Carrier system for goods to be conveyed for movement on a conveying surface of a planar motor drive system

Abstract

The invention relates to a carrier system (1) for goods to be conveyed for movement on a conveying surface (5) of a planar motor drive system (4), comprising a carrier (2) for goods to be conveyed having a loading surface (13) for receiving goods (14) to be conveyed, a cleaning device (3) for cleaning the conveying surface (5) of the planar motor drive system (4), and a mechanical coupling between the carrier (2) for the goods to be conveyed and the cleaning device (3) in the horizontal direction such that the carrier (2) for the goods to be conveyed entrains the cleaning device (3) in the event of a horizontal movement along the conveying surface (5). According to the invention, in the vertical direction at a right angle to the conveying surface (5) the mechanical coupling allows a freedom of movement between the carrier (2) for the goods to be conveyed and the cleaning device (3) or a free vertical relative movement of the carrier (2) for the goods to be conveyed relative to the cleaning device (3).

Description

[0001] Material carrier system for movement on a conveyor surface of a planar motor drive system

[0002] Technical field of the invention

[0003] The invention relates to a conveyor system for transporting conveyor material (e.g. food products) on a horizontal conveyor surface of a planar motor drive system.

[0004] Furthermore, the invention relates to a planar motor drive system with at least one such conveyor carrier system and to a food processing plant with such a conveyor carrier system or with such a planar motor drive system.

[0005] Finally, the invention also relates to the use of such a conveyor system or such a planar motor drive system in a food processing plant.

[0006] Background of the invention

[0007] From the prior art (e.g. DE 10 2021 105 103 A1) it is known to transport food products (e.g. stacks of slices of sausage or cheese slices) in a food processing plant on conveyor carriers, whereby the conveyor carriers are also referred to as "mover" or "shuttle" and are moved by a planar motor drive system on a horizontal conveyor surface along a freely programmable conveyor path.

[0008] Furthermore, it is known from the prior art (cf. DE 102021 105 103 A1) to attach a cleaning device to the individual conveyor belt. This cleaning device can consist, for example, of a cleaning brush or a scraper and has the task of keeping the conveying surface along the conveying path free of dirt (e.g. product residues). This is intended to prevent dirt from penetrating the gap between the conveying surface of the planar motor drive system and the conveyor belt, which would cause the conveyor belt to leave its predetermined suspension height. A disadvantage of this known conveyor belt system with a cleaning device (e.g. cleaning brush) attached to the conveyor belt is the fact that the maximum load of the conveyor belt is reduced by the mass of the cleaning device, since the planar motor drive system must keep both the actual conveyor belt and the cleaning device attached to it at the suspension height.

[0009] The cleaning device must therefore be designed to be as light as possible in the state of the art, which in turn entails the risk that the cleaning device will be caused to lift off by dirt particles on the conveying surface and will not achieve a satisfactory cleaning effect.

[0010] Regarding the general technical background of the invention, reference should also be made to patent publications KR 10 2013 000 763 A and CN 107 802 214 A, which, however, belong to completely different technical fields and have no connection to the relevant technical field of food processing machines.

[0011] Description of the invention

[0012] The invention is therefore based on the object of creating a correspondingly improved conveying material carrier system.

[0013] This object is achieved by a conveying material carrier system according to the invention according to the main claim.

[0014] The conveying material carrier system according to the invention, in accordance with the prior art described above, comprises a conveying material carrier, which can also be referred to as a "mover" or "shuttle" according to common technical terminology. On its upper side, the conveying material carrier has a loading surface that serves to receive a conveyed material, such as food products (e.g., stacks of sliced ​​sausage or cheese slices).

[0015] Furthermore, the conveyed goods carrier system according to the invention, in accordance with the prior art described above, also has a cleaning device for cleaning the conveying surface of the planar motor drive system. The cleaning device is connected to the actual conveyed goods carrier via a mechanical coupling, wherein the mechanical coupling acts in a horizontal direction in accordance with the prior art described above, so that the conveyed goods carrier entrains the cleaning device during a horizontal movement along the conveying surface. The mechanical coupling between the conveyed goods carrier and the cleaning device therefore acts in a horizontal direction and ensures that the conveyed goods carrier and the cleaning device move synchronously on the conveying surface, i.e., in the same direction and at the same speed.

