Conveying device for conveying goods and method for conveying goods
AssigneeFagor Arrasate, S. Coop.
InventorsCarlos Alonso Ramila, Adolfo Lopez Sanchez
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A conveyor for conveying good. According to one embodiment the conveyor includes a holding unit for holding or releasing the goods with respect to a conveyor belt. The holding unit includes vacuum holding means and magnetic holding means. The magnetic holding means includes at least one movable element that comprises at least one magnet or has a magnet attached thereto. The movable element is able to deactivate the magnetic holding means by distancing the magnet from the conveyor belt, and is also able to be arrange in a closed position in which the movable element blocks a vacuum conduit extending through the conveyor belt.
Claims17
A conveying device for conveying a good from a first location to a second location, the conveying device comprising:
- a belt configured to transport the good, the belt having a first side, a second side, and a conduit extending between and through the first and second sides, the first side of the belt being configured to hold the good,
- a holding unit that functions to hold the good to the belt and to release the good from the belt, the holding unit being located on the second side of the belt and including a vacuum holding apparatus and a magnetic holding apparatus, the vacuum holding apparatus including a vacuum chamber that is in fluid communication with a vacuum source and the conduit located in the belt, the magnetic holding apparatus having a movable element comprising a magnet, the movable element movable between an activate position and a deactivate position, the activate position being located nearer the second side of the belt than the deactivate position, when the movable element is in the activate position the magnet is capable of holding the good to the first side of the belt, when the movable element is in the deactivate position the magnet is incapable of holding the good to the first side of the belt, the movable element being configured and movable to cut off fluid communication between the vacuum chamber and the conduit.
A method of conveying a good from a first location to a second location by use of a belt of a conveying device, the belt having a first side, a second side and a conduit extending between and through the first and second sides, the first side of the belt being configured to hold the good through the use of a holding unit positioned on the second side of the belt, the holding unit including a vacuum holding apparatus and a magnetic holding apparatus, the vacuum holding apparatus comprising a vacuum chamber in fluid communication with the belt conduit, the magnetic holding apparatus including a movable element comprising a magnet, the movable element movable between a first position and a second position, when in the second position the movable element terminates fluid communication between the vacuum chamber and the belt conduit, the method comprising:
- at the first location, with the movable element located in the first position, holding the good to the first side of the belt by creating a vacuum inside the belt conduit by use of the vacuum holding apparatus,
- transporting the good from the first location to the second location:
- and
- at the second location releasing the good from the first side of the belt by moving the movable element to the second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.