Gapping systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10017330-B2
Application number	US-201715699313-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2017
Priority date	May 23, 2014
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

Various embodiments provide systems and methods for providing a desired gap between articles within a continuously flowing train of articles. Various embodiment methods may include operating a material handling system including a plurality of conveying units, by generating motion profiles for a plurality of articles to provide a pre-determined gap between the articles, and controlling the plurality of conveying units to move each article in accordance with its motion profile as the plurality of articles move through the material handling system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
sensing, on an infeed conveyor, an initial gap between a lead article and a following article;
prior to the lead article and following article transporting onto a series of variable speed conveying units, generating, by a computing device, a motion profile for the following article based at least in part on the initial gap between the articles and a target final gap as the articles are discharged from the series of variable speed conveying units; and
for each interval of time as the lead and following article are conveyed across the series of variable speed conveying units:
determining an assigned velocity and a resulting distance that the following article has conveyed on the series of variable speed conveying units based upon the motion profile at the particular interval of time;
determining a particular conveying unit that corresponds to the resulting distance;
controlling, by the computing device, the particular conveying unit to operate at the assigned velocity; and
controlling the series of variable speed conveying units by; (i) determining whether a lead article and an adjacent follower article both have a least a portion of their respective length on a selected conveying unit; (ii) determining which one of the lead article and the follower article have a larger relative portion of contact area in contact with the selected conveying unit; and (iii) selecting the motion profile of the determined one of the lead and adjacent follower articles for controlling the selected conveying unit.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining which one of the lead article and the follower article have a larger relative portion of contact area comprises defaulting to the lead article.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining which one of the lead article and the follower article have a larger relative portion of contact area comprises selecting the one of the lead and adjacent follower article having a longer length.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining which one of the lead article and the follower article have a larger relative portion of contact area comprises selecting the one of the lead and follower article having a shorter length.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining which one of the lead article and the follower article have a larger relative portion of contact area comprises selecting the one of the lead article and the follower article based on a maximum value yielded by either of the articles when performing a calculation using the formula

(

level
⁢

⁢
of
⁢

⁢
contact
⁢

⁢
with
⁢

⁢
the
⁢

⁢
selected
⁢

⁢
conveying
⁢

⁢
unit

+

gap
⁢

⁢
between
⁢

⁢
the
⁢

⁢
articles

)

length
⁢

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of
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article

.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the motion profile for the upstream article comprises adjusting the generated motion profile for the upstream article to compensate for an overlap with the motion profile of the lead article based on: (i) when the upstream and downstream article are predicted to be on the same conveying unit; and (ii) the selection of the motion profile is for the downstream article.

7. A method comprising:
sensing, on an infeed conveyor, an initial gap between a lead article and a following article;
prior to the lead article and following article transporting onto a series of variable speed conveying units, generating, by a computing device, a motion profile for the following article based at least in part on the initial gap between the articles and a target final gap as the articles are discharged from the series of variable speed conveying units and based in part on limiting a jerk in rate of change in acceleration of the plurality of articles to remain within a threshold amount to prevent sliding of the plurality of articles on the series of variable speed conveying units so that each article is a deterministically predicted location throughout subsequent execution of the respective motion profile without a need for dynamic sensing;
for each interval of time as the lead and following article are conveyed across the series of variable speed conveying units:
determining an assigned velocity and a resulting distance that the following article has conveyed on the series of variable speed conveying units based upon the motion profile at the particular interval of time;
determining a particular conveying unit that corresponds to the resulting distance;

controlling, by the computing device, the particular conveying unit to operate at the assigned velocity.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein limiting the jerk in rate of change in acceleration comprises following a selected one of a triangular velocity profile and a curved velocity profile.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the motion profile includes one of: (i) an initial gap that is less than the target final gap, (ii) an initial gap that is equal to the target final gap to maintain a gap, and (iii) an initial gap th

Assignees

• Intelligrated Headquarters Llc

Inventors

• Neiser Raymond R
• Resnick Brian J
• Buerkle Ralf

Classifications

• B65G43/10 Primary

  Sequence control of conveyors operating in combination · CPC title

• B65G47/26

  arranging the articles, e.g. varying spacing between individual articles · CPC title

• B65G43/08

  Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged {(and controlling the discharging devices B65G47/42)} · CPC title

• G05B19/4189

  characterised by the transport system · CPC title

• B65G21/14

  to allow adjustment of length or configuration of load-carrier or traction element (varying speed of conveyance by adjusting configuration of load-carrier B65G23/00; {tensioning arrangements for belt or chain B65G23/44}) · CPC title