Conveyor system for work pieces or objects

• US 7,520,376 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2005
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ralf Bar
• Original Assignee: Ralf Bar
• Inventors: Bar, Ralf
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess; Douglas A
• Application Number:
  US11/286,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20060113168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 198/465.1, 198/515, 198/516, 198/867.15
• US Class Current: 198/465.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/002 comprising load carriers resting on the traction element
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 35/06 comprising a load-carrier moving along a path, e.g. a closed path, and adapted to be engaged by any one of a series of traction elements spaced along the path effecting drive at two or more points spaced along the length of an endless conveyor B65G23/32
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/268 by means of belt or chain conveyor

Abstract

A conveying system (10) for workpieces or objects, comprising a guide profile (14), conveying carriages (12) which can be moved along the guide profile (14) and in each case have a holding unit, in particular a pallet (58) or gondola, for at least one workpiece or at least one object, a first form-fitting unit (20) which can be moved substantially parallel to the guide profile (14) by means of a drive assembly (52), and a first mating form-fitting unit (22) which is respectively mounted on each conveying carriage (12) and can be coupled to the first form-fitting unit (20), is characterized by a first coupling unit (26), by means of which the coupling of the first form-fitting unit (20) to the respective first mating form-fitting unit (22) can optionally be engaged and disengaged, a stationary second form-fitting unit (30) running substantially parallel to the guide profile (14), a second mating form-fitting unit (32) in each case mounted on each conveying carriage (12) such that it can be coupled to the second form-fitting unit (30), and a second coupling unit (36), by means of which the coupling of the second form-fitting unit (30) to the respective second mating form-fitting unit (32) can optionally be engaged and disengaged.

Claims

1. A conveying system for workpieces or objects, comprising:

a guide profile;

conveying carriages which can be moved along the guide profile and in each case have a holding unit, in particular a pallet or gondola, for at least one workpiece or at least one object, each conveying carriage having a control device configured to activate a first coupling unit and a second coupling unit;

a first form-fitting unit movable substantially parallel to the guide profile via a drive assembly;

and a first mating form-fitting unit which is respectively mounted on each conveying carriage and can be coupled to the first form-fitting unit,

wherein;

the first coupling unit is configured to releasably couple and uncouple the first form fitting unit to the respective first mating form fitting unit;

a stationary second form-fitting unit is disposed substantially parallel to the guide profile;

a second mating form-fitting unit is mounted on each conveying carriage such that it can be coupled to the second form-fitting unit, and

the second coupling unit is configured to releasably couple and uncouple the second form fitting unit to the respective second mating form-fitting unit.

2. The conveying system as claimed in claim 1, wherein during manual movement of the conveying carriage, the first and second form-fitting units are switched to freewheel.

3. The conveying system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one conveying carriage has a switching unit which can be actuated manually in order to control the switching state of the first and second coupling units.

4. The conveying system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a power supply of the conveying carriage and of the control device and the first and second coupling units is connected to them via a busbar which runs parallel to the guide profile and can make contact with it.

5. The conveying system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a power supply of the conveying carriage and of the control device and the first and second coupling units is connected to them via an energy storage unit, in particular an accumulator, arranged on the conveying carriage.

6. The conveying system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control device has a programmable microchip that can be activated.

7. The conveying system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one conveying carriage has at least one signal receiving unit which can be acted on by at least one external signal generator unit and which acts on the control device in accordance with the signal received, whereupon the control device switches at least one of the first and second coupling unit.

8. The conveying system as claimed in claim 7, wherein at least one of the first and second mating form-fitting unit has a gear wheel.

9. The conveying system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first form-fitting unit is constructed as a circulating triplex chain.

10. The conveying system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second form-fitting unit is constructed as a rack or rigid chain.

11. The conveying system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the second form-fitting unit is mounted on the guide profile.

12. The conveying system as claimed in claim 7, wherein

the first mating form-fitting unit is in engagement with the first form-fitting unit and has a first rotating shaft rotatably mounted on the conveying carriage,

the first coupling unit is constructed as a coupling or braking unit which couples the first rotating shaft to the conveying carriage or switches it to freewheel.

