Apparatus and method for transferring containers in a transport system

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for transferring containers in a transport system. The apparatus comprises one, two or more inlets, each having an inlet lane, an outlet with one or more outlet lanes, an inlet detection device which is designed to detect the incoming containers for each of the inlets and, based on a number and / or distribution of the incoming containers in the inlets, to generate and output an inlet signal; and a robot which is designed to operate the inlets and the outlet and, on the basis of the inlet signal that is output from the inlet detection device, to transfer the incoming containers from the inlet lanes to the outlet lanes of the outlet. The present invention further relates to a method for transferring containers in a transport system.

Description

[0001] Device and method for moving containers in a transport system

[0002] The present invention relates to a device for moving containers in a transport system and a method for moving containers in a transport system.

[0003] When handling containers, for example in the beverage industry, diverter systems are commonly used. These are used to divide containers from a single-aisle conveyor into an adjustable number of outlet aisles in a container conveying system. Containers can only be distributed from a single inlet. In container conveying systems, it can happen that individual process steps, such as labeling, have to be carried out by several machines in parallel in order to achieve a certain target output. If two or more parallel container streams are to be conveyed, they must be brought together before a diverter in the diverter system. If shaped bottles are being conveyed, the orientation of the containers can be lost when several streams are brought together.In addition, the transport speeds of the individual streams must be adapted to each other for merging, which makes control even more complicated.

[0004] Robots are also used in the beverage industry to process containers or container packs. For this purpose, the containers are brought to a specific pitch and / or rotated through controlled deceleration and acceleration on conveyor belts before they enter a system or device. A disadvantage of this is that a controlled container feed requires a buffer zone and controllable elements to ensure the containers are positioned with a specific gap between adjacent containers. The buffer zone and the controlled feed require space and additional sensors and actuators.

[0005] EP 2 669 202 A1 discloses a method for operating a picking line for inserting products that are fed to a packaging machine on feed belts, where they are picked up by pickers and placed into packaging troughs. FR 2 993 870 A1 teaches a method and a device for transferring objects, for example bottles, between M inlets and N outlets, in particular using a gripper robot. EP 3 490 017 A1 discloses a device for handling a large number of articles in a random mass flow. In light of the above-mentioned disadvantages, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device and a method for displacing containers in a transport system, with which greater flexibility can be achieved with regard to the handling and displacing of incoming and outgoing containers.

[0006] To achieve this object, the present invention provides a device according to claim 1 and a method according to claim 10. Further developments can be found in the associated subclaims.

[0007] According to the invention, a device for displacing containers in a transport system is provided, comprising one, two or more inlets, each with an inlet lane, an outlet with one or more outlet lanes, an inlet detection device which is designed to detect the incoming containers for each of the inlets and to generate and output an inlet signal based on a number and / or distribution of the inlet containers in the inlets, and a robot which is designed to operate the inlets and the outlet and to displace the inlet containers from the inlet lanes to the outlet lanes of the outlet on the basis of the inlet signal output by the inlet detection device.

[0008] Such a device makes it possible to freely transfer containers from any number of inlet lanes to any number of outlet lanes. This makes it possible, for example, to eliminate the need to provide a switch system for this purpose. Accordingly, the device described here achieves a high degree of flexibility with regard to the handling and transfer of incoming and outgoing containers.

[0009] In this description, the term “transfer” refers to the transport of containers by shifting or lifting them between an inlet and an outlet.

[0010] Single-aisle transport means that the containers are transported in a row, without being arranged side by side along any transport direction. In contrast, multi-aisle transport allows the containers to be arranged side by side and one behind the other along the transport direction.

[0011] The inlet detection device can, for example, comprise a light barrier for each inlet lane, which detects the number and / or distribution of incoming containers in each of the inlet lanes. It is also possible for the inlet detection device to be designed to uniquely identify specific containers, for example, using a unique identifier on the container (e.g., barcode, QR code, etc.). Based on the detected number and / or distribution of incoming containers, the inlet detection device generates an inlet signal, which is transmitted to the robot.

