JP2002086074A - Article mounting body - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an article mounting body which holds the article at a regular position in a regular posture and can facilitate the handling of the article. SOLUTION: Fruit and vegetables A are mounted on the receiving part 14 of a mounting part 12, and the lower part circumferential surface (belt part side) of the fruit and vegetables A is supported by the projections 20, etc., of a receiving member. The outer and inner circumferential parts of a bellows part 13 are stretched oppositely in the vertical direction, one of the circumferential parts is stretched, approximately the whole fruit and vegetables A having various sizes and shapes are supported or held wrappingly, and by the contact resistance between the bellows part 13 and the receiving member 20, the fruit and vegetables A are held at the regular position in the regular posture (e.g. with the belt part oriented downward).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to, for example, oranges,
It is used for placing or transporting fruits and vegetables such as apples, tomatoes, persimmons, pears, peaches, melons, agricultural products such as cucumbers, eggplants, carrots, yams, fish and shellfish, balls for ball games, food, and parts. The present invention relates to an article mounting body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a first conventional tray (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 9-173992) on which the above-described fruit and vegetables are placed is such that the fruit and vegetables placed on a seat are placed on both sides of a tray body. It is pressed and held by a pair of pivotally supported clamps (spring wires).

Further, a second conventional example of a fruit selection dish (JP-A-2000-2000)
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 140767/1992 tilts a receiving tray provided on the inner peripheral portion of the dish main body inward, and presses and holds the fruit vegetables accommodated in the dish main body from above using the receiving tray. In a third conventional example of a fruit selection dish (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-140768), an inverted truncated-cone-shaped elastic film having flexibility and elasticity attached to an inner peripheral edge of a dish main body is substantially similar to an outer surface of a fruit vegetable. It is deformed and held in the corresponding shape.

[0004]

However, the above-described first method
The saucer of the conventional example and the fruit selection dish of the second conventional example are obtained by
Since the fruits and vegetables are pressed and held by a pair of clamps or a plurality of cradles, for example, when fruits and vegetables such as ripe tomatoes and peaches having soft skin or meat are held, the fruits and vegetables may be crushed by the pressing force. In addition, if the pressing force of the clamp and the cradle is weak, the direction and position of the fruits and vegetables may be easily displaced due to the impact and inertia imparted during transportation and course change, and the fruits and vegetables may drop or protrude during transportation. There is a problem that there is.

On the other hand, the third conventional sorting dish has an elastic membrane,
Since the fruits and vegetables are deformed and held in a shape substantially corresponding to the outer surface, the mutual contact area and contact resistance are large, and when lifting the fruits and vegetables held by the elastic membrane, the dish body may be lifted together. Therefore, means must be provided to prevent the dish main body from floating, and there is a problem that the work of separating the fruit and vegetables is troublesome.

In view of the above problems, the present invention expands and contracts the mounting portion substantially corresponding to the outer surface of an article having various sizes and shapes, whereby the article is held at a fixed position and a fixed posture.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an article mounting body capable of easily handling articles.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
A placement section on which the article is placed is provided in a concave storage section formed on the top surface of the placement body, and the placement section is provided so as to be scalable to a size in which the placement article is held in a stable posture. Characterized in that it is an article mounting body.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the structure of the first aspect, an article mounting apparatus is provided in which a central portion of the mounting portion is provided so as to be able to expand and contract in a direction facing a bottom surface of the housing portion. It is a table.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the outer peripheral portion of the mounting portion is provided so as to be extendable in a direction in which the outer peripheral portion protrudes upward from the accommodation portion. It is an article mounting body.

[0010] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, an article placing apparatus is provided in which a central portion and an outer peripheral portion of the placing portion are provided so as to be able to expand and contract in opposite directions. It is characterized by being a body.

