JP2004175484A - Article transferring equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To smoothly transfer articles in a short time with a simple constitution by increasing a transferring part placed in an operation range of a transferring machine. <P>SOLUTION: This article transferring equipment comprises three article conveyor means 21A-21C, a plurality of pallet conveyors 11A-11C for conveying the articles W through a pallet P, and an article transferring robot 7 placed on the pallet P from carrying-in transferring parts 22A-22C of the article conveyors 21A-21C to loading transferring parts 12A-12C of the pallet conveyors 11A-11C, one of the pallet conveyors 11B at a central part is placed to be passed through an insertion space of a lower part of the article transferring robot 7, and a vacant pallet is conveyed to the loading transferring part 12B through the lower part of the article transferring robot 7. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an article transfer facility for sequentially transferring articles on a pallet, which is an article receiver, to a conveyor, and loading articles conveyed by the conveyor on the pallet.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional article transfer facility, for example, one disclosed in Patent Literature 1 has a plurality of carry-in side transfer sections arranged on one side of a transfer machine and a plurality of carry-out side transfer sections on another side. In the transfer-side transfer section and the transfer-side transfer section, shift sections of an empty pallet transfer conveyor are arranged between the transfer sections, and the transfer sections are shifted to the transfer sections on both sides.
[0003]
With such an arrangement, since the shift unit of the empty pallet carry-in conveyor is arranged in the operation range of the transfer machine, the number of transfer units that can be arranged in the operation range of one transfer machine is limited. Handling of many articles becomes difficult. For this reason, in this patent document 1, by moving the transfer machine, a large number of transfer units are incorporated into the operation range of the transfer machine to handle many articles.
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-43169 [0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Since the handling operation of the load and the movement operation of the transfer machine overlap, the recognition of the position of the transfer machine and the control of the transfer operation become complicated, and there is a problem that the cycle time required for the transfer operation becomes long.
[0006]
The present invention solves the above-described problems, and has a simpler configuration. By increasing the number of transfer units that fall within the operation range of the transfer machine, the transfer of goods can be performed smoothly and in a short time. The purpose is to provide transfer equipment.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 includes one or more article conveying means, a plurality of receiver conveying means for conveying an article via an article receiver, and a transfer section of the article conveying means. Transfer means for transferring an article from the transfer section of the transfer means to the transfer section of the transfer means, And one of the receiver transfer means is disposed so as to pass under the transfer means, and the empty article receiver is passed through the lower part of the transfer means and transferred to the transfer part. It is composed.
[0008]
When the article receiver is transported linearly to and from the transfer unit, transfer units can be installed on both sides of the transfer unit, but the transfer unit is an obstacle to the corresponding part of the transfer unit. The transfer unit cannot be placed. According to the above configuration, the transfer unit corresponding to the transfer unit is provided by passing the empty article receiver under the transfer unit by arranging the receiver transfer unit so as to pass below the transfer unit. Can be transported. Therefore, with a simple configuration for transporting the article receiver through the lower portion of the transfer means, it is possible to increase the number of transfer sections capable of loading and unloading the article receiver by linear transport, and to smoothly transfer articles. Can be done in time.
[0009]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, each of the receiver transporting means is arranged in parallel, the receiver transporting means in the central portion is passed under the transfer means, and the article transporting means is provided above the receiver transporting means. It is arranged.
[0010]
According to the above configuration, the transfer units can be arranged on both the left and right sides and the rear part (downstream side) of the transfer means in the transport direction of the article receiver, and the pallets can be more smoothly loaded and unloaded.
[0011]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, an empty article receiver transport means is provided at one end of each receiver transport means, and an actual article receiver transport means is provided at the other end.
According to the above configuration, the empty article receiver can be loaded by the empty article receiver to the plurality of receiver transporters arranged in parallel, and the receiver transporter can be transferred from the plurality of receiver transporters. Thus, the actual article receiver can be received and carried out, and the work efficiency of the article transfer equipment can be improved.