[0012] The number of containers refers to how many containers pass through the inlet detection system in a given time. Distribution takes into account not only the number of containers but also the distances and gaps between the containers.

[0013] In this description, a robot refers to a device designed to transport one or more containers by mechanical means, for example by shifting or lifting. The robot is controlled by an internal or external control device, for example a computer. The control device provides an algorithm for controlling the robot. In particular, the control device receives the inlet signal from the inlet detection device and, on this basis, calculates how the incoming containers must be moved to the outlet aisles. Based on this information, an algorithm controls the function of the robot, in particular the pattern according to which the incoming containers must be transported or moved in order to achieve a desired distribution in the outlet aisle(s). In particular, the control of the robot can be automated.The algorithm can be modified during the fixture's downtime or during operation, for example, to react to changes in the infeed (e.g., failure of an infeed lane). A fixture operator can also manually access the robot's controls.

[0014] The device can be designed to transfer all incoming containers to the outlet lanes of the outlet. The number of incoming containers can thus correspond to the number of outgoing containers after the transfer.

[0015] Each of the inlets can have exactly one inlet lane. The device can comprise exactly one outlet.

[0016] The number of inlets and the number of outlet lanes can be different, but they can also be the same.

[0017] As described above, the device is suitable for a wide variety of situations in which containers need to be moved from inlets to an outlet with one or more outlet lanes, making it particularly versatile and flexible. The robot can have a gripping tool to grasp one or more containers simultaneously. The gripping tool can generally be designed to simply move the container(s) or to lift the container(s) for transport.

[0018] In particular, if several containers can be gripped simultaneously, this results in a higher production output of the robot and thus of the device, enabling a higher throughput of containers.

[0019] The robot can be a tripod robot, particularly with delta kinematics, or an articulated arm robot with up to six degrees of freedom.

[0020] These types of robots are already being used in the beverage industry, for example, for processing container packs. It is crucial that the robots have suitable kinematics to transport and / or distribute the containers at high speed. In conjunction with the device described here, these robots enable high performance in a container transport and distribution environment.

[0021] The device may further comprise a discharge detection device which is designed to detect the discharged containers for the discharge and to generate and output a discharge signal based on a number and / or distribution of the discharged containers in the discharge lanes, wherein the robot is designed to additionally carry out the transfer of the containers to the discharge lanes based on the discharge signal or wherein the transfer of the containers to the discharge lanes is additionally carried out based on a number of containers in one or more of the discharge lanes.

[0022] In principle, the outflow detection device can be designed like the inflow detection device and, for example, comprise a light barrier. It is also possible for the outflow detection device to be designed to uniquely identify specific containers, for example, based on a unique identifier on the container (e.g., a barcode, QR code, etc.). Based on the detected number and distribution of outflowing containers, the outflow detection device then generates an outflow signal, which is transmitted to the robot.

[0023] By incorporating the outfeed signal into the robot's control system, it is possible to also consider the situation at the outfeeds when distributing the incoming containers. Accordingly, the container distribution can also be individually tailored to the situation in specific outfeed lanes. For example, an outfeed lane may be jammed, preventing the robot from moving any additional containers to that lane. Alternatively, the containers can be distributed evenly across the outfeed lanes. "Evenly" can mean that all outfeed lanes are filled with the same number of containers, or that the containers are equally spaced in all outfeed lanes.

[0024] It is also possible for the robot, particularly its control device, to detect which outlet lanes the containers are being moved to. In this case, the outlet detection device can only serve for process monitoring and not process control. In practice, this means that the containers are moved based on the inlet signal and the displacement of previous containers determined by the robot. The outlet detection device counts the containers in the outlet lanes and can thus identify empty or jammed outlet lanes and then issue a message. In this configuration, the outlet detection device does not directly influence the robot's movement of the containers.

