JP2005075507A - Container feeding and carry-out apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the weight and size of a movable part to reduce the weight and size of an apparatus itself, and to efficiently perform washing work by saving the man-hours for removing a member mounted on a holding member in washing the holding member. <P>SOLUTION: Containers storing a number of products and piled up in multistage are elevated between a lower position and a product taking position, the uppermost container moved to the product taking position is held by a holding means to take out the product, and the holding means holding an empty container taken out therefrom is moved to a horizontal carry-out position to release holding for the empty container and accumulate the containers in multistage. This container feeding and carry-out apparatus is composed of: a movable body for reciprocating the holding means between the product taking position and the carry-out position; a pair of holding members for holding the container; first and second moving members selectively engaged with an engaged parts of the holding members to move the holding members between a container holding position and a non-holding position; and a pair of guide members provided between the first and second moving members and selectively engaged with the engaged parts to guide the movement of the holding members. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention makes it possible to take out a product by supplying a container in which a large number of products are accommodated and stacked in a multi-stage to a predetermined product take-out position, and to enable empty containers from which products are taken out to be stacked in a multi-stage and carried out. The present invention relates to a container supply / unload device.

  For example, the container exchanging device shown in Patent Document 1 is connected to a main body frame in which a container carry-in portion and a carry-out portion are provided in the lower portion and a vertical frame is provided in the center of the rear portion, and can be connected to the carry-in portion of the main body frame. An empty container can be placed and can be connected to a loading unmanned cart that can self-propell according to a preset trajectory and a carry-out part of the main body frame. An unmanned cart for unloading that can be self-propelled according to the trajectory, and a movably supported between a lower position of the vertical frame and an upper position where the work can be fed into the container while being spaced apart from the vertical frame, An upper and lower frame having a horizontal length reaching the carry-out portion, a horizontal traveling body supported so as to be movable in the horizontal direction between the carry-in portion and the carry-out portion with respect to the upper and lower frames, and the water A holding member for holding the container, a vertical driving member for moving the upper and lower frames in the vertical direction, a horizontal driving member for moving the horizontal traveling body in the horizontal direction, and the upper and lower frames, which are provided on the traveling body, are connected to the upper and lower frames, The receiving member is operated, and pressure control means for receiving the weight of the upper and lower frames, the horizontal traveling body, and the holding member by controlling the fluid pressure to the receiving member substantially constant as the upper and lower frames move. The

However, in the container exchanging device of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to provide a holding member for holding the container on the horizontal traveling body that is a movable member, and the high-power drive member must be used due to the weight of the movable member. As a result, there is a problem that the apparatus itself becomes large.

Further, since the container is held by a holding member provided on a frame member that is a U-shaped plane and is partially fixed to the horizontal traveling body, the horizontal posture of the container is likely to become unstable when holding the container. In particular, when a large number of products are accommodated in the container and the container itself becomes heavy, the container holding posture is not stable, and there is a problem that the product is obstructed. In order to solve this, it is necessary to make the frame and the like have a strong structure, and an increase in size and weight of the apparatus itself cannot be avoided.

Furthermore, when the container is used as an exchange device for a container that accommodates a large amount of food, for example, it is necessary to clean the container exchange device itself after completion of the work. Then, since the holding member is provided with an operating member such as a cylinder for holding the container, it must be cleaned after removing these members from the need to avoid malfunction of the operating member due to cleaning, It took a lot of time for the cleaning work.
JP 7-291455 A

The problem to be solved is that the moving part of the conventional exchange device becomes heavy, and accordingly, a high-power drive member must be used for the drive member, and the device itself becomes heavy and large. It is in. Further, when cleaning the holding member, it is necessary to perform the cleaning operation after removing the cylinder or the like for holding the container, and there is a problem that the cleaning operation cannot be easily performed.

The present invention provides a moving member at each of the product take-out position of the product accommodated in the container and the carry-out position of the empty container from which the product is taken out, and moves the holding member moved to the respective position to the holding position of the container. The holding member is moved to the non-holding position of the container and the holding can be released, and a guide member is provided between the moving members to move and hold the holding member so that the holding member is held and not held by the holding member. Try to keep.

The present invention reduces the weight and size of the apparatus by reducing the weight and size of the movable part. Further, when cleaning the holding member, it is possible to efficiently perform the cleaning operation without taking the trouble of removing the member provided on the holding member.

