专利摘要:
The invention relates to an improved method for sorting products by means of a transport device and a detection / selection device, in which the transport device is provided with a plurality of parallel running endless conveyor belts, which are driven at the same speed and of which the top side of each conveyor belt in lie an equal conveying surface, and in which the length of the top side of each conveyor belt can be reduced to create a temporary drop opening, and the detection / selection device is provided with detection means for detecting the position of each product in the conveyor device and selection means for selecting a product, wherein the method comprises the following steps: a). detecting and selecting a product to be discharged by means of the detection / selection device; b). determining by means of the detection / selection device the endless conveyor belt on which the product selected in step a) is present; c). driving the conveyor belt determined in step b) to create a temporary fall opening for discharging the product selected in step a).
公开号:NL2020435A
申请号:NL2020435
申请日:2018-02-14
公开日:2018-11-09
发明作者:Meinders Leo
申请人:Oostec Vastgoed B V;
IPC主号:
专利说明:

Patent center
Θ 2020435
(21) Application number: 2020435 © Application submitted: 14 February 2018 @ Int. CL:
B07C 5/36 (2018.01) B65G 15/12 (2018.01) B65G
21/14 (2018.01) © Priority:
May 2017 NL 2018846 (71) Applicant (s):
Oostec Vastgoed B.V. in ALMELO.
(41) Application registered:
November 2018 © Request published:
November 2018 © Inventor (s):
Leo Meinders in VASSE.
© Authorized representative:
ir. P.J. Hylarides et al. In The Hague.
(54) METHOD OF SORTING PRODUCTS AND SORTING DEVICE FOR PERFORMING THE METHOD.
The invention relates to an improved method for sorting products by means of a transport device and a detection / selection device, in which the transport device is provided with a plurality of parallel running endless conveyor belts, which are driven at the same speed and of which the top side of each conveyor belt lie in an equal conveying plane, and in which the length of the top side of each conveyor belt can be reduced to create a temporary drop opening, and the detection / selection device is provided with detection means for detecting the position of each product in the conveyor device and selection means for selecting a product, wherein the method comprises the following steps:
a) . detecting and selecting a product to be discharged by means of the detection / selection device;
b). determining by means of the detection / selection device the endless conveyor belt on which the product selected in step a) is present;
c). driving the conveyor belt determined in step b) to create a temporary fall opening for discharging the product selected in step a).
NL A 2020435
This publication corresponds to the documents originally submitted.
METHOD FOR SORTING PRODUCTS AND SORTING DEVICE
FOR PERFORMING THE METHOD.
The invention relates to a method for sorting products by means of a conveying device and a detection / selection device, wherein the conveying device is provided with a plurality of parallel running endless conveyor belts, which are driven at the same speed and whose top side of each conveyor belt in a and where the length of the top of each conveyor belt can be reduced to create a temporary drop opening, and the detection / selection device is provided with detection means for detecting the position of each product in the conveyor and selection means for selecting a product, wherein the method comprises the following steps:
a) . detecting and selecting a product to be discharged by means of the detection / selection device;
b). determining by means of the detection / selection device the endless conveyor belt on which the product selected in step a) is present;
c). driving the conveyor belt determined in step b) to create a temporary fall opening for discharging the product selected in step a).
The method according to the preamble is known in the art.
The known method is applied in a sorting device, as can be seen, for example, in a video on YouTube
Such a conveyor belt with which a temporary fall opening can be created is also called a shooting belt.
The method according to the invention has the purpose of providing a method according to the preamble, which is improved compared to the known method.
The method according to the invention is characterized in that a product can be transported simultaneously by a few conveyor belts, wherein in step b) the endless conveyor belts are determined by means of the detection / selection device on which the product selected in step a) is located;
and in step c) the conveyor belts determined in step b) are driven to create a temporary drop opening for discharging the product selected in step a).
By means of the inventive method, it is no longer necessary to place each product exactly on a conveyor belt. Each product can be placed at any position at the start of the conveying surface on the conveying device, whereby the product can be transported by several conveyor belts. In addition, a product can have arbitrary dimensions, provided that the dimensions are limited to the width of the transport surface.
It will be further explained below that according to the invention it can in particular be the case that each product is in any case placed at a random position at the beginning of the conveying surface on the conveying device and / or that each product is in any case carried out by several conveyor belts is transported and for this purpose the product may have specific dimensions relative to the transport device.
In particular, in an embodiment of the method according to the invention, the products, and in particular all products, and the conveyor belts are mutually matched or selected such that each product is transported simultaneously by several conveyor belts, in particular irrespective of the position and / or orientation of the products on the conveyor belts.
