Feeding device of an intra-logistics system

Abstract

The invention relates to a feeding device for feeding products to a conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting line of an intra-logistics system, including a supply conveyor, a standby circular conveyor having a plurality of transport units, which are arranged spaced apart from one another in a variably conveyable manner, an accumulation section, in which the transport units can be accumulated, an acceleration section, in which the transport units can be accelerated. The supply conveyor is provided with a transfer point, at which the products are transferred to a respective transport unit of the standby circular conveyor. The feeding device is configured such that the feeding device delivers the products in a controlled manner to designated receiving units of the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting line.

1 . A feeding device ( 3 . 1 - 3 . 6 ) for feeding products to a conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section ( 2 ,  2 ″) of an intra-logistics system, the feeding device ( 3 . 1 - 3 . 6 ) comprising:
 a supply conveyor ( 31 ,  31 . 1 ), 
 a preparation circuit ( 32 ,  32 . 1 ) with a plurality of transport units ( 321 . 3 ,  321 . 7 ,  324 . 1 - 324 . 9 ) which are arranged to be conveyable with variable spacing from one another, 
 an accumulation section ( 3 . 65 ) in which the transport units ( 321 . 3 ,  321 . 7 ,  324 . 1 - 324 . 9 ) can be accumulated, and 
 an acceleration section ( 3 . 64 ) in which the transport units ( 321 . 3 ,  321 . 7 ,  324 . 1 - 324 . 9 ) can be accelerated, wherein the supply conveyor ( 31 ,  31 . 1 ) includes a transfer point ( 3 . 61 ) at which the products are each transferred to a transport unit ( 321 . 3 ,  321 . 7 ,  324 . 1 - 324 . 9 ) of the preparation circuit ( 32 ,  32 . 1 ) and wherein the feeding device ( 3 . 1 - 3 . 6 ) is configured to deliver the products in a controlled manner to designated receiving units ( 21 ) of the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section ( 2 ,  2 ″). 
 
     
     
         2 . The feeding device ( 3 . 1 - 3 . 6 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the feeding device ( 3 . 1 - 3 . 6 ) comprises a delivery conveyor ( 33 ,  33 ′) arranged relative to the preparation circuit ( 32 ,  32 . 1 ) so that the transport units ( 321 . 3 ,  321 . 7 ,  324 . 1 - 324 . 9 ) deliver the products to the delivery conveyor ( 33 ,  33 ′) and the delivery conveyor ( 33 ,  33 ′) delivers the products to designated receiving units ( 21 ) of the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section ( 2 ,  2 ″). 
     
     
         3 . The feeding device ( 3 . 1 - 3 . 6 ) according to  claim 2 , wherein the preparation circuit ( 32 ,  32 . 1 ) is configured for controlled delivery of the products to the delivery conveyor ( 33 ) and/or the delivery conveyor ( 33 ) for controlled delivery of products to the designated receiving units ( 21 ) of the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section ( 2 ,  2 ″). 
     
     
         4 . The feeding device ( 3 . 1 - 3 . 6 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein a control unit is provided which checks that the transport units ( 321 . 3 ,  321 . 7 ,  324 . 1 - 324 . 9 ) of the preparation circuit ( 32 ,  32 . 1 ) only leave the transfer point when the transport units ( 321 . 3 ,  321 . 7 ,  324 . 1 ,  324 . 9 ) have accepted a product. 
     
     
         5 . The feeding device ( 3 . 1 - 3 . 6 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the transport units ( 321 . 3 ,  321 . 7 ,  324 . 1 - 324 . 9 ) are conveyable on the preparation circuit ( 32 ,  32 . 1 ) independently of one another. 
     
     
         6 . The feeding device ( 3 . 1 - 3 . 6 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the transport units ( 321 . 3 ,  321 . 7 ,  324 . 1 - 324 . 9 ) of the preparation circuit ( 32 ,  32 . 1 ) comprise holding means, preferably hooks or grippers ( 322 . 5 - 322 . 8 ,  324 . 94 ) or pockets for receiving and/or holding and/or delivering the products. 
     
     
         7 . The feeding device ( 3 . 1 - 3 . 6 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the transport units ( 321 . 3 ,  321 . 7 ,  324 . 1 - 324 . 9 ) are configured as carriages ( 324 ,  324 . 1 - 324 . 9 ) with holding means, preferably hooks or grippers ( 322 . 5 - 322 . 8 ,  324 . 94 ) or pockets, said carriages being freely moveable on a running rail ( 323 ,  323 ′). 
     
     
         8 . An intra-logistics system comprising a feeding device ( 3 . 1 - 3 . 6 ) according to  claim 1  and a conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section ( 2 ,  2 ″) with receiving units ( 21 ). 
     
