Field of the invention

The invention relates to a device for optimizing a pallet-type packaging handling process for monitoring the placement of a package with a load on a fork of a handling device during the process of handling goods in warehouses, shops and during transportation.

Background of the Invention

Material handling is one of the indispensable logistics processes and operations that intertwine the process of production, storage and material flow from the manufacturer to the customer. Due to the automation and cost reduction of handling processes as well as of transport operations, many transport and storage devices are used for material storage. These devices are primarily used to ensure that finer materials are bundled into larger volumes, do not spill, or that larger pieces or larger volumes of material can be handled by standardized handling devices of transport automation.

The basic commonly used transport and storage devices include mainly various containers, pallets, crates and boxes. However, if handling is to be carried out using mechanical devices, these must be fitted with elements that allow and ensure the use of such mechanical devices. For containers, this is usually ensured by container anchoring systems in the form of a pin and a hole with a lock. This system allows a sufficiently strong connection of the container to a chassis frame fitted with the appropriate coupling counterpart or to a carrier frame with the same counterpart system, where the carrier frame is part of a larger lifting assembly. Another method of handling is by means of a fork clamping system on the handling device. This method is common both for containers and especially for pallets. Its principle consists in the fact that the lower part of the container or the lower body of the pallet is provided with at least two longitudinal or transverse slots whose cross-sectional profile is larger than the cross-section of the fork of the handling device, which for the purpose of this application are forklift trucks, pallet trucks, side loaders or other handling devices with a similar handling mechanism. The container or pallet is provided with at least one parallel pair of these closed or open-sided slots, the spacing of the slots being such that, when the load is optimally distributed in the pallet or container, the center of gravity of the pallet or container is midway between the forks inserted in the slots formed. Stability of the transported pallet is also achieved by ensuring that both slots have sufficient lateral clearance to allow the fork to slide into the slots with lateral displacement. Pallet here also means other pallet-type packaging. In today's technical practice, forklift forks are known to have strain gauges in the forks with external signaling. These sensor forks alert the operator when the forklift's load capacity is exceeded.

Handling loads on pallets and in containers is now common in warehouses, transfer yards, production and sales areas. The choice of the type of pallet or container and the handling device depends on the size and weight of the load, as well as the technical and spatial capabilities of the handling area. In addition to rigid pallets and reusable packaging, materials are increasingly being transported in paper packaging. This type of packaging allows a great variability of shapes, but at the same time places high demands on the handling device operator when working with soft packaging material that does not have sufficient strength to protect the material inside from damage from walls or the fork of the handling device.

In order to optimize the handling of pallets and other packages, enabling loading and reloading by means of handling device, smart forks equipped with fixed sensors and instruments are gradually being introduced into technical practice. These electronics allow the operator to refine the insertion of the fork into the pallet, adjust its placement, etc. by means of light or sound signals or by providing an image of the area outside the operator's field of vision. The advantage is that this greatly reduces the risk of damage to the packaging during handling or also damage to the goods itself inside the packaging. It is also possible to detect when and how damage has occurred by connecting to an external control and evaluation center. The disadvantage of these sensor forks is that the sensors are a stationary part of the fork and if the sensor is damaged, the entire fork must be replaced. Another problem is the size of the sensors, which does not permit their use in case when a very thin fork face is required. The opposite option to optimize the process of checking the correctness of packaging handling is to fit sensors to these packages. This is also a common practice, although not a cheap one, and above all it cannot be applied to disposable packaging because of the price.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a device for monitoring the handling process of a pallet or a package handled by a handling device, which would be conceived as part of the handling and not the handled device. A device thus created should be able to monitor and evaluate the relative position of the handling device and the packaging, i.e. especially the position of the loading fork in the slots under the packaging. The invention sought should enable improved accuracy, sensor or optical resolution of locations outside the standard field of view of the operator. The acquired data and images should be transmitted as specific information to the handler operator and stored in a database. The device created should be interchangeable, i.e. not be a stationary part of the handling device, but at the same time it must be able to be supplied with energy from an external battery or directly from the power supply of the handling device. Furthermore, the technical solution must allow for simultaneous interchangeable use of multiple types of sensor, acoustic, light and optical means of detection and positioning, as well as the use of warning signals to inform the operator in time in the event of an approaching emergency.