This can in particular be achieved by mutually coordinating or choosing the size of each of the products and the width dimension of the conveyor belts and / or the center-to-center distance between two adjacent or adjacent conveyor belts.
Because each product is transported simultaneously by several conveyor belts, it is prevented or at least reduced the chance that non-selected products are removed with selected products.
The multiple conveyor belts can in particular be neighboring conveyor belts.
More specifically, each product is preferably conveyed simultaneously by at least two, more preferably by at least three, even more preferably by at least four conveyor belts.
Alternatively or additionally, in an embodiment of the method according to the invention, the products, in particular all, and the conveyor belts are mutually matched or selected such that in a direction transverse to the conveying direction, ie the width direction of the conveyor belts, there are no it may be that two products are supported by the same belt at the same time, or at least not fully supported by the same belt, in particular independent of the position and / or orientation of the products on the conveyor belts.
Alternatively, this can be formulated that in each case a single conveyor of the number of conveyor belts supports a maximum of one product, or at least fully supports it, in a width direction of the conveyor belts.
This can be achieved in particular by mutually coordinating or choosing the size of each of the products and the width dimension of the conveyor belts and / or the center-to-center distance between two adjacent conveyor belts.
An advantage hereof is that it is prevented or at least the chance is reduced that non-selected products are removed with selected products.
In yet another embodiment of the method according to the invention, the products, in particular all products, have an external dimension at least locally in a plane parallel to the conveying surface that they are always passed by at least two, preferably by at least three, more are preferably transported simultaneously by at least four conveyor belts.
This applies in particular regardless of the orientation and / or position of the products on the conveyor belts.
The outer dimension can be defined in this text as the distance between two opposite outer points or parts of a product.
For products that are substantially round in a plane parallel to the conveying surface, the outer dimension is the outer diameter of the product.
In yet another embodiment of the method according to the invention, the products, in particular all products, have an outer dimension at least locally in plane parallel to the conveying plane, which is larger than the width of one conveyor belt, preferably larger than the combined width of two adjacent conveyor belts, more preferably larger than the combined width of three adjacent conveyor belts.
In yet another embodiment of the method according to the invention, the products, in particular all products, have an outer dimension at least locally in a plane parallel to the conveying surface that is larger than the center-to-center distance between two adjacent conveyor belts, preferably greater than the joint or total center distance between three adjacent conveyor belts, more preferably is greater than the joint or total center distance between four adjacent conveyor belts.
In yet another embodiment of the method according to the invention, the products, in particular all, are supplied to the conveyor belts with an arbitrary orientation and / or position.
In particular, the products, in particular all, are not aligned with respect to each other and / or with respect to the conveyor belts before they are supplied on the conveyor belts and / or during transport by the conveyor belts.
In particular, there is no alignment in either the longitudinal direction or the width direction of the conveyor belts.
In particular when supplying products with an arbitrary orientation and / or position and / or not aligning the products, the method according to one or more of the embodiments of the invention explained in more detail above or below provides an advantage that is prevented or prevented. at least the chance that non-selected products are removed with selected products is reduced.
Another advantage is that no means need to be provided for positioning and / or aligning the products. As a result, the method can be carried out in a simple manner and / or damage can be prevented by positioning and / or alignment, in particular with vulnerable products.
In yet another embodiment of the method according to the invention, all products at least in a plane parallel to the conveying surface have a substantially equal shape and / or size.
The shape in the plane parallel to the conveying plane can be chosen as desired. For example, the shape parallel to the conveying surface can be round or polygonal.
In yet another embodiment of the method according to the invention, the conveyor belts are designed as belts.
The applicant has found that the method according to the invention can be carried out well with a string transport device.
Such strings could also be referred to as shooting strings.
The strings can in particular have a relatively small width dimension. More in particular, the width dimension of the strings can be substantially equal to a height dimension of the strings. The strings may, for example, have a substantially round or square cross-sectional shape.
The conveyor belts or belts can be arranged next to each other without an intermediate distance or, conversely, with a certain intermediate distance. The possible spacing is in particular so small that products cannot fall away through the spacing.
It is noted that in this application the width direction of the conveyor belts is equal to a direction transverse to the conveying direction. The longitudinal direction of the conveyor belts is parallel to the transport direction. The invention also relates to a sorting device for sorting products, in which the sorting device is provided with a transport device, which is provided with a plurality of parallel running endless conveyor belts, which are driven at the same speed and whose top side of each conveyor belt in an equal transport plane. and wherein the length of the top of each conveyor belt is reducible for creating a temporary drop opening, a detection / selection device, which is provided with detection means for detecting the position of each product in the conveyor and selection means for selecting a product and a control device for controlling the transport device to create a drop opening.
