060] In particular, it is preferable that the means for checking the achieved target distances are not provided only at the end of the passing conveying section, but rather, for example, in the middle or between the middle and end of the gapping conveying section.

[0061] In this way, readjustment can be carried out if a target distance has not yet been fully achieved by moving the conveyed goods units along and / or at an angle to the conveying direction.

[0062] The invention further relates to a method for generating distances d between a first conveying unit and a second conveying unit while simultaneously transporting the conveying units in a conveying direction z, comprising the following steps: Feeding a plurality of at least the first conveying units and the second conveying unit in a first arrangement, wherein the first conveying unit (11) and the second conveying unit are fed section by section simultaneously in the conveying direction (z), and wherein the conveying units are fed orthogonally to the conveying direction (z) offset from each other, typifying the conveying units, determining a target position of the first conveying unit and the second conveying unit, controlling or regulating a target distance between the first conveying unit and the second conveying unit based on said target position, and For this purpose, the first conveyed goods unit and the second conveyed goods unit are moved by conveyed goods drives that can move one or more conveyed goods units variably and individually in any direction of the conveying plane, in such a way that the target distance d between the first conveyed goods unit and the second conveyed goods unit is maintained upon transition into a subsequent conveying section exists, wherein the target distance d is different from the first distance, and the movement is dependent on control signals generated from the standardized detection of the first conveyed unit and the second conveyed unit and the determination of the target positions of the first conveyed unit and the second conveyed unit.

[0063] In a preferred embodiment of the inventive method, a feeding device introduces a plurality of individual conveying units in a bulk.

[0064] The term "bulk" refers to a plurality of unordered conveying units. It specifically describes a loose collection of conveying units that can vary in shape, dimensions, weight, and properties (e.g., surface, material). The position and orientation of an individual conveying unit within the "bulk" need not follow any defined arrangement. A single conveying unit may be in contact with one or more other conveying units, or the conveying units may overlap. For example, the conveying units may be at completely different distances from each other and may touch, or they may additionally or alternatively have different orientations of their main axes that do not point in the conveying direction.

[0065] This makes the process available for a wide range of applications, particularly those involving a non-ordered feed of conveyed goods, and especially those without induction feeding in single rows. This results in significant savings in required system components, system space, and / or manual labor.

[0066] In one embodiment of the invention, the method additionally comprises the following steps after the typifying detection of the conveyed goods units and / or after determining a target position of the conveyed goods unit: Decide whether a movement must be performed to achieve a target position, then, in the case of a "yes" decision: calculate the direction and magnitude of the movement, in the case of a "no" decision: transport the conveyed goods unit further without additional movement.

[0067] This reduces the computational effort required by the controller and allows the process to be executed more quickly.

[0068] Further advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims and the detailed description. Brief description of the characters

[0069] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments shown in the figures. These show: Fig. 1 Each a highly schematic top view of an embodiment of the conveying system according to the invention with four different types or arrangements of conveying material drives, Fig. 2 a highly schematic representation of the movements of a plurality of conveyed goods units in a conveying section of the conveying system according to the invention, Fig. 3a further highly schematic representation of a principle of an embodiment of the present invention based on four successive snapshots, and Fig. 4 Each is a highly schematic flowchart of two embodiments of a method according to the invention.

[0070] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the figures. It should be noted that different aspects are described, each of which can be used individually or in combination; that is, each aspect can be used with different embodiments of the invention, unless explicitly presented as a pure alternative.

[0071] When describing the components of an exemplary embodiment, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), and the like may be used. These terms are used solely to distinguish the component from other similar components, and the nature, sequence, or order of the respective component is not limited by these terms.

[0072] Furthermore, for the sake of simplicity, reference will generally be made to only one entity at a time. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, the invention may also include several of the entities concerned. Therefore, the use of the words "a", "an", and "a" should only be understood as an indication that at least one entity is used in a simple embodiment.