[0025] The robot can be designed to determine an outlet lane with the lowest number of containers on the basis of the outlet signal and to move the incoming containers to the outlet lane with the lowest number of containers.

[0026] The robot can be designed to determine an outlet lane with the lowest number of containers on the basis of the inlet signal and the displacement of previous containers determined by the robot, in particular its control device, and to move the incoming containers to the outlet lane with the lowest number of containers.

[0027] By prioritizing the discharge lane with the least amount of containers during distribution, a more even distribution of containers can be achieved. In particular, this prevents some discharge lanes from becoming overstocked, which could lead to congestion and operational disruptions. At the same time, it also prevents an discharge lane from running dry, which could also lead to disruptions if no additional containers are supplied to downstream devices. A loading refers to the number of containers in a specific inlet or outlet lane.

[0028] The device can further comprise one or more additional robots, wherein the additional robot(s) is / are arranged between the robot and the outlet, wherein the robot and the additional robot(s) are configured as a robot unit, and wherein the robot unit is configured to operate the inlets and the outlet and, based on the inlet signal output by the inlet detection device, to move the incoming containers from the inlet lanes to the outlet lanes of the outlet. The robot and the additional robot(s) can be arranged one behind the other or side by side, as viewed from the inlets.

[0029] The two or more robots can be controlled by the same control device. A common algorithm can also be used to control the two or more robots together. The work performed by the two or more robots can be coordinated in different ways. For example, the robot can serve one or more specific inlet aisles and move the incoming containers in these specific inlet aisles to the outlet aisles. The other robot or robots take over the remaining inlet aisles not served by the robot and, in turn, move the containers arriving in the remaining inlet aisles. In this way, all inlet aisles are served by the robot unit, and a specific distribution of outgoing containers is created.Because each of the two or more robots only serves a part of the inlet lanes, an overall higher throughput can be achieved with this robot unit than with a single robot, because the two or more robots work in parallel and the capacities of the individual robots practically add up.

[0030] Alternatively, the two or more robots can complement each other in other ways. The robot can be configured to serve all inlet aisles and create an intermediate distribution of the incoming containers. This intermediate distribution is then taken over by the other robot(s) and processed into a specific distribution of outgoing containers at the outlet. The other robot(s) can serve all outlet aisles. In this case, too, a higher throughput can be achieved compared to a single robot if creating the intermediate distribution requires less time or work steps than creating the distribution of the outgoing containers.

[0031] It is also possible for two or more robots to serve the same inlet lane alternately or in an irregular sequence. In this case, the robot temporarily leaves one or more inlet lanes unattended, which are then served by the other robot(s). In this way, the two or more robots, which process the inlet lanes in parallel, complement each other, allowing for a higher throughput than with a single robot.

[0032] Overall, the use of the additional robot(s) makes it possible to increase the performance capacity of the device, i.e., the container throughput, by having the incoming containers processed simultaneously by multiple robots. The above specifications regarding the structural design of the robot can also apply to the additional robot(s). In particular, each of the additional robots can have a gripping tool to grasp one or more containers simultaneously. The additional robot(s) can be a tripod robot, particularly one with delta kinematics, or an articulated-arm robot with up to six degrees of freedom.

[0033] In addition to moving incoming containers to the outlet aisle with the least amount of material, other criteria can also be used for moving the containers. For example, a decision matrix can be stored in the programming logic of each robot in the robot unit to determine which robot will move a specific container in order to minimize the distance traveled. If a container is to be moved to a specific outlet aisle, the robots may have to make the move over different distances. In this case, the decision matrix states that the robot with the shortest required distance will move the container. This scheme reduces the time required to move the containers and the torque acting on the respective robot.

[0034] The device may comprise a robot unit in conjunction with an outlet detection device. In this case, the robot unit is configured to additionally transfer the containers to the outlet lanes based on the outlet signal.

