JP2000072239A - Container conveying apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To continue the operation of a filling machine even if a container is not fed from one feeding conveyor in a machine which merges the container conveyed from two lines of feeding conveyors to one line of gathering conveyors for incorporating them into the filling machine. SOLUTION: This container conveying apparatus is provided with two lines of feeding conveyors 4, 5 conveying a container 1, a gathering conveyor 6 disposed between both the feeding conveyors, travelling at a double speed, and conveying the container 1 at uniform pitches, and screws 12, 13 receiving the container 1 on the gathering conveyor, increasing the pitch of the container by double than that of the gathering conveyor 6 during conveyance, and pushing the container 1 onto the gathering conveyor 6. The phase of both screws 12, 13 is different by 180 deg.. This apparatus is also provided with devices 14, 15 for sorting the container conveyed by one delivering conveyor to the other delivering conveyor, and sensors 20, 21 detecting the lack of the number of the containers on the delivering conveyors 4, 5. When the sensor detects that the container is not fed to one delivering conveyor, the sorting devices 14, 15 operate.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a container conveying device for conveying containers, and more particularly, to a container conveying device in which containers conveyed in two rows from an upstream side are merged on a single row of conveyors, and the resulting container is conveyed to a downstream container processing apparatus. The present invention relates to a container transport device to be introduced.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Containers processed by a plurality of container processing apparatuses on an upstream side and conveyed by a plurality of rows of conveyors are gathered in a line, and then supplied to a container processing apparatus such as a filling machine provided on the downstream side. A container transport device adapted to perform such a process is conventionally known (Japanese Patent Publication No. 35-12889).

[0003] The container transporting device described in the above-mentioned publication transports containers supplied by two rows of container transporting conveyors by screws arranged on the side portions of each conveyor. These screws have a gradually increasing pitch, which accelerates the transport speed of the containers to ultimately twice the running speed of the conveyor. In addition, the two screws are different in phase by 180 degrees, and the downstream side is gradually approached, and the two rows of containers conveyed by the two screws are alternately delivered to a single row of conveyors to join them. I have.

[0004]

A single row of conveyors on the downstream side where the containers are merged is separated from the two rows of supply conveyors which convey the containers from the upstream side at approximately half the speed of the conveyors, respectively. The containers are alternately received via the, and are continuously transported at an equal pitch and supplied to a container processing device such as a filling machine provided on the downstream side. In such a configuration, when one of the two container processing apparatuses on the upstream side stops due to a trouble, the container sent out from the other container processing apparatus is supplied by only one conveyor. Therefore, every other container on the downstream collecting conveyor is in a state of being pulled out. In a container processing device such as a filling machine, a container continuously supplied at an equal pitch is received and a process such as filling is performed.
Since processing cannot be performed if containers are supplied every other bottle, the operation must be stopped, and there is a problem that the production operation rate is reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem. In a container transport apparatus for joining containers transported by two rows of supply conveyors on the upstream side onto a collection conveyor of one row on the downstream side, Even if supply of containers from the supply conveyor is stopped, containers can be placed on the collecting conveyor in a continuous state at a constant pitch, and the containers can be introduced into the downstream container processing device etc. It is intended to provide a device.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a container transport apparatus comprising: a conveyer for conveying containers at a constant pitch; and two conveyers arranged parallel to both sides of the conveyer for conveying containers from an upstream side. A conveyer, and merging means for alternately feeding the containers on the two supply conveyors onto the collective conveyor, and arranged upstream of the merging means, so that the container on one of the supply conveyors is replaced with the other supply conveyor. And a sorting device for sorting upward.

[0007]

In this container processing apparatus, when the containers are not supplied from one of the supply conveyors, the sorting device operates to divide the containers being conveyed on the other supply conveyor into the two rows of supply conveyors by the same number. Separate. Containers are continuously placed at equal pitches on the collecting conveyor, and can be supplied to a downstream container processing device or the like.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an entire container transporting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Two container processing apparatuses 2 and 3 such as a bulk depalletizer are disposed on the upstream side, The containers 1 sent out of the devices 2 and 3 are conveyed downstream by two parallel supply conveyors 4 and 5 provided independently of each other.

In the middle of the downstream portions of the two supply conveyors 4 and 5, there is arranged a collecting conveyor 6 which runs at almost twice the speed of the supply conveyors 4 and 5. The assembly conveyor 6 is provided with projecting members 8 at an equal pitch, and the container 1 is placed on a space 10 between the front and rear two projecting members 8 and conveyed. The conveyer 6 has a fixed protruding member that always protrudes on the conveying surface, or protrudes only at a predetermined position on the conveying surface, and descends to the same height as the conveying surface at other positions. For example, a lift link conveyor having a lift plate to be used can be used. Further, a conveyor having no protruding member protruding above the conveying surface may be used as long as containers can be placed and conveyed at equal pitches.