[0073] Figure 1The figure shows in a highly schematic top layer a conveying system 10 according to the invention in four different embodiments 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d of the first conveying section with each differently designed conveying material drives 11.

[0074] In Figure 1aFigure 10 shows a conveying system according to the invention for generating distances d between individual conveyed goods units 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e, 11f, 11g, 11h, 11i while simultaneously transporting the conveyed goods units in a conveying direction z. The system comprises a feed device 12 for feeding a plurality of conveyed goods units 11 and a first conveying section 13. In the conveying direction z, a subsequent conveying section 16 follows the first conveying section 13. In the illustrated embodiment, the feed device 12 and the subsequent conveying section 16 are depicted as roller conveyors. In the first embodiment shown here, the conveying section 13 has a plurality of conveyed goods units 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e, 11f, 11g, 11h, 11i located on it, which are moved in the conveying direction z.The transport movement of the conveyed goods units 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e, 11f, 11g, 11h, 11i is carried out by a plurality of conveyed goods drives 2a, 2b, 2c. The conveyed goods drives 2a, 2b, 2c are designed as omnidirectional drive wheels. In the illustrated embodiment, they are arranged in groups of three within a conveyed goods drive module 17 such that their directions of rotation are oriented at a 60° angle to each other, forming a triangle. Their axes of rotation are therefore not parallel to each other and do not run parallel to the conveying direction z. Each conveyed goods drive 2 can have an individually controllable motor that is communicatively connected to a controller 15 and can receive signals from the controller. The conveyed goods drives 2 are smaller in size than the conveyed goods units 11.According to the invention, the motors of the conveying drives 2 (not shown) can be controlled such that the conveying drives 2, in multiples (i.e., two, three, four, five, etc.), can move a conveying unit 11 variably and individually in any direction of the conveying plane. The conveying drives (2, 2a..2c) can each be driven individually or in groups by means of a (separately provided) motor.

[0075] The one in Figure 1 The positions of the conveyed goods units 11 shown in each case represent an exemplary snapshot in which the conveyed goods units 11 are already separated and at a target distance to each other on the conveying section 13.

[0076] In addition to the conveying components, the conveying system 10 according to the invention also comprises detection means 14 for the standardized detection of the individual conveyed goods units 11. The positions of the two detection means 14 shown here are only examples. Preferably, optical sensors, in particular cameras, and especially preferably 3D cameras coupled with object recognition software, can be used. These can be positioned, for example, in a position as central as possible, in particular above the feed device and / or the first conveying section 13, as well as in the middle or rear area of ​​the first conveying section 13. The detection means 14 detect at least the type and the relative position of the conveyed goods units 11 to each other and communicate the detected data to the control system 15.The control unit 15 also receives signals from the means (not shown) to determine a target position of the conveyed goods unit 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e, 11f, 11g, 11h, 11i, so that, depending on these control signals, conveyed goods drives 2, 2a..2c are output to move the individual conveyed goods units 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e, 11f, 11g, 11h, 11i to the target position, such that the conveyed goods units 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e, 11f, 11g, 11h, 11i can be moved variably in any direction in the conveying plane by the conveyed goods drives 2a, ..., 2c to generate the Target distance.The detection means 14 positioned in the middle or rear area of ​​the first conveying section 13 can detect the distances reached so far between the conveyed goods units and send them to the control system, so that it can be determined in the manner of a control loop whether the target positions have already been reached or whether a further movement of the conveyed goods units must be initiated and carried out.

