JP2002104304A - Article boxing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an article boxing apparatus of structurally simple design capable of efficiently boxing many articles at an accurate position. SOLUTION: The apparatus is equipped with a guide roll 3 reciprocating between an upper pool position and an upper boxing position and set in parallel with the article line, a guide rail 4 provided adjacent to and in parallel with the guide roll 3, and a plurality of holding devices 5 which are slidably suspended from the guide rail 4 in the axial direction, hold the article at the pool position, and release it at the boxing position. The guide roll 3 and the guide rail 4 move up and down at the upper parts of the pool position and the boxing position. The guide roll 3 is mounted rotatably and slidably in the axial direction. A plurality of guide grooves 26 are slanted so as to mutually approach or separate to and from each other. The holding means 5 is slidably connected to each guide groove 26.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an article packing apparatus suitable for packing a large number of articles in various arrangements.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a plurality of articles arranged at a pool position are sucked by a suction cup, and while the suction cup is moved to a boxing position, the suction cup is guided by an inclined guide rail and a guide hole of a guide plate. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 8-26212 and 2000-15 disclose a boxing device that changes the arrangement and interval and releases an article from a suction cup at a boxing position.
No. 9205 and the like. However, these boxing devices have to arrange a plurality of guide rails from the pool position to the boxing position, and when packing a large number of articles, the structure becomes very complicated. was there.

[0003] Also, a plurality of agricultural products pooled in a row,
A plurality of suction cups, each of which is individually held, are picked up by a pick-up means provided in a row, and the pick-up means is moved, and the adjacent distance between the suction cups in a row is changed by a pantograph mechanism, and suction is performed by an air cylinder device. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-301304 discloses an apparatus for packing agricultural products in which a cup holder is moved and a plurality of collected agricultural products are packed in a predetermined arrangement in a box which has been waiting at a predetermined position. However, in this box packing device, the distance between the suction cups is changed according to the distance between the agricultural products when stored in the box by expanding and contracting the pantograph mechanism. As a result, the assembly is complicated, and play is likely to occur at the joints. Therefore, an error occurs in the moving distance of the suction cup, and it is difficult to stably move the agricultural product to an accurate position. In addition, since the air cylinder device is used to move the suction cup holder, the response is slow and the control is complicated.

[0004]

According to the present invention, the number of joints is reduced as much as possible, and the article holding device is moved by an electric motor so that a quick response and easy control can be achieved. An object of the present invention is to provide an article box packing apparatus which can be efficiently and accurately packed in a precise position and has a simple structure.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An article packing apparatus of the present invention reciprocates between above a pool position where a plurality of articles are arranged in a row and above a box packing position, and is parallel to the row of articles. A guide roll, a guide rail provided in parallel adjacent to the guide roll, and slidably suspended in the axial direction from the guide rail, and respectively holding the plurality of articles at the pool position, A plurality of holding devices for releasing the article in the boxed position. The guide roll and the guide rail move up and down above the pool position and the boxing position, and the guide roll is rotatably connected to a roll rotation motor, and is rotatable in the axial direction when connected to a roll movement motor. At the same time, a plurality of guide grooves are formed on the peripheral surface of the guide roll so as to be inclined so as to approach and separate from each other, and the holding devices are slidably engaged with the guide grooves.

When articles are arranged in a row at the pool position,
The guide roll and guide rail move above the pool position. At this time, the guide roll is rotated by a roll rotation motor so that the upper end of the holding device is engaged with the portion where the interval between the guide grooves is wide, and the interval between the holding devices is arranged at the pool position. Is adjusted to correspond to the spacing of the articles. After the guide rolls, the guide rails and the holding device are lowered and the articles are held by the holding device, the guide rolls, the guide rails and the holding device are raised and further moved above the box packing position. During the movement of the holding device from the pool position to the boxing position, the guide roll rotates, and the upper end of the holding device engages with each of the portions where the guide grooves are narrowly spaced, so that the articles held by the holding device can be moved. The spacing is reduced depending on the predetermined arrangement of the boxes.

After the guide roll, the guide rail and the holding device are lowered at the boxing position, the holding device releases the articles, respectively, and the articles are stored in a line in the box set at the boxing position. Then repeat this,
The articles are arranged in a plurality of rows next to the row of articles previously stored. In the case where articles are alternately shifted by half a width for each row and arranged in a zigzag manner in a box, guide rolls are moved in the axial direction by a roll moving motor, and all holding devices are moved relative to the box, that is, Is shifted by half a width with respect to the row of articles arranged first.

