Transfer device

Abstract

To provide a transfer device that can be flexibly used with other conveyor lines.SOLUTION: The transfer device is configured to receive a conveyed object 9 from an upstream conveying section 10a in a receiving area 26a, convey the conveyed object at least temporarily within a conveying area 26f, particularly on a conveying surface FE in a conveying direction FR, and selectively transfer the conveyed object in the direction of a transfer area arranged transversely to the conveying direction. The transfer device includes multiple belt carriages 21. The belt carriages are circumferentially arranged along guides 23 to move at least temporarily in the transport direction, particularly within the transport area. The belt carriages include a conveying belt 24. The conveying belt 24 at least temporarily forms a support surface 241 for the conveyed object. The conveying belt is selectively movable in a lateral direction, particularly perpendicular to the conveying direction, while simultaneously remaining parallel to the conveying surface, for the selective lateral transfer of the conveyed object.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transfer device. [Background technology]

[0002] WO 2020 / 025329 A1 discloses a crossbelt sorter configured as a horizontal sorter. This crossbelt sorter includes multiple conveyor carriages arranged one behind the other in the direction of travel. Each conveyor carriage includes a crossbelt on which conveyed objects can be placed. The crossbelts are movable laterally and aligned laterally with respect to the direction of travel. To sort the conveyed objects, the crossbelts are selectively driven, thereby accelerating the conveyed objects laterally as viewed from the conveying direction and transferring (discharging) them downward from the conveyor carriage. Such a crossbelt sorter is characterized by its ability to accurately transfer conveyed objects even at high conveying speeds. Such a crossbelt sorter is a large-scale facility requiring an area of ​​more than 100 square meters.

[0003] To feed the articles into the crossbelt sorter, a side feeder (also known as an infeed) is usually used, which guides the articles into the crossbelt sorter at an acute angle to the conveying direction of the crossbelt sorter. Alternatively, a so-called top loader can be used, which drops the articles onto the conveyor carriage from above.

[0004] DE20201204830U1 discloses a crossbelt sorter configured as a vertical sorter. The conveyor carriages are returned in a plane vertically below the conveying surface of the conveyed objects. All conveyed objects loaded on the vertical sorter are either transferred laterally before the rear end or collected at a collection station at the very end. Due to the change in vertical orientation, unlike horizontal sorters, the conveyor carriages of a vertical sorter cannot be returned to the beginning of the circuit. The conveyor carriages of a vertical sorter are similar in size to those of a horizontal sorter and require a large deflection radius.

[0005] The conveyor carriages of a crossbelt sorter are dimensioned to completely accommodate the materials being transported. Therefore, their typical length in the transport direction is 50-100 cm. Due to the size of the conveyor carriages and the associated deflection radius of the conveyor carriages, crossbelt sorters require a large space for installation. Furthermore, access to the crossbelt sorter must be widely protected by a fence to avoid the risk of injury from the moving carriages.

[0006] There is no need for expensive crossbelt sorters to transfer goods along modular belt or roller conveyor lines. The commercially available solutions, known as the "Interroll High Performance Divert 8711" and "Interroll Transfer RM 8731," are suitable for installing one or more transfer stations following a belt or roller conveyor line or between several conveyor lines.

[0007] In the Interroll Transfer RM 8731, the transported goods are completely decelerated in the transport direction during transfer, and then accelerated in the transfer direction perpendicular to the transport direction.

[0008] Both the Interroll Transfer RM 8731 and the Interroll High Performance Divert 8711 can only be operated at conveying speeds much lower than those of crossbelt sorters.

[0009] The solution described above can be used modularly on roller or belt conveyor lines. The advantage of such a loading unit, in contrast to a crossbelt sorter, is that the articles can be fed onto the loading device in the conveying plane. Furthermore, another roller or belt conveyor line can be arranged immediately downstream in the conveying direction of the compact loading unit, via which unloaded articles can be easily transported to the next station. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The object of the present invention is to provide an improved transfer device that can be flexibly used, in particular with other conveyor lines, and in particular that has performance comparable to that of a crossbelt sorter, but requires significantly less installation space and labor, and is consequently significantly cheaper.

[0011] The object underlying the present invention is solved by a transfer device, a conveyor system and a use according to the independent claims. Embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims and the description.

[0012] The conveyor belt is designed to provide a support surface for the transported items in the transport direction. The conveyor belt is also designed to transfer the transported items laterally. Furthermore, the transported items can be placed on the conveyor belt, which has a high coefficient of friction. This results in very reliable lateral transfer, even at high transport speeds.

[0013] In one embodiment, the conveying speed in the conveying direction is at least 1.5 m / s, preferably at least 2.0 m / s, more preferably at least 2.5 m / s.

[0014] Here, the term "belt carriage" refers to a higher-level device that includes a conveyor belt. In addition to the conveyor belt, the belt carriage may also include belt rollers, a belt carriage frame, and guide rollers for guiding the belt carriage along the guide. The guide is attached to a frame, particularly a fixed frame.

[0015] In contrast to a crossbelt sorter, the transfer device can be arranged, particularly modularly, between the upstream and downstream conveyor lines, and the transported items are fed to the conveyor plane and, if not transferred by the transfer device, are handed over again to the downstream conveyor line in the conveyor plane.

[0016] The belt carriage itself and / or the conveyor belt have a relatively short overall length in the conveying direction. This allows for a very small deflection radius in the vertical direction. This small deflection radius is advantageous for the conveying surface to receive from an upstream conveyor line or to hand over to a downstream conveyor line in the conveying direction. This can be a prerequisite for cost-effective modular integration of transfer devices into belt and / or roller conveyor lines.

[0017] Belt conveyor systems typically provide a conveyor belt mounted on a stationary frame. The conveyor belt is arranged around at least two deflection rollers and can move in a circular manner. The conveyed goods can be moved on the upper surface of the conveyor belt in the conveying direction.

[0018] A roller conveyor line is provided with a number of conveyor rollers. In particular, the conveyor rollers are mounted on a stationary frame. The conveyor rollers are at least partially driven by a motor, and one or more of the conveyor rollers can be designed as motorized rollers. With their upper surfaces, the conveyor rollers define a conveying surface on which the goods are placed and transported. During the transport process, the goods are always placed on at least two rollers simultaneously.

