Article transport device and shelf placement device

Abstract

The invention relates to a multistage transport device (7) capable of carrying articles intended to undergo treatment in a radiation or electron beam treatment zone, the device (7) comprising: - a unit comprising two side walls facing one another, each having a plurality of first securing means (73) on a plurality of levels; and - a removable shelf (11), arranged so as to carry a container for products and comprising second securing means capable of co-operating with the first securing means (73), and locking means capable of being activated and deactivated by a shelf placement device. It also relates to a station (15) for placing shelves (11) in the transport device (7).

Description

ARTICLE TRANSPORT DEVICE AND SHELF PLACEMENT DEVICE Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of aerial conveyance of loads. More particularly, it relates to a multi-shelf transport device capable of transporting articles to be processed in a processing area. State of the art

[0002] In this field, the conveying of the transport devices carrying the articles to be processed can be done using floor conveyors. However, this can in certain cases cause wear problems of the on-board electronic and electromechanical components which are exposed to radiation during repeated passages in the processing area. Conveying can also be done by an overhead conveying system in which the article transport devices are suspended and moved along a circuit passing through the processing area. Overhead conveying has the advantage that only mechanical trolleys from which the transport devices are suspended pass through the processing area. The transport devices used have a plurality of shelves to take more products to be processed.

[0003] However, such devices have drawbacks. Since the shelves are fixed, there are gaps between the products on different shelves. This is problematic because the beam cannot be focused and causes energy losses, since the high-power beam hits the gap. This can also cause other problems, such as cooling the protective walls that stop the beam hitting the gap between items.

[0004] The invention therefore aims to propose a solution to the problems described above.

[0005] To this end, the invention relates, according to a first aspect, to a multi-stage transport device capable of carrying articles intended to undergo treatment in a treatment zone by radiation or an electron beam, the device comprising:

[0006] - a piece of furniture comprising two side walls facing each other, each having a plurality of first attachment means on a plurality of levels, and

[0007] - a removable shelf, arranged to carry a container of articles and comprising second hooking means capable of cooperating with said first hooking means, and shelf locking means capable of being activated and deactivated by a shelf placement device.

[0008] This device allows automatic adjustment of the shelf height to reduce the space between the items to be treated, which consequently allows the treatment beam to be focused towards the area in which the items are grouped. In addition, the reduced spacing results in reduced energy losses. This also avoids heating the protective walls and therefore reduces the risk of the installation being shut down for cooling.

[0009] Advantageously, the side walls are designed to be as thin as possible in order to optimize the beam energy by allowing successive transport devices to be brought closer together. This is possible, for example, by making them from two thin sheets.

[0010] Advantageously, the shelf may consist of two side edges, carrying the second attachment means and a bottom edge connecting the two side edges. Such a shelf may be made of steel, preferably stainless steel.

[0011] It has the advantage of being hollow in the center, which further reduces wasted space between shelves. In fact, the items carried by the lower shelf can be mounted flush with the upper shelf, the central recess formed by the shelf is sufficient to pass the forks of a handling device to place or pick up a pallet carrying products.

[0012] Advantageously, the bottom edge can carry the locking means.

[0013] Advantageously, the transport device may comprise suspension means arranged to hook the transport device to an overhead conveyor carriage. This allows the transport device to be used in an overhead conveyor system.

[0014] According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a shelf placement device of a transport device according to the above description, comprising:a nacelle carrying a shelf gripping system, comprising gripping means and activation / deactivation means configured to cooperate with the locking means of the shelf,ascent means for vertically moving the gripping system to a shelf placement or gripping level,means for advancing the gripping system to advance towards the shelf placement or gripping location in the transport device.

[0015] Advantageously, the lifting means are configured to lift the shelf from its location in order to separate the first and second attachment means, as well as to lower it to the second location to ensure attachment between the first and second attachment means.

[0016] Such a device allows shelves to be automatically positioned at the correct level, locked and unlocked without requiring operator intervention. As a result, this device saves time and avoids risky human interventions.

[0017] Advantageously, the device further comprises detection means configured to detect an activation of the shelf locking means and / or detection means arranged to detect the presence of the shelf at a placement level. Thus, the operations of locking, moving the shelves and placing them are carried out securely.

[0018] Advantageously, the device also comprises centering means configured to cooperate with a front portion of the side walls of the transport device. These means therefore make it possible to ensure the alignment of the placement device with the transport device to further secure the gripping or placement of a shelf.

