Transport system and use of a plastics tray for a transport system
Patent Information
- Application Number
- EP2023725949
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-05-31
- Filing Date
- 2023-05-11
- Publication Date
- 2025-04-09
AI Technical Summary
Existing transport systems with round holes in trays are inefficient in lifting goods, leading to instability, damage, and incorrect alignment, as round lifting pins may miss or damage delicate items.
A transport system utilizing a plastic tray with cross-shaped openings and cross-shaped lifting pins, providing greater stability and ensuring that goods are consistently supported and lifted without damage, with the cross-shaped design allowing for better guidance and reduced risk of tipping.
The cross-shaped openings and pins enhance the stability of the tray surface, ensure accurate lifting, and prevent damage to goods, allowing for efficient and secure transportation of items like food, drugstore items, and spare parts.
Smart Images
Figure 1.1
Abstract
Description
[0001] Transport system and use of a plastic tray for a transport system
[0002] Technical area
[0003] The invention relates to a transport system and the use of a plastic tray for a transport system for transporting goods.
[0004] State of the art
[0005] Transport systems and trays with a surrounding edge for transporting goods via a transport system, such as a conveyor belt, are known and are described, for example, in EP 1698573 A1. Such transport systems use trays with round holes in the bottom for reaching through and lifting the goods using lifting pins.
[0006] The disadvantage of such trays with holes is that, depending on the position of the goods on the tray, the round lifting pins of the tray systems may not engage the goods properly, causing the goods to tip over or be insufficiently lifted from the tray. Furthermore, round lifting pins can damage the goods and create small holes in delicate items.
[0007] Object of the invention
[0008] The present invention is based on the object of specifying a transport system and the use of a plastic tray for such a transport system, wherein the transport system and the use of the plastic tray allow for a larger support of the goods on lifting pins, so that the goods are not damaged when lifted by the lifting pins, and at the same time the stability of the tray surface is maintained. Description of the invention
[0009] This object is achieved by a transport system and the use of a plastic tray for a transport system for transporting and unloading goods. The plastic tray has a base, a frame, and openings with a cross-shaped cross-section in the base for the passage of lifting pins of the transport system. The transport system has a conveyor belt and an unloading station with lifting pins. The lifting pins have a cross-shaped cross-section that is complementary to the cross-shaped openings of the plastic tray. The openings with a cross-shaped cross-section are hereinafter referred to as cross-shaped openings.
[0010] The advantage of openings with a cross-shaped cross-section over round openings is that, for the same opening diameter, the circumference of cross-shaped openings is larger than the circumference of round openings. This means that, for the same diameter, the output in the tray is smaller with cross-shaped openings and therefore the stability of the tray floor area is greater than with correspondingly large round openings. Cross-shaped lifting pins, which can reach through the cross-shaped openings, offer optimal support for the goods with as little loss of floor space as possible. This means that even small items can be lifted from the tray without being damaged. With round lifting pins there is a risk of holes being made in the goods. In addition, the goods are guided better with cross-shaped lifting pins than with round lifting pins and the risk of the goods tipping to the side is reduced.
[0011] The cross-shaped openings are preferably arranged in parallel rows, with the cross-shaped openings in one row preferably being offset from the cross-shaped openings in an adjacent row. This enables the cross-shaped openings to be arranged as widely as possible while at the same time maintaining the stability of the base. The cross-shaped openings are preferably arranged at equal intervals over the entire base surface of the plastic tray. This offers the particular advantage that the goods to be transported can be positioned anywhere on the base of the plastic tray and that the goods are always hit and lifted when lifted from the plastic tray by the lifting pins. The cross-shaped openings in one row are preferably offset from the cross-shaped openings in an adjacent row by less than one cross length and at least by the width of one cross arm.The distance between the cross-shaped openings in a row and the adjacent row is thus preferably smaller than the length of a cross arm. Preferably, the distance between the cross-shaped openings is greater than the width of a cross arm. In a preferred embodiment, the rows have two or three cross-shaped openings per row in the transverse direction, or five longitudinal rows offset from one another. Preferably, the longitudinal rows have four or five cross-shaped openings per longitudinal row, or nine transverse rows offset from one another.
[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the cross arms of the cross-shaped openings are at a 90-degree angle to each other. The cross arms of the cross-shaped openings are preferably arranged in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the shelf. The cross arms are preferably each shaped like a rectangular bar, are of equal length, and are arranged at right angles to each other. The cross-shaped openings each have only two cross arms and are preferably shaped like a plus sign.