[0019] In one embodiment, the length of the transfer device is at most 10 m, in particular at most 7 m.

[0020] The conveyor belt can be, in particular, a poly V-belt or a toothed belt. Preferably, the upper run of the conveyor belt is slidably placed on a flat base on the belt carriage. This eliminates the need for support rollers. It should be noted that there is usually no relative movement between the belt carriage and the conveyor belt, and this only occurs when the goods are actually being transferred. In this case, friction between the goods and the belt carriage can be tolerated.

[0021] The term "conveying surface" should be understood broadly and does not necessarily require a mathematically precise plane. Rather, the term "conveying surface" should be considered to be distinct from the extreme drop transitions that occur in the presented top loader. In this regard, the conveying surface may have slight height differences, specifically in the range of up to 7 cm, and especially up to 4 cm.

[0022] The conveying direction and / or conveying surface may be very small at the receiving or transferring point, especially if the first or second conveying section is curved. However, the conveying direction at the receiving or transferring point has a particularly continuous path.

[0023] In one embodiment, the transfer device is suitable for use when the object has a minimum side length (width) of at most 120 mm, in particular at most 100 mm, preferably at most 90 mm. Naturally, the transfer device can also transfer larger objects. In particular, the transfer device is adapted to transfer objects having a minimum side length of 120 mm.

[0024] Any suitable conveyance is sized to rest simultaneously on at least two adjacent conveyor belts.

[0025] The relevant side length is to be understood as the outer boundary of the item as seen in top view when the item rests on its largest side, in particular on the conveying surface in a flat position. For this reason, the height (also called thickness) of the transport envelope is not considered as a side length in this respect.

[0026] In particular, the conveyor belt is connected to the drive wheel in a forward driving manner, and in particular the conveyor belt is a toothed belt having ridges on its underside which serve to engage with the gears of the drive wheel. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a top view of a section of a prior art crossbelt sorter configured as a horizontal sorter. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of a prior art crossbelt sorter configured as a vertical sorter. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a top view of a conveyor system according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of the velocity profile of an article being transferred in the conveyor system of FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is a perspective view of a transfer device of the conveyor system of FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the transfer device taken along line XX in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the Y portion of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along section Z in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective cross-sectional view taken along the curved cross section XY of FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 shows the conveyor belt and the belt drive device for driving it, where a) is a front view and b) is a partial plan view of the lower run. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 shows the carrier product in the form of a transport envelope suitable for the intended use. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic front view showing the carriage design, a) showing the normal load condition and b) showing the overload condition. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic front view of the carriage, where a) shows the normal load state and b) shows the overload state. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a further design of the carriage in the transfer device of FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is another cross-sectional view of the carriage of FIG. 14 on a smaller scale. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the conveyor belt 24. [Figure 17] Figure 17a) is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a belt carriage of the type described above, and b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the belt carriage of Figure 16a. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] 1 and 2 show an embodiment of a crossbelt sorter 90 having multiple conveyor carriages 91, which are movable in a conveying direction FR and arranged one behind the other along the conveying direction. A crossbelt 92 is arranged above each conveyor carriage 91. The upper surface of the crossbelt 92 thereby forms a support surface for the conveyed objects 9 and simultaneously defines a conveying plane FE. In intended use, the smallest possible items to be conveyed are placed on a maximum of one carriage 91 and one crossbelt 92. Oversized items can be conveyed on two or more carriages 91 and crossbelts 92 at the same time. Each carriage has a length in the conveying direction of at least 50 cm.

[0029] A plurality of transfer stations 93 are provided, at which the conveyed objects 9 can be selectively removed from the conveyor carriage 91 and transferred to transfer areas 94 provided to the side of the conveyor carriage 91. For this purpose, cross belts 92 operate on the conveyor carriage 91, which accelerate the conveyed objects so that they eventually move transversely to the conveying direction FR.

[0030] An infeed area 99 is provided for loading an item 9 onto one of the carriages 91. The item 9 is first provided on an infeed conveyor line 98, on which the item 9 is moved along an infeed direction E towards the conveyor carriage 91.

[0031] In the embodiment of Figure 1, the infeed direction E is arranged at an acute angle of approximately 30° to 60° to the conveying direction FR when viewed from above, so that the infeed direction E can lie in the conveying plane FE. The two directions E, FR meet (also referred to as "junction") at a junction 97. At the junction 95, the conveyed items are transferred from the infeed conveyor line 98 to the conveyor carriage 91. To pick up the conveyed items on the conveyor carriage, the cross belt can be moved in a lateral direction Q (right or left) perpendicular to the forward direction.

[0032] In the configuration shown in Figure 1, it is also possible to make the infeed direction E exactly coincide with the conveying direction FR when viewed from above. However, in that case, an infeed conveyor line 98 must be arranged above the conveyor carriage 91. The transported goods are then transferred onto the conveyor carriage 91 from a plane above the conveying surface FE. Such an infeed section is also called a "top loader" and is shown in Figure 2.

[0033] Prior art crossbelt sorters, whether configured as horizontal or vertical sorters, are unable to receive conveyances from a conveyor line 98 that directs the conveyances in the conveying direction FR and conveying plane FE of the crossbelt sorter toward a receiving area, nor are they able to transfer conveyances from the crossbelt sorter to a downstream conveyor line that transfers the conveyances in the conveying direction FR and conveying plane FE of the crossbelt sorter in a transfer area.

[0034] The large conveyor carriages of a crossbelt sorter moving in a circuit always require a large installation space, especially for turning the conveyor carriages around and returning them to the infeed area 99 on the return path R. For vertical sorters (Figure 2), the deflection radius U of the crossbelt surface is approximately 1 m. As a result, roller or belt conveyors cannot be directly connected upstream or downstream in the transport direction FR due to the large gap length. For horizontal sorters (Figure 1), the turning radius exceeds 1.5 m.

[0035] 3 shows a conveyor system 1 with sorting functions according to the invention. Several devices 10, 20 for conveying conveyed items 9 are arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction FR. The conveyed items 9 are first fed via a conveyor line 10a. They are then transferred to a first transfer device 20a. This is followed by further conveyor lines 10b, 10c and further transfer devices 20b, 20c, with the transfer device 20 being arranged between the two conveyor lines 10. The conveyor lines can be of any design, such as roller conveyor lines 10a, 10d or belt conveyor lines 10b, 10c.