[0035] The robot and / or the further robot(s) can be designed to serve only certain, in particular not all, or all of the inlet lanes and / or outlet lanes.

[0036] If each of the two or more robots can only serve specific inlet and / or outlet lanes, it is possible to arrange the two or more robots in a more compact design, so that the overall system requires less space. As described above, however, it is also possible to achieve higher throughput compared to a single robot in this configuration.

[0037] A conveyor belt can be arranged between the inlets and the outlet, and the robot and / or the further robot(s) can be designed to move the incoming containers on the conveyor belt and / or to match the speed of the incoming containers to the speed of the conveyor belt. Compared to transport by lifting the containers, moving them on a moving conveyor belt is less susceptible to disruptions that can be caused, for example, by the containers falling over. In addition, the containers are already transported on the conveyor belt in the transport direction and only need to be moved perpendicular to the transport direction to be transferred to the outlet aisles. This takes less time than transport by lifting. This means that distribution can take place in a short time or a higher throughput can be achieved in a given time.

[0038] The present invention also relates to a method for moving containers in a transport system. The method comprises the following steps:

[0039] Recording containers entering the transport system in one, two or more inlets, each with an inlet lane,

[0040] Generating and outputting an inlet signal based on a number and / or distribution of incoming containers in the inlets, and

[0041] Transferring the incoming containers to an outlet with one or more outlet lanes by means of a robot, wherein the robot operates the inlets and the outlet and, based on the inlet signal, transfers the incoming containers from the inlet lanes to the outlet lanes of the outlet.

[0042] Similar to the described device, the method also offers the advantage that containers can be freely transferred from any number of inlet lanes to any number of outlet lanes without, for example, the need to provide a switch system for this purpose. Accordingly, the method described here enables a high degree of flexibility with regard to the handling and distribution of incoming and outgoing containers.

[0043] The procedure may further include the following steps:

[0044] Detection of containers leaving the transport system in one or more outlet lanes of the outlet,

[0045] Generating and outputting an outlet signal based on a number and / or distribution of the outgoing containers in the outlet aisles, and moving the containers to the outlet aisles additionally based on the outlet signal or moving the containers to the outlet aisles additionally based on a number of containers in one or more of the outlet aisles.

[0046] By incorporating the outlet signal into the robot's control system, it is possible to also consider the situation at the outlets when relocating the incoming containers. Accordingly, the container relocation can also be individually adjusted to the situation at specific outlets. Further advantages in this regard are described in relation to the figures.

[0047] The distribution of incoming containers in at least one of the inlet lanes may be irregular.

[0048] Irregular distribution within an inlet lane means that the distances between adjacent containers in the inlet lane are irregular. Furthermore, the number of incoming containers in different inlet lanes can vary. This can be caused, among other things, by the fact that the containers in the different inlets are fed from different other devices, each with a different throughput rate. The sorting of containers in one of the inlet lanes can also lead to irregular distribution.

[0049] Using the described method, even such an irregular flow of incoming containers can be processed and converted into a specific distribution at the outlet. This eliminates the need to compensate for this irregular flow using diverter systems and / or specific adjustments to transport speeds. Thus, the corresponding device can be designed compactly, and a corresponding control system is also unnecessary, simplifying the overall design of the device.

[0050] The incoming containers can be moved to one or more outlet aisles according to a predefined pattern. In particular, the pattern can be specified by a user. Furthermore, the pattern can be changed during operation. For example, one or more outlet aisles can be selected that are permanently or temporarily filled with more containers than the remaining outlet aisles.

[0051] This allows for a very high degree of flexibility in the distribution of incoming containers. The process can therefore be used in a wide variety of container transport systems because the specific container transport requirements can be accommodated. Based on the outfeed signal, the robot or robot unit can determine the exit lane with the lowest number of containers and move incoming containers to the exit lane with the lowest number of containers.

