FI81547C - SAETT OCH ANLAEGGNING FOER HOPSAETTNING AV EN OLIKA PRODUKTFOERPACKNINGAR ELLER LIKNANDE OMFATTANDE TRANSPORTPALL. - Google Patents

Description

81547

Method and apparatus for assembling a pallet comprising various product packages or the like

The invention relates to a method for assembling a transport pallet comprising different product packages.

The problems that led to this invention are common in large central trade warehouses. Such central warehouses assemble a range of 5 products from wholesalers and other suppliers. According to sales, retailers also order products from the central warehouse in packaging. The central warehouse collects product packaging according to the merchant's order and delivers the product packaging arranged on a transport pallet. In the absence of international packaging standards, especially in the field of packaging, it has been impossible to organize the automation of collection in a central warehouse where already 10 assortments from several countries are collected, but the collection has been carried out manually. The sizes of the packages vary to such an extent that it has been impossible to collect them automatically.

15 An example is a central warehouse which supplies different types of products packed mainly in corrugated boxes of 192 different sizes. Cardboard boxes, which come from several different countries, vary in length from 28 cm to 52 cm, in width from 17 cm to 39 to 20 cm and in height from 12.5 cm to 39 cm. In addition, the sales of different product packages vary considerably, other sizes are ordered in large numbers and often while other sizes are rarely and even individually ordered.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method which can automatically provide a transport pallet comprising different product packages, although the external dimensions of the product packages vary even to a considerable extent. This is based on the realization that in most practical situations where a pallet containing product packages is formed, the product packages will almost always have packages of at least the same height that at least one layer substantially corresponding to the dimensions of the pallet can be formed.

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Furthermore, stacks can be formed on the transport pallet from other product packages, the outer dimensions of which can vary, the formation of which can be chosen so that the largest area 5 is the lowest in the stack, etc. To achieve this purpose, the method according to the invention is mainly characterized by at least one product package layer with the at least one height dimension of the packages is substantially the same, and to provide a pallet comprising at least one stack of product packages in which all outer dimensions of the product packages 10 may be different: the product packages to be stacked on at least one product line are selected, the product packages to be stacked on at least one product line are selected, stacking with 20 layer palletizing units into at least one stacking, substantially the size of a transport pallet, is performed by stacking stackable product packages with at least one stacking unit i stack and said at least one product packaging layer and at least one product packaging stack are joined together by a combining unit to provide a transport pallet comprising different product packages.

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The above method thus involves a stock-specific product packaging analysis, on the basis of which the product packages to be layered are selected, in particular on the basis of the external dimensions of the product packages and the sales of the products in question. The selection criterion is therefore first the height of the product packaging and the second the sales. On this basis, the minimum order quantity for the product in question or for products with similar packing heights can be selected on the basis of the external dimensions of the standard transport pallet. These product packages 40 are always arranged in 3,81547 layers. Similarly, other products with lower sales and thus ordered in smaller quantities at a time are selected for stackable products.

The above system facilitates the formation of pallets comprising different product packages of pallets, but it is also entirely possible that the order quantities of all products are free, in which case the method is applied to both multi-layer pallets and multi-stack pallets. and there is no need for a pallet containing packaging stacks on the basis of the order.

Other characteristic features of the method according to the invention will become apparent from the appended sub-claims of the method.

The invention also relates to an apparatus for assembling a transport pallet comprising different product packages. The equipment is mainly characterized in that it comprises:

For at least one product line for stackable product packages on the one hand and stackable product packages on the other hand, means for forming at least one layer of product packages to be stacked on each pallet, - means for forming at least one stack of product packages stackable on each pallet and means for forming at least one layer and on the same pallet.

The present invention allows flexible use of the method while forming only 30 layers or stacks on the transport pallet.

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The invention is further illustrated in the following description, in which reference is made to the exemplary embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, Fig. 1 schematically shows an apparatus applying the method 5 according to the invention as a whole, Fig. 2 schematically shows product package arranging means providing at least one layer and at least one stack on each pallet, Fig. 3 shows section AA from Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of some and Figure 5 shows different possibilities of forming at least one layer and at least one stack on a standard transport pallet.

15 The equipment shown in Figure 1 works as follows when applying the method: Transport pallets entering the automatic collection equipment and containing packages of the same products are unloaded by automatic and / or semi-automatic pallet unloaders. Pallet unloader 1 is intended for stackable product packages and pallet unloader 2 is intended for stackable product packages.

