Systems and Methods for Providing an Improved Timing Conveyor

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The invention relates generally to mechanically driven conveyors.

BACKGROUND [0002] When moving objects in a conveyor system, it is often necessary to place objects in designated positions relative to each other, or to maintain a minimum distance between them on a conveyor belt. Prior art devices meeting these needs were equipped with a plurality of sensors in combination with positioning components of the conveyor to retain packaging. One such device is described in US 6,648,125 (Berschadsky). Other ways of keeping the packaging away from each other on the conveyor use conveyor belts having either top or bottom spacers mounted at different speeds, usually at a lower speed than the belt speed. These devices are complicated and reduce conveyor efficiency as a result of slowing or stopping packages along the transport route. That is why there is an indispensable need in the industry for the abovementioned deficiencies and disadvantages.

[0003] A conveyor comprising rollers for accelerating and positioning components is known from WO 01/32 533 A2.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the invention, a transport system has been proposed comprising:

the delivery section, the rhythm section, the section setting individual items in one row, and the technology section, the delivery section transfers the items to the rhythm section at irregular intervals and at irregular positions across the belt, the rhythm section accelerating the items received from the delivery section and comprising:

the first rhythmic conveyor and the second rhythmic conveyor, each of which has accelerating components and components positioning the items in the designated positions on the first and second rhythmic conveyor so that the objects leaving the first rhythmic conveyor arrive at the section setting individual items in one row between subsequent objects leaving the second rhythmic conveyor, or one rhythmic conveyor containing accelerating components, and several positioning components arranged to occupy part of the width of one rhythmic conveyor and configured to place objects on the left side of one rhythmic conveyor in an out-of-phase arrangement with objects on the right side of the rhythmic conveyor, that objects leaving the right side of one rhythmic conveyor arrive at the section setting individual items in one row between successive objects leaving the left side of one rhythmic conveyor, where the section setting individual items in one row receives items from the rhythmizing section in an out-of-phase arrangement and sets individual items in one series for their delivery to the technological stand.

[0005] Solutions of the present invention can also be seen as proposing a method for positioning objects, including accelerating the objects along the conveyor belt, such that the object moves faster than the speed of the conveyor belt, and retaining the object with the positioning component on the conveyor belt, such that the object moves with such same speed as the conveyor belt and is held in the desired position along the conveyor belt.

[0006] Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the drawings below and the detailed description. It is to be understood that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages are included herein and do not fall outside the scope of the present invention and are protected by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0007] The features of the invention will become better understood upon reading the attached drawings. The elements in the drawings are not to scale, but the emphasis is on a clear illustration of the essence of the present invention. In addition, the same reference numbers are shown in the drawings for the respective parts, shown in different views.

Fig. 1 is a schematic top view of a transport system using the rhythm conveyor described herein.

Figures 2A and 2B are schematic side views of the rhythm conveyor described herein in two different transport stages. Fig. 3 is a schematic top view of a portion of the conveyor described herein.

Fig. 4 is a schematic top view of a portion of another embodiment of the conveyor described herein.

Figs. 5A and 5B are schematic side views of another embodiment of the rhythm conveyor described herein in two different transport stages.

Fig. 6 is a schematic top view of a portion of another embodiment of the conveyor described herein.

Fig. 7 is a schematic side view of the conveyor of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a schematic side view of another embodiment of the conveyor described herein.

Fig. 9 is a side view of a portion of the linearly actuated bumper described herein in retracted position.

Fig. 10 is a side view of a portion of the linearly actuated bumper described herein in an extended position.

Fig. 11 is a side view of a portion of the rotatably actuated stop according to the invention described herein, in a retracted position.

Fig. 12 is a side view of a portion of the rotatably actuated bumper according to the invention described herein in an extended position.

Fig. 13 is a side view of a fragment of an alternative embodiment of the rotatably actuated bumper according to the invention described herein, in a retracted position.

Fig. 14 is a side view of a portion of an alternative embodiment of the rotatably actuated bumper of the invention described herein in an extended position.

