Patent Application
20230278804
The invention relates to a conveyor system, in particular a circulating conveyor system, for the local transport of workpieces, comprising a track having rail sections extending next to one another, with portions which are inclined differently from one another in relation to a horizontal plane and along which load carriers designed to receive the workpieces are movable one behind the other, wherein each load carrier has a running gear with at least one first bearing assembly and at least one second bearing assembly, which is spaced apart from the first bearing assembly in relation to the extension of the track and through which the load carriers are guided on the track. Furthermore, the invention relates to use of this conveyor system with or in a coating system, wherein at least one section of the track of the conveyor system extends through the coating system and the workpieces to be transported through the coating system take the form of motor vehicle rims, in particular car rims, or comprise at least parts thereof.
Conveyor systems of the type in question here are used for the mostly locally limited transport of workpieces that are to be machined or finished. Within industrial production and/or processing facilities, they ensure the necessary material flow. Systems operated in particular in the sense of a circuit enable successive loading with workpieces and subsequent removal, which can take place over limited periods of time up to virtually continuous operation. The workpieces transferred to the conveyor system can thus be fed to at least one processing operation, such as the surface treatment in a coating system. In this way, two or more processing operations that are spatially separated from one another and in this respect are to be passed through one after the other can also be concatenated.
Such conveyor systems can be designed, for example, as manual overhead conveyors, circulating conveyor systems or so-called power-and-free systems, to name only a few possible embodiments. The latter embodiment permits detachment from the conveyor circuit in order to enable, for example, a moving part of the conveyor system to be retained or transferred together with the workpiece to another conveyor path or circuit. As a result of this possibility of transfer, workpieces can sometimes travel complex paths, which then not only run in the horizontal plane but, alternatively or simultaneously, also in the vertical direction thereto. In addition to the mostly suspended arrangement of workpieces beneath a conveyor system, their placement on such a conveyor is also known, such as in the case of a spindle conveyor.
Currently, in power-and-free systems, there is already a vertical conveyor option in which the conveyed material, including the item holder, remains in a horizontal state, despite an incline. However, this means a very complicated design since each individual carriage requires an adjustment mechanism. This is expensive, complicated and sensitive, especially to contamination.
DE 10 2011 100 825 A1 discloses a conveyor system which, in the embodiment as a spindle conveyor, serves for the stationary transport of workpieces, in particular of vehicle wheels. The conveyor system comprises a track with rail sections extending next to one another. Here, the track has individual portions which are inclined differently from one another in relation to a horizontal plane. Load carriers which are movable one behind the other along the track are designed to each receive at least one workpiece. Each of these load carriers has a running gear which has at least one first bearing assembly and at least one second bearing assembly, wherein the two bearing assemblies are spaced apart from one another in relation to the extension of the track. By means of the bearing assemblies, the respective load carrier is guided in a displaceable manner along the track.
In the specific embodiment, each load carrier has a vertically upward extending lance-shaped spindle, at the free end of which a receptacle for in each case one of the workpieces is arranged. In particular in the transition regions between the portions of the track that are inclined differently from one another, the free ends of the spindles, acting as cantilever arms, of two load carriers that are traveling directly one behind the other naturally move toward or away from one another. In order to prevent a collision of the workpieces placed on the spindles, the portions of the track can therefore include only slight inclines. Due to the tilting behavior, the load carriers must also maintain a suitable distance from one another. In other words, as a result of the required distance between the load carriers, inclined portions necessarily lead to the number of load carriers and thus also the number of possible workpieces per section unit being reduced, while the necessary lengths of the process zones are increased. In order to nevertheless obtain a sufficient capacity of the conveyor system, a speed increase of the load carriers along the track is required, which can have a negative effect on the achievable quality of the coating, in particular when vehicle wheels are to be coated.
A further possibility is the rotatable arrangement of two spindles per load carrier around a vertical axis. As a result, the two spindles of a load carrier can be arranged one behind the other in the direction of travel, while they are rotated by 90° before the start of an incline and can thus be arranged next to one another transversely to the direction of travel. As a result, the workpieces which are directly opposite and placed on two successive load carriers are spatially removed from one another so that a greater inclination of the spindles of the load carrier traveling ahead is permissible, which in turn enables greater inclination differences or inclines of the track.
