Air Conveyance System

• US 20060266621A1
• Filed: 05/22/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kruse, Mark William
• Granted Patent: US 7,165,918 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 198/438
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2203/042 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2207/06 Air cushion support of articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/71 the articles being discharged or distributed to several distinct separate conveyors or to a broader conveyor lane
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 51/03 over a flat surface or in troughs
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/4226 Delivering, advancing piles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2406/112 for handling material along preferably rectilinear path, e.g. nozzle bed for web
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2406/11325 Adjustable impact angle
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/248 with coanda effect separating from a stack B65H3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/52 Stationary guides or smoothers
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/60 diverting the stream into alternative paths B65H29/62 takes precedence

Abstract

An apparatus for conveying articles from one or more input streams to at least two output streams using air to support, convey and divert the articles is disclosed. The apparatus uses a plurality of primary air passageways to support and convey the articles and a plurality of secondary air passageways to divert and convey the articles. Also disclosed is a method for conveying articles from on or more input streams into at least two output streams utilizing the diverting apparatus.

Claims

1. A conveyance system for conveying articles comprising:

at least one input conveyor;

at least two output conveyors; and

a diverting apparatus between the input and output conveyers, the diverting apparatus having an upper surface that supports, conveys and selectively diverts articles from the input conveyor to the desired output conveyors with air that is supplied through the upper surface.

2. The conveyance system of claim 1, where the air supplied through the upper surface to selectively divert the articles is provided by an intermittent air supply.

3. The conveyance system of claim 1, where the air is supplied to the upper surface through a plurality of primary air passageways and a plurality of secondary air passageways.

4. The conveyance system of claim 3, where the plurality of primary and secondary air passageways are adapted to support, convey and selectively divert the articles over the upper surface of the diverting apparatus as desired.

5. The conveyance assembly of claim 1, further comprising a slide plate between the diverting apparatus and the output conveyors and adapted to allow transfer of articles from the diverting apparatus to the output conveyors.

6. A method of using a conveyance system to convey articles from one or more input streams into at least two output streams comprising the steps:

a. providing a diverting apparatus having an input side, an output side, and an top plate having an upper surface that articles pass over in a conveyance direction and through which air is provided to the upper surface and impinges on the bottom surfaces of the conveyed articles,

b. conveying articles to the input side of the diverting apparatus,

c. detecting articles entering the input side of the diverting apparatus,

d. supporting and conveying the articles through a first conveyance zone of the diverting apparatus in the conveyance direction with air provided through the top plate to the upper surface of the diverting apparatus,

e. determining whether or not to divert the detected article,

f. diverting the article, if desired, to a second conveyance zone of the diverting apparatus adjacent to the first conveyance zone with intermittent air provided through the top plate to the upper surface, and then supporting and conveying the article through the second conveyance zone in the conveyance direction with air supplied through the top plate to the upper surface, and

g. conveying articles from the output side of the diverting apparatus.

7. The method of claim 6, where the top plate of the diverting apparatus further comprises:

a bottom surface and edge surfaces, where the edge surfaces extend from the upper surface to the bottom surface and form the periphery of the top plate;

a plurality of primary air passageways that extend from the bottom surface to the upper surface allowing air to pass from a primary air source through the top plate to the upper surface, where the primary air passageways intersect the upper surface at an angle to the upper surface of ninety degrees or less;

a plurality of air shafts that extend from the edge surface into the top plate; and

a plurality of secondary air passageways that extend from the air shafts to the upper surface of the top pate allowing air supplied from the intermittent air supply to pass through the air shaft and the secondary air passageways to the upper surface, where the secondary air passageways intersect the upper surface at an angle to the upper surface of ninety degrees or less.

8. The method of claim 7, where the primary air passageways intersect the upper surface at an angle to the upper surface between about fifteen degrees and about seventy-five degrees.

9. The method of claim 7, where the primary air passageways intersect the upper surface at an angle to the upper surface of about forty-five degrees or less.

10. The method of claim 7, where the primary air passageways are substantially linear.

11. The method of claim 7, where the primary air passageways are substantially non-linear.

12. The method of claim 7, where the secondary air passageways intersect the upper surface at an angle to the upper surface of about seventy-five degrees or less.

13. The method of claim 7, where the secondary air passageways intersect the upper surface at an angle to the upper surface of about forty-five degrees or less.

14. The method of claim 7, where the secondary air passageways are substantially linear.

15. The method of claim 7, where the secondary air passageways are substantially non-linear.

16. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of diverting the article, if desired and if not already diverted to the second conveyance zone, to a third conveyance zone, adjacent to the first conveyance zone, using air intermittently provided through the top plate to the upper surface, and then supporting and conveying the article in the conveyance direction through the third conveyance zone with air supplied through the top plate to the upper surface, prior to conveying the article from the output side of the apparatus.