Fig. 15 is a schematic top view of a fragment of a transport system using the rhythm conveyor described herein.

Fig. 16 is a schematic top view of a fragment of an alternative solution of the invention of the rhythmizing section shown in Fig. 13.

Fig. 17 is a schematic top view of an embodiment of the conveyor of the invention used for the solution of Fig. 14.

Fig. 18 is a block diagram illustrating the solution of a method for manufacturing a conveyor.

Fig. 19 is a block diagram illustrating the solution of a method for transporting objects.

Fig. 20 is a block diagram illustrating the solution of the method for positioning objects.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0008] Summarizing the various features of the present invention, the following is a detailed description of the invention illustrated in the drawings. Although the invention is described with reference to these drawings, it is not considered to be limited to the solution described herein or to the solutions described herein. On the contrary, the invention may include all alternatives, modifications and equivalents which do not depart from the spirit of the invention and the appended claims.

[0009] Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a transport system using a rhythm conveyor from above. Transport system 100 includes a feed conveyor 102, rhythm conveyor 104, and a take-up conveyor 106. Each of these conveyors is used to transport objects 108 in the direction of belt 110. Objects 108 on the supply conveyor 102 can be transported at random intervals or at random distances from each other. The objects 108 that pass from the supply conveyor 102 to the rhythm conveyor 104 are moved relative to each other by the rhythm conveyor 104 in such a way that the objects 108 are transferred to the receiving conveyor 106 at predetermined intervals, i.e. in the same rhythm. The set time intervals facilitate the operation of subsequent conveyors, such as a single-band rhythmizer, a lateral phase-rhythmizer, a phase-shifted rhythmizer, and a non-parallel merge rhythmizer.

[0010] Figs. 2A and 2B are diagrams showing side views of the rhythm conveyor in two different transport stages. The rhythm conveyor 104 generally includes accelerating and positioning components. In this embodiment, the rhythm conveyor 104 includes a conveyor belt 120 having depressions (not shown) in which rollers 122 are positioned to accelerate the components. A non-limiting embodiment of the conveyor belt 120 is the Mattop modular chain belt known from US Patent 6,494,312 (Constanzo), which is used herein. The rollers 122 are sized and positioned in such a way that each roller projects above the top surface 121 of the conveyor belt 120 and below the bottom surface 123 of the conveyor belt 120. The rollers 122 may be arranged in a non-limiting example of columns and rows. Rollers 122 are in line with the course of the belt, accelerating objects in the direction of 110 of the belt. The rhythm conveyor 104 also includes, as exemplary positioning components, friction pads 128 that are spaced along the top surface 121 of the conveyor belt 120. The roller actuating surface 124 is located underneath the conveyor belt 120 in such a way that the rollers 122 are in contact with the the roller actuating surface 124. The roller actuating surface 124 may be a generally flat component and its upper surface may have a high coefficient of friction. Rubber or a rubber-like composite is a non-limiting example of a high friction material. The rhythm conveyor 104 also includes a drive component 126. Although the drive component 126 shown in Figs. 2A and 2B is shown as an externally arranged rotary drive assembly mechanically connected to the conveyor belt 120 by means of a belt or chain 127, the drive conveyor component 126 may have various forms, not exceeding the scope and idea of ​​the invention. For example, the drive component 126 of the conveyor may be coupled directly to the rhythmic conveyor 104, or may be mechanically coupled by other mechanisms, including but not limited to gears, drive shafts and cardan joints.

As shown in Fig. 2A, when the conveyor belt 120 moves in the direction of belt travel 110, the rollers 122 are in contact with the roller actuating surface 124. The friction interaction of the rollers 122 with the roller actuating surface 124 ensures rotation of the rollers in the direction 132. When the object 108 lies on the rollers 122, the rotation of the rollers in the direction 132 causes the object 108 to move relative to the conveyor belt 120 at a speed 130, which is equal to the speed of the conveyor belt 120 relative to the roller actuating surface 124, so that the object 108 moves at twice the speed from conveyor belt speed 120. Item 108 travels along conveyor belt 120 until it reaches friction pad 128. In this way, each object 108 moves to the designated position 134 shown in Fig. 2B. The designated position 134 is generally consistent with the position of the friction pad 128. The friction pad 128 is a non-limiting example of various positioning components falling within the scope and spirit of the present invention. In addition, the rhythm conveyor 104 may have a different length and contain different amounts of designated positions 134.