[0013] In a further embodiment, the cross arms of the cross-shaped openings are rotated by 45 degrees to the longitudinal direction of the plastic tray and the openings have an x-shape.
[0014] Preferably, the two cross arms of the cross-shaped openings are the same length, preferably between 50 and 150 mm long, even more preferably 100 mm long. The base of the plastic tray is flat and tray-shaped and preferably surrounded by a frame. The base can be of different thicknesses depending on the application and can have reinforcing ribs on the underside of the base, for example between the cross-shaped openings, to provide additional stability to the base. In one embodiment, the frame surrounds the upper part of the base, with the lower part of the base protruding from the underside of the frame. The frame of the plastic tray preferably has a flat top and a bottom and is preferably arranged over the entire circumference of the plastic tray. In a preferred embodiment, the frame has the same height over the entire circumference of the plastic tray.
[0015] The plastic trays are preferably stackable, preferably such that the underside of the frame of the upper plastic tray rests on the top side of the frame of the lower plastic tray when stacked. In one embodiment, the bottom of the upper tray lies within the frame of the lower tray when stacked, so that the tray fits flush with the lower container and the container cannot be displaced relative to the lower container.
[0016] The plastic shelves are made of a durable and resilient material, preferably one or more thermoplastics. For example, the thermoplastic material contains polyethylene or polypropylene, or mixtures thereof.
[0017] The transport system according to the invention is suitable for conveying a plastic tray with cross-shaped openings for transporting and easily unloading goods. The transport system has an unloading station with lifting pins that have a cross-shaped cross-section that complements the cross-shaped openings. The lifting pins have a cross-shaped cross-section that is preferably somewhat smaller than the cross-shaped cross-section of the cross-shaped openings, so that the lifting pins do not jam when reaching through the cross-shaped openings. Such transport systems are used, for example, for transporting goods, such as food, drugstore items, and spare parts of all kinds, in cardboard boxes.For this purpose, the goods are loaded from a warehouse, preferably individually or in multiple pieces, onto a plastic tray and transported via a conveyor belt to an unloading station, where the goods are lifted from the plastic tray using lifting pins and pushed onto an overlying conveyor belt using a conveyor arm. This separates the goods from the plastic tray, and the plastic tray is transported away via a lower conveyor belt.
[0018] For transport, the goods are loaded onto a plastic tray. The plastic tray with cross-shaped openings is transported with the loaded goods via a conveyor belt to the unloading station, where it is centered with the help of inlet slopes positioned on the side of the unloading station and stopped by stoppers in the form of bars. The bars are arranged at the end of the inlet slopes of the unloading station to hold the plastic tray in position so that the cross-shaped openings of the plastic tray lie exactly over the cross-shaped openings of the unloading station for the lifting pins to pass through. In this position, lifting pins push through the openings in the unloading station and the openings in the plastic tray, lifting the goods and transporting them with the help of a conveying arm to the next conveyor belt, which leads slightly upwards. The conveying arm is moved, for example, by an electronically operated gripper arm.This emptys the plastic tray, and the lifting pins are lowered again. The goods are transported away via the additional conveyor belts, the bars are lowered, and the plastic tray can be transported backwards onto a lower conveyor belt by another conveyor arm. The goods and the plastic tray are then transported separately at different levels, and the bars are folded back up to stop and position the next plastic tray.Furthermore, the present invention discloses a use of a plastic tray for a transport system for transporting goods, wherein the plastic tray has a base, a frame and openings in the base for the passage of lifting pins of the transport system for unloading the goods from the plastic tray, wherein the openings of the plastic tray have a cross-shaped cross-section, and the lifting pins have a cross-shaped cross-section which is complementary to the openings with a cross-shaped cross-section.
[0019] Combinations of two or more of the above-listed designs and variants are conceivable and claimed.
[0020] Further advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, in which the invention is explained in more detail with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings.
[0021] Short description of the characters
[0022] They show:
[0023] Fig. 1 a plastic tray in perspective view from diagonally above the tray,
[0024] Fig. 2 a plastic tray in perspective view from diagonally below the tray,
[0025] Fig. 3 a transport system with the goods on a plastic tray in the first position in perspective view,
[0026] Fig. 4 shows a transport system with the goods on a plastic tray in the second position in a perspective view, Fig. 5 shows a transport system with the goods on a plastic tray in the third position in a perspective view,
[0027] Fig. 6 a transport system with the goods on a plastic tray in fourth position in perspective view, and
[0028] Fig. 7 a transport system with the goods on a plastic tray in fifth position in perspective view.