[0011] The fifth aspect of the present invention is the first aspect of the present invention.
In addition to the configuration described in 2, 3, or 4, the present invention is characterized in that the placement section is an article placement body that is provided so as to be contractible so as to be substantially horizontal with the opening side edge of the storage section.

[0012] The invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to claim 1,
In addition to the configuration described in 2, 3, 4 or 5,
The present invention is characterized in that the article mounting body is provided with a resistance applying portion for applying a contact resistance necessary for maintaining the article in a fixed posture to an outer surface of the article.

[0013]

According to the present invention, the mounting portion expands and contracts substantially corresponding to the outer surface of the article having various sizes and shapes, and the contact resistance of the resistance applying section is applied to the outer surface of the article. Therefore, the article can be held in a state where the article is placed in a fixed position and a fixed posture, and it is possible to prevent the article from dropping and changing the direction and the position at the time of transporting and changing the direction.

In addition, since the mounting portion expands and contracts while the central portion of the mounting portion is housed in the housing portion, the portion protruding upward from the housing portion is small, and the mounting body can be made thinner and smaller. In addition, the mounting portion is contracted to be substantially horizontal, and substantially the entire article is held in a state of protruding above the opening side edge of the storage portion or the mounting surface of the mounting portion. The operation of rotating and lifting the robot can be performed without any support.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. The drawing shows a free tray used when conveying fruit and vegetables, which is an example of an article. In FIGS. 1 to 3, this tray 10 is supplied to an operation or a process for sorting fruit and vegetables A by item. Sometimes used, the tray main body 11 is formed in a substantially circular shape (substantially round shape) or a substantially square shape when viewed from a plane, and a bellows-shaped mounting portion 12 that expands and contracts substantially in accordance with the size of the fruit and vegetable A, The tray body 11 is attached to a concave storage portion 11a formed at the center on the upper surface side so as to be able to expand and contract vertically. Further, the tray main body 11 may be formed in a desired shape such as a substantially square, a substantially rectangular, a substantially pentagonal, or a substantially elliptical shape when viewed from a plane.

The mounting portion 12 includes a bellows portion 13 formed of a flexible material such as synthetic rubber or soft resin so as to be extendable and contractible, and a concave receiving portion for supporting the fruit and vegetable A in a fixed position and a fixed posture. And the unit 14. Further, the entire mounting portion 12 may be constituted only by the bellows portion 13. And bellows part 1
3 is fixed (for example, screwed) to the peripheral edge of the support ring 15 formed to have substantially the same diameter or large diameter as the peripheral edge on the opening side of the housing portion 11a, and the inner peripheral edge of the bellows portion 13 is received. Part 1
4 is fixed (for example, screwed) to the periphery. As another example of the fixing means in place of the screwing described above, for example, the fixing may be performed by means such as sticking, bonding, fitting, and clamping.

The above-mentioned support ring 15 is formed in a size (substantially the same diameter) to be brought into contact with the opening side peripheral edge of the housing portion 11a, and is arranged in the circumferential direction with respect to the lower surface side peripheral edge of the support ring 15. , Which are vertically spaced from each other at predetermined intervals, are passed through the holes 17 formed on the opening side peripheral portion of the housing portion 11a so as to be vertically movable, facing the support shaft 16. .

The coil spring 18 compressed and loaded between the opposing surfaces of the support ring 15 and the hole 17 (the upper end side of the support shaft 16) extends in the direction of extending the outer peripheral portion of the bellows portion 13 upward. I'm going. On the other hand, the stopper 19 is mounted on the lower end of the support shaft 16 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction with respect to the entire length of the male screw portion 16a threaded, and the stopper 19 is extended upward at the outer peripheral portion of the bellows portion 13. At this time, the outer peripheral portion of the bellows portion 13 is regulated to a preset extension height by contacting the lower peripheral edge of the hole portion 17. In addition, the mounting position of the stopper 19 is variably adjusted to variably set the outer peripheral portion of the bellows portion 13 to a desired extension height.