Summary of the invention

The shortcomings of the presently known inventions used for machine handling of material stored in pallet-type packaging are addressed by a device for optimizing the handling process of such packaging comprising a fork of the handling device, at least one electronic device, at least one operator information panel and/or at least one alarm and at least one power source. The fork consists of two skids, where each skid consists of a vertical fastening beam and a connecting horizontal support beam adapted for handling pallet- type packages, where these packages are equipped with a pair of handling slots. The electronic device is a device from the group of devices: camera, position sensor, range finder, optical guidance system, light source, level sensor and weight sensor. The electronic device is arranged on the fork of the handling device. The information panel of the handling device operator and/or the alarm are connected via data lines to the electrical devices that convey the acquired information to the handling device operator and that control the function of the electronic devices. An electrical power source is connected by electrical wiring to electrical devices, information panel and/or alarms to supply these parts with the necessary electrical power. At least one electronic device from the group of devices: camera, position sensor, range finder, optical guidance system, light source, level sensor and weight sensor is arranged in at least one sensor head. The sensor head is interchangeably arranged in an installation recess in the face of at least one of the two horizontal beams.

In the preferred embodiment, each horizontal beam is equipped with its own sensor head.

In another preferred embodiment, the first sensor head is arranged on the first horizontal beam. This first sensor head differs in at least part of its integral electronic instrumentation assembly from the integral electronic instrumentation assembly of the second sensor head arranged on the second horizontal beam. The instrumentation of individual sensor heads is variable and depends on the customer's specific requirements.

In another preferred embodiment, the integral electronics assembly of the first sensor head arranged on the first horizontal beam is identical to the integral electronics assembly of the second sensor head arranged on the second horizontal beam.

In the following preferred embodiment, the camera is analogue or digital and captures images in the visible and/or infrared light spectrum.

In a related preferred embodiment, the position sensor is an optical barrier for sensing the relative position of the fork face and the edges of the handling slots of the pallet-type packaging.

In another preferred embodiment, the range finder is an electronic device for sensing the distance between two objects based on the reflection of a transmitted optical or audio signal. In another preferred embodiment, the optical guidance system is an electronic device generating a beam of light for projecting a horizontal and/or vertical plane of the top surface or inner side surface of the horizontal beam forward of the fork profile. This light beam thus projects the position of the top surface and/or the inner side surface of the fork onto the horizontal profile of the package, thus allowing the forklift operator to better orient the position of the fork setting relative to the package and its handling slots when inserting the fork into the handling slots.

In another preferred embodiment, the optical guidance system is an electronic device generating a beam of light for simultaneous projection of the horizontal and vertical plane of the top surface and the inner side surface of the horizontal beam or the fork face center by forming at least a two-dimensional graphic pattern.

In another preferred embodiment, the alarm is a sound or light device emitting a corresponding light or sound signal in two color variants or two sound modulations. The optimum color options are red and green. The emitted signal informs about two variants of the mutual arrangement of the fork and packaging, i.e. if the mutual positions are in disorder vs. in order.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the device for optimizing the pallet-type packaging handling process further comprises a communication interface for wireless transmission of information and an external control and/or data and/or display unit for storing and evaluating data acquired from the electronic devices.

