Feeding and / or discharging apparatus for containers and method for automatically assigning a fault of a feeding and / or discharging apparatus to an aisle
Patent Information
- Application Number
- EP2023742017
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-08-04
- Filing Date
- 2023-07-12
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-11
AI Technical Summary
Existing loading and/or dispensing devices for containers in container treatment systems often experience malfunctions due to non-empty container cells or jammed containers, leading to time-consuming manual troubleshooting across large arrays of container cells, causing operational interruptions.
A device with driving elements and sensor means for detecting faults, coupled with an evaluation unit for automatic lane assignment, allows for quick identification and targeting of faulty container cells, integrating sensors into the feeding and/or dispensing device to record and evaluate data for precise fault location and prevention of further issues.
This solution significantly reduces machine downtime by enabling rapid fault elimination and data-driven optimization of container handling processes, preventing container damage and improving operational efficiency.
Smart Images
Figure 1.1
Abstract
Description
[0001] Description
[0002] Loading and / or dispensing device for containers and method for automatic lane allocation of a malfunction of a loading and / or dispensing device
[0003] The invention relates to a loading and / or unloading device for the parallel loading and / or unloading of containers to container cells arranged in a row of a container transport device and / or a container treatment device, comprising a plurality of driver elements arranged on a common driver carrier for moving a container into and / or out of a container cell. Furthermore, the invention relates to a device for transporting and / or handling containers and a method for automatically assigning a lane to a disruption in the region of a container cell of a loading and / or unloading device for the parallel loading and / or unloading of containers in a row of parallel container cells.
[0004] Loading and / or unloading devices for the parallel loading and / or unloading of containers are known from the prior art. These devices are commonly used for loading or feeding, or for unloading or removing containers in the area of a container handling device. For example, reusable bottles are cleaned before further use and are fed from a conveyor belt to a bottle washing system using a loading device. Following cleaning, they are removed from the bottle washing system using a unloading device. The cleaned bottles are then fed to the refilling process using another conveyor belt.
[0005] The containers are typically transported and aligned in a container cell within a container handling device. For this purpose, the containers are pushed into an empty container cell during loading and then removed from the container cell again after container handling. However, it can happen that a container cell is not empty when a container is inserted due to a fault and in particular either still contains a container or contains contaminants, such as fragments of a previously damaged container, so that an attempt to insert a container results in a malfunction and thus an interruption in operation. Similarly, a malfunction can also occur when a container is released, for example if the container to be removed from the container cell is jammed in it or tilted during removal. This also leads to an undesirable interruption in operation.
[0006] Once such a malfunction occurs, it is now necessary to rectify the cause of the malfunction, which typically involves emptying the container cell causing the malfunction. In the case of a double insertion, i.e., an attempt to load a container into a container cell that already contains a container, the container that is incorrectly located in the container cell must be manually removed by the operating personnel. One problem, however, is that a container transport device typically has more than 50 container cells arranged in a row, and one container needs to be loaded or unloaded parallel to each other.In addition, since the positioning of the loading and / or unloading device in front of an opening in the container cells makes it difficult to see the interior of the container cells, a malfunction can often only be rectified by the operating personnel feeling for each container cell to determine whether the respective container cell contains the cause of the malfunction. This is very time-consuming with a large number of container cells in a row, since the malfunction must be searched for across the entire width of the machine, making it impossible to rectify the malfunction quickly. The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a method and a loading and / or unloading device for the parallel loading and / or unloading of containers, which enable a particularly rapid and targeted rectification of a malfunction in the area of a container cell.
[0007] The object is achieved according to the invention by a loading and / or dispensing device for the parallel loading and / or dispensing of containers according to claim 1, by a device for transporting and / or treating containers according to claim 7, and by a method for the automatic lane allocation of a fault in the region of a container cell of a loading and / or dispensing device according to claim 8. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.
[0008] The loading and / or unloading device according to the invention for the parallel loading and / or unloading of containers to container cells arranged in a row of a container transport device and / or a container treatment device has a plurality of driver elements arranged on a common driver carrier for displacing a container into a container cell and / or out of a container cell, at least one sensor means for detecting at least one fault and in particular sensor data of a fault in the area of a container cell and an evaluation unit for automatically assigning the container cell to a lane with the detected fault within the row of container cells.
