WO2018015060A1

WO2018015060A1 - Transport device

Info

Publication number: WO2018015060A1
Application number: PCT/EP2017/063467
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christopher Stuhlmann; Stefan Wagner
Original assignee: Khs Gmbh
Priority date: 2016-07-20
Filing date: 2017-06-02
Publication date: 2018-01-25
Also published as: DE102016113372A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a transport device comprising a plurality of endless conveyor elements (10a, 10b, 10c) arranged beside one another, which form an upper transport region (18) and a lower return region (20), wherein the transport and return regions (18, 20) are arranged between deflection regions, in which the endless conveyor elements (10a, 10b, 10c) are guided on deflection rollers (14a, 14b, 14c), characterized in that alternate spacing of at least two of the endless conveyor elements (10a, 10b, 10c) is adjustable.

Description

transport device

The invention relates to a transport device comprising a plurality of juxtaposed endless conveyor elements, such as e.g. Transport chains or conveyor belts, which form an upper transport region and a lower return region, which are arranged between deflection regions, in which the endless conveying elements are guided on deflection rollers from the transport region into the return region and vice versa. Such transport devices are used in particular in the beverage bottling industry for products of different sizes, e.g. from soda cans, to PET bottles of all sizes, to beverage crates. Thus, if small and large diameter products are processed on the same machine - e.g. today products with a diameter of 40 mm and tomorrow products with a diameter of 80 mm, the designer must check whether both products can "run" on a single chain width.

The choice of a chain width made in this case is usually always a compromise: either products with a small diameter are very safe on the chain and the products with large diameter tend to tilt and attach to support guides such as the guide rails or the small products can be separated in the extreme case only very bad, since the diameter is only slightly larger than the chain width. Another problem is that usually the department of transport lanes on the transport device is done by rods, which are driven from below the transport plane up between the products and then hold the products back. The bars must fit through the distance between two conveyor belts / chains and push into the gap that forms in products between four adjacent products.

With decreasing diameter or shadow area of the bottom of the products, this gap becomes smaller and smaller, making insertion of the bars more difficult. In the construction of the transport device is usually determined which products with which diameter on which chain width can be transported. One topic in this case is the product itself: these are pressureless PET bottles, which are also very thin-walled or have a sturdy steel beverage can. The compartment segments (usually the above-mentioned rods) must have a sufficient attack surface on the product to prevent sagging of the products by the segments due to the back pressure on the feed belt.

On the other hand, however, the segments must not cause any damage to the product itself. B. in aluminum cans with round bolts / bars as compartment segments can be very quickly the case. In addition, the footprint plays a crucial role in the selection of the optimal chain width: Pentaloid bottoms, which have only one, consisting of several points footprint, are not as stable on today's chains such as a beverage can with a complete ring as a base.

Too narrow a transport chain means an unstable stand on the transport chain. This can be detrimental to compart- ment: the product begins to lean against one of the guide rails after it has been released from the compartment unit and is then retained due to the friction between the product and the rail, which can lead to errors when entering an upper cam ,

Another product group are the so-called prepackaged products: these can be film packs or carton packs that are partially or completely closed.

In this case, the packs are separated by so-called roll segments: However, the arrangement here is such that the roll segment does not, as in loose products left and right of the lateral surface attacks, but is centered on the lateral surface, preferably with a product behind, ajar. The Transport chains are then not centrally located under the product, but left and right of the roller segment.

Until now, only the different products and their possibility of isolation have been considered, the problem is broadened by a possible combination of different products and formats.

One possible solution is to use chains of different widths on a packaging machine and, depending on the product diameter, to drive the products either on narrower chains in the middle of the machine or on wider chains left and right of the narrower chains on correspondingly wider chains. Looking now at the initially described product group of prepackaged products, it becomes clear very quickly which effort can exist in the design of the correct chain widths.

One way of avoiding the problem of choosing the right chain width is to increase the width of the chain by temporarily connecting two chains at the same time, for example, using the usual adjusting units of the lanes, two transport chains for individual lanes, for example, two 28mm wide chains The width of the chain can be further increased by a certain distance of the two mutually associated chains from one another to the direction of travel, so that a disadvantage of this procedure is that the number of available lanes (halving the maximum possible number of lanes) is reduced and the adjustment is very complex.

