JP2003128217A - Roller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily assemble an article detector. SOLUTION: Two shafts 4 are respectively protruded outwardly from both ends of a roller body 2 along the longitudinal direction of the roller body 2. These shafts 4 are supported by frames 6 disposed on both sides of the roller body 2. A case 10 is provided on one of the two shafts 4 so as to be extended in the direction separate from the roller body. A photoelectric detector 8 is provided on the roller body 2 side of the case 10.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a roller used to convey an article in, for example, a roller conveyor, and more particularly to a roller provided with a sensor for detecting whether or not the article is conveyed on the roller.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There is a roller conveyor in which a plurality of rollers are arranged in parallel to each other between two frames which are arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other so as to be substantially orthogonal to the frames. One conveyance zone is composed of one motor roller and a plurality of driven rollers. The motor roller has a driving unit inside the roller body, and the driving force of the driving unit causes the roller body to rotate. The driven roller has a roller body supported rotatably on the frame. A roller conveyor is constituted by a plurality of transport zones. In order to determine how to control the motor rollers in each transport zone, it is necessary to detect whether an article is being transported into the zone. Therefore, a sensor for detecting an article has been provided on the frame so as to correspond to each motor roller.

[0003]

However, in such a structure, the sensor and the motor roller are separately provided. Further, a control unit for controlling the motor roller based on the detection result of the sensor is also provided separately from each sensor and each motor roller. Therefore, when configuring a roller conveyor, these must be installed separately,
The assembly work was troublesome.

An object of the present invention is to provide a roller which can easily assemble an object detector.

[0005]

A roller according to the present invention comprises:
It has a roller body. This roller body is formed in a cylindrical shape, for example. At both ends of the roller body, shafts project outwardly along the length direction of the roller body. These shafts are supported by frames arranged on both sides of the roller body. A case extending in a direction away from the roller body is provided on one of the shafts. An object detector is provided on the roller body side of this case. As the object detector, various ones such as a photoelectric detector and an ultrasonic detector can be used.

In the roller thus constructed, a case is provided on the shaft protruding from the roller body, and an object detector is provided on the case. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide an object detector for each frame, and the assembly efficiency of the roller conveyor can be improved. When an object detector is provided, the object cannot be accurately detected if its mounting position moves indiscriminately. In the roller, the shaft does not rotate and maintains an immovable position. Therefore, an object detector is provided on the shaft. Also, when mounted on a shaft, the object detector must not detect the roller body. Therefore, the case is provided along the direction away from the roller body, and the object detector is provided in the case to prevent the roller from being detected. Most preferably, the object detector is provided at a position farthest from the roller body of the case. Also,
Since the article is conveyed on the roller body, the article is provided on the roller body side of the case so that the article can be detected.

As described above, the roller includes the motor roller and the driven roller, but it is desirable to provide the motor roller with the case and the object detector. Since the motor roller is controlled depending on whether or not the object detector detects an object, when the driven roller is provided with an object detector, etc., it is necessary to arrange a transmission line for transmitting the detection signal to the motor roller. However, when it is provided on the motor roller, the detection result can be used as it is on the motor roller, and the installation of the transmission line is not necessary.

It is desirable that the case is constructed so that the upper surface of the case is located below the article conveying surface of the roller. With such a configuration, the object detector does not project onto the frame, the conveyed object does not accidentally collide with the object detector, and the object detector is less likely to be damaged.

It is desirable that the case is detachably attached to the shaft. It is also conceivable to form the case integrally with the shaft. However, in that case, the structure of the shaft becomes complicated, and the attachment to the frame becomes troublesome. On the other hand, if the case is formed separately from the shaft and the case is detachably attached to the shaft, the conventional shaft can be used as it is. If the case is detachable, the object detector can be attached by attaching the shaft to the frame and then attaching the case to the shaft, as in the conventional case. If the shaft is easily attached to the frame even after the case is attached to the shaft, the shaft may be attached in this way.