[0009] Furthermore, the invention relates to a device for transporting and / or treating containers, comprising a first conveyor for feeding containers, a container treatment device, in particular a container cleaning machine, arranged downstream of the first conveyor, and a second conveyor for removing the treated containers. A loading device according to the invention for feeding the containers into the container treatment device is arranged between the first conveyor and the container treatment device, and / or a discharge device according to the invention for unloading the containers from the container treatment device is arranged between the container treatment device and the second conveyor.
[0010] The method according to the invention for the automatic aisle assignment of a fault in the area of a container cell of a loading and / or unloading device for the parallel loading and / or unloading of several containers in a row of parallel container cells comprises, as method steps, firstly a recording of data of faults occurring in the area of the container cell during the loading and / or unloading of the container, in particular by means of at least one sensor means, followed by an evaluation of the sensor data and automatic assignment of the fault position to an individual container cell in the row or to an aisle of the container cell exhibiting a fault.
[0011] The inventors recognized that it is extremely advantageous to be able to indicate the location of the fault to the operating personnel, as this advance detection of the fault location makes it easier to eliminate the cause of the problem. The fault can be eliminated more quickly because there is no longer any need to search for the fault location beforehand, significantly reducing machine downtime. Furthermore, data can be easily collected to determine the area in which faults frequently occur, allowing for the development of improvement measures.
[0012] Furthermore, the inventors have recognized that it is particularly advantageous to arrange means for lane detection of a fault in a row of container cells not in the container transport device and / or container treatment device comprising the container cells, but to integrate this into a loading and / or unloading device. Nevertheless, it is of course also conceivable to arrange additional sensor means in the region of a container transport device and / or a container treatment device and to use this sensor data to improve the automatic lane detection. In general, however, it is preferred that the automatic lane detection be carried out entirely by means of the loading and / or unloading device and, if applicable, an associated control unit.
[0013] During dispensing, the invention also advantageously detects such an error when a container being removed from a container cell becomes jammed, preventing further transport of the jammed container or further jamming between the dispensing device and the container still at least partially located in the container cell. This prevents subsequent damage to the container cell and / or the dispensing device.
[0014] According to the invention, the loading and / or dispensing device is a device for moving multiple containers simultaneously from one position to another, in order to load the containers into another device or to dispense them from another device. The loading and / or dispensing device for containers is preferably used in the field of industrial container filling and particularly preferably on a container cleaning machine.
[0015] The parallel loading of containers preferably includes picking up several containers at the same time, each by means of a driver element of the driver carrier. Particularly preferably, the parallel loading also includes a spatially parallel arrangement of the containers. The container is preferably picked up by a conveying means, in particular a conveyor belt or the like. Each driver element is preferably designed as a finger for lifting or lowering a container in the region of the container base and / or has a back for contact with a container side wall. Furthermore, all driver elements are preferably designed to be identical to one another and / or are arranged parallel to one another in a row. Each driver element is provided for introducing a container, preferably directly, into a container cell.Preferably, a container guide is also provided for guiding the container during the displacement of the container by means of the respective driver element.
[0016] In principle, each container is introduced and, in particular, pushed into a container cell during loading, wherein the container cells preferably form part of a bottle magazine. Loading preferably occurs by lifting the container, in particular by means of the driver element and / or in the region of the container base, and / or by rotating the container, preferably by at least 45°, particularly preferably by an angle between 45° and 135°, and most particularly preferably by an angle between 75° and 105°. The movement of the container preferably occurs together with a rotation of the driver carrier and / or in the direction of a linear displacement of the driver carrier.Alternatively or additionally, the container is preferably finally inserted linearly into a receiving opening of a container cell, which particularly preferably occurs through a linear displacement of the driver carrier and very particularly preferably exclusively through a linear displacement of the driver carrier and / or without any movement of the driver carrier. The driver elements are preferably distributed in a row evenly over the circumference of the driver carrier, with particularly preferably 2-4 and very particularly preferably 2-3 driver elements each being arranged at the same distance from one another along the circumference of the driver carrier.