The above-mentioned bellows portion 13 is provided in such a manner that one or both of the outer peripheral portion and the inner peripheral portion are in opposite directions (extending directions), for example, the outer peripheral portion is pushed up and the inner peripheral portion is pulled down. When it is expanded to a desired size, it is deformed into a substantially conical cylindrical shape (for example, a cone shape or a trumpet shape) gradually increasing in diameter from the central portion toward the outer peripheral portion.

On the other hand, the outer peripheral portion and the inner peripheral portion of the bellows portion 13 are
When restored or contracted to a height that is substantially horizontal with respect to the opening side edge of the storage portion 11a, substantially the entire fruit and vegetable product A placed on the receiving portion 14 projects or is exposed from the bellows portion 13, and the bellows is exposed. The support or holding by the part 13 is released.

In addition, a metal or plastic striated body 13a having an appropriate strength such as a wire or a wire is buried in the bent portion of the bellows portion 13 or the bent portion is formed thick. The bellows shape is maintained. Also,
Instead of the bellows portion 13, the mounting portion 12 may be made of a synthetic rubber sheet or rubber that expands and contracts substantially corresponding to the size of the fruit and vegetable product A, for example.

The receiving portion 14 is formed to have a smooth curved surface (or substantially flat) substantially corresponding to the lower peripheral surface of the fruit and vegetable A, and to place the fruit and vegetable A of the minimum size to the maximum size in the center of the tray body 11. It is supported or held at a position substantially coincident with the part. Further, a pad-shaped or sheet-shaped receiving member 20 formed of a flexible material (for example, a cushion material or an elastic body) such as urethane rubber, sponge rubber, or soft resin is fixed to the upper surface side of the receiving portion 14 ( (For example, sticking and bonding).

The receiving member 20 provides the contact resistance necessary for maintaining the state in which the fruit and vegetable A is placed in a fixed position and a fixed posture, and supports or places the fruit and vegetable A in a stable posture. It is formed in the size and the shape which are made. Further, a plurality of protrusions 20a having flexibility and restoring force are formed at predetermined intervals on the upper surface side (mounting side) of the receiving member 20 so as to face the lower peripheral surface of the fruit vegetable A. Also, receiving member 2
May be formed so as to gradually increase from the central portion on the upper surface side to the outer peripheral portion on the upper surface side.

On the other hand, a support shaft 30 suspended from the center of the lower surface of the receiving portion 14 is vertically movably supported in a hole 31 formed in the center of the tray body 11 on the bottom surface. And the groove 3 formed in the hole 31.
1a are engaged with each other to prevent rotation. Also, 3
0 and 31 may be formed in a polygonal cross section such as a quadrangle or a hexagon.

The spheres 32 (balls) rotatably held with respect to the lower end of the support shaft 30 are mounted on guide rails 33 provided below the transport path of a transport conveyor 36 composed of, for example, a chain conveyor or a roller conveyor. Is engaged.
In addition, the support shaft 30 having a substantially rectangular cross section is engaged with the guide rail 33, or a guide member (e.g., a guide member) provided on a transport path is formed in a concave portion or a convex portion formed on an outer surface (for example, a bottom surface, a side surface, or an upper surface) of the tray body 11. The orientation of the tray 10 may be regulated by engaging a not shown).

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the outer peripheral edge (support ring 15) of the bellows portion 13 is brought into contact with a support member 37 installed on one upper side or on both upper sides of the transport path, and a coil is provided. Against the elasticity of the spring 18, the outer peripheral portion of the bellows portion 13 is guided to be depressed to a height that is substantially horizontal with the opening side edge of the housing portion 11 a. The support member 37 is moved to the bellows portion 1 by moving means such as a solenoid, an air cylinder, and a cam.
3 may be moved to a height or a position where it comes into contact with the outer peripheral edge (vertical movement or horizontal movement), and the contact surface of the support member 37 may be made to have a low contact resistance such as a fluororesin. The roller may be covered or formed with a member, or a roller may be pivotally attached to the contact surface.

