Method and device for detecting and segregating piece goods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9845205-B2
Application number	US-201515502531-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2015
Priority date	Aug 13, 2014
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

A method for targeted detection and segregation of individual piece goods being conveyed in a conveying direction on an extensive conveying element. A position-determining device detects positional information of the piece good to be segregated. The piece good to be segregated is displaced transversely to the conveying device by a push element, which is moved transversely to the conveying direction into the conveying region of the piece goods. Before pushing of the piece good, the push element is now moved into a forward position that lies above the conveying element in the conveying region. The piece good is subsequently pushed by the push element over the conveying element by way of accelerating the push element out of the forward position in a push direction. The forward position is set by a control device depending on positional information concerning the piece good to be segregated on the conveying element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for detecting and for targeted segregation of individual piece goods that are conveyed in a conveying direction one after the other on an extensive conveying element,
displacing a piece good to be segregated transversely to the conveying direction by a push element, the push element being moved transversely to the conveying direction into a conveying region of the piece goods,
determining positional information concerning a region of the piece good to be segregated, which faces the push element, by way of a position-determining device, and a forward position is determined on account of the positional information, and
determining the forward position by a control device in dependence on the positional information concerning the piece good, which is to be segregated, on the conveying element, and
wherein before pushing of the piece good, the push element is moved into the forward position lying above the conveying element in the conveying region, and the piece good is pushed over the conveying element by the element by accelerating the push element out of the forward position in a push direction, and
wherein the position-determining device forms a first and a second measuring beam path, wherein an orthogonal projection of the first measuring beam path and of the second measuring beam path onto a plane, in which a conveying surface of the conveying element lies, is indicated as a first and a second measuring beam path projection,
wherein the first measuring beam path projection and the second measuring beam path projection intersect outside the conveying surface.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the position-determining device determines the positional information of the piece good while using at least one predetermined characteristic of the piece good.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the position-determining device determines the positional information of the piece good while using the predetermined information that in a section of the conveying element that extends from upstream of the position-determining device in the conveying direction to downstream of the push element, the region of the piece good to be segregated that faces the push element is arranged essentially parallel to the conveying direction in an orthogonal projection onto the conveying surface.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the position-determining device determines a length of an orthogonal projection of the region of the piece good to be segregated that faces the push element, onto the conveying surface.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein on pushing the piece good, the push element engages the region of the piece good to be segregated that faces the push element, in an essentially central manner in an orthogonal projection onto the conveying surface, for the targeted segregation.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the position-determining device forms a first and a second measuring beam path, by way of the position-determining device emitting a first and a second light beam.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the push element pushes the piece good beyond the conveying element, with the targeted segregation of the piece good.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein positional information concerning a region of the piece goods not to be segregated that faces the push element is determined by way of the position-determining device, and a waiting position, into which the push element is moved back after the pushing of a piece good, is determined on account of the positional information.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein, considered from the forward position in the push direction, the waiting position lies behind the forward position of the piece good, which is to be segregated next.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the position-determining device comprises two light barriers, whose light beams each enclose an acute angle to a plane that is arranged perpendicularly to the conveying direction, and positional information concerning a region of the piece good that faces the push element is determined by way of the control device on the basis of the conveying speed of the piece good and of a first signal generated by the interruption of the first light beam and of a second signal generated by the interruption of the second light beam, due to a piece good conveyed past the light barriers.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, for pushing the piece good, the push element is moved over the conveying element with a movement component in the conveying direction.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein movement energy is converted into electrical energy via a recuperation brake on braking the push element.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the push element is stopped on reaching the forward position, and the push element waits in the forward position until the arrival of the piece good.

14. An appliance for detecting and targeted segregation of individual piece goods according to the method of claim 1 , said appliance comprising:
a conveying device comprising a movable, extensive conveying element with a conveying surface, on which piece goods can be conveyed one after the other in a conveying direction,
a pushing device comprising a push element, which is movable over the conveying element into the conveying regions of the piece goods, for pushing a piece good transversely to the conveying direction,
a control device for controlling the movement of the push element,
with a position-determining device for determining positional information concerning the piece goods on the conveying element, wherein the position-determining device comprises a first and a second measuring beam path, and an orthogonal projection of the first measuring beam path and of the second measuring beam path onto a plane, in which the conveying surface lies, is indicated as a first and a second measuring beam path projection, and wherein the control device is designed to determine a forward position for the push element from the positional information determined by way of the position-determining device and to move the push element into the determined forward position before the pushing of the piece good,
wherein an intersection point of the first measuring beam path projection and of the second measuring beam path projection is arranged outside the conveying surface.

15. The appliance according to claim 14 , wherein the position-determining device comprises an opto-electronic measuring system with at least one opto-electronic component for determining positional information concerning piece goods.

16. The appliance according to claim 15 , wherein the position-determining device comprises at least one light barrier.

17. The appliance according to claim 16 , wherein the position-determining device comprises two light barriers whose light beams each enclose an acute angle with a plane perpendicular to the conveying direction.

18. The appliance according to claim 17 , wherein the light sources of the light barriers are arranged above one another or next to one another.

19. The appliance according to claim 14 , wherein the appliance comprises a sensor device for determining a speed of the conveying element in the region of the pushing device.

20. The appliance according to claim 14 , wherein the pushing device comprises a guide arrangement that is arranged above the conveying element and by way of which the push element can be guided over

Assignees

• Ferag Ag

Inventors

• Keller Roland

Classifications

• B65G2203/044

  Optical · CPC title

• B65G47/82 Primary

  Rotary or reciprocating members for direct action on articles or materials, e.g. pushers, rakes, shovels {(means for pushing glass articles onto a conveyor C03B9/453)} · CPC title