[0017] The parallel discharge of containers preferably involves lowering several containers simultaneously, each by means of a driver element of the driver carrier. Preferably, the container is discharged in an upright position. Furthermore, the container is preferably discharged onto a conveyor, in particular a conveyor belt or the like, or onto a container receiving plate, on which each of the containers is placed upright or positioned upright by means of the driver element. Furthermore, a conveyor for transporting the containers away is preferably arranged behind the container receiving plate, and particularly preferably, the containers are pushed by the container receiving plate in the direction of the conveyor.
[0018] The container cell is fundamentally designed to accommodate a single container and hold it in a defined position. For inserting the container into the container cell, the container cell has a receiving opening. In addition, the container cell can have any number of further openings, for example for cleaning the container and / or the interior of the container. In particular, the container cell can be formed as a grid in at least part of its wall. In order to be able to transport and treat numerous containers parallel to one another, a corresponding number of container cells are preferably arranged parallel to one another in a row. The container cells in a row are furthermore preferably all arranged at the same distance from one another and / or directly next to one another.
[0019] The container cells are not part of the loading and / or unloading device according to the invention, but rather of the container transport device and / or container handling device into which the containers are to be loaded or unloaded by means of the loading and / or unloading device. However, the loading and / or unloading device according to the invention provides for automatic lane allocation of a disruption in the area of the container cells, so that an existing container transport device and / or container handling device can be easily retrofitted without the need for modification.
[0020] The container can, in principle, be any vessel, with the container preferably being made of plastic or glass and / or being intended for holding a food item and, in particular, a beverage. Accordingly, the container is preferably a bottle. Furthermore, the container is preferably part of a reusable system and, accordingly, is particularly preferably a reusable bottle, in particular made of glass or plastic.
[0021] The sensor means is fundamentally a technical device designed to detect data relating to a fault. Furthermore, the sensor means may have further functions or may be integrated into a technical unit with a different function, such as a controller or a power supply. For example, the sensor means or one of the sensor means may be integrated into the converter of one or more drive units for driving the driver carrier. In particular, the frequency converter of one or more drive units may already be used as the sensor means, providing, in particular, the motor power, the motor current, and / or the motor torque as sensor data.This has the particular advantage that no additional sensor means need to be arranged on the loading and / or dispensing device, but the means for collecting data on a fault are already present in the loading and / or dispensing device.
[0022] Alternatively or additionally, a sensor means can also be at least one vibration sensor, which is preferably arranged on the driver carrier, particularly preferably on both sides of the driver carrier and / or on one or more driver elements. Alternatively or additionally, a sensor means can also be at least one force, acceleration and / or vibration sensor, whereby a particularly targeted and precise assignment of a fault is possible. Alternatively or additionally, a sensor means can be for sound evaluation, preferably by means of at least one microphone and particularly preferably by means of at least two microphones. In addition, additional information about the fault, such as the type of fault, can be detected by means of at least one microphone. For example, a double insert generates a specific noise when the container to be inserted impacts the bottom of the container that is already faultily located in the container cell.Alternatively or additionally, a sensor means can also be a triggering mechanism on at least one driver element and preferably on each driver element, whereby a clear assignment of the lane exhibiting the fault is possible in a particularly simple manner.
[0023] Although a single sensor means may in principle be sufficient, it is preferred that at least two identical or different sensor means be used. Particularly preferred are at least two identical sensor means and at least one additional sensor means.
[0024] In order to enable automatic aisle allocation or automatic allocation of the detected fault to a container cell in the row of container cells, an evaluation unit is provided which processes the data of at least one fault recorded by the sensor means. The evaluation unit can be integrated into the loading and / or unloading device or can be part of an external data processing unit, such as an external controller. In the method, an occurring fault is preferably determined by monitoring the sensor means for whether a specified value of at least one of the sensor means is exceeded, whereby an increase in the required drive force or torque of the loading and / or unloading device and in particular of the drive units due to a fault can be easily detected.Preferably, immediately after the fault position has been automatically assigned to a container cell, the information about the fault position is forwarded to another electronic component, an internal or external control unit, a display element and / or to a user. A fault can, for example, be a double insertion, i.e. an attempt to insert a container into a container cell that is not empty. Another example of a fault is a container becoming tilted or jammed when it is being removed from the container cell. Another typical cause of a fault is contamination of a container cell, in particular by broken pieces, fragments of a container or other objects such as container closures, container labels or packaging material.Accordingly, the detection of a fault by means of the sensor means means data acquisition that allows a distinction to be made between a fault and a fault-free operation of the loading and / or dispensing device.