[0077] In Figure 1b is different from Figure 1a An embodiment of the conveying system 10 according to the invention is shown schematically, which has a differently designed conveying section 13. The other components, however, are identical. In the conveying section 13, the conveying system 10 of Figure 1bIn contrast to the conveying units 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e, 11f, 11g, 11h, 11i, smaller conveying drives 2a are provided. The conveying drives 2a are arranged side-by-side and one behind the other in the conveying direction z. These can be, for example, small belt drives, link chain drives, or omnidirectional wheels. The conveying drives 2a are not grouped into modules but are, for example, permanently mounted on a carrier plate. Each conveying drive 2a has an (individually) controllable motor (not shown) that can drive the respective conveying unit at different speeds, in particular both in the conveying direction z and against the conveying direction z.Due to the smaller dimensions of the conveying drives 2a compared to a conveying unit 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e, 11f, 11g, 11h or 11i, at least during transport in the conveying direction z, the situation always exists that a conveyed item 11 rests on at least two conveying drives 2a simultaneously. This allows a movement at an angle to the conveying direction, and not only in the conveying direction, to be transmitted to the conveying unit 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e, 11f, 11g, 11h or 11i by means of correspondingly different drive speeds and / or different drive directions of the two affected conveying drives 2a, in order to generate a target distance between the conveying units.

[0078] In Figure 1c A further embodiment of a conveying system 10 according to the invention is shown schematically in a top view. In contrast to the embodiments of the Figures 1a and 1b The design shown indicates Figure 1cTwo parallel subsequent conveying sections 16 are provided. In addition, the conveying material drives 2a, 2b of the first conveying section 13 are, in this embodiment, alternately aligned parallel and transversely to the conveying direction z and are also smaller than the support surface of the conveyed material units. This allows efficient individual movement at any angle to the conveying direction z, in addition to transport in the conveying direction, to be transferred to the individual conveyed material units 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e, 11f, 11g, 11h, 11i to generate a target distance between the units.

[0079] In Figure 1dA further schematic top view shows another embodiment of the conveying system 10 according to the invention. Here, too, two parallel subsequent conveying sections 16 are provided following the first conveying section 13. In contrast to the previous embodiments of the conveying drives 2, this embodiment provides driven wheels 2a which are rotatably and / or fixedly mounted on a support plate. In the case of rotatable mounting, the conveying drives 2a can be rotatably controlled, for example by a further controllable motor (not shown), which, in addition to the motor drive for rotating the wheel, is provided as a drive for transporting the conveyed material units 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e, 11f, 11g, 11h, 11i. In this embodiment as well, the conveyed material units 2a can be moved very efficiently not only in the conveying direction z but also variably at an angle to the conveying direction z.In this way, a target distance between the conveyed goods units 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e, 11f, 11g, 11h, 11i can be reliably and variably generated over a very short distance.

[0080] In Figure 2 The principle of motion for generating a target distance d between individual conveyed material units 11 by the device or method according to the invention is illustrated in more detail in a highly schematic sketch. For clarity, only the conveyed material units 11 and their motion vectors in the first conveying section of the conveying system 10 are shown in a "before" and a "after" snapshot.

[0081] In the Figure 2aIn the initial situation depicted, the conveyed goods units 11 were fed in bulk and detected by the detection devices for standardized recording of the conveyed goods units. Together with the means for determining a target position of a conveyed goods unit, the control system individually determined the direction and intensity of movement for the individual conveyed goods units 11 to generate the target distances between them. These are schematically represented here by motion vectors and are executed by corresponding control signals to the motors of the conveying goods drives (not shown here). As shown, the conveyed goods units 11 are not only moved in the conveying direction z, but also individually at an angle to the conveying direction, with different conveying speeds, indicated here by the length of the vector arrows, being provided.In this way, according to the invention, it is possible to generate the required target distances between most of the conveyed material units 11 in a very short distance of the first conveying section, as is done in the . Figure 2b after performing the in Figure 2a The movements shown are depicted. Now, there is only an insufficient target distance between the two upper front conveying units, which is achieved through a further movement as shown by the movement vectors in the Figure 2bThe task indicated will be completed later. All remaining conveying units can continue transporting in the conveying direction at adjusted conveying speeds (represented by the length of the vector arrows), as their distance from each other already corresponds to the target distance. Therefore, it is not mandatory that all target distances be achieved in a single movement; a second or even several further movements can be determined and executed during the transport process to generate the remaining target distances.

