Method and apparatus used to handle non-upright articles of an article stream under prevention of disturbances

The invention includes a method (100) and an apparatus to handle irregularly conveyed and/or irregularly aligned and/or non-upright articles of an article stream under prevention of disturbances. The method (100) comprises the following steps: identifying at least one non-upright article in an article stream as an error; performing a correction step to resolve the error, the correction step comprising removal from the article stream of the at least one irregularly aligned article, or transfer to an upright orientation of the at least one irregularly aligned article, with a defined action being exerted temporally before and/or in temporal overlap with the correction step upon the at least one irregularly aligned article or upon regularly conveyed articles of the article stream.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

The present application claims priority to International Application PCT/EP2018/065555, filed Jun. 12, 2018, which in turn claims priority to German Application DE 10 2017 209 984.4, filed Jun. 13, 2017, which are incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method used to handle irregularly conveyed and/or irregularly aligned and/or non-upright articles of an article stream, in particular, under prevention of disturbances of an article conveyance. The invention moreover relates to an apparatus used to transport articles and to handle irregularly conveyed and/or irregularly aligned and/or non-upright articles of an article stream.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Articles, such as those designed as beverage containers, are frequently transported along a packaging line and in this connection provided with at least one outer packaging, if required. The articles provided with a particular outer packaging or the beverages containers gathered together in a particular bundle can then be brought into a particular pre-group aligned to a palletizable layer, from which pre-group the finished palletizable layer is produced by compacting the previously grouped articles or bundles. A multitude of palletizable layers can be stacked and prepared for transport on each particular pallet.

During the processing steps or during a herewith associated transport of articles, it is possible that an error occurs with individual articles or that they tilt over while being transported which involves problems in processing these articles and in continuing the individual work steps without interruption. In this connection, it can be necessary to stop individual machines or an entire facility or to briefly take it out of operation until a disturbance can be removed that was caused due to an individual article having tilted. Such tilted articles can be extracted from the particular processing line manually. In order not to have to interrupt individual processing steps, and in order to minimize staff effort for removing disturbances as much as possible, individual systems are known from the prior art that use a manipulator for this purpose.

Such a system is disclosed, for example, in WO 2015/185957 A1. The system described there comprises a horizontal conveying device on which a multitude of bottles is moved in a disorderly mass flow. A robot is disposed at the side of the horizontal conveying device. The robot can extract individual, tilted bottles of the disorderly mass flow from the horizontal conveying device or from the disorderly mass flow.

Practice has shown that additional problems can arise from an extraction or from a removal of errors caused by tilting of individual articles. It is possible, for example, that a plurality of further articles of the article stream are impaired or fall over while extracting the particular tilted article, and the further articles hereby come to lie in a likewise undesired manner on the horizontal conveying device. If a plurality of immediately adjacent articles or beverage containers have tilted over it is possible that a plurality of beverage containers lie partly on top of each other. Lower located articles or beverage containers are potentially non-accessible in this connection, thus involving further problems for an extraction. In the instance of beverage containers, a particular tilted beverage container is frequently sensor-detected, with a position of the label applied onto the particular beverage container being optically identified. If a plurality of beverage containers have tilted and hereby lie on top of each other, the label of a lower located beverage container is potentially non-identifiable, or it is covered by further beverage containers lying on top. The lower located, tilted beverage container can then not be identified as being a tilted beverage container or as being an error and is thus not extracted.

If the multitude of articles is moved in back pressure, and if the individual articles of the multitude consist of plastic or PET tilted articles are potentially inadvertently deformed, thus involving further problems when extracting the particular article. Due to the back pressure, individual tilted beverage containers can hereby be held, for example, in a clamping manner between further, upright beverage containers such that the particular tilted beverage container cannot, or only with difficulties, be extracted from the article stream; and in the process it can frequently become inadvertently disengaged from a handling device provided for the extraction.

In this way, there are numerous problems in practice in the instance of having to remove an error in an article stream caused by a particular non-upright article. Such errors can, in particular, require an interruption of an ongoing packaging operation as well as a manual intervention in order for it to be possible to remove problems in the transport of an article stream.

A primary object of the invention can therefore be seen in providing a possibility by which an error can be removed that was formed or caused by a non-upright article, and by which the currently existing and above-described problems associated with the removal of the error can be at least partly counteracted. Such a removal, in which the currently existing problems are counteracted, is intended to be made possible by an apparatus that has a simple construction. In addition, such a removal, in which the currently existing problems are counteracted, is intended to be made possible by a method that can be easily performed.

The above objects are solved by a method and an apparatus comprising the features in the independent claims. Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the subclaims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method used to handle non-upright articles of an article stream under prevention of disturbances. The non-upright articles of the article stream can be formed by beverage containers or bottles that have inadvertently tilted or the longitudinal axes of which are inclined in relation to a vertical. It is also possible for the non-upright articles to be formed by cans that are not standing upright or the particular longitudinal axes of which are inclined in relation to a vertical. “Irregularly aligned”, “non-upright articles” or “articles conveyed in a non-upright position” are frequently referred to in the context of the following description, this phrasing is generally to be understood in a comprehensive sense, and generally relates to all comparable disturbances, such as irregularly conveyed and/or irregularly aligned and/or non-upright articles of an article stream, that is to say, all articles in an article stream that are not in an intended target orientation or target alignment, while the other articles of the article stream are being conveyed in this target orientation or target alignment or “regularly conveyed.”.

Other articles of the article stream can be in a regular or upright orientation or in a target orientation and thus not form an error in the article stream. It is possible that the individual upright articles as well as the non-upright article in the article stream, are moved by back pressure. Hereby, a plurality of upright articles immediately adjacent to the non-upright article can abut on the non-upright article by force application. The non-upright article can thus be fixedly located in a clamping manner in the article stream by immediately adjacent articles, which can involve problems to be described below for the currently existing apparatuses or methods in the instance of a potential extraction of the non-upright article.

It is provided that at least one irregularly conveyed and/or irregularly aligned and/or non-upright article in an article stream is identified as an error. The article stream together with the particular at least one non-upright article can pass at least one sensor system with the at least one non-upright article in the process moving into a detection range of the at least one sensor system and being identified in the detection range of the at least one sensor system by the at least one sensor system as a non-upright article or as a tilted beverage container. In various embodiments, the at least one sensor system can comprise at least on camera system, which is designed to identify the particular at least one non-upright article in the article stream as an error. The at least one sensor system or the at least one camera system can be in communication with a control unit and/or regulating unit, which, with the help of the at least one camera system or of the at least one sensor system can verify or determine whether a particular non-upright article is located in the article stream or whether there is an error present in the article stream. Embodiments have proved successful in which all articles of the article stream pass a detection range of the at least one sensor system.

A further step relates to performing a correction step to resolve the error, the correction step consisting of a removal from the article stream of the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position, or of a transfer to an upright orientation of the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position. It is possible that the article identified as being in a non-upright position is discharged in the context of the removal from the article stream. A handling device can be provided for this purpose, which receives or seizes the article identified as being in a non-upright position, lifts it temporally following hereafter in an upward direction, and moves it away from the article stream. If required, the handling device can transfer the article identified as being in a non-upright position and discharged from the article stream into a container or place it on a deposit. It is also possible that the handling device discharges the article identified as being in a non-upright position from the article stream, hereafter transfers it to an upright orientation, and places it into a space in the article stream in the upright orientation and/or places at a specific location into the article stream in the upright orientation.

In the context of various embodiments, it is also conceivable that at least one horizontal discharge track is provided for the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position, which discharge track connects to a transport path provided for the article stream. In the context of the removal, the article identified as being in a non-upright position can be discharged from the article stream by the discharge track, as the case may be.

It is provided that a defined action is exerted temporally before and/or in temporal overlap with the correction step upon the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position and/or upon further, upright articles of the article stream, the defined action being aimed at preventing disturbances while performing the correction step. An intelligent logic to perform the defined action temporally before and/or in temporal overlap with the correction step can be stored on a control unit and/or regulating unit, which specifies a particular defined action when required or upon identifying a non-upright article in the article stream as an error.

In preferred embodiments, it can be provided that the defined action upon the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position and/or upon further articles of the article stream is exerted in such a manner that an abutment by force application and caused, in particular, by back pressure, which abutment is formed between the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position and at least one further, upright article of the article stream, is completely undone. The at least one further, upright article can immediately precede and/or immediately succeed the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position in a movement direction of the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position. In this context it is in particular possible that the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position is moved relative to the at least one further, upright article of the article stream and hereby loses its abutment by force application and caused, in particular, by back pressure, on the at least one further upright article of the article stream.

Additionally or alternatively to this, it is possible that an abutment by force application and caused, in particular, by back pressure, which abutment is formed between the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position and at least one further, upright article of the article stream, is at least reduced in terms of amount. For this purpose it is possible that the article stream is, for example, not moved or moved at reduced conveying speed over a specific time period during the correction step. The particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position can thus continue to be in abutment by force application on the at least one further, upright article of the article stream during the correction step. Due to the non-present movement of the article stream or to the movement of the article stream at reduced conveying speed, the abutment by force application of the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position on the at least one further, upright article is, however, formed in a reduced manner.

It is conceivable that the article stream with the non-upright article or with the article identified as being in a non-upright position is guided over a plurality of horizontal conveying devices, with the plurality of horizontal conveying devices being controlled in a manner coordinated with one another, and with the abutment by force application and caused, in particular, by back pressure, which abutment is formed between the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position and the at least one further, upright article of the article stream, hereby being completely undone or at least reduced in terms of amount. In particular, the plurality of horizontal conveying devices can be controlled in a manner coordinated with one another at different conveying speeds, with the abutment by force application and caused, in particular, by back pressure, which abutment is formed between the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position and the at least one further, upright article of the article stream, being completely undone or at least reduced in terms of amount as a result herefrom.