[0025] In the broadest sense, aisle assignment is understood to mean assignment to an aisle area, i.e., several aisles arranged next to one another. It already leads to a considerable acceleration of troubleshooting if the location of the fault can be restricted to a few aisles, for example, preferably 10 aisles, more preferably 5 aisles, most preferably 3 aisles, and especially preferably 2 aisles. However, it is particularly preferred that the aisle assignment is a clear assignment to a specific aisle or to a specific container cell in a row of container cells. Due to the typically numerous consecutive rows of container cells, which thus each form aisles in the transport direction, the detection of the respective position in a row of container cells is also referred to as aisle detection.
[0026] A preferred embodiment of the loading and / or dispensing device according to the invention has at least one drive unit for moving and in particular for moving the carrier for loading and / or dispensing containers, wherein at least one sensor means is formed to detect reaction forces occurring during the loading and / or dispensing and in particular during the displacement of the containers. Information about faults is then obtained using the detected reaction forces as sensor data. A reaction force is generally any force acting on a part of the loading and / or dispensing device that is caused by a fault. The sensor means can detect the reaction forces both directly and indirectly as a consequence of these reaction forces. In particular, the reaction forces are detected in the region of the drive unit and / or as part of the control and / or power supply of the drive unit.In principle, however, it is possible for at least one driver element and preferably each driver element and / or the driver carrier and / or the drive unit and / or a control unit of the drive unit to have at least one sensor means.
[0027] An advantageous development of the loading and / or dispensing device according to the invention provides that at least one sensor means and preferably at least two sensor means are formed to directly or indirectly measure a force of the driver carrier and / or the current intensity and / or power required to move the driver carrier, thereby detecting in a particularly simple manner reaction forces of the loading and / or dispensing device that do not occur during fault-free operation. It is particularly preferred that a sensor means is arranged on each side of the driver carrier, which directly or indirectly detects a force of the driver carrier, wherein the evaluation unit subsequently determines or can determine the position of the disturbance within the row of container cells from the detected sensor data and in particular the detected forces or torques.
[0028] Furthermore, a particularly advantageous embodiment of the loading and / or unloading device is one in which a drive unit is arranged on each side of the carrier, at least for moving the carrier, each drive unit being connected to a sensor such that a power consumption or a required current of the drive units can be detected. A single sensor can detect the power consumption or the required current of both drive units, or a single sensor can be connected to exactly one drive unit. For this purpose, the sensor is preferably connected at least to the drive unit, and the exact position and / or configuration of the sensor can be arbitrary.
[0029] In a preferred embodiment of the method for automatic aisle allocation in a loading and / or unloading device with a plurality of driver elements arranged on a common driver carrier for moving a container into a container cell and / or out of a container cell and with a drive unit on each side of the driver carrier at least for moving the driver carrier and with at least one sensor means for detecting a power consumption or a required current intensity of each of the drive units, it is provided to detect the power consumption or a required current intensity of each of the drive units during the loading and / or unloading of the container and to evaluate the detected sensor data of both sensor means for automatically assigning the fault position to an individual container cell in the row and in particular to compare them with one another in the process.
