Arrangement for processing a shipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11279570-B2
Application number	US-202017012126-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2020
Priority date	Sep 5, 2019
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

The invention relates to a package collecting apparatus for a package handling installation for unloading a plurality of packages from a transport supply means of the package handling installation and moving unloaded packages to a transport discharge means of the package handling installation, wherein the package collecting apparatus comprises a collecting element, which has a bearing surface for at least one package during the movement from the transport supply means to the transport discharge means, and at least one lateral element arranged thereon which can be moved between an inoperative position and a working position and which has a further bearing surface for at least one package, wherein, with the lateral element in the working position, the bearing surface of the lateral element adjoins the bearing surface of the collecting element flush, and the package collecting apparatus additionally comprises a coupling device for mechanical releasable coupling to the transport discharge means. The invention additionally relates to a package handling installation comprising such a package collecting apparatus.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Package collecting apparatus for a package handling installation for unloading a plurality of packages from a transport supply means of the package handling installation and for moving unloaded packages to a transport discharge means of the package handling installation, wherein:
the package collecting apparatus comprises a collecting element, wherein the collecting element has a bearing surface for at least one package during the movement from the transport supply means to the transport discharge means, and the package collecting apparatus further comprises at least one lateral element arranged on the collecting element, wherein the at least one lateral element can be moved between an inoperative position and a working position and has a further bearing surface for at least one package, and
wherein, in a state where the at least one lateral element is in the working position, the bearing surface of the at least one lateral element adjoins the bearing surface of the collecting element flush,
wherein the package collecting apparatus additionally comprises a coupling device for mechanical releasable coupling of the collecting element to the transport discharge means
wherein the coupling device is designed to position the collecting element in a substantially horizontal direction and is provided with an overload device,
wherein the overload device acts in the horizontal direction and, below a settable limit load, brings about fixed coupling between the collecting element and the transport discharge means and, upon reaching the limit load in the horizontal direction, brings about automatic uncoupling of the collecting element from the transport discharge means.

2. Package collecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one lateral element comprises two lateral elements, wherein the two lateral elements can be moved between an inoperative position and a working position and are arranged on mutually opposite sides of the collecting element.

3. Package collecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling device is designed as a slip coupling.

4. Package collecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, with the at least one lateral element in the working position, the hearing surface of the at least one lateral element is inclined in a direction pointing toward the collecting element.

5. Package collecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing surface of the at least one lateral element is inclined in a direction transversely with respect to the collecting element, and is funnel-shaped in form.

6. Package collecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one lateral element is provided with a pull-out device by means of which the bearing surface of the at least one lateral element can be increased, wherein the pull-out device comprises a push element which is relatively positionable with respect to the bearing surface of the at least one lateral element and which forms a substantially flush and/or planar surface with the bearing surface of the at least one lateral element in the pulled-out state.

7. Package collecting apparatus according to claim 6 , additionally having a pivoting element which is relatively positionable with respect to the push element and which, in the pivoted-out state, forms a substantially flush and/or planar surface together with the push element and the bearing surface of the at least one lateral element.

8. Package collecting apparatus according to claim 1 , additionally comprising a folding support, wherein the folding support is arranged on the collecting element on the one hand and, with the at least one lateral element in the working position, orients and/or fixes the bearing surface of the at least one lateral element as intended and, with the at least one lateral element in the inoperative position, is accommodated in a housing below the bearing surface of the collecting element.

9. Package handling installation comprising a transport discharge means in the form of a telescopic belt conveyer and a package collecting apparatus according to claim 1 .

10. Package handling installation according to claim 9 , wherein the collecting element is releasably coupled to the transport discharge means by means of the coupling device.

11. Package handling installation according to claim 10 , comprising a transport supply means, wherein the package collecting apparatus is relatively positionable in the vertical and/or horizontal direction to the transport supply means, by means of the transport discharge means.

Assignees

• Deutsche Post Ag

Inventors

• Hartmann Bernd

Classifications

• B65G47/69 Primary

  the articles being accumulated temporarily {(accumulating articles during transit B65G47/261)} · CPC title

• B07C1/04 Primary

  Forming a stream from a bulk; Controlling the stream, e.g. spacing the articles · CPC title

• B65G47/945 Primary

  tilting endless surfaces, e.g. belts · CPC title

• B65G2814/0311

  Other article loading or unloading devices · CPC title