In addition to the increased manufacturing costs and a more intensive maintenance of this embodiment, the rotatable arrangement of two spindles per load carrier requires more space laterally, at least in the region of the transitions between the portions, in order to prevent, for example, a collision between the received workpieces and other system parts. However, even without a rotatable design, the distance to be maintained between the individual load carriers reduces the performance of such a conveyor system since the number of workpieces that can be received necessarily decreases. Although power-and-free systems offer further possibilities here, they are, for example, relatively expensive to procure and operate in comparison to circulating conveyor systems. In view of these observations, existing conveyor systems still offer room for improvements.
The present invention is therefore based on the object of further developing a generic conveyor system in such a way that it enables a cost-effective and efficient way of transporting workpieces along a track having portions inclined differently from one another. Furthermore, an advantageous use of this conveyor system is to be provided.
This object is achieved by a conveyor system, in particular a circulating conveyor system, for the local transport of workpieces, comprising a track having rail sections extending next to one another, with portions which are inclined differently from one another in relation to a horizontal plane and along which load carriers designed to receive the workpieces are movable one behind the other, wherein each load carrier has a running gear with at least one first bearing assembly and at least one second bearing assembly, which is spaced apart from the first bearing assembly in relation to the extension of the track and through which the load carriers are guided on the track. Advantageous embodiments can be found in the dependent claims. One possible use of this conveyor system is with or in a coating system, wherein at least one section of the track of the conveyor system extends through the coating system and the workpieces to be transported through the coating system take the form of motor vehicle rims, in particular car rims, or comprise at least parts thereof.
For the conveyor system, the invention now proposes a differing relative height position, at least in some sections, between at least two rail sections running next to one another, in the portions of the track. Here, the load carriers are in each case guided via their first bearing assembly on at least one rail section and via their second bearing assembly on at least one further rail section running next to said rail section. The fact that the height position of at least two rail sections running next to one another, along the track varies at least in some sections has the effect that the load carriers supported thereon are oriented the same relative to the horizontal plane at every point on the track in relation to their direction of travel. In other words, each load carrier is supported, for example, via its front region on one of the rail sections, while, for example, its rear region is supported on the other rail section running next to said rail section. By changing the height position of the rail sections running next to one another, the orientation of the load carriers moving thereon necessarily also changes. By means of a corresponding relative height profile of the rail sections extending next to one another, it is therefore possible for the load carriers to always keep the same, in particular vertically upright, orientation at every position along the track.
The resulting advantage is that no elaborate embodiments and/or, for example, rotatable spindles of the load carriers are required in order to move the load carriers, arranged with the shortest possible distance between them, along the track. As a result of the constant orientation, relative to the horizontal plane, of the load carriers in their direction of travel, which is due to the design of the track, the load carriers no longer disadvantageously approach one another due to the otherwise usual inclination of the same, in particular in the transition regions between the differently inclined portions. Compared to the change in the height position of the bearing assemblies relative to one another, which otherwise takes place in the transition regions and in which the inclination change of the chord spanning between the bearing assemblies otherwise leads to the same extent to an inclination of the associated load carrier, the relative height position of the bearing assemblies now remains unchanged in an extremely advantageous manner. At the same time, the conveyor system can overall be produced and operated cost-effectively, wherein the possibility of the now significantly closer succession of the individual load carriers leads to an advantageous increase in performance in relation to the possible number of workpieces to be transported.
The conveyor system according to the invention permits a significantly improved layout, e.g., as a painting or coating system for vehicle wheels. Compared to the use of power-and-free systems, the conveyor system according to the invention enables a much simpler and thus more cost-effective structure in the form of a circulating conveyor system. The system structure and/or its system technology have/has an overall simplified and thus improved accessibility. Due to the inclination-free travel of the load carriers, the potential risk of the received workpieces slipping or even falling and also of their collision with one another now no longer exists. The structure of the conveyor system according to the invention requires only a few, in particular moving, elements, resulting in simplified maintenance and care, in addition to cost reduction, in particular in comparison to a power-and-free system.