[0030] A method for automatic aisle allocation is particularly preferred in this case, in which two power consumptions or required current intensities, each determined simultaneously in the event of a fault using one of the sensor means, are compared, and the relative position of the fault between the two ends of the carrier support is directly determined from the ratio and thus assigned to a specific aisle of the container cells or to an individual container cell. This takes into account that the closer the fault occurs to the respective sensor means, the higher the determined sensor value is and the determined value of the sensor arranged at the opposite end of the carrier support is, the lower is. In this way, a good determination of the position of a fault in a row of container cells is possible directly and without prior calibration. Furthermore, the determined sensor data can be used to determine a fault orThe relationship between the sensor data not only allows the occurrence and position of the fault to be determined, but it is also fundamentally possible to determine the type of fault, for example, a double insertion, damage to the container being moved, or contamination of the container cell. This can be done, in particular, using the absolute values of the sensor means, the peak values that occur, the time of occurrence in relation to the position of the container being moved, and / or the position of the driver carrier and / or the driver elements in relation to the recorded sensor data.
[0031] In order to reliably enable particularly precise position determination even in a container transport device and / or a container handling device with a particularly long row of container cells by means of the loading and / or unloading device, an advantageous development of the method for automatic aisle assignment provides that, in order to assign the fault position to an individual container cell in the row of container cells, the determined ratio of the sensor data is compared with entries in a database, wherein the database assigns a position of the fault to each ratio of the sensor data for the specific loading and / or unloading device. Instead of the ratio of the data from the sensor means, the sensor data or any data derived therefrom, as well as other data, can also be stored and used directly within the database.
[0032] Finally, it is conceivable to build up a database by means of calibration and, for example, to cause various disturbances, such as a double insertion, in one, several or all container cells of a row and to store the recorded sensor values in a database, in particular for later comparison with newly recorded sensor data.
[0033] Furthermore, it is advantageous, particularly in connection with storing data on malfunctions that have occurred in a database, to evaluate the malfunction data, for example in order to draw conclusions about the condition of the loading and / or unloading device and / or the container cells. Alternatively, operations can also be optimized particularly easily in this way. In general, it is possible to record how frequently malfunctions occur and / or whether individual aisles or container cells are particularly frequently affected by malfunctions. Furthermore, it is also possible to determine whether malfunctions occur particularly frequently for certain container types and / or container formats. In addition, a connection can also be established between operating parameters such as machine performance or operating speed and the occurrence of malfunctions.
[0034] In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention for automatic aisle allocation, following the detection of first data concerning a malfunction that has occurred, at least one drive unit, and preferably all drive units, are stopped and / or briefly operated in the opposite direction to prevent damage to the container cell and / or the loading and / or unloading device. Operation in the opposite direction can occur both until no more increased sensor data is received, and also by a predefined distance or a predefined angle of rotation, for example to a position before containers are pushed into a container cell or to a position in which the distance between the containers to be pushed in and / or the driver elements is so far from the respective container cells that a faulty and / or jammed container can be removed manually.
[0035] Finally, an advantageous development of the method according to the invention for automatic aisle assignment provides that, following the acquisition of first data of a malfunction that has occurred, at least one drive unit and preferably all drive units are controlled individually, simultaneously, or sequentially, and in the process, further sensor data is again acquired using the at least one sensor means in order to acquire further data of the malfunction that has occurred and to increase the accuracy of the automatic aisle assignment of the container cell with the detected malfunction within the row of container cells. In general, multiple measurements are preferably carried out, wherein, after the first occurrence of a malfunction, several sets of data relating to the malfunction are acquired and / or the movement leading to the malfunction is repeated in order to acquire data relating to the malfunction again and / or more accurately.
[0036] An embodiment of the loading and / or dispensing device according to the invention and the method for automatic lane allocation is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. The figures show:
[0037] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the essential components of a loading and / or dispensing device for container treatment as well as container cells for receiving the containers,
[0038] Fig. 2 is a plan view of a carrier with carrier elements of the loading and / or dispensing device shown in Fig. 1 during the occurrence of a fault,
[0039] Fig. 3 is a side view of the loading and / or dispensing device shown in Fig. 2, and
[0040] Fig. 4 is a schematic representation of the forces occurring in the event of a disturbance in different lanes. An embodiment of a loading and / or unloading device 1, which is shown in Fig. 1 reduced to its essential components, is provided for the parallel loading of containers 2 in the form of reusable bottles from a conveyor belt into a row R of container cells 3 of a container transport device 4 as part of a container cleaning system. For this purpose, the loading and / or unloading device 1 has a rotatably mounted driver carrier 5 on which a driver element 6 in the form of a driver finger is arranged for each of the containers 2 to be moved. The driver element 6 is provided in each case to grip a container 2 in the region of the container base and then to guide it along a container guide 7 into a respective container cell 3.The movement of the carrier carrier 5 takes place on both sides by means of a drive unit, not shown in the figures, each with an electric motor.
