JP2005187142A - Conveying direction converting apparatus and roller conveying system using it - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a conveying direction converting apparatus that has high conveyance efficiency, is compact, and has a low cost in conveyance using a roller conveyor, and a roller conveying system using the apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: In the conveying direction converting apparatus 14, a pair of first roller unit 18 and second roller unit 20 having a plurality of rollers 16 arranged in substantially parallel are set adjacent to each other so as to form a common conveyance surface. A rotating shaft of a roller 16 forming the first roller unit 18 and a rotating shaft of a roller 16 forming the second roller unit 20 are arranged so as to point to different directions along the conveyance surface. A conveyed article on the conveyance surface is conveyed by a rotation driving force of the roller 16, and the conveying direction can be converted. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a transport direction changing device capable of changing a transport direction in transport using a roller conveyor or the like, and a roller transport system using the transport direction changing device.

  Conventionally, a roller conveyor in which a plurality of rollers are arranged substantially in parallel is used in various fields, and an up-down method and a curve conveyor method are known as means for changing the conveying direction.

  In the up-down method, two roller conveyors with different transport directions are arranged so that the height of the transport surface is crossed, and a lifting unit for raising and lowering the transported object is provided at the crossing point, and transported at this point After stopping an object, a conveyed product is raised or lowered by an elevating unit to change the direction from one roller conveyor to the other roller conveyor (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  Also, with the curve conveyor system, two roller conveyors with different conveying directions are arranged apart from each other so that the height of the conveying surface is equal, and a plurality of rollers are arranged along an arc between the two roller conveyors. A curvilinear conveyor arranged in parallel is arranged, and the conveyance object is transferred from one roller conveyor to the other roller conveyor while being transferred by the curve conveyor (for example, see Patent Document 2).

JP 2001-88936 A JP 2003-72927 A

  However, the up-down type transport method has a problem that the transported object must be temporarily stopped when the transport direction is changed, and transport efficiency is low. Furthermore, there is a problem that an elevator unit having a complicated structure is required and the equipment cost increases.

  On the other hand, in the curve conveyor system, it is not necessary to stop the transported object when changing the transport direction. However, when a relatively large transported object such as a long object is transported, a large circle is used to move it in an arc. There is a problem that an arc-shaped curved conveyor is required, and the equipment space in the direction change area becomes large. In addition, in order to prevent the conveyed product from falling off the curved conveyor, an arc guide may be provided. However, in this case, since the conveyed product comes into contact with the guide, the side surface of the conveyed product is likely to be worn away. There is.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide a compact and low-cost transport direction changing device having a high transport efficiency and a roller transport system using the same.

  In the present invention, a pair of roller units each having a plurality of rollers arranged substantially in parallel are adjacent to each other so as to form a common transport surface, and the rotation shaft of the roller constituting one roller unit and the other And a rotating shaft of a roller constituting the roller unit are arranged so as to be directed in different directions along the transport surface, and transports a transported object on the transport surface by the rotational driving force of the roller, and transports The above-mentioned problem is solved by a transport direction changing device characterized in that the direction can be changed.

  Note that the pair of roller units may have a mirror-symmetrical configuration with respect to the boundary surface between the pair of roller units when viewed from the normal direction of the transport surface.

  In addition, the roller unit has a substantially square shape when viewed from the normal direction of the transport surface, and has a plurality of types of rollers having different rotation lengths and substantially parallel to the rotation axis. May be disposed up to the vicinity of the peripheral edge so as to be inclined with respect to the peripheral edge of the square.

  In this case, the roller unit may be substantially square when viewed from the normal direction of the transport surface, and the roller may be disposed so that the axial direction thereof is substantially parallel to the diagonal of the square.

  In addition, it is preferable to provide a control means capable of individually controlling at least one of the rotation speed and the rotation direction of the roller for each roller unit.

  Further, a guide that is capable of approaching and separating from the upper surfaces of the pair of roller units and capable of guiding a conveyed product in a direction substantially parallel to a boundary surface between the pair of roller units in the approached state, May be provided on both sides.

  Moreover, this invention solves the said subject with the roller conveyance system with which the several roller conveyor was connected via the conveyance direction conversion apparatus in any one of the above.

  In this case, for example, four roller conveyors may be connected in a cross shape via the transport direction changing device.