The inventive sorting device is characterized in that the sorting device is adapted to carry out the method according to claim 1, wherein the detection / selection device is adapted to determine the conveyor belts on which a product rests and the control device is adapted to simultaneously control the certain conveyor belts for creating a fall opening.
In a first preferred embodiment of the inventive sorting device, each conveyor belt is designed as a shooting belt.
In a second preferred embodiment of the inventive sorting device, each conveyor belt is designed as a pinball machine.
In yet another embodiment of the sorting device according to the invention, the conveyor belts are designed as belts.
The invention will be further described in the following figures, in which
Figure 1 schematically shows a top view of the known sorting device, which performs the known method;
Figures 2A; 2B; 2C; 2D schematically show a top view of the inventive sorting device according to the invention;
Figure 3A and Figure 3B show a cross-section of a conveyor belt that is in the form of a shooting belt;
Figure 4A and Figure 4B show a cross-section of a conveyor belt designed as a pinball;
Figure 5A and Figure 5B show a cross-section of a conveyor belt that serves as an alternative to the conveyor belt of Figure 4A and Figure 4B; and
Figure 6A; 6B; 6C; 6D schematically shows a top view of the sorting device according to a second embodiment of the invention.
The same numbers in different figures indicate the same parts.
Figure 1 schematically shows a top view of the known sorting device 1, which performs the known method. The sorting device 1 is provided with a transport device 2. The transport device 2 is built up of a plurality of endless conveyor belts 2-1, 2-2, ... running in parallel. 2-n. n is a random number, but in this figure n is set to 20. The conveyor belts 2-1; 2-2; ...; 2-n are controlled at the same speed. The top of each conveyor belt 2-1; 2-2; ...; 2-n are in the same transport plane. The length of the top of each conveyor belt (2-1; 2-2; ...; 2-n) can be reduced to create a temporary fall opening 6. In addition, the sorting device 1 is provided with a detection / selection device. 3. The detection / selection device 3 is provided with detection means for detecting the position of each product 5 in the transport device 1 and selection means for selecting a product 5. The sorting device 1 then comprises a control device for controlling the conveyor belts 2-1, 2-2; ...; 2-n for creating a drop opening 6. The products to be sorted 5 are each, by a different device (not shown), on one of the conveyor belts 2-1; 2-2; ...; 2-n, which transports the products in the indicated direction. The sorting device 1 then performs the steps of the following method.
In step a) a product 5 to be discharged is detected and selected by means of the detection / selection device 3. In the figure, products 5 to be discharged are indicated as a circle with a white inner surface. The products 5 that must not be disposed of are indicated as a circle with a black inner surface.
In step b) the endless conveyor belt 2-x is determined by means of the detection / selection device 3 on which the product 5 selected in step a) is located. In the current figure, these are the conveyor belts 2-3; 2-11; 2-15.
In step c) the conveyor belts 2-3; 2-11; 2-15 determined in step b) are reduced so that temporary fall openings 6 are created for discharging the products 5 selected in step a).
Figure 1 shows that in the known sorting device it can be said that each product 5 is supported by a maximum of one conveyor belt 2-x and that the products are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belts, so that each product 5 is substantially in the is transported 2-x in the width direction of the conveyor belts in the middle of each conveyor belt.
Figures 2A; 2B; 2C; 2D schematically show a top view of the inventive sorting device 10 according to the invention, which carries out the inventive method according to the invention. The sorting device 10 is provided with a transport device 20. The transport device 20 is made up of a plurality of endless conveyor belts 20-1; 20-2; ...; 20-n. n is a random number, but in this figure n is set to 20. The conveyor belts 20-1; 20-2; ...; 20-n are controlled at the same speed. The top of each conveyor belt 20-1; 20-2; ...; 20-n are in the same transport plane. The length of the top of each conveyor belt (20-1; 20-2; ...; 20-n) can be reduced to create a temporary drop opening 60. In addition, the sorting device 10 is provided with a detection / selection device 30. The detection / selection device 30 is provided with detection means for detecting the position of each product 50 in the transport device 10 and selection means for selecting a product 50. The sorting device 10 then comprises a control device for controlling the conveyor belts 20 -1; 20-2; ...; 20-n for creating a drop opening 60. The product 50 in this figure is larger than the width of a conveyor belt 20-x. The products 50, in particular all products 50, lie randomly on the transport device 20, each product 50 being carried by a plurality of conveyor belts 20-x and transported in the indicated transport direction, in this case by four conveyor belts 20-x. In Figure 2A, the products 50 are detected and selected by the detection / selection device
30. A selected product 50 to be disposed of is indicated as a round white disk. A product 50 that does not have to be disposed of is indicated as a black disk. In Figure 2B, the products 50 are transported further in the transport direction, with some unselected products 50 leaving the sorting device 50 on the right-hand side. In Figure 2C, conveyor belts 20-9; 20-10; 20-11; 20-12 are simultaneously reduced, resulting in a fall opening 60. The selected (white) product 50 falls down through the conveying surface via the drop opening 60 and is removed from the sorting machine in a known manner.