[0016] The invention differs from the prior art described above in that the mechanical coupling between the conveyed goods carrier and the cleaning device enables a range of motion in the vertical direction (i.e., perpendicular to the conveying surface of the planar motor drive system) between the conveyed goods carrier and the cleaning device, or even permits a free vertical relative movement of the conveyed goods carrier relative to the cleaning device. In the conveyed goods carrier system according to the invention, the actual conveyed goods carrier can therefore move freely in the vertical direction (i.e., perpendicular to the conveying surface of the planar motor drive system) relative to the cleaning device, at least within the range of motion.

[0017] This is advantageous because the maximum load-bearing capacity of the material carrier is not limited by the weight of the cleaning device. During operation, the cleaning device therefore preferably rests on the conveying surface of the planar motor drive system, so that the cleaning device is supported and carried by the conveying surface of the planar motor drive system, while the material carrier is held at the required suspended height by the planar motor drive system. In the material carrier system according to the invention, the planar motor drive system therefore preferably only needs to support the material carrier, but not the cleaning device. This also offers the possibility of making the cleaning device relatively heavy, which largely prevents the cleaning device from lifting off the conveying surface, as will be explained in more detail below.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cleaning device comprises a frame that surrounds the actual material carrier in a frame-like manner. This ensures that the material carrier carries the cleaning device along the conveying path as it moves on the conveying surface. The frame of the cleaning device has an inner contour, while the material carrier has a correspondingly complementary outer contour. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the inner contour of the cleaning device and the outer contour of the material carrier are each rectangular.The inner contour of the cleaning device frame preferably has an oversize compared to the outer contour of the goods carrier, so that a gap exists between the outer contour of the goods carrier and the inner contour of the cleaning device frame, which allows the vertical relative movement of the goods carrier relative to the cleaning device. The cleaning device frame thus loosely surrounds the goods carrier to allow vertical movement between the goods carrier and the cleaning device frame.

[0019] It should also be mentioned that the frame of the cleaning device and the material carrier are both preferably made partly of metal (e.g. steel, stainless steel). This is worth mentioning because contact between the metal material carrier on the one hand and the metal frame of the cleaning device on the other hand should be avoided during operation. A spacer made of plastic (e.g. rubber) is therefore preferably arranged between the frame of the cleaning device and the material carrier to prevent direct contact between the metal frame of the cleaning device and the metal material carrier. This spacer is preferably detachably attached to the frame of the cleaning device.

[0020] In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the frame of the cleaning device has projections on its upper side that project inward beyond the inner contour of the frame and limit the vertical range of movement of the frame of the cleaning device relative to the conveyed goods carrier, so that the frame of the cleaning device cannot fall off the conveyed goods carrier when the conveyed goods carrier is lifted from the conveying surface of the planar motor drive system. The projections on the frame of the cleaning device therefore limit the vertical range of movement of the frame of the cleaning device relative to the conveyed goods carrier, preferably only in one direction.

[0021] Regarding the cleaning device, it should be noted that it can comprise, for example, a cleaning brush or a wiper (e.g., a rubber lip). During operation, the cleaning brush or wiper rests on the conveying surface of the planar motor drive system to clean the conveying surface in the conveying path of the material carrier and keep it free of dirt. This is intended to prevent dirt particles from penetrating the gap between the material carrier and the conveying surface of the planar motor drive system, thereby causing the material carrier to deviate from its predetermined suspension height.

[0022] The cleaning brush or scraper is preferably mounted on the underside of the cleaning device frame, so that the weight of the frame presses on the cleaning brush or scraper. This means that the cleaning brush or scraper presses the entire weight of the cleaning device frame onto the conveyor surface, which contributes to a good cleaning effect.

[0023] It's worth noting that the cleaning brush or scraper preferably runs continuously and without interruption around the entire circumference of the cleaning device's frame to prevent dirt from penetrating the gap between the material carrier and the conveying surface of the planar motor drive system. This is advantageous because the cleaning effect is then independent of the direction of movement of the material carrier on the conveying surface.