Separately, the possibility of manually dismantling the pallet can also be reserved, possibly using work-facilitating auxiliaries. Product packages that belong to the product range of the central warehouse 25, but which due to their collection quantities or processability cannot be covered by the method, are directed to a separately defined hand collection area, from where they are picked up on a pallet delivered to the customer.

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Pallet unloading automation is not actually within the scope of this invention, and one skilled in the art will be able to construct this part of the equipment in a number of different ways within the framework of the prior art.

5 Unloaded product packages are temporarily stored on intermediate storage lanes 3, 4 using transfer trolleys 5 and 6. The mi-batch to be placed in the equipment is preferably one pallet of product packages containing the same product. The hardware includes a computer system that notifies the product-specific need for addition via the terminal. 10 In order to maintain delivery readiness, the lengths of the intermediate storage lines of the equipment and the number of intermediate storage lines on which product packages containing certain products are placed are arranged for delivery volumes in accordance with the forecast demand.

Interim storage of products on lines 3 and 4 is divided on the basis of a seasonal analysis of product packages, firstly by storing products based on the minimum lot on lines 3 for stackable products and secondly as products ordered in batches of one or more product packages for intermediate storage lines 4 for stackable product packages. .

At the opposite ends of the interim storage lanes 3 and 4, there are collecting devices 7 for the intermediate storage lanes 3 and 8 for the intermediate storage lanes 4. Between the intermediate storage tracks 3 and 4 there are also collection conveyors 9 and 10, by means of which the product packages to be unloaded from the intermediate storage tracks according to the order are delivered to the pallet equipment 11 either by stacking or stacking. The collection trolleys 7 and 8 perform the collection according to the order-specific collection instructions given by the computer system. The collecting trolley 7 is preferably dimensioned to take product-30 packages in accordance with the ordering instructions, so that the products delivered in individual or few packages can be picked up as required by the order on the collection conveyor 9 in one transfer of the collection conveyor 9. These stackable products are delivered in a collection conveyor 81 £ 47 6 queue format, either in individual packages or possibly in stacks of two or more product packages. The height of the stacks is naturally determined by the size of the product package and the transfer speed of the pick-up conveyor. The criterion is thus the uprightness of such a sub-stack during transfer on the collection conveyor. Correspondingly, the collecting trolley 8 takes the product packages to be deposited on the collection conveyor 10 into a queue form either as individual product packages or as sub-stacks selected according to the above-mentioned criterion.

10 Intermediate storage 14 of transport pallets is arranged in connection with the pallet equipment 11. The pallets come to the pallet equipment from pallet unloaders 1, 2 along conveyors 12, 13.

The palletizing apparatus 11 acting as an arrangement member shown in Figs. 2 and 3 comprises the following main parts: a layer palletizing unit 15, a stacking unit 16 and a combining unit 17.

The layer palletizing unit 15 receives the products to be packed in layers in queue form along a collecting conveyor 10. Drawing 2 shows, in contrast to drawing 1, a conveyor 13 of empty transport pallets located on the underside of this collecting conveyor 10. The pick-up conveyor 10 terminates in a pusher 18 at the palletizing unit 15 which, in the transverse direction of the pick-up conveyor 10, pushes the package through a pivot 19 possibly used to form the palletizing after the layer has formed on the transfer pallet 21 after the stepped line transfers, it is transferred to the pallet pallet 22, to which a transfer pallet 30 (not shown) serving as a pallet from the intermediate storage 14 of the pallets has previously been delivered. At this stage, one or more layers of substantially the same height may be formed on the pallet from substantially the same dimensions as the standard pallet.

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After the step in the palletizing unit 15, the transport pallet and at least one layer therein are moved by an intermediate conveyor 23 below the combining unit 17.

