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US 11,447,347 B2Granted
Conveyor
AssigneeWipotec GmbH
InventorsAlexander Schulzki, Matthias Joachim, Stephan Clößner, Christoph Eckhardt, Jochen Gerlach
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A conveyor and process for transporting products, wherein a carrier with an associated product holder can be moved along a conveying path by means of a conveyor element. In a processing position, the carrier can be aligned by means of first alignment elements, and second alignment elements are provided for aligning the product holder for disengagement from the carrier.
Claims17
A conveyor for transporting products, the conveyor including:
- (a) a product holder adapted to receive at least one product;
- (b) a carrier adapted to receive the product holder in a supported position;
- (c) a conveying element operable to move the carrier and product holder received on the carrier in a horizontal conveying direction to a processing position which is defined within tolerances with respect to the conveying direction and with respect to a horizontal transverse direction extending perpendicular to the conveying direction;
- (d) first alignment means for aligning the carrier in the conveying direction, or the transverse direction, or both the conveying direction and transverse direction relative to the conveying element or a fixed component of the conveying element, to thereby transfer the carrier from the processing position to a target carrier position;
- and
- (e) second alignment means for aligning the product holder in a target product holder position which is defined in the conveying direction and the transverse direction, the second alignment means including alignment surfaces on the product holder which are configured to mate with surfaces of a centering unit which is moveable relative to the carrier.
3 more elements
A weighing station including:
- (a) a product holder adapted to receive at least one product, the product holder including product holder alignment surfaces;
- (b) a carrier adapted to receive the product holder in a supported position;
- (c) a conveying element operable to move the carrier and product holder received on the carrier in a horizontal conveying direction to a processing position which is defined within tolerances with respect to the conveying direction and with respect to a horizontal transverse direction extending perpendicular to the conveying direction;
- (d) first alignment means for aligning the carrier in the conveying direction, or the transverse direction, or both the conveying direction and transverse direction relative to the conveying element or a fixed component of the conveying element, to thereby transfer the carrier from the processing position to a target carrier position;
- (e) a centering unit which is moveable relative to the carrier, the centering unit including centering surfaces which are configured to mate with the product holder alignment surfaces;
- and
- a weigh cell having a load introduction section supporting the centering unit, the weigh cell being operable to measure the weight of the product holder and any product received thereon, when the carrier is in the target carrier position and the product holder is released from the carrier by movement of the centering unit relative to the carrier.
4 more elements
A process including:
- (a) moving a carrier with a product holder received thereon along a horizontal conveying direction into a processing position for the carrier which is defined within tolerances with respect to the conveying direction and with respect to a horizontal transverse direction extending perpendicular to the conveying direction;
- (b) placing a first alignment element and the carrier in a contact position relative to each other to align the carrier in the conveying direction, or the transverse direction, or both the conveying direction and transverse direction to thereby transfer the carrier from the processing position to a target carrier position;
- (c) moving the product holder and the carrier relative to each other in order to release the product holder from the carrier and to introduce the weight force of the product holder and any product received thereon into a load introducing section of a weigh cell;
- and
- (d) wherein moving the product holder and the carrier relative to each other includes moving a centering unit relative to the product holder to bring centering surfaces of the centering unit into contact with alignment surfaces of the product holder to place the product holder in a target product holder position, and wherein the centering unit is supported on the load introducing section of the weigh cell.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.