US 10,227,187 B2Granted

Method and device for handling individual intermediate layers

AssigneeKrones AG

InventorsAlbin Semmelrock, Bernhard Diener, Erhard Beer, Gerald Heckel, Manuel Kollmuss, Martin Osterhammer

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Disclosed are a method and a device (1) for handling individual intermediate layers (5). The method involves removing from each of at least two separate stacks of intermediate layers (7) an individual intermediate layer (5) arranged topmost on the particular stack of intermediate layers (7). The removed individual intermediate layers (5) are moved into a detection range of a sensor system (13) of its own and the particular own sensor system (13) identifying, preferably by means of optical detection, an outer edge (6) of the particular intermediate layer (5). Subsequently, the removed individual intermediate layers (5) move toward a particular target location (Z1, Z2), the particular, preferably optical detection thereby being taken into account, such that the intermediate layers (5) reach their particular target location (Z1, Z2) in a predetermined position.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A method of handling individual intermediate layers (5), comprising:

from each of at least two separate stacks (7) of intermediate layers, removing an individual intermediate layer (5), wherein each removed individual intermediate layer is the topmost intermediate layer of each separate stack;
moving each removed individual intermediate layer into a detection range of an sensor system (13) for each individual intermediate layer, wherein the sensor system (13) for each individual intermediate layer is located spatially between a particular stack of intermediate layers and a target location (Z1, Z2), and wherein each sensor system (13) detects an outer edge (6) of the individual intermediate layer associated with the sensor system (13) and transmits a relative position of each individual intermediate layer to a control apparatus (S), wherein the moving step comprises simultaneously moving the removed individual intermediate layer in a first direction (RK1) toward the target location (Z1, Z2) and in a second direction (RK2) perpendicular to the first direction and wherein individual intermediate layers are moved without interruption, starting with the removal of intermediate layers from the stack, to the target location (Z1, Z2);
and
controlling the movement of individual intermediate layer with the control apparatus (S) to position each individual intermediate layer at its own target location (Z1, Z2).

1 more element

A device (1) for handling individual intermediate layers (5), comprising:

at least two suction apparatuses and/or gripping apparatuses (3) that are movable independently of one another for removing an individual intermediate layer (5) from a particular stack of intermediate layers (7) and transferring the removed intermediate layer (5) to a particular target location (Z1, Z2);
a sensor system (13), for each of the at least two suction apparatuses and/or gripping apparatuses (3), that is spatially separated from the at least two suction apparatuses and/or gripping apparatuses (3) and spatially located between the particular target location and the particular stack of intermediate layers, wherein each sensor system (13) optically detects an outer edge (6) of each removed intermediate layers (5);
and
a control apparatus (S), which is linked to the at least two suction apparatuses and/or gripping apparatuses (3) and their associated sensor system (13), wherein the control apparatus (S) controls the movement of each of the at least two suction apparatuses and/or gripping apparatuses (3):
independently of one another, simultaneously in a first direction (RK1) toward the target location (Z1, Z2) and in a second direction (RK2) perpendicular to the first direction, and without interruption from the particular stack of intermediate layers (7) to the particular target location (Z1, Z2) by using the optically detected outer edge (6) from the sensor system (13).

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/543,411Filed 15 Jan 2016
Priority: DE 10 2015 200 73419 Jan 2015
Published: US 2018/0002118 A14 Jan 2018
Granted: 12 Mar 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

B65G 59/04
De-stacking from the top of the stack: by suction or magnetic devices
B65G 47/244
Orientating the articles: by turning them about an axis substantially perpendicular to the conveying plane
B65H 1/28
Supports or magazines for piles from which articles are to be separated: compartmented to receive piles side-by-side
B65H 3/0816
Suction grippers: separating from the top of pile