[0041] In regular, trouble-free operation, a row of containers 2 is pushed into a container cell 3 by means of the driver elements 6 along the container guide 7, whereupon the full container cells 3 are subsequently transported further along the container transport device 4 and a further row of container cells 3 reaches the area of the loading and / or unloading device 1.
[0042] However, if a fault occurs, for example a double insertion, in which a container cell 3 to be filled with a container already has a container 2, the container 2 to be inserted impacts the bottom of the container 2 already located in the container cell 3, whereby an increased torque or an increased force occurs in the area of the driver carrier 5, which can be detected at the control unit and in particular at the frequency converter of the electric motor of each of the drive units in the form of an increased motor current.
[0043] The frequency converter of the drive units thus acts as a sensor means for detecting a fault in the area of a container cell 3. However, the respective increase in the motor current of the two drive units arranged on opposite ends of the carrier carrier 5 depends on the fault position 8 or on the distance of the fault position 8 from the respective drive unit.
[0044] In order to be able to determine the exact fault position 8 and in particular the lane G exhibiting the fault or the position of the container cell 3 with the fault in the row R of the container cells 3, an evaluation unit is provided which continuously monitors the motor currents of the two drive units.
[0045] If one of the motor currents exceeds a specified threshold, the occurrence of a fault is first registered, and the fault data, the respective motor currents, are recorded. Furthermore, the respective angle of rotation of the driver carrier 5 is recorded. Furthermore, the loading and / or unloading device 1 is immediately stopped to prevent damage.
[0046] The motor currents from both drive units of the carrier support 5 are then put into relation, whereby the disturbance position 8 can be determined precisely. As shown in Fig. 4, the two motor currents IA and IB in a container transport device 4 with 60 aisles G1 - G60 are exactly the same if the disturbance position 8 is located exactly in the middle of a row R of container cells 3. This results from the fact that with a corresponding central disturbance position 8, the reaction forces F acting at both ends of the container carrier 5 are identical. If, for example, the disturbance position 8 is shifted 75% along the row R of container cells 3 towards the second drive unit, the forces are divided in a ratio of 1:3. If a disturbance occurs, for example, in the last aisle G60 at the end of the row R of container cells 3, a force ratio of 0:1 is detected, i.e. a force that essentially only occurs on the side of the disturbance is determined.Based on the detected torques, the container cell 3 exhibiting a fault can be precisely determined for a known number of container cells 3 in the row R.
[0047] As soon as a corresponding fault is detected and the respective fault position 8 has been determined, an output is generated for the user, whereby an output is shown both on a display of the loading and / or unloading unit and also forwarded to a higher-level control system. In addition, the loading and / or unloading device 1 can also have a display bar with light elements, in particular an LED bar, whereby each light source is assigned to a lane G or a container cell 3 in the row R. In particular, the display bar is preferably arranged directly in the area of the lanes G of the container cells 3, so that a light display directly shows the determined fault position 8.
[0048] To enable improved detection of the fault position 8 and effective monitoring of the container transport device 4, the data measured by the sensor means and / or the determined fault positions 8 are transmitted to a database and / or compared with entries in such a database. Furthermore, an improvement in detection accuracy can be achieved by using additional sensor means and / or, when a fault occurs, by performing multiple measurements using a sensor means and, particularly preferably, simultaneously establishing different operating states using the drive units, for example, repeating the movement leading to the fault and recording data of the fault again. Subsequently, all data can be taken into account in an evaluation. List of reference symbols 1 Loading and / or unloading device
[0049] 2 containers
[0050] 3 container cells
[0051] 4 Container transport device
[0052] 5 Carrier carrier 6 Carrier element
[0053] 7 Container guidance
[0054] 8 Interference position
[0055] R series
[0056] G Alley F Reaction force
[0057] Motor current of the drive unit x
Claims
Claims 1. Loading and / or unloading device (1) for the parallel loading and / or unloading of containers (2) to container cells (3) arranged in a row (R) of a container transport device (4) and / or a container treatment device, with a plurality of driver elements (6) arranged on a common driver carrier (5) for displacing a container (2) into a container cell (3) and / or out of a container cell (3), characterized by at least one sensor means for detecting a fault in the area of a container cell (3), and an evaluation unit for automatically assigning the container cell (3) to a lane with the detected fault within the row (R) of container cells (3).