[0019] The invention further relates to a shelf placement station, comprising a placement device according to the above description and means for immobilizing an article transport device.

[0020] It also relates to an article processing installation, comprising a conveyor system of article transport devices and a shelf placement station, as described above.

[0021] The invention finally relates to a method for treating articles using an installation as described above. Brief description of the figures

[0022] Other features and advantages of the invention will appear in the description below in relation to the appended drawings, given as non-limiting examples, in which:

[0023] represents a partial view of an installation comprising an overhead conveying system in accordance with the invention;

[0024] is a view of part of the conveyor system showing a conveyor and an overhead transport device;

[0025] shows a transport device according to the invention;

[0026] is a partial view of a slightly inclined transport device, showing a shelf according to the invention;

[0027] This is an overview of a shelf placement station in transport devices,

[0028] This is a zoomed-in view showing the front of the shelf placement device.

[0029] In the remainder of the description, elements having an identical structure or similar functions will be designated by the same references. Detailed description

[0030] It represents a schematic top view of a product processing installation 1 comprising a non-sensitive part I very partially represented on the right of the figure and a sensitive part II on the left.

[0031] In Part I, the installation comprises generally known storage and handling means, such means are not the subject of the invention and are therefore not detailed in this description.

[0032] In Part II, the installation comprises protective walls 2 enclosing an emission zone comprising means 3 for generating radiation used for the treatment of products. The means 3 for generating radiation may be means for generating any type of radiation usable in the treatment of products, for example sterilizing radiation. Such radiation may be, for example, ionizing radiation by X-rays, Gamma rays or an electron beam.

[0033] In other exemplary embodiments not shown, the treatment may be different, such as a surface treatment, paint spraying or any other reactive or aesthetic agent.

[0034] The beam 4 produced by the means 3 arrives at a treatment zone 5, the products which are in this zone at the time of impact receive a dose from the beam.

[0035] To circulate the products to be treated with the beam 4, the installation comprises an overhead conveyor system 6 forming a circuit which goes from part I to part II. The products are loaded upstream of the inlet 60 and carried by the conveyor 6 to part II to pass through the treatment zone 5 to receive one or more doses of the beam, for example by rotating in the internal loop 61. At the end of treatment the products leave through the outlet 62 to go to other stations of the installation in part I, for example to be unloaded and stored.

[0036] The protective walls are known per se and may comprise external walls 2 and an internal wall 21 to stop the beam if it hits between two products or between two transport devices 7. It is not necessary here to give more details of such walls which are known per se for such applications.

[0037] To move the products to be processed, the conveyor system comprises loading devices 7, an example of which is shown in Figures 2 and 3. Such devices may comprise several stages into which the articles to be processed are loaded.

[0038] The conveyor 6, in the example of Figure 2, comprises a lower part comprising a rolling track 64 on which carriages 8 move, each carrying a suspended transport device 7.

[0039] In the illustrated example, the conveyor is a dual-rail conveyor, the upper rail 63 of which comprises rolling means of a traction chain. The traction chain rotates continuously and comprises drive devices. When a drive device encounters the hooking device in the upper position, the carriage is driven along a path predefined by the control system.

[0040] In other embodiments not shown, the conveyor may be monorail or of another type used in overhead conveyor systems.

[0041] In installation 1, the conveying of the transport devices 7 is done outside the treatment zone 5 at a certain speed defined by the treatment process to respect a certain rate, this speed is relatively high (typically 10 to 20 m / minute) compared to the speed of movement in the treatment zone 5. In the treatment zone to allow each product to receive the defined dose of the treatment and to ensure homogeneous treatment of all the products, it is necessary to ensure movement at another speed much slower (from only a few dm / minute to a few m / min) than in the rest of the circuit defined by the conveyor system.

[0042] Lamontre an example of a transport device 7 according to the invention. It comprises two side walls 71 and a bottom wall 72 permeable to the beam 4. In the example, the bottom wall is in the form of a grid. As the transport device passes successively in front of the beam 4 on its 2 faces, the open face and the face with the permeable wall, this wall makes it possible both to secure the articles and to allow the beam to pass in order to optimize the treatment doses received by each article to be treated.

[0043] The 3 walls are connected at the upper end by a set of edges 74 to which suspension means 75 are fixed. The suspension means 75 allow the transport devices 7 to be attached to the carriage 8. The walls 71, 72 are also connected at the lower end 76.

[0044] At the front, the side walls 71 include notches 73 at several heights to receive a shelf 11 on which will be placed a pallet 12 carrying articles to be processed, generally placed on a transport pallet 13. The articles are not shown.