[0036] The transfer device 20 can selectively divert selected transported objects 9 from the conveying direction FR and transport them to a transfer area 3 arranged transversely to the conveying direction FR. The transfer area is laterally offset in the conveying direction FR relative to the transfer device 20. For this purpose, the transported objects 9 are accelerated in the transverse direction Q for at least a short time.

[0037] The conveyor line 10 can be a roller or belt conveyor adapted to transport the articles 9 along a predetermined conveying direction FR. The conveying direction FR can also have a curved path, for example in the case of a belt or roller curve. It is important here that the conveyor system 1 forms a continuous conveying surface FE from the first conveying section 10a via the transfer device 20 to the fourth conveying section.

[0038] The transfer device 20 can essentially be implemented in a prior art conveyor system by the above-mentioned "Interroll High Performance Divert 8711" or "Interroll Transfer RM 8731". In the present invention, the transfer device 20 is designed as follows:

[0039] 5 to 10 show details of the transfer device 20 according to the present invention, which will be explained below together.

[0040] The transfer device 20 has a frame 28 with, for example, four legs (FIG. 5). The transfer device 20 forms a conveying surface 201 capable of conveying the article 9 in the conveying direction FR. The conveying surface 201 defines a conveying plane FE.

[0041] The transfer device 20 includes a guide 23 along which a plurality of belt carriages 21 are arranged. The belt carriages 21 are movably arranged on the guide 23 so that the belt carriages 21 move along a circular path. On a first side (here, the upper side), the belt carriages move in a forward direction FR. At the receiving position 26a, the conveyed goods 9 are received from the upstream conveyor line 10a and placed above the belt carriages 21. At the transferring position 26b, if the conveyed goods 9 have not been transferred laterally, they are transferred to the downstream conveyor line 10c and placed above the belt carriages 21.

[0042] Each belt carriage 21 carries a conveyor belt 24, the longitudinal extension of which is aligned in the lateral direction Q (see FIG. 3). The conveyor belt 24 protrudes above the belt carriage 21, thereby forming a support surface 241, which defines a conveying surface FE, on which a stationary conveyed object 9 is placed. Since the entire belt carriage 21 moves at a basic speed v0 together with the conveyed object 9, no significant force is transmitted due to inertia between the conveyor belt 24 and the conveyed object 9 on the conveyor belt 24.

[0043] The belt carriage is driven in the conveying direction by a drive 29. The drive can comprise a motor 291 and a separate gear unit 292 (FIG. 5). Alternatively, the drive can be designed as a drum motor 29 (FIG. 6).

[0044] To this end, the conveyed objects 9 are transported by the belt carriage 21 in the forward direction FR (FIG. 6). During transport, individual conveyed objects 9 can be selectively transferred laterally. Unloaded conveyed objects 9 reach a transfer area 26b, which continues to the downstream conveyor line 10b. There, unloaded conveyed objects 9 are transferred to the downstream conveyor line 20b. In the rear deflection area 25b, the belt carriage turns, in this case downwards, and then reaches the front deflection area 25a along the return path R. The belt carriage is then transferred to the rear deflection area 25b. In the front deflection area 25a, the belt carriage 21 turns upwards and returns to the receiving area 26a, where the conveyed objects 9 can be picked up again.

[0045] The area after the receiving area 26a and before the transfer area 26b is referred to as the transfer area 26f. Here, the object 9 is in contact with the belt carriages 21. An object 9 intended for use with the conveyor system has at least large dimensions such that it rests on at least two belt carriages 21 when fully positioned in the transfer area 26f, and in particular contacts the conveyor belts of two adjacent belt carriages. Smaller objects cannot be reliably transported because they may get stuck in the space between two adjacent conveyor belts 24, and in that case, reliable transfer is not ensured.

[0046] A special feature is that at the receiving position 26a, the conveyed articles 9 are continuously received from the upstream conveyor line 10a in the conveying direction FR. This means in particular that in the transfer device 20a and in the upstream conveyor line 10a the conveyed articles are guided in the same conveying direction FE both when viewed from above and when viewed from the side, and are transported in a common conveying plane FE both in the upstream conveyor line and in the subsequent transfer device 20. Such a receiving and handing over was not possible with prior art crossbelt sorters.

[0047] In the deflection region 25, the belt carriage 21 is displaced downwards in each case. During the deflection in the deflection region, the support surface 241 moves along a downwardly curved path UB (FIG. 6), which has, at least in those sections, a deflection radius U20 about the deflection axis U, for example 110 mm. The small deflection radius allows continuous pick-up / drop-off of the conveyed goods in the conveying direction FR and the conveying plane FE.

[0048] In the radially inner area between the belt carriages, a drum motor 29 can be provided as a drive unit (as an alternative to the example of FIG. 5). The drum motor can be designed as an integrated unit including an electric motor and a gear unit.

[0049] The gap in the conveying plane FE between the first conveyor line 10a and the transfer device 20 can be covered by a passive gap bridge 12 (FIG. 6). The passive gap bridge 12 provides a support surface without the presence of conveyor rollers or other conveyor elements. The maximum length l12 of the gap bridge 12 in the conveying direction FR depends on the minimum size of the conveyed objects 9. To move continuously in the conveying direction FR, it is necessary to ensure that the conveyed objects always rest on at least one moving conveying element (e.g., roller 11, belt carriage 21, conveyor belt 24). In an alternative embodiment, the gap bridge can be designed actively. In this case, a small conveyor unit is located across the gap, which may, for example, include several parallel-arranged poly-V belts. These belts can be moved in the conveying direction to apply a driving force to the conveyed objects across the gap.

[0050] In the conveying region 26f, two successive belt carriages 21 can be positioned close to each other so that the gap between two adjacent belt carriages 21 is within a preset maximum value. In particular, the maximum value is small enough to prevent fingers from getting caught in the gap. In the deflection regions 25a, 25b, the gap between adjacent belt carriages 21 is necessarily large due to the curved path, and a user may get their fingers caught in the large circumferential gap 25L (see the hand shown diagrammatically in Figure 6). To prevent the risk of injury in this region, an intermediate surface 222 is provided that closes the circumferential gap 25L. Figures 7 and 8 illustrate the function of the intermediate surface.