The main advantage of the device for optimizing the process of handling pallet-type packaging is a significant refinement of the handling processes of the handling device operator with the packages being moved. Thanks to the sensor head and the transmission of information to the information panel and/or the annunciator, the handling device operator can insert the fork into the handling slots more safely and accurately. This ensures that the packaging is placed on the fork in an optimal position and balanced when moving and stacking, eliminating the possibility of the packaging accidentally falling off the fork or being damaged by the fork edge. Since the packaging is nowadays mostly paper, any damage to the packaging would almost always mean damage to the material being transported. Another advantage of the present invention is that it allows simple replacement of a damaged or improperly fitted sensor head as a single component without the need to replace the entire fork. This also applies to the installation of a better newly fitted sensor head. At the same time, the present invention makes it possible to store and evaluate the acquired data and thus to detect deficiencies in the work of the operators of the handling device and the damage caused.

Clarification of drawings

The invention will be explained in more detail by means of the drawings which illustrate:

Fig. 1 a perspective view of the fork of the handling device, which is fitted with a sensor head at the face of each of its horizontal beams;

Fig. 2 a perspective view of a cut-out of the front fork of a handling device with a pair of horizontal beams, wherein the sensor head is arranged only on the first horizontal beam. The sensor head consists of a camera, position sensor, range finder, optical guidance system and light source;

Fig. 3 a perspective view of a cut-out of the front fork of a handling device with a pair of horizontal beams, wherein the first sensor head is arranged on the first horizontal beam and the second sensor head is arranged on the second horizontal beam. The first sensor head is fitted with sensors as shown in Fig. 1 and the second sensor head is fitted with a camera, a position sensor and a light source; Fig. 4 detail of the face of the horizontal beam with the installation recess and the sensor head shown in the position before its insertion into the installation recess. The sensor head has electronic devices arranged in an electronic device assembly as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 Schematic illustration of the interconnection of the individual parts of the device to optimize the process of handling pallet-type packaging with data lines and power lines. Examples of invention embodiment

It is understood that the specific examples of embodiments of the invention described and illustrated below are presented for illustrative purposes and not as a restriction of the examples of embodiments of the invention to those examples. Experts skilled in the art will find or be able to identify, using routine experimentation, a greater or lesser number of equivalents to the described examples of embodiments of the invention.

A device for optimizing a pallet-type packaging handling process, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, includes a fork 9 of the handling device, at least one electronic device, at least one operator information panel 13 and/or at least one alarm 14, and at least one power source 15. The fork 9 consists of two skids, where each skid consists of a vertical fastening beam and a connecting horizontal support beam 8, 8_ adapted for handling pallet-type packages. Such packages are packages which are provided with a pair of parallel handling slots at the bottom of the packaging. The electronic device is then a device from the group of devices: camera , position sensor 2, range finder 3, optical guidance system 4, light source 5, level sensor and weight sensor. This electronic device is arranged on the fork 9 of the handling device. The information panel J_3 of the handling device operator and/or the alarm 14 are connected via data lines JT to the electrical devices that convey the acquired information to the handling device operator and that control the function of the electronic devices. The power source J_5 is connected by electrical wiring 12 to electrical devices, information panel 13 and/or alarms 14 to supply these parts with the necessary electrical power. At least one electronic device from the group of devices: camera 1_, position sensor 2, range finder 3, optical guidance system 4, light source 5, level sensor and weight sensor is arranged in at least one sensor head 6, 6_. The sensor head 6, A is interchangeably arranged in an installation recess 10 in the face 7 of at least one of the two horizontal beams 8, 8\

According to a specific example embodiment of the invention, illustrated in Fig. 3, each horizontal beam 8, 8 is provided with its own sensor head 6, 6\ According to the same example embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3, the first sensor head 6 is arranged on the first horizontal beam 8. This first sensor head 6 differs in at least part of its integral electronic instrumentation assembly from the integral electronic instrumentation assembly of the second sensor head A arranged on the second horizontal beam 8\ The instrumentation of individual sensor heads 6, A is variable and depends on the customer's specific requirements. In an optimum embodiment of the invention, the signal from the same electronic devices of the individual sensor heads 6, A is combined into one coherent information perception, e.g. a continuous image. In the case of electronic devices having a specific side assignment, their output signal is then reflected in the output of the relevant side part of the information panel 13 or the side relevant alarm device 14.