It is thus possible that the article stream with the at least one non-upright article or with the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position is guided over at least one horizontal conveying device that is operated at reduced conveying speed or stopped temporally while the correction step is being performed in order to reduce in terms of amount or in order to completely undo the abutment by force application caused, in particular, by back pressure.

It is also possible that one at least one further, regularly conveyed upright article is inclined in relation to the at least one non-upright article or to the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position in order to reduce in terms of amount or in order to completely undo the abutment by force application caused, in particular, by back pressure. In this context, it is expediently possible that the at least one further, upright article is inclined in relation to the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position in the opposite direction to the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position. Embodiments have proved successful, in which the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position is lifted up from a transport level formed for the article stream and is hereby staged for the correction step. The at least one further, upright article can be inclined in relation to the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position in temporal overlap with the process of lifting up. For this purpose it is preferably possible for a molded part, to be described below and having a convexly curved outer cover surface, to dip from below into a transport level formed for the article stream in the area of the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position, to lift up the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position from a transport level formed for the article stream in the process, and to incline the at least one further, upright article in relation to the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position in temporal overlap herewith.

Embodiments have also proved successful, in which at least one separator element is dipped in between the at least one non-upright article and at least one further article of the article stream, which at least one further article is preferably immediately adjacent to the at least one non-upright article, in order to reduce in terms of amount or in order to completely undo the abutment by force application caused, in particular, by back pressure. It is also conceivable that the at least one further article is decelerated or accelerated in relation to the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position by the at least one separator element temporally after the process of dipping in. A longitudinal direction of the at least one separator element can extend transversely to a movement direction of the article stream. The at least one separator element can accompany the article stream over a specific time period temporally after the process of dipping into the article stream. It is possible that the at least one separator element forms a first lot with a multitude of articles and a second lot with a further multitude of articles from the article stream, with the multitude of articles of the first lot and the multitude of articles of the second lot being completely spaced apart from one another by the at least one separator element. By the spacing, the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position can lose an abutment by force application on the at least one further, upright article of the article stream. After the described spacing, the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position can be disposed in the first lot formed from the article stream, whereas the at least one further, upright article, which had formerly been in an abutment by force application on the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position, is disposed in the second lot formed from the article stream.

It is furthermore conceivable that a vibration is applied to the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position, with the result that the abutment by force application caused, in particular, by back pressure, on the at least one further, upright article is completely undone or reduced in terms of amount. Temporally during the vibration application, the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position or the article stream can be moved along in an interruption-free manner.

The particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position can moreover be removed from the article stream in the context of the correction step, and it can be disintegrated into a plurality of parts for this purpose. It is possible that the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position is mechanically disintegrated, in particular by a cutting impact, in the context of the correction step. At the onset of the cutting impact, the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position can be standing on at least one horizontal conveying device provided to move the article stream. The plurality of parts, into which the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position has been disintegrated, can be discharged from the article stream. It is possible that the plurality of parts, into which the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position has been disintegrated, are, for example, extracted by suction from the article stream.

It is additionally possible that a content of the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position, the content being in particular formed by liquid, is discharged at least partly from the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position in the context of the defined action. For this purpose, at least one needle can be provided, which is inserted or pierced into the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position. Following hereafter, it is additionally possible that a content of the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position, the content being in particular formed by liquid, is in the context of the defined action discharged at least partly from the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position by at least one opening formed as a part of the needle. After the content of the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position, the content being in particular formed as liquid, has been discharged at least partly from the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position in the context of the defined action, a mass of the particular article identified as being in a non-upright position with the liquid at least partly discharged is formed in a reduced manner in relation to a mass of the particular article identified as being in a non-upright position that is still completely filled. When the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position is received by a seizing unit and removed from the article stream or transferred to an upright orientation, as will be described below, the article identified as being in a non-upright position with at least partly discharged liquid can with a high probability be prevented from inadvertently becoming disengaged from the seizing unit due to its mass because of the now reduced mass of the article identified as being in a non-upright position with at least partly discharged liquid.

It is furthermore conceivable that the at least one non-upright article is identified in a first conveyor section provided for the article stream and that the article stream is hereafter deflected together with the article identified as being in a non-upright position. Following the deflection, the article of the article stream identified as being in a non-upright position and having been deflected can be disposed in a further conveyor section, in which further conveyor section the article identified as being in a non-upright position and having been deflected is transferred to an upright orientation or is removed from the article stream in the context of the correction step. In the first conveyor section as well as in the further conveyor section, the article stream can be guided in directions oriented parallel to each other.

It is possible in the context of the defined action for at least one support element to be temporarily brought into abutment on at least one further, upright article of the article stream, which at least one further, upright article is preferably immediately adjacent to the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position. In temporal overlap with the correction step, the at least one support element can hold the at least one further, upright article in its upright orientation. It is conceivable that the at least one support element is designed as a support plate, which is positioned on a plurality of upright articles, and which, in temporal overlap with the correction step, holds the plurality of upright articles in their upright orientation. The support plate can be positioned on the plurality of upright articles coming from above, and it can hold the plurality of upright articles in a clamping manner. A force used to hold the plurality of upright articles can be supplied for the support plate by at least one pressure spring.

It is also conceivable that the at least one support element is positioned on a top side of the at least one further, upright article and, in temporal overlap with the correction step, holds the at least one further, upright article under abutment on its top side in its upright orientation. In particular, a plurality of individual support elements can be provided in this context, with an own upright article being assigned to each support element and the particular support element being positioned onto the particular own upright article, the particular support element holding in temporal overlap with the correction step the particular own upright article under abutment on its top side in its upright orientation.

It can furthermore be provided that the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position is received in the context of the correction step by at least one seizing unit and hereafter discharged from the article stream by a lifting movement caused by the at least one seizing unit. In temporal overlap with the lifting movement, the at least one seizing unit can at least temporarily, under abutment, and preferably laterally, support an upright article, which immediately succeeds and/or precedes in movement direction of the article stream the particular received article identified as being in a non-upright position. The at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position and/or further, upright articles of the article stream can be moved along in an interruption-free manner temporally during the correction step or temporally during the lifting movement caused by the at least one seizing unit.

It is moreover possible that the at least one seizing unit has at least two shanks located opposite each other and preferably designed as clamping elements and/or gripping elements, which at least two shanks located opposite each other and preferably designed as clamping elements and/or gripping elements:dip into the article stream in order to receive the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position, and, following hereafter, increase their relative distance from each other, with the at least two shanks located opposite each other and preferably designed as clamping elements and/or gripping elements moving away a particular upright article, which is adjacent to the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position, from the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position, and, temporally following hereafter; withthe at least two shanks located opposite each other and preferably designed as clamping elements and/or gripping elements decreasing their relative distance from each other and receiving the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position in a form-fitting and/or force-locking manner.

Hereby it is possible to minimize the risk of inadvertent tilting of upright articles.

Embodiments have proved successful in which the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position is clasped in the context of the correction step in a form-fitting manner, at least in sections, by the at least one seizing unit, and is hereafter discharged from the article stream by the lifting movement. In particular, the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position can be clasped in the context of the correction step in a form-fitting and non-rotating manner, at least in sections, by the at least one seizing unit, and can hereafter be discharged from the article stream by the lifting movement.

It can be provided that the at least one seizing unit has an air cushion that is brought in abutment on the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position in order to receive the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position. In this context, the at least one seizing unit can be moved toward the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position. Temporally following hereafter, the air cushion can be pneumatically filled via compressed air, which involves the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position to be fixedly located at the at least one seizing unit by the air cushion filled with compressed air. After removal of the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position from the article stream, the compressed air can be discharged from the air cushion, which involves the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position to leave the seizing unit.

The at least one seizing unit can also be disposed in a suspended manner from a gantry system and can be moved along the gantry system in order to receive the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position and/or in order to discharge from the article stream the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position. The gantry system can be designed in such a manner that the at least one seizing unit can be moved along the gantry system in different horizontal spatial directions.

In various embodiments, the at least one seizing unit can furthermore be moved by a parallel kinematic robot in order to receive the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position and/or in order to discharge from the article stream the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position. The parallel kinematic robot can have at least three working arms that are controllable in a manner coordinated with one another in order to move the at least one seizing unit. The parallel kinematic robot can thus be designed as a tripod, for example.

Moreover, embodiments have proved successful, in which the at least one seizing unit is in communication with a rope system and is moved in order to receive the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position as well as in order to discharge from the article stream the particular at least one received article identified as being in a non-upright position. The rope system can comprise a multitude of ropes or a kinematics which are operated in a manner coordinated with one another in order to move the at least one seizing unit.

It is also possible that the at least one seizing unit can be moved by at least one unmanned aircraft in order to receive the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position and in order to discharge from the article stream the particular at least one received article identified as being in a non-upright position. The at least one unmanned aircraft can have at least two rotors or propellers preferably disposed in a common horizontal plane and in each instance acting in a vertically downward direction, the rotors or propellers interacting with each other in order to move the at least one unmanned aircraft. The unmanned aircraft can be designed as quadrocopter, for example. It is also possible for the at least one unmanned aircraft to be in communication with a control unit and/or regulating unit that can control the at least one unmanned aircraft to receive the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position and in order to discharge from the article stream the particular at least one received article identified as being in a non-upright position.

Furthermore, embodiments have proved successful, in which at least two separate sensor units are provided, which interact with each other in order to identify the at least one non-upright article in the article stream as an error. The at least two separate sensor units can be positioned offset to each other along a transport path provided for the article stream. It is conceivable that detection ranges of the at least two separate sensor units overlap at least in some areas. It is also possible that detection ranges of the at least two separate sensor units do not overlap or that they are completely offset to each other.