2. Loading and / or dispensing device according to claim 1, characterized by at least one drive unit for moving the carrier (5) for loading and / or dispensing containers (2), wherein at least one sensor means is formed to detect reaction forces occurring during the loading and / or dispensing of the containers (2).
3. Loading and / or dispensing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each driver element (6) and / or the driver carrier (5) and / or the drive unit and / or a control unit of the drive unit has at least one sensor means. Loading and / or dispensing device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one sensor means is formed to measure a force of the carrier (5) and / or the current intensity required to move the carrier (5). Loading and / or dispensing device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a sensor means is arranged on each side of the carrier (5) which detects the force of the carrier (5), wherein the evaluation unit subsequently determines the position of the disturbance within the row (R) of container cells (3) from the detected sensor data.Loading and / or unloading device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a drive unit is arranged on each side of the carrier support (5) at least for moving the carrier support (5), each drive unit being connected to a sensor means such that a power consumption or a required current intensity of the drive units can be detected. Device for transporting (4) and / or for treating containers (2), with a first conveyor means for feeding containers (2), a container treatment device downstream of the first conveyor means, in particular a container cleaning machine, and a second conveyor means for guiding away the treated containers (2), characterized in that a feeding device (1) according to one of claims 1 - 6 for feeding the containers (2) into the. Container treatment device and / or between the container treatment device and the second conveyor, a discharge device (1) according to one of claims 1-6 is arranged for unloading the containers (2) from the container treatment device. A method for automatically assigning a fault in the area of a container cell (3) of a loading and / or discharge device (1) for the parallel loading and / or discharge of containers (2) in a row (R) of mutually parallel container cells (3), comprising the steps: Recording data of faults occurring in the area of the container cell (3) during the loading and / or unloading of the container (2), and evaluating the sensor data and automatically assigning the fault position to an individual container cell (3) in the row (R) or to a lane (G) of the container cell (3) exhibiting a fault. A method for automatic lane assignment according to claim 8, wherein the loading and / or unloading device (1) has a plurality of driver elements (6) arranged on a common driver carrier (5) for displacing a container (2) into and / or out of a container cell (3), and on both sides of the driver carrier (5) there is a drive unit at least for moving the driver carrier (5), as well as at least one sensor means for detecting a power consumption or a required current intensity of each of the drive units, characterized in that the power consumption ora required current strength of each of the drive units is recorded during the loading and / or unloading of the container (2) and the recorded sensor data of both sensor means are used for automatic. Assigning the fault position to an individual container cell (3) in the row (R) are compared with each other.
10. Method for automatic aisle allocation according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that in the event of a fault, two power consumptions determined simultaneously by means of one of the sensor means are compared and from the ratio the relative position of the fault between the two ends of the driver carrier (5) is determined directly and is thus assigned to a specific aisle (G) of the container cells (3) or an individual container cell (3).
11. Method for automatic aisle allocation according to one of claims 8 - 10, characterized in that in order to allocate the fault position to an individual container cell (3) in the row (R) of container cells (3), the determined ratio of the sensor data is compared with entries in a database, wherein the database allocates a position of the fault to each ratio of the sensor data for the specific loading and / or unloading device (1).
12. Method for automatic lane assignment according to one of claims 8 - 11, characterized in that following the detection of first data of a malfunction that has occurred, all drive units are stopped and / or briefly operated in the opposite direction.
13. Method for automatic lane allocation according to one of claims 8 - 12, characterized in that following the detection of first data of a malfunction that has occurred, at least one drive unit and preferably all drive units are controlled individually, simultaneously or sequentially and in the process further sensor data are again detected by means of the at least one sensor means.