[0024] It should also be noted that the cleaning brush or wiper can be made at least partially of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), also known under the product name Teflon®. Alternatively, the wiper can be designed as a rubber lip.

[0025] It's also worth mentioning that the cleaning brush or wiper is preferably mounted on the frame of the cleaning device in a replaceable manner. This is advantageous because a worn cleaning brush or wiper can then be easily replaced without having to replace the entire frame.

[0026] In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the actual material carrier comprises an upper part and a lower part, with the upper part being mechanically detachably connected to the lower part, for example, by a locking connection. Thus, the lower part can have locking pins on its upper side that protrude upward and can be locked into locking receptacles on the underside of the upper part.

[0027] It has already been mentioned above that the mechanical coupling between the conveyed goods carrier and the cleaning device in the conveyed goods carrier system according to the invention allows for a vertical range of movement. This vertical range of movement of the conveyed goods carrier relative to the cleaning device is preferably at least 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, or even at least 5 mm.

[0028] Furthermore, it should be noted that the conveyor system according to the invention is generally suitable for receiving and conveying conveyor materials. However, the conveyor system according to the invention is preferably designed to convey food products. To do this, the conveyor system must meet certain requirements, for example, relating to hygiene and defined, among other things, in EU Directive 2006 / 42 / EC. The conveyed food products can be, for example, stacks of sliced ​​sausage or sliced ​​cheese, to name just two examples.

[0029] The placement of the conveyed goods (e.g., stacks of sausage slices or cheese slices) on the loading surface of the conveyor carrier and the removal of the conveyed goods from the loading surface are preferably carried out by so-called finger conveyors, which grip the conveyed goods on the loading surface. For this purpose, several parallel and elongated recesses are preferably arranged in the loading surface of the conveyor carrier, into which the so-called finger conveyors can dip when depositing or removing the conveyed goods in order to grip the conveyed goods underneath.

[0030] As already mentioned above, the vertical range of motion between the cleaning device on the one hand and the material carrier on the other offers the advantage that the maximum load capacity of the material carrier is not reduced by the weight of the cleaning device. The cleaning device can therefore be made heavier to achieve a high contact force with a correspondingly good cleaning effect. For example, the cleaning device can have a mass of at least 50 g, 100 g, 200 g, or at least 300 g.

[0031] The above-described conveyor system according to the invention is suitable for use with a planar motor drive system. However, the invention also claims protection for a planar motor drive system with at least one such conveyor system.

[0032] With regard to the structural design and functionality of the planar motor drive system, reference can be made to the state of the art, although such planar motor drive systems are also commercially available. For example, the German company Beckhoff Automation GmbH & Co. KG markets a corresponding planar motor drive system under the product name XPianar®. Alternatively, it is possible to use the planar motor drive system marketed by the German company Bosch Rexroth AG under the product name ctrIX FLOW6D®. It should be noted in general that the planar motor drive system preferably operates electromagnetically, whereby the planar motor drive system operates contactlessly, i.e., without physical contact between the material carrier and the conveying surface of the planar motor drive system.

[0033] Preferably, all the conveyed goods carriers of the planar motor drive system are designed in the manner according to the invention described above, ie all the conveyed goods carriers have an integrated cleaning device.

[0034] Furthermore, it should be noted that the invention not only claims protection for the above-described conveyor system according to the invention and the planar motor drive system with such a conveyor system, also described above. Rather, the invention also claims protection for a food processing plant with such a conveyor system.

[0035] Finally, the invention also claims protection for the novel use of such a conveyor system or such a planar motor drive system for conveying food products in a food processing plant.

[0036] Brief description of the drawings

[0037] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a material carrier system according to the invention from an angle above.

[0038] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the cleaning device of the conveyor system according to Figure 1 without the actual conveyor.

[0039] Figure 3A shows a sectional view through the conveying material carrier system according to the invention.

[0040] Figure 3B shows an enlarged detail view of Figure 3A.

