CONVEYOR SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FEEDING TO A DOWNSTREAM PROCESSING UNIT

• US 20100200370A1
• Filed: 02/12/2010
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Krones AG (Krones)
• Original Assignee: Krones AG (Krones)
• Inventors: SCHMIDT, Bruno, RAUSCH, Karl, MAYER, Josef
• Granted Patent: US 8,322,515 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 198/571
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 2220/14 Adding more than one type of material or article to the same package
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/086 cubiform articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/088 cylindrical articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/681 from distinct, separate conveyor lanes

Abstract

A conveyor system and a method for feeding articles of at least two different types to a downstream processing unit are disclosed. The conveyor system comprises an infeed unit for the articles, an arrangement zone downstream from the infeed unit, and a lane zone downstream from the arrangement zone. In the lane zone the articles are transported to the downstream processing unit in an ordered state. The infeed unit comprises at least two conveyor belts, to each of which there corresponds a direction of transport for the articles in a section of the arrangement zone, wherein the directions of transport enclose an angle between them.

Claims

1. A conveyor system for feeding articles of at least two different types comprising:

a processing unit arranged downstream to the conveyor system;

an infeed unit for the articles;

an arrangement zone downstream from the infeed unit, wherein the infeed unit has at least two conveyor belts, to each of which a direction of transport corresponds in a section of the arrangement zone, wherein the directions of transport enclose an angle between them; and

,

a lane zone with a plurality of lanes downstream from the arrangement zone, wherein the articles within the lane zone are transported to the processing unit in an ordered state.

2. The conveyor system of claim 1, wherein three conveyor belts are provided.

3. The conveyor system of claim 2, wherein at least two adjacent conveyor belts are arranged in parallel.

4. The conveyor system of claim 2, wherein each pair of adjacent conveyor belts enclose an angle between them.

5. The conveyor system of claim 4, wherein the angle is 90 degrees.

6. The conveyor system of claim 1, wherein elements for apportioning and control are provided for each conveyor belt, by which the articles are transferable from the respective conveyor belt to the arrangement zone apportioned and in a controlled manner.

7. The conveyor system of claim 6, wherein the elements for apportioning and control comprise motors and/or photoelectric sensors.

8. The conveyor system of claim 6, wherein the elements for apportioning and control are settable in such a way that only one of the conveyor belts actively feeds articles and the other conveyor belts are deactivated.

9. The conveyor system of claim 6, wherein the elements for apportioning and control are settable in such a way that at least two of the conveyor belts actively feed articles.

10. The conveyor system of claim 1, wherein guide rails are provided in the arrangement zone, which guide the articles from a single respectively active conveyor belt to the arrangement zone and in the arrangement zone onward to the lane zone, wherein the articles are guided in sections defined by the guide rails.

11. The conveyor system of claim 10, wherein the articles are guided in the sections defined by the guide rails separated according to the respective conveyor belt, and wherein at least one lane of the lane zone is provided for the articles of each of the different types, respectively.

12. The conveyor system of claim 1, wherein the downstream processing unit is a packer for forming packs out of the articles.

13. The conveyor system of claim 11, wherein the downstream processing unit is a packer for forming packs out of the articles.

14. The conveyor system of claim 6, wherein the downstream processing unit is a packer for forming packs out of the articles.

15. The conveyor system of claim 9, wherein the downstream processing unit is a packer for forming packs out of the articles.

16. The conveyor system of claim 12, wherein articles of different type, respectively, are transportable by the conveyor belts, such that mixed packs are formable from the articles of different type by the packer.

17. The conveyor system of claim 1, wherein the downstream processing unit is a palletizer for the articles.

18. The conveyor system of claim 17, wherein articles of different type, respectively, are transportable by the conveyor belts, such that pallets of mixed pallet layers are producible from the articles of different type by the palletizer.

19. A method for feeding articles of at least two different types to a downstream processing unit by a conveyor system, wherein the articles are transported to an arrangement zone of the conveyor system by an infeed unit, and subsequently are transported to a lane zone of the conveyor system, wherein the lane zone feeds the articles to the downstream processing unit in an ordered state, comprising the following steps:

a. feeding the articles to the arrangement zone on at least two conveyor belts, to each of which there corresponds a direction of transport in a section of the arrangement zone, wherein the directions of transport enclose an angle between them;

b. apportioning and feeding of the articles on each conveyor belt to the arrangement zone in a controlled manner, wherein at least one element for apportioning and control is provided for each conveyor belt, in order to handle the different articles;

c. guiding the articles in a controlled manner in the arrangement zone, wherein the articles are guided in sections defined by guide rails, separated according to the respective conveyor belt; and

,

d. providing at least one lane of the lane zone for the articles of each different type, respectively.