Suspended conveyor
A suspended conveyor includes a rail and a conveying means, which is movably mounted on the rail in a conveying direction and includes carriers, for releasable holding suspended transportation means. The suspended conveyor includes a special clearing arrangement for clearing at least a section of the rail of transport means. The clearing arrangement generally includes a clearing device, which is either movably arranged with a guide bearing along the rail section and includes a clearing element or is arranged in a fixed position. Furthermore, the clearing arrangement includes an actuating arrangement that is configured to move the clearing device from a standby state to a clearing state. In the clearing state, the clearing element is configured to release the transport means from the carriers in the rail section by a relative movement of the clearing device to the conveying means.
1 . A suspended conveyor ( 1 ) comprising:
a rail ( 2 ) and a conveying means ( 3 ) which is movably mounted in a conveying direction (x) on the rail ( 2 ) and comprises carriers ( 4 ) for releasably holding suspended transport means ( 5 ); and
a clearing arrangement ( 6 ) for clearing at least one section ( 7 ) of the rail ( 2 ) of transport means ( 5 ), the clearing arrangement ( 6 ) comprising a clearing device ( 8 ) with a clearing element ( 10 ) which can be brought into engagement with the transport means ( 5 ) arranged on the rail ( 2 ), and
an actuating arrangement ( 11 ) which is designed to move the clearing device ( 8 ) from a standby state into a clearing state, wherein the transport means ( 5 ) can be released from the carriers ( 4 ) in the rail section ( 7 ) by the clearing element ( 10 ) in the clearing state by a relative movement of the clearing device ( 8 ) to the conveying means ( 3 ), wherein the clearing device ( 8 ) comprises a guide bearing ( 9 ) by means of which the clearing device ( 8 ) is movably arranged on the rail ( 2 ) and, in the clearing device state, is movable along the section ( 7 ) of the rail ( 2 ) by means of the actuating arrangement ( 11 ), along a rail segment ( 29 ).
2 . The suspended conveyor ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the clearing element ( 10 ) is adapted to carry the transport means ( 5 ) released from the carrier ( 4 ) in the clearing state.
3 . The suspended conveyor ( 1 ) according to claim 2 , wherein the guide bearing ( 9 ) forms an abutment for the clearing element ( 10 ) in the clearing state, so that rotation of the clearing element ( 10 ) about an axis parallel to the conveying direction (X) is minimized.
4 . The suspended conveyor ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the clearing element ( 10 ) is arranged on a base ( 12 ) of the clearing device ( 8 ) so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis (S) between a standby position and a clearing position.
5 . The suspended conveyor ( 1 ) according claim 4 , wherein the tilting device ( 13 ) has at least one spring element ( 14 ) which is pre-tensioned in the standby position and locked by a retaining element ( 15 ), wherein the retaining element ( 15 ) is secured by a securing finger ( 16 ) of the clearing element ( 10 ), so that the securing finger ( 16 ) releases the retaining element ( 15 ) by pivoting the clearing element ( 10 ) and the pre-tensioned spring element ( 14 ) moves or tilts the clearing element ( 10 ) from the standby position into the tilting position.
6 . The suspended conveyor ( 1 ) according to claim 5 , wherein the tilting device ( 13 ) is configured as a parallelogram and the at least one spring element ( 14 ) diagonally connects two corners of the parallelogram.
7 . The suspended conveyor ( 1 ) according to claim 4 , wherein a spring element ( 19 ) connects the clearing element ( 10 ) and the base ( 12 ), so that the clearing element ( 10 ) is pivotable from the standby position into the clearing position via a dead center and pivoting back is made more difficult.
8 . The suspended conveyor ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the clearing device ( 8 ) has a tilting device ( 13 ) which is arranged between the guide bearing ( 9 ) and the clearing device element ( 10 ) and is set up for this purpose, to move the clearing element ( 10 ) relative to the guide bearing ( 9 ) about a tilting axis (K) from a standby position to a tilting position, and in particular to tilt the base ( 12 ) about the tilting axis (K) when the clearing device ( 8 ) is moved from the standby state to the clearing state.
9 . The suspended conveyor ( 1 ) according to claim 8 , wherein a stop element ( 17 ) is arranged on the tilting device ( 13 ), which in the standby position abuts against a stop ( 18 ) fixed in relation to the rail section ( 7 ) in order to hold the clearing device ( 8 ) in a starting position and to release the movement of the clearing device ( 8 ) along the rail section ( 7 ) in the tilting position.