[0041] Figure 4 shows a schematic representation of a planar motor drive system according to the invention with a material carrier system according to the invention.

[0042] Detailed description of the drawings The conveying material carrier system 1 according to the invention shown in the drawings will now be described below, which essentially consists of a conveying material carrier 2 and a cleaning device 3.

[0043] The material carrier system 1 can be moved contactlessly along a conveying surface 5 of the planar motor drive system 4 by a planar motor drive system 4, with the material carrier 2 hovering at a specific height above the conveying surface 5 of the planar motor drive system 4, so that during operation a gap 6 exists between the conveying surface 5 of the planar motor drive system 4 and the material carrier 2. The planar motor drive system 4 consists of numerous rectangular modules 7, 8, 9, which are seamlessly assembled to form the conveying surface 5, as is known per se from the prior art. For example, the planar motor drive system 4 can be the system marketed by the German company Beckhoff Automation GmbH under the product name XPianar®.

[0044] The material carrier 2 is essentially rectangular and is surrounded by a likewise rectangular frame 10 of the cleaning device 3. The inner contour of the frame 10 has a slight oversize compared to the outer contour of the material carrier 2. This allows for vertical movement of the material carrier 2 relative to the frame 10 of the cleaning device.

[0045] However, this range of motion is limited in the vertical direction by projections 11, which are arranged at the corners of the frame 10 of the cleaning device 3 and project inward beyond the inner contour of the frame 10 of the cleaning device 3. If the material carrier 2 is lifted from the conveying surface 5 of the planar motor drive system 4, these projections 11 prevent the frame 10 of the cleaning device 3 from falling downward.

[0046] On its underside, the frame 10 carries a cleaning brush 12, which rotates continuously around the entire circumference of the frame 10 of the cleaning device 3. This enables a consistent cleaning effect regardless of the direction of movement of the material carrier system 1 on the conveying surface 5.

[0047] From the cross-sectional view in Figure 3A, it can be seen that the conveyor carrier 2 consists of an upper part 2.1 and a lower part 2.2. The upper part 2.1 of the conveyor carrier 2 has a loading surface 13 on its upper side for receiving conveyor material 14 (see Fig. 4), whereby the conveyor material 14 can be, for example, stacks of slices of sausage or cheese, to name just two examples.

[0048] In the loading surface 13 of the material carrier 2 there are elongated parallel recesses 15 which enable so-called finger conveyors to dip into the recesses 15 when the material 14 is removed from the loading surface 15 or when the material 14 is deposited on the loading surface 15 and to grip underneath the material 14.

[0049] It should also be noted that the upper part 2.1 of the material carrier 2 is connected to the lower part 2.2 of the material carrier 2 by a locking connection. This locking connection comprises locking pins 16, which are arranged in the upper side of the lower part 2.2 and protrude upwards. Furthermore, the locking connection comprises locking receptacles 17 on the underside of the upper part 2.1. The locking pins 16 can engage in the locking receptacles 17, thereby establishing the locking connection between the upper part 2.1 and the lower part 2.2 of the material carrier 2.

[0050] It should also be noted that the frame 10 and the lower part 2.2 of the material carrier 2 are each made of stainless steel. Direct contact between the stainless steel frame 10 on the one hand and the lower part 2.2, which is also made of stainless steel, on the other hand, should be prevented. Therefore, a spacer 18 is arranged between the frame 10 and the lower part 2.2 of the material carrier 2. This spacer 18 can be made of plastic, for example, and is detachably mounted in the frame 10.

[0051] Furthermore, Fig. 3B also shows that the cleaning brush 12 is detachably mounted in the frame 10 of the cleaning device 3. If the cleaning brush 12 becomes worn, it can be easily replaced.

[0052] The invention is not limited to the preferred embodiment described above. Rather, a multitude of variants and modifications are possible, which also utilize the inventive concept and therefore fall within the scope of protection. The invention therefore also claims protection for the subject matter and features of the subclaims, independently of the respective claims referred to, and in particular even without the features of the main claim. The invention thus encompasses various aspects of the invention, which enjoy independent protection. Advantages of the invention

[0053] One advantage of the invention is that the maximum load capacity (payload) of the material carrier on the planar motor drive system is not reduced by the weight of the cleaning device. As a result, the maximum load capacity (payload) can be increased.