In conceivable embodiments it is possible that the at least one seizing unit penetrates into the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position in order to receive the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position, and that the seizing unit discharges from the article stream the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position, into which article it has penetrated.

The at least one seizing unit can have, for example, a lengthwise shaft or carrier with a preferably sharp-edged tip being fixedly located in the end area of the lengthwise shaft or carrier.

Embodiments have also proved successful in which the at least one seizing unit has a piercing area with at least one needle and preferably with a multitude of needles or with a needle bed by which piercing area the at least one seizing unit penetrates into the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position in order to receive the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position, and subsequently the seizing unit discharges from the article stream the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position, into which article it has penetrated.

It is furthermore conceivable that the at least one seizing unit is held swivelably movable by a ball joint temporally with the discharge from the article stream of the at least one received article identified as being in a non-upright position. If the articles of the article stream are moved by back pressure, the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position can, with the help of the ball joint, independently move in an orientation where an abutment on adjacent upright articles by force application is reduced.

It is moreover conceivable that the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position is pushed in an upward direction in the context of the correction step by compressed air and is in the process removed from the article stream. For this purpose, at least one nozzle positioned in the area of a transport level formed for the article stream can be provided, by which at least one nozzle compressed air can in the context of the correction step be applied to the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position.

It is further possible that at least one opening formed along a transport path for the article stream is cleared in the context of the correction step for the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position, through which opening the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position falls and is hereby removed from the article stream. A container can be disposed below the opening so that the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position is removed from the article stream by falling into the container when the opening is cleared.

The invention moreover relates to an apparatus used to transport articles and to handle irregularly conveyed and/or irregularly aligned and/or non-upright articles of an article stream (7), in particular, under prevention of disturbances in the article stream. Features that have already been described above regarding various embodiments of the method can likewise be provided for various embodiments of the apparatus described below and are therefore not repeatedly mentioned. In addition, features, which will be described below regarding various embodiments of the apparatus, can likewise be used for the previously described method, where applicable.

The apparatus comprises at least one horizontal conveying device, over which a plurality of articles is movable as article stream. The term “horizontal conveying device” selected here is to be understood in the context of the present invention in a comprehensive manner and is intended to likewise include embodiments, for example, in which the horizontal conveying device has a transport panel, over which the article stream is moved in a sliding manner by back pressure. The horizontal conveying device can also have at least one transport belt that is guided circulatingly as well as horizontally, over which at least one circulatingly as well as horizontally guided transport belt the article stream is moved in horizontal direction. It is obvious that there are further possibilities to move an article stream in horizontal direction, so that the invention is not limited to such embodiments.

The apparatus furthermore comprises at least one detection device used to identify at least one irregularly conveyed and/or irregularly aligned and/or non-upright article in the article stream as an error, as well as comprising a handling device that is in operative connection with the at least one detection device in order to resolve the error by uprighting or extracting from the article stream the particular at least one article identified as being irregularly conveyed and/or irregularly aligned and/or in a non-upright position. The handling device can be designed as industrial robot or can comprise an industrial robot. Embodiments have proved successful in which the handling device is designed, for example, as multi-axis robot or as parallel kinematic robot, or in which the handling device comprises a multi-axis robot or a parallel kinematic robot.

The apparatus moreover comprises at least one preparation, which at least one preparation is designed for the defined action upon the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position and/or upon at least one further, upright article of the article stream in order to prevent a disturbance associated with the error being resolved by the handling device. Numerous possibilities exist in the context of the invention to design the preparation. Preferred embodiments will be referred to below.

In various embodiments, it is possible that the at least one horizontal conveying device forms a first conveyor section for the article stream as well as forming a second conveyor section, which follows upon the first conveyor section in a flow direction of the article stream, and a third conveyor section, which follows upon the second conveyor section in flow direction of the article stream. A detection range of the at least one detection device used to identify the particular at least one non-upright article in the article stream as an error extends at least in sections across the first conveyor section. Furthermore, the second conveyor section is designed to deflect the article stream. The handling device can moreover be assigned to the third conveyor section in order to resolve the error.

It is furthermore possible that the apparatus comprises a plurality of horizontal conveying devices immediately following upon one another and/or adjacent to each other, with the plurality of horizontal conveying devices immediately following upon one another and/or adjacent to each other being controllable in a manner coordinated with one another in order to undo or reduce an abutment by force application preferably caused by back pressure and formed between the at least one non-upright article and at least one immediately adjacent upright article. The plurality of horizontal conveying devices immediately following upon one another and/or adjacent to each other can each be formed by a circulating transport belt.

It is also conceivable that the at least one horizontal conveying device, which is potentially formed by at least one circulating transport belt, and the handling device are controllable in a manner coordinated with one another such that the at least one horizontal conveying device transporting the article identified as being in a non-upright position is powerable at reduced conveying speed or can be stopped temporally with resolving the error.

It is possible that the preparation is designed to apply a defined rotary movement in relation to further, upright articles in the article stream onto the particular article identified as being in a non-upright position, which defined rotary movement is aimed at resolving the error by the handling device. In particular, it is possible that the preparation is designed to apply a defined rotary movement in relation to further, upright articles in the article stream about a horizontally oriented axis onto the particular article identified as being in a non-upright position, which defined rotary movement is aimed at resolving the error by the handling device. Hereby it is possible that an abutment by force application potentially formed between the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position and at least one further, immediately adjacent, upright article, is at least reduced in terms of amount. The rotary movement can be specified by a control unit and/or regulating unit designed as component of the apparatus, with the control unit and/or regulating unit having an intelligent logic that takes into account the particular abutment by force application in order to determine the particular rotary movement.

It is furthermore conceivable that the preparation is designed to temporarily incline at least one upright article, which is immediately adjacent in the article stream to the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position. For this purpose, the preparation can have a molded part with a convexly curved outer cover surface, which molded part can be temporarily introduced coming from below into a transport level of the article stream in the area of the particular article identified as being in a non-upright position.

The apparatus or the preparation of the apparatus can also comprise at least one separator element, which, in a direction coming from above, can be dipped into the article stream in the area of the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position, and which is designed to accelerate or decelerate the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position in relation to at least one further, upright article of the article stream. A longitudinal extension of the at least one separator element can in this context be oriented diagonally to a movement direction of the article stream or of the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position. Furthermore, the separator element can be designed or guided in such a manner that the separator element can by the acceleration or deceleration form a first lot with a multitude of articles and a second lot with a multitude of further articles from the article stream, which lots are moved in a manner completely spaced apart from one another after the acceleration or deceleration.

The preparation can be designed to apply a vibration movement to the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position and/or to at least one further upright article of the article stream. As already mentioned above, the at least one horizontal conveying device can have a transport panel along which the article stream is or the articles of the article stream are moved in a sliding manner by back pressure. For various embodiments, it can be provided that the transport panel is movable in a vibrating manner such that a vibration movement is applied to the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position and/or to the at least one further upright article of the article stream.

The preparation can also be designed to mechanically disintegrate, in particular, by a cutting impact, the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position. The preparation can thus have at least one cutting instrument and/or separating instrument, by which the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position can be disintegrated or disintegrated into a plurality of parts.

The preparation can furthermore be designed in such a manner that the preparation can discharge a content of the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position, which content is in particular formed as a liquid, from the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position. A suction instrument can be provided for this purpose, which is formed, for example, by at least one needle with at least one opening, and by which the content of the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position, which content is in particular formed as a liquid, can be discharged from the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position.

The preparation can have at least one support element, which in the context of the defined action can be positioned on at least on one upright article and on the at least one article preferably immediately adjacent to the article identified as being in a non-upright position, and, positioned there, can support the particular at least one upright article while the error is being resolved. As already mentioned above, it is conceivable in this context that the at least one support element comprises a support plate that is positioned on a plurality of upright articles of the article stream. It is also possible that a plurality of support elements are provided, with one own or exactly one own upright article being assigned to each of the plurality of support elements, on which own upright article the particular support element is positioned, and which own upright article the particular support element can support or which it holds in an upright orientation while the error is being resolved.

In order to remove the error, the preparation in particularly preferred embodiments can have at least one seizing unit by which the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position can be extracted from the article stream or transferred to an upright orientation by a lifting movement caused by the at least one seizing unit. The seizing unit can be fixedly located at a handling device designed, in particular, as industrial robot or parallel kinematic robot, or it can be designed as a component of a handling device designed, in particular, as industrial robot or parallel kinematic robot.

The seizing unit can have at least one contact area, which, in the context of a resolving of the error, is prepared or provided to support a particular upright article immediately preceding in movement direction of the article stream the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position, and/or a particular upright article immediately succeeding in movement direction of the article stream the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position.

The at least one seizing unit can also be designed to clasp in a form-fitting manner the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position. For this purpose, the seizing unit can have two shanks located opposite each other, with each of the two shanks located opposite each other having a counter support facing toward the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position, which particular counter support is prepared to abut on a cover surface of the particular article identified as being in a non-upright position.

It is conceivable that the at least one seizing unit has an air cushion, which, in the context of a resolving of the error, can be brought into abutment by force application on the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position. For this purpose, the apparatus can have a compressed air generating device that can apply compressed air to the air cushion to receive the particular article identified as being in a non-upright position. The compressed air generating device can be in communication with a control unit and/or regulating unit that can control the compressed air generating device for the particular application of compressed air to the air cushion.

In particular, the at least one seizing unit can have at least two shanks located opposite each other or two clamping elements and/or gripping elements located opposite each other which can be dipped into the article stream in the area of the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position, and of which the relative distance from each other can be increased as well as decreased in order to receive in a form-fitting and/or force-locking manner the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position.

The apparatus can comprise a gantry system. The at least one seizing unit can be disposed in a suspended manner from the gantry system. The at least one seizing unit can furthermore be movable along the gantry system in order to upright and/or to remove the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position. The gantry system can be designed to move the at least one seizing unit along a plurality of different horizontal spatial directions.