In the context of the invention, a juxtaposition of the rail sections is not limited to a course of the same in parallel to the horizontal plane and thus laterally opposite but also comprises all other spatial positions of the rail sections relative to one another, such as one above the other or obliquely opposite one another.
According to a preferred development of the basic concept of the invention, the track can have a single outer rail section and a single inner rail section, on which sections the load carriers are guided via their bearing assemblies. Alternatively, the track can have not only two outer rail sections running at the same height position but also two inner rail sections running at the same height position, on which sections the load carriers are guided via their bearing assemblies. The latter embodiment can also be referred to as a double-rail section. As a result of the arrangement of two rail sections in each case at the same height position, an overall more stable guidance of the load carriers can be achieved. In principle, the respective rail sections can be arranged such that they are arranged either next to one another in relation to a horizontal or one above the other in relation to a vertical. Combinations thereof are likewise conceivable. By means of a correspondingly adapted design of the bearing assemblies, at least one of these bearing assemblies can, for example, be supported vertically on a rail section or between two rail sections. At least one of the bearing assemblies can, for example, also be supported horizontally on a rail section or between two rail sections.
Based on this, it is considered to be particularly advantageous if each of the load carriers is guided via its first bearing assembly on the inner rail sections, while the outer rail sections serve to guide the respective load carrier via its second bearing assembly. In this way, there is a clear assignment for each of the load carriers as to which of its bearing assemblies is guided along the track on the inner rail sections and which is guided on the outer rail sections.
With regard to the rail sections, various forms and cross-sections are conceivable. According to a particularly preferred embodiment, at least one of the rail sections can have a laterally open cross-section. This means that said rail section is effectively based on a hollow profile which can, for example, have two opposite side walls running perpendicularly to the horizontal plane, wherein just one of these side walls is absent or is continuously open at least in the longitudinal direction of the rail section. Advantageously, such a rail section can have a U-shaped or C-shaped cross-section. In principle, it is of course also conceivable to have single- or multiple-angled designs in the sense of an L-shaped or Z-shaped cross-section as well as combinations of the shapes mentioned. Here, it is possible to use standard profiles, which enables a cost-effective implementation.
Starting from a laterally open design of the rail sections in the sense of double-rail sections, it is considered to be advantageous if the inner rail sections face one another with their open sides, wherein they at least partially accommodate between them the first bearing assembly of each load carrier. This results in a stable guidance of the respective first bearing assembly of each load carrier on the inner rail sections with as little play as possible.
Furthermore, starting from a laterally open design of the rail sections, it is conceivable that the outer rail sections basically run continuously next to one another either with their open sides facing one another or with their open sides facing away from one another. This with respect to two outer rail sections integrating at least one inner rail section between them or outer double-rail section(s) arranged laterally of the at least one inner rail section.
Within the context of the invention, it is considered to be more advantageous for the orientation of the outer rail sections to one another to vary. The outer rail sections can thus face one another with their open sides in a portion of the track that rises relative to the horizontal plane. Alternatively or additionally, the outer rail sections can face away from one another with their open sides in a portion of the track that falls relative to the horizontal plane. In this way, it is possible for the guidance of the associated bearing assemblies on the outer rail sections to, for example, be carried out in a trailing manner in a portion (incline) that rises relative to the horizontal plane, while said guidance takes place in a leading manner in a portion (decline) that falls relative to the horizontal plane.
In a portion (flat) of the track that is parallel to the horizontal plane, the outer rail sections can face away from one another or face one another with their open sides.
In principle, the invention provides that the bearing assemblies of the individual load carriers in each case can have only one rolling body. Alternatively, the bearing assemblies can each have at least two rolling bodies. It is also possible, for example, that only the first bearing assembly has two rolling bodies, while the second bearing assembly has only one rolling body, and vice versa. The rolling bodies can advantageously be arranged next to one another in a transverse direction to the track. Alternatively or additionally, at least one of the rolling bodies can also be designed as a sliding body. A rolling body is understood to mean a body rolling with its circumference over a part of the rail sections and thus a rotatable body, while a sliding body has correspondingly low-friction properties at least in a region that comes or can come into contact with a part of the rail sections.
According to a preferred development of the conveyor system according to the invention, the respective second bearing assembly of the individual load carriers can have two support units with in each case only one, in particular inner or outer, rolling body or one inner rolling body and one outer rolling body.