[0051] The intermediate surface 222 can particularly prevent flat conveyed objects (see FIG. 11) from entering the gap between the belt carriages, which is particularly possible in the receiving area 26a (see FIG. 6) because the conveyed object first hits the guide surface 241 and at the same time the carriages turn, which can make the gap between the two carriages particularly large.

[0052] The deflection area 25a may be provided with a protective cover, which is arranged radially outward of the belt carriage 21 in the deflection area 25. This acts like a mudguard around a bicycle wheel and can prevent unintentional jamming in the circumferential gap.

[0053] The belt carriage 21 forms a closed surface together with the support surface provided by the conveying belt and the laterally adjacent guide surfaces (Figures 7, 8, 9). The guide surfaces 212 are statically fixed to the belt carriage frame 211 of the belt carriage (Figure 9). In the conveying region, the guide surfaces 212 of adjacent belt carriages 21 abut against each other to form a closed surface. In the deflection region 25, the above-mentioned circumferential gap is formed between the guide surfaces 212 of adjacent belt carriages 21, and this circumferential gap is directly closed by the intermediate surface 222 that appears in the gap.

[0054] The intermediate surface 222 may be part of any intermediate carriage 22 arranged between two adjacent belt carriages 21 (FIG. 9). The intermediate surface 222 is supported on an intermediate carriage frame 221 of the intermediate carriage. The intermediate carriage 22 may itself have rollers so as to be guided by guides 23 of the loading / unloading device 20. Alternatively, the intermediate carriage frame 221 may be supported on one or both of the adjacent belt carriages.

[0055] 8 shows in longitudinal section the intermediate surface 222 and the guide surface 212 provided on the belt carriage 21. The intermediate surface 222 has an upwardly facing concave shape. The guide surface 212 covers the intermediate surface 222, particularly half of it, when the carriage is outside the deflection area.

[0056] In particular, the intermediate surface forms a kind of trough, against whose sidewall the guide surface 212 abuts in the conveying region. The guide surface 212 has a downwardly facing surface on its underside, which contacts the intermediate surface. In the deflection region, the guide surface 212 slides along the intermediate surface to its outer end, whereby the intermediate surface 222 is released from the guide surface 212. In particular, the guide surface 212 is inclined downward in the guide region to engage with the concave "trough" of the intermediate surface.

[0057] The length L20 of the transfer device is approximately 3 to 5 m. This length is the length of the transport area. Additional parts can be ignored.

[0058] Driving the transport belt 24 in the transverse direction Q can basically be carried out as described in DE 198 01 706 A1. A modification thereto according to the invention will now be explained with reference to FIG.

[0059] The conveyor belt 24 includes an upper run 24a and a lower run 24u. The upper run 24o forms a support surface 241. The lower run 24u is frictionally connected to a drive pulley 312. By rotating the drive pulley 312, the conveyor belt 24 begins to move so that the support surface 241 moves in the lateral direction Q. The conveyor belt 24 is driven by the drive pulley 312.

[0060] The drive pulley 312 is drivingly connected to the driven pulley 311, and the drive pulley 312 and the driven pulley 311 are arranged coaxially on a common drive shaft A312. No intervening gearbox is required. The driven pulley 311 and the drive pulley 312 move together with the belt carriage in the conveying direction FR. The driven pulley 311 and the drive pulley 312 are non-rotatably connected to one another, here by way of example a shaft connection 315. It is also possible to connect the driven pulley and the drive pulley integrally.

[0061] The driven pulley 311 is selectively driven by a fixed control flap 313, as is already known from DE 198 01 706 A1. The control flap 313 can be selectively switched by a flap actuator into a driven state (right flap in FIG. 10) or into an idle state (left flap in FIG. 10). The driven pulley 311 passes over the fixed control flap 313 together with the conveying belt in the conveying direction FR. When the control flap 313 is in the driven state, a drive torque is transmitted from the control flap to the driven pulley 311. This drive torque is used to drive the conveying belt. In order to transmit the drive torque from the control flap 313 to the driven pulley 311, the axis of the drive flap must be arranged perpendicular to the conveying direction FR.

[0062] The drive and driven wheels can be dimensioned so that slippage and the associated speed losses in the frictional connections between the control flap 313 and the driven pulley 311 or between the drive pulley 312 and the conveyor belt 24 are compensated for by an increase in the transmission ratio.

[0063] The lower run 24u is twisted relative to the upper run 24o by, in particular, 90°. This allows the drive pulley 312 to be arranged coaxially with the driven pulley 311 and simultaneously be power-transmittingly connected to the lower run 24z. This makes bevel gears, as in DE 19801706 A1, obsolete. The twisting of the lower run is only possible due to the narrow width of the conveyor belt. Furthermore, the bevel gears would have to be very small to fit this embodiment.

[0064] Various belt rollers are provided to guide the conveyor belt. The first belt roller 214a is provided to guide the upper run 24o so that it can form a support surface 241 arranged on the conveying surface FE. The second belt roller is provided to guide the lower run so that it comes into force-transmitting contact with the drive wheel and, in particular, is arranged in a loop shape in a section around the drive pulley 312. The rotation axis of the first belt pulley 214A and the rotation axis A312 of the drive shaft 312 are arranged perpendicular to each other.

[0065] 4a shows the transported object 9 during the transport process on the transfer device 20 together with schematic velocity vectors. vF denotes the velocity in the transport direction FR, vQ denotes the velocity of the transported object 9 in the lateral direction Q, and v9 denotes the absolute velocity resulting from the vector addition of the partial velocities vF, vQ.

[0066] 4b shows a diagram of the speeds vF, vQ, v9 during the loading process of an object on a loading device according to the invention. In a first phase I, the object 9 is transported on a belt carriage in the conveying direction FR. The absolute speed v9 corresponds to the speed vF in the conveying direction, which is predetermined by the movement of the belt carriage in the conveying direction.