[0054] A further advantage of the invention is that the cleaning device can be made heavier, which leads to a higher contact force of the cleaning device on the conveying surface and thus to a better cleaning effect.

[0055] In addition, the circumferential arrangement of the cleaning brush or scraper prevents dirt from penetrating the gap between the material carrier and the conveying surface of the planar motor drive system, regardless of the direction of movement.

[0056] In general, it can be said that the interference immunity of the conveyed goods carrier system according to the invention is significantly higher than in the prior art.

[0057] List of reference symbols

[0058] 1 material carrier system

[0059] 2 material carriers

[0060] 2.1 Upper part of the conveyor carrier

[0061] 2.2 Lower part of the conveyor carrier

[0062] 3 Cleaning device

[0063] 4 Planar motor drive system

[0064] 5 Conveying surface of the planar motor drive system

[0065] 6 Gap between the conveying surface of the planar motor drive system and the material carrier

[0066] 7-9 Planar Motor Drive System Modules

[0067] 10 Frame of the cleaning device

[0068] 11 projections on the top of the cleaning device frame

[0069] 12 Cleaning brush on the underside of the frame of the cleaning device

[0070] 13 Loading area of ​​the conveyor carrier

[0071] 14 Conveyed material

[0072] 15 recesses in the loading area of ​​the conveyor carrier for gripping the food product on the loading area

[0073] 16 Locking pin in the lower part of the conveyor carrier

[0074] 17 Locking receptacle in the upper part of the conveyor carrier

[0075] 18 Spacers between the frame of the cleaning device and the conveyor belt

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A conveyor system (1) for movement on a substantially horizontal conveyor surface (5) of a planar motor drive system (4), comprising a) a conveyor (2) with a loading surface (13) on the upper side of the conveyor (2) for receiving conveyed goods (14), in particular food products (14), b) a cleaning device (3) for cleaning the conveying surface (5) of the planar motor drive system (4), and c) a mechanical coupling between the conveyed goods carrier (2) and the cleaning device (3) in the horizontal direction, so that the conveyed goods carrier (2) the cleaning device (3) during a horizontal movement along the conveying surface (5), characterized in that d) that the mechanical coupling in the vertical direction perpendicular to the conveying surface (5) allows a range of motion between the conveyed goods carrier (2) and the cleaning device (3) or a free vertical relative movement of the conveyed goods carrier (2) relative to the cleaning device (3).

2. Conveyor material carrier system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning device (3) rests on the conveying surface (5) of the planar motor drive system (4) during operation and is carried in the vertical direction solely by the conveying surface (5) of the planar motor drive system (4), so that the cleaning device (3) does not form a load in the vertical direction for the conveyor material carrier (2).

3. Conveyor goods carrier system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a) the cleaning device (3) forms a frame (10) which surrounds the conveyed goods carrier (2) in a frame-like manner, and / or b) the frame (10) of the cleaning device (3) has an inner contour and the conveyed goods carrier (2) has an outer contour, the inner contour of the frame (10) of the cleaning device (3) being shaped complementarily to the outer contour of the conveyed goods carrier (2).

4. Conveyor material carrier system (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that a) that the inner contour of the frame (10) of the cleaning device (3) is substantially rectangular, b) that the outer contour of the conveyed goods carrier (2) is substantially rectangular, and c) that the inner contour of the frame (10) of the cleaning device (3) has an oversize compared to the outer contour of the conveyed goods carrier (2), so that between the outer contour of the conveyed goods carrier (2) and the inner contour of the frame (10) of the cleaning device (3) there is a gap which allows the vertical relative movement of the conveyed goods carrier (2) relative to the cleaning device (3).

5. Conveyor goods carrier (2) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that a) the frame (10) consists at least partially of metal, in particular of steel, b) the conveyor goods carrier (2) consists at least partially of metal, in particular of steel, and c) a spacer (18) made of plastic is arranged between the frame (10) and the conveyor goods carrier (2), the spacer (18) preventing direct contact between the metal frame (10) and the metal conveyor goods carrier (2).

