Method and conveying technology element for combining conveyor streams in a conveyor system

• US 10,239,704 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2015
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TGW Logistics Group GmbH (Tgw Future Privatstiftung)
• Original Assignee: TGW Logistics Group GmbH (Tgw Future Privatstiftung)
• Inventors: Messner, Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Harp, William R
• Application Number:
  US15/321,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20170137232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,371 Days
• Field of Search: 198444, 198451, 198357, 198363
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0492 with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1373 for fulfilling orders in warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/681 from distinct, separate conveyor lanes
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/70 with precedence controls among incoming article flows

Abstract

A method combines conveyor streams on a conveying technology element having a number of ingoing conveyor segments at least one coupling to an outgoing conveyor segment on which the ingoing conveyor segments are brought together, and a number of holding devices for holding a conveyor flow on the ingoing conveyor segments. In addition, a number of release devices disposed downstream of the ingoing conveyor segments logically connected to an OR-connection are provided for releasing a holding device or a conveyed object. A holding device or a conveyed object waiting at the holding device is then respectively released when a conveyed object preceding the waiting conveyed object in a sorting order passes one of the connected release devices or when there is no preceding conveyed object. A conveying technology element carries out the method.

Claims

1. A method for merging conveyor streams on a conveying element having a number of ingoing conveyor segments, at least one coupling to an outgoing conveyor segment on which the ingoing conveyor segments are merged, a number of conveyor flow retainers on the ingoing conveyor segments, and a number of logically OR-connected conveyor flow release sensors disposed downstream of said ingoing conveyor segments, the method comprising:

causing an object to wait at a conveyor flow retainer;

releasing the conveyor flow retainer and accordingly the object waiting at the conveyor flow retainer when an object preceding the waiting object in a sorting sequence passes one of the OR-connected conveyor flow release sensors or when there is no preceding object; and

creating at least one sorting sequence for at least one destination to be supplied in a conveyor system having a number of conveying elements of said type, whereby the at least one coupling for an outgoing conveyor segment of one conveying element is directly or indirectly connected to an ingoing conveyor segment of another conveying element;

wherein a number of the logically OR-connected conveyor flow release sensors are each connected downstream of another downstream conveying element of said type.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor flow retainer and accordingly the object waiting at the conveyor flow retainer is released when an object directly preceding said object in a sorting sequence passes one of the OR-connected conveyor flow release sensors.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the conveyor flow retainer and accordingly the object waiting at the conveyor flow retainer is released when all objects preceding the waiting object in a sorting sequence have passed one of the OR-connected conveyor flow release sensors.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signal of a conveyor flow release sensor disposed directly in an outgoing conveyor segment is also used to release the conveyor flow retainer and accordingly the object waiting at the conveyor flow retainer.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein with the exception of reporting an object passing a conveyor flow release sensor, each conveying element is controlled by method steps for controlling the conveyor flow retainers independently of the other conveying elements.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the conveyor flow retainers are controlled in an identical manner in all of the conveying elements.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising operating the conveyor system, wherein the conveyor system has an upstream store with storage places for objects, and wherein the conveying element is provided in the form of a retrieving robot for the store.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the upstream store has the storage places for the objects, and wherein objects are retrieved in order on the basis of destinations and with reference to a sorting sequence for a destination to be supplied.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the upstream store has the storage places for the objects, and wherein objects are placed in sequence on the basis of a sorting sequence for a destination to be supplied but are retrieved from the store chaotically or not necessarily in sequence with regards to destinations.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one partial conveyor stream is directed via said conveying elements in a ring-shaped arrangement.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor stream is fanned out again after the coupling for the outgoing conveyor segment.

12. A conveyor system, comprising a number of conveying elements for merging conveyor steams, a conveying element of the number of conveying elements comprising:

a number of ingoing conveyor segments;

at least one coupling for an outgoing conveyor segment, on which the ingoing conveyor segments are merged; and

a number of conveyor flow retainers on the ingoing conveyor segments;

a number of conveyor flow release sensors disposed downstream of said ingoing conveyor segments; and

a controller having a number of logically OR-connected inputs and being connected to said conveyor flow release sensors on the input side and to conveyor flow retainers on the output side, wherein the controller is configured to release a conveyor flow retainer and accordingly an object waiting at the conveyor flow retainer when an object preceding said object in a sorting sequence passes one of said conveyor flow release sensors or when there is no preceding object; and

wherein at least one coupling for an outgoing conveyor segment of one conveying element is directly or indirectly connected to an ingoing conveyor segment of another conveying element.

13. The conveyor system according to claim 12, wherein a program logic for controlling the conveyor flow retainers is of an identical configuration in all of the conveying elements.

14. The conveyor system according to claim 12, wherein at least two conveying elements are directly or indirectly connected to one another in a ring-shaped arrangement.

15. A method for merging conveyor streams on a conveying element having a number of ingoing conveyor segments, at least one coupling to an outgoing conveyor segment on which the ingoing conveyor segments are merged, a number of conveyor flow retainers on the ingoing conveyor segments, and a number of logically OR-connected conveyor flow release sensors disposed downstream of said ingoing conveyor segments, the method comprising:

causing an object to wait at a conveyor flow retainer; and

releasing the conveyor flow retainer and accordingly the object waiting at the conveyor flow retainer when an object preceding the waiting object in a sorting sequence passes one of the OR-connected conveyor flow release sensors or when there is no preceding object;

wherein several objects have the same sequence number in the sorting sequence.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the conveyor flow retainer and accordingly the object waiting at the conveyor flow retainer is released when an object directly preceding said object in a sorting sequence passes one of the OR-connected conveyor flow release sensors.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein a conveyor flow retainer and accordingly an object waiting at the conveyor flow retainer is released when all objects preceding the waiting object in a sorting sequence have passed one of the OR-connected conveyor flow release sensors.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the signal of a conveyor flow release sensor disposed directly in an outgoing conveyor segment is also used to release the conveyor flow retainer and accordingly the object waiting at the conveyor flow retainer.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein at least one partial conveyor stream is directed via said conveying elements in a ring-shaped arrangement.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein the conveyor stream is fanned out again after the coupling for the outgoing conveyor segment.

21. A method for merging conveyor streams on a conveying element having a number of ingoing conveyor segments, at least one coupling to an outgoing conveyor segment on which the ingoing conveyor segments are merged, a number of conveyor flow retainers on the ingoing conveyor segments, and a number of logically OR-connected conveyor flow release sensors disposed downstream of said ingoing conveyor segments, the method comprising:

causing an object to wait at a conveyor flow retainer; and

releasing the conveyor flow retainer and accordingly the object waiting at the conveyor flow retainer when an object preceding the waiting object in a sorting sequence passes one of the OR-connected conveyor flow release sensors or when there is no preceding object;

wherein the releases per unit of time are monitored by a higher-level controller and wherein that conveyor flow retainer is released, at which the object with the lowest sequence number is waiting, if the releases per unit of time drop below a threshold value.