[0067] In the second phase II, the conveyor belt is driven, which also moves the conveyed object laterally at a velocity vQ. By vector addition, the absolute velocity v9 is greater than the velocity vF in the conveying direction.

[0068] In the third phase III, the conveyed object 9 leaves the conveyor line and is no longer moved in the conveying direction by the belt carriage. Compared to the second phase II, the article is further conveyed at a lower absolute speed v9. The speeds vF, vQ depend on the orientation of the transfer area 94.

[0069] The width B24 of the conveyor belt in the conveying direction FR is, for example, 16 mm (FIG. 7). The length L21 of the belt carriage in the conveying direction is, for example, 50 mm (FIG. 7). The lateral extension amount X21 of the belt carriage is, for example, 1,000 mm (FIG. 10). The lateral extension amount X24 of the conveyor belt is, for example, 1,000 mm (FIG. 10).

[0070] 11 shows the smallest possible load 9 that can be transported as intended and transferred as needed by the transfer device of the present invention in one embodiment. The load 9 is transported so that its height projects vertically upward as its smallest dimension.

[0071] The height H9 can be small if necessary. In particular, in the case of a transport envelope, the height can be a few millimeters, in particular less than 10 millimeters. The width B9 and length L9 of the conveyed item are referred to in this application as side lengths, which will be relevant below. The height H9 is independent of the support surface and therefore does not constitute the relevant side length.

[0072] The width B9 represents the smaller of the side lengths, and the length L9 represents the larger of the side lengths. Even in extreme cases, the width B9 is not smaller than the height H9 and not larger than the length L9. In extreme cases, the width B9 may be equal to the length L9 and the height H9, in which case the transported object would be, for example, a cube, and the following conditions also apply:

[0073] The object 9 is conveyed so that the surface defined by the lengths L9 and B9 of the two sides is placed on the conveying surface. That is, this is the largest side. If the object were placed on one of the other smaller sides, the object would usually tip over at the latest when passing over the transfer device. For this reason, the object is placed on the conveying surface with the largest side.

[0074] The dimensions of the base area determine whether an item can be reliably transported or transferred. If an item has a "smallest" side length / width B9 that is too small, it cannot be reliably placed on both conveyor belts 24 at the same time and therefore runs the risk of coming to rest due to friction on the laterally immovable guide surfaces 212 (FIG. 8). In this case, reliable transfer is not possible.

[0075] An exemplary load for use with the transfer device has a minimum side length B9 of 120 mm and a height of 4 mm.

[0076] FIG. 12a shows a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the above-mentioned transfer device in normal operating condition. Carriages 21, 22 are shown, which can optionally be belt carriages 21 or intermediate carriages 22. In this regard, this embodiment is applicable to both types of carriages. The carriages have guide rollers 231, which are supported on support surfaces 281 of the frame. An inverse embodiment is also conceivable, in which the guide surfaces of the carriages are supported on the guide rollers of the frame. Furthermore, it is also possible to provide sliding elements instead of guide rollers. In summary, this refers to the main guides 231, 281 of the carriages 21, 22 relative to the frame 28. The entire load force FL of the load is supported via the main guides 231, 281.

[0077] For example, one requirement for the stability of a transfer device is the need to support personnel standing on the transfer surface, for example for maintenance purposes, among other things.

[0078] Because the carriage is a moving part, it needs to be as light as possible, and as mentioned above, a small carriage size is also a major advantage. This results in a conflict of objectives that must be resolved.

[0079] It should also be noted that for good directional stability, it is desirable to have as large a roller spacing in the X direction as possible, while at the same time, the number of rollers should be as small as possible to minimize noise, friction and cost.

[0080] Figure 12b shows the example of Figure 11b in a special situation where a person places their feet on the transfer device, for example on the support surface 241 of the conveyor belt 24, on the guide surface 212 of the belt carriage frame or on the intermediate surface 222 of the intermediate carriage 22. In this case, weight loads of more than 100 kg can occur at each point.

[0081] The carriages 21, 22 are provided with auxiliary guides 232, 282 for this purpose. The auxiliary guides include auxiliary supports 232 and auxiliary surfaces 282. The auxiliary supports 232 may include rollers 232a or fixed support elements 232b, such as slide blocks. It can be seen that the auxiliary supports are arranged in such a way that they are in a load-bearing state only when the load applied to the carriage reaches a certain value (special state in Figure 12b). In the load-bearing state, the auxiliary supports provide a support force FS. Here, the auxiliary support 232 comes into contact with the auxiliary surface 282. This is caused by a certain elasticity within the carriages 12, 22.

[0082] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the carriage frames 211, 221 are the elements that are bendable and thereby provide the necessary elasticity.

[0083] Figure 13 shows a modified example. Here, the carriages 21 and 22 have spring elements 233, which elastically hold the rollers of the main guide 231 on the carriage frames 211 and 221. When an overload occurs, the entire carriage frame moves vertically downward until the auxiliary guide 22 282 transitions to a load-supporting state (Figure 13b). At this time, the spring elements 233 are elastically deformed by the overload.

[0084] Figures 14 and 15 show cross-sectional views of an embodiment of a carriage, which differs from the carriage shown in Figures 7 to 9. Only the differences will be described below. In this regard, the descriptions of other features and modes of operation are also applicable to this embodiment.

[0085] For ease of explanation, FIG. 16 includes an enlarged cross-sectional view of the transport belt 24.

[0086] The conveyor belt 24 has a stepped structure on the upper surface 24O that forms the support surface 241. Therefore, the center of the upper surface 24O forms the support surface 241. On the left and right sides of this, holding surfaces 242 are formed, respectively. The support surface 241 protrudes upward from the holding surface 242. The holding surface 242 and the support surface 241 are aligned parallel to each other along the longitudinal direction (= lateral direction Q, see FIG. 7) of the conveyor belt 24.

[0087] The underside 24U of the conveyor belt 24 is provided with downwardly projecting drive lugs 243 at equal intervals. In this respect, the conveyor belt 24 is in particular a toothed belt. The conveyor belt 24 is connected via a positive drive connection to a drive pulley 312 (see FIG. 10), which is designed for this purpose as a toothed wheel. The positive drive connection allows the tension in the conveyor belt to be kept low, which has an advantageous effect on friction and dynamics (rapid belt accelerations).