In the roller conveyor, a plurality of transfer zones as described above are provided, and the motor roller in each transfer zone is controlled according to the detection result of the object. For example, it is known that the article exists in the preceding transfer zone. Then, if the motor roller of the next stage is driven at the stage when the article is present in the transport zone of the preceding stage, the article can be conveyed at high speed. In order to perform such control, the motor roller in each transport zone is transmitted with the article detection result in the transport zone that is in the preceding stage to the transport zone. Further, the detection result of the article in the transport zone is transmitted to the motor roller in the transport zone in the subsequent stage. Therefore, it is desirable to provide communication means corresponding to each article detector,
These communication means are provided in the case or the roller body. If it is provided in the case or the roller body in this way, it is necessary to separately provide a circuit for receiving the article detection result from each conveyance zone and transmitting the result to the motor rollers in the other conveyance zones. Therefore, the structure of the roller conveyor can be simplified.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The roller according to the first embodiment of the present invention is a motor roller as described above and has a roller body 2 as shown in FIG. The roller body 2 is
It is formed in a cylindrical shape and has shafts 4 on both end faces in the length direction thereof. The shaft 4 projects outward from the center of the end surface of the roller body 2 perpendicularly thereto. The shaft 4 has a disk-shaped base portion 4a, and a cylindrical body portion 4b is formed concentrically with the base portion 4a. A hexagonal columnar head portion 4c is provided further outward from the tip end of the body portion 4b, and a base portion 4a.
Are provided concentrically. The body portion 4b is formed to have a smaller diameter than the base portion 4a, and the head portion 4c is formed to have a smaller diameter than the body portion 4b. This head portion 4c is joined to a frame 6 shown by a chain line in FIG. The frame 6 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the roller body 2 is arranged on both sides in the length direction thereof, and is substantially perpendicular to the length direction of the roller body 2. When the roller body 2 is attached to the frame 6, there is a gap between the end surface of the roller body 2 and the frame 6 that corresponds to the thickness of the base portion 4a and the body portion 4b. A drive unit (not shown), for example, a motor and a drive transmission mechanism are provided in the roller body 2, and by the rotation of the motor,
The roller body 2 is configured to rotate around the shaft 4. During this rotation, the shaft 4 does not rotate and maintains its position.

In addition to these motor rollers, a plurality of driven rollers are arranged on the frame 6 in parallel with the roller body 2 at a predetermined interval. One conveyance zone is formed by the motor roller and the plurality of driven rollers.
A plurality of transport zones are continuously formed on the frame 6. The driven roller has the same structure as that of the motor roller from which the drive portion is removed.

One object detector, for example, a photoelectric detector 8 is provided on such a motor roller. That is,
The photoelectric detector 8 is provided on one of the two axes. In particular, a photoelectric detector 8 is provided in the gap between the roller body 2 and the frame 6.

As shown in FIG. 1, the photoelectric detector 8 is attached to the case 10. The case 10 is a long body arranged substantially perpendicular to the roller body 2 and parallel to the frame 6.

The case 10 has an inner surface 12 facing the roller body 2 side and an outer surface 14 facing the frame 6 side. The outer surface 14 is formed in the same shape as the inner surface 12, and is arranged in parallel with each other so as to overlap each other. Inner surface 12
The upper surface 16 is formed so as to connect the upper edges of the outer surface 14 and the outer surface 14. A lower surface 18 is formed so as to face the upper surface 16 and connect lower end edges of the inner surface 12 and the outer surface 14. In addition, the lengthwise direction of the inner surface 12 and the outer surface 14 (the frame 6
The inner surface 12 and the outer surface 14, and
The end surfaces 20, 22 are connected so as to connect the upper surface 16 and the lower surface 18.
Are formed. Part of the lower part of the end face 22 is the end face 20.
It is depressed toward the side.

