Service cart

• US 9,022,198 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2010
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crisplant a/s (BEUMER Group GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Crisplant a/s (BEUMER Group GmbH & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Lykkegaard, Uffe, Autzen, Sren Friis, Knudsen, Carl Christian Vad, Jensen, Lasse Lund
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Randazzo, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US13/641,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20130126297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,833 Days
• Field of Search: 280/32.6
• US Class Current: 198/322
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 5/00 Tool, instrument or work supports or storage means used in association with vehicles; Workers' supports, e.g. mechanics' creepers collecting or removing exhaust gases in workshops B08B15/002; vehicle lifting devices, e.g. jacks, platforms or ramps B66F
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/12 comprising a series of individual load-carriers fixed, or normally fixed, relative to traction element

Abstract

A device 202 for servicing and/or inspection of a material handling system 204 is disclosed, which device provides safer, less time consuming and less difficult service and/or inspection of the material handling system 204 than other devices. The device 202 is adapted to be moved along a track 214 of the material handling system and adapted for servicing and/or inspection of the material handling system or components thereof positioned on or adjacent to the track 214. The device includes at least one section, such as a hatch and/or a sliding bearing surface 216, 602, 706, 708, 710, 902, 1002, displaceable between a first and a second position, where the section positioned in the second position is enabling a person of accessing parts of the material handling system which are moving relatively to the device during movement of the device or during operation of the material handling system.

Claims

1. A material handling system in a postal package hub, distribution center or airport, comprising i) a sorter track, roller or belt and ii) a device for servicing and/or inspection of the material handling system, wherein the device is adapted to be moved along the sorter track, roller or belt of the material handling system and adapted for servicing and/or inspection of the material handling system or components thereof positioned on or adjacent to the sorter track, roller or belt and adapted to be controlled via a user interface, and wherein the device comprises:

at least one displaceable section, which is displaceable between a first and a second position on the device, wherein

said section in the first position prevents a person carried on the device from manually accessing an area of the material handling system with the sorter track, roller or belt of the material handling system which are moving relatively to the device during movement of the device or during operation of the material handling system, and wherein said section positioned in the second position enables the person to access the sorter track, roller or belt of the material handling system which are moving relatively to the device during movement of the device or during operation of the material handling system.

2. The material handling system according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a means for enabling or disabling displacement of the at least one section and wherein the at least one section is only displaceable in response to one or more criteria being satisfied.

3. The material handling system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one section and the device is adapted with sizes and said section is adapted with first and second positions, so as to enable a person to be transported along the sorter track, roller or belt of the material handling system on the device while lying in a service posture on the device.

4. The material handling system according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a connecting means for connecting safety equipment to the device for escaping from the device from an elevated height of the device.

5. The material handling system according to claim 1, wherein the user interface, comprises a user interface fixed in the device, for inputting control requests for controlling the device.

6. The material handling system according to claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a handheld wireless user interface, which is to be positioned in the device, for inputting control requests for controlling the device.

7. The material handling system according to claim 1, wherein said section is provided as at least one hatch.

8. The material handling system according to claim 7, wherein said hatch is displaceable between said first and second positions so as to enable servicing and/or inspection of the material handling system through the hatch when the hatch is in the second position.

9. The material handling system according to claim 1, wherein said section is provided as at least one sliding bearing surface.

10. The material handling system according to claim 9, wherein said sliding bearing surface is displaceable between said first and second positions so as to enable servicing and/or inspection of the material handling system from said sliding bearing surface when the sliding bearing surface is in the second position.

11. The material handling system according to claim 1, wherein the device is operably coupled to a control system, which is operably coupled to a power means for providing power for transporting the device along the sorter track, roller or belt.

12. The material handling system according to claim 11, wherein the device further comprises a wireless transmission means and the device and the wireless transmission means are adapted for sending wireless control signals for starting or stopping or adjustment of transportation speed of the device from the device to the control system and thus for the power means to enable starting, stopping or adjustment of the transportation speed.