  In the present invention, a container in which a large number of products are stored and stacked in multiple stages is moved up and down between a lower position and a product take-out position, and the uppermost container moved to the product take-out position is held by holding means so that the product can be taken out. In the container feeding / unloading apparatus that moves the holding means holding the empty container from which the product has been taken out to the horizontal carrying-out position, releases the holding of the empty container, and accumulates in multiple stages, the holding means has the product take-out position and A pair of movable members that reciprocate between the carrying position and a pair of holding members that are supported so as to be able to reciprocate in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance of the container and hold the container, and are respectively provided and held at the product take-out position and the carry-out position. A pair of first and second moving members that selectively engages an engaged portion provided on the member to move the holding member between a holding position and a non-holding position of the container; And provided between the second moving member and a pair of guide members which selectively engage against the engaged portion for guiding the movement of the holding member between the unloading position and the product take-out position.

The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings showing embodiments.
1 to 7, the main body frame 3 of the container supply / unloader 1 is provided with a container unloading mechanism 5 on the upper side in the transport direction and a container supply mechanism 7 on the lower side in the transport direction. The supply mechanism 7 is connected by a transfer device 9 such as a roller conveyor or a belt conveyor provided at the lower part of the main body frame 3. The conveying device 9 is placed by being driven to be conveyed from the upper side to the lower side in the conveying direction by a chain, a driving belt or the like (not shown) that is drivingly connected to an electric motor (not shown) provided on the main body frame 3. Then, the multi-stacked container 15 in which a large number of products are stored in a compartment is supplied to the product removal position.

In addition, a container transport device (not shown) is connected to the carry-in end of the transport device 9, and the container 15 in which food products as products are compartmented and stacked in a predetermined number of stages is transferred onto the transport device 9. At the same time, an empty container 15 from which products are taken out and multistagely accumulated in the container carrying-out mechanism 5 is carried out of the container supply / unloading apparatus 1.

The main body frame 3 corresponding to the container carry-out mechanism 5 and the container supply mechanism 7 is provided with first and second lifting and lowering devices 17 and 19 constituting container support means, respectively. The first and second lifting devices 17 and 19 are the same as those shown in FIG. 2 (FIG. 2 shows the first lifting device 17, but the second lifting device 19 has the same configuration, and the first lifting device 17 includes the second lifting device 17. The main body frame 3 located on both sides in the conveyance orthogonal direction at the supply position and the unloading position of the container 15 as shown in FIG. A pair of left and right and upper and lower rotating shafts 21 and 23 supported rotatably, rotating bodies 25 and 27 such as pulleys and sprockets fixed to the rotating shafts 21 and 23, and mounted on these rotating bodies 25 and 27 Travel members 29 and 31 such as an endless timing belt and a chain, and the rotation shafts 21 located on the lower and upper sides of the rotation direction in the rotation shaft 21, the rotation shafts 23, the conveyance direction Lower and upper positions on the lower side Rotating bodies 26 and 28 such as pulleys and sprockets that are coaxially fixed to the respective rotating shafts 23, and traveling members 33 and 35 such as endless timing belts and chains mounted on the rotating bodies 26 and 28, respectively. A rotary shaft 21 located in the middle lower part in the transport direction among the rotary shafts 21; electric motors 37 and 39 that are drivingly connected to the rotary shaft 23 located in the middle lower part in the transport direction among the rotary shafts 23; Consists of

In each of the pair of left and right rotating shafts 21 in the first lifting device 17 described above, each rotating shaft 21 positioned at the upper lower side in the transport direction and the middle lower portion in the transport direction, and each pair of left and right rotations in the second lifting device 19. In the shaft 23, each rotary shaft 23 located at the lower part in the conveyance direction and at the middle lower part in the conveyance direction is constituted by a single axis that is continuous in the conveyance orthogonal direction, and is driven by the driving of the electric motors 37 and 39. The traveling members 29, 31, 33, and 35 disposed on the left right side are caused to travel in the same direction in synchronization. The rotation axis that is continuous to the left and right is not limited to the above-described rotation axis as long as it is provided at a position that does not interfere with the loading and unloading of the container 15.

The conveying direction end portions of the container support members 45 and 47 on which the container 15 is placed are fixed to the pair of left and right traveling members 29, 31, 33, and 35, respectively. These container support members 45 and 47 are configured to be non-interfering with the transfer surface of the transfer device 9 when lowered, so that the transfer device 9 can transfer the container 15 when moved to the lower position. Specifically, when the conveying device 9 is a roller conveyor, the container support members 45 and 47 can be inserted between the rollers. When the conveying device 9 is a belt conveyor, the frame can be moved between the belts. Consists of structure.

