US 12,404,119 B2
System for sorting products, method for sorting product, and computer program product
Koen Maarten Geert Grobben, Veghel (NL); Petrus Theodorus Cornelis Vervoort, Veghel (NL); and Thomas Hendrikus Peeters, Veghel (NL)
Assigned to Vanderlande Industries B.V., Veghel (NL)
Appl. No. 18/270,515
Filed by Vanderlande Industries B.V., Veghel (NL)
PCT Filed Jan. 3, 2022, PCT No. PCT/NL2022/050001
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 30, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/146141, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 7, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2027263 (NL), filed on Jan. 4, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0059498 A1, Feb. 22, 2024
Int. Cl. B65G 47/50 (2006.01); B07C 3/08 (2006.01); B65G 43/08 (2006.01); B65G 47/84 (2006.01); H01Q 13/20 (2006.01); H04W 88/08 (2009.01)
CPC B65G 47/503 (2013.01) [B07C 3/08 (2013.01); B65G 43/08 (2013.01); B65G 47/844 (2013.01); B65G 2811/0673 (2013.01); H01Q 13/203 (2013.01); H04W 88/08 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system 1 for sorting products, comprising:
a conveyor that is moveable in a transport direction over a path along which a number of sorting locations are provided, the conveyor comprising a number of elongated carrying bodies located one after another and extending in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction parallel to each other, the carrying bodies being configured for carrying the products to be sorted, all or a subset of the carrying bodies being associated with a pusher body to form a carrying-pusher body combination;
each carrying-pusher body combination being provided with a pusher body displacement device comprising an electric motor, for moving the pusher body along a carrying body of the carrying bodies in a sort direction transverse to the transport direction, for pushing a product carried by the carrying body off of the carrying body;
a central control server arranged for transmitting destination data relating to a sorting location where a product to be sorted is to be pushed off of the carrying body;
a plurality of controllers, arranged in communication with the central control server and moveable in the transport direction along with a carrying body or a group of carrying bodies, each one of the controllers being arranged to control two or more of the electrical motors of the pusher body displacement devices in accordance with the destination data received from the central control server;
at least one stationary Access Point (AP) arranged to communicate with the central control server;
a first pair of stationary radiating cables connected to the AP, one radiating cable of the first pair of stationary radiating cables extending in the transport direction with respect to the AP and the other radiating cable of the first pair of stationary radiating cables extending against the transport direction with respect to the AP, the first pair of stationary radiating cables arranged for communication with the plurality of controllers; and
a second pair of stationary radiating cables arranged in communication with the AP, the second pair of stationary radiating cables being arranged parallel to the first pair of stationary radiating cables, one radiating cable of the second pair of stationary radiating cables extending in the transport direction with respect to the AP and the other radiating cable of the second pair of stationary radiating cables extending against the transport direction with respect to the AP, the second pair of stationary radiating cables arranged for communication with the plurality of controllers.