The apparatus can also comprise a parallel kinematic robot, by which the at least one seizing unit is movable in order to upright and/or to extract the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position. The parallel kinematic robot can be designed as a tripod.

It is furthermore conceivable that the apparatus comprises a rope system, with which the at least one seizing unit is in communication, and by which the at least one seizing unit is movable in order to upright and/or to extract the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position.

The apparatus can also comprise an unmanned aircraft, by which the at least one seizing unit is movable in order to upright and/or to extract the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position. The at least one seizing unit can be coupled in a suspended manner to the unmanned aircraft. In this context it is also conceivable that the apparatus comprises a container. The unmanned aircraft can then be controllable by a control unit and/or regulating unit in order to discharge the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position from the article stream as well as to position the particular article identified as being in a non-upright position and having been discharged from the article stream in the container. It is also conceivable that, by the control unit and/or regulating unit, the unmanned aircraft is designed to discharge the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position from the article stream as well as to subsequently hereafter deposit the article identified as being in a non-upright position and having been discharged from the article stream in a determined position. In preferred embodiments, a connection between the control unit and/or regulating unit and the unmanned aircraft, which connection is designed to control the unmanned aircraft, can be designed in a wireless manner.

The at least one seizing unit can furthermore be designed in such a manner that the at least one seizing unit can penetrate into the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position and can discharge from the article stream the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position, into which it has penetrated.

The apparatus can also comprise a ball joint, by which the at least one seizing unit is held in a freely swivelably movable manner. The at least one seizing unit can have a base, at which the ball joint is at least partly fixedly located. Furthermore, the base can have two shanks located opposite each other, by which two shanks located opposite each other the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position can be received in a form-fitting and/or force-locking manner or can be gripped in a form-fitting and/or force-locking manner.

It is possible that the apparatus comprises at least one nozzle positioned below and/or at an article stream transport level formed by the at least one horizontal conveying device, by which at least one nozzle positioned below and/or at an article stream transport level formed by the at least one horizontal conveying device an air blast can be applied to the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position in order to extract the article from the article stream. By the air blast, the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position can be discharged from the article stream in an upward direction.

The apparatus can comprise at least one opening disposed along a transport path defined for the article stream by the at least one horizontal conveying device, which opening can be selectively opened or uncovered and covered or closed by a closure. In this context it can be provided that the closure is controllable in order to discharge the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position in such a manner that the closure clears the opening if required and the particular at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position is removed from the article stream by falling into the opening.

The same or equivalent elements of the invention are designated using identical reference characters. Furthermore and for the sake of clarity, only the reference characters relevant for describing the individual figures are provided. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. It is moreover pointed out that all features described in each instance for theFIGS. 1 to 19are not to be understood in close context with the particular exemplary embodiment, but can rather each be individually used in a general context. It is also possible that a plurality of seizing units according to one of the FIGS.10to18or according to a plurality of severalFIGS. 10 to 18can be provided or used for the apparatus according toFIG. 1or for an apparatus according to the invention in a general context as well as for the method according toFIG. 19or for the method according to the invention in a general context. It is moreover possible that a plurality of preparations or defined actions according to one of theFIGS. 2 to 9or according to a plurality of severalFIGS. 2 to 9can be provided for the apparatus according toFIG. 1or for an apparatus according to the invention in a general context as well as for the method according toFIG. 19or for the method according to the invention in a general context.

The embodiments, examples and alternatives of the preceding paragraphs, the claims, and the following figures and description, including any of their various aspects or respective individual features, may thus be taken independently or in any combination. Features described in connection with one embodiment are applicable to all embodiments, unless such features are incompatible.

If illustrations and aspects are generally referred to as being “schematic” in the context of the figures, this is by no means intended to imply that the illustration of the figures and their description are of inferior significance with regard to the disclosure of the invention. The person skilled in the art is fully capable of gathering sufficient information from the schematically and abstractly drawn illustrations for facilitating the understanding of the invention without the understanding being in any way impaired by, for example, the size ratios of the piece goods and/or of parts of the apparatus or of other of the drawn elements being drawn and being potentially not precisely true to scale. On the basis of the more concretely explained realizations of the method according to the invention and on the basis of the more concretely explained functionality of the apparatus according to the invention in the figures, the person skilled in the art as a reader is thus enabled to derive a better understanding of the inventive idea, which is formulated in a more general and/or more abstract manner in the claims and in the general part of the description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

TheFIG. 1shows a schematic view of an embodiment of an apparatus1according to the invention and illustrates individual steps such as can be provided in an embodiment of a method100according to the invention (cf.FIG. 19).

The apparatus1is provided to transport articles3, which are formed by beverage containers5or PET bottles in the exemplary embodiment ofFIG. 1. The apparatus1forms a first conveyor section10for an article stream7or for a stream of individual articles3or beverage containers5.

The individual articles3or beverage containers5are moved in a disorderly mass flow over the first conveyor section10. For this purpose, a horizontal conveying device, which is not illustrated inFIG. 1, can be provided in the first conveyor section10, on which horizontal conveying device the articles3or beverage containers5are standing and on which they are moved over the first conveyor section10. It is also conceivable that the articles3or beverage containers5are moved by back pressure over the first conveyor section10.

Following immediately upon the first conveyor section10is a second conveyor section20, in which the article stream7or individual articles3of the article stream7come into contact with a curve9and are hereby deflected toward a third conveyor section30immediately following upon the second conveyor section20. It is possible that the articles3or beverage containers5are moved by back pressure over the first conveyor section10, the second conveyor section20, and/or the third conveyor section.

Upon the individual articles3of the article stream7reaching the third conveyor section30, the individual articles3of the article stream7are moved essentially in a straight line or linearly in the third conveyor section30. The article stream7or the stream of individual articles3continues to take the form of a disorderly mass flow in the third conveyor section30. Following upon the third conveyor section30, there is a fourth conveyor section40, in which individual rows of moving articles3are formed from the article stream7. For this purpose, the fourth conveyor section40comprises a plurality of guide rails42, of which the relative distance from each other in each instance decreases in a movement direction of the articles3in order to form the individual rows of moving articles. In a fifth conveyor section50, the individual rows of articles3formed in the fourth conveyor section40are moved between lane separators that are oriented parallel to each other. Successive articles3of the individual rows are hereafter spaced apart relative to each other, whereupon groupings are formed from a plurality of individual articles, the groupings being gathered together in each instance to a particular bundle by corresponding outer packages. A grouping station provided for this purpose as well as a device for applying a particular outer packaging onto a particular grouping are not illustrated inFIG. 1, can in various embodiments, however, be formed as a component of an apparatus1.

The transport or the movement of the article stream7or of the articles3over the individual conveyor sections10,20,30,40, and50, is carried out by at least one horizontal conveying device7(cf., for example,FIG. 4), which is not illustrated inFIG. 1of the present patent application, and which can be designed as a transport belt, for example. For the sake of completeness, it should be noted once more that there is the possibility in various embodiments for the articles3or the article stream7to be moved by back pressure over the first conveyor section10, the second conveyor section20, the third conveyor section30, and/or the fourth conveyor section40.

TheFIG. 1furthermore shows a detection device12, which is in communication with a control unit and/or regulating unit S such that the control unit and/or regulating unit S can, with the help of the detection device12, identify a particular non-upright or a tilted article4(cf.FIG. 2) in the article stream7as an error. The detection device12is designed as camera system14. A detection range of the detection device12designed as camera system14extends across the first conveyor section10of the apparatus1such that the control unit and/or regulating unit S can identify a particular non-upright article4during its movement over the first conveyor section10as an error in the article stream7.

As mentioned above, number30indicates a third conveyor section, which the article stream7enters after a deflection carried out in the second conveyor section20and caused by the curve9. The apparatus1moreover has a handling device, which is not illustrated in theFIG. 1along with the present patent application, which can be designed, for example, as a multi-axis robot or a parallel kinematic robot, and which carries at least one seizing unit25according to one of theFIGS. 10 to 18or according to a plurality of theFIGS. 10 to 18.

The control unit and/or regulating unit S is in communication with the handling device and can control the handling device upon having identified a non-upright article4in the range of the first conveyor section10as an error, with the handling device moving the particular at least one seizing unit25in the range of the third conveyor section30toward the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position and removing the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position from the article stream7or transferring it to an upright orientation. The seizing unit25can thus remove the particular non-upright article4located in the third conveyor section30from the article stream or transfer it to an upright orientation, with the identification of the non-upright article4as an error in the article stream7being carried out in the range of the first conveyor section10.

Moreover, at least one preparation6as described in the exemplary embodiments of the followingFIGS. 2 to 9is a component of the apparatus1. The at least one preparation6can in this context counteract disturbances during a particular extraction of a particular at least one article4identified as being in a non-upright position. It is possible that the at least one preparation6, for example, supports individual upright articles3of the article stream7temporally during the extraction of the particular at least one article4identified as being in a non-upright position and hereby prevents an inadvertent tilting of these upright articles3of the article stream7.

It is also possible that the individual articles3of the article stream7abut on each other by back pressure. If there is a non-upright article4in the article stream7, it is possible that the non-upright article4is held due to back pressure in a clamping manner between further, immediately adjacent, upright articles3of the article stream7. The preparation6can therefore be designed in such a manner that such a clamping is removed by the preparation6by the back pressure acting upon the article4identified as being in a non-upright position being undone or reduced. Various embodiments by which the back pressure can be reduced or undone will be described in the following figures.

The schematic top view ofFIG. 2shows a defined action upon a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position, which action is aimed at preventing disturbances during an uprighting temporally following the defined action or during a removal from the article stream7of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position, the removal temporally following the defined action.