[0082] In Figure 3 Four highly schematic top views show consecutive snapshots of a method according to the invention for generating target distances between conveyed material units 11 by means of a preferred embodiment of the conveying system 10 according to the invention.

[0083] In Figure 3aMaterial units 11 are fed by means of a feed device 12 towards a first conveying section 13. The material units 11 lie in a random order, sometimes very close together, in bulk on the feed device 12. Some of the material units 11 may even touch each other. The conveying system 10 is intended to transport the material units in conveying direction z at an actual velocity v, as indicated by the movement arrow above, to a downstream conveying section 16 (see figure). Figure 1 This illustrates the initial situation of the method according to the invention. All components of the conveying system 10, shown only schematically, can be designed as described above.

[0084] In Figure 3bThe conveyed material units 11 are located at the end of the first conveying section 13 facing the feed unit 12. Here, they are initially detected by type, for example by one or more sensors (not shown), whereby the type classification was also already carried out in the preceding section (see positions in Figure 3a ) can take place and may already be completed there, as well as in the present situation. Figure 3b The stage shown can still be continued. Based on the recorded typifying data, a target position is determined for each conveyed unit 11, which is usually executed in the control system by software, for example by an algorithm or by a self-learning AI routine.

[0085] Before determining the target position, a further step can be to decide whether a movement needs to be performed to establish a target position, followed by the following: In the case of a "yes" decision: calculate the direction and intensity of movement, or in the case of a "no" decision: continue transporting the conveyed goods unit without additional movement.

[0086] With the data from the typifying acquisition and the data of the target position, the control system is now able to send control signals to the conveying drives (not shown) of the first conveying section 13 to move the conveyed goods units 11 to their target positions, which initially carry out the transport of the conveyed goods units 11 at an actual speed v.

[0087] In a subsequent section of the first conveying section, signals are sent based on the determined target positions. These signals ensure both transport in the conveying direction z at an actual speed v and trigger movements in various directions at any angle to the conveying direction z and with varying movement intensities (length of arrows 18), as shown in Figure 3c The movement arrows 18 are represented for each conveying unit 11.

[0088] In Figure 3c It has been shown that, for the purpose of generating target distances between the conveyed goods units 11, moving individual conveyed goods units 1 by conveyed goods drives (not shown here, see above explanations, in particular regarding Figure 1The device 10 is capable of moving one or more conveyed goods units 11 in any direction along the conveying plane, such that the target distances between the conveyed goods units 11 are established no later than when they enter a subsequent conveying section. This movement is triggered by control signals generated from the standardized detection of the conveyed goods units 11 and the determination of their target positions. As illustrated by the movement arrows 18 for each conveyed goods unit 11, the movements for each unit 11 are individually executed by the device 10 in various directions at angles to the conveying direction z and with varying movement intensities (length of the arrows 18).

[0089] In Figure 3dFinally, the target distances between the conveyed goods units 11 are generated and the conveyed goods units 11 are accordingly transported in the conveying direction z with the actual speed v, which can now be smaller, but preferably equal to or greater than the initial actual speed v, to the subsequent conveying section 16, without changing their relative position to each other during this further transport.

[0090] In Figure 4 Each figure shows a highly schematic flowchart of two embodiments of a method according to the invention.

[0091] In Figure 4a The diagram shows a highly schematic flowchart of an embodiment of the method according to the invention.

[0092] In step S1, the conveyed goods units are recorded in a standardized manner. Step 1 can take place either during the feeding of the conveyed goods units or in a first subsection of the first conveying section.

[0093] Based on the recorded typifying data, a target position is determined for each conveyed unit in step S2, which is usually executed in the control system by software, for example by an algorithm or by a self-learning AI routine.

[0094] In step S3, a target distance d between individual conveyed goods units is controlled or regulated based on the aforementioned target position. For this purpose, the individual conveyed goods units are moved by conveying drives that can move one or more conveyed goods units in any direction of the conveying plane, such that the target distances d between the conveyed goods units are present when they move into a subsequent conveying section. According to the invention, the movement is dependent on control signals that are generated from the standardized detection of the conveyed goods units and the determination of the target positions of the conveyed goods units.