On the other hand, the support shaft 30 is engaged and moved from the lower side to the higher side of the guide rail 33, and the receiving portion 14 is raised.
The inner peripheral portion of the bellows portion 13 is pushed up to a state of being substantially horizontal or protruding upward with the opening side edge of the housing portion 11a, and the rest of the mounting portion 12 is restored or contracted to a substantially horizontal height, Substantially the whole fruit and vegetable product A placed in the receiving portion 14 is accommodated in the accommodation portion 11a.
Protrudes or is exposed above the opening side edge of the opening. At this time,
The support or holding of the fruit and vegetable product A by the placing portion 12 is released.

When ascending, the support shaft 30 is horizontally rotated by rotating means such as a rail, a cam, a pin, a solenoid, a motor, or the like, and the protrusion 30 a formed on the side surface of the support shaft 30 is Or a projection (not shown) projecting from the periphery of the movable base 16 is engaged with a locking portion (not shown) formed on the inner wall portion of the housing portion 15, for example. The portion 12 may be stopped and lifted (locked) so as to be substantially flat.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG.
Is moved away from or retracted from the outer peripheral edge of the bellows portion 13, and the outer peripheral portion of the bellows portion 13 is extended or pushed up by the restoring force of the coil spring 18. Further, the support shaft 30 is engaged and moved from the higher side to the lower side of the guide rail 33, and
4 is lowered (or its own weight is lowered), and the inner peripheral portion of the bellows portion 13 is extended or pulled down, so that the placing portion 12 is changed to a fruit vegetable A having various sizes (for example, large, medium and small) and shapes. , The fruit and vegetable A expands and contracts to a size and shape that can be supported or held in a fixed position and a fixed posture.

Instead of the above-mentioned sphere 32, for example,
The lower end of 0 may be formed in a smooth semicircular shape, or a member having a low contact resistance such as a fluororesin (trade name: Teflon) or a roller may be attached.

As other vertical moving means in place of the guide rail 33 and the support member 37, for example, the support shafts 16 and 30 and the support ring 15 are moved up and down by elevating means such as a solenoid, an air cylinder, and a cam. 33 itself may be moved up and down by the elevating means described above. Furthermore, the support shaft 30 is separated from the receiving portion 14, and the receiving portion 14 is
, The mounting portion 12 may be extended and retracted.

The illustrated embodiment is configured as described above, and a method of transporting the fruit and vegetable A by the tray 10 will be described below.

First, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, for example, a fruit vegetable A held or aligned in a posture in which
Each one of them is placed on the mounting portion 12 of the tray 10 conveyed by the conveyor 36, and the lower peripheral surface (the side of the fulcrum) of the fruit and vegetable A is received by the receiving member 20, and the projections 20a of the receiving member 20 are provided. Is deformed along the lower peripheral surface of the fruit and vegetable product A, and is held at a fixed position and a fixed posture by mutual contact resistance.

Next, at the time of conveyance, the tray 10 is moved backward from the end of the support member 37 to release the pressing of the bellows portion 13 and the outer peripheral portion of the bellows portion 12 is extended or pushed upward. increase. The support shaft 30 is engaged and moved to the lower side of the guide rail 33, the receiving portion 14 is lowered, and the outer peripheral portion of the bellows portion 13 is extended or lowered, and as shown in FIGS. The placing portion 12 is vertically extended (variable in depth) substantially corresponding to the size of the fruit and vegetable product A, and is transported while supporting or holding the fruit and vegetable product A in a state of being placed in a fixed position and a fixed posture. I do.