A recess 24 is formed from the lower surface 18 side to the upper surface 16 side of the case 10, which is biased to the end surface 22 side. The recess 24 is open on the lower surface 18 side and penetrates on the inner surface 12 and outer surface 14 sides. Its width dimension (dimension in the inner surface 12 and outer surface 14 directions) and length dimension (end surface 2
(Dimensions in the 0 and 22 directions) are the frame 6 of the body 4b of the shaft 4.
Are formed so as to fit into the notches 26 formed on both sides in the length direction of the. Therefore, the case 10 has the shaft 4
It is attached to the body portion 4 b of the roller body 4 and is arranged so as to be separated from the roller body 4 along the length direction of the frame 6.

In this attached state, the end face 20
Is located in the gap between the roller body 2 and a driven roller (not shown) adjacent to the roller body 2. Upper surface 12 of case 10
The height dimension of the case 10 is set so that is located below the upper surface of the frame 6 and the lower surface 18 is located above the lower portion of the roller body 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, from the lower part of the end face 22,
The bolt 28 enters the recess 24 and passes below the body portion 4b of the shaft 4. The bolt 28 is screwed into a screw hole (not shown) formed in the surface opposite to the end surface 22 side into which the bolt 28 has entered. As a result, the case 10
Is attached to the shaft 4. By firmly screwing the bolt 28, the notches 26, 2 in the recess 24 are formed.
The surface facing 6 is firmly pressed and fixed by the notch 26. On the contrary, by loosening the bolt 28, the pressing of the notch 26 of the case 10 is released, and the case 1
0 can be removed from the body portion 4b of the shaft 4. That is, the case 10 is detachably attached to the shaft 4.
Further, in the state where the case 10 is fixed to the shaft 4, the shaft 4 is immovable, so the case 10 is immovable.

A photoelectric detector 8 is provided at a position apart from the roller body 2 on the case 10, for example, at a position along the end face 20 side of the inner surface 12 of the case 10. The mounting position of the photoelectric detector 8 is determined so that this position is located in the gap between the roller body 2 and the roller body of the driven roller adjacent thereto. The photoelectric detector 8 has a light emitting element (not shown) and a light receiving element (not shown). The light emitting element and the light receiving element are configured so that their optical axes can be independently rotated about an axis perpendicular to the upper surface 16 and the lower surface 18 and about an axis perpendicular to the end faces 20 and 22. Has been done. Therefore, by adjusting the light emitting element and the light receiving element so that these optical axes point obliquely upward on the roller body side, when the conveyed article reaches between the roller body 2 and the adjacent driven roller, The emitted light is reflected by the conveyed article and received by the light receiving element. As a result, this conveyed article can be detected.

In the case 10, amplification means, for example, a sensor amplifier 30 is provided. The light receiving signal from the light receiving element of the photoelectric detector 8 is supplied to this. The sensor amplifier 30 amplifies the received light signal and supplies it to the control means, for example, the communication IC 32.

The communication IC 32 is the sensor amplifier 30.
The amplified signal from the roller is transferred by using a pin 33 provided inside the recess 24 as shown in FIG. 2 and a connector 34 provided on the upper surface of the body 4b of the shaft 4 as shown in FIG. It is transmitted to the motor control unit (not shown) in the main body 2. In addition, the received light signal is transmitted to the connector 36 provided on the lower surface 14 of the case 10.
To the communication IC of the motor roller in the next conveyance zone. Further, the light receiving signal transmitted from the motor roller in the preceding stage of this motor roller is received via the connector 38 and supplied to the motor control section in the roller body 2 via the pin 33 and the connector 34. Since the control of these communications is performed by the communication IC 32, it is not necessary to separately provide a circuit for communication control.

FIG. 4 shows the connection state of the connectors 36, 38 of the motor rollers in each transport zone. Reference numeral 40 is a transmission line connected to the connectors 36 and 38 of the respective motor rollers. Further, FIG. 4 also shows the state of power supply to each motor roller. 42 is a power supply line. This power supply line 42, as shown in FIG.
Is pulled into the roller body 2.