Screws (merging means) 12 and 13 are arranged from the side portions of the supply conveyors 4 and 5 to the central collecting conveyor 6, respectively. These screws 1
Though not shown in detail, spiral grooves 2 and 13 are formed on the outer peripheral surface, and pockets for receiving containers and ridges between the pockets are alternately arranged. This screw 1
On the upstream side of 2, and 13, the pitch of the pockets substantially matches the pitch of the protruding members 8 of the collecting conveyor 6, and on the downstream side, the pitch of the pockets is almost twice the pitch of the protruding members 8 of the collecting conveyor 6. ing.

The screws 12 and 13 on both sides are 18
At the outlet side (downstream side), the pocket of one screw (for example, 12) faces the ridge of the other screw 13 (the position in the traveling direction coincides), and The ridge of one screw 12 faces the pocket of the other screw 13. Therefore, the containers 1 conveyed by the supply conveyors 4 and 5
Are accommodated in the pockets at the upstream ends of the screws 12 and 13 and accelerated while being transported to the pockets at the downstream ends of the screws 12 and 13 to have a pitch twice the pitch of the projecting members 8 of the collecting conveyor 6. While being separated,
From the outer supply conveyors 4, 5 to the central assembly conveyor 6
Pushed up. The container 1 is pushed into the space 10 between the projecting members 8 by one screw (for example, the screw 12 in the upper part of the figure), and the other screw 13 is inserted into the space 10 between the projecting members 8 therebetween. The container 1 is pushed into the space 10 between all the projecting members 8.
The container 1 is inserted and transported. The downstream part of the two supply conveyors 4 and 5, the collecting conveyor 6 arranged between the supply conveyors 4 and 5, and the pushing screws (merging means) 12 and 13 on both sides constitute a container merging device. I have.

Distributing devices 14 and 15 are provided upstream of each of the supply conveyors 4 and 5, respectively. The containers 1 on one of the supply conveyors 4 and 5 are separated from this conveyor by the other supply conveyor 5 or 4. And can be sorted. Each of the sorting devices 14.15 has a pusher 16 (shown in FIG. 2) as a sorting member, which moves forward and backward from the supply conveyors 4 and 5 to the supply conveyor on the opposite side.
), So that every other container 1 conveyed by one supply conveyor 4 or 5 can be extruded onto the other supply conveyor 5 or 4. In this embodiment, each of the sorting devices 14 and 15 has two pushers 16 at a predetermined interval, and these pushers 16 move forward and backward alternately while moving at the same speed as the supply conveyors 4 and 5. A transfer conveyor 18 is arranged between the two supply conveyors 4 and 5, and the container 1 extruded by the pusher 16 passes over the transfer conveyor 18 from one of the supply conveyors 4 and 5. It moves onto the other supply conveyor 4 or 5.

Sensors 20 and 2 for detecting the presence or absence of the container 1 on each of the supply conveyors 4 and 5 are located upstream of the screws 12 and 13 and downstream of the distribution devices 14 and 15.
In the case where the container processing devices 2 and 3 on the upstream side stop and the container 1 is not supplied, the shortage of the container 1 on the supply conveyors 4 and 5 is detected and the sorting device 1 is provided.
4, 15 are operated.

The operation of the container transport device according to the above configuration will be described. During normal operation, the containers 1 sent out from the container processing devices 2 and 3 on the upstream side are transported by the respective supply conveyors 4 and 5. Supply conveyor 4,5
The container 1 transported by the screw 1
When it reaches the position 3, the screws 12 and 13 are sequentially accommodated in the pockets, accelerated while being conveyed to the downstream side by the rotation of the screws 12 and 13, and extruded toward the inner collecting conveyor 6 direction. Each screw 1
On the downstream side, the pockets 2 and 13 have a pitch that is twice the pitch of the protruding members 8 provided on the collecting conveyor 6, and from one of the supply conveyors 4 and 5, the collecting conveyor 6
The extruded container 1 is inserted into a space 10 between every other projecting member 8. Moreover, two screws 12,
13 are 180 degrees out of phase, the container 1 extruded from the other supply conveyor 5 or 4 is located in the middle of the space 10 between the protruding members 8 (the space in which the container is inserted from the one supply conveyor). Is inserted into the space 10 located at As a result, the container 1 is placed on the collecting conveyor 6 in the space 10 between all the projecting members 8. And these containers 1 are conveyed by the collecting conveyor 6,
It is carried into a container processing device (not shown) such as a filling machine on the downstream side. As described above, when the container processing devices 2 and 3 on the upstream side are normally operated and the containers 1 are supplied from the two supply conveyors 4 and 5, the distribution devices 14 and 15 as shown in FIG.
Does not work.

