System and Method for Independently Routing Container-Loaded Vehicles to Create Different Finished Products

• US 20180074086A1
• Filed: 09/08/2017
• Published: 03/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Moore, Nathan E., Burkhard, Ryan Andrew, Fikes, Elizabeth Marie, Royce, Daniel Richard
• Granted Patent: US 10,996,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/682 from a single conveyor lane consisting of one conveyor or several adjacent conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 3/225 Means for filling simultaneously, e.g. in a rotary filling apparatus or multiple rows of containers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0406 Individual bottles or tubes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/047 diverging, e.g. sending carriers to different analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0477 Magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/04 Details of the conveyor system G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4189 characterised by the transport system
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0263 using magnetic strips
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A system and method for independently routing container-located vehicles to create different finished products are disclosed. The vehicles are independently routable along a track system to deliver the containers to at least one unit operation station. At least some of the vehicles have a unique route associated therewith that is assigned by a control system to facilitate simultaneous production of different finished products.

Claims

1. A system for independently routing container-loaded vehicles to create different finished products, said system comprising:

a plurality of containers for holding a fluent material;

a track system in communication with a control system;

a plurality of unit operation stations disposed along the track system, at least one of which unit operation stations comprises a loading unit operation station and at least one of which comprises a filling unit operation station;

a plurality of vehicles propellable along the track system, wherein;

each container is disposed on one of the vehicles at a loading unit operation station before it can be propelled along the track system;

each vehicle is independently routable along the track system to deliver the containers to at least two unit operation stations; and

at least some of said vehicles have associated therewith a unique route along the track system assigned by the control system to facilitate simultaneous production of different finished products.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the track system is a linear synchronous motor system wherein the vehicles comprise a magnet, and the vehicles are propellable along the track system using electromagnetic force.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the track system comprises:

a primary transport portion that defines a primary path that forms a closed loop; and

a secondary transport portion that extends from the primary transport portion and defines a secondary path that intersects the primary path at an ingress location and an egress location, wherein;

the secondary transport portion comprises at least one unit transport segment; and

one of the unit operation stations is disposed along the at least one unit transport segment.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the only type of unit operation station disposed along said primary transport portion comprises a fast cycle unit operation station.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the control system is configured so that the unique route is determined prior to loading the container onto the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the control system is configured so that the unique route is determined after the container is loaded onto a vehicle and before the container is propelled as a container-loaded vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the control system is configured to allow changes in the unique route assigned to at least one vehicle after the initial route assignment to said vehicle(s).

8. A method for independently routing container-loaded vehicles to create different finished products, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a track system comprising a track on which vehicles may be propelled, wherein a plurality of unit operations stations are disposed along the track system, said unit operation stations comprising at least one filling unit operation station, wherein said track system, said vehicles, and said unit operation stations are in communication with a central control system;

(b) providing a plurality of empty containers having a shape, an opening and a volume for holding a fluent material;

(c) providing a plurality of vehicles propellable along said track system;

(d) loading a first empty container on a vehicle to form a first container-loaded vehicle;

(e) loading a second empty container on a vehicle to form a second container-loaded vehicle;

(f) assigning a first route along said track system for said first container-loaded vehicle to a filling unit operation station where a fluent material is dispensed into said first container;

(g) assigning a second route along said track system for said second container-loaded vehicle to a filling unit operation station where a fluent material is dispensed into said second container, wherein at least one of the following is different;

said first route and said second route are different and/or the operation performed at the filling unit operation station where fluent material is dispensed into said first container and the operation performed at the filling unit operation station where fluent material is dispensed into said second container are different; and

(h) simultaneously routing said first and second containers along said track system.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the first container-loaded vehicle and the second container-loaded vehicle are sent to the same filling unit operation station for dispensing fluent material into the containers, which filling unit operation station is configured for dispensing fluent material into two or more containers at the same time.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the first container-loaded vehicle and the second container-loaded vehicle are sent to different filling unit operation stations for dispensing fluent material into the containers.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said first and second containers are of different sizes.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein said first and second containers are of different shapes.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising dispensing different fluent materials into said second containers than are dispensed into said first containers.