# US 2018/0022558 A1 · Automatic infeed tipper, and apparatus and method for controlling automatic infeed tipper > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0022558 A1 - Document ID: US20180022558A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/448,987 - Filed: 2017-03-03 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-22 - Assignees: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute - Applicants: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute - Inventors: Ki-Hak KIM; Woo-Jin KIM - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180022558A1 ## CPC - B65G 65/23: Devices for tilting and emptying of containers - B65G 7/08: for tilting the loads - B65G 15/24: in tandem - B65G 47/04: for feeding articles - B65G 47/1492: {the articles being fed from a feeding conveyor} - B65G 47/30: during transit by a series of conveyors - B65G 47/31: by varying the relative speeds of the conveyors forming the series - B65G 47/40: by tilting conveyor buckets - B65G 57/28: by assembling the articles and tilting the assembled articles to a stacked position - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) ## Abstract Disclosed herein are an automatic infeed tipper and an apparatus and method for controlling the automatic infeed tipper. The apparatus for controlling an automatic infeed tipper includes an article infeed control unit for allowing a pallet loaded with multiple articles to be installed on the tipper and controlling an angle of the tipper so that the articles loaded onto the pallet are fed into a conveyor unit, and a conveyor control unit for sequentially driving a transport conveyor belt and a plurality of tipper-use conveyor belts, which are provided in the conveyor unit, so as to disperse the articles fed into the conveyor unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for controlling an automatic infeed tipper, comprising: an article infeed control unit for allowing a pallet loaded with multiple articles to be installed on the tipper, and controlling an angle of the tipper so that the articles loaded onto the pallet are fed into a conveyor unit; and a conveyor control unit for sequentially driving a transport conveyor belt and a plurality of tipper-use conveyor belts, which are provided in the conveyor unit, so as to disperse the articles fed into the conveyor unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conveyor control unit periodically increases and decreases respective driving speeds of the transport conveyor belt and the plurality of tipper-use conveyor belts. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the conveyor control unit drives the conveyor unit so that respective maximum driving speeds of the transport conveyor belt and the plurality of tipper-use conveyor belts are different from each other. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the conveyor control unit drives the conveyor unit so that the maximum driving speed of the transport conveyor belt is highest and a maximum driving speed of a tipper-use conveyor belt that is farthest away from the transport conveyor belt is lowest. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the conveyor control unit sets acceleration time points of the transport conveyor belt and the plurality of tipper-use conveyor belts to different values. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the conveyor control unit sets deceleration time points of the transport conveyor belt and the plurality of tipper-use conveyor belts to an identical value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conveyor control unit drives the conveyor unit in conformity with both differences between operation start times of the transport conveyor belt and the plurality of tipper-use conveyor belts and operating durations of the transport conveyor belt and the plurality of tipper-use conveyor belts. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the differences between the operation start times and the operating durations are set based on at least one of sizes of the articles fed into the conveyor unit and a density of the articles. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising an image analysis unit for analyzing an image corresponding to the conveyor unit, wherein the sizes of the articles and the density of the articles are calculated based on results of analysis of the image. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the article infeed control unit controls the angle of the tipper so that the pallet and the tipper are tilted at an identical speed and at an identical angle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an article detection unit for detecting the articles fed into the conveyor unit so as to control driving of the conveyor unit. ### Claim 12 A method for controlling an automatic infeed tipper, the method being performed by an apparatus for controlling the automatic infeed tipper, the method comprising: installing a pallet loaded with multiple articles on the tipper, and controlling an angle of the tipper so that the articles loaded onto the pallet are fed into a conveyor unit; sequentially driving a transport conveyor belt and a plurality of tipper-use conveyor belts, which are provided in the conveyor unit, so as to disperse the articles fed into the conveyor unit; and stopping the driving of the conveyor unit in a reverse order of a driving order in which the conveyor belts in the conveyor unit are driven. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein sequentially driving the conveyor unit is configured to periodically increase and decrease respective driving speeds of the transport conveyor belt and the plurality of tipper-use conveyor belts. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein sequentially driving the conveyor unit is configured to drive the conveyor unit so that respective maximum driving speeds of the transport conveyor belt and the plurality of tipper-use conveyor belts are different from each other. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein sequentially driving the conveyor unit is configured to set acceleration time points of the transport conveyor belt and the plurality of tipper-use conveyor belts to different values and to set deceleration time points of the transport conveyor belt and the plurality of tipper-use conveyor belts to an identical value. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein sequentially driving the conveyor unit comprises: receiving and analyzing an image corresponding to the conveyor unit; setting differences between operation start times of the transport conveyor belt and the plurality of tipper-use conveyor belts and operating durations of the transport conveyor belt and the plurality of tipper-use conveyor belts, based on at least one of sizes of the articles fed into the conveyor unit and a density of the articles; and driving the conveyor unit in conformity with the differences between the operation start times and the operating durations. ### Claim 17 An automatic infeed tipper, comprising: an article infeed unit configured to allow a pallet loaded with multiple articles to be installed thereon and to rotate at an angle identical to an angle of the pallet so that the articles, loaded onto the pallet, are fed into the article infeed unit; a conveyor unit provided with a transport conveyor belt and a plurality of tipper-use conveyor belts, and configured to transport the articles by adjusting spaces between the fed articles; and a control unit configured to control driving of the article infeed unit and control driving of the conveyor unit by sequentially accelerating and decelerating the transport conveyor belt and the plurality of tipper-use conveyor belts. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The automatic infeed tipper of claim 17, further comprising a detection unit configured to detect the articles located in the conveyor unit, wherein the control unit controls driving of at least one of the article infeed unit and the conveyor unit based on results of detection by the detection unit. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The automatic infeed tipper of claim 17, wherein the control unit controls the conveyor unit so that respective maximum driving speeds of the transport conveyor belt and the plurality of tipper-use conveyor belts are different from each other. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The automatic infeed tipper of claim 17, wherein the control unit controls the conveyor unit so that respective acceleration time points of the transport conveyor belt and the plurality of tipper-use conveyor belts are different from each other and respective deceleration time points of the transport conveyor belt and the plurality of tipper-use conveyor belts are identical to each other.