     
         9 . The intra-logistics system according to  claim 8 , wherein the intra-logistics system comprises at least one collecting device ( 5 . 1 ,  5 . 2 ) and at least one intermediate conveyor ( 4 ) for transporting products from the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section ( 2 ,  2 ″) to the at least one collecting device ( 5 . 1 ,  5 . 2 ), wherein the intermediate conveyor ( 4 ) comprises a plurality of transport units ( 321 . 3 ,  321 . 7 ,  324 . 1 - 324 . 9 ) for receiving and/or holding and/or delivering the products and a shunting device ( 6 ). 
     
     
         10 . The intra-logistics system according to  claim 9 , wherein the shunting device ( 6 ) comprises at least one directing group with at least one gate ( 62 ) and at least one supply section ( 611 ). 
     
     
         11 . The intra-logistics system according to  claim 9 , wherein the transport units ( 321 . 3 ,  321 . 7 ,  324 . 1 - 324 . 9 ) of the intermediate conveyor ( 4 ) are independent of one another and are arranged to be conveyable with variable spacing from one another and are preferably configured as freely movable carriages ( 324 . 1 - 324 . 9 ) in a running rail ( 323 ,  323 ′) with holding means, preferably hooks or grippers ( 322 . 5 - 322 . 8 ,  324 . 94 ) or pockets. 
     
     
         12 . The intra-logistics system according to  claim 11 , further comprising a carriage ( 324 . 1 - 324 . 9 ) in the directing group placed in storage by one or a plurality of gates ( 62 ,  622 ) on one of a plurality of supply sections ( 611 ) in each case. 
     
     
         13 . The intra-logistics system according to  claim 12 , wherein the carriage ( 324 . 1 - 324 . 9 ) in the directing group can be removed from storage actively or passively from one of a plurality of supply sections ( 611 ) in each case and compiled by one or a plurality of gates ( 63 ,  631 ) with further carriages ( 324 . 1 - 324 . 9 ) from the same and/or further supply sections ( 611 ) into a predetermined sequence. 
     
     
         14 . A method for operating an intra-logistics system according to  claim 8 , comprising the steps:
 i) collection of product compilations made up of a plurality of products in receiving units ( 21 ) along a conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section ( 2 ,  2 ″), wherein the products are fed in a controlled manner to the receiving units ( 21 ) from at least one feeding device ( 3 . 1 - 3 . 6 ); and   ii) transfer of the products and transportation to at least one collecting device ( 5 . 1 ,  5 . 2 ), for the production of collections or stacks or packages which takes place according to a product sequence S act .   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein, following the transfer from the supply conveyor ( 31 ,  31 . 1 ) to a transport unit ( 321 . 3 ,  321 . 7 ,  324 . 1 - 324 . 9 ) of the preparation circuit ( 32 ,  32 . 1 ), the products are transported from said preparation circuit to a delivery conveyor ( 33 ) and delivered thereto and the delivery conveyor ( 33 ) then delivers the products to the designated receiving units ( 21 ) of the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section ( 2 ,  2 ″). 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the preparation circuit ( 32 ,  32 . 1 ) delivers the products in a controlled manner to the delivery conveyor ( 33 ). 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein a control unit checks that the transport units ( 3213 ,  321 . 7 ,  324 . 1 - 324 . 9 ) of the preparation circuit ( 32 ,  32 . 1 ) only leave the transfer point when they have received a product. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the products are collected in the receiving units ( 21 ) of the conveying or processing or packaging or sorting or collecting section ( 2 ,  2 ″) into product units, in particular end products with product collections, wherein at least a proportion of the end products are target-specifically individualized product units and wherein the end products are delivered in accordance with an actual product sequence (Sact) to at least one collecting device ( 5 . 1 ,  5 . 2 ) for the production of stacks or packages. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein after the product collections have been collected, the product units comprising the product collections are completed, the product units according to a product sequence (S act ) are transferred to a shunting device ( 6 ), the actual sequence of the individual product units of the product sequence (S act ) are compared with a planned sequence of product units according to a product sequence (S set ), the product units transported without any change to the sequence through the shunting device ( 6 ) when the product sequence (sact) agrees with the production sequence (S set ) or a repair group comprising a plurality of product units with a sequence differing from the production sequence (S set ) is temporarily stored in a supply section ( 611 ) of a directing group and subsequent corrected and/or subsequently produced product units compiled in the correct sequence with the product units of the repair group and the product units in the correct sequence are transported to at least one collecting device ( 5 . 1 ,  5 . 2 ) for the production of route-adapted packages or stacks.