US 12,240,708 B2
Transport unit for articles
Luca Cavazza, Bologna (IT); Giacomo Noferini, Bologna (IT); and Antonio Vitali, Bologna (IT)
Assigned to G.D S.P.A., Bologna (IT)
Appl. No. 17/998,791
Filed by G.D S.P.A., Bologna (IT)
PCT Filed Jul. 26, 2021, PCT No. PCT/IB2021/056715
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 14, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/023930, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 3, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 102020000018859 (IT), filed on Jul. 31, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0339701 A1, Oct. 26, 2023
Int. Cl. B65G 47/71 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 47/71 (2013.01) 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A transport unit for articles, configured to move said articles along a conveyor in a movement path from a first station, arranged upstream of the transport unit, to a second station, arranged downstream of the transport unit, the transport unit comprising:
a first conveyor segment having entry lanes, separated from each other, where said articles are to be transported,
a second conveyor segment located downstream of said first conveyor segment to receive said articles coming from said first conveyor segment, said second conveyor segment having exit lanes, separated from each other, in a number equal to said entry lanes,
a switching device interposed between said first conveyor segment and said second conveyor segment and movable between a first operating configuration, in which each entry lane is in communication with a respective exit lane, and at least one second operating configuration, in which at least one entry lane is selectively put in communication with an exit lane different from the exit lane with which the at least one entry lane is in communication in said first operating configuration;
a control unit configured to control said switching device so as to move between said first operating configuration and said second operating configuration, and
a detection system connected to the control unit, for detecting a quantity of articles present in at least one of said entry lanes or exit lanes.