The article4identified as being in a non-upright position is illustrated in a first rotational orientation at the top inFIG. 2. A further rotational orientation for the article4identified as being in a non-upright position is indicated by an arrow-based illustration inFIG. 2, to which further rotational orientation the article4identified as being in a non-upright position can be transferred from the topmost illustrated first rotational orientation.

It has already been mentioned with regard toFIG. 1showing the apparatus1that the control unit and/or regulating unit S can identify a particular non-upright article4in the article stream7in the range of the first conveyor section10as an error by the detection device12or the camera system14. In this context it is possible that the control unit and/or regulating unit S moreover determines a particular angular position of the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position in the article stream7by the detection device12or the camera system14. Since the article4identified as being in a non-upright position abuts by back pressure, potentially by force application, on an immediately adjacent article3, and since such an abutment by force application can involve disturbances in the removal or in the uprighting of the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position, such embodiments have proved successful in which the back pressure is reduced in terms of amount or is completely undone temporally before the extraction or temporally before the transfer to an upright orientation of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position.

An intelligent logic is stored for this purpose on the control unit and/or regulating unit S, which intelligent logic can derive information on a target angular position in consideration of the particular angular position determined by the detection device12or the camera system14for the article4identified as being in a non-upright position, in which target angular position the abutment by force application formed by back pressure in relation to immediately adjacent articles3is undone or at least formed in a reduced manner in terms of amount.

Such embodiments have proved successful in which the article stream7is moved for this purpose at least in sections over a multitude of horizontal conveying devices, which are adjacent in and/or diagonally to the movement direction of the article stream7, and which can be potentially formed by transport belts adjacent to each other in movement direction of the article stream7and/or diagonally to the movement direction of the article stream7.

The horizontal conveying devices, which are adjacent in and/or diagonally to the movement direction of the article stream7, or the transport belts, which are adjacent to each other can be controlled by the control unit and/or regulating unit S in a manner coordinated with one another and potentially at different conveying speeds, such that the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position is transferred from a first, determined angular position to a target angular position, in which target angular position the abutment by force application of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position on further, immediately adjacent, upright articles3is reduced in terms of amount or is completely undone.

A rotating or a transferring of the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position from an actual angular position to a target angular position according to the description forFIG. 2can be carried out in the range of the first conveyor section10, in the range of the second conveyor section20, and/or in the range of the third conveyor section30(cf.FIG. 1). A rotating can be carried out, in particular, temporally before a removal of the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position from the article stream7or temporally before a transferring of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position to an upright orientation.

In practice, such embodiments have also proved successful for this purpose in which a handling device or a seizing unit25being moved by the handling device (cf.FIGS. 10 to 18) dips into the article stream7coming from above, seizes the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position, and temporally following hereafter causes a rotary movement for the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position, with the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position being transferred from the particular identified or determined actual angular position to a target angular position.

It can be provided that the handling device leaves the article4identified as being in a non-upright position after having transferred the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position to the particular target angular position. Temporally following hereafter, a further handling device or a further seizing unit25can at a later point in time again receive the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position and already having been transferred to the target angular position, and then remove it from the article stream7or transfer it to an upright orientation. With regard toFIG. 1, it can thus be provided that a handling device or a seizing unit25being moved by the handling device transfers a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position in the first conveyor section10from a particular identified or determined actual angular position to a target angular position, with the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position assuming a particular target angular position in the first conveyor section10. This particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position and already having been transferred to its particular target angular position in the first conveyor section10can then in the third conveyor section30be removed from the article stream7or transferred to an upright orientation by a further handling device or by a further seizing unit25.

Alternatively, it can be provided that a handling device or a seizing unit25being moved by the handling device, receives a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position, transfers it from a particular identified or determined actual angular position to a target angular position, an then removes or extracts from the article stream7or transfers to an upright orientation the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position and having been transferred to the target angular position, without meanwhile leaving this particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position.

The schematic top view ofFIG. 3shows a further defined action upon a particular non-upright article4, which further defined action can be carried out additionally or alternatively to the defined action fromFIG. 2for the prevention of disturbances in an uprighting or in a removal from the article stream7of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position, the uprighting or the removal temporally following the defined action. In this context,FIG. 3shows the third conveyor section30already illustrated inFIG. 1. A corresponding defined action according toFIG. 3is, however, likewise conceivable for the range of the first conveyor section10or for the range of the second conveyor section20.

The article stream7or the individual articles3of the article stream7are being moved over a horizontal conveying device8in transport direction TR. The horizontal conveying device8can be designed as circulating transport belt, or it can provide a transport surface for the article stream7, along which transport surface the article stream7is moved in a sliding manner by back pressure.

The non-upright article4in the article stream7has been identified as an error by a control unit and/or regulating unit S by a detection device12or by a camera system14(cf.FIG. 1). On the left side inFIG. 3, the article stream7is illustrated without a defined action having yet been exerted on the article stream7in the left illustration. The individual articles3of the article stream7are potentially being moved by back pressure such that immediately adjacent and upright articles3abut by force application on the article4identified as being in a non-upright position. The article4identified as being in a non-upright position is hereby held in a clamping manner between the immediately adjacent articles3of the article stream7, whereby a removal of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position from the article stream7or a transfer of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position to an upright orientation is at least made difficult.

Disturbances can occur, in particular, because upright articles3that are immediately adjacent to the article4identified as being in a non-upright position can potentially inadvertently tilt temporally during a removal or during a transfer of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position to an upright orientation. It is furthermore possible that the article4identified as being in a non-upright position becomes wedged between immediately adjacent, upright articles3of the article stream7, whereby a removal or a transfer of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position to an upright orientation is made difficult or associated with problems.

In order to prevent such problems or such disturbances or further problems, a defined action is exerted upon the article stream7in the exemplary embodiment fromFIG. 3. For this purpose, a separator element22dips into the article stream7coming from above in the area of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position. A lengthwise orientation of the separator element22is in this context oriented diagonally or perpendicular to a movement direction of the article stream7. The separator element22or a position of the separator element22upon dipping into the article stream7, is discernible or exemplarily indicated inFIG. 3in the central illustration.

Temporally after the separator element22dipping into the article stream7, a first succeeding lot71of the article stream7is decelerated in relation to a second preceding lot72of the article stream7, or the second preceding lot72of the article stream7is accelerated in relation to the first succeeding lot71of the article stream7, which involves the first lot71to be completely spaced apart from the second lot72, as shown according to the illustration on the right side ofFIG. 3. A continuous clearance is formed between the first lot71and the second lot72. Temporally after spacing the first lot71apart from the second lot72, the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position is furthermore cleared at least in some sections, and is thus at least in some sections accessible for a later extraction or for a later transfer to an upright orientation.

It should be moreover mentioned that the article stream7as well as the first and second lots71and72formed from the article stream7can be moved in an uninterrupted or continuous manner starting from the identification or determination of the particular non-upright article4in the article stream7according to the illustration on the left side, up to the complete separation of the article stream7into the first and second lots71and72. The separator element22can be guided over a specific path distance or for a specific time period together with the article stream7in a movement direction of the article stream7, with the separator element22decelerating the first lot71in relation to the second lot72or accelerating the second lot72in relation to the first lot71, as described above. After the article stream7has been separated into the first lot71and the second lot72according to the illustration on the right side, the separator element22can leave the first lot71and the second lot72in an upward direction or can be extracted in an upward direction from the first lot71and in an upward direction from the second lot72. The separator element22thus forms a preparation6or is formed as a component of a preparation6, by which preparation6an abutment by force application of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position on at least one further, immediately adjacent article3can be undone.

Temporally following the defined action by the preparation6according toFIG. 3, the article4, which was identified as being in a non-upright position and which is meanwhile contained in the second lot72formed via the steps according toFIG. 3, can either be transferred to an upright orientation or can be extracted from the article stream7or from the second lot72formed from the article stream7.

The schematic perspective view ofFIG. 4seen in conjunction withFIG. 18illustrates a further defined action upon a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position.

A seizing unit25having a U-formed base27as shown inFIG. 4is discernible in each instance inFIG. 4as well as in theFIGS. 18A and 18B. Two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other and leading into the base27together form a receptacle29that is formed in a manner corresponding to a bottle neck or a container neck. A so-called neck ring of a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position or of a tilted beverage container or a tilted bottle, can be gripped in a form-fitting manner by the receptacle29. This can be discerned well fromFIG. 18A. Following hereafter, a defined action can be exerted via the seizing unit25upon article4identified as being in a non-upright position and having been gripped, with the defined action being aimed at preventing disturbances during the extraction of the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position or during the uprighting of the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position.

For this purpose, the seizing unit25has a ball joint26on a top side. By the ball joint26, the seizing unit25is coupled in a freely rotationally movable or swivelably movable manner to a handling device not illustrated here. As already described withFIG. 2, it is possible that a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position is held by back pressure in a clamping manner between immediately adjacent, upright articles3of the article stream7. Since the seizing unit25as well as the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position and having been received in a form-fitting manner are fixedly located by the ball joint26in a freely rotationally movable or swivelably movable manner at a handling device, the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position can move independently together with the seizing unit25, temporally during an extraction or during an uprighting by the seizing unit25, into an angular position, where the clamping abutment on immediately adjacent upright articles3is formed in an at least reduced manner in terms of force.

In order to be able to grip or receive in a form-fitting manner the particular bottle neck or the neck ring by the receptacle29, it is possible that, temporally preceding hereto, a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position is cleared at least in some sections according to the previous description withFIG. 3by the article stream7being separated into a first lot71and a second lot72.FIG. 18Bfurthermore shows an extraction of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position from the article stream7. For this purpose, the seizing unit25is lifted up and the article identified as being in a non-upright position is swiveled about a horizontally oriented axis. Starting from the position according toFIG. 18B, the seizing unit25can then be lifted further, with the article4identified as being in a non-upright position losing its surface contact with the horizontal conveying device8and being discharged from the article stream7. As indicated inFIGS. 18A and 18Bseen in conjunction, it is also possible to continue the swiveling process for the article4identified as being in a non-upright position until the article4identified as being in a non-upright position reaches an upright orientation. The seizing unit25can then clear the uprighted article or leave the uprighted article.