  A pair of left and right guide rails 49 extending in the transport direction across the container unloading mechanism 5 and the container supply mechanism 7 are provided on both sides of the upper portion of the main body frame 3 in the transport orthogonal direction. A movable body 51 is provided on each guide rail 49. Each is supported so as to be able to reciprocate in the transport direction. A pair of left and right and front and rear rotating bodies 53, to which an electric motor 55 is connected, are rotatably supported by pulleys and sprockets at the upper end and lower end of the body frame 3 in the conveying direction. A running member 57 such as a belt or a chain is wound around the rotating body 53.

Of the pair of left and right rotating bodies 53, one pair of left and right rotating bodies 53 located at the front end portion or the rear end portion are integrally connected by a shaft 54, and the pair of left and right traveling members 57 are synchronized in the same direction. Make it runnable.

  A bearing member (not shown) provided in each movable body 51 slidably supports a guide shaft 59 having an axis in the conveyance orthogonal direction, and a tip portion of each guide shaft 59 has an upper portion of the container 15. A holding member 61 that holds the container 15 by engaging with the lower surface of the flange portion 15a is provided. In addition, two engaged grooves 61a and 61b extending in the transport direction are formed at a lower portion of the holding member 61 at a predetermined interval corresponding to the holding position and the non-holding position of the container 15.

The main body frame 3 corresponding to the container carry-out mechanism 5 and the container supply mechanism 7 is provided with operation members 63 and 65 such as air cylinders and electromagnetic solenoids having operation shafts 63a and 65a extending in the conveyance orthogonal direction. The operation shafts 63a and 65a are provided with operation guide plates 67 and 69 constituting first and second moving members formed in a ship shape extending in the conveying direction and gradually narrowing at both ends thereof. It is provided so as to selectively engage with the engaging grooves 61a and 61b.

Further, the main body frame 3 corresponding to the space between the operation guide plates 67 and 69 holds a fixed guide plate 71 constituting a guide member that is formed in a ship shape that extends in the conveying direction and whose both end portions are gradually narrowed. The member 61 is fixed so as to selectively engage with the engaged grooves 61a and 61b. The holding member 61, the operation guide plates 67 and 69, and the fixed guide plate 71 are formed of a polyamide resin or the like that is excellent in wear resistance and sliding property and is easy to clean.

Next, the loading and unloading operation of the container 15 by the container supply / unloading apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS.
When the container 15 in which a large number of foods are stored in a multistage manner is loaded into the container unloading mechanism 5 side of the container supply / unloading device 1 as the container transporting device is driven, the transporting device 9 is transported and driven. After the multistagely stacked containers 15 are transported to the container supply mechanism 7 side, the container support member 47 that has been waiting below the transport surface of the transport device 9 is moved upward by the driving of the second elevating device 19 and transferred. The multi-stage stacked container 15 is raised until the upper part of the container 15 located at the uppermost stage reaches a predetermined product removal position. At this time, the pair of left and right holding members 61 located on both sides of the container 15 in the conveyance orthogonal direction move to positions away from each other with the operation guide plate 69 engaged with the inner engaged groove 61b. Waiting in the non-holding position. (See Figure 8)

The position detection operation is performed by a rising position detector (not shown) such as a photo sensor or a limit switch provided at the product extraction position of the main body frame 3.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9, the operation member 65 is operated to move the operation guide plates 69 engaged with the engaged grooves 61b in the directions approaching each other, whereby the holding member 61 is moved to the holding position and the container 15 is moved. In this state, the second lifting device 19 is moved backward to move the container support member 47 downward by one stage of the container 15 to hold the holding member 61. The container 15 held by the above is separated from the other containers 15 supported on the container support member 47. (See Figure 10)

Next, in this state, a take-out device (not shown) such as an articulated robot disposed on the container supply mechanism 7 side of the container supply / unload device 1 is numerically driven and accommodated in each section of the container 15. The taken out foods are sequentially taken out and transferred to a tray (not shown) placed on a transfer device (not shown) arranged close to the container supply / unloading device 1 to perform a product taking-out operation.

When all of the products in the container 15 are taken out, the movable member 51 is moved toward the container unloading mechanism 5 by the traveling member 57 that travels as the electric motor 55 is driven, and the product is taken out. The holding member 61 holding the container 15 is moved to the container carry-out mechanism 5. At this time, since the operation guide plate 69 engaged with the engaged groove 61b cannot move in the transport direction, the engagement with the engaged groove 61b is released as the holding member 61 moves. The holding member 61 is slid while maintaining the holding state of the container 15 while the fixed guide plate 71 fixed adjacent to the operation guide plate 69 is engaged with the engaging groove 61a in a substantially continuous state.