Also disadvantageous is the occurring "very large" pitch jump, which can also result chain widths, which are then again "too wide" and thus are not suitable for the diameter to be processed. Also, it may come through the resulting gap between the chains that containers, such as those with pentaloid bottoms do not get up safely on the chains. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a transport device that is easily adaptable for the transport of products of different sizes. This object is achieved by a transport device having the features of claim 1. Advantageous developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims. Advantageous developments of the invention are also disclosed in the description and in the drawings.

According to the reciprocal distance of the endless conveyor elements is adjustable in the transport device. This makes it possible to increase the mutual distance of the endless conveying elements, e.g. Set transport chains according to the size of the products. For example, if smaller doses are to be transported, the endless conveyor elements are arranged at a smaller distance from each other. If larger products such as cartons or larger PET bottles can be transported, the endless conveyor elements will be moved further apart. It is not necessary that all endless conveyor elements of the transport device are adjustable in their mutual distance, but at least two of the endless conveyor elements should be adjustable in their mutual distance. Preferably, however, all or at least almost all endless conveying elements of the transport device are adjustable in their mutual distance.

In this connection, an identical distance is preferably set between all conveying elements or at least between the endless conveying elements with an adjustable distance, although different distances can also be set. This means that a small distance is usually set for small products and a larger distance for larger products. In particular, a transport chain, in particular a transport link chain, is used as the endless conveying element, although conveyor belts or pallet conveyors are also conceivable.

The distance can be set larger at the points between the endless conveyor elements, at which transport areas, for example, are divided by compartment segments, so that up there compartment segments between as described above and can be moved from. But the endless conveyor elements can also be set so far apart that a so-called. Roll segment for dividing prepackaged products takes place. The gap then arises (ideally) from the package width.

Preferably, the mutual adjustment of the endless conveyor elements within an adjustment of +/- 10 mm can be made to each side to cover the chain widths of 40mm to 60mm. In general, the individual transport chains are stored or held in a so-called cassette, as described in the applicant's own DE 10 2001 105 439 A1. This includes the pulleys and support guides in the transport area. In one embodiment of the invention, a conveyor chain is now held in a cassette and designed to be adjustable in width, i. the transport chain consists of juxtaposed strands, which are adjustable in their distance from one another. The cassette thus leaves enough space to adjust the strands in the cassette, which contains all the pulleys and preferably also support guides of the chain in their mutual distance. The adjustment of the transport chain width is preferably realized so that each width-adjustable transport chain is held in a multi-part frame. Each part of this frame (hereafter referred to as a segment) forms the receptacle for a "strand" of the wide adjustable transport chain, for example, the width-adjustable transport chain can have two, three or more strands.

The individual segments of the frame which contain or form the deflection rollers and support guides for the chain, such as support guides, are preferably adjustable relative to one another transversely to the transport direction of the containers. In a preferred embodiment, an adjusting mechanism is provided between each two adjacent segments, which adjusts these segments relative to each other. Preferably, this actuating mechanism includes a socket, said socket having on its outer surface both a right-hand and a left-hand thread. In each of these threads engages a threaded nut, each of these threaded nuts is connected to a segment. Now, if the sleeve is rotated in one direction, the segments are either moved toward each other, or the segments move away from each other. If the direction of rotation of the socket is changed, the direction of movement of the segments also changes. The bushing is driven by a shaft on which the beech is mounted or held in a rotationally fixed but displaceable manner. That is, the sleeve follows the rotational movements of the shaft, but can be moved freely in the longitudinal direction of the shaft on this. For this purpose, the shaft is designed, for example, as a square wave, triangular wave, splined shaft or polygonal shaft. In an alternative embodiment, adjustment of the spacing of guide frames for the transport chain is made by rotating a spindle drive disposed between the guide frames.

Alternatively, the cassettes can have very narrower chains (strands), which are adjusted in their spacing so that smaller pitches can be achieved.

Alternatively or additionally, the individual cassettes can be adjusted in their mutual distance. The usual chain widths of a transport chain (colloquially "mcc chain") are between 28 mm and 58 mm.The invention makes it possible in the manner described above to use very narrow transport chains, which by a correspondingly small adjustment of their mutual distance to larger, ie wider Transport chains can be combined to form larger transport chains with several smaller transport chains, thus forming a transport chain from strands divided transversely to the direction of travel. Thus, for example, three transport chains can be moved together at a smaller distance to a larger transport chain, for example, with a mutual distance of 10 mm, whereas after every third transport chain a greater distance of, for example, 30 mm is left, between which divider for the separation of Transport lanes can be arranged. So in the end wide transport chains are created, which are 30 mm apart.