When one of the container processing devices 2 and 3 such as a bulk depalletizer located on the upstream side stops due to some trouble and the container 1 is not supplied on the supply conveyors 4 and 5, the container processing is stopped. Sensors 20 and 21 provided on the supply conveyors 4 and 5 of the devices 2 and 3 detect the shortage of the containers. The signals from the sensors 20 and 21 operate the sorting devices 14 and 15 provided on the side of the supply conveyors 4 and 5. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper container processing apparatus 2 is stopped and its supply conveyor 4 is stopped.
When the container 1 is not supplied to the container 1, the sorting device 15 provided on the other supply conveyor 5 is operated, and the container 1 is supplied.
From the lower supply conveyor 5 to which the container 1 is supplied.
Every other container 1 is transferred to a supply conveyor 4 to which is not supplied. In this case, the supply conveyors 4 and 5 operate at the normal operation speed, and the merging means 12 and 13, the collecting conveyor 6 and the container processing apparatus such as the downstream filling machine are reduced to about one half of the normal operation speed. Drive at speed.

In this embodiment, the sorting device 14,
15, two pushers 16 as distribution members.
(One of the sorting devices 14 is not shown), and the pushers 16 alternately advance and retreat, extruding every other container 1 flowing on the supply conveyors 4 and 5, and transferring the containers. Each of the sorting devices 14 and 15 has one pusher 16 each, and the transfer devices 14 and 15 can be transferred onto the other supply conveyors 4 and 5 through the conveyor 18.
Alternatively, the number may be three or more. In addition, the pusher 16
The number of containers 1 extruded at one time is not limited to one, and may be two or more. Further, a fixed plate can be used instead of the transfer conveyor 18 disposed between the two supply conveyors 4 and 5.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are plan views showing only the upstream portion of the container transport device according to the second embodiment.
1 will be described with reference numerals obtained by adding 100 to the reference numerals in FIG. In this example,
The pusher 116 provided in the sorting device 115 is of a vacuum type, and as shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of vacuum holes 116b are formed in the container contact surface 116a at the tip of the pusher 116 to suck the container 1. Can be.
The pusher 116 can press the container 101 by the container contact surface 116a and push the container 101 from one supply conveyor 105 to the other supply conveyor 104. To the supply conveyor 1 before the other supply conveyor 104
05. This sorting device 115
Is the container 10 on either supply conveyor 104, 105.
1 can be distributed to different supply conveyors 104 and 105, so that one supply conveyor (in this example, FIG.
The sorting device 115 is provided only on the side of the lower supply conveyor 105).

Also in the example shown in FIG. 3, when the container processing apparatuses 102 and 103 on the upstream side are normally operated and the container 101 is supplied by the two supply conveyors 104 and 105, the first embodiment differs from the first embodiment. Similarly, the sorting device 11
5 does not work, the container 1 on the supply conveyors 104, 105
Numerals 01 are merged on a collecting conveyor by a container merging device (not shown) to form a line, and are introduced at equal pitch into a container processing device such as a filling machine on the downstream side. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, when the container processing device 103 at the bottom of the figure is stopped and the container 101 is not supplied from the supply conveyor 105 on this side, the drawing is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. The sorting device 115 is operated by detecting the shortage of the container by the sensor which is not used. In this case, in order to distribute the containers 1 from the upper supply conveyor 104 to the lower supply conveyor 105 in FIG. 3, a vacuum is applied to the pusher 116 to supply the container 1 on the opposite side (upper side in the figure) where the container 101 is being conveyed. Every other container 104 is sucked from the conveyor 104 and attracted onto the supply conveyor 105 on the near side.

Conversely, when the container 101 is not supplied from the upper supply conveyor 104 in FIG. 3, the container 101 on the front supply conveyor 105 to which the container 101 is normally supplied is pushed by the pusher 116. Extrude and distribute on the other side of the supply conveyor 104. Also in this case, similarly to the first embodiment, the operation is performed with the operation speed of each device after the joining means set to one half of the normal operation speed. Also in this configuration, one container processing apparatus 102 on the upstream side
Alternatively, even when the container 101 is not supplied due to a trouble in 103, the container 101 can be carried into the downstream container processing device at a constant pitch, and it is not necessary to stop the line, and it is possible to suppress a decrease in the operation rate. it can.

The sorting device is provided at the side of the supply conveyor as described above, and is not limited to the device for sorting containers by moving the sorting member (pusher) in the horizontal direction. Any container can be used as long as the container can be divided into half and supplied to the downstream side. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the endless chains 230 which are arranged over the two supply conveyors 204 and 205 and which can reciprocate can be provided with the extrusion plates 23 at equal intervals.
2, the container 201 may be moved from one of the supply conveyors 204 and 205 to the other of the supply conveyors 204 and 205 via the fixing plate 218 by running the chain 230.