TheFIGS. 5A and 5Bshow a further defined action upon a particular non-upright articles4, which further defined action can be carried out additionally or alternatively to the defined action to prevent disturbances according to an exemplary embodiment of at least one of theFIGS. 2 to 4.

As is discernible inFIG. 5A, the articles3continue to be transported as article stream7by the horizontal conveying device8. Number4indicates an article which, as a non-upright article4in the article stream7, forms an error. Since the individual steps according toFIG. 5can be used in a general context for a removal of individual articles that form an error independently of their orientation and that can therefore also be potentially upright, the non-upright article4in theFIG. 5is not illustrated in a tilted manner.

As already mentioned regardingFIG. 1, the non-upright article4is identified as non-upright article4in the article stream7by a control unit and/or regulating unit with the help of a detection device12or a camera system14. Since further, upright articles3immediately adjacent to the article4identified as being in a non-upright position potentially abut on the non-upright article4under back pressure or by force application an extraction or an uprighting of the non-upright article4can involve problems or a disturbance.

In order to prevent such problems or such disturbances, a preparation6is also provided in the exemplary embodiment ofFIG. 5AandFIG. 5B, with the preparation6comprising a molded part11or being designed as molded part11. The molded part11can lift up the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position in an upward direction from an article stream7transport level formed by the horizontal conveying device8, in which context the upright article3immediately adjacent to the article4identified as being in a non-upright position is inclined in the opposite direction to the article4identified as being in a non-upright position. For this purpose, the molded part11forms a concavely curved outer cover surface facing toward the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position or toward the horizontal conveying device8.

An abutment by force application and potentially caused by back pressure of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position on further, immediately adjacent articles3can for this purpose be reduced in terms of amount or can be at least approximately completely undone. It is also discernible inFIG. 5Bthat the article4identified as being in a non-upright position is made accessible at least in a top section by the described inclination such that the article4identified as being in a non-upright position can be received without problems from a position according toFIG. 5Bby a seizing unit25according to an embodiment ofFIGS. 9 to 18or according to a further embodiment that is not illustrated in the figures.

TheFIG. 6shows a further defined action upon a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position, which further defined action can be carried out to prevent disturbances additionally or alternatively to the defined action according to at least one exemplary embodiment of at least one of theFIGS. 2 to 5.

The reference character4furthermore indicates the non-upright article4in an article stream7, which non-upright article4is identified as error by a control unit and/or regulating unit S with the help of a detection device12designed as a camera system14. The article4identified as being in a non-upright position is being moved in an article stream7(cf.FIG. 3), with a plurality of upright articles3being immediately adjacent to the article4identified as being in a non-upright position or immediately preceding or succeeding the article4in a movement direction of the article stream7.

In order to prevent a tilting of the upright articles3that are in surface contact with the article4identified as being in a non-upright position, a preparation6is formed by a support element23in the exemplary embodiment ofFIG. 6. Exactly one such support element23is provided in the exemplary embodiment ofFIG. 6. It can be provided for various further exemplary embodiments, however, that a plurality of support elements23are provided which interact with each other to prevent a tilting of a plurality of upright articles3.

In this context it is discernible fromFIG. 6that the support element23planarly abuts on an upright article3. The abutment is formed in the section of a cover surface of the upright article3, which cover surface faces the article4identified as being in a non-upright position. A longitudinal axis of the support element23is in this context oriented parallel to a longitudinal axis of the upright article3and retains its orientation during a removal from the article stream7of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position.

In practice, the support element23is dipped into the article stream7in a direction coming from above in the area of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position between the two upright articles3illustrated inFIG. 6and in this process comes into abutment on the just mentioned cover surface of the upright article3that immediately precedes the article4identified as being in a non-upright position in a transport direction of the article stream7. The further upright article3succeeding in a transport direction of the article stream7can also have such a support element23assigned to it.

After the support element23has come into abutment on the upright article3of the article stream7, the support element23is moved along at synchronous speed with the upright article3and in this context remains in abutment on the article cover surface. In temporal overlap, the article4identified as being in a non-upright position is received by a seizing unit25according to an embodiment of theFIGS. 9 to 18or according to a further embodiment that is not illustrated in the figures, and it is removed or extracted from the article stream7or is transferred to an upright orientation. By the abutment of the support element23on the cover surface of the upright article3, which abutment continues to be formed in the process, it can be prevented that the upright article3inadvertently tilts during the removal or during the transfer to an upright orientation of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position.

The schematic view ofFIG. 7shows a further defined action upon a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position, which further defined action can be carried out additionally or alternatively to the defined action according to at least one exemplary embodiment of at least one of theFIGS. 2 to 6. The defined action ofFIG. 7is aimed at a prevention of disturbances during an uprighting or extraction from the article stream7of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position, the uprighting or extraction temporally following the defined action.

InFIG. 7, an article4identified as being in a non-upright position is illustrated, which article4can be formed as part of an article stream7according to the description forFIG. 1and which can potentially be in abutment by force application on a plurality of further, upright articles3that are not illustrated inFIG. 6. The article4identified as being in a non-upright position is identified in the article stream7as an error according to the previous description forFIG. 1by a detection device12designed as camera system14.

As already mentioned above, it is possible that an abutment by force application and potentially caused by back pressure of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position on further, upright articles3involves problems or disturbances in a removal from an article stream7of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position or in a transfer to an upright orientation of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position. In order to prevent such problems, the article4identified as being in a non-upright position and illustrated inFIG. 7is acted upon by a preparation, which is not illustrated here. A handling device can be a component of the non-illustrated preparation, which handling device rotates the article4identified as being in a non-upright position about a horizontally oriented swivel axis, and in the process transfers it to an orientation in which an abutment by force application potentially caused by back pressure between the article4identified as being in a non-upright position and at least one further, adjacent, upright article3(cf.FIG. 5) is formed in a reduced manner in terms of amount or can even be completely undone. Since the particular non-upright article4in the article stream7is identified by a camera system14, there is additionally the possibility of determining a relative orientation of the non-upright article4in relation to further, upright articles3of the article stream7with the help of the camera system14. The camera system14can be in communication with the control unit and/or regulating unit S already illustrated inFIG. 1. An intelligent logic can be stored on the control unit and/or regulating unit S, by which intelligent logic a specific angle is specified in consideration of the relative orientation determined by the camera system14for the article4identified as being in a non-upright position, by which angle the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position can be swiveled about the horizontally oriented axis in order to reduce in terms of amount or in order to completely undo the back pressure formed between the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position and at least one adjacent upright article3. After specification of the specific angle by the control unit and/or regulating unit S (cf.FIG. 1), the particular non-upright article4can be swiveled about the horizontally oriented axis by the handling device formed as component of a preparation. Such a swiveling of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position is indicated inFIG. 7by arrow-based illustration.

Temporally after the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position has been swiveled about the horizontally oriented axis according toFIG. 7, the article4, having been identified as being in a non-upright position and having been swiveled about the horizontally oriented axis, can be removed from the article stream7(cf.FIG. 1) or can be transferred to an upright orientation. Since an abutment by force application potentially formed by back pressure between the article4identified as being in a non-upright position and at least one further, adjacent, upright article3is reduced in terms of amount or is completely undone by the swiveling about the horizontal axis, the transfer to an upright orientation of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position temporally following hereafter or the extraction from the article stream7of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position temporally following hereafter can be carried out without problems or disturbances.

The schematic view ofFIG. 8shows a further defined action upon a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position, which further defined action can be carried out additionally or alternatively to the defined action according to at least one exemplary embodiment of at least one of theFIGS. 2 to 7. The defined action ofFIG. 8is aimed at a prevention of disturbances during an uprighting or removal from the article stream7of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position, the uprighting or removal temporally following the defined action.

Furthermore discernible inFIG. 8is a horizontal conveying device8that moves the article stream7in transport direction TR. The non-upright article4has been identified in the article stream7as an error (cf.FIG. 1) by a detection device12designed as camera system14. The article stream7is moved by back pressure such that upright articles3abut by force application on the article4identified as being in a non-upright position. As already mentioned, it is possible that upright articles3inadvertently tilt during an extraction of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position, whereby disturbances or problems are involved with an extraction of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position. Such a tilting or such a disturbance is the more probable the greater in terms of amount the abutment by force application is formed to be between the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position and immediately adjacent upright articles3.

In order to prevent such problems or such disturbances, the preparation6from the exemplary embodiment ofFIG. 8comprises a plurality of support elements23. Temporally before an extraction of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position, a support element23is in each instance positioned on a particular, assigned upright article3, which upright article3assigned to the particular support element23is immediately adjacent to the article4identified as being in a non-upright position.

In order to position the support elements23on the particular upright articles3of the article stream7, the support elements23are lowered, in each instance in a direction coming from above, and hereby come into contact with a top side of a particular, assigned upright article3. The article stream7with the upright articles3and the article4identified as being in a non-upright position can continue to be moved without interruption even temporally after a positioning of the support elements23on the particular upright articles3or after a contact of the support elements23with the particular upright articles3. In order for it to be possible to continue to move the article stream7without interruption, the support elements23are moved along in transport direction TR at synchronous speed with their particular upright article3after their particular positioning thereon or after their particular contact. Temporally during the extraction of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position, the support elements23remain in contact with their particular upright article3such that the support elements23hold their particular upright article3in an upright orientation temporally during the extraction of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position. In this way it can be prevented that the upright articles3held by the support elements23inadvertently tilt during the extraction of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position.