[0045] As shown in, the shelf 11 has a particular shape to facilitate automatic gripping and reduce the space not occupied by articles. The shelf 11 has a body 110 forming a C and locking means 111 acting on safety pins 112 to retract them into a locking space provided in each of the walls 71. The shelf may also comprise hooks 113 which can be fixed on the notches 73.

[0046] To allow automatic placement and adjustment of the shelves in the transport devices 7, the system comprises in zone I, as shown in, a station 15 for placing the shelves 11 in the transport device 7. The station 15 comprises, as shown in, means 151 for centering the transport devices 7 moved by the conveyor 6. In the example, the means 151 may have the form of a rail arranged to receive a centering element arranged in the lower part of the transport device 7. Means for clamping the transport device may also be provided to immobilize the transport device 7.

[0047] The station 15 also comprises a device 150 for positioning the shelves 11. The device 150 comprises a cradle 152 carrying at the front a shelf gripping system 155. To adjust the gripping or placing level of a shelf, the cradle 152 can be raised and lowered by lifting means 153. These means comprise, in the example, a rack and a geared motor. Furthermore, to adjust the advancement and retraction of the gripping system 155, the device 150 comprises a motorized unit 154 for precisely managing the position of the gripping system 155.

[0048] The figure partially shows the interior of a transport device 7, more precisely the lower part in which the shelf 11 is placed. To move the latter, the gripping system 155 is advanced by the means 154 in the transport device 7. The system 155 comprises carrier means 156 configured to be pushed by a jack to pass under the shelf on both sides while laterally clamping the shelf. It further comprises activation means 157 arranged to cooperate with the locking element 111 of the shelf. A jack makes it possible to pull the element 111 to unlock the shelf by moving the pins 112 back. Optionally, the system may comprise locking elements 159 arranged to come to bear on the shelf and further secure its movement. The shelf may optionally be lifted by the carriers 156 to take off from its front supports.

[0049] The device 150 may further comprise centering means 158 which place the system 155 and the side walls 71 in relative reference.

[0050] To move the shelf, the system moves back slightly to unhook it by releasing its supports 73, then it is moved vertically to the desired level, repositioned and locked, then the grip system is removed.

[0051] The device may further include one or more sensors to control movements.

Claims

Multi-stage transport devices (7) capable of carrying articles intended to undergo treatment in a treatment zone (5) by radiation or an electron beam, the device (7) comprising: - a piece of furniture (70) comprising two side walls (71) facing each other, each having a plurality of first hooking means (73) on a plurality of levels, and - a removable shelf (11), arranged to carry a container (12) of articles and comprising second hooking means (113) capable of cooperating with said first hooking means (73), and locking means (111, 112) of the shelf capable of being activated and deactivated by a shelf placement device (150). Transport device (7) according to claim 1, in which the shelf consists of: two lateral edges (110) carrying the second hooking means (113), and a bottom edge (114) connecting the two lateral edges. Transport device (7) according to the preceding claim in which the bottom edge (114) carries the locking means (111, 112). Transport device (7) according to one of the preceding claims comprising suspension means (75) arranged to hang the transport device (7) from an overhead conveyor carriage (8). Device (150) for placing shelves (11) in a transport device (7) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising: a nacelle (152) carrying a system (155) for picking up shelves (11), comprising picking up means (156, 159) and activation / deactivation means (157) configured to cooperate with the locking means (111) of the shelf (11), lifting means for vertically moving the picking up system (155) to a level for placing or picking up the shelf (11), advancement means (154) for the picking up system (155) to advance it towards the location for placing or picking up the shelf in the transport device (7). Device (150) for placing shelves (11) according to the preceding claim further comprising detection means configured to detect an activation of the locking means (112) of the shelf (11) and / or detection means arranged to detect the presence of the shelf (11) at a placement level. Device for placing (150) shelves (11) according to one of claims 5 or 6 further comprising centering means configured to cooperate with a front part of the side walls (71) of the transport device (7). Station (15) for placing shelves (11) comprising a placing device (150) according to one of claims 5 to 7 and means for immobilizing a device (7) for transporting articles according to claims 1 to 4. Installation (1) for processing articles, comprising a conveying system of transport devices (7) for articles according to one of claims 1 to 4 and a station (15) for placing shelves (11) according to the preceding claim. Method for treating articles, implementing an installation (1) according to the preceding claim.

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