In Figure 2D, the conveyor belts 20-9; 20-10; 20-11; 20-12 are placed back to the starting position, so that the unselected products 50 can leave the sorting machine on the right-hand side.
As can be seen from Figures 2A - 2D, the products 50 have such an outer dimension, in this case an outer diameter, that is chosen and / or adjusted to the width dimension of the conveyor belts 20-x, that the products 50 are always, or in any case, are supported and transported by several conveyor belts 20-x at the same time. Also, due to the chosen outer dimensions of the products 50, it cannot be said that a single conveyor belt 20-x, viewed in the width direction, supports two or more products 50, or at least does not fully support them. Figure 3A and Figure 3B show a cross-section of a conveyor belt 200 that is designed as a shooting belt. The conveyor belt 200 can be used as conveyor belt 20-x in the inventive sorting device 10. The conveyor belt 200 is mounted by means of guides 201; 202; 203; 204 and 205 as an endless belt. Conductors 204 and 205 are simultaneously movable parallel to the top of the conveyor belt 200. To that end, guides 204 and 205 are rigidly connected to each other via a rigid connection 210. Preferably, the conveyor belt 200 is placed between other conveyor belts, so that products can be supplied and supplied. removed. If a product is to be discharged, the conveyor belt 200 is reduced by moving the guides 204 and 205 against the conveying direction. This creates an opening between the conveyor belt 200 and the discharge conveyor belt, through which a product on the conveyor belt 200 will be transported to the opening 211.
Figure 4A and Figure 4B show a cross-section of a conveyor belt 300 that is designed as a pinball machine. The pinball has a strong resemblance to a pinball machine. The conveyor belt 300 can be used as a conveyor belt 20-x in the inventive sorting device 10. The conveyor belt 300 is mounted by means of guides 301; 302 as an endless belt. Guide 302 is movable to the underside of the conveyor belt 300. Preferably, the conveyor belt 300 is placed between other conveyor belts, so that products can be supplied and discharged. If a product is to be discharged, the conveyor belt 300 is reduced by moving the guide 302 toward the bottom of the conveyor belt 300.
This creates an opening 311 between the conveyor belt 300 and the discharge conveyor belt, through which a product on the conveyor belt 300 will be transported to the opening 311.
Figure 5A and Figure 5B show a cross-section of a conveyor belt 400 that serves as an alternative to the conveyor belt 300 of Figure 4A and Figure 4B. The conveyor belt 400 is mounted by means of guides 401, 402 as an endless belt. Guide 402 is movable to the top of the conveyor belt 400. If a product is to be discharged, the conveyor belt 400 is reduced by moving the guide 402 toward the top of the conveyor belt 400. This creates an opening 411 between the conveyor belt 400 and the discharge conveyor belt, through which a product on the conveyor belt 400 will be transported to the opening 411.
The conveyor belts 20-x in Figs. 2A - 2D are shown as belts with a substantially flat top surface which are arranged next to each other substantially without a gap, but if desired, it can also be said that the conveyor belts are designed as relatively narrow strings which can be arranged next to each other at a certain gap. This is shown in figures 6A - 6D, wherein only the differences with the sorting device of figures 2A - 2D will be explained and for a further description of the device of figures 6A - 6D the description belonging to figures 2A - 2D will be explained. referred. In figures 6A - 6d, the same reference numerals for identical parts are used as in figures 2A - 2D, but then increased by 1000.
The sorting device 1010 according to the second embodiment of Figs. 6A-6D differs, as indicated above, from the sorting device of Figs. 2A-2D in that the conveyor belts are designed as belts. The transport device 1020 is made up of a plurality of parallel conveyor belts 1020-1; 1020-2; ...; 1020-n. n is a random number, but in this figure n is set to 21. The conveyor belts 1020-x are arranged side by side with a mutual center distance A. As can be seen from Figures 6A-6D, all products 1050 have an outer dimension, in this case an outer diameter, in a plane parallel to the conveying plane that is greater than the total or total center-to-center distance between four adjacent conveyor belts, or greater than three times the center-to-center distance A. As a result, the products 1050 are always transported simultaneously by several conveyor belts 1020-x, in this case always by at least three adjacent conveyor belts 1020-x or some products 1050 by four neighboring conveyor belts 1020-x, depending on the position of the products 1050 on the transport device 1020.