The packages entering the stacking unit 16 are divided into two groups 5 in the embodiment according to Figure 2, i. from the collecting conveyor 9, the products are distributed on the one hand to the individual package feed track 9a and on the other hand to the sub-stacks (at least two pack stacks) feed track 9b so that packages are fed to the stacking unit 16 10 from its opposite sides. At the ends of the feed paths 9a and 9b there are pushers 24, 25 acting transversely to the longitudinal direction of the paths. The individual packages from the path 9a are transferred via a necessary turn 26 to a stacking time 27, which can operate e.g. from below stacking principle, 15 the already formed sub-stack is raised the lowest package will fit under the stack. This operation is continued until the stack is completed with the above-mentioned sub-stack lifts. At the end of the track 9b there may be a turntable 28 necessary for stacking and a stacker 29 corresponding to the stacker 27 20. The finished stacks are transferred from the stackers 27 and 29 to the stacking unit 16 so that when the stack is taken from both the stacker 27 and the stacker 28 to the center line K of the transfer direction. The pusher 31 transfers the above-mentioned two stacks to the transfer pallet 30. After the above stacking operations have been performed on the respective pallet, the stacks are transferred on the transfer pallet 30 to a stacking unit 17 where the stacks are placed on at least one layer on the pallet. As shown above, two stack rows PR1 and PR2 are obtained, which are located on both sides of the center line K. The finished transport pallet is removed by a conveyor 32.

Figure 2 also shows a bypass path 37 for manually palletized packages, from which packages to be placed on a transport pallet can be picked up manually. Figure 2 shows in dashed lines, on the left side of the 8 81 547 stacking unit 16, an alternative location for the stacking unit 15.

In particular, Figure 3 shows the operation of the stacking unit 16 and the combining unit 17. The pusher 33 pushes the finished stacks 5 against the counter-pusher 34 and the stacks are delivered onto the uppermost packaging layer by pulling the transfer tray 30 out from under the stacks. (The transfer tray 21 operates in a similar manner in the pallet stacking unit 15). The transport pallet is placed on a scissor-operated lifting table 35, which descends to the level 10 of the conveyor 32 after the transport pallet with its product packaging is ready for the following processing steps, such as, for example, protective molding and / or binding.

Figure 4 shows four examples of transport pallets obtained by the method according to the invention. Examples 4a 15 and 4b show combinations obtained by layer palletizing and stacking. Example 4a has one layer of similar packages at the bottom and on top of this layer six stacks of product packages, each stack being either partially or completely the same size. As can be seen in particular from Example 4a, the stacks are formed in such a way that the packages with the largest bottom area are placed at the bottom of the stack. This stacking order can be obtained by programming the collection order of the picking conveyor 9 so that it prioritizes the picking order of each stack of each product pallet so that in the queue form 25 the picking conveyor 9 always has the largest packages of each stack first. Figure 4b shows an example comprising three layers and the six stacks on top of them. The layers in this case are formed of two different package sizes, which, however, have essentially the same height. 30 Thus, the stacks can be arranged on a flat surface. It can be seen from Figure 4b that the stack can at least comprise one product package for the purpose of the invention. Figures 4c and 4d show pallet alternatives with mere stacks that can be formed by the method of the invention when the order requires it. Correspondingly, 9 81 547 pallets with only layers can of course also be formed. In all the examples according to Figure 4, it is valid that the packages are aligned as far as possible on the center line K so that the side edges of the packages are against each other 5 on this line. This operation, which is carried out in the pi-lifting unit 16 as well as in the combining unit 17, makes the resulting transport pallet as compact as possible, taking into account, of course, the individual size variations of the packages. This measure facilitates possible protective plastic-10 bonding and / or bonding. A special feature of the layers, in particular in Figure 4b, is that although the total surface area of the packages does not correspond to the outer dimensions of the standard pallet (1200 x 800 mm), the method aligns the layer so that the packages follow the outer dimensions of the standard pallet as much as possible. (This operation is accomplished by using the stops 38 shown in Figure 2 to divide the product packaging line formed in front of the pusher 20 to fit). For this reason, gaps 36 may be left between the packages. If in such a case several layers are formed on the transport pallet, the choice of collection order and the different layer arrangement of the packages can ensure that the gaps 36 do not impair the retention of the layers and the stacks on them. The frictional forces applied to the product packages from both the top and bottom surface 25 hold them in place. A cardboard sheet or a frictional plastic film can be placed between the top layer and the stacks coming on top of it. In this case, the stability of the transport pallet is still ensured.