In order for it to be possible to position the support elements23accurately on the particular upright article3, a camera system14can be provided, which is potentially in communication with a control unit and/or regulating unit S (cf.FIG. 1). With the help of the camera system14, the control unit and/or regulating unit S can move the support elements23for the purpose of positioning the support elements23on their particular upright article3.

The perspective view ofFIG. 9shows a further defined action upon a particular non-upright article4, which further defined action can be carried out additionally or alternatively to the defined action according to at least one exemplary embodiment of at least one of theFIGS. 2 to 8. The defined action ofFIG. 9is aimed at a prevention of disturbances during an uprighting or removal from the article stream7of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position, which uprighting or removal temporally follows the defined action.

Corresponding to the exemplary embodiment ofFIG. 8, a horizontal conveying device8moving an article stream7in transport direction TR is discernible in the exemplary embodiment ofFIG. 9. Number4furthermore refers to a non-upright article4in the article stream7.

Furthermore provided inFIG. 9is a seizing unit25that has two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other, which are formed as a component of a preparation6. The shanks28and28′ are designed as clamping elements and/or gripping elements32and32′ and interact together to receive the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position as well as to discharge from the article stream7the article4identified as being in a non-upright position. As is discernible inFIG. 9, a plurality of articles3immediately adjacent to the article4identified as being in a non-upright position planarly abut on sides of the clamping elements and/or gripping elements32, which sides face away from the article4identified as being in a non-upright position. The shanks28and28′ located opposite each other and designed as clamping elements and/or gripping elements32and32′ are formed in such a manner that the shanks28and28′ located opposite each other and designed as clamping elements and/or gripping elements32and32′ can maintain a planar abutment on upright articles3during an extraction of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position. These upright articles3are supported by the planar abutment such that the supported upright articles3of the article stream7cannot inadvertently tilt temporally during an extraction of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position. In order to dip the seizing unit25or the two shanks28and28′ of the seizing unit25, which shanks28and28′ are located opposite each other, into the article stream7to receive the article4identified as being in a non-upright position, it can be provided that the two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other can be adjusted relative to each other, with a relative distance of the of the two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other first being increased temporally after dipping into the article stream7, and, following hereafter, being decreased for the purpose of receiving the article4identified as being in a non-upright position in a clamping manner. In the context of increasing the relative distance, the upright articles3already planarly abutting on the clamping elements and/or gripping elements32and32′ can be moved in the opposite direction of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position.

Various possibilities by which articles4identified as being in a non-upright position can be removed from an article stream7or transferred to an upright orientation in the context of conceivable embodiments of the apparatus1according to the invention as well as of the method100according to the invention are illustrated in theFIGS. 10A, 10B, and 10C.

FIG. 10A, for instance, shows an unmanned aircraft33. The unmanned aircraft can move a seizing unit25attached to the unmanned aircraft33toward the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position such that the particular seizing unit25can receive the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position. After the process of receiving, the unmanned aircraft33can move the seizing unit25attached to the unmanned aircraft33together with the received article4identified as being in a non-upright position in opposite direction to the article stream7such that the article4identified as being in a non-upright position and having been received is discharged from the article stream7. The unmanned aircraft33is in wireless communication with a control unit and/or regulating unit S (cf.FIG. 1), which specifies a movement of the unmanned aircraft33to receive the article4identified as being in a non-upright position and to remove the article4identified as being in a non-upright position from the article stream7. In the embodiment ofFIG. 10A, the unmanned aircraft33has a plurality of rotors disposed in a horizontal plane and acting vertically downward, which rotors can be controlled in a manner coordinated with one another for the defined movement of the unmanned aircraft33. In preferred embodiments, the unmanned aircraft33can have at least four rotors disposed in a horizontal plane and acting vertically downward, which at least four rotors can be controlled in a manner coordinated with one another for the defined movement of the unmanned aircraft33.

A seizing unit25such as can be provided in the context of various embodiments of an apparatus1according to the invention or of a method according to the invention, is moreover schematically illustrated inFIG. 10B. The seizing unit ofFIG. 10Bcomprises a lengthwise carrier37or a shaft or bar. Attached to an end section of the lengthwise carrier37or of the shaft or bar, is a tip36, which can potentially be designed to be sharp-edged. By the tip36, the seizing unit can penetrate into a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position and can discharge from the article stream7the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position by a movement in opposite direction to the article stream7of the lengthwise carrier37together with the tip36and the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position.

FIG. 10Cmoreover shows a schematic illustration of a further seizing unit25such as can be provided in various embodiments of the apparatus1according to the invention or of the method100according to the invention. The seizing unit25from the exemplary embodiment ofFIG. 10Cis in communication with a rope system35comprising a plurality of individual ropes. By a movement of individual ropes of the rope system35in a manner coordinated with one another, the seizing unit25illustrated inFIG. 10Ccan be moved toward a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position in order to receive the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position. By a further coordinated movement of individual ropes of the rope system35temporally following hereafter, the seizing unit25can then be moved in opposite direction to the article stream7together with the article4identified as being in a non-upright position and received by the seizing unit25, and the seizing unit25can in this context discharge from the article stream7the article4identified as being in a non-upright position and having been received.

TheFIG. 11shows a schematic illustration of a further seizing unit25such as can be provided in various embodiments of the apparatus1according to the invention or of the method100according to the invention. The seizing unit25from the exemplary embodiment ofFIG. 11has two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other, which shanks28and28′ can be brought into abutment on opposite sides on a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position and can in this context receive the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position in a clamping manner. Furthermore, the seizing unit25has a convexly curved portion38, which connects the two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other to one another. If the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position is a beverage container or a bottle, the convexly curved portion38of the seizing unit25can be designed in such a manner that the seizing unit25can be brought into abutment in a planar manner by the convexly curved portion38on the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position and being formed as beverage container or as bottle. The particular article identified as being in a non-upright position can be clasped in an at least partly form-fitting manner by the two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other as well as by the convexly curved portion38connecting the two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other to one another. In this way, an inadvertent disengaging from the seizing unit25during the discharge from the article stream7of the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position is counteracted.

FIGS. 12A and 12Bshow a schematic illustration of a further seizing unit25such as can be provided in various embodiments of the apparatus1according to the invention or of the method100according to the invention.

The seizing unit25according toFIGS. 12A and 12Bcomprises a carrier plate25with a flange45, by which flange45the seizing unit25can be attached to a corresponding counter flange of a handling device. As a result, the handling device, which is in each instance not illustrated inFIGS. 12A and 12B, is capable of moving the seizing unit25optionally in the direction or in the opposite direction of a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position.

A gripper41is moreover attached to the carrier plate44. As is discernible inFIGS. 12A and 12B, an article4identified as being in a non-upright position can be received by the gripper41. The seizing unit25furthermore comprises a support plate43, which is mechanically coupled to the carrier plate45by a spring mechanism39that has a plurality of springs. When the gripper41is moved toward the article4identified as being in a non-upright position, which article4is to be received, the support plate43is positioned on a plurality of upright articles3in the process. The support plate43remains in surface contact with the upright articles3and decreases its relative distance to the carrier plate44during a further movement of the gripper41toward the article4identified as being in a non-upright position, with the individual springs of the spring mechanism39being preloaded in the process. When the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position has been received by the gripper41, then the carrier plate44of the seizing unit25can be moved in opposite direction to the particular upright articles3to remove the received article4that has been identified as being in a non-upright position. The received article4that has been identified as being in a non-upright position is hereby lifted up. While the article4identified as being in a non-upright position is being lifted up, the support plate43continues to remain in surface contact with the upright articles3and holds the upright articles3in their upright position by a force supplied by the preloaded springs of the spring mechanism39. In this way it can be prevented that a disturbance occurs temporally during the extraction or that upright articles3inadvertently tilt during an extraction of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position. The seizing unit25is therefore a component of a preparation6, by which such disturbances can be counteracted or which is aimed at preventing such disturbances.

TheFIGS. 13A and 13Bshow a schematic illustration of a further seizing unit25such as can be provided in various embodiments of the apparatus1according to the invention or of the method100according to the invention. The seizing unit25comprises two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other, which interact with each other in order to receive a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position. As shown inFIGS. 13A and 13B, the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position and formed as beverage container in the present instance is clasped at least in sections in a form-fitting manner by the two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other. For this purpose, each of the two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other has a particular counter support21and21′, which particular counter support21or21′ faces toward the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position and having been received and which abuts on a cover surface of the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position and having been received. In this way, the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position can be received in a form-fitting and non-rotating manner by the two shanks28and28′ of the seizing unit25, which shanks28and28′ are located opposite each other.

As already described forFIG. 1, a control unit and/or regulating unit S can be provided in various embodiments of the apparatus1according to the invention or in order to implement various embodiments of the method100according to the invention. The seizing unit25according toFIG. 13can be in operative connection with the control unit and/or regulating unit S to receive a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position.

In this context it is in particular possible that the control unit and/or regulating unit S moves the two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other—in consideration of a maximum cross-sectional diameter of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position known to the control unit and/or regulating unit S or determined by the control unit and/or regulating unit S—relative to each other in such a way that they assume a specific relative tilt position in consideration of the determined or known maximum cross-sectional diameter. Hereby, the seizing unit25can be adapted by the control unit and/or regulating unit S to different geometries or to different maximum cross-sectional diameters of articles4identified as being in a non-upright position and intended to be extracted without the seizing unit25having to be exchanged for this purpose. The relative movement of the two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other can be effected pneumatically, hydraulically, or electrically, for example.