The holding device includes an air cylinder extending vertically from the guide rail, a piston rod extending vertically below the air cylinder, and a suction cup mounted on a lower end of the piston rod to hold an article by suction. You may. With this configuration, even a soft article is sucked by the suction cup and transported to the box without being damaged, and the suction cup that does not suck the article retracts the piston rod connected thereto to a position where it does not interfere. Can be evacuated. It is also possible to provide a transport device that intermittently transports a plurality of articles in a line at the pool position and in a row. As a result, the labor of manually arranging the articles at the pool position can be omitted, and the efficiency of the packing operation can be further improved.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5,
The article packing apparatus 1 of the present invention is an apparatus that packs articles 100 such as tomatoes vertically and horizontally and packs the articles 100, and a transport apparatus including a belt conveyor 2 that transports a plurality of articles 100 in a line to a pool position A. A guide roll 3 which reciprocates between a position above the pool position A and a position above the boxing position B and which is parallel to the row of the articles 100; a guide rail 4 provided adjacent to and parallel to the guide roll 3; 4 and is slidably suspended in the axial direction thereof, and a plurality of articles 100 are respectively sucked and held at the pool position A,
A plurality of (seven in the example shown in the figure) holding devices 5 that release the articles 100 at the boxing position B, and a robot 6 that reciprocates the guide rolls 3, the guide rails 4, and the holding devices 5 and moves up and down.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the belt conveyor 2 is arranged in a planar rectangular shape on a plurality of support legs 7 so that a large number of articles 100 are placed on a tray 101 and conveyed. . Further, a part of the belt conveyor 2 is at the pool position A, and the belt conveyor 2 is
A predetermined number of articles 100 are arranged in a line in accordance with the pattern of the articles 100 stored in the storage 2 and are intermittently sent to the pool position A for each row. At the pool position A, articles 100 having the same number as or less than the number of the holding devices 5 are arranged. In addition, belt conveyor 2
A mold pack supply device 8 is installed inside the box surrounded by a circle.
Then, a mold pack 103 laid in the box 102 for mounting the article 100 is supplied.

The robot 6 is located outside the pool position A.
The base 9 is installed, and a box lifter 10 is installed between the base 9 and the pool position A.
Is a boxing position B. The robot 6 has an arm 12 driven by a robot drive motor 11, and a support frame 13 that supports the guide roll 3, the guide rail 4, and the holding device 5 is attached to a tip of the arm 12. When the robot drive motor 11 is operated, the support frame 13 moves up and down, and can reciprocate at least between above the mold pack supply device 3 and above the box packing position B.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 6 and 7,
The support frame 13 is provided with a roll moving motor 14 for moving the guide roll 3 along the axial direction. A pair of rolls is provided below the roll moving motor 14 on both sides in the width direction of the support frame 13. The guide rails 15 are fixed in parallel with the rows of the articles 100 arranged at the pool position A, respectively. Both side edges of a moving frame 16 parallel to the roll guide rail 15 are slidably engaged in the longitudinal direction. In addition, the hanging bracket 33 is provided below the moving frame 16 such that the roll guide rail 15 and the central axis of the guide roll 3 parallel to the moving frame 16 are rotatable and slide with the moving frame 16. Attached through.

Further, a rack 17 is fixed to the upper end of the moving frame 16, and the rack 17 meshes with a first gear 18 connected to an output shaft of the roll moving motor 14. A pair of movement detecting pieces 19 and 19 ′ are attached to the upper end of the moving frame 16 at intervals.
The support frame 13 is provided between the pair of movement detecting pieces 19 and 19 '.
Has a first proximity switch 20 attached thereto. Therefore, the roll moving motor 14 operates to operate the first gear 18.
When the rack rotates, the rack 17 meshing with the rack 17 moves left and right, and the moving frame 16 on which the rack 17 is mounted and the guide roll 3 attached to the moving frame 16 also move in the axial direction. When the first proximity switch 20 detects one of the movement detecting pieces 19 and 19 ′, the roll moving motor 14 stops, and the moving frame 16 and the guide roll 3 stop at that position.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 8, below the one end of the moving frame 16, a roll rotating motor 21 for rotating the guide roll 3 is installed. A second gear 22 is mounted on the output shaft. Further, a third gear 23 is fixed to one end of the center shaft of the guide roll 3, and the third gear 23 is
Are engaged. Further, a rotation reference point detection plate 24 is mounted on one surface of the second gear 22,
6 near one end toward the rotation reference point detection plate 24.
Proximity switch 25 is installed.