13. The conveying system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first and second coupling units are arranged on the first and second rotating shafts, respectively.

14. The conveying system as claimed in claim 7, wherein

the second mating form-fitting unit is in engagement with the second form fitting unit and has a second rotating shaft which is rotatably mounted on the conveying carriage,

the second coupling unit is constructed as a clutch or braking unit which couples the second rotating shaft to the conveying carriage or switches it to freewheel.

15. The conveying system as claimed in claim 7, wherein at least one of the first and second mating form-fitting units is rotatably mounted on the conveying carriage via a bearing unit that is mounted on the conveying carriage such that it can be displaced in the direction (R) transverse with respect to the conveying direction (F).

16. The conveying system as claimed in claim 7, wherein there is a data bus line to which the control device makes access.

17. The conveying system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the control device can be activated via an external further control device.

18. The conveying system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one signal receiving unit and at least one signal generating unit are constructed as a light barrier unit with receiver and transmitter.

19. The conveying system as claimed in claim 7, wherein for each conveying carriage, there is a distance registering unit for registering the distance of a following conveying carriage from a preceding conveying carriage which, when the distance exceeds or falls below a predefined minimum, outputs a signal to the control device, which then interrupts or arranges for the conveying movement of the following conveying carriage.

20. The conveying system as claimed in claim 19, wherein each respective distance registering unit is implemented in that each conveying carriage has a first initiator and a control flag, the control flag switching the initiator of the following conveying carriage when the minimum distance between adjacent conveying carriages is reached.

21. The conveying system as claimed in claim 7, wherein there is a position registering unit for registering the position of conveying carriages along the conveying path which, when a predefined position is reached, outputs a signal to the control device of the respective conveying carriage, which then interrupts the conveying movement of the conveying carriage.

22. The conveying system as claimed in claim 7, wherein on the conveying carriage there are guide rollers, corresponding with the guide profile.

23. The conveying system as claimed in claim 22, wherein there are guide means arranged opposite on the guide profile, which are arranged, in particular in pairs, on a rotating bogie rotatably mounted on the conveying carriage.

24. The conveying system as claimed in claim 7, wherein first form-fitting unit is preferably constructed as a circulating unit which can be driven via a drive assembly.

25. The conveying system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the drive assembly has a slipping clutch.

26. The conveying system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the drive assembly is constructed such that it can be activated to optionally produce a cyclic, accelerated or retarded conveying movement.

27. The conveying system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the conveying direction (F) runs vertically, at least in some regions.

28. The conveying system as claimed in claim 27, wherein system has, at least in some regions, a course which points upward and then downward and which in particular forms a passage.

29. The conveying system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the course pointing upward and downward is constructed substantially in a U-shape or V-shape and offers a passage opening for at least one of persons and vehicles.

30. The conveying system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the system is constructed as an assembly belt which circulates as viewed in a plan view.

31. The conveying system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the conveying direction (F) runs in a meandering shape in the vertical, at least in some regions.

32. The conveying system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the external control device is constructed such that it can address each conveying carriage individually via the respective control device.

33. The conveying system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the system is used within the context of a sorting system.

34. The conveying system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the system is used within the context of a palleting system.

35. The conveying system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the system is constructed in such a way that the conveying carriages can be moved at least one of cyclically in some regions and in an accumulating manner in some regions and manually in some regions.

36. The conveying system as claimed in claim 7, wherein on at least one conveying carriage, there is a fixing unit and/or processing unit for fixing and/or processing the respective workpiece or object.

37. The conveying system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the state in which the conveying carriage is moving, the first coupling unit switches the first mating form-fitting unit into the coupling state with the first form-fitting unit and the second coupling unit switches the second mating form-fitting unit to freewheel and, in the state in which the conveying carriage is stopped, the first coupling unit switches the first mating form-fitting unit to freewheel and switches the second coupling unit into the coupling state of the second mating form-fitting unit with the second form-fitting unit or fixes the second mating form-fitting unit.