[0012]
The configuration according to claim 4, wherein one or more carry-in side transport means for transporting the article via the article receiver, and one or more transport side transport means for transporting the article via the article receiver. And a transfer means for transferring an article from an article receiver in a transfer section of the loading-side receiver transport means to an article receiver in a transfer section of the unloading-side receiver transport means. One of the receiver conveying means on the side or the unloading side is disposed so as to pass under the transfer means, and the empty article receiver is passed under the transfer means. .
[0013]
According to the above configuration, the transfer of the article between the article receivers can have the same effect as the first aspect.
[0014]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Here, an embodiment of an article transfer facility according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0015]
An empty pallet truck traveling apparatus (empty article receiver transporting means) 3 in which a first transport cart 1 for carrying an empty pallet (article receiver) P is movably arranged via a first transport rail 2 and an article W. An actual pallet truck traveling device (actual article receiver conveying means) 6 in which a loaded second pallet 4 for carrying out an actual pallet is arranged so as to be able to travel via a second conveying rail 5 is parallel to each other with a predetermined space. It is arranged. An arm-type article transfer robot (transfer means) 7 is arranged between the empty pallet truck traveling device 3 and the actual pallet truck traveling device 6 on an installation base 8 having a plurality of leg members 8a. ing.
[0016]
Further, for example, three roller-type first to third pallet transport conveyors (receptor transport means) 11A to 11C capable of linearly transporting a pallet are arranged in parallel between the first transport rail 2 and the second transport rail 5. The empty pallet truck traveling device 3 and the actual pallet truck traveling device 6 are connected. Then, of the first to third pallet transport conveyors 11A to 11C, the central second pallet transport conveyor 11B is disposed so as to pass through the insertion space 9. Then, the articles W are stacked on the empty pallets P transported by the first and third pallet transport conveyors 11A and 11C on the left and right sides of the article transport robot 7 within the operation range Z of the article transport robot 7. First and third stowage transfer units (transfer units) 12A and 12C are provided, and the pallet P is positioned at the downstream ends of the first and third stowage transfer units (transfer units) 12A and 12C. Pallet stoppers 13A and 13C are provided, respectively. Further, a third stowage transfer unit 12B of the second pallet conveyance conveyor 11B is provided on the downstream side (exit side) in the conveyance direction of the insertion space 9, and the pallet P is positioned at the downstream end of the third stowage transfer unit 12B. A pallet stopper 13B is provided. The first to third pallet transport conveyors 11A to 11C are connected to upstream conveyors 11Aa to 11Ca arranged between the empty pallet truck traveling device 3 and the front of the first to third stowage transfer units 12A to 12C. , And downstream conveyors 11Aa to 11Ca arranged between the first to third stowage transfer units 12A to 12C and the actual pallet truck traveling device 6.
[0017]
In the upper space on the upstream side (entrance side) in the transport direction of the first to third pallet transport conveyors 11A to 11C, one or more (three in the figure) first to third article transport conveyors for loading the articles W are provided. (Article Conveying Means) 21A to 21C are installed, and first to third unloading and transferring the articles W to the ends of the first to third article conveying conveyors 13A to 13C within the operation range Z of the article transferring robot 7. Parts 22A to 22C are provided.
[0018]
In the above-described configuration, for example, in this transfer facility, an operation is performed in which, for example, the articles W to be unloaded for each delivery destination are sorted and stacked on the pallet P for each ordered quantity. Then, based on the input data, the article transfer robot 7 loads and carries out the ordered articles W by the number of pallets P in accordance with the data.
[0019]
That is, the empty pallets P transported by the empty pallet truck traveling device 3 via the first transport truck 1 are carried into the upstream conveyors 11Aa to 11Ca of the first to third pallet transport conveyors 11A to 11C, respectively, and the first to third pallets are transported. It reaches the third stowage transfer units 11A to 11C. On the other hand, the articles W are sequentially carried into the first to third article transport conveyors 21A to 21C and are stopped by the first to third unloading transfer sections 22A to 22C, respectively. The article transfer robot 7 holds the articles W of the first to third unloading transfer sections 22A to 22C based on the input data, and stores the articles W of the first to third stowage transfer sections 12A to 12C. Pallets are sequentially stacked. When the number of the articles W reaches the order number, the downstream conveyors 11Ab to 11Cb of the first to third pallet transport conveyors 11A to 11C having the target pallets P are activated to transfer the actual pallets P to the first to third stowage transfer units 12A. , And the next empty pallet P is carried into the first to third stowage transfer units 12A to 12C. Then, the actual pallet P is transferred from the first to third pallet transport conveyors 11A to 11C to the second transport trolley 4 of the actual pallet truck traveling device 6 and is carried out.