Therefore, when the second gear 22 rotates by operating the roll rotation motor 21, the third gear 23 and the guide roll 3 meshing with this rotate, and the rotation reference point detection plate 24 is moved to the second rotation. When the proximity switch 25 senses, the roll rotation motor 21 stops, and the rotation of the guide roll 3 also stops. As shown in FIG. 9 and FIG.
A plurality of (seven in the example shown in the figure) guide grooves 26 are formed on the peripheral surface of each of them so as to be spaced apart from each other. As shown in FIG. 10, these guide grooves 26 are arranged in the center along the circumferential direction of the guide roll 3, and the extension of the other guide groove 26 is concentrated at one point on the extension of the center guide groove 26. It is formed as follows.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 8, a pair of guide rails 4 are installed on the support frame 13 immediately below the guide rolls 3 in parallel with the guide rolls 3 with a slight gap. A holding device 5 is provided between the pair of guide rails 4.
As shown in FIG. 6, sliders 27 mounted on both sides near the upper end of the holding device 5 are slidably engaged with the pair of guide rails 4. A bearing 28 mounted on the upper end of the holding device 5 is slidably engaged with the guide groove 26 of the guide roll 3. For this reason, the roll rotation motor 21 is driven to drive the guide roll 3.
When the is rotated, the upper end of the holding device 5 is guided by the guide groove 26 and approaches and separates from each other, and the holding device 5 slides along the guide rail 4. When the guide roll 3 slides in the axial direction and the guide groove 26 moves, the holding device 5 engaged with the guide groove 26 slides along the guide rail 4.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the holding device 5 includes an air cylinder 29 extending vertically and an air cylinder 2.
9 comprises a piston rod 30 which can be raised and lowered below 9 and a suction cup 31 which is attached to the lower end of the piston rod 30 and holds the article 100 by vacuum suction. A mounting shaft 32 is fixed to an upper end of the air cylinder 29. The mounting shaft 32 is fixed to the slider 27, and a bearing 28 is mounted on an upper end of the mounting shaft 32. Also,
Each suction cup 31 is connected to a vacuum device, and when the vacuum device operates, one suction cup 31 is provided for each article 1.
00 is sucked, and when the operation stops, the article 100 is released.

The article boxing apparatus 1 packs articles 100 in the following manner. The box lifter 10 is in the boxing position B
After the box 102 has been installed in the apparatus, the robot 6 is operated to move the support frame 13 above the mold pack supply device 8 and lower it. Then, the mold pack 103 is sucked by the holding device 5 at this position, and
Is raised and moved to the box packing position B, and the support frame 13 is again lowered to place the mold pack 10 in the box 102.
3 is installed.

The mold pack 103 has a plurality of recesses for mounting the articles 100. The arrangement of these recesses differs depending on the type and number of the articles 100 packed in a box. A necessary one is selected and transferred from the plural types of mold packs 103 prepared in the pack supply device 8. In addition, if the position of the holding device 5 is adjusted to the position of the depression of the mold pack 103, the suction cup 31 can be in close contact with the surface of the mold pack 103 and can be reliably sucked.

A plurality of (seven) articles 100 placed on the tray 101 by the belt conveyor 2 are arranged in a row and the pool position A
, The robot 6 operates to move the support frame 13 above the pool position A. At this time, since the articles 100 are placed on the tray 101 and are arranged at a relatively wide interval from each other, the guide roll 3 is configured such that a portion of the peripheral surface having a large interval between the guide grooves 26 is a holding device. 5 so that the upper end is guided by the guide groove 2.
The holding devices 5 engaged with 6 are arranged at relatively wide intervals corresponding to the intervals between the articles 100.

Next, after the robot 6 lowers the support frame 13, the vacuum device operates, and the suction cups 31 of the holding device 5 suck the corresponding articles 100, respectively. Next, the robot 6 raises the support frame 13 and moves it further above the boxing position B. During this time, the roll rotation motor 21 is operated, and the guide roll 3 is rotated in the direction in which the interval between the portions of the guide groove 26 that engage with the holding device 5 is reduced, and along the guide groove 26 and the guide rail 4. The distance between the sliding holding devices 5 is reduced. Then, when the interval between the holding devices 5 becomes equal to the interval between the articles 100 arranged in a line in the box 102, and the second proximity switch 25 detects the rotation reference point detecting piece 24, the guide roll 3 stops. In addition,
The amount of rotation of the guide roll 3 depends on the arrangement of the articles 100 stored in the box 102,
Is adjusted in advance by changing the mounting position of the gear 22 with respect to the gear 22.