[0088] The loading and unloading device is operated at a relatively high conveying speed and has a relatively small deflection radius U20 (see FIG. 6), which results in high centrifugal forces C in the deflection areas 52a, 25b (FIG. 15) acting on the carriages 11, 12 and their components in the deflection areas 25a, 25b (see also FIG. 6).

[0089] In particular, the centrifugal force C may have an effect on the upper run of the conveyor belt, so it is necessary to take the centrifugal force C into consideration.

[0090] The free movement of the upper run of the conveyor belt 24 under the centrifugal force C is here limited by the down-holders 218, which are arranged above the holding surface 242. When the belt carriage 21 is arranged in the planar conveying area 26f, no centrifugal force acts on the belt carriage 11. As soon as the belt carriage enters one of the deflection areas 25a, 25b, a centrifugal force C acts radially outward on the conveyor belt 24 (Fig. 15).

[0091] The down-holders 218 limit the lifting of parts of the conveyor belt 24 due to centrifugal force. This reduces the noise that could otherwise occur, as the lifted conveyor belt 24 could start to vibrate. In the conveying region 26f, the conveyor belt is arranged with some play relative to the down-holders 218. This prevents the down-holders 218 from generating significant friction when the conveyor belt is moved in the lateral direction Q. Since no lateral movement of the conveyor belt 24 is required while the conveyed objects 24 are located in the deflection region 25a, the contact of the conveyor belt 24 with the down-holders 218 caused by centrifugal force does not cause any harmful effects here.

[0092] On the one hand, the conveyor belt 24 must be able to form a good frictional connection with the items being conveyed, and on the other hand, the conveyor belt must be held on the belt carriage with as little friction as possible.

[0093] Here, the conveyor belt 24 is formed to have a relatively high friction capacity on its upper surface 24O, while the conveyor belt is formed to have a relatively low friction capacity on its lower surface 24U. In this application, friction capacity represents a measure of how large the coefficient of friction is with the same friction partner. A material with a high friction capacity forms a higher coefficient of friction with the same friction partner (e.g., steel) than a material with a low friction capacity.

[0094] The different frictional properties can be achieved by various means. For example, different friction values ​​can be provided by different surface conditions (rough or smooth, coated or uncoated) on each surface. Alternatively, the upper surface 24O of the transport belt 24 can be formed of a different material than the lower surface 24U of the transport belt 24.

[0095] The downholders 18 are preferably designed and positioned so that when the conveyor belt is deflected laterally (arrow P1 in Figure 16), the conveyor belt 24 contacts the downholders at the low-friction lower surface 24U (arrow P2 in Figure 16) and not at the high-friction upper surface 24O.

[0096] 14 and 15, the guide surface 222 is attached to the belt carriage 21. When the transport carriage is in the transport region 26f, the guide surface 212 is located below the intermediate surface 222.

[0097] The intermediate surface 222 is arranged on the intermediate carriage 22. The circumferential gap that exists between the intermediate carriage 22 and the transport carriage is covered by the intermediate surface 222 and the guide surface 212. Furthermore, an elastomeric element 223 is provided that can contribute to covering the circumferential gap between the intermediate surface 222 and the transport carriage. In this respect, the elastomeric element 223 is arranged below the intermediate surface 222 and overlaps it when viewed in the transport direction F. This overlap occurs regardless of whether the respective carriage is located in the deflection region 25a or the transport region 26f.

[0098] For this reason, the elastomeric element 223 can come into contact with both parts of the transport carriage and parts of the intermediate carriage that move relative to each other. In some embodiments, this contact may be unavoidable. It should be noted that the carriages can be moved many times, and very precise guidance is only possible if extreme tolerances are maintained. Therefore, distancing them is not possible without a relatively large gap, which is undesirable for safety reasons.

[0099] The design of the elastomeric element has the effect of reducing noise. At the same time, the intermediate surface 222 remains an element that can come into contact with the conveyed product, since it is arranged on the elastomeric element. In particular, the intermediate surface is made of metal or plastic with a relatively smooth or low-friction surface.

[0100] In an alternative embodiment, the elastomeric element 223 can in each case be arranged on the belt carriage 21 and protrude in the direction of the intermediate carriage 22. The guide surface 212 is then arranged on the intermediate carriage 22.

[0101] Figure 17a shows a section of the belt carriage 21 in one embodiment, and the following description also applies as far as possible to the intermediate carriage 22. The basic structure of the carriage is also shown in Figure 17b.

[0102] The belt carriage frame 211 has a multi-part structure and in particular includes left and right base carriers 211G, which form a kind of chassis. The base carriers 211G can be arranged at a distance from each other or can be fixedly connected to each other. Rollers 215 for guiding the carriage on the frame 28 (FIG. 5) are attached to the base carriers 211G in both cases. The belt carriage 21 can also be attached to a drive belt 27 on the base carriers 211G.

[0103] The cross carrier 211Q is disposed between the two base carriers 211G, and in particular spans the distance between the two base carriers 211G. The conveyor belt 24 is attached to the cross carrier. In particular, the entire guide and drive device for the conveyor belt 24, as shown in, for example, FIGS. 10 and 11, is also disposed on the cross carrier 211Q.

[0104] The cross carrier 211Q can be removed separately from the base carrier 211G from the transfer device. To do this, first loosen the fixing screws 211S that secure the cross carrier 211Q to the base carrier 211G. After loosening the fixing screws, the latch 211R (which in this case is a movable component of the base carrier 211G) is moved from the locked position to the released position (arrow P1 in FIG. 17a). The latch recess 211A on the cross carrier 211Q can be seen, into which the latch engages only in the locked position and not in the released position. After the latch has moved to the released position, the cross carrier 211Q, together with the conveyor belt 24, can be removed from the transfer device, e.g., for maintenance (arrow P2 in FIG. 17a).