Figure 5 shows some layer and stacking patterns that can be fitted to a standard transport pallet considering the product package size in question. In Figure 5, the two lines on the left show the layer formation options to which pack sizes in a given range can be accommodated. If the outer dimensions of the bottom area 35 of the product package in question are e.g. 550x380, the top 10 81 547 layer option 4a can be used. In a corresponding manner, a suitable layer pattern shape can be selected for each product packaging size, e.g. from the options shown in the drawing. The dimensions shown are the maximum external dimensions of each product package and, of course, according to the external dimensions of the standard 5 pallet, packages of different sizes can also be included in the same pattern format by programming the collection order and layer formation order to suit. All that matters in this respect is that the packages of different sizes in terms of bottom surface area are substantially the same height. 10 The two middle vertical rows have different combining options with which the layers can be implemented, in particular in a practical embodiment. In this case, by combining according to the letter markings, the several options contained in the two lines on the left can be reduced in number and some can be omitted from the list of products to be layered. This allows for simplification of programming. The two right-hand vertical rows show stacking options that can also be combined on both sides of the centerline K (e.g., row AV and row CO). 1 li

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing, it is an object of the invention to be able to control a very complex entity in which the number of variables is considerable. Therefore, the above explanation has to be interpreted against this background and is to be considered only as an example. 25 as. With particular reference to the structural details of the apparatus, it should be noted that several alternatives are available to a person skilled in the art, e.g. from the patent literature in the field, for realizing the details of the device constructions. Thus, they are not presented in more detail in this context.

Claims (11)

81 547 11 A method for assembling a pallet comprising different product packages, characterized in that a pallet comprising at least one product packaging layer in which at least the height dimension of the packages is substantially the same and at least one product package stack in which all outer dimensions of the product packages can be different is obtained as follows: , product packages to be stacked on at least one product path (10), 10. product packages to be stacked on their own, at least one product path (9, 9a, 9b), the product packages to be stacked are layered on a pallet unit (15) into at least one layer substantially the size of a transport pallet,. 15 - performing stacking of stackable product packages by a stacking unit (16) into at least one stack and joining said at least one product packaging layer and at least one product packaging stack together by a combining unit (17) to provide a transport pallet comprising different product packages. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one product packaging layer to be placed on top of each transport pallet is formed in a separate layer palletizing unit (15), from which a transport pallet with at least one product packaging layer is transferred to the combining unit (17) by an intermediate conveyor (23), and that the stackable product packages are stacked in at least one stack in a separate stacking unit (16), from where they are transferred to the combining unit (17) and placed on top of said at least one product packaging layer. "30 le. No. 81 547 12 Method according to claims 1 and 2, wherein the transport pallet to be formed comprises a plurality of stacks, characterized in that the stacks are aligned in the stacking unit (16) and / or in the combining unit (17) so that the stacks are at least opposite the transport pallet. on the center line (K). Method according to Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that stackable product packages are fed to the stacking unit (16) from two feed paths (9a, 9b) from which the product packages are fed by means (24-29) to the stacking unit from both sides 10, the center line (K) is formed between the vertical surfaces of two such product stacks to be placed simultaneously on different sides of its stacking unit, which are placed against each other and the stacks in the finished layer pallet form two rows located on both sides of the center line (K). Method according to Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the product packages on the feed paths (9a, 9b) are in the form of a queue, either as individual product packages or as partial stacks, and that the product stacks are formed by stackers (27, 29) placed between the track ends and 20 collecting units. . Method according to Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, on the feed path (10), the product packages are in stacked form as individual packages and in the layer palletizing unit (15) they are arranged in a layered form. Method according to Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that each pallet from the intermediate storage (14) of the pallets is fed to the palletizing unit (15), to which the pallets are transferred from the pallet unloading stations (1, 2). 30 g. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that both the layers and the stacks are formed on respective transfer trays (21, 30) on which they are adapted to be delivered each layer to or on the previous layer and each stack on the top layer on the pallet. Apparatus for carrying out the method according to claims 1 to 8 for assembling a transport pallet comprising different product packages or the like, characterized in that it comprises at least one product path (9, 10) for stackable product packages on the one hand and stackable product packages on the other hand, members (18-21) to form at least one layer of product packages to be stacked on each pallet, means (16, 24-31) for forming at least one stack of product packages to be stacked on each pallet, and means (15, 17, 23, 33, 34) for connecting said at least one layer and at least one stack on the same transport platform. Apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that two feed paths (9a, 9b) are provided for stackable product packages, which are adapted to feed the product packages to stackers (27, 29) on the sides of the stacking unit (16), from which the finished stacks are arranged to be placed. to the lift unit (16). 1 2 3 4 5 6 Apparatus according to Claims 9 and 10, characterized in that turners (19, 26 and 28) are arranged between the product paths (9a, 9b and 10) and the corresponding arrangement unit (15, 16) for turning the packages. if necessary, before transferring them to either the stacking unit (15) or the stacking unit (16). 14 81547 Patentkrav;