Furthermore, at least one force sensor can be provided, which is in communication with the control unit and/or regulating unit S. In this instance, it is conceivable that the control unit and/or regulating unit S can, with the help of the force sensor, determine or at least approximately in real time monitor a particular holding force applied by the two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other onto the article4identified as being in a non-upright position. With the help of the force sensor, the two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other can be moved by the control unit and/or regulating unit S in such a manner that a holding force, which is used to receive the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position in a clamping manner, is limited or remains within a predetermined value or range in terms of amount.

In particular for embodiments of a seizing unit25according toFIGS. 13A and 13Bit is also conceivable that the seizing unit25or the two shanks28and28′ of the seizing unit25, which shanks28and28′ are located opposite each other, is or are first lowered toward the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position and in the process dip into the article stream7(cf.FIG. 1orFIG. 2). Temporally before receiving the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position in a form-fitting manner, the two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other can increase their relative distance to each other, with the upright articles3immediately adjacent to the article4identified as being in a non-upright position being moved in opposite direction to the article4identified as being in a non-upright position and in this context losing a surface contact formed with the article4identified as being in a non-upright position. Following hereafter, the two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other can decrease their relative distance to each other, with the two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other coming into surface contact with the article4identified as being in a non-upright position and in this context receiving the article4identified as being in a non-upright position in a clamping and form-fitting manner.

TheFIG. 13Amoreover shows that an extension of a particular shank28or28′ in longitudinal direction of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position is formed to be reduced in terms of amount in relation to a longitudinal extension of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position. In this way, the seizing unit25or the two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other can simply dip into an article stream7to receive a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position, without in this context inadvertently coming into contact with further, upright articles3.

TheFIGS. 14A and 14Bshow a schematic illustration of a further seizing unit25such as can be provided in various embodiments of the apparatus1according to the invention or of the method100according to the invention. Number47inFIGS. 14A and 14Bin each instance indicates an air cushion formed as part of the seizing unit25. In order to receive a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position, the seizing unit25can be dipped into an article stream7and is hereby moved toward the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position or lowered toward the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position. When the seizing unit25has reached the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position, the air cushion is filled via compressed air, which involves the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position to be held in a form-fitting manner under abutment on the air cushion47filled with compressed air as well as being held in a force-locking manner by the air cushion47. The air cushion47can be fluidically coupled to a compressor in order to be filled with compressed air.

The seizing unit25can furthermore be moved together with the article4identified as being in a non-upright position and being held by the compressed-air-filled air cushion47in opposite direction to an article stream7, in which context the article4identified as being in a non-upright position and being held by the compressed-air-filled air cushion47is discharged from the article stream7or removed from the article stream7.

TheFIG. 15shows a schematic illustration of a further seizing unit25such as can be provided in various embodiments of the apparatus1according to the invention or of the method100according to the invention. The seizing unit25has a base27that can be fixedly located at a handling device. Moreover, a piercing area52is provided where a multitude of needles54is disposed. The seizing unit25can penetrate into a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position by the piercing area52or by the multitude of needles54of the piercing area52.

In practice, it is possible that the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position is filled with liquid and thus has a high mass. This can involve problems or disturbances when extracting the article4identified as being in a non-upright position from the article stream7, since the article4identified as being in a non-upright position can inadvertently become disengaged from the seizing unit25due to its high mass while it is being discharged or removed from the article stream7.

In the exemplary embodiment ofFIG. 15, the seizing unit25therefore has openings49, which are in fluidic communication with further openings introduced into the multitude of needles54, which further openings are not discernible inFIG. 15. Temporally after the seizing unit25has penetrated by its piercing area52into the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position, the seizing unit25can discharge liquid from the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position by the openings49. After liquid has been at least partly discharged from the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position, the particular article identified as being in a non-upright position can be lifted up and removed from the article stream7by the seizing unit25. In this context, the article4identified as being in a non-upright position has a reduced mass in relation to a completely filled condition such that problems or disturbances involved with an inadvertent disengaging of the article4identified as being in a non-upright position from the seizing unit25can hereby be prevented. It should moreover be noted that the seizing unit25does not have to be lowered exclusively in a vertical direction toward a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position for the piercing area52or the needles54of the piercing area to penetrate into the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position. It is also possible that the seizing unit is moved with a horizontal direction component and is lowered in vertical direction with temporal overlap, in which context the seizing unit25penetrates by the piercing area52or by the needles54of the piercing area52into the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position. In this way, the seizing unit25can approach the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position in a direction coming diagonally from above.

TheFIG. 16shows a schematic illustration of a further seizing unit25such as can be provided in various embodiments of the apparatus1according to the invention or of the method100according to the invention. The seizing unit25from the exemplary embodiment ofFIG. 16furthermore comprises two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other, by which two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position can be received in a clamping manner. Furthermore, a bellows58is provided that is positioned on the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position when the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position is received in a clamping manner. Moreover, two springs56and56′ form part of the seizing unit25, with an own spring56and56′ being assigned to each of the two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other. A particular force used to receive a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position in a clamping manner is supplied by the springs56and56′. The springs56and56′ are adjustable or can be fixedly located in different positions such that a particular force, which acts upon articles4identified as being in a non-upright position by the seizing unit25and which is used to receive the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position in a clamping manner, can be modified or adapted to the particular maximum cross-sectional diameter of the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position. The bellows indicated by number58is forced-coupled with the two shanks28and28′ of the seizing unit25, which shanks28and28′ are located opposite each other. An adjustment of the springs56and56′ thus in each instance involves a modification of the position of the bellows58in longitudinal direction of the seizing unit25. Hereby, the seizing unit25can also be adapted to non-upright articles4of different sizes.

TheFIG. 17shows a schematic illustration of a further seizing unit25such as can be provided in various embodiments of the apparatus1according to the invention or of the method100according to the invention.

The seizing unit25from the exemplary embodiment ofFIG. 17has a plurality of suction heads, of which one suction head is discernible inFIG. 17with the reference number65. By the suction head65, a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position can be pneumatically received or pneumatically fixed to the seizing unit25. For this purpose, the suction heads65are positioned coming from above on a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position.

Each of the suction heads65has a cylinder61as well as a piston63assigned to it, with the piston63being adjustable along its longitudinal direction in the cylinder. In this way, it is possible to specify or adjust a particular position for the suction head depending on a particular geometry or dimension of an article4to be received and identified as being in a non-upright position.

The seizing unit moreover has two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other. The two shanks28located opposite each other can each be swiveled about a horizontally oriented axis. By a particular swiveling movement of the two shanks28located opposite each other, upright articles3that are immediately adjacent to the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position can be shifted in opposite direction to the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position. Hereby, the risk of an inadvertent tilting is minimized for these upright articles3. The swiveling of the two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other can be carried out with the help of at least one pneumatic actuator, which is not illustrated inFIG. 17.

Number45furthermore indicates a flange, by which the seizing unit25can be fixedly located at a corresponding counter flange of a handling device not illustrated here.

TheFIG. 19shows a flowchart of individual steps such as can be provided in an embodiment of the method100according to the invention. At least one non-upright article4in an article stream7is accordingly identified as an error in a first step. It is in particular possible that the at least one non-upright article4in the article stream7is identified as an error with the help of a camera system14or of a control unit and/or regulating unit that is in communication with the camera system14.

In the context of a further step, a defined action is exerted upon the at least one article identified as being in a non-upright position and/or upon further, upright articles3of the article stream7, the defined action being aimed at preventing disturbances in a temporally following correction step or in a correction step temporally following the defined action. The defined action can be exerted, in particular, by a preparation6such as has been illustrated or described in preceding figures of the present patent application.

A further step provides the performance of a correction step to resolve the error, the correction step consisting of a removal from the article stream7of the at least one article4identified as being in a non-upright position, or of a transfer to an upright orientation of the particular at least one article4identified as being in a non-upright position. It is possible that the at least one article4identified as being in a non-upright position is discharged in the context of the removal from the article stream7. The correction step to resolve the error can be performed, in particular, with the help of a seizing unit25such as is illustrated or described in preceding figures and in the followingFIG. 20of the present patent application.

FIG. 20shows an exemplary embodiment of a seizing unit25such as can in each instance be provided to prevent disturbances in various embodiments of the apparatus1according to the invention as well as in various embodiments of the method100according to the invention (cf.FIG. 19).

The seizing unit25from the exemplary embodiment ofFIG. 20comprises two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other, by which two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other the article4identified as being in a non-upright position can be received in a clamping manner. The two shanks28and28′ located opposite each other each have a first wing51and a second wing51′. The particular first wing51is connected to the particular second wing51′ of the particular shank28or28′ by a particular joint53such that the particular first wing51can be swiveled relative to the particular second wing51′ of the particular shank28or28′ by the particular joint53. The first wing51and the second wing51′ of the shank illustrated inFIG. 20with the reference number28′ have performed such a swiveling movement in relation to each other, whereas the first wing51and the second wing51′ of the shank illustrated inFIG. 20with the reference number28have not been swiveled in relation to one another and thus continue to be disposed in an initial position.

Advantageously, the seizing unit25can adapt flexibly to its particular vicinity by such a swiveling movement of wings51or51′ when receiving a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position.FIG. 20shows an end section of a guide rail42facing toward the third conveyor section30according toFIG. 1. The end section of the guide rail42tapers toward the third conveyor section30(cf.FIG. 1) and is hereby formed as infeed point46. The shank28is in surface contact with the guide rail42or with the infeed point46when receiving the article4identified as being in a non-upright position. As a result of the surface contact, the wings51and51′ of the shank28have been swiveled relative to each other such that the shank28can flexibly adapt to the guide rail42disposed in the vicinity of the seizing unit25or can flexibly adapt to the infeed point46disposed in the vicinity of the seizing unit25. The flexible design of the shanks28and28′ allows the receiving of a particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position to be carried out in a targeted and problem-free manner even if there are obstacles in the proximity of the particular article4identified as being in a non-upright position.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS