Conveyor belt system
First Claim
1. A conveyor belt system configured for forming a predetermined arrangement of a plurality of products provided individually or in respective groups, the conveyor belt system comprising:
- a distributing belt module which takes up the plurality of products from an upstream positioned product provider;
a buffer belt module arranged downstream of the distributing belt module, the buffer belt module configured to convey the plurality of products one after the other in a conveying direction in a plurality of tracks extending side by side; and
an orienting belt module controllable such that the orienting belt positions the plurality of products thereon in at least one row orientated transverse to the conveying direction according to the predetermined arrangement;
wherein the orienting belt module is positioned further downstream than the buffer belt module in the conveying direction; and
wherein the orienting belt module comprises a plurality of independently operating orienting belts disposed side by side in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, the respective plurality of orienting belts are independently accelerable such that the products placed thereon are positionable relative to one another in said at least one row of products.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A conveyor belt system for forming a predetermined arrangement of a plurality of products (provided to the conveyor individually or in respective groups) that are intended for an infeed process on a packaging machine. The plurality of products may be oriented in a row transversely to the conveying direction. The conveyor belt system may include a distributing belt module that takes up products from an upstream positioned product provider, a buffer belt module arranged downstream of the distributing belt module and configured to convey in a plurality of tracks extending side by side along the conveying direction a respective plurality of products one after the other, and an orienting belt module that can position the products in at least one row transversely oriented to the conveying direction according to the predetermined arrangement, the orienting belt module being positioned downstream of the buffer belt module in the conveying direction.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A conveyor belt system configured for forming a predetermined arrangement of a plurality of products provided individually or in respective groups, the conveyor belt system comprising:
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a distributing belt module which takes up the plurality of products from an upstream positioned product provider; a buffer belt module arranged downstream of the distributing belt module, the buffer belt module configured to convey the plurality of products one after the other in a conveying direction in a plurality of tracks extending side by side; and an orienting belt module controllable such that the orienting belt positions the plurality of products thereon in at least one row orientated transverse to the conveying direction according to the predetermined arrangement; wherein the orienting belt module is positioned further downstream than the buffer belt module in the conveying direction; and wherein the orienting belt module comprises a plurality of independently operating orienting belts disposed side by side in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, the respective plurality of orienting belts are independently accelerable such that the products placed thereon are positionable relative to one another in said at least one row of products. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of forming a predetermined arrangement from products provided individually or in groups, the method comprising:
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determining a predetermined arrangement of a plurality of products for an infeed process of a packaging machine; conveying the plurality of products along a first conveying section, wherein the plurality of products are distributed to a plurality of pre-determined tracks extending in a conveying direction; conveying the plurality of products along a second conveying section in a plurality of initial formations that are arranged in a similar manner one after the other in the conveying direction, wherein the plurality of products are intended for a row that is oriented transverse to the conveying direction and the row comprises at least a part of the predetermined arrangement; conveying the plurality of products along a third conveying section, the plurality of products provided according to at least one of the plurality of initial formations; and accelerating of one or more of the plurality of products relative to one or more of the other products in the plurality of the products on the third conveying system to position each of the plurality of products in at least one row according to the predetermined arrangement, the row being oriented transversely to the conveying direction.
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Specification