  Since the present invention is configured as described above, a compact and low-cost transport direction changing device can be realized.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the roller conveyance system 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, four roller conveyors 12 </ b> A, 12 </ b> B, 12 </ b> C, and 12 </ b> D are connected in a cross shape via a conveyance direction changing device 14. The transport direction changing device 14 has a characteristic. Since other configurations are the same as those of the conventional roller conveyance system, description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

  As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 2, the transport direction changing device 14 includes a pair of first roller unit 18 and second roller unit 20 in which a plurality of rollers 16 are arranged in parallel (see FIG. 2). 2 and a second roller unit 20 that are adjacent to each other so as to form a common conveying surface (parallel to the paper surface of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) and the rotation shaft of the roller 16 that constitutes the first roller unit 18. The rotation axis of the roller 16 is arranged so as to be directed in different directions along the conveyance surface, and the conveyance object on the conveyance surface can be conveyed by the rotational driving force of the roller 16 and the conveyance direction can be changed. It is characterized by that.

  The first roller unit 18 and the second roller unit 20 are viewed from the normal direction of the conveying surface with respect to the boundary surface 22 between them (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIGS. 1 and 2). It has a mirror-symmetric configuration.

  The first roller unit 18 and the second roller unit 20 have a substantially square shape when viewed from the normal direction of the conveying surface, and the roller 16 is disposed so that the rotation axis thereof is substantially parallel to the diagonal line of the square. ing. The rollers 16 are composed of a plurality of types whose rotation axes are parallel and have different lengths, and these rollers 16 are arranged up to the vicinity of the periphery so that the axial direction is an angle of about 45 ° with respect to the periphery of the square. Has been. The first roller unit 18 and the second roller unit 20 include a driving device (not shown) for driving the roller 16 to rotate. As the drive source, for example, an AC motor or the like can be used.

  Further, as schematically shown in FIG. 1, the transport direction changing device 14 can individually control the rotation speed and the rotation direction of the roller 16 for each of the first roller unit 18 and the second roller unit 20. The control means 24 is provided. Specifically, the control unit 24 includes a computer 24A, a rotation detector 24B, and an inverter 24C, and controls the rotation of the roller 16 by feedback control while detecting the rotation speed and the rotation direction. Is configured to do.

  Each of the roller conveyors 12A, 12B, 12C, and 12D includes a plurality of rollers 26 having equal lengths arranged in parallel along the conveyance surface and a driving device (not shown) for driving the rollers 26. The upper conveyed product is configured to be conveyed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axial direction of the roller 26 by the rotational driving force of the roller 26.

  These roller conveyors 12 </ b> A, 12 </ b> B, 12 </ b> C, 12 </ b> D are connected adjacent to the transport direction converting device 14 so that the transport direction converting device 14 and the transport surface have the same height.

  Specifically, the roller conveyors 12 </ b> A and 12 </ b> B are linearly arranged with the conveyance direction conversion device 14 interposed therebetween so that the center in the width direction coincides with the boundary surface 22. On the other hand, the roller conveyors 12C and 12D are linearly arranged so as to sandwich the conveyance direction conversion device 14 from a direction substantially perpendicular to the roller conveyors 12A and 12B.

  The control means 24 is also connected to the roller conveyors 12A, 12B, 12C, and 12D so that the rotational speed and direction of the rollers 26 can be individually controlled for each of the roller conveyors 12A, 12B, 12C, and 12D. It is configured.

  Next, the operation of the roller conveyance system 10 will be described.

  First, the merging action will be described. Here, an example will be described in which the conveyance objects 28 on the roller conveyors 12B, 12C, and 12D are merged by the conveyance direction conversion device 14 and transferred to the roller conveyor 12A. In this case, the control means 24 is used to transport the transported object in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. The roller 26 is driven so that 12D conveys the conveyed product in the direction of the conveyance direction changing device 14. Further, the first roller unit 18 and the second roller unit 20 both drive the roller 16 so as to convey the conveyed product in the direction of the roller conveyor 12A.

  When the conveyed product 28 on the roller conveyor 12 </ b> B is transferred onto the conveying direction conversion device 14, the first roller unit 18 and the second roller unit 20 are moved by the first roller unit 18 and the second roller unit 20. The roller is conveyed to the roller conveyor 12A side toward the boundary surface 22 side, and is transferred onto the roller conveyor 12A.

