Transport device for trays

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10207876-B2
Application number	US-201715456355-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2017
Priority date	Mar 15, 2016
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

A transport device for transporting trays. The transport device including a first conveyor belt and a second conveyor belt that is downstream and follows the first conveyor belt. The first and second conveyor belts may have either a single- or multi-track design. The second conveyor belt may include a parallelization device configured to slowing down and/or accelerate one or more trays being conveyed on the second conveyor. The parallelization device may comprises at least one carrier with at least one acceleration finger and may be selectively moveable to prevent, slow down, allow, or accelerate a movement of a tray.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transport device for transporting trays, the transport device comprising:
a first conveyor belt driven to transport trays at a first transport velocity; and
a second conveyor belt that follows the first conveyor belt, where in the second conveyor belt is driven to transport trays at a second transport velocity;
wherein both the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt having either a single-track or a multi-track configuration, wherein the second conveyor belt has a parallelization device being selectively moveable and configured to slow down and/or accelerate one or more trays relative to one of the first transport velocity or the second transport velocity, the parallelization device comprising at least one carrier having at least one acceleration finger selectively movable to engage said trays on said second conveyor belt; wherein the parallelization device is disposed below a top side of the second conveyor belt.

2. A transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the first conveyor belt is one of a large flat strap, a chain feeder belt, a multi-strap conveyor, or a link chain conveyor belt.

3. A transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the second conveyor belt includes a plurality of straps.

4. A transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the first velocity of the first conveyor belt and the second velocity of the second conveyor belt are different.

5. A transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt each include two tracks.

6. A transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the parallelization device has a plurality of carriers that are arranged in parallel to one another.

7. A transport device according to claim 1 , wherein each one of the at least one carrier has at least two acceleration fingers.

8. A transport device according to claim 7 , wherein the plurality of carriers can be moved in one of the following ways: rotated about an axis of rotation, linearly in two directions, or using a belt drive.

9. A transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the parallelization device comprises a servo drive.

10. A transport device according to claim 1 , further comprising a sensor in communication with a control system for the parallelization device and wherein the sensor is disposed upstream of the parallelization device and is provided to monitor each track of either said single-track or said multi-track configuration.

11. A tray sealing packaging machine comprising a transport device according to claim 1 .

12. A method for operating a transport device for transporting a plurality of trays, the method comprising:
arranging a first conveyor belt upstream of a second conveyor belt, wherein said second conveyor belt is disposed to follow the first conveyor belt;
conveying a plurality of trays in at least one track of said first conveyor belt at a first transport velocity;
conveying a plurality of trays in at least one track of said second conveyor belt at a second transport velocity;
slowing down or accelerating the conveyance of one or more of said plurality of trays relative to one of the first transport velocity or the second transport velocity using a parallelization device while the one or more of said plurality of trays are disposed on the second conveyor belt;
wherein the slowing down or accelerating the conveyance of one or more of said plurality of trays using a parallelization device comprises the step of selectively moving at least one acceleration finger of the parallelization device between a first position above a top side of the second conveyor belt and a second position below said top side of the second conveyor belt.

13. A method according to claim 12 , further comprising the step of slowing down or accelerating the conveyance of one of two or more of said plurality of trays that are laterally adjacent to one another in the production direction so that the two or more of said plurality of trays that are laterally adjacent to one another are in a parallel arrangement when transferred to a grouping conveyor of a tray sealing machine that is downstream and follows the second conveyor belt.

14. A transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one acceleration finger is selectively moveable between a first position above the top side of the second conveyor belt and a second position below said top side of the second conveyor belt.

15. A transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the parallelization device comprises a plurality of carriers that are arranged in parallel to one another, and each of the plurality of carriers comprises at least two acceleration fingers.

16. A transport device according to claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of carriers comprises three acceleration fingers disposed in a radially equidistant manner about an axis of rotation of the carrier.

17. A transport device for transporting trays, the transport device comprising:
a first conveyor belt for transporting one or more trays at a first transport velocity; and
a second conveyor belt that follows of the first conveyor belt, the second conveyor belt transports one or more trays at a second transport velocity, wherein both the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt having either a single-track or a multi-track configuration, wherein the second conveyor belt has a parallelization device configured to slow down and/or accelerate one or more trays relative to one of the first transport velocity or the second transport velocity, the parallelization device comprising at least one carrier having at least one acceleration finger;
wherein the second conveyor belt includes a plurality of belt straps and said at least one acceleration finger is disposed between two belt straps of the plurality of straps and said at least one acceleration finger is selectively moveable between a first position above a top side of the second conveyor belt and a second position below said top side of the second conveyor belt.

18. A transport device according to claim 17 , wherein the parallelization device comprises a plurality of carriers that are arranged in parallel to one another, and at least one of the plurality of carriers is disposed between two belt straps of the plurality of belt straps of the second conveyor belt and the at least one of the plurality of carriers comprises at least two acceleration fingers.

Assignees

• Multivac Haggenmueller Kg

Inventors

• Ickert Lars

Classifications

• B65G47/31 Primary

  by varying the relative speeds of the conveyors forming the series · CPC title

• B65B57/12

  and operating to control, or stop, the feed of wrapping materials, containers, or packages · CPC title

• B65G19/02

  for articles, e.g. for containers · CPC title

• B65G2201/0258

  Trays, totes or bins · CPC title

• B65G15/50

  Endless load-carriers consisting of a series of parallel ropes or belt strips · CPC title