[0095] In step S4, the movement of the conveyed goods units to generate the target distances is completed, and the conveyed goods units are transported in the conveying direction to a subsequent conveying section or transferred to it.

[0096] Before determining the target position in step S2, a further step S5 can follow, in which it is decided whether a movement must be carried out to establish a target position, and then the following follows: In the case of a "yes" decision: calculate the direction and intensity of movement as step S2, or in the case of a "no" decision: continue transporting the conveyed goods unit without additional movement as step S4.

[0097] In Figure 4b An alternative embodiment of the method according to the invention is outlined. This can be used alternatively or cumulatively to the embodiment described in the following: Figure 4aThe sequence shown can also be followed after step S2, i.e., after determining the target position, by a decision step S6, in which it is decided whether a movement must be carried out to establish a target position, in which the following is carried out: Comparing the calculated target position with a determined actual position of a conveyed unit; if the difference between actual and target positions is greater than a preset threshold: proceed to step S3, i.e., controlling or regulating a target distance d between individual conveyed units based on the aforementioned target position; if the difference between actual and target positions is less than a preset threshold: continue conveying the unit without additional movement as step S4.

Claims

1. Method for establishing distances (d) between a first conveyed-good unit (11) and a second conveyed-good unit during the simultaneous transport of the conveyed-good units in one conveying direction (z), comprising the following steps: - feeding of a plurality of at least the first conveyed-good unit (11) and the second conveyed-good unit in a first arrangement, wherein the first conveyed-good unit (11) and the second conveyed-good unit are fed in sections simultaneously in the conveying direction (z), and wherein the conveyed-good units are fed orthogonally offset to each other in relation to the conveying direction (z) and comprise a first distance to one another, - typifying detection (S1) of the conveyed-good units (11), - determining a target position of the first conveyed-good unit (11a..11d) and the second conveyed-good unit (S2), - controlling or regulating a target distance (d) between the first conveyed-good unit (11a..11d) and the second conveyed-good unit on the basis of the said target position (S3), and - for this purpose, moving the single first conveyed-good units (11a..11d) (S4) and the second conveyed-good unit using conveyor drives (2, 2a..2c), which can move one or a plurality of conveyed-good units individually and in a variable manner in any direction of the conveying level in such a way that the target distance (d) between the first conveyed-good unit (11a..11d) and the second conveyed-good unit exists at the time of transfer to a subsequent conveyor section (16), wherein the target distance (d) is different from the first distance, the movement is dependent on control signals generated from the typifying detection (S1) of the first conveyed-good unit (11a..11d) and the second conveyed-good unit and generated from the determination of the target positions of the first conveyed-good unit (11a..11d) and the second conveyed-good unit (S2), wherein the first conveyed-good unit and the second conveyed-good unit are transported simultaneously in the conveying direction (z).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a feeding device (12) feeds a plurality of individual conveyed-good units (11a....11d) in bulk.

3. Method according to one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the method, after the typifying detection of the first conveyed-good unit (11a..11d) and the second conveyed-good unit (S1) and / or after determining the target positions of the first conveyed-good unit (11a..11d) and the second conveyed-good unit (S2), additionally comprises the following steps: - deciding (S5) whether a movement must be executed to create a target position, then, - in the case of a "yes" decision: calculating the movement direction and the strength of movement (S2), - in the case of a "no" decision: continuing to transport the conveyed-good unit without additional movement (S4).