In addition, the bellows portion 13 is deformed into a shape substantially corresponding to the outer surface of the fruit and vegetable product A, and is brought into line contact or surface contact with the outer surface to reduce the contact resistance necessary for maintaining the orientation and position. Give. In addition, the center of gravity of fruit and vegetable A is
Is held at a height lower than or substantially equal to the outer peripheral edge portion of the main body.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG.
Is brought into contact with the outer peripheral edge of the bellows portion 13, and the outer peripheral portion is pressed down to a level that is substantially horizontal with the opening side edge of the storage portion 11 a formed in the tray main body 11. The support shaft 30 is connected to the guide rail 3
3, the receiving portion 14 is raised, and the inner peripheral portion of the bellows portion 13 is pushed up to a height substantially horizontal to the opening side edge of the accommodating portion 11a. It shrinks to the level which becomes horizontal, and projects or exposes almost the whole fruit and vegetable product A above the opening side edge of the accommodating portion 11a.

That is, since the supporting or holding of the fruit and vegetable A by the placing portion 12 is released, for example, the fruit and vegetable A is placed or removed, or the fruit and vegetable A is held by a pair of holders and rotated (upside down).
And can easily perform operations such as measuring predetermined items (e.g., grade, sugar acidity, etc.).

When a small fruit or vegetable A is to be placed, as shown in FIG. 6, the receiving portion 14 is lowered while the outer peripheral edge of the bellows portion 13 is kept pressed by the support member 37, and the bellows is lowered. The central portion of the portion 13 is extended downward, and the depth is changed to a depth at which the small-sized fruit and vegetable A is supported, thereby holding the fruit and vegetable A.

When placing a large fruit vegetable A,
As shown in FIG. 7, the receiving portion 14 is supported at a height substantially horizontal to the opening side edge of the storage portion 11a, and the support portion is supported while the center portion of the mounting portion 12 is stored in the storage portion 11a. The pressing by the member 37 is released, the outer peripheral portion of the bellows portion 13 is extended to the height at which the fruit and vegetable A is supported, and the depth is changed to the depth at which the large-sized fruit and vegetable A is supported, and the fruit and vegetable A is held. I do.

As described above, the placing portion 12 constituting the tray 10 is expanded and contracted substantially corresponding to the outer surface of the fruit and vegetable A having various sizes and shapes, and the contact resistance of the receiving member 20 is reduced. Is applied to the outer surface, so that the fruit and vegetable A can be held in a fixed position and in a fixed posture, and the fruit and vegetable A may drop, and the direction and position may be reduced during transportation and change of direction. Can be prevented from being displaced.

In addition, since the central portion of the mounting portion 12 expands and contracts while being housed in the housing portion 11a of the tray main body 11,
There are few portions that protrude above the storage portion 11a, and the thickness and size of the tray main body 11 can be reduced.

Further, the mounting portion 12 is contracted to be substantially horizontal, and substantially the whole fruit and vegetable A protrudes above the opening side edge of the housing portion 11a or the mounting surface of the mounting portion 12. Since the state is maintained, for example, the operation of rotating or lifting the fruit and vegetable product A can be performed without any support. In addition, since the center of gravity of the fruit and vegetable A is supported or held in a state lower than the outer peripheral edge of the placing portion 12 (or the bellows portion 13), the stability is good and the fruit and vegetable A is prevented from dropping. can do.

FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 show that
Another example of the tray 10 which expands and contracts in the vertical direction substantially corresponding to the size and the shape of the fruit and vegetable A is shown. A support 24 which is housed and held movably up and down with respect to the formed concave housing portion 22 and which is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape or divided into a plurality of parts,
It is vertically movably accommodated and held between the inner peripheral portion of the housing portion 22 and the outer peripheral portion of the movable base 23, and is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the rack 26 formed on the side of the movable base 23 and the support 24. Rack 2
7 are engaged with each other by a gear 28 pivotally mounted between the opposing surfaces.

