METHOD AND SINGULATOR FOR SINGULATING PIECES OF LUGGAGE

1 - 15 . (canceled)

16 . A method for singulating piece goods with a singulator containing a receiving portion and a segment portion having a feed section with a feed direction and a delivery section with a conveying direction, wherein:

one end of the receiving portion leads into a start of the segment portion and is disposed at a same level or above the start of the segment portion;

one end of the segment portion leads transversely or obliquely into the delivery section and is disposed at a same level or above the delivery section;

the receiving portion is individually drivable and configured to receive a multiplicity of unsorted said piece goods; and

the segment portion has at least two individually drivable segments which are disposed alongside one another and parallel to the feed direction of the segment portion and each of the individually drivable segments extends from the start to an end of the segment portion;

the method comprises the following steps of:

a) filling the receiving portion with a plurality of the unsorted piece goods;

b) transporting the unsorted piece goods to the receiving portion in the feed direction towards and onto the segment portion;

c) selecting a segment of the individually drivable segments as a preferred segment;

d) driving the preferred segment and not driving a non-preferred segment of the individually drivable segments;

e) transferring at least one of the piece goods resting on the preferred segment to the delivery section; and

f) repeatedly carrying out the method steps c to e.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , which further comprises detecting an arrangement of the piece goods on the feed section, wherein selection of the preferred segment takes place in dependence on the arrangement of the piece goods on the feed section.

18 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein control of the receiving portion is regulated in the method step b) in dependence on the arrangement detected of the piece goods on the receiving portion of the feed section.

19 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the preferred segment is the segment on which the piece goods rest right at a front downstream with regard to the conveying direction and/or the feed direction.

20 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein:

in the method step c), first selecting the segment disposed furthest downstream with regard to the conveying direction as the preferred segment; and

after transferring one or all of the piece goods resting on the preferred segment to the delivery section, in the method step e) another segment of of the individually drivable segments is newly selected as the preferred segment which is disposed immediately upstream of a previously preferred segment with regard to the conveying direction and if no further segment is adjacent upstream, the segment disposed furthest downstream with regard to the conveying direction is selected as the preferred segment.

21 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein:

a preferred drive of the individually drivable segments is a sole or faster drive than a non-preferred drive if further said piece goods are resting on adjacent segments essentially at a same level with regard to the feed direction or if a position of the further piece goods is not known; and

the non-preferred drive is at a stop and/or an equally fast and/or a slower drive than the preferred drive.

22 . The method according to claim 16 , which comprises tilting of a large container filled with the piece goods about a tilting axis disposed at a start of the receiving portion, transversely to the feed direction, onto the receiving portion and subsequent tilting back of the large container.

23 . The method according to claim 22 , which further comprises rotating the receiving portion about the tilting axis such that an end of the receiving portion is lifted and the receiving portion closes the large container and subsequent rotation of the receiving portion back together with the large container.

24 . The method according to claim 22 , which further comprises:

detecting a fill level of the large container after the tilting back of the large container; and

repeated the tilting and the tilting back of the large container, if any of the piece goods still remain in the large container, otherwise removal of the large container and a provision of a further large container filled with the piece goods.

25 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein:

the piece goods are pieces of luggage; and

the segment portion has at least four said individually drivable segments which are disposed alongside one another.

26 . The method according to claim 16 , which further comprises detecting an arrangement of the piece goods on the segment portion, wherein selection of the preferred segment takes place in dependence on the arrangement of the piece goods on the segment portion.

27 . A singulator for singulating piece goods, the singulator comprising:

a feed section having a receiving portion and a segment portion with a feed direction;

a delivery section with a conveying direction;

one end of said receiving portion leads into a start of said segment portion and is disposed on a same level or above the start of said segment portion;

one end of said segment portion leads transversely or obliquely into said delivery section and is disposed at a same level or above said delivery section;

said receiving portion is individually drivable and is configured to receive a plurality of unsorted ones of the piece goods;

said segment portion has at least two individually drivable segments that are disposed alongside one another and parallel to the feed direction of said segment portion and a drivable segment of the individually drivable segments extending in each case from the start to an end of said segment portion; and

means for carrying out the method according to claim 16 .

28 . The singulator according to claim 27 , wherein said means has a detector, wherein said detector is disposed above said feed section, and is configured to detect an arrangement of the piece goods on said feed section.

29 . The singulator according to claim 27 , wherein said means has a container detector, wherein said container detector is disposed and configured to detect the piece goods in a large container which can be tilted onto said receiving portion.

30 . The singulator according to claim 27 ,

further comprising a means of conveyance of said receiving portion, said segments and said delivery section; and

wherein said means has a controller, said controller is configured to control said means of conveyance of said receiving portion, said segments and said delivery section.

31 . The singulator according to claim 30 , wherein:

said means has detectors; and

said controller is configured to control said means of conveyance depending on the piece goods detected by said detectors.

32 . The singulator according to claim 27 , wherein:

the singulator is configured for singulating pieces of luggage; and

said at least two individually drivable segments is two of four, individually drivable segments.

33 . The singulator according to claim 28 , wherein said detector is disposed above said segment portion.

34 . The singulator according to claim 27 , wherein said means has a container detector, wherein said container detector is disposed and configured to detect the piece goods in a large container which can be tilted onto said receiving portion and the piece goods remaining in the large container after tilting back.

35 . A conveyor system, comprising:

said singulator according to claim 27 .