[0029] In the figures, the same reference symbols are used for the same elements and explanations of a specific reference symbol apply to all figures unless expressly stated otherwise.
[0030] Embodiments of the invention
[0031] Figure 1 shows a top view of a plastic tray 1 for a transport system for transporting goods, comprising a base 6, a frame 7, and cross-shaped openings 4 in the base 6 for the passage of lifting pins 5 (not shown, shown in Figure 5), wherein the openings 4 have a cross-shaped cross-section with two cross arms 9, 9', which form the shape of a plus sign +. The cross-shaped openings 4 are arranged in parallel rows 8, 8' both in the longitudinal direction and in the transverse direction. The cross-shaped openings 4 of one row 8 are offset from the cross-shaped openings 4 of an adjacent row 8' by less than one cross length and by more than the width of one cross arm.The distance between two cross-shaped openings 4 in a row is thus between a quarter and a whole cross-arm length from the end of one cross arm 9' to the end of the adjacent cross arm 9", preferably the distance is approximately the width of a cross arm. Likewise, the distance from the end of one cross arm 9' of a row 8 to the end of the cross arm 9'" of an adjacent row 8' is between a quarter and a whole cross-arm length, preferably the width of a cross arm. In the transverse direction, the rows have two or three cross-shaped openings 4 per row, so that the shelf has five mutually offset longitudinal rows, two outer and one middle longitudinal row 8 and two longitudinal rows 8' in between. The cross-shaped openings are arranged at equal intervals over the entire surface of the base 6 of the plastic shelf 1.Due to the staggered arrangement of the cross-shaped openings 4 in the base 6 of the plastic shelf 1 distributed over the entire base 6, the base surface remains as stable as possible and the stability of the plastic shelf 1 is maintained.
[0032] The cross arms 9, 9' of the cross-shaped openings 4 are at a 90-degree angle to each other and are of equal length. In this embodiment, the cross arms 9, 9' of the cross-shaped openings 4 are arranged in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the shelf 1.
[0033] The frame 7, with a flat upper side 3 and a lower side 10, surrounds the entire circumference of the plastic tray 1 as a continuous edge and has the same height over the entire circumference. Such plastic trays 1 are stackable such that the lower side 10 of the frame 7 of the upper plastic tray 1 rests on the upper side 3 of the frame 7 of the lower plastic tray 1 when stacked (not shown).
[0034] Figure 2 shows a bottom view of a plastic tray 1 as described in Figure 1, having a base 6, a frame 7, and cross-shaped openings 4 in the base 6 for the passage of lifting pins 5 (not shown), wherein the openings 4 have a cross-shaped cross-section with cross arms 9, 9", 9'". The lower part of the base 6 protrudes from the underside 10 of the frame 7.
[0035] Figure 3 shows a transport system 2 for conveying a plastic tray 1 for transporting goods, comprising several sections of a conveyor belt 13 and an unloading station 12 with cross-shaped openings 16 for the passage of lifting pins 5 (not shown), wherein the openings 16 for the passage of lifting pins have the same shape and are positioned the same as the cross-shaped openings 4 of the plastic tray 1. For transport, the goods 11 are loaded onto a plastic tray 1. As shown in Figure 2, the plastic tray 1 with cross-shaped openings 4, loaded with goods 11, is transported via a conveyor belt 13 to the unloading station 12, where it is centered by means of inlet slopes 17, which are positioned laterally on the unloading station 12, and stopped by stoppers in the form of bars 15.The bars 18 are arranged at the end of the inlet slopes 17 of the unloading station 12 in order to hold the plastic tray 1 in position such that the cross-shaped openings 4 of the plastic tray lie exactly above the cross-shaped openings 16 of the unloading station 12 as described in Figure 4.
[0036] Figure 4 shows a transport system 2 as described in Figure 3 for conveying a plastic tray 1 for transporting goods with several sections of a conveyor belt 13 and an unloading station 12. In the position shown in Figure 4, the plastic tray 1 is located on the unloading station 12 and is held in position by the inlet slopes 17 and the bars 15, so that the openings 4 of the plastic tray 1 are located exactly above the openings 16 (not visible here) of the unloading station 12 for the passage of lifting pins 5.