6. Conveyor material carrier system (1) according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the frame (10) of the cleaning device (3) has projections (11) on its upper side, which project inwards beyond the inner contour of the frame (10) and limit the vertical range of movement of the frame (10) of the cleaning device (3) relative to the conveyor material carrier (2), so that the frame (10) of the cleaning device (3) cannot fall off the conveyor material carrier (2) when the conveyor material carrier (2) is lifted off the conveying surface (5) of the planar motor drive system (4).

7. Conveyor material carrier system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a) the cleaning device (3) has a cleaning brush (12) or a scraper, wherein the cleaning brush (12) or the scraper rests on the conveying surface (5) of the planar motor drive system (4) during operation in order to clean the conveying surface (5) of a planar motor drive system (4), and / or b) the cleaning brush (12) or the scraper is arranged on the underside of the frame (10) of the cleaning device (3), and / or c) that the cleaning brush (12) or the wiper rotates continuously and without interruption over the entire circumference of the frame (10) of the cleaning device (3) in order to prevent the penetration of dirt into the gap between the conveyed goods carrier (2) and the conveying surface (5) of the planar motor drive system (4), and / or d) that the cleaning brush (12) or the wiper consists at least partially of polytetrafluoroethylene, and / or e) that the wiper has at least one rubber lip, and / or f) that the cleaning brush (12) or the wiper is replaceable.

8. Conveyor material carrier system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a) the conveyor material carrier (2) has an upper part (2.1) and a lower part (2.2), and / or b) the upper part (2.1) is mechanically detachably connected to the lower part (2.2), in particular by a latching connection (16, 17), and / or c) the latching connection (16, 17) has latching pins (16) in the lower part (2.2) and latching receptacles (17) in the upper part (2.1), wherein the latching pins (16) can be latched into the latching receptacles (17).

9. Conveyor material carrier system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a) the mechanical coupling between the conveyor material carrier (2) and the cleaning device (3) allows a vertical range of movement of the conveyor material carrier (2) relative to the cleaning device (3) of at least 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm or 5 mm, and / or b) the conveyor material carrier system (1) is designed for use with food products (14), in particular in accordance with EU Directive 2006 / 42 / EC, and / or c) the conveyor material carrier (2) has a plurality of parallel and elongated recesses (15) in the loading surface (13) for engaging underneath the conveyor material (14) when the conveyor material (14) is deposited on the conveyor material carrier (2) or when the conveyor material (14) is removed from the conveyor material carrier (2), and / or d) the cleaning device (3) has a mass of at least 50 g, 100 g, 200 g or at least 300 g to preventthat the cleaning device (3) lifts from the conveying surface (5) of the planar motor drive system (4).

10. Planar motor drive system (4) with at least one of the preceding conveyed material carrier systems, wherein the conveyed material carrier system (1) is movably arranged on the conveying surface (5) of the planar motor drive system (4).

11. Planar motor drive system (4) according to claim 10, characterized in that a) all the conveyed goods carriers (2) on the conveying surface (5) of the planar motor drive system (4) are designed as conveyed goods carrier systems according to one of claims 1 to 9, and / or b) the planar motor drive system (4) operates electromagnetically, and / or c) the planar motor drive system (4) operates contactlessly without any physical contact between the conveyed goods carrier (2) and the conveying surface (5) of the planar motor drive system (4).

12. Planar motor drive system (4) according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that a) the conveyed goods carrier (2) floats at a certain floating height above the conveying surface (5) of the planar motor drive system (4) during operation, and b) the vertical range of movement of the conveyed goods carrier (2) relative to the cleaning device (3) is greater than the floating height of the conveyed goods carrier (2).

13. Food processing plant with a material carrier system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9 or with a planar motor drive system (4) according to one of claims 10 to 12.

14. Use of a conveyor system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9 or a planar motor drive system (4) according to one of claims 10 to 12 for conveying food products (14) in a food processing plant.

Images