[0012] Fig. 3 is a top view of a fragment of a conveyor belt. In Fig. 3, the conveyor belt 120 is in the form of a Mattop modular chain, consisting of a plurality of chain segments 119 connected to each other by hinge joints, forming an endless chain. Chain segments 119, which may be in the form of mattop chain segments, have a plurality of depressions 140 in which rollers 122 may be arranged, e.g. rollers rotating about axis 142. Chain segments 119 may also include friction pads 128. As described above with reference to Figs. 2A and 2B, rollers 122, as a result of contact with the roller actuating surface 124, cause the object to move relative to the conveyor belt 120 in the direction of belt run 110. When the object reaches chain segments 119 equipped with friction pads 128, movement of the object relative to conveyor belt 120 is stopped. In this way, the positions of the friction pads 128 or alternative positioning components of the conveyor determine the final spacing between transported objects.

[0013] Fig. 4 is a schematic plan view of a portion of a conveyor that is another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the component defining the position of the object on the conveyor belt 120 is the bumper 144. The bumper 144 can be generally defined as a movement stop placed on the conveyor that affects the movement of the object relative to the conveyor at a certain point on the conveyor belt. In contrast to the friction washer described above with reference to Fig. 3, the bumper 144 does not lie in the same plane as the surface formed by the rollers 122, but projects above the flat surface formed by the tops of the rollers 122. Protruding over the surface formed by the tops of the rollers , the bumper 144 is a relatively non-elastic surface that stops the movement of the object on the conveyor. The bumper 144, in contrast to the friction pads 128, can more accurately provide a designated position. In addition, unlike the friction pads 128, the position of the object marked by the bumper 144 is less sensitive to changes in this position due to the conveyor speed. Depending on the nature of the items being transported by the conveyor, the friction pad 128 may possibly be more desirable because the amount of delay is then smaller than when using the bumper 144. The positioning component of the conveyor used may be a friction pad, bumper, their combination, or other suitable conveyor component .

[0014] Figs. 5A and 5B schematically show a side view of another embodiment of a rhythm conveyor according to the invention in two different transporting steps. As shown in Fig. 5A, the roller-actuated .122 object moves at a relative speed of 130. As shown in Fig. 5B, when the object 108 reaches the predetermined stop 144 of the determined position 134, the object 108 is stopped relative to the conveyor belt 120. In this way, each of the transported items leaves the rhythm conveyor at intervals determined by the distance between the buffers 144.

[0015] Fig. 6 schematically shows a fragment of another embodiment of a conveyor in a top view. Conveyor belt 120 may include a plurality of chain segments 119 that may have either rollers or positioning elements, e.g., friction pads 128. Conveyor belt 120 includes a strong coupling zone 151 and a weak coupling zone 153. The strong coupling zone 151 is generally characterized by substantially such frictional cooperation between the rollers 150 and the transported object 108 such that the slip between the rollers 150 and the transported object 108 is reduced or eliminated. Similarly, the weak coupling zone 153 is generally characterized by the level of frictional cooperation between the rollers 150 and the transported object 108 reduced relative to the strong coupling zone 151. Accordingly, the slip between the rollers 152 and the transported object 108 is increased relative to the slip in the strong coupling zone 151.