Further, a sheet-like mounting portion 25 formed in a substantially disk shape when viewed from above is covered and laid on a peripheral portion on the upper surface side of the support 24. The receiving portion 14 is provided on the upper surface side of the mounting portion 25.
A plurality of cuts 25a are formed at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction, and the cuts 25a are formed at predetermined intervals in the radial direction. The cut portions 25a are alternately arranged from the inner peripheral portion to the outer peripheral portion.

That is, after the vegetable A is placed on the center of the placing section 25, the movable table 23 and the support
6 and 27 and the gear 28 are vertically moved relative to each other, the outer peripheral portion of the mounting portion 25 is extended upward, and the inner peripheral portion is extended downward. Since the fruits and vegetables A are supported or held in a state where they are placed in a fixed position and a fixed posture, they extend substantially in the vertical direction substantially corresponding to the size and shape of the above, so that the same operational effects as those of the above-described embodiment are obtained. be able to.

As shown in FIG. 10, the mounting portion 25 is divided in the circumferential direction (for example, into 12 equal parts) around the receiving portion 14 to form a plurality of divided portions 25b. A plurality of cuts 2 are formed on both side edges of the divided portion 25b.
5c may be formed alternately at predetermined intervals in the radial direction, and the divided portions 25b of the mounting portion 25 are zigzag in a manner substantially corresponding to the size and shape of the fruit and vegetable product A in the same manner as described above. As a result, fruit vegetables of various sizes and shapes can be held in stable positions and postures. In addition, you may divide the mounting part 25 into 12 or less equal parts or more.

In the correspondence between the configuration of the present invention and the above-described embodiment, the article of the present invention corresponds to the fruit and vegetable product A of the embodiment, and similarly, the mounting body corresponds to the tray body 11,
Although the resistance applying portion corresponds to the receiving member 20 and the projection 20a, the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment.

Tray main body 1 constituting the above-mentioned tray 10
A recording medium (data carrier) such as an ID card, a magnetic stripe, a bar code, or the like is attached to the outer surface (side surface, bottom surface, or top surface) of the device 1 or an address is set. Then, the fruits and vegetables A placed on the tray 10 may be sorted.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a tray that expands and contracts a bellows-like mounting portion.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the mounting portion is restored or contracted substantially horizontally.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional side view showing an internal structure of a tray main body.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing the extension operation of the placing section.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a contraction operation of the mounting unit.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing a state where an inner peripheral portion of the mounting portion is extended downward.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a state where the outer peripheral portion of the mounting portion is extended upward.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing another example of a tray for expanding and contracting a sheet-shaped mounting portion.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a tray in which a cutout portion of a line is formed in a mounting portion.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another example of the tray in which the mounting portion is divided into a fan shape.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A: Fruit vegetables 10: Tray 11: Tray main body 11a: Storage section 12: Placement section 13: Bellows section 14: Receiving section 20: Receiving member 20a: Projection 23: Movable table 24: Support body 25: Placement section 30 ... Support shaft 33 ... Guide rail 36 ... Conveyer 37 ... Support member

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A mounting portion on which an article is placed is provided in a concave receiving portion formed on an upper surface of a placing body, and the placing portion is held in a stable posture. An article mounting body provided to be scalable. 2. The article mounting body according to claim 1, wherein a central portion of said mounting portion is provided so as to be able to expand and contract in a direction facing a bottom surface of said housing portion. 3. The article placing body according to claim 1, wherein an outer peripheral portion of said placing portion is provided so as to be able to extend in a direction protruding above said accommodating portion. 4. The article mounting body according to claim 1, wherein a central portion and an outer peripheral portion of said mounting portion are provided so as to be able to expand and contract in opposite directions. 5. The storage device according to claim 1, wherein the mounting portion is provided so as to be contractable so as to be substantially horizontal with the opening side edge of the housing portion.
Or the article mounting body according to 4. 6. The mounting portion according to claim 1, further comprising a resistance applying portion for applying resistance necessary for maintaining said article in a fixed posture to an outer surface of said article. 5. The article mounting body according to 5.