FIG. 6 shows a container transporting apparatus according to still another embodiment, in which the same or corresponding parts as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals with 300 added. Will be explained. In this embodiment, a robot 342 having a chuck 340 for holding the container 301 is used as a sorting device, and the chuck 340 is moved by following the movement of the container 301 on the supply conveyor 304 or 305, and one of the supply devices is moved. The container 301 on the conveyors 304, 305 can be held and moved onto the other supply conveyors 304, 305.

In the example of FIG. 6, the container processing apparatus 30 on the upstream side
One of the container processing apparatuses 2 and 303 (the upper container processing apparatus 302 in the figure) is stopped, and the container 301 is supplied only from the supply conveyor (the lower supply conveyor 305 in the figure) of the other container processing apparatus 303.
Is supplied, the chuck 340 is moved by the operation of the robot 342 so as to follow the movement of the containers 301 on the supply conveyor 305, and a predetermined number (four in the illustrated example) of containers 301 are moved from the supply conveyor 305. Hold. Then, by moving these containers 301 onto the supply conveyor 304 to which the containers 301 have not been supplied, the same number of containers 301 on the supply conveyor 305 are assigned to both the supply conveyors 304 and 305. Also in this configuration, the same effect can be obtained by operating each device at the same speed as in each of the above embodiments. In this embodiment, a robot 34 is used as a sorting device.
2, the feed conveyors 304, 305 are different from the case of moving by the pushers 16, 116, etc.
Transfer conveyors 18 and 118 and fixed plate 21
Needless to say, 8 is unnecessary.

As described above, according to the present invention, the collecting conveyor for transporting the containers at a constant pitch, and the two supply conveyors arranged in parallel on both sides of the collecting conveyor and transporting the containers from the upstream side are provided. Confluence means for alternately feeding the containers on these two supply conveyors onto the collecting conveyor,
A case in which no container is supplied from one supply conveyor by providing a sorting device arranged upstream of the merging means and for distributing the container on one supply conveyor to the other supply conveyor; In addition, since the containers can be continuously placed on the collecting conveyor without falling off, the operation of the downstream container processing device does not need to be stopped, and the line can be continuously operated. Therefore, the production operation rate is improved as compared with the conventional case where the entire line is stopped.

【The invention's effect】 [Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a container transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which a sorting device of the container transport device is operating.

FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating a main part of a container transport device according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a pusher of a container transport device according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a container transport device according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a plan view illustrating a main part of a container transport device according to a fourth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Container 4 Supply conveyor 5 Supply conveyor 6 Collecting conveyor 12 Combining means (screw) 13 Combining means (screw) 14 Sorting device 15 Sorting device

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] October 6, 1998 (1998.10.
6)

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0023

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, a collecting conveyor for transporting containers at a constant pitch, and two feeders arranged in parallel on both sides of the collecting conveyor and transporting containers from the upstream side. A conveyer, a merging means for alternately feeding the containers on these two supply conveyors onto the collecting conveyor, and a container arranged on the upstream side of the merging means, so that the container on one supply conveyor is placed on the other supply conveyor. By providing the sorting device for sorting, even when the container is not supplied from one of the supply conveyors, the container can be continuously placed on the collecting conveyor without dropping out, so that the container on the downstream side is provided. It is not necessary to stop the operation of the processing device, and the line can be continuously operated. Therefore, the production operation rate is improved as compared with the conventional case where the entire line is stopped.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Satoru Ono 58 Koshizawa Ozuda Honmachi Koshizawa Kishizawa Pref. Within Shibuya Kogyo Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Takao Yamada 2-1-5 Dojima, Kita-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture Inside (72) Inventor Munehiko Takashima, 2-1-5 Dojima, Kita-ku, Osaka City, Osaka F Terms (reference) 3F070 AA07 BA07 BA10 BD09 EA30 EB20 EC01 EC14 3F081 AA04 BA01 BD02 BD24 BF06 BF16 CC19 EA09 EA13 FA01

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A collecting conveyor for transporting containers at a constant pitch, two supply conveyors arranged in parallel on both sides of the collecting conveyor and transporting containers from an upstream side, and It is characterized by comprising merging means for alternately feeding the containers onto the collecting conveyor, and a sorting device arranged upstream of the merging means and for sorting the containers on one supply conveyor onto the other supply conveyor. Container transport device. 2. The container conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the sorting device is provided on each of the supply conveyors. 3. The container conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the sorting device is provided on a side of one of the supply conveyors. 4. The container transport device according to claim 1, wherein the sorting device is provided across each supply conveyor.