Device and method for turning, opening and filling transport bags conveyed in a suspended manner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11084658-B2
Application number	US-201816481218-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2018
Priority date	Jan 31, 2017
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

A conveying unit (10) for the suspended transport of transport elements (40) in a conveyor system, in particular a rail-guided (86) conveyor system or a conveyor-chain system, includes a support hook (21) attached to a conveying element (20), in particular a carriage or a conveyor-chain link, a transport element (40), and a suspension hook (41) attached to the transport element, wherein the suspension hook is mounted in a suspended manner in the support hook. The support hook is configured such that the suspension hook can take up two stable positions (61, 62) in the support hook. The suspension hook (41) in a first stable position (61) has been turned through an angle with respect to the suspension hook in a second stable position (62).

First claim

It is claimed:

1. A conveying system for the guided suspended transport of transport elements in particular transport bags and/or clothes hanger elements, along a conveying path, having at least one conveying unit for transporting transport elements in a suspended manner in a conveying system, in particular a rail-guided conveying system or a conveyor chain system, comprising:
a support hook that is mounted on a conveying element, a transport element, and a suspension hook that is mounted on the transport element, wherein the suspension hook is supported in the support hook in a suspended manner; wherein the support hook is configured so that the suspension hook assumes at least two stable positions in the support hook, wherein the suspension hook in a first stable position is rotated by an angle relative to the suspension hook into a second stable position;
wherein opening means are provided via which a transport bag may be brought into the first open state at a given location on the conveying path, with the suspension hook in the second position and the rear wall of the transport bag oriented essentially parallel to the conveying direction;
wherein as an opening means at least one of a lifting arrangement, a lifting table, and a ramp arrangement is provided, or an opening device comprising a plurality of staggered conveying and lifting devices having a lower roller element, so that the lower roller elements of the opening device form an ascending ramp.

2. The conveying system according to claim 1 , wherein the suspension hook is transferable back and forth between the first stable position and the second stable position in such a way that the suspension hook continuously rests on the support hook.

3. The conveying system according to claim 1 , wherein the support hook has a first bearing segment and a second bearing segment; in the first stable position the suspension hook rests on the first segment, and in the second stable position rests on the second segment, and situated between the first segment and the second segment is a connecting segment on which the suspension hook is slidingly transferable back and forth between the first stable position and the second stable position.

4. The conveying system according to claim 1 , wherein the support hook has a first bearing segment and a second bearing segment;
wherein the support hook is configured so that in a given first spatial orientation of the support hook, the suspension hook may assume a first stable position on the first bearing segment, in which the suspension hook is oriented in a first plane; and in a given second spatial orientation of the support hook, which may be the same as or different from the first spatial orientation, the suspension hook may assume a second stable position on the second bearing segment, in which the suspension hook is oriented in a second plane;
wherein the suspension hook is transferable back and forth between the first position and the second position.

5. The conveying system according to claim 4 , wherein the support hook is configured so that in a given spatial orientation of the support hook, the suspension hook may assume the first stable position on the first bearing segment, in which the suspension hook is oriented in the first plane; and in the same spatial orientation of the support hook, the suspension hook may assume the second stable position on the second bearing segment, in which the suspension hook is oriented in the second plane, wherein the first position and the second position correspond to local minima of potential energy of the transport element that is supported in a suspended manner, and wherein the suspension hook is transferable back and forth between the first stable position and the second stable position by rotating the suspension hook about a given rotational angle.

6. The conveying system according to claim 4 , wherein the support hook is configured so that in a given first spatial orientation of the support hook, the suspension hook may assume the first stable position on the first bearing segment, in which the suspension hook is oriented in the first plane; and in a second spatial orientation of the support hook that is different from the given first spatial orientation, the suspension hook may assume the second stable position on the second bearing segment, in which the suspension hook is oriented in the second plane, wherein in the given first spatial orientation of the support hook, the first position corresponds to a minimum of potential energy of the transport element that is supported in a suspended manner; in the given second spatial orientation of the support hook, the second position corresponds to a minimum of potential energy of the transport element that is supported in a suspended manner, and the suspension hook is transferable back and forth between the first position and the second position by rotating the support hook about a given rotational angle.

7. The conveying system according to claim 6 , wherein the suspension hook is transferable back and forth between the first position and the second position by rotating the conveying element about the conveying direction.

8. The conveying system according to claim 4 , wherein the support hook is configured so that in a given first spatial orientation of the support hook, the suspension hook may assume the first stable position on the first bearing segment, in which the suspension hook is oriented in the first plane; and in a second spatial orientation of the support hook that is different from the given first spatial orientation, the suspension hook may assume the first stable position on the first bearing segment, in which the suspension hook is oriented in the first plane, and may also assume the second stable position on the second bearing segment, in which the suspension hook is oriented in the second plane, wherein in the given first spatial orientation of the support hook, the first position corresponds to a minimum of potential energy of the transport element that is supported in a suspended manner, and wherein in the second spatial orientation, the first position and the second position correspond to local minima of potential energy of the transport element that is supported in a suspended manner, and wherein the suspension hook is transferable back and forth between the first stable position and the second stable position by rotating the suspension hook about a given rotational angle.

9. The conveying system according to claim 8 , wherein the suspension hook is transferable from the second position into the first position by rotating the conveying element about the conveying direction.

10. The conveying system according to claim 1 , wherein the transport bag includes a rear wall and a front wall that are flexibly joined together via a base section in such a way that they are movable back and forth between a first state in which they form a pocket that is open and fillable at the top, and a second state in which they are situated close together and form a folded-up bag, wherein the rear wall is extended upwardly beyond the level of the front wall, with a support section for fastening the transport bag to the conveying element, and wherein the suspension hook is mounted on an upper end of the support section.

11. The conveying system according to claim 10 , wherein the transport bag has opening means that can automatically bring the transport bag into the first state and hold it there.

12. The conveying system according to claim 10 , wherein at least one spacer element is situated between the front wall and the rear wall of the transport bag and is pivotably connected to the front wall and the rear wall, respe

Assignees

• Ferag Ag

Inventors

• Stauber Erwin

Classifications

• B65G17/16

  comprising individual load-carriers which are pivotally mounted, e.g. for free-swinging movement (guides inverting or tilting load-carriers for emptying {B65G47/38; B65G17/20 takes precedence}) · CPC title

• B65G17/485 Primary

  the load carriers being suspended · CPC title

• B65G47/61

  for articles · CPC title

• B65G2201/0229

  Clothes, clothes hangers · CPC title

• B65G2201/0238

  Bags · CPC title