13. The material handling system according to claim 1, wherein the device is adapted for obtaining signals corresponding to a transportation speed of the device.

14. The material handling system according to claim 13, wherein a criterion for enabling said section to be displaced from the first to the second position is that a transportation speed of the device is zero or substantially zero.

15. The material handling system according to claim 1, wherein the device is comprised in a driving chain of the material handling system.

16. The material handling system according to claim 1, wherein the device is adapted for attachment to or incorporation in a driving chain of the material handling system.

17. The material handling system according to claim 1, wherein the device is adapted for transportation along the sorter track, roller or belt of the material handling system.

18. The material handling system according to claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a detection means for detection of service tasks on or adjacent to the sorter track, roller or belt of the material handling system.

19. A method of servicing and/or providing inspection of a material handling system in a postal package hub, distribution center or airport, the material handling system comprising a sorter track, roller or belt, and the method comprising:

enabling movement of a device comprising at least one displaceable section along a sorter track, roller or belt of the material handling system,

servicing and/or providing inspection of the material handling system or components thereof positioned on or adjacent to the sorter track, roller or belt from the device,

controlling operation of the device via a control system enabling control of the device, wherein the method further comprises;

inputting control signals to the control system in order to start, stop, adjust transportation speed or for initiating, stopping or controlling an automated servicing procedure as manually inputted requests or as automatically generated requests as automatically generated control signals,

displacing said section from a first to a second position on the device, where said section in the first position is preventing a person on the device from manually accessing an area of the material handling system with the sorter track, roller or belt of the material handling system which are moving relatively to the device during movement of the device or during operation of the material handling system, and where said section positioned in the second position is enabling the person of accessing said the sorter track, roller or belt, and

carrying out manual service of the material handling system when said section is positioned in said second position.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the automatically generated control signals are provided in response to detections provided by one or more detection systems provided on board the device.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the person to be transported by the device is provided for carrying out manual service and/or for inputting control requests and/or for carrying out inspection of the material handling system.

22. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

stopping the transportation of the service device at a location along the sorter track, roller or belt, and

carrying out a manual or automated service procedure or inspection at or adjacent to said location.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein said section can only be displaced from the first to the second position when a transportation speed of the device is zero or substantially zero.

24. The method according to claim 19, further comprising maintaining a posture of the person on the device, while the device is moved along the sorter track, roller or belt of the material handling system to a new location of the material handling system, which requires service and/or inspection and while carrying out service and/or while carrying out inspection.

25. The method according to claim 19, further comprising stopping the device at one or more predetermined locations along the sorter track, roller or belt, which one or more locations may be set manually or automatically.

26. The method according to claim 19, wherein said manual service is carried out through an opening, which is provided when displacing said section to the second position.

27. The method according to claim 19, wherein said manual service is carried out through an opening, which is made accessible when displacing said section to the second position.

28. A material handling system in a postal package hub, distribution center or airport, comprising i) a sorter track, roller or belt, ii) a device for servicing and/or inspection of the material handling system, and iii) a lock or a brake, wherein the device is adapted to be moved along the sorter track, roller or belt of the material handling system and adapted for servicing and/or inspection of the material handling system or components thereof positioned on or adjacent to the sorter track, roller or belt and adapted to be controlled via a user interface, and wherein the device comprises:

at least one displaceable section, which is displaceable between a first and a second position on the device, wherein

said section in the first position prevents a person carried on the device from manually accessing an area of the material handling system with the sorter track, roller or belt of the material handling system which are moving relatively to the device during movement of the device or during operation of the material handling system, wherein said section positioned in the second position enables the person to access the sorter track, roller or belt of the material handling system which are moving relatively to the device during movement of the device or during operation of the material handling system, and

wherein the lock or brake is configured to enable the displaceable section to be positioned only in, or be displaced to, the second position when a transportation speed of the device for servicing and/or inspection of the material handling system is zero or substantially zero.