[0020]
According to the above-described embodiment, in a transfer facility having three or more article transport conveyors 21A to 21C singly or a plurality of pallet transport conveyors 11A to 11C, the article transport conveyors 21A to 11C are arranged corresponding to the article transport robot 7 at the center. The second pallet transfer section 12B is configured so that the empty pallets P are carried in by the second pallet transport conveyor 11B through the insertion space 9 below the article transfer robot 7 so that they are arranged side by side. Similarly, the three pallet transport conveyors 11A to 11C can be linearly transported similarly to transport the pallets P smoothly, and complicated operations such as irregular shift operations, lift operations, and branching operations for loading the pallets are performed. There is no operation, the number of stowage transfer units 12A to 12C that fall within the operation range Z of the article transfer robot 7 can be increased, and the article W can be efficiently transferred.
[0021]
In the above embodiment, the transfer equipment is provided between the article transport conveyor (three) and the pallet transport conveyor (three). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the article transport conveyor (single to plural) may be used. : Any number of pallet conveyors (single to plural) can be selected. Of course, in addition to stacking articles on a pallet (palletizing), it can be used for stacking articles on a real pallet (depalletizing).
[0022]
FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the transfer equipment, and the same members as those in the previous embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. In this embodiment, pallets are loaded with articles.
[0023]
That is, instead of the article transport conveyor, three (single to plural) load-side pallet transport conveyors (load-in) are provided above the pallet transport conveyors 11A to 11C, which are the unloading-side receiver transport conveyors for reciprocating transport. Receiver transfer conveyors 31A to 31C are arranged, and take-out and transfer units (transfer units) 32A to 32C are set at the respective ends.
[0024]
Therefore, the actual pallets P on which the articles W are stacked by the loading-side pallet conveyors 31A to 31C are carried into the take-out and transfer units 32A to 32C, and the articles W on the pallets P are sequentially loaded and transferred by the article transfer robot 7. They are sequentially transferred onto the pallets P of the mounting portions 12A to 12C. The empty pallets P from which all the articles are unloaded by the unloading transfer units 32A to 32C are discharged by the unloading-side pallet conveyors 11A to 11C in a direction opposite to the loading direction, and the next actual pallet P is loaded. .
[0025]
According to the above embodiment, the same operation and effect as the previous embodiment can be obtained.
In the above-described embodiment, the loading-side pallet transport conveyors 31A to 31C are configured to be linearly transported, and the pallet transport conveyors 11A to 11C are configured to be transported back and forth. The conveyor 31B may be arranged so as to pass through the insertion space 9, and the empty pallet P may be unloaded from the unloading transfer section 32B through the insertion space 9 below the article transfer robot 7.
[0026]
FIG. 4 shows still another embodiment. The same members as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.
In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the first to third pallet transport conveyors 11 parallel to each other between the first transport rail 2 of the empty pallet truck traveling device 3 and the second transport rail 5 of the actual pallet truck traveling device 6. In this embodiment, independent first to third pallet transport conveyors 41A to 41A to which the loading and transferring units 12A to 12C can be installed within the operation range Z of the article transferring robot 7, respectively. The second pallet transport conveyor 41B at the center is provided so as to pass below the article transfer robot 7.
[0027]
In the second pallet transport conveyor 41B in the central portion, an upstream conveyor 41Ba passing through a lower portion of the article transfer robot 7 is arranged, and a downstream conveyor 41Bb is provided from the stowage transfer section 12B on the downstream side of the article transfer robot 7. Are connected in a straight line. The first and third pallet transport conveyors 41A and 41B on both sides are provided with loading transfer units 12A and 12C at the downstream end of the upstream conveyor 41Ba corresponding to the left and right sides of the article transfer robot 7, respectively. Downstream conveyors 41Ab, 41Ba are connected to the right and left outward at right angles from the attached transfer sections 12A, 12C.