[0037] Figure 5 shows a transport system 2 as described in Figure 3 for conveying a plastic tray 1 for transporting goods, comprising several sections of a conveyor belt 13 and an unloading station 12. In the position shown in Figure 5, lifting pins 5 push through the openings 16 of the unloading station 12 and the openings 4 of the plastic tray 1, whereby the goods 11 are lifted and conveyed with the aid of a conveying arm 14 to the next conveyor belt 13, which leads slightly upwards. The conveying arm 14 is moved, for example, via an electronically operated gripper arm (not shown). The lifting pins 5 have a cross-shaped cross-section which is complementary to the cross-shaped openings 4 and is preferably somewhat smaller than the cross-shaped cross-section of the cross-shaped openings 4 so that the lifting pins 5 do not jam when reaching through the cross-shaped openings 4.Figure 6 shows a transport system 2 as described in Figure 3, wherein the transport arm 14 has moved the goods toward the conveyor belt 13 and the plastic tray 1 is empty. The lifting pins are retracted. The goods 11 are transported away via the additional conveyor belts 13, and the bars 15 are retracted, allowing the plastic tray 1 to be transported backward by another transport arm (not shown).
[0038] Figure 7 shows a transport system 2 as described in Figure 3, wherein the goods 11 and the plastic tray 1 are transported separately on different levels and the bars 15 are folded upwards again for stopping and positioning the next plastic tray 1.
[0039] List of reference symbols
[0040] 1 plastic tray
[0041] 2 Transport system
[0042] 3 Top of the frame
[0043] 4 Opening
[0044] 5 lifting pin
[0045] 6 Floor
[0046] 7 frames
[0047] 8, 8' row
[0048] 9, 9', 9" cross arms
[0049] 10 Bottom of the frame
[0050] 11 goods
[0051] 12 unloading station
[0052] 13 Conveyor belt
[0053] 14 Transport arm
[0054] 15 bars
[0055] 16 Opening for lifting pins
[0056] 17 Inlet slope
Claims
Patent claims 1. Transport system (2) for conveying a plastic tray (1) for transporting and unloading goods (11), wherein the plastic tray (1) has a base (6), a frame (7) and openings (4) with a cross-shaped cross-section in the base (6) for the passage of lifting pins (5) of the transport system (2), characterized in that the transport system has a conveyor belt (13) and an unloading station (12) with lifting pins (5), wherein the lifting pins (5) have a cross-shaped cross-section which is complementary to the cross-shaped openings (4) of the plastic tray.
2. Transport system (2) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the openings (4) with cross-shaped cross-section are arranged in parallel rows (8, 8') and at uniform intervals distributed over the entire base surface of the plastic tray.
3. Transport system (2) according to claim 2, characterized in that the openings (4) with a cross-shaped cross-section of a row (8) are arranged offset from each other relative to the cross-shaped openings (4) of an adjacent row (8').
4. Transport system (2) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the cross-shaped openings (4) of a row (8) are offset relative to the cross-shaped openings (4) of an adjacent row (8') by less than one cross length and by at least the width of one cross arm.
5. Transport system (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rows (8, 8') have two or three cross-shaped openings (4) per row in the transverse direction.
6. Transport system (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cross arms (9, 9') of the cross-shaped openings (4) and the cross-shaped cross-section of the lifting pins (5) have a 90 degree angle to each other and each has the shape of a rectangular beam.
7. Transport system (2) according to claim 6, characterized in that the two cross arms (9, 9') of the cross-shaped openings (4) and the cross-shaped cross-section of the lifting pins (5) are of equal length, and wherein the cross-shaped openings (4) and the cross-section of the lifting pins (5) have the shape of a plus sign.
8. Transport system (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cross arms of the cross-shaped openings (4) and the cross-shaped cross-section of the lifting pins (5) are arranged in the longitudinal direction and in the transverse direction of the tray (1 ).
9. Transport system (2) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the cross arms of the cross-shaped openings (4) and the cross-shaped cross-section of the lifting pins (5) are rotated by 45 degrees to the longitudinal direction of the plastic tray (1) and the openings (4) have an x-shape.
10. Transport system (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that several plastic trays (1 ) can be stacked on top of each other, such that the underside (10) of the frame (7) of the upper plastic tray (1) rests on the top side (3) of the frame (7) of the lower plastic tray (1 ) in the stacked state.
11. Use of a plastic tray (1) for a transport system (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, for transporting and unloading goods (11), wherein the plastic tray (1) has a base (6), a frame (7) and openings (4) with a cross-shaped cross-section in the base (6) for the passage of lifting pins (5) of the transport system (2) for unloading the goods (11) from the plastic tray (1), wherein the openings (4) of the plastic tray (1) have a cross-shaped cross-section, and the lifting pins (5) have a cross-shaped cross-section exhibiting which is complementary to the openings (4) with a cross-shaped cross-section.