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US 12,637,245 B2Granted
Apparatus and method for positioning products on supports
AssigneeG.Mondini S.P.A.
InventorsGiovanni Mondini, Paolo Carlo Mondini
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for positioning products (1) on supports (2), wherein the supports (2) are moved by means of magnetic shuttles (4) of a planar motor conveyor (3) between a plurality of operating stations, and wherein, at an unloading station (16), each product is fed with an auxiliary conveyor (35) above a gliding plane (5) of the planar motor conveyor (3), and is unloaded onto a support (2) which is supported by a magnetic shuttle (4), while the magnetic shuttle (4) moves below the auxiliary conveyor (35).
Claims22
An apparatus for positioning products on supports, comprising:
- a supporting structure;
- a planar motor conveyor, which is mounted on the supporting structure, which defines a gliding plane and which comprises a plurality of magnetic shuttles associable with the gliding plane, for being moved over the gliding plane by means of the planar motor, between a plurality of operating stations, each magnetic shuttle being configured to convey at least a support;
- an auxiliary conveyor which is associated with the planar motor conveyor above the gliding plane at an unloading station, at the unloading station between the auxiliary conveyor and the gliding plane of the planar motor conveyor there being a transit space present which, in use, allows the gliding of at least one magnetic shuttle with at least one support loaded onto it;
- and an electronic control unit operatively connected to the auxiliary conveyor and to the planar motor conveyor for controlling their operation in a coordinated way;
- wherein moreover:
- at the unloading station the auxiliary conveyor is configured to unload the product above the planar motor conveyor below;
- during the unloading of each product from the auxiliary conveyor, the electronic control unit is programmed to control the planar motor conveyor for, in use, making a magnetic shuttle onto which a support has been loaded, move through the unloading station;
- each magnetic shuttle defines a resting zone for at least one support;
- the apparatus also comprises a first electronic device, which is associated with the auxiliary conveyor for inspecting each product arriving at the unloading station, and a first processing device operatively connected to the first electronic device, for receiving from it data relative to each product, and programmed to determine the spatial orientation of the product on the auxiliary conveyor using those data;
- and
- the electronic control unit is also programmed to control the planar motor conveyor for orienting the resting zone of each magnetic shuttle, at the unloading station, as a function of the spatial orientation of the product arriving at the unloading station to be loaded onto the magnetic shuttle;
- wherein each magnetic shuttle comprises at least two magnetic units, each of which comprises at least one active body in which one or more permanent magnets are installed, and wherein:
- said at least two magnetic units are rotatably connected to a supporting casing which defines the resting zone;
- or
- said at least two magnetic units are mechanically separate and are moved in a combined way by the electronic control unit, the resting zone being jointly defined by all of the magnetic units.
12 more elements
An apparatus for positioning products on supports, comprising:
- a supporting structure;
- a planar motor conveyor, which is mounted on the supporting structure, which defines a gliding plane and which comprises a plurality of magnetic shuttles associable with the gliding plane, for being moved over the gliding plane by means of the planar motor, between a plurality of operating stations, each magnetic shuttle being configured to convey at least a support;
- an auxiliary conveyor which is associated with the planar motor conveyor above the gliding plane at an unloading station, at the unloading station between the auxiliary conveyor and the gliding plane of the planar motor conveyor there being a transit space present which, in use, allows the gliding of at least one magnetic shuttle with at least one support loaded onto it;
- and
- an electronic control unit operatively connected to the auxiliary conveyor and to the planar motor conveyor for controlling their operation in a coordinated way;
- wherein moreover:
- at the unloading station the auxiliary conveyor is configured to unload the product above the planar motor conveyor below;
- during the unloading of each product from the auxiliary conveyor, the electronic control unit is programmed to control the planar motor conveyor for, in use, making a magnetic shuttle onto which a support has been loaded, move through the unloading station;
- each magnetic shuttle defines a resting zone for at least one support;
- the apparatus also comprises a first electronic device, which is associated with the auxiliary conveyor for inspecting each product arriving at the unloading station, and a first processing device operatively connected to the first electronic device, for receiving from it data relative to each product, and programmed to determine the spatial orientation of the product on the auxiliary conveyor using those data;
- and
- the electronic control unit is also programmed to control the planar motor conveyor for orienting the resting zone of each magnetic shuttle, at the unloading station, as a function of the spatial orientation of the product arriving at the unloading station to be loaded onto the magnetic shuttle;
- the apparatus also comprising an auxiliary conveyor belt which comprises an active stretch which slides on the gliding plane, which passes through the unloading station to receive any products which fall from the final end of the auxiliary conveyor onto the gliding plane.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.