[0028]
As described above, other than the pallet transport conveyors arranged in parallel, even the independent first to third pallet transport conveyors 41A to 41C can provide the same operation and effects as those of the previous embodiment.
[0029]
In the above-described embodiments, the mounting base 8 of the article transfer robot 7 forms the insertion space 9 through which only the pallet transport conveyors 11B and 41B at the center can pass, but a plurality of pallet transport conveyors 11A to 11C are provided. May be a gate-shaped installation base that is installed above the pallet and forms an insertion space through which a pallet can pass.
[0030]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, when the article receiver is linearly transported into and out of the transfer section, the transfer sections can be installed on both sides of the transfer section. The transfer unit cannot be arranged in the corresponding unit because the transfer unit is an obstacle. According to the present invention, the transfer unit corresponding to the transfer unit is provided by passing the empty article receiver under the transfer unit by arranging the receiver transfer unit so as to pass below the transfer unit. Can be transported to Therefore, with a simple configuration for transporting the article receiver through the lower portion of the transfer means, it is possible to increase the number of transfer sections capable of loading and unloading the article receiver by linear transport, and to smoothly transfer articles. Can be done in time.
[0031]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the transfer units can be arranged on both the left and right sides and the rear part (downstream side) of the transfer means in the conveying direction of the article receiver, and the pallets can be more smoothly loaded and unloaded. it can.
[0032]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the empty article receiver can be loaded into the plurality of receiver transporters arranged in parallel by the empty article receiver transporter, and the empty article receiver can be transferred from the plurality of receiver transporters. The actual article receiver can be received and carried out by the receiver transport means, and the work efficiency of the article transfer equipment can be improved.
[0033]
According to the configuration of the fourth aspect, the transfer of the article between the article receivers can also provide the same effect as that of the first aspect.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an overall plan view showing an embodiment of an article transfer facility according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the article transfer facility.
FIG. 3 is an overall plan view showing another embodiment of the article transfer facility according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an overall plan view showing still another embodiment of the article transfer facility according to the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
P Pallet W Article Z Operation range 3 Empty pallet truck traveling device 6 Actual pallet truck traveling device 7 Article transfer robot 8 Installation platform 9 Insertion space 11A to 11C Pallet conveyors 12A to 12C Stowage transfer units 13A to 13C Pallet stopper 21A -21C Article transport conveyors 22A-22C Pick-up and transfer units 31A-21C Pallet transfer conveyors 32A-32C Pick-up and transfer units 41A-41C Pallet transfer conveyors

Claims (4)

One or more article transport means, a plurality of receiver transport means for transporting the article via the article receiver, and an article receiver in the transfer section of the receiver transport means from the transfer section of the article transport means. Or a transfer unit for transferring an article from the transfer unit of the transfer unit of the receiver transfer unit to the transfer unit of the transfer unit.
One of the receiver conveying means is arranged to pass under the transfer means, and the empty article receiver is passed through the lower part of the transfer means to be conveyed to the transfer section. An article transfer facility characterized by the following. While arranging each receiver transport means so as to be able to linearly transport in parallel, passing the receiver transport means in the center part below the transfer means,
2. The article transfer equipment according to claim 1, wherein an article conveying means is arranged above the receiver conveying means. 3. The article transfer equipment according to claim 2, wherein an empty article receiver transport means is provided at one end of each receiver transport means, and an actual article receiver transport means is provided at the other end. One or more carry-in side transport means for transporting an article through an article receiver, one or more carry-out side transport means for transporting an article through an article receiver, and the transport side for the carry-in side Transfer means for transferring an article from the article receiver of the transfer section of the means to the article receiver of the transfer section of the unloading-side receiver transport means,
One of the receiving-side transporting means on the loading side or the unloading side is disposed so as to pass under the transfer means, and the empty article receiver is configured to pass through the lower part of the transferring means. An article transfer facility characterized by the following.

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