Thereafter, the robot 6 lowers the support frame 13, the suction cup 31 of the holding device 5 releases the article 100, and places the first row of articles 100 on the mold pack 103 in the box 102. . Next, the robot 6 moves the support frame 1
3 and then move it again above pool position A. During this time, the roll rotation motor 21 rotates in the reverse direction, the guide roll 3 rotates in the reverse direction by the same angle, and the interval between the holding devices 5 expands so as to be equal to the interval between the articles 100 arranged at the pool position A. This procedure is repeated, and the second row is placed on the mold pack 103 set in the box 102.
The articles 100 are arranged one by one in the third row.

The article 100 is placed on the mold pack 103.
Are alternately shifted by half a width in each row and arranged in a so-called staggered manner, the roll moving motor 14 is operated to move the rack 17, and the moving frame 16 and the guide roll 3 on which the rack 17 is mounted are moved along their axes. , Whereby the holding device 5 is moved with respect to the box 102.
The roll moving motor 14 stops when the first proximity switch 20 detects any of the movement detecting pieces 19, 19 ', and also stops the holding device 5 at that position. The distance between the position of the holding device 5 when the first proximity switch 20 detects the one movement detection piece 19 and the position of the holding device 5 when the other movement detection piece 19 'is detected is determined by the article. The holding device 5 is set to be constant depending on the type of the storage device 100, and each time the articles 100 are stored in a row in the box 102, the position of the holding device 5 may be moved alternately.

When the number of the articles 100 arranged at the pool position A is smaller than the number of the holding apparatuses 5 of the article boxing apparatus 1, the air cylinder 29 of the holding apparatus 5 which does not suck the articles 100 is operated. Then, the piston rod 30 is retracted, and the suction cup 31 is raised to a height not to interfere. When the packing is completed, the box 102 is carried out for the next process, and the box lifter 10 is newly emptied.
To the boxing position B. In addition, if the photoelectric switch which detects the suction error of the article 100 by the holding device 5 is provided, and if the photoelectric switch detects the suction error, an alarm is issued or the suction step is performed again, the article 100 can be more reliably transferred. Can be boxed.

[0025]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, by using a guide roll instead of the pantograph mechanism, the number of joints is reduced as much as possible, and the article holding device is moved in the axial direction by the electric motor. By this, quick response and easy control to those using air cylinders, it is possible to pack a plurality of articles efficiently without manual operation, and even if it is a device that packs many articles, the structure is It's easy. In addition, since the holding device is guided to a stable and accurate position, the article held by the holding device is
It is placed in the box without displacement.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a main part of an article box packing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a main part of the above.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a main part of the above.

FIG. 4 is an overall plan view of the above.

FIG. 5 is an overall side view of the above.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a main part showing a guide roll sliding mechanism.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the above.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a main part showing a guide roll rotating mechanism.

FIG. 9 is a side view of a guide roll.

FIG. 10 is a development view of a guide roll.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Article packing device 2 Belt conveyor (conveying device) 3 Guide roll 4 Guide rail 5 Holding device 6 Robot 7 Support leg 8 Mold pack supply device 9 Base 10 Box lifter 11 Robot drive motor 12 Arm 13 Support frame 14 Roll moving motor REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 15 roll guide rail 16 moving frame 17 rack 18 gear 19, 19 ′ movement detecting piece 20 first proximity switch 21 roll rotation motor 22 second gear 23 third gear 24 rotation reference point detecting piece 25 second Proximity switch 26 Guide groove 27 Slider 28 Bearing 29 Air cylinder 30 Piston rod 31 Suction cup 32 Mounting shaft 33 Hanging fitting 100 Article 101 Tray 102 Box 103 Mold pack A Pool position B Box packing position

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A guide roll parallel to a row of articles, reciprocating between a position above a pool position where a plurality of articles are arranged in a row and a position above a boxing position, and parallel to and adjacent to the guide rolls. A guide rail provided, and a plurality of holding devices that are slidably suspended in the axial direction from the guide rail, hold the plurality of articles at the pool position, and release the articles at the boxing position. The guide roll and the guide rail move up and down above the pool position and the boxing position, and the guide roll is rotatably connected to a roll rotation motor, and is connected to a roll movement motor to rotate the shaft. A plurality of guide grooves are formed on the peripheral surface of the guide roll and are inclined so as to approach and separate from each other. An article boxing device, wherein each of the holding devices is slidably engaged with an id groove.