[0016] The strong coupling zone 151 is equipped with rollers 150 intended to increase friction coupling with the transported object 108 by reducing or eliminating slip between the rollers 150 and the transported object 108. One technique used to reduce slip is to use large rollers 150. Additionally or alternatively, the strong coupling zone 151 may use rollers 150 having a surface with a relatively high coefficient of friction providing greater frictional engagement between the rollers 150 and the transported object 108. Similarly, the weak coupling zone 153 may use small rollers 152 and / or rollers having a surface having relatively low coefficient of friction. Small rollers 152 and / or rollers with a low coefficient of friction allow the transported object 108 to slide on the rollers in both cases, while delaying movement and after the transported object 108 stops on the conveyor. Alternatively, conveyor belt 120 may contain more than two levels of coupling in which different levels of coupling can be obtained by using different sizes of rollers, rollers having different friction coefficients, and any combination thereof.

[0017] Fig. 7 schematically shows the conveyor of Fig. 6 in a side view. The conveyor belt 120 includes a strong coupling zone 151 in which large rollers 150 are located and a weak coupling zone 153 in which small rollers 152 are located. As described above with reference to Fig. 6, the poor coupling zone 153 may also have rollers with a low coefficient of friction, thereby allowing slip between the roller and the object when the object slows down by contact with the friction pad. As shown, the flexibility of the conveyor belt 120 allows both large rollers 150 and small rollers 152 to contact the roller actuating surface 124. In this way, the rollers 150, 152, in the strong coupling zone 151 as well as in the weak coupling zone 153, rotate due to contact with the roller actuating surface 124. As shown in Figure 8, which is a schematic side view of another embodiment of a conveyor belt 120 according to the invention, the idea of ​​a plurality of zones of various coupling can also be applied using a stop 144 constituting the positioning component. The bumper can be used in various ways. For example, the bumper 144 may be in the form of a fixed structure that protrudes from the conveyor. Alternatively, the bumper 144 may be a movable structure that is activated in, for example, one or more specific positions along a transport road.

[0018] Fig. 9 shows a fragment of an embodiment of the linearly actuated bumper according to the invention in a retracted position in a side view. The linearly actuated stop 160 is attached to the conveyor belt 120 and does not protrude above the surface of the conveyor belt 120 in the retracted position. The linearly actuated stop 160 has a cam follower 162 and possibly a spring 166 holding the stop in the retracted position when the linear actuated stop 160 is not activated. When the conveyor belt 120 moves in the direction of belt 110, the roller follower 162 contacts the cam surface 164 and moves the bumper 160 vertically to the extended position, whereby it protrudes above the surface formed by the tops of adjacent rollers 152. In a non-limiting embodiment the control surface 164 may be a roller actuating surface or a specific surface of the roller actuating surface. Alternatively, the cam surface 164 may be a separate bumper actuation structure 160, which further may be adjustable, allowing independent control of the bumper position. As shown in Fig. 10, which is a side view of a portion of the linearly actuated bumper in the extended position, the roller follower 162 cooperates with the cam surface 164 and moves the linearly actuated bumper to the extended position over the conveyor belt 120. Since the pressure of the disk pusher 162 is sufficient to extend the linearly actuated stop 160 when it does not cause braking of the transported object, the actuation of the buffer 160 cannot be carried out by the force necessary to extend it when the transported object is above the linearly actuated stop 160. Alternatively (which is not shown), the linearly actuated stop 160 may be provided with a multi-part telescopic assembly having an internal spring, the multi-part telescopic assembly being assembled when the linearly actuated bumper 160 is located under the transported object.