[0052] Based on the inlet signal and the displacement of previous containers determined by the robot or robot unit, in particular its control device, the robot or robot unit can determine an outlet lane with the least number of containers and move the incoming containers to the outlet lane with the least number of containers.

[0053] By prioritizing the discharge lane with the least amount of containers during distribution, a more even distribution of containers can be achieved. In particular, this prevents some discharge lanes from becoming overstocked, which could lead to congestion and operational disruptions.

[0054] A transport speed of the outlet may be equal to or proportional to a maximum transport speed of the inlets, or a transport speed of the outlet may be slower than any transport speed of the inlets.

[0055] By coordinating the transport speeds of the inlets and outlets in this way, gaps between the outgoing containers can be avoided. Selecting a transport speed of the outlet that is slower than any transport speed of the inlets is particularly useful when the inlet containers are moved with a gap, i.e. there is a certain distance between the inlet containers. This results in fewer, smaller or no gaps between the outgoing containers and multi-aisle transport to a downstream machine such as a packaging machine or a filling machine can be shorter. A further effect of a lower transport speed of the outlet compared to the inlets is that the occupancy rate of the various outlet aisles, i.e. the number of containers in the various outlet aisles, increases.Conversely, a certain spacing can be maintained between the outgoing containers if the transport speed of the outlet is higher than the transport speed of the inlets.

[0056] Further features and advantages are explained below using the example figures. They show:

[0057] Figure 1 shows a schematic plan view of a device for moving containers in a transport system according to a first embodiment; Figure 2 shows a schematic plan view of a device for moving containers in a transport system according to a second embodiment;

[0058] Figure 3 is a schematic oblique view of the device comprising a robot unit; and

[0059] Figure 4 is a schematic representation of the control of the robot or robot unit.

[0060] In the following and in the figures, the same reference numerals are used for the same or corresponding elements in the various embodiments, unless otherwise specified.

[0061] Figure 1 shows a plan view of a device 1 according to the invention for moving containers in a transport system. The device 1 comprises two inlets 2, each with an inlet lane, so that the inlets 2 together have a total of two inlet lanes 2a, 2b. The inlets 2 can, in particular, be spatially separated from one another. One or more of the inlet lanes can have a conveyor belt on which containers are transported to the device 1. These containers are referred to as inlet containers 10. The device 1 further comprises an outlet 3 with one or more outlet lanes; in the example shown, there are three outlet lanes 3a, 3b, 3c. The outlet 3 can also have a conveyor belt for transporting the containers away from the device. These containers are referred to below as outlet containers 11.

[0062] In the example shown, the outgoing containers 11 are staggered among the different outlet lanes 3a, 3b, 3c such that each outlet lane contains the same number of containers and the containers in the individual outlet lanes 3a, 3b, 3c are equally spaced. However, the distribution of outgoing containers 11 among the outlet lanes can be freely configured and is not limited to the configuration shown.

[0063] In this embodiment, the device 1 is designed such that the two inlet lanes 2a, 2b are arranged on different sides and directly adjacent to the outlet 3. This allows the incoming containers 10 to be transported to the outlet 3 by sliding them, requiring only a short transport path. This configuration is particularly compact, and only a short time is required for moving the containers, allowing for a high overall throughput.

[0064] Each of the two inlets has an element of an inlet detection device 20, each of which comprises, for example, a light barrier. The inlet detection device 20 detects the number and displacement of the incoming containers 10 for each of the inlets 2 and thus also for each of the inlet lanes 2a, 2b.

[0065] The robot 4 itself is shown only schematically in this figure. For further details about the robot 4, please refer to Figures 3 and 4 and the associated description. The robot 4 is designed to transfer the incoming containers 10 from the inlet lanes 2a, 2b to the outlet lanes 3a, 3b, 3c. For this purpose, the inlet signal generated by the inlet detection device 20 is used, which is transmitted to the robot 4.

