Transport system and transport method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11866265-B2
Application number	US-202017608965-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2020
Priority date	Jan 23, 2019
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

A transport system ( 1 ) for transporting workpieces ( 2 ) which preferably consist at least in sections of wood, wood-based materials, plastic or the like, comprising at least one circulating transport means ( 15 ); a guide arrangement ( 4 ) for guiding the at least one circulating transport means ( 15 ); at least one sensor ( 10, 11, 12 ) for detecting at least one condition variable, in particular the preload force and/or instantaneous load on the at least one circulating transport means ( 15 ) and/or the dynamic behavior of at least one section ( 6, 8 ) of the transport system ( 1 ); and at least one actuator ( 13, 20 ) for influencing at least one condition variable of the transport system ( 1 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A transport system for transporting workpieces comprising:
at least one circulating transport means;
a guide arrangement for guiding the at least one circulating transport means;
at least one sensor for detecting at least one condition variable, in particular the preload force and/or instantaneous load on the at least one circulating transport means and the dynamic behavior of at least one section of the transport system;
at least one actuator for influencing at least one condition variable of the transport system, the at least one actuator comprising an adjustable damping element, the damping properties of which are adjustable;
a control module configured to control the at least one actuator; and
an interface that communicates with the control module and that is designed to send at least one condition variable of the transport system to a database or to receive data from a database in order to relay this to the control module, the interface being configured to communicate with the database via the internet or another remote data transmission link.

2. The transport system according to claim 1 , wherein the guide arrangement comprises at least two sections, wherein at least one actuator is provided between a first section and a second section of the guide arrangement.

3. The transport system according to claim 1 , wherein the transport system has at least one first sensor for detecting a condition variable which is selected from preload force, instantaneous load, strain, displacement, velocity and acceleration of the at least one circulating transport means.

4. The transport system according to claim 1 , wherein the transport system has at least one second sensor for detecting the dynamic behavior of at least one section of the transport system.

5. The transport system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one sensor is arranged on at least one circulating transport means, and at least one sensor is arranged on the guide arrangement.

6. The transport system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one actuator comprises an actuating element which is capable of controlling or adjusting at least one condition variable of the transport system by the application of force or by way of positional adjustment and which is selected from a pneumatic actuator, a hydraulic actuator, an electromagnetic actuator, a piezo actuator, a threaded spindle, a servomotor and a linear motor.

7. The transport system according to claim 1 , wherein the damping properties comprise rebound.

8. The transport system according to claim 1 , wherein the transport system comprises a control module which is configured to control, the at least one actuator and at least one driving means for driving the circulating transport means depending on a detection result of at least one sensor.

9. The transport system according to claim 8 , wherein the control module is configured to control or adjust the at least one actuator at least occasionally at a frequency of at least 1 Hz.

10. The transport system according to claim 8 , wherein the control module is configured to control or adjust the at least one actuator during a transport movement of the at least one circulating transport means.

11. The transport system according to claim 1 , further comprising: a driving means for driving the circulating transport means.

12. The transport system according to claim 1 , wherein the circulating transport means comprises articulate transport means.

13. The transport system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a display device which is designed to visualize data, from the at least one sensor and/or actuating element.

14. A transport method for transporting a workpiece using at least one circulating transport means of a transport system according to claim 1 , wherein
during the transport at least one condition variable is detected, and
based on the detected data at least one actuator is controlled and/or adjusted.

15. The transport system according to claim 1 , wherein the damping properties comprise compression damping.

Assignees

• Homag Gmbh

Inventors

• Gan Yimin
• Hofbauer Rolf
• Beck Jochen
• Thumm Michael
• Albrecht Ludwig

Classifications

• B65G23/44 Primary

  Belt or chain tensioning arrangements · CPC title

• B65G43/00

  Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting · CPC title

• B65G43/02

  detecting dangerous physical condition of load carriers, e.g. for interrupting the drive in the event of overheating · CPC title

• B65G2203/0266

  relating to the load carrier(s) · CPC title

• B23Q7/003 Primary

  Cyclically moving conveyors (B23Q7/1426 takes precedence) · CPC title