  Further, when the conveyed product 28 on the roller conveyor 12C is transferred onto the conveying direction changing device 14, it is conveyed to the roller conveyor 12A side by the first roller unit 18 and transferred onto the roller conveyor 12A. The conveyed product on the first roller unit 18 is also directed toward the boundary surface 22, but when it is conveyed to the boundary surface 22, it is biased toward the first roller unit 18 by the second roller unit 20. Therefore, it is transported to the roller conveyor 12A side along the boundary surface 22, and transferred onto the roller conveyor 12A. Similarly, the conveyed product 28 placed on the roller conveyor 12D is also transferred onto the roller conveyor 12A.

  In other words, the conveyed products 28 on the roller conveyors 12B, 12C, and 12D are all merged by the conveyance direction changing device 14 and reliably transferred onto the roller conveyor 12A.

  Next, the distribution action of the roller conveyance system 10 will be described. Here, an example will be described in which the conveyed product 28 on the roller conveyor 12A is distributed by the conveyance direction conversion device 14 and transferred to the roller conveyors 12C and 12D. When transferring to the roller conveyor 12C, the control means 24 is used to move the conveyed product 28 in the direction as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 4A, that is, the roller conveyor 12A is in the direction of the conveyance direction changing device 14. The rollers 26 are driven so that the roller conveyor 12 </ b> C conveys the conveyed product 28 in a direction away from the conveyance direction conversion device 14. The roller conveyors 12B and 12D may be in a stopped state or in a rotating state. Further, the first roller unit 18 conveys the conveyed product 28 in the direction of the roller conveyor 12C, and the second roller unit 20 drives the roller 16 so as to convey the conveyed product 28 in the direction of the roller conveyor 12A.

  When the conveyed product 28 on the roller conveyor 12A is transferred onto the first roller unit 18 of the conveying direction converting device 14, it is conveyed as it is in the direction of the roller conveyor 12C and transferred onto the roller conveyor 12C. On the other hand, when the conveyed product 28 is transferred onto the second roller unit 20, the conveyed product 28 is conveyed in the direction of the boundary surface 22 along the boundary between the roller conveyor 12A and the second roller unit 20, and the first Are transferred in the direction of the roller conveyor 12C by the first roller unit 18, and transferred onto the roller conveyor 12C.

  Further, when transferring to the roller conveyor 12D, the control means 24 is used to transfer the object 28 in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. The roller conveyor 12D drives the rollers 26 so as to convey the conveyed product 28 in a direction away from the conveyance direction conversion device 14. The roller conveyors 12B and 12C may be in a stopped state or in a rotating state. Further, the second roller unit 20 controls the rotation direction so that the conveyed product 28 is conveyed in the direction of the roller conveyor 12D, and the first roller unit 18 conveys the conveyed product 28 in the direction of the roller conveyor 12A. The roller 16 is driven. As a result, similarly to the above, the conveyed product 28 is reliably transferred onto the roller conveyor 12D even if it is transferred from the roller conveyor 12A onto either the first roller unit 18 or the second roller unit 20. .

  In other words, by appropriately controlling the rotation direction of the roller 16 for each of the first roller unit 18 and the second roller unit 20, the conveyed product 28 on the roller conveyor 12A is selectively distributed to the roller conveyors 12C and 12D. It can be transferred selectively.

  Next, the alignment operation of the roller conveyance system 10 will be described. Here, an example will be described in which the conveyed product 28 on the roller conveyor 12B is aligned on the conveyance direction conversion device 14 and transferred onto the roller conveyor 12A. In this case, using the control means 24, the roller conveyor 12A transports the transported object in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5, that is, the direction away from the transport direction changing device 14, and the roller conveyor 12B transports. The roller 26 is driven so that the conveyed product 28 is conveyed in the direction of the direction changing device 14. The roller conveyors 12C and 12D may be in a stopped state or in a rotating state. Further, the first roller unit 18 and the second roller unit 20 both drive the roller 16 so as to convey the conveyed product 28 in the direction of the roller conveyor 12A.

  When the conveyed product 28 is placed at a position deviated from the center line CL passing through the center in the width direction on the roller conveyor 12B, the conveyed product 28 is converted into the first roller unit 18 and the second roller unit 18 of the conveying direction changing device 14. Although it is transferred onto one of the roller units 20, it is conveyed in the direction of the roller conveyor 12A while facing the direction of the boundary surface 22. When the conveyed product 28 approaches the boundary surface 22, it is conveyed to the roller conveyor 12A side along the boundary surface 22 by the rotational driving force of both the first roller unit 18 and the second roller unit 20, and the center of the roller conveyor 12A. Transferred to a position near the line CL.