[0066] In this illustrated embodiment of the device 1, irregular distributions of incoming containers 10 can also be processed. While the incoming containers 10 in the inlet lane 2a are equally spaced and thus have a regular distribution, the distribution in the inlet lane 2b is irregular. Nevertheless, the robot 4 is designed to establish a uniform distribution of outgoing containers 11 using the control signal of the inlet detection device 20, in which all outlet lanes 3a, 3b, 3c are equipped with the same number of containers 11 and the containers 11 in the outlet lanes 3a, 3b, 3c are equally spaced.

[0067] A transport speed can be set independently for each of the inlets 2 and the outlet 3. In the following, the transport speed of the first inlet lane 2a is referred to as Vein.i, and that of the second inlet lane 2b as v e in,2 and that of the outlet as v ausThe independent adjustment of the transport speeds achieves a high degree of flexibility of the device 1. Specific adjustment options for the transport speeds and their purpose are described above and with reference to Figure 3.

[0068] In addition to the technical effect of increased flexibility in handling and moving containers mentioned above, the device 1 described offers further advantages. For example, a uniform distribution of incoming containers 10 in the inlet aisles 2a, 2b is no longer necessary. The robot 4 can react individually to the distribution of the incoming containers 10 based on the inlet signal, so that defects and gaps between the incoming containers 10 have no adverse effect on the function of the device 1. This makes it possible to eliminate, for example, accumulation sections and controllable elements (e.g., belts or straps), which were previously required to achieve uniform container distribution. For the same reason, it is also not necessary to accelerate and decelerate the containers sharply, which leads to more gentle handling of the containers.Furthermore, the device 1 or a system comprising the device 1 can be designed to be more space-saving because no corresponding paths are required for the unnecessary acceleration and deceleration of the containers.

[0069] Figure 2 shows a top view of another embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention for moving containers in a transport system. Elements and properties of the device 1 that are already shown and explained in Figure 1 will not be explained again in detail.

[0070] The device 1 comprises a robot unit 6, which consists of a robot 4 and another robot 5. The robot unit 6 is designed to operate the inlets 2 and the outlet 3 and, based on the inlet signal output by the inlet detection device 20, to move the incoming containers 10 from the inlet lanes 2a, 2b to the outlet lanes 3a, 3b, 3c of the outlet 3. Furthermore, the device 1 according to this exemplary embodiment comprises an outlet detection device 30, which is designed to detect the outgoing containers 11 for the outlet 3 and to generate and output an outgoing signal based on a distribution of the outgoing containers 11 in the outlet lanes 3a, 3b, 3c. The outgoing detection device 30, similar to the inlet detection device 20, can comprise a light barrier or another suitable device. The stop signal is transmitted to robot unit 6.The robot unit 6 is designed to move the containers 10 to the outlet lanes 3a, 3b, 3c on the basis of the inlet signal and the outlet signal.

[0071] In principle, the distribution of the outgoing containers 11 in the various outlet aisles 3a, 3b, 3c can be arbitrary or freely adjustable, and a uniform distribution shown in Figure 1 represents merely one possibility. In contrast, in this embodiment, each outlet aisle 3a, 3b, 3c is equipped with a different number of containers 11. For example, the various aisles are treated differently by a downstream device, so that an uneven loading of the outlet aisles 3a, 3b, 3c is advantageous. Alternatively, such an uneven loading as shown can also be compensated for. For this purpose, the outlet detection device detects the outlet aisle with the lowest loading 3d, in the example shown, aisle 3c. The robot unit 6 then increasingly transfers containers to the outlet aisle 3c in order to equalize the loadings in the various outlet aisles 3a, 3b, 3c.This process can run continuously in order to permanently maintain a uniform distribution of the leaking containers 11.

