Method for the automatic opening of a carrier means as well as an appliance for carrying out the method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10919658-B2
Application number	US-201816126095-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2018
Priority date	Sep 28, 2017
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

A facility for the automated opening of a carrier and for the provision of the carrier in loading and transport aids, the facility including a carrier feed appliance for feeding flatly closed carrier to a holder of a first conveying appliance, and a first conveying appliance for conveying the flatly closed carrier, which are held the holder, to a carrier opening appliance. The carrier opening appliance opens the flatly closed carrier. A merging appliance brings the carrier into the loading and transport aids. A second conveying appliance transports away the loading and transport aids with the opened carriers, which are arranged in the loading and transport aids.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for the automated opening of a carrier and for provision of the carrier in a container-like loading and transport aid and for further conveying the opened carrier, comprising the steps of:
feeding the flatly closed carrier to a holder of a first suspended conveyor appliance by way of a carrier feed appliance;
conveying the flatly closed carrier, which is held by the holder, to a carrier opening appliance in a suspended manner;
opening the flatly closed carrier with the carrier opening appliance; and positioning the carrier in a standing manner in the container-like loading and transport aid with a merging appliance;
conveying away of the container-like loading and transport aid and the opened carrier with a second suspended conveyor appliance,
wherein the second suspended conveyor appliance contains a conveying member onto which the container-like loading and transport aid is connected via a suspension, so that the container-like loading and transport aid together with the carrier being arranged in the container-like loading and transport aid in a standing manner can be further conveyed in a suspended manner.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the flatly closed carrier is folded together in a flat manner.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier is a carrier bag.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the flatly closed carrier is separated from a stack and transferred onto the holder with a suction gripper.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the holder is conveyed into a transfer region in a controlled manner via a supply unit to take over the flatly closed carrier.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the holder, with the flatly closed carrier, is conveyed into the carrier opening appliance in a cycled manner via a pacer.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in a first opening step, two carrier walls, which lie opposite one another, are separated and, in a second opening step, the carrier is completely opened by way of an active means, which acts into an interior of the carrier.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein at least one suction gripper is moved towards an outer side of the two carrier walls, which lie opposite one another, and the carrier walls are each gripped at the outer sides by the suction grippers, and the suction grippers are spaced from one another amid the pulling-apart of the carrier walls.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier is brought into the container-like loading and transport aid in the flatly closed state.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the flatly closed carrier is opened in the suspended position.

11. The method claim 1 , wherein, in a first opening step, two carrier walls, which lie opposite one another are separated by way of suction grippers.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier is transferred from the holder of the first conveying appliance onto the container-like loading and transport aid by way of a separating mechanism.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the container-like loading and transport aid is moved upwards to the carrier, which is held in the carrier opening appliance in a suspended manner, by way of the merging appliance, and the carrier is thus brought into the container-like loading and transport aid.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the container-like loading and transport aid with the opened carrier, which is brought into the container-like loading and transport aid, is transferred to the second conveying appliance for further conveying.

15. A facility for the automated opening of a carrier and for supplying the carrier in a container-like loading and transport aid and for further conveying the opened carrier, comprising:
a carrier feed appliance for feeding the flatly closed carrier from a stack to a holder of a first suspended conveyor appliance;
the first suspended conveyor appliance for the suspended conveying of the flatly closed carrier, which is held by a holder, to a carrier opening appliance;
the carrier opening appliance for opening the flatly closed carrier;
a merging appliance for positioning the carrier in a standing position in the container-like loading and transport aid;
a second suspended conveyor appliance for conveying away the container-like loading and transport aid with the opened carrier, which is arranged in the container-like loading and transport aid in a suspended manner,
wherein the second suspended conveyor appliance contains a conveying member onto which the container-like loading and transport aid is connected via a suspension, so that the container-like loading and transport aid together with the carrier being arranged in the container-like loading and transport aid in a standing manner can be further conveyed in a suspended manner.

16. The facility according to claim 15 , wherein the holder is a gripper.

17. The facility according to claim 15 , wherein the holder is arranged on a conveying member that is movable along a conveying stretch.

18. The facility according to claim 17 , wherein the conveying member is a conveying vehicle with runner rollers, which are movable along a guide rail.

19. The facility according to claim 15 , wherein the carrier opening appliance comprises a separating mechanism for separating two carrier walls, which lie opposite one another.

20. The facility according to claim 19 , wherein the separating mechanism comprises at least one first suction gripper for gripping a first carrier wall and at least one second suction gripper for gripping an opposite second carrier wall.

21. The facility according to claim 15 , wherein the carrier opening appliance comprises an active mechanism with an active means that acts into an interior of the carrier to completely open the carrier.

22. The facility according to claim 21 , wherein the active mechanism is a blow air system for blowing air as an active means into the carrier interior.

23. The facility according to claim 21 , wherein the active mechanism includes an active body that can be introduced into the carrier interior.

24. A facility for order picking of goods into carriers, comprising a suspended conveyor appliance with a plurality of container-like loading and transport aids for receiving the carriers in a standing manner and with conveying members onto which the container-like loading and transport aids are connected via suspensions for conveying the container-like loading and transport aids together with the carriers being arranged in the container-like loading and transport aids in a standing manner along an order picking stretch in a suspended manner, further comprising a plurality of delivery stations arranged along the order picking stretch for delivery of goods into the standing carriers.

25. The facility according to claim 24 , wherein each of the container-like loading and transport aids receive several carriers.

Assignees

• Ferag Ag

Inventors

• Brunschwiler Othmar

Classifications

• B65B43/465

  for bags · CPC title

• B65B43/34

  by internal pressure · CPC title

• B65B5/10

  Filling containers or receptacles progressively or in stages by introducing successive articles, or layers of articles · CPC title

• B65B43/14

  Feeding individual bags or carton blanks from piles or magazines · CPC title

• B65B5/08

  Packaging groups of articles, the articles being individually gripped or guided for transfer to the containers or receptacles · CPC title