In the motor roller thus constructed,
For example, after attaching the heads 4c and 4c of the shaft 4 to the frames 6 and 6, the recesses 24 of the case 10 are fitted into the notches 26 and 26 of the body portion 4b of the one shaft 4, and the case 10 is fixed by the bolts 28. It is fixed to the body portion 4b of the shaft 4. Alternatively, after the case 10 is attached to the body portion 4b of the shaft 4 by the bolt 28, the head portions 4c and 4c of the shaft 4 are attached to the frames 6 and 6.

In this motor roller, the case 10 provided with the photoelectric detector 8 is attached to the shaft 4 of the roller body 2. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately provide a photoelectric detector on the upper surface of the frame 6 after attaching the motor roller to the frames 6, 6, and the work of attaching the motor roller can be simplified. Moreover, the case 10 does not project upward from the upper surface of the frame 6, and the article conveyed on the motor roller does not come into contact with the photoelectric detector 8. Therefore, the photoelectric detector 8 is not damaged. It is also aesthetically pleasing. Further, since the communication IC 32 is provided in the case 10, it is not necessary to separately provide a circuit board that constitutes a circuit for controlling the photoelectric detector 8 separately from the motor roller and the optical detector.

In the roller of the second embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, only the photoelectric detector 8 is used in the case 1.
The sensor amplifier 30 and the communication IC 32 are provided in
It is provided in the roller body 2. The received light signal of the photoelectric detector 8 is supplied to the sensor amplifier 30 in the roller body 2 via the pin 33 and the connector 34. The transmission lines to the motor rollers in the other zones are drawn into the roller main body 2 from the head 4c of the shaft 4 like the power supply lines.

In both of the above embodiments, the optical detector 8 is provided only on one shaft 4, but it may be provided on both shafts 4. Further, instead of the optical detector 8, for example, another object detector such as an ultrasonic sensor can be used. Further, in the first embodiment, the sensor amplifier 30 and the communication IC 32 are provided in the case 10, and in the second embodiment, the sensor amplifier 30 and the communication IC 32 are provided in the roller main body 2. The case 30 may be provided in the case 10, and the communication IC 32 may be provided in the roller body 2. In both of the above-described embodiments, the object detector is provided on the motor roller, but the object detector may be provided on the driven roller, for example. Further, the communication IC 32 is also capable of serial communication, and if a communication master device is provided at the end of the transmission line 40, overall monitor control is also possible.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the object detector is provided on the shaft of the roller, it is not necessary to attach another object detector on the frame after the roller is attached to the frame. The assembly work of the roller conveyor becomes easy. In particular, since the object detector is provided at the position farthest from the roller body in the case provided on the shaft of the stationary roller, the object detection can be performed without any trouble. Also,
When the present invention is applied to the motor roller, the motor roller can be easily controlled. If the case is detachably provided on the shaft of the roller body, the shaft does not need to be specially processed and can be easily attached to the shaft.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a motor roller according to a first embodiment of the present invention is attached to a frame.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the motor roller of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partially omitted plan view of the motor roller of FIG. 1 attached to a frame.

FIG. 4 is a connection diagram when a plurality of motor rollers of FIG. 1 are provided.

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a motor roller according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a partially omitted plan view of the motor roller of FIG. 5 attached to a frame.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 roller body 4 axes 6 frames 8 Photoelectric detector (object detector) 10 cases

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A roller in which two shafts projecting outwardly along the length direction of the roller body are supported at both ends of the roller body by a frame arranged on both sides of the roller body, respectively. A roller comprising a case provided on one of the two shafts so as to extend in a direction away from the roller body, and an object detector provided on the roller body side of the case. 2. The roller according to claim 1, wherein a drive unit is provided in the roller body, and the roller body rotates around the shaft. 3. The roller according to claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the case is located below an article conveying surface of the roller. 4. The roller according to claim 1, wherein the case is detachably provided on the shaft. 5. The roller according to claim 1, wherein the case or the roller body is provided with communication means for communicating a detection result of the article detector.