In Figure 6C, conveyor belts 1020-10; 1020-11; 1020-12 are simultaneously reduced, resulting in a fall opening 1060. The selected (white) product 1050 falls down through the conveying surface via the drop opening 1060 and is removed from the sorting machine in a known manner.
Similar to what has been explained with reference to Fig. 3, the conveyor belts from Figs. 6A - 6D can be designed as firing strings.
The invention is expressly not limited to the embodiments shown. All combinations and kinematic reversals of the described technical measures are expressly covered by the invention. The invention therefore extends to any embodiment that falls within the scope of the scope of protection as defined in the claims and viewed in the light of the foregoing description and accompanying drawings.
权利要求:
Claims (11)
[1]
CONCLUSIONS
A method for sorting products by means of a transport device and a detection / selection device, wherein the transport device is provided with a plurality of parallel running endless conveyor belts, which are driven at the same speed and whose top side of each conveyor belt lie in an equal transport plane, and wherein the length of the top of each conveyor belt is reducible to create a temporary fall opening, and the detection / selection device is provided with detection means for detecting the position of each product in the conveyor and selection means for selecting a product, wherein the method comprises the following steps:
a) . detecting and selecting a product to be discharged by means of the detection / selection device;
b). determining by means of the detection / selection device the endless conveyor belt on which the product selected in step a) is present;
c). driving the conveyor belt determined in step b) to create a temporary fall opening for discharging the product selected in step a);
characterized in that a product can be transported simultaneously by a few conveyor belts, wherein in step b) the endless conveyor belts are determined by means of the detection / selection device on which the product selected in step a) is located;
and in step c) the conveyor belts determined in step b) are driven to create a temporary drop opening for discharging the product selected in step a).
[2]
Method according to claim 1, wherein each product is transported simultaneously by several conveyor belts.
[3]
Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each product is transported simultaneously by at least two, preferably at least three, more preferably at least four conveyor belts.
[4]
4. Method as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein in each case a single conveyor belt of the number of conveyor belts supports at most one product, or at least fully supports it, in a width direction of the conveyor belts.
[5]
5. Method as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, comprising the step d) to be carried out prior to at least step a):
d). supplying the, in particular all, products with an arbitrary orientation and / or position on the conveyor belts.
[6]
Method as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the, in particular all, products are not aligned with respect to each other and / or with respect to the conveyor belts before they are supplied on the conveyor belts and / or during transport by the conveyor belts.
[7]
Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveyor belts are designed as belts.
[8]
A sorting device (10, 1010) for sorting products (50, 1050), wherein the sorting device (10, 1010) is provided with a transport device (20, 1020), which is provided with a plurality of endless endless conveyor belts (20-) 1; ..; 20-n, 1020-1; ..; 1020-n), which are driven at the same speed and whose top side of each conveyor belt (20-x, 1020-x) are in the same transport plane, and wherein the length of the top of each conveyor belt (20-x, 1020-x) is reducible for creating a temporary drop opening (60, 1060), a detection / selection device (30, 1030), which is provided with detection means for detecting the position of each product (50, 1050) in the transport device (20, 1020) and selection means for selecting a product (50, 1050) and a control device for controlling the transport device (20, 1020) for creating a drop opening (60, 1060), characterized in that the sorting device (10, 1010) is adapted to perform the method according to any of claims 1-7, wherein the detection / selection device (30, 1030) is adapted to determine the conveyor belts (20-1; ..; 20-n, 1020-) 1; ..; 1020-n) on which a product (50, 1050) lies and the control device is adapted to simultaneously control the determined conveyor belts (20-1; ..; 20-n, 1020-1; ..; 1020-n) for creating a fall opening (60, 1060).
[9]
Sorting device (10, 1010) according to claim 8, wherein each conveyor belt (20-x, 1020-x) is designed as a firing belt (200).
[10]
The sorting device (10, 1010) according to claim 8, wherein each conveyor belt (20-x, 1020-x) is designed as a flipper (300; 400).
[11]
Sorting device (10, 1010) according to one of the preceding claims 8-10, wherein the conveyor belts are designed as belts.
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同族专利:
公开号 | 公开日
NL2020435B1|2020-07-08|
引用文献:
公开号 | 申请日 | 公开日 | 申请人 | 专利标题

法律状态:
2021-12-22| MM| Lapsed because of non-payment of the annual fee|Effective date: 20210301 |
优先权:
申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
NL2018846|2017-05-04|
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