US 12,454,421 B2
Swing arm manipulator for displacing objects on an object carrier surface of an object carrier
Gideon May, Amsterdam (NL); Nick De Zwart-Janssen, Eindhoven (NL); Julien Maarten Jan Bol, Valkenswaard (NL); and Jonathan Van Der Spek, Amsterdam (NL)
Assigned to AM-Flow Holding B.V., Amsterdam (NL)
Appl. No. 18/280,660
Filed by AM-Flow Holding B.V., Amsterdam (NL)
PCT Filed Mar. 8, 2022, PCT No. PCT/NL2022/050126
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 6, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/191701, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 15, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 21161256 (EP), filed on Mar. 8, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0140730 A1, May 2, 2024
Int. Cl. B65G 47/76 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 47/766 (2013.01) 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sorting device comprising:
a conveyor belt forming an object carrier with an object carrier surface, which conveyor belt in operation moves in a transport direction; and
at least one selection device comprising:
a manipulator with a movable arm for displacing objects on the object carrier surface of the conveyor belt; and
an actuator for controllably moving the movable arm; and
an actuator controller for controlling the actuator in response to an object information signal indicative for an identity and/or one or more properties of an object in a neighborhood of the manipulator for displacing objects on the object carrier surface of the object carrier,
wherein the moveable arm comprises:
a hollow elongate body having a length direction parallel to the object carrier surface, defining at a side of the hollow elongate body facing the object carrier surface, an elongate opening extending in the length direction of the moveable arm, giving access to a hollow inner space confined by an at least substantially cylindrical wall portion having an axis extending in the length direction and having a diameter greater than a width of the opening;
at least one extension part with an at least substantially cylindrical portion, and an at least substantially wedge shaped portion connected thereto, the at least substantially cylindrical portion being rotatably arranged in the hollow inner space of the elongate body and the substantially wedge shaped portion extending towards the object carrier surface at an angle with respect to a surface normal of the object carrier surface,
wherein the movable arm is a swing arm rotatable around a rotation axis transverse to the object carrier surface, and
wherein the actuator is configured to controllably rotate the swing arm;
wherein the actuator controller is configured to rotate the rotatable arm between a first orientation and a second orientation in response to the object information signal, wherein in the first orientation the rotatable arm allows an object to be transported further with the conveyor belt and wherein in the second orientation the rotatable arm blocks the object, and
wherein the at least substantially wedge shaped portion of the at least one extension part of the rotatable arm extends towards the object carrier surface in a direction opposite the transport direction, and
wherein an inclination angle of a central plane of the wedge shaped portion with respect to the transport direction is in a range of about 20 degrees to about 40 degrees.