4. Conveyor system (10) for establishing distances (d) between a first conveyed-good unit (11) and a second conveyed-good unit during the simultaneous transport of the conveyed-good units in one conveying direction (z), comprising: - a feeding device (12) for feeding at least one first conveyed-good unit (11) and the second conveyed-good unit, wherein the first conveyed-good unit and the second conveyed-good unit comprise a first distance, - one or a plurality of subsequent conveyor sections (13) with a plurality of conveyor drives located in the conveying direction (z) localized one behind the other and next to each other (2, 2a..2c) for the transport of the conveyed-good units (11a..11d) at an actual velocity, - detection means (14) for the typifying detection of the individual conveyed-good units (11), - means of determining a target position of the first conveyed-good unit and the second conveyed-good unit, - a control system / regulator (15) for controlling or regulating a target distance (d) between of the first conveyed-good unit (11a..11d) and the second conveyed-good unit on the basis of the said target position characterized in that - the conveyor drives (2, 2a..2c) are designed and arranged in such a way that they can move the individual conveyed-good units (11) in any direction on the conveying level, individually or jointly in a plurality in such a way that the target distance (d) between of the first conveyed-good unit and the second conveyed-good unit (11a..11d) exists at the time of its transfer to a subsequent conveyor section (16), wherein the target distance (d) is different from the first distance, wherein - the conveyor drives (2, 2a...2c) are individually driven by a motor and individually controllable by the control system, and wherein: - the detection means (14) can send a signal to the control system with information on the characteristics of the first conveyed-good unit (11a..11d) and the second conveyed-good unit, the control system receives signals of the means for determining a target position of the first conveyed-good unit (11a..11d) and the second conveyed-good unit and, depending on these signals, identifies and outputs control signals to the conveyor drives (2, 2a..2c) for moving the first conveyed-good unit and the second conveyed-good unit (11a..11d) to the target position in such a way that the first conveyed-good unit (11a..11d) and the second conveyed-good unit can be individually moved in a variable manner in each direction on the conveying level by the conveyor drives (2, 2a,...., 2c) to establish the target distance, wherein the first conveyed-good unit and the second conveyed-good unit are simultaneously transported in the conveying direction (z), wherein at least two rotational axes of the conveyor drives (2, 2a..2c) of a drive module (17) are not arranged orthogonally to the conveying direction (z).

5. Conveyor system (10) according to claim 4, wherein the conveyor drives (2, 2a..2c) are arranged in a plurality of drive modules (17) so that one drive module (17) comprises two or three or four conveyor drives (2a, 2b, 2c).

6. Conveyor system (10) according to claim 5, wherein the rotational axes of the conveyor drives (2, 2a..2c) of a drive module (17) are either parallel or, preferably, not parallel to each other.

7. Conveyor system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims 4 to 6, wherein the rotational axes of the conveyor drives (2, 2a..2c) of a drive module (17) are not parallel and / or not orthogonal to the conveying direction (z).

8. Conveyor system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims 4 to 7, wherein the conveyor drives (2, 2a..2c) are smaller than the contact surface of a conveyed-good unit (11).

9. Conveyor system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims 4 to 8, wherein the conveyor drives (2, 2a..2c) are cumulatively driven in groups by one motor.

10. Conveyor system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims 4 to 9, wherein the conveyor drives (2, 2a..2c) of the first conveyor section (13) are rotatably mounted.

11. Conveyor system (10) according to claim 10, wherein the conveyor drives (2, 2a..2c) can be individually rotated in a controlled manner.

12. Conveyor system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims 4 to 11, wherein the detection means for the typifying detection of the conveyed-good units are sensors, photoelectric devices, cameras, photodiodes, radar devices, ID readers for reading printed codes or combinations thereof.

13. Conveyor system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims 4 to 12, wherein the means for determining a target position of a conveyed-good unit (11a..11d) are a computer-program product.

14. Conveyor system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims 4 to 13, wherein the control system / regulator for controlling or regulating a target distance (d) between individual conveyed-good units (11a..11d) on the basis of the said target position, comprises control signals to at least two adjacent, preferably at least three adjacent, and preferably at least four adjacent conveyor drives.

15. Conveyor system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims 4 to 14, wherein the conveyor system comprises means of verifying the target distances achieved.