10 . The suspended conveyor ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the clearing element comprises a blade ( 10 ) with a release section ( 20 ) and a collecting section ( 21 ) adjacent thereto.
11 . The suspended conveyor ( 1 ) according to claim 10 , wherein the release section ( 20 ) has a contact contour, in particular an edge ( 22 ), which is aligned in the removal position of the blade ( 10 ) in such a way that it forms a slope towards the collecting section ( 21 ) for lifting the transport means ( 5 ) from the carriers ( 4 ) and/or that it forms an incline towards the collecting section ( 21 ) for moving the transport means ( 5 ) laterally away from the carriers ( 4 ), wherein the incline and the slope are preferably aligned in such a way that lifting and moving away of the transport means ( 5 ) from the carriers ( 4 ) take place in a superimposed movement.
12 . The suspended conveyor ( 1 ) according to claim 10 , wherein the collecting section ( 21 ) is formed as an indentation ( 23 ), the distal end of which is formed by one of a stop and a nose ( 24 ).
13 . The suspended conveyor ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the transport means ( 5 ) have hook-shaped holding means ( 25 ), and the transport means ( 5 ) are configured as clothes hangers and/or transport pockets.
14 . The suspended conveyor ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the clearing element ( 10 ) is arranged on a base ( 12 ) of the clearing device ( 8 ) so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis (S) between a standby position and a clearing position and wherein the clearing device ( 8 ) has a tilting device ( 13 ) which is arranged between the guide bearing ( 9 ) and the clearing device element ( 10 ) and is set up for this purpose, to move the clearing element ( 10 ) relative to the guide bearing ( 9 ) about a tilting axis (K), wherein the pivot axis (S) and the tilting axis (K) are arranged substantially perpendicular to each other and/or the pivot axis (S) and the tilting axis (K) are each arranged substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction (x).
15 . The suspended conveyor ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the conveying means ( 3 ) is a continuous recirculating conveying means.
16 . The suspended conveyor ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the actuating arrangement ( 11 ) has a cable pull ( 26 ) which connects the clearing element ( 10 ) to a secured weight ( 27 ), wherein the weight ( 27 ) is designed to exert a pulling force on the clearing element ( 10 ) after release by means of the cable pull ( 26 ).
17 . A method for clearing a rail ( 2 ) of a suspended conveyor ( 1 ) region by region, comprising the following steps:
providing a suspended conveyor ( 1 ) comprising a rail ( 2 ) and a conveying means ( 3 ) which is movably mounted on the rail ( 2 ) in a conveying direction (x) and comprises carriers ( 4 ) for releasable holding suspended transport means ( 5 );
providing a clearing arrangement ( 6 ) along a section ( 7 ) of the rail ( 2 ), which comprises a clearing device ( 8 ) with a clearing element ( 10 ), as well as an actuating arrangement ( 11 ) which is configured to move the clearing device ( 8 ) from a standby state to a clearing state, wherein the clearing device ( 8 ) comprises a guide bearing ( 9 ), by which the clearing device ( 8 ) is movably arranged on the rail section ( 7 ) and is moved along the rail section in the clearing device state by the actuating arrangement ( 11 ), along a rail segment ( 29 ); and
bringing the clearing element ( 10 ) into engagement with the transport means ( 5 ) and transferring the clearing element ( 10 ) into a clearing state by a relative movement of the clearing device ( 8 ) to the conveying means ( 3 ), whereby the transport means ( 5 ) are released from the carriers ( 4 ) in the rail section ( 7 ).
18 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the clearing element ( 10 ) is arranged on a base ( 12 ) of the clearing device ( 8 ) so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis (S) between a standby position and a clearing position and the clearing device ( 8 ) has a tilting device ( 13 ) and the clearing element ( 10 ) is moved in the clearing position relative to the guide bearing ( 9 ) about a tilting axis (K) from a standby position into a tilting position.
19 . The method according to claim 18 , wherein the tilting device ( 13 ) has at least one spring element ( 14 ) which is pre-stressed in the standby position and locked by a retaining element ( 15 ), wherein the retaining element ( 15 ) releases the pre-stressed spring element ( 14 ) in the clearing state and the clearing element ( 10 ) is moved from the standby position into the tilting position by the spring element ( 14 ).
20 . The method according to claim 19 , wherein a stop element ( 17 ) is arranged on the tilting device ( 13 ), which in the standby position rests against a stop ( 18 ) fixed in relation to the rail section ( 7 ) and holds the clearing device ( 8 ) in a start position and releases the movement of the clearing device ( 8 ) in the clearing device state.