However, it can also be created a homogeneous transport surface, in which then all transport chains are 10 to 30 mm apart. The endless conveyor elements are supported in the transport area by support guides (in chains: chain guides).

Preferably, the mutual distance of the support guides is adjustable in the same way as preferably the mutual distance of the adjacent deflection rollers is adjustable, preferably via the same adjusting mechanism. Since the endless conveying elements are guided on the support guides and the deflection rollers, the mutual spacing of the endless conveying elements is preferably set by the adjustment of the mutual distance between the supporting guides and the deflection rollers, e.g. by means of spindle drives.

Preferably, a chain together with its pulleys and the chain guides as a unit, for example as a cassette, be formed and be adjustable as a unit transverse to the transport direction. In this way, the complete units or cassettes are then adjusted in their mutual distance. This facilitates the setting of the distance of the endless conveyor elements or transport chains considerably.

Preferably, the transport device includes a support device, which carries the endless conveyor elements as well as the deflection rollers and any support guides in the transport area. Preferably, the support means transverse to the transport direction struts on soft the pulleys and / or the support guides are held by means of guides movable. The tours can be formed by sliding guides, which is easy to implement manufacturing technology.

The distance of the deflection rollers or the support guides or the individual endless conveyor elements is preferably carried out by means of an adjusting device or an adjusting mechanism. It is in principle possible to set the individual pulleys and support guides or cassettes by means of screws on the support frame of the transport device. However, this would require a loosening of the screws and reorientation of the individual pulleys and support guides or cassettes for a changeover of the system.

Therefore, the above-mentioned components are preferably adjusted by the adjusting device, in particular an electromotive actuator in their mutual distance. Adjustment of the distance can thus be effected via control motors, for example stepper motors or servomotors, controlled by a control of the transport device. The adjusting device may be mechanical, but it may also have a mechanical, electromotive, pneumatic or hydraulic actuator, which is then preferably controlled by a control of the transport device.

Preferably, the actuator is connected to a controller of the transport device, which has a memory with products to be conveyed and correlated distances of the endless conveyor elements. The control is designed in the case of automatically setting the corresponding distance of the endless conveyor elements via the detection of a product ID of the products to be conveyed. In this way, the transport device can be automatically switched to new products.

In the case where the endless conveyor elements, as already stated above, are formed by transport chains, in particular link chains, preferably at least some members of the transport chain have transporters running transversely to the direction of conveyance, which engage in perforations of the links of an adjacent transport chain. This has the advantage that not every transport chain are driven separately got to. In this case, it is sufficient that only one transport chain is driven, which then drives adjacent transport chains on the interaction of the drivers and the perforations of the links of adjacent transport chains. This is particularly advantageous when multiple strands are held with mutually adjustable distance in a cassette. With such an embodiment, even very fine pitches can be achieved.

Preferably, the distance of the endless conveyor elements between 5 mm and 50 mm is adjustable, preferably between 10 and 30 mm. This adjustment range makes it possible to cover a large product range, that is from beverage cans to beverage cartons.

Preferably, the endless conveyor elements have a width between 5 mm and 60 mm, in particular between 10 mm and 30 mm. The combination of several endless conveyor elements or transport chains to a wider endless conveyor elements or transport chain can thus be realized by the use of correspondingly narrow endless conveyor elements, for example between 5 and 20 mm, a very fine screening or division of the endless conveyor elements in the transport area.

In an advantageous development of the invention, at least two adjacent endless conveyor elements have web elements which form a common transport surface. In this way, a homogeneous flat transport surface is formed in the transport area, which allows reliable transport of the intended products without them falling over during transport. In addition, this creates a smooth transition from a conveyor area to a non-conveyor area in which the products are pushed only over the transport area. In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the transport device has at least one laterally of the endless conveyor elements and / or between the endless conveyor elements arranged guide element or divider or compartment segment, which on the plane of the endless conveyor elements in the transport area upwards protrudes and which is adjustable transversely to the transport direction. It can thus be adjusted not only the endless conveyor elements in their mutual distance, but of course the associated lateral guides or compartment segments for the products, bringing the entire transport device in their width, in their leadership to the formation of divided transport lanes and in their division set any products within a desired product frame.