[0072] Figure 3 shows an oblique view of a device 1 according to the invention, from which details of the structure and functioning of the robot 4 and the further robot 5 can be seen in particular. In this example, a robot unit consisting of the robot 4 and the further robot 5 is shown, wherein both robots are designed as so-called tripod robots. It is understood that the two robots can also be of different types and are not limited to the type shown. The robot 4 and the further robot 5 each have a gripping tool 40 which is designed to grip one or more containers 10 and to lift or move them. In order to be able to grip several containers 10, the containers 10 must in particular be arranged one behind the other or next to one another.

[0073] The device comprises two inlets 2, each with an inlet lane 2a, 2b. Within the device 1, a conveyor belt 7 is arranged between the two inlets 2, above which the robot 4 and the further robot 5 are mounted. The robot 4 serves the inlet lane 2b and, with the aid of the gripping tool 40, moves the containers 10 entering this lane 2b along the conveyor belt 7. Similarly, the further robot 5 serves the inlet lane 2a and, with the aid of the gripping tool 40, moves the containers 10 entering this lane 2a along the conveyor belt 7. The conveyor belt 7 opens into the outlet 3. In the manner described, the robot unit consisting of the two robots 4, 5 generates a distribution of outgoing containers 11 to three outlet lanes 3a, 3b, 3c in the outlet 3.

[0074] The conveyor belt 7 and the inlets 2 can be controlled differently from one another, allowing, for example, the speeds of the inlets 2 and the conveyor belt 7, and thus also of the outlet 3, to be adjusted. As described above, for example, the transport speed of the outlet 3 can be set slower than the transport speed of all inlets 2 in order to suppress gaps between the incoming containers 10 at the outlet 3 or to increase the occupancy rate in the outlet aisles. This allows the transport distance to a downstream device, for example, a labeling machine or a filling machine, to be shortened.

[0075] Tripod robots offer high spatial flexibility and are therefore capable of serving a variety of inlet lanes while maintaining a compact design. Furthermore, they allow high-speed control with high precision, making them well-suited for the described application in a distribution system where a high throughput of containers is required.

[0076] Figure 4 shows a schematic representation of the control of the robot or robot unit comprising a control device. The control device 41 can be designed as a separate and external unit or integrated into the robot 4 or the robot unit 6. The control device 41 receives the inlet signal generated by the inlet detection device 20. The inlet signal can be transmitted via conventional transmission channels. In addition, the control device 41 receives the outlet signal generated by the outlet detection device 30. It should be noted that the device according to the embodiment shown in Figure 1 does not necessarily have an outlet detection device. In this case, the control device 41 only receives the inlet signal from the inlet detection device 20.

[0077] The control device 41 comprises an algorithm for controlling the robot 4 or the robot unit 6. The algorithm is programmed to calculate the necessary work steps of the robot 4 or the robot unit 6 based on the inlet signal and, if applicable, the outlet signal, and to control the robot 4 or the robot unit 6 accordingly via the control device 41. The algorithm stored in the control device can be continuously updated, for example, if a new distribution of outgoing containers is to be generated at the outlet.

[0078] The embodiments shown can be suitably combined with one another. For example, a runout detection device can be provided even if the device comprises only one robot.

Claims

Claims 1. Device (1) for moving containers in a transport system, comprising: one, two or more inlets (2), each with an inlet lane (2a, 2b), an outlet (3) with one or more outlet lanes (3a, 3b, 3c), an inlet detection device (20) which is designed to detect the incoming containers (10) for each of the inlets (2) and to generate and output an inlet signal based on a number and / or distribution of the inlet containers (10) in the inlets (2), and a robot (4) which is designed to operate the inlets (2) and the outlet (3) and, on the basis of the inlet signal output by the inlet detection device (20), to move the incoming containers (10) from the inlet lanes (2a, 2b) to the outlet lanes (3a, 3b, 3c) of the outlet (3).

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the number of inlets (2) and the number of outlet lanes (3a, 3b, 3c) are different.

3. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the robot (4) has a gripping tool (40) in order to be able to grip one or more containers simultaneously.

4. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the robot (4) is a tripod robot, in particular with delta kinematics, or an articulated arm robot with up to six degrees of freedom.

5. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising: an outlet detection device (30) which is designed to detect the outgoing containers (11) for the outlet (3) and to generate and output an outlet signal based on a number and / or distribution of the outgoing containers (11) in the outlet lanes (3a, 3b, 3c), wherein the robot (4) is designed to carry out the transfer of the containers to the outlet lanes (3a, 3b, 3c) additionally on the basis of the outgoing signal, or wherein the transfer of the containers to the outlet lanes (3a, 3b, 3c) additionally takes place based on a number of containers in one or more of the outlet lanes (3a, 3b, 3c).

6. Device (1) according to claim 5, wherein the robot is designed to determine an outlet lane with the lowest loading (3d) of containers on the basis of the outlet signal and to move the incoming containers to the outlet lane with the lowest loading (3d).

7. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising one or more further robots (5), wherein the further robot(s) (5) is / are arranged between the robot (4) and the outlet (3), wherein the robot (4) and the further robot(s) (5) are designed as a robot unit (6), and wherein the robot unit (6) is designed to operate the inlets (2) and the outlet (3) and, on the basis of the inlet signal output by the inlet detection device (20), to move the incoming containers (10) from the inlet lanes (2a, 2b) to the outlet lanes (3a, 3b, 3c) of the outlet (3).

8. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the robot (4) and / or the further robot(s) (5) are designed to serve only certain, in particular not all of the, or all of the inlet lanes and / or outlet lanes.

9. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a conveyor belt (7) is arranged between the inlets (2) and the outlet (3), and wherein the robot (4) is designed to move the incoming containers (11) on the conveyor belt (7) and / or to adjust a speed of the incoming containers (11) to a speed of the conveyor belt (7).

10. A method for moving containers in a transport system, comprising: Collecting containers (10) entering the transport system in one, two or more inlets (2), each with an inlet lane (2a, 2b), Generating and outputting an inlet signal based on a number and / or distribution of the incoming containers (10) in the inlets (2), and Transferring the incoming containers (10) to an outlet (3) with one or more outlet lanes (3a, 3b, 3c) by means of a robot (4), wherein the robot (4) operates the inlets (2) and the outlet (3) and, on the basis of the inlet signal, moves the incoming containers (10) from the inlet lanes (2a, 2b) to the outlet lanes (3a, 3b, 3c) of the outlet (3).

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: Detecting containers (11) leaving the transport system in one or more outlet lanes (3a, 3b, 3c) of the outlet (3), Generating and outputting an outlet signal based on a number and / or distribution of the outgoing containers (11) in the outlet lanes (3a, 3b, 3c), and moving the containers to the outlet lanes (3a, 3b, 3c) additionally based on the outlet signal, or Moving the containers to the outlet lanes (3a, 3b, 3c) additionally based on a number of containers in one or more of the outlet lanes (3a, 3b, 3c).

12. Method according to one of claims 10 to 11, wherein a distribution of the incoming containers (10) in at least one of the inlet lanes (2a, 2b) is irregular.

13. Method according to one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the incoming containers (10) are moved to the one or more outlet lanes (3a, 3b, 3c) according to a predetermined pattern.

14. Method according to one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the robot (4) determines the outlet lane (3a, 3b, 3c) with the lowest loading (3d) of containers on the basis of the outlet signal and moves incoming containers (10) to the outlet lane with the lowest loading (3d).

15. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein a transport speed (v aus ) of the outlet (3) is equal to or proportional to a highest transport speed (Vein.i, Vein, 2) of the inlets (2), or wherein a transport speed (v aus ) of the outlet (3) is slower than any transport speed (v e in,i, Vein, 2) of the enemas (2).

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