[0105] FIG. 14 shows the connection of the drive belt 27 to each carriage, in particular to the belt carriage 21 and / or the intermediate carriage 22. The drive belt 27 is designed as a toothed belt. The connecting pins 271 engage in the teeth of the drive belt. The connecting pins 271 are rigidly connected to the respective carriage. If the carriage is of a multi-part design, for example as shown in FIG. 17, the connecting pins can be fixed to the base carrier 211G, so that the cross carriers can be removed individually, as shown in FIG. 17. [Explanation of symbols]

[0106] 1. Conveyor System 3 Transfer area 9. Transported goods 10 Conveyor Line 11 Conveyor roller 12. Gap Bridge 20 Transfer Device 201 Conveyor surface 21 Belt carriage 211 Belt carriage frame 211G Base Carrier 211Q Cross Carrier 211S fixing screw 212R Latch 212A Latch recess 212 Guide surface 214 Belt Roller 215 Cross guide roller 217 connecting pins 218 Downholder 22 Intermediate carriage 221 Intermediate carriage frame 222 Intermediate Surface 223 Elastomer Elements 23 Guide 231 Guide roller 232 Auxiliary support 233 Spring Element 24 conveyor belt 24O top surface 24U bottom 241 Support surface 242 Holding surface 25a, 25b deflection area 25L Circumferential Gap 25S Protective Cover 26a Receiving Area 26f Conveying area 26b Delivery Area 27 Drive belt 271 connecting pins 28 frames 281 Support surface 282 Auxiliary surface 29 Drive unit 291 Motor 292 Gearbox 31 Belt drive device 311 Driven pulley 312 Drive pulley 313 Controlled Flaps 314 Flap Actuator 315 Shaft connection 90 Crossbelt sorter outside the scope of the claims 91 Conveyor Carriage 92 Cross Belt 93 Transfer Station 94 Transfer area 97 Confluence 98 Infeed conveyor line 99 Infeed Area V speed v9 Absolute speed of the transported object vF Speed ​​in the transport direction vQ Speed ​​in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction B24 Width of conveyor belt in conveying direction L21 Length of belt carriage in conveying direction X21 Belt carriage lateral extension X24 Lateral extension of conveyor belt FR conveying direction FE conveying surface Q Horizontal E Feed direction A Conveying direction R Return route U deflection radius (radius of curvature in the deflection area) UB Circulation Route U deflection axis W turning radius A312 Drive shaft of drive pulley 312 H9 Height of transported item B9 Minimum side length / width of transported item L9 Maximum side length / length of conveyed item L20 Length of transfer device FS bearing capacity FL Load force C. Centrifugal force

Claims

1. A transfer device (20), - receiving the conveyance (9) from the upstream conveying section (10a) in a receiving area (26a), - conveying the goods (9) at least temporarily in the conveying area (26f) in the conveying direction (FR), in particular in the conveying plane (FE), and - configured to selectively transfer the items (9) towards a transfer area (3) arranged transversely to the conveying direction, The transfer device (20) a plurality of belt carriages (21) arranged circumferentially along a guide (23) so as to move at least temporarily in a conveying direction (FR), in particular in a conveying region (26f), the belt carriage includes a conveyor belt (24); the conveyor belt (24) at least temporarily forms a support surface (241) for the conveyed goods (9), The transfer device is characterized in that the conveying belt (24) is selectively movable in a lateral direction (Q) perpendicular to the conveying direction (FR), in particular and simultaneously parallel to the conveying surface (FE), for selective lateral transfer of the conveyed items (9).

2. A transfer device according to the preceding claim, The transfer device (20) further comprises: - a transfer device configured to transfer the transported items (9) that have not been transferred in the transfer area (26b) to a conveyor line (10b) located downstream in the conveying direction (FR) and arranged in the conveying plane (FE).

3. A transfer device according to any one of the preceding claims, A transfer device characterized in that the belt carriage (21) has an extension (L21) in the direction of travel (FR) of at most 120 mm, in particular at most 100 mm, in particular at most 60 mm.

4. A transfer device according to any one of the preceding claims, 1. A transfer device, characterized in that the belt carriage (21) and / or the conveyor belt (24) have an extension (X21, X24) in the transverse direction (QR) of at least 400 mm, in particular 600 mm and / or at most 1500 mm.

5. A transfer device according to any one of the preceding claims, The width (B24) of the conveyor belt (24) in the direction of travel is at most 100 mm, in particular at most 60 mm, in particular about 16 mm; In particular, the transfer device is characterized in that the width (B24) of the conveyor belt (24) as seen in the conveying direction is smaller than the extension (L21) of the belt carriage (21).

6. A transfer device according to any one of the preceding claims, the belt carriage (21) has an extension (X21) in the transverse direction (Q) that is a multiple, in particular at least three times, of the extension (L21) of the belt carriage (21) in the forward direction (FR); and / or A transfer device characterized in that the conveyor belt (24) has an extension (X24) in the transverse direction (Q) that is a multiple, in particular at least three times, of the extension (B24) of the conveyor belt (24) in the forward direction (FR).

7. A transfer device according to any one of the preceding claims, a belt carriage (21) arranged upstream and / or downstream of the conveying region (26f) in the direction of travel (FR) is displaced downwards, and a support surface (241) of the belt carriage (21) is movable along a downwardly curved circulation path (UB); A transfer device characterized in that the circulation path at least partially has a deflection radius (U20) of at most 250 mm, in particular at most 150 mm.

8. A transfer device according to any one of the preceding claims, The conveyor belt (24) is driven by a drive pulley (312) and is guided on the belt carriage (21) so that the conveyor belt (24) is twisted between the support surface (241) and the drive pulley (312), in particular - while said belt carriage is located in the conveying area (26f), said drive pulley (312) is mounted rotatably about a drive axis (A312) oriented perpendicular to the conveying direction, and / or the belt rollers (214a) for guiding the upper run (24o) of the conveyor belt while the belt carriage is located in the conveying area (26f) are aligned parallel to the conveying direction (FR), and / or - A loading device, characterized in that the driven pulley (311) can be selectively driven by a fixed control flap (313).

9. A transfer device according to any one of the preceding claims, a gap (25L) is formed between two adjacent belt carriages (24), in particular temporarily, which gap is designed to be enlarged in the deflection area (25) compared to the conveying area (26f), 10. A transfer device, characterized in that the gap (25L) is at least partially covered in the deflection region (25) by an intermediate surface (222), in particular so that at least partial penetration of the transported object into the gap is prevented.