The invention also relates to a method for operating a transport device of the above type, wherein a product ID of the products to be conveyed to a controller of the transport device is supplied, which automatically adjusts the distance of the endless conveyor elements according to the products to be conveyed, wherein a memory is accessed, in which the product IDs of the products to be conveyed and corresponding mutual distances of the endless request elements are stored. In this way, it is not necessary for each new product to manually adjust the transport device with regard to the mutual distances of the endless conveyor elements and possibly the guide elements, but this can be done automatically after the product ID has been entered or after the product ID has been read in automatically. Such a transport device thus considerably facilitates the daily operation and reduces the likelihood of errors when manually setting the transport device.

It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that the abovementioned embodiments of the invention can be combined with one another in any desired manner.

The following expressions are used synonymously: endless conveyor transport chain - chain - mcc chain; Unit cassette; Strand - one of several narrow chain in a cassette; Support guide - chain guide in the transport area; Guide element - divider - compartment segment.

The invention will be described below by way of example with reference to the schematic drawing. In this show: 1 is a perspective view of one end of a transport device with multiple transport chains in the deflection,

2 shows a detail of a transport chain in the deflection region from FIG. 1, FIG.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an endless conveyor element formed from three transport chains, wherein the distance between the two transport chains is adjustable relative to one another, and

Fig. 4 is a view according to FIG. 3 arranged further apart

Transport chains,

The section of a transport device 5 shown in FIG. 1 shows three endless conveyor elements 10a-c in the form of conveyor belts or transport chains, which are guided on separate deflection rollers 14a-c in the deflection region. Each deflection roller 14a-14c has in its center a square recess 17, which is penetrated by a square rotatively driven strut 19 (Figure 2). The mutual distance of the guide rollers 14a-14c on the strut with the square profile is adjustable. In the same way adjustable, the mutual distance of three web elements 16a-c is adjustable, which mesh the upper edges of the transport chains 10a-c, there to form a smooth transition for the products from a non-driven area to a driven area.

The upper region of the transport chains 10a-10c forms a transport region 18, while the lower region, in which the transport chains are returned, forms a return region 20. Fig. 2 shows to illustrate a single endless conveyor element 10 from the transport device 5 of FIG. 1 with the associated web element 16. This is connected at its end with an actuating element 22, which transverse to the transport direction actuating struts 24 for the lateral adjustment of the web element 16 in the having shown double arrow direction. The deflection rollers 17 are rotatably driven on the drive shaft 19 with a square profile but axially displaceable. During the adjustment of the web elements 16, which mesh the chains 10a-c running on the deflection rollers 14a-c, the deflection roller 14a-c and thus can thus also be used possibly supporting guides (chain guides for supporting the transport area) are adjusted with.

By the transport device according to the invention, the pitch between the individual endless conveyor elements or transport chains 10a-c is adjustable within predetermined limits and can thus be adapted to different sized products. For example, with a transport device 5 smaller cans can be transported as well as packaging units, such as 6-packs of PET bottles. The adjustment of the pitch may be made in accordance with the skill of those skilled in the art such that the pitch is optimally adapted for the stability of the product to the transport area.

3 and 4 show a further embodiment of the invention, wherein in all figures identical or functionally identical parts are provided with identical reference numerals.

This embodiment shows three each guided on a pulley 14a-c narrow transport chains (link chains) 10a-c or strands, which may be arranged for example in a cassette. These three strands 10a-c run in the transport area 18 as support rails 32a-c formed as guide rails, which in the same way as the deflecting rollers 14a-c are adjustable in their mutual distance (see also FIG. 4). The individual members 34 of each transport chain 10a-c have transporters 36 extending transversely to the transport direction, which pass through perforations 38 of adjacent chain links 34. The individual chain links 34 are connected via connecting shafts 35 with the adjacent in the transport or running direction A chain link 34. The length of the drivers 36 preferably corresponds to a desired adjustment range, so that the distance of the deflection rollers 14a-c within the adjustment range can be changed without the drivers 36 losing engagement with the associated perforations 38. In this way, only one of the three deflection rollers 14a-c, in particular the middle deflection roller 14b, must be driven. This guide roller 14b has for this purpose, for example, in its outer region a toothing 40 for interacting with the links 34 of the central conveyor chain 10b. Thus, only this middle transport chain 10b be driven, while the outer two transport chains 10a, 10c are preferably driven by the interaction of the driver 36 with the perforations 38 with. If an adjustment is also desired, such that the drivers 36 lose engagement with the perforations, the three deflection rollers 14a-c must be driven separately. In this case, then preferably all pulleys 14 ac toothings to drive the corresponding circulating conveyor chain 10 ac.

The invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments, but may be varied. In particular, the concepts of the embodiments according to FIGS. 10 to 15 can be suitably applied to one another and to the performances according to one of FIGS. 1 to 9. Furthermore, chain links with associated support webs and the possibly required longitudinal beams are ideally made monolithically from one piece or consists of a few monolithic parts, which are ideally made of a plastic.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

5 Transport device

10a-c endless conveyor - transport chain

14a-c pulley

16a-c bridge element

17 recess in the pulley

18 transport area

19 drive shaft

20 return area

22 control element

24 struts

32a-c support guides

34 chain links

36 drivers

38 perforation

40 toothing - drive pinion

Claims

claims

1 . Transportvornchtung comprising at least two parallel juxtaposed endless conveyor elements (10a, 10b, 10c) which form an upper transport area (18) and a lower return area (20), wherein the transport and return area (18, 20) are arranged between deflection areas, in which the endless conveyor elements (10a, 10b, 10c) are guided on deflection rollers (14a, 14b, 14c), wherein the mutual distance of at least two of the endless conveyor elements (10a, 10b, 10c) is adjustable, and wherein the endless conveyor elements (10a, 10b, 10c ) are supported in the transport area by support guides (32a-c), characterized in that

the mutual distance of the support guides (32a-c) and the mutual distance of the guide rollers (14a, 14b, 14c) of adjacent endless conveyor elements (10a, 10b, 10c) is adjustable, and that the distance between the endless conveyor elements (10a, 10b, 10c) over the Adjustment of the mutual distance of the deflection rollers (14a, 14b, 14c) and / or support guides (32a-c) is adjustable by means of at least one adjusting device, and that the adjusting device has a particular an electric motor actuator.

2. Transport device according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one endless conveyor element (10a, 10b, 10c) together with deflection rollers (14a, 14b, 14c) and possibly support guides (32a-c) of an endless conveyor element is arranged in a cassette.

3. Transport device according to claim 2, characterized in that in a cassette a plurality of endless conveyor elements (10a, 10b, 10c) are arranged with mutually adjustable distance.

4. Transport device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the mutual distance of at least two cassettes of the transport device is adjustable.

5. Transportvornchtung according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuator is connected to a control of the transport device having a memory with products to be conveyed and correlated distances of the endless conveyor elements (10a, 10b, 10c), and that the control tion is designed to adjust automatically via the detection of a product ID of the products to be conveyed the corresponding distance of the endless conveyor elements.

6. Transport device according to one of the preceding claims, character- ized in that the endless conveyor elements (10a, 10b, 10c) are formed by transport chains.

7. Transport device according to claim 6, characterized in that at least some members (34) of the transport chain (10a, 10b, 10c) transversely to the conveying direction running driver (36) which in perforations (38) of the members (34) of a adjacent transport chain (10a, 10b, 10c) engage.

8. Transport device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the distance between the endless conveyor elements (10a, 10b, 10c) is adjustable between 5 and 30 mm.

9. Transport device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the endless conveyor elements (10a, 10b, 10c), in particular transport chains, have a width between 5 and 60 mm, in particular a width between 12 mm and 30 mm.

10. Transport device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least two adjacent endless conveyor elements (10a, 10b, 10c) web elements (16a, 16b, 16c) which form a common transport surface.

1 1. Transport device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one guide element arranged laterally of the endless conveyor elements (10a, 10b, 10c) and / or between the endless conveyor elements. ment or divider comprises, which protrudes above the plane of the transport region of the endless conveyor elements upwards and which is preferably adjustable transversely to the transport direction.

12. A method for operating a transport device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a product ID of the products to be conveyed to a control of the transport device is supplied, which automatically adjusts the distance of the endless conveyor elements (10a, 10b, 10c) according to the promotional products in which a memory is accessed in which product IDs of products to be conveyed and corresponding mutual distances of the endless conveyor elements are stored.