Granted Patent B2

US 12,534,258 · App. 18/570,438 · Granted Jan 27, 2026

Inventors: August Peutl (Woerth an der Donau, DE); Andreas Hack (Osterhofen, DE); Oliver Kotz (Prien am Chiemsee, DE); Martin Wagner (Regensburg, DE); Ulrich Hansbauer (Wurmannsquick, DE)

Assignee: Krones Aktiengellschaft

B65B59/04B25J5/005B65B43/126B65B43/145B65G17/12

Abstract

Claims (49)

1 . A transport device ( 1 ) for planar packaging blanks comprising:

at least one driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ) and

at least one adapter ( 3 ), wherein the at least one driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ) is capable of carrying the at least one adapter ( 3 ),

wherein the at least one adapter ( 3 ) is capable of holding at least one stack ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks,

wherein the at least one adapter ( 3 ) or the at least one driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ) has a tilt mechanism ( 16 ) via which the at least one stack ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks can be pivoted about a horizontally oriented axis.

2 . The transport device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ) and the at least one adapter ( 3 ) can be separated from one another.

3 . The transport device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one adapter ( 3 ) comprises at least one circulatingly driven conveyor ( 37 ) for moving at least one corresponding held stack ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks.

4 . The transport device of claim 3 , wherein the at least one adapter ( 3 ) is capable of fixing in place at least one held stack ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks, and comprises at least one liftable and lowerable punch ( 9 ), wherein the at least one lifting and lowerable punch ( 9 ) is applying force onto a topmost planar packaging blank of the at least one held stack ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks.

5 . The transport device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ) and the at least one adapter ( 3 ) are coupled to one another via an interface for data exchange, for electrical power supply, or are coupled together pneumatically.

6 . The transport device of claim 1 , wherein

the at least one driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ) or the at least one adapter ( 3 ) has a lifting mechanism ( 51 ), wherein the at least one adapter ( 3 ) can be lifted relative to the at least one driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ) for independent reception, so that the at least one adapter ( 3 ) loses a surface contact with a floor surface existing up to that point or wherein:

the at least one driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ) and the at least one adapter ( 3 ) interact via a centering mechanism, which centering mechanism can align the at least one adapter ( 3 ) relative to the at least one driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ) in the case of independent reception via the at least one driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ) or wherein:

the at least one driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ) and the at least one adapter ( 3 ) interact via a clamping bolt and a clamping mechanism, via which clamping bolt and clamping mechanism the at least one adapter ( 3 ) can be fixed at least largely immovably on the at least one driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ).

7 . The transport device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one adapter ( 3 ) is capable of holding at least two stacks ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks in at least two planes (E 1 , E 2 ) which are offset relative to one another in the vertical direction.

8 . The transport device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one adapter ( 3 ) has a plurality of fork prongs ( 6 ), which are capable of holding the at least one stack ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks.

9 . The transport device claim 1 , further comprising a multi-axis robot arranged on the at least one adapter ( 3 ) or on the at least one driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ) and is capable of gripping at least one stack ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks to be held and of positioning a gripped stack ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks on the at least one adapter ( 3 ).

10 . A transport device ( 1 ) for planar packaging blanks, comprising:

at least one driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ) and

at least one adapter ( 3 ), wherein the at least one driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ) is capable of carrying the at least one adapter ( 3 ),

wherein the at least one adapter ( 3 ) is capable of holding at least one stack ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks,

wherein:

the at least one driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ) is capable of independently receiving an adapter ( 3 ) or wherein:

the at least one driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ) is capable of independently setting down an adapter ( 3 ) carried up to then by the at least one driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ).

11 . A packaging system ( 10 ) comprising:

at least one packaging device ( 2 ) capable of packaging article arrangements with planar packaging blanks, comprising:

at least one blank supply ( 30 ) with at least one stack ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks, and

at least one transport device ( 1 ) having at least one driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ) and at least one adapter ( 3 ),

at least one first packaging device ( 2 ) capable of packaging article arrangements with planar packaging blanks, and

at least one second packaging device ( 2 ) capable of packaging further article arrangements with planar packaging blanks,

wherein the at least one specific driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ) is capable of bringing a corresponding stack ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks from the at least one blank supply ( 30 ) to either the at least one first packaging device ( 2 ) or to the at least one second packaging device ( 2 ) via a corresponding carried adapter ( 3 ).

12 . The packaging system of claim 11 , wherein the packaging device ( 2 ) further comprises at least one stack buffer ( 54 ), which has a plurality of receptacles arranged one above the other in the vertical direction, wherein the receptacles are capable of storing at least one stack ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks, and the packaging device ( 2 ) further comprises at least one stack elevator ( 52 ), via which stacks ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks can be introduced into the receptacles.

13 . A method for operating a packaging system ( 10 ) comprising:

transferring at least one stack ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks provided via at least one blank supply ( 30 ) to the at least one packaging device ( 2 ),

by carrying at least one adapter ( 3 ) with at least one driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ), wherein the at least one adapter ( 3 ) holds at least one stack ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks, and

bringing the driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ) from the at least one blank supply ( 30 ) to the at least one packaging device ( 2 ),

transferring the stack ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks, which is still held via the at least one adapter ( 3 ) until then, from the at least one adapter ( 3 ) to the at least one packaging device ( 2 ), and

packaging, with the at least one packaging device ( 2 ), article arrangements with planar packaging blanks of the transferred stack ( 5 ),

wherein the at least one adapter ( 3 ) holds a plurality of stacks ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks in at least two planes (E 1 , E 2 ) offset relative to one another in the vertical direction, and the plurality of stacks ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks are brought by the at least one driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ) from the at least one blank supply ( 30 ) to the at least one packaging device ( 2 ), whereupon the plurality of stacks ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks, which are still held until then by the at least one adapter ( 3 ), are transferred from the at least one adapter ( 3 ) to the at least one packaging device ( 2 ).

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the transferring step comprises driving at least one conveyor ( 37 ), a component of the at least one adapter ( 3 ), in a circulating manner, resulting in the stack ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks being transferred to the at least one packaging device ( 2 ).

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

providing stacks ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks already held by the at least one adapter ( 3 ), and

driving the at least one driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ) under the at least one adapter ( 3 ) together with the stack ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks,

raising the at least one adapter ( 3 ) together with the stack ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks already held, so that the at least one adapter ( 3 ) thereby loses its contact with a support surface and is then carried via the at least one driverless transport vehicle ( 7 ).

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one adapter ( 3 ) fixes in place the at least one held stack ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks and comprises at least one liftable and lowerable punch ( 9 ), wherein the at least one liftable and lowerable punch ( 9 ) presses against a topmost planar packaging blank of the at least one held stack ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks in a force-applying manner.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the transferring step further comprises:

providing the at least one packaging device ( 2 ) with at least one stack buffer ( 54 ), which has a plurality of receptacles arranged one above the other in the vertical direction,

providing a stack elevator ( 52 ) with a platform ( 53 ) on the at least one adapter ( 3 ),

bringing the stack ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks to a vertical height level of a specific receptacle of the plurality of receptacles in the at least one stack buffer ( 54 ) via the platform ( 53 ) of the stack elevator ( 52 ), and

introducing and storing the stack of ( 5 ) of planar packaging blanks, into the specific receptacle at the specific vertical level until planar packaging blanks of the stored stack ( 5 ) are required for packaging article arrangements.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (30)