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.
Claims19
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 segments;
- said segments being arranged one behind another along the main conveying direction and said segments being offset relative to one another perpendicularly to the main conveying direction;
- each of said segments including a plurality of conveyors arranged substantially in parallel with one another and configured to transport the items to be conveyed along the main conveying direction;
- 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 segments that are arranged one behind another along a main conveying direction;
- the segments having conveyors arranged substantially in parallel with one another and being configured to transport the items to be conveyed along the main conveying direction;
- the method comprising:
- individually driving and activating the conveyors;
- and
- a) transporting an item to be conveyed on a preceding segment;
- b) transferring the item to be conveyed along the main conveying direction from the preceding segment to a following segment that is offset relative to preceding segment;
- and
- c) transporting the item to be conveyed on the following segment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.