The support units can advantageously be spaced apart from one another so that a stable support on the track results. In a portion (incline) of the track that rises relative to the horizontal plane, the load carriers can then be guided on the outer rail sections via the outer rolling bodies. Alternatively or additionally, in a portion (decline) of the track that falls relative to the horizontal plane, the load carriers can be guided on the outer rail sections via the inner rolling bodies.
In a flat portion (flat) running in parallel to the horizontal plane, the load carriers can be guided on the outer rail sections either via the outer rolling bodies or via the inner rolling bodies.
A change in the guidance of the load carriers via their inner rolling bodies or their outer rolling bodies can require a corresponding change in the orientation of the outer rail sections relative to one another. The outer rail sections can thus face one another with their open sides in order to guide the load carriers on the outer rail sections via their outer rolling bodies. In contrast, the outer rail sections can face away from one another with their open sides in order to guide the load carriers on the outer rail sections via their inner rolling bodies.
The conveyor system according to the invention now presented makes its extremely cost-effective structure and operation possible, wherein the absence of tilting of the load carriers due to the differently inclined portions of the track in the transition regions leads to an overall increased efficiency of the system.
The invention is furthermore aimed at a preferred use of the conveyor system according to the invention with or in a coating system. The coating system may be one for carrying out wet coatings and/or powder coatings. Furthermore, the coating system may also include such stations which serve for the pretreatment or aftertreatment of workpieces with respect to their coating. It is provided that at least one section of the track of the conveyor system extends through the coating system. Particularly preferably, the workpieces to be transported through the coating system can be motor vehicle rims, in particular car rims. At any rate, the workpieces can be parts of motor vehicle rims, as usual, for example, in multi-part designs of the same.
The advantages resulting from this have already been explained in more detail in connection with the conveyor system according to the invention so that, in order to avoid repetition, reference is made at this point to the corresponding contents in this regard.
The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
Upon closer examination, it becomes clear that the rail sections 8, 9 of the track 4 run next to one another at different height positions Y1, Y2. In the present case, the first rail section 8 is located at a first height position Y1, which is below the height position Y2 of the second rail section 9, so that the second rail section 9 runs above the first rail section 8. Due to the different height positions Y1, Y2 of the individual rail sections 8, 9, each load carrier 2 as regards its spindle 2a is oriented in the present case perpendicularly to the horizontal plane H, although this is located on a portion 4b describing an incline. In other words, the different height positions Y1, Y2 of the individual rail sections 8, 9 of the track 4 here compensate for the bearing assemblies 6, 7, which are located opposite one another at the same height position, of the load carriers 2. In this way, the load carriers 2 do not undergo any tilting, so that they require a significantly smaller distance A from one another.
The rail sections 8, 9, which have a laterally open, in particular C- or U-shaped, cross-section, are designed in duplicate so that the track 4 has two outer rail sections 8a, 8b running at the same height position Y1 and two inner rail sections 9a, 9b running at the same height position Y2, on which the load carriers 2 are guided via their bearing assemblies 6, 7. As can be seen, the two inner rail sections 9a, 9b face one another with their open sides such that between them, they at least partially receive the first bearing assembly 6 comprising two rolling bodies 6a, 6b. Here, in each case one of the two rolling bodies 6a, 6b rolls on the web of the associated inner rail section 9a, 9b, wherein the rolling bodies 6a, 6b are each restricted laterally by the flanges of the inner rail sections 9a, 9b against a displacement in relation to the transverse direction Y.
The position of the outer rail sections 8a, 8b can vary along the track 4 in such a way that in relation to their longitudinal direction, they run in each case rotated by 180° in the portions 4b having an incline and/or in the portions 4c having a decline (see
In relation to the alternative embodiment mentioned above,
With regard to the alternative embodiment shown in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2020 114 047.9 | May 2020 | DE | national |
This application is the US national phase of and claims the benefit of and priority on International Application No. PCT/EP2021/062958 having an international filing date of 17 May 2021, which claims priority on and the benefit of German Patent Application No. 10 2020 114 047.9 having a filing date of 26 May 2020.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2021/062958 | 5/17/2021 | WO |