10. A transfer device according to the preceding claim, When the belt carriage is disposed in the conveying region (26f), the intermediate surface (222) and the belt carriage partially overlap each other; In particular, the transfer device is characterized in that the degree of overlap is greater when the intermediate surface (222) is positioned in the conveying region (26f), and the degree of overlap is smaller when the intermediate surface (222) is positioned in the deflection region (25).

11. A transfer device according to any one of the two preceding claims, an elastomeric element (223) is arranged on a first of the carriages, i.e., on the intermediate carriage (22) and / or on the belt carriage (21), at least partially covering the gap (25L); A transfer device characterized in that the elastomeric element (223) projects from the first carriage (22) in the direction of the second carriage, i.e. the further carriage (21), when viewed in the conveying direction (F).

12. A transfer device according to the preceding claim, A transfer device characterized in that the elastomeric element (223) is arranged on the first carriage (22) so that it overlaps guide surfaces on the second carriage (21) in the conveying direction (F) both in the deflection regions (25a, 25b) and in the conveying region (26f), in particular so that there is at least temporary contact between the elastomeric element and the second carriage.

13. A transfer device according to any one of the preceding claims, A transfer device characterized in that the belt carriage (21) has at least one guide surface (212) arranged adjacent to the upstream and / or downstream of the conveyor belt (24) in the conveying direction (FR).

14. A transfer device according to the preceding claim, the intermediate surface (222) is concave at the top, 1. A transfer device according to claim 1, wherein in the conveying region (26f) the guide surface (212) at least temporarily and / or partially covers the intermediate surface (222), in particular the guide surface is inclined downwards with respect to the conveying direction.

15. A transfer device according to any one of the preceding claims, The transfer device (20) - in a first phase (I), conveying the conveyed object (9) along the conveying area (26f) in the conveying direction (FR) at an absolute speed (v9) corresponding to the conveying speed (vF) of the belt carriage (21), - a transfer device configured to convey the conveyed object in a direction angled with respect to the conveying direction (FR) in a second phase (II), characterized in that the absolute speed (v9) of the conveyed object is greater than the conveying speed (vF) of the belt carriage (21).

16. A transfer device according to any one of the preceding claims, the carriages (21, 22), in particular the belt carriage (21) and / or the intermediate carriage (22) on which the intermediate surface (222) is arranged, are mounted vertically to the frame (28) by main guides (231, 281); Auxiliary guides (232, 282) are provided, and the carriage is - in normal operating conditions, said auxiliary guides (232, 282) remain in a non-load-carrying state; a transfer device, characterized in that in an overload state, said auxiliary guides (232, 282) are configured to be in a load-transmitting state.

17. A transfer device according to the preceding claim, the change from the non-load-bearing state to the load-bearing state is caused by elastic deformations in the carriages (21, 22); In particular, the frame (211, 221) of the carriage (21, 22), in particular the belt carriage frame (211) and / or the intermediate carriage frame (221), is arranged to deform during the change from the non-load-transmitting state to the load-transmitting state so that the auxiliary guide (232, 282) is in the load-transmitting state.

18. A transfer device according to any one of the preceding claims, A transfer device characterized in that the belt carriage (21) has a down holder (218) arranged to limit the upward movement of the upper run of the conveyor belt (24). A transfer device according to the preceding claim, The downholder is disposed below the support surface (241), A transfer device characterized in that, in particular, the down-holders (218) are arranged above a holding surface (242) of the conveyor belt (24), in particular the holding surface is arranged on an upper surface (24O) of the upper run of the conveyor belt, and / or in particular the support surface (241) protrudes beyond the down-holders and / or the holding surface (24) and / or in particular the upper surface (24O) has a stepped shape.

19. A transfer device according to any one of the preceding claims, the carriages (21, 22), in particular the belt carriage (21) and / or the intermediate carriage (22), have at least one, in particular two, base carriers (211G) and cross carriers (211Q), the carriages (21, 22) have releasable locking mechanisms (211S, 211R, 211A) such that, after release of the locking mechanisms, the cross carrier (211Q) can be removed from the transfer device (20) separately from the base carrier (211G), in particular the locking mechanisms including latches (211R) that are movable between a locked position and a released position; and / or In particular, the transfer device is characterized in that the conveying belt (24) is attached to the cross carrier (211Q) and can be removed from the base carrier (211G) separately from the cross carrier (211Q).

20. A conveyor system (1), comprising: a first conveyor line (10a); A transfer device according to any one of the preceding claims, The conveyor system (1) comprises:

1. A conveyor system, characterized in that it is configured so that conveyed items (9) are provided from the first conveyor line (10a) to the transfer device (20) in a conveying plane (FE) in a conveying direction (FR), in particular so that conveyed items (9) are conveyed from the first conveyor line (10a) to the transfer device (20) in a conveying plane (FE) in a conveying direction (FR).

21. A conveyor system (1) according to the preceding claim, a second conveyor line (20a), The conveyor system (1) comprises: an object (9) is provided to the second conveyor line (10b) by the transfer device (20) in a conveying plane (FE) and in a conveying direction (FR); In particular, the conveyor system is characterized in that the conveyed items (9) are conveyed from said second conveyor line (10b) in a conveying plane (FE) in a conveying direction (FR).

22. A conveyor system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, a gap bridge (12), in particular a passive one, arranged below the conveying surface in the gap between the first conveyor line (10a) and the transfer device (20) and / or between the transfer device (20) and the second conveyor line (10b), In particular, the conveyor system is characterized in that the first gap bridge (12) has an extension (l12) of at most 60 mm in the conveying direction.

23. Use of a transfer device or a conveyor system according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising: Use for receiving the transported item (9) in a receiving area (26a), for at least temporarily transporting the transported item (9) in a transport direction (FR), and for selectively transferring the transported item (9) to a transfer area (3) arranged transversely to the transport direction (FR) in a top view.

24. In the use according to the preceding claims, Use characterized in that the smallest possible transported object (9) is dimensioned in such a way that it always rests on two transport belts (24) of two adjacent belt carriages (21) in the transport area (26f).

25. In the use according to any one of the two preceding claims, Use characterized in that the smallest possible transported object (9) is dimensioned so that the length (B9) of its smallest side as seen from above is at most 120 mm, in particular at most 90 mm.

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