[0019] Fig. 11 shows a portion of a rotatably actuated bumper according to the invention in a retracted position in a side view. Rotatably actuated bumper 170 is rotatably mounted in a recess of the conveyor belt 120 by means of a pivot pin or axis 176. The pivotable stop 170 extends from the pivot rod 176 in two directions. The pivotable stop 170 is located in a first direction that is generally parallel to the upper surface 121 of the conveyor formed by the tops of the rollers, and when retracted it is deflected below that surface or the plane defined by the upper surfaces of the conveyor rollers. The pivotable stop 170 is located in a second direction below the bottom surface 123 of the conveyor belt 120. In this second direction, the rotatably actuated stop 170 is equipped with a roller follower 172. When the conveyor belt 120 moves in the belt direction 110, the roller follower 172 cooperates with the cam surface 174. As shown in Fig. 12, which is a side view of a portion of the rotatably actuated bumper of the invention in an extended position, cooperation between the cam follower 172 and the cam surface 174 causes the rotatably actuated bumper 170 to rotate about the stem 176. This rotation causes the actuation the bumper 170 protrudes over the upper surface 121 of the conveyor belt 120. rotationally. [0020] Fig. 13 shows a fragment of an alternative embodiment of the rotatably actuated bumper according to the invention in a retracted position in a side view. The pivotable stop 240 is pivotally mounted in the recess of the conveyor belt 120 by means of a pivot pin or axle 244. The pivotable stop 240 includes a roller 241 having a flat 236 and a protruding member 242. In the retracted position, the protruding member 242 lies on the upper surface 121 of the conveyor belt 120 below the plane or in the plane defined by the tops of the conveyor belt rollers 120. When the conveyor belt moves in the direction of belt run 110, the roller 241 cooperates with the cam surface 174. As shown in Fig. 14, which is a side view of a portion of an alternative embodiment of the rotatably actuated stop according to the invention in an extended position, the cooperation between the roller 241 and the cam surface 174 causes the rotatably actuated stop 240 to rotate around the stem 176. This rotation causes the the protruding member 242 of the pivotable stop protrudes above the upper surface 121 of the conveyor belt 120. When the object moving along the top surface of the rollers comes into contact with the protruding bumper member 242, the roller 241 continues to the position where the flattening of the roll 246 of the roll 241 is close to the cam surface 174. When the flattening 246 is close to the cam surface 174, it is actuated the bumper rotationally does not interact with the friction surface 174 and slip does not occur.

[0021] Linear and rotary bumpers are only examples of bumpers contemplated by this invention and are not intended to limit the scope or the idea of ​​the invention. For example, the activated bumper can be configured in such a way that it has the form of several bumps cooperating with one or several cams, the cam, although not restrictive, having the form of, inter alia, a roller pusher, an eccentric projection on the surface of the rotating cam surface, and same cam surface. Fig. 15 schematically shows a fragment of a transport system using a rhythm conveyor in a partial top view. The transport system 200 includes an infeed section 180, a rhythmizing section 184, an section 188 arranging individual items in one row and another technological section 190. The infeed section 180 includes a first supply conveyor 181 and a second delivery conveyor 182. Each of the supply conveyors 181, 182 can transfer items 108 to the rhythm section 184 at irregular intervals and at irregular positions across the belt. The rhythm section 184 includes a first rhythm conveyor 185 and a second rhythm conveyor 186, respectively compatible with the first and second feed conveyors 181, 182. The objects 108 which are fed to the rhythm section 184 are accelerated to a relative speed of 130 until they reach the designated positions on the first and a second rhythmic conveyor 185, 186. In this non-limiting embodiment, the determined positions on the first and second rhythm conveyor 185, 186 are arranged in such a way that the objects 108 leave the rhythm section 184 shifted in phase. In other words, the item leaving the first rhythm conveyor 185 arrives at section 188 arranging individual items in one row positioned between successive items leaving the second rhythm conveyor 186.

[0022] In other embodiments, the rhythmizing section 184 is used to transfer objects 108 to the next process conveyor in substantially identical or phase-aligned positions. When the items 108 are fed to the section 188 setting individual items in one row, they are moved in a transverse direction 192 towards the center of the section 188 setting individual items in one row. By positioning the objects on the first and second conveyors 185, 186, respectively, in an out-of-phase arrangement, the objects arranged into individual units are configured in one line at even intervals for subsequent transport. When the objects 108 are taken over by the conveyor 190 for subsequent transport, they are arranged in line with constant and equal spacing between the objects. The transport system shown in Fig. 15 is only an example and is not intended to limit the scope and idea of ​​the invention in any way. For example, the first and second rhythm conveyors can be used in parallel next to each other and phase-aligned so that two objects can be brought side by side for further transport. In addition, several rhythmic conveyors may be used in a non-parallel arrangement, for example in an assembling operation to ensure that transported objects never touch each other during assembling.