According to the example embodiment of the invention, illustrated in Fig. 1, the integral electronics assembly of the first sensor head 6 arranged on the first horizontal beam 8 is identical to the integral electronics assembly of the second sensor head A arranged on the second horizontal beam 8\

According to the invention embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, the camera 1_ is analogue or digital. According to the same invention embodiment the camera J_ captures an image in the visible and/or infrared light spectrum.

According to the invention embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, the position sensor 2 is an optical barrier for sensing the mutual position of the face 7 of the fork 9 and edges of the manipulation slots of the pallet- type packaging. The emitted light beam of the optical barrier reflects from nearby objects interfering with its flow and detects this proximity. It thus provides information about when the edge of the tip of the horizontal beam 8, 8 of the fork 9 enters the handling slot and when it leaves it, thus providing information about the exact position of the fork 9 in the slot under the packaging.

According to the invention embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, the range finder 3 is an electronic device for sensing the distance between two objects based on the reflection of a transmitted optical or audio signal. The main function of this electronic device is to give the operator of the handling device a specific indication of the proximity of the fork 9 to the pallet- type packaging.

For the purposes of this application, pallet-type packaging means any packaging which is adapted for handling by means of conventional forks 9, which are fitted to conventional handling devices, i.e. forklift trucks, pallet trucks, rack stackers, and other handling devices well known to the skilled person in the art.

According to an example embodiment of the invention, illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, the optical guidance system 4 is an electronic device generating a beam of light of different colors or even variable colors for projecting the horizontal and/or vertical plane of the top surface 16 and/or the inner side surface F7 of the horizontal beam 8, 8 forward of the fork profile 9 into the profile of the pallet-type packaging. The light beam thus enables the operator of the handling device to better orient the position of the setting of the fork 9 in relation to the pallet-type packaging, i.e. more precisely the handling slots of this packaging, when inserting the fork 9 into the handling slots.

According to an example embodiment of the invention, illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, the optical guidance system 4 is an electronic device generating a beam of light for simultaneous projection of the horizontal and vertical plane of the top surface 16 and the inner side surface F7 or the fork face center 7 of the horizontal beam 8, 8 by forming at least a two-dimensional graphic pattern. This pattern is projected onto the surface of a pallet-type cover and may be, according to an not displayed example of an embodiment of the invention, a crosshair or a set of concentric circles or any other type of targeting pattern well known to one skilled in the art.

According to not shown embodiment of the invention, the alarm 14 is a sound or light device emitting a corresponding light or sound signal in two color variants or two sound modulations. The optimum color options are red and green. The emitted signal informs about two variants of the mutual arrangement of the fork 9 and packaging, i.e. if the mutual positions are in disorder vs. in order. In a specific, not shown, example embodiment of the invention, one such alarm 14 is a light panel or light strip located on the side of the fork 9 and on the rear of the fork 9 with two light color effects. A green light indicates the optimum distance or position of the fork 9 in relation to the handling slot of the pallet-type packaging, while a red light indicates a distance or position error. The side light panel informs the inspection authority and the rear light panel is used to inform the operator of the handling device.

According to not shown embodiment of the invention, the device for optimizing the pallet-type packaging handling process further comprises a communication interface for wireless transmission of information and an external control and/or data and/or display unit for storing and evaluating data acquired from the electronic devices.

Industrial applicability

The invention will find application in operations where material handling devices such as forklift trucks are used for material handling, and where it is necessary to pay increased handling attention when the handling device is in contact with the packaging to ensure protection of the packaging and the transported cargo.

List of reference signs used in the drawings

1 camera

2 position sensor

3 range finder

4 optical guidance system

5 light source

6 first sensor head

6' second sensor head

7 horizontal beam face

8 first horizontal beam

8' second horizontal beam

9 fork

10 installation recess of the horizontal beam face

11 data line

12 power line

13 information panel

14 alarm

15 electric power source

16 top surface of the horizontal beam

17 inner side surface of the horizontal beam