Conveying system with segments and method for transporting individual items
AssigneeSiemens Aktiengesellschaft
InventorMichele Vitalini
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A conveying system transports items, such as postal items, along a main conveying direction. A conveying route includes segments that are arranged one behind the other along the main conveying direction. The segments have conveyors arranged parallel to one another and the segments are offset relative to one another in a transverse direction. The conveyors are driven and activated individually by a control unit. The items are conveyed along the main conveying direction by transferring an item from a preceding segment to a following segment that is offset relative to the preceding segment and then transporting the item on the following segment. Items with small dimensions, which rest on just one conveyor can also be manipulated during the transportation.
Claims13
A conveying system for transporting items to be conveyed along a main conveying direction, the conveying system comprising:
- a control unit;
- a conveying route formed of a plurality of at least four segments;
- each of said segments including a plurality of conveyors arranged in parallel with one another and adjacent one another in a transverse direction perpendicular to the main conveying direction, each of said conveyors extending in the main conveying direction and being configured to transport the items to be conveyed along the main conveying direction;
- said segments being arranged one behind another along the main conveying direction and said conveyors of adjacent said segments being laterally offset relative to one another perpendicularly to the main conveying direction;
- said segments having an equal width in the transverse direction and different lengths in the main conveying direction;
- said conveyors of a preceding segment and of a directly following segment being laterally offset relative to one another, and a respective said conveyor of a preceding segment being aligned to lead into two or more said conveyors of a following segment;
- and
- said conveyors being connected to said control unit and individually driven and individually activated by said control unit.
A method for transporting items to be conveyed along a conveying route of a conveying system, wherein:
- the conveying route is formed of at least four segments that are arranged one behind another along a main conveying direction, the segments having an equal width in a transverse direction perpendicular to the main conveying direction and different lengths in the main conveying direction;
- each of the segments having a plurality of mutually parallel conveyors adjacent one another in the transverse direction perpendicular to the main conveying direction, each of the conveyors extending in the main conveying direction and being configured to transport the items to be conveyed along the main conveying direction;
- and
- the conveyors of a following segment are laterally offset relative to the conveyors of a preceding segment, and a respective conveyor of a preceding segment is aligned to lead into two or more conveyors of a following segment;
- the method comprising:
- individually driving and activating the conveyors;
- and
- transporting an item to be conveyed on a preceding segment;
- transferring the item to be conveyed along the main conveying direction from one or more conveyors of the preceding segment to one or more conveyors of a following segment that are offset in the transverse direction relative to the conveyors of the preceding segment;
- and
- monitoring a position and/or an alignment of the item being conveyed along the main conveying direction with at least one sensor disposed along the conveying route and individually adjusting the conveyors to selectively correct the position or alignment of the item while transporting the item to be conveyed on the following segment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.