Then, when the holding member 61 is further moved to the container carry-out mechanism 5 side, the movement of the engagement groove 61a, which has been disengaged from the fixed guide plate 71, moved in a direction approaching each other by the operation of the operation member 63. The guide plate 67 engages and supports the holding member 61 while sliding, thereby maintaining the holding state of the container 15 by the holding member 61 and moving it to the container unloading position. (See Figure 11)

In this state, when the empty container 15 held by the holding member 61 is positioned above the container support member 45, the first lifting device 17 is driven and the empty container 15 held by the holding member 61 by the container support member 45. The container 15 is made supportable. In this state, the operation member 63 is moved backward to move the operation guide plate 67 engaged with the engaged groove 61a away from each other, and the holding member 61 is moved away from each other to hold the container 15. Is released and the empty container 15 is transferred onto the container support member 45, and then the first elevating device 17 is driven downward according to the height of one container 15 and transferred to the empty container 15. 15 is moved to the next stacking position. (See Figure 12)

After the above operation, when the electric motor 55 is driven in the reverse direction to move the movable body 51 from the container carry-out mechanism 5 toward the container supply mechanism 7, the operation guide plate 67 engaged with the engaged groove 61a is moved in the transport direction. Since the movement of the holding member 61 causes the engagement of the operation guide plate 67 with respect to the engaged groove 61a, the operation guide plate 67 is moved toward the engagement groove 61b. The adjacent fixed guide plates 71 are engaged in a substantially continuous state, and support the movement of the holding member 61 with respect to the container supply mechanism 7 side.

When the holding member 61 is further moved to the container supply mechanism 7 side, the engagement member 65 with respect to the inner engaged groove 61b is released after the fixed guide plate 71 is disengaged from the inner engaged groove 61b. The operation guide plates 69 moved away from each other by the backward movement engage to support the holding member 61 in a slidable manner, and keep the holding member 61 in a separated state. (See Figure 11)

Then, when the holding member 61 moves to the container supply mechanism 7 side, the second elevating device 19 is driven up according to the height width of the container 15, and the container 15 located at the uppermost stage is separated from each other. After being positioned between the holding members 61, the operation member 65 is operated to move the operation guide plates 69 engaged with the engaged grooves 61 b in the directions approaching each other, and the holding members 61 are moved in the directions approaching each other. The container 15 located at the uppermost stage in which the product is accommodated is held.

Then, after the product is sequentially taken out from the container 15 held by the holding member 61 by repeating the above operation, the empty container 15 from which the product has been taken out is moved to the container discharge side and stacked and accumulated.

When the empty containers 15 are accumulated in a predetermined number of stages on the container support member 45 on the container carry-out mechanism 5 side, the container 15 in which the product supported by the container support member 47 on the container supply mechanism 7 side is accommodated. When there is no more, first the first elevating device 15 is driven downward to transfer the empty container 15 supported by the container support member 45 onto the transport device 9, and then the transport device 9 is transported to the carry-out side. Then, the empty containers 15 stacked in multiple stages are carried out of the container supply / unloading apparatus 1, and the container transport apparatus is driven to discharge the empty containers 15 stacked in multiple stages.

Next, the container transport device is transported and driven so that the products placed in advance are accommodated, and the stacked containers 15 are transported to the carry-in side of the container supply / unload device 1 and transferred onto the transport device 9. Later, the transport device 9 is transported to carry the multistagely stacked containers 15 to the container supply mechanism 7 side, and the products stored in the containers 15 are sequentially taken out by repeating the above operation.

In the present embodiment, the holding member 61 holds and holds the container 15 without providing a driving member for holding and holding the holding member 61 in a movable portion that reciprocates between the container supply mechanism 7 and the container unloading mechanism 5. The release operation can be performed reliably. Further, since the holding member 61, the operation guide plates 67 and 69, and the fixed guide plate 71 are formed of synthetic resin having excellent wear resistance and sliding property, the holding member 61 can be moved smoothly and the operation is completed. The cleaning operation at the time can be performed in a short time.

  In the above description, the container unloading mechanism 5 is provided on the upper side in the transport direction of the container supply / unloader 1 and the content supply mechanism 7 is provided on the lower side in the transport direction. It is good also as a structure which provides the supply mechanism 7 and the container carrying-out mechanism 5 in the conveyance direction lower side.