[0023] Fig. 16 is a schematic side view of a fragment of an alternative embodiment of the rhythmizing section 184 according to the invention of Fig. 15. Instead of the rhythm section 184, comprising several rhythm conveyors 185, 186, realizing the desired phase relationship between several feed conveyors, the rhythm section 184 includes one rhythm conveyor 187. The rhythm conveyor 187 has several bumpers 144 positioned over a portion of the width of the belt and spaced at appropriate intervals to create the desired phase relationship between several delivery conveyors. For example, as shown, the bumpers 144 are configured to separate the transported objects on the left side of the conveyor in an out-of-phase arrangement relative to the objects on the right side of the conveyor. In an alternative embodiment, if simultaneous arrival of objects is desired, the left and right bumpers are located close to each other. In addition, instead of bumpers, friction pads or other positioning components may be used.

[0024] Fig. 17 schematically shows a fragment of an embodiment of a conveyor according to the invention used in the embodiments of Fig. 16 in a top view. The conveyor belt 120 includes a plurality of bumpers 144 located only over a portion of the width of the conveyor belt 120. In this way, items brought to different parts of the conveyor belt 120 can be arranged such that they are fed in a phase-incompatible configuration to another component of the transport system (not shown). The conveyor belt 120 may be provided with bumpers 144 or other positioning components located in the plurality of recesses 140 or above them. Alternatively, bumpers 144, or other positioning components, can be attached to conveyor belt 120 without removing rollers 122 from cavities 140. The ability to easily configure the positioning system of components significantly increases the flexibility and usability of the rhythm conveyor.

[0025] Fig. 18 is a block diagram of a method for manufacturing the conveyor described above. In block 212, rollers are placed in the grooves of the chain segment. In block 214, the positioning component of the conveyor is attached to the conveyor belt. In block 216, the roller actuating surface is placed close to the conveyor belt, and in block 218, the drive component of the conveyor is coupled to the conveyor belt. [0026] The conveyor may optionally include rollers of different sizes and having different friction properties. Different roller configurations can be arranged to create functional zones at different levels of coupling to the transported object. For example, large rollers with a high coefficient of friction can be used in a strong coupling zone, increasing the acceleration of transported objects. Similarly, smaller rollers with a lower coefficient of friction can be used in a weak coupling zone where the desired property is slip between the transported object and the rollers.

[0027] The transport system may also use various positioning components. For example, one or more friction pads may be used to provide relatively gentle release. Alternatively, fixed or actuated bumpers can be used to achieve a more accurate stop position. In addition, the number of positioning components and the distance between them can be configured in relation to the conveyor speed to determine the final distance or distance between the transported objects. In addition, the conveyor can be driven by various drives using various types of coupling assemblies, which has already been discussed above.

[0028] Fig. 19 is a block diagram of a method for transporting objects equidistant from each other. In block 220, the conveyor belt with rollers is driven, and in block 222, the roller actuating surface is in contact with the rollers. When the conveyor belt moves along the roller actuating surface, the rollers rotate. In block 226, the object is accelerated relative to the conveyor belt due to its contact with the rotating rollers. In block 228, the object is stopped on the conveyor belt to obtain a designated distance from the second object. Similarly, with reference to Fig. 20, some solutions according to the present description may be considered as a method for positioning objects, this method is initiated when the object is accelerated along the conveyor belt in block 230. To obtain the desired position, in block 232 the object is stopped by the positioning component of the conveyor. Moving the object relative to the conveyor allows achieving the desired distance between objects without reducing the conveyor speed, thereby increasing the throughput and thus the efficiency of the transport operation.

[0029] It should be emphasized that the above-mentioned solutions of the present invention, in particular all of the illustrated solutions, are only examples of embodiment presented for a good understanding of the principles of the invention. Many variations and modifications may be made to the described solution or the described embodiments of the invention without, however, substantially departing from the principles of the invention. All such modifications and variations should fall within the scope of this description and the present invention, and be protected by the following claims.