It is a whole perspective view of a container supply carrying out apparatus. It is an approximate body perspective view showing the 1st lifting device. It is a general body perspective view which shows the reciprocation mechanism of a holding member. It is an approximate body top view showing a moving mechanism of a holding member. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of FIG. 4A-A line. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of FIG. 4B-B line. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of FIG. 4C-C line. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which moved the container to the product taking-out position. It is explanatory drawing which shows the holding | maintenance state of a container. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which isolate | separated the hold | maintained container from the other container. It is explanatory drawing which shows the engagement state of the to-be-engaged groove | channel at the time of a holding member moving, an operation guide plate, and a fixed guide plate. It is explanatory drawing which shows the holding | maintenance cancellation | release state of an empty container.

Explanation of symbols

1-container supply / conveyance device, 3-main body frame, 5-container unloading mechanism, 7-container supply mechanism, 9-conveyance device, 15-container, 17-first lifting device, 19-second lifting device, 45, 47 -Container support member, 51-movable body, 59-guide shaft as a shaft member, 61-holding member, 61a and 61b-engaged groove, 63 and 65-operating member, 67 and 69-operating guide plate, 71- Fixed guide plate

Claims (6)

A container in which a large number of products are stored and stacked in multiple stages is moved up and down between the lower position and the product take-out position, and the uppermost container moved to the product take-out position is held by the holding means to enable product take-out and the product In the container feeding / unloading apparatus that moves the holding means holding the empty container from which the empty container has been taken out to the horizontal carrying-out position, releases the holding of the empty container, and stacks and stacks it, the holding means has a product take-out position and a carry-out position. A pair of movable members that are reciprocally moved between the pair of holding members that are supported so as to be reciprocally movable in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance of the container and hold the container, and are provided at the product take-out position and the carry-out position, respectively. A pair of first and second moving members for selectively engaging the engaged portion and moving the holding member between a holding position and a non-holding position of the container; and first and second Provided between moving member selectively engages a container supply conveyance device comprising a pair of guide members for guiding the movement of the holding member between the unloading position and the product take-out position with respect to the engaged portion. 2. The container support device according to claim 1, wherein container support means for driving up and down to the product take-out position and the container take-out position are provided, and the container located at the top of the multi-stacked container is taken out by moving the container support means at the product take-out position. A container supply / unloading apparatus that enables supply according to the position and enables stacking of empty containers supported by feeding container support means at the unloading position. The container supply / unloading device according to claim 1, wherein the holding means engages and holds at least both sides of the container in the orthogonal direction of conveyance. The holding means of claim 2 includes a pair of holding members supported so as to reciprocate in the transport orthogonal direction by a pair of movable bodies that reciprocate in the transport direction along both sides of the container in the transport orthogonal direction, and the container The product take-out position and the carry-out position are provided so as to be able to reciprocate in the direction orthogonal to the conveyance, respectively, and to the two engaged grooves provided to extend in the conveyance direction to each holding member moved to the respective position. A container supply / unloading device comprising a pair of first and second moving members that are selectively engaged to move each holding member between a holding position and a non-holding position of the container. 5. The container supply / conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the holding member, the first and second moving members, and the guide member are made of a synthetic resin having excellent wear resistance and good sliding properties. The container placed in the supply side container support means that contains a large number of products and stacked on the supply side container support means is moved up and down between the lower position and the product removal position, and the uppermost container moved to the product removal position is held by the holding means. The product can be taken out, and the holding means holding the empty container from which the product has been taken out is moved to the horizontal delivery position, and the holding of the empty container is released on the delivery side container support means to perform multi-stage stacking. In the container supply / unloading device, a pair of movable bodies that are positioned on the container conveyance orthogonal direction side and reciprocate between the product extraction position and the conveyance position, and reciprocating in the container conveyance orthogonal direction with respect to each movable body Shaft members that are pivotally supported, and provided at the end portions of the shaft members, extend at least in the container transport direction and correspond to the holding position and the non-holding position of the container. A pair of holding members having two engaged portions extending in the conveying direction at a certain interval, and an interval width corresponding to the holding position and the non-holding position in the conveyance orthogonal direction at the product removal position and the unloading position. A pair of first and second moving members that are reciprocally movable and selectively engage with the engaged portions of the holding members to move the holding members to the holding position and the non-holding position of the container; It is provided between each of the first and second moving members so as to extend in the conveying direction, and selectively engages with an engaged portion of the holding member to guide the movement of the holding member that reciprocates in the conveying direction. A container supply / unload device comprising a pair of guide members.

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