  Even when the conveyed product 28 is placed in the vicinity of the center line CL on the roller conveyor 12B, the conveyed product 28 is placed on the first roller unit 18 and the second roller unit 20 of the conveying direction changing device 14. Simultaneously transferred to the roller conveyor 12A side along the boundary surface 22 by the rotational driving force of the first roller unit 18 and the second roller unit 20, and transferred to a position near the center line CL of the roller conveyor 12A. Is done.

  That is, the conveyed product 28 is aligned by the conveyance direction changing device 14 and reliably transferred to a position near the center line CL of the roller conveyor 12A regardless of the position on the roller conveyor 12B.

  As described above, the conveyance direction conversion device 14 can join, distribute, and align the conveyance objects by appropriately controlling the rotation of the roller 16 and can be used for various applications.

  In addition, it is possible to continuously merge, distribute, and align the conveyed products without stopping the conveyed items, and the conveyance efficiency is good.

  Further, the transport direction changing device 14 has a simple structure in which a first roller unit 18 and a second roller unit 20 configured by a plurality of rollers 16 and the like are combined, and is compact and low cost.

  Further, in the transport direction changing device 14, the first roller unit 18 and the second roller unit 20 are mirror-symmetrical with respect to the boundary surface 22, and a roller unit having a common configuration may be disposed adjacently. Therefore, also in this respect, the structure is simple and the cost is low. Furthermore, since the first roller unit 18 and the second roller unit 20 are mirror-symmetric with respect to the boundary surface 22, the rotation of the roller 16 can be easily controlled. For example, if the rotational speeds of both rollers 16 are equal in the alignment operation, the conveyed product 28 can be reliably conveyed along the boundary surface 22.

  Moreover, since the 1st roller unit 18 and the 2nd roller unit 20 are square in the conveyance direction conversion apparatus 14, the roller conveyance system of various aspects can be constructed | assembled easily. Furthermore, since the roller 16 is disposed up to the vicinity of the square periphery, the conveyed product can be smoothly transferred to and from the connected roller conveyor.

  In the example of the present embodiment, the roller transport system 10 is configured such that four roller conveyors 12A, 12B, 12C, and 12D are connected in a cross shape via the transport direction changing device 14. This invention is not limited to this, You may abbreviate | omit one or two roller conveyors among four roller conveyors according to a use. For example, when the distribution action is used, the roller conveyor 12B may be omitted. Further, when the alignment action is used, the roller conveyors 12B and 12C may be omitted. Also, when the merging action is used, any one of the roller conveyors 12B, 12C, and 12D is omitted, and the conveyance direction changing device 14 is used to merge the conveyance objects on the two roller conveyors. May be used.

  Further, the transport direction changing device 14 can be used for converting the transport direction between the roller conveyor and other transport means such as a belt conveyor, and the transport direction between the other transport means such as the belt conveyor. It is also possible to use this for conversion.

  In the example of the present embodiment, the control means 24 includes a computer 24A, a rotation detector 24B, and an inverter 24C, and performs feedback control while detecting the rotation speed and rotation direction of the roller 16. However, the configuration of the control means is not particularly limited as long as the rotation direction and rotation speed of the roller can be controlled. For example, the rotation direction and rotation speed of the roller may be controlled by open control. Alternatively, the rotational direction and rotational speed of the roller may be controlled using a mechanical transmission or the like. In this case, for example, a DC motor or the like may be used as a drive source.

  In the example of the present embodiment, the first roller unit 18 and the second roller unit 20 are substantially square, and the roller 16 is disposed so that the axial direction is substantially parallel to the diagonal line. The present invention is not limited to this. For example, depending on the width of the roller conveyor to be connected, etc., for example, the rollers may be such that the axial direction is inclined with respect to both the substantially square periphery and the diagonal line. It is good also as a structure which arranged.

  Further, like the roller conveyance system 30 according to the second example of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 6, the first roller unit 34, the first roller unit 34, the second You may comprise so that the two roller units 36 may become a substantially rectangular shape of a half of a square.

  By configuring in this way, when connecting roller conveyors or the like having the same width, the transport system can be made more compact, and the effect of preventing transported articles from falling off the transport surface can be enhanced. .

  Further, other rectangular or trapezoidal roller units may be used according to the width of the roller conveyor to be connected, and for example, a polygonal roller unit other than a square such as a triangle or pentagon may be used.

  In the example of the present embodiment, the transport direction changing device 14 is configured by combining the first roller unit 18 and the second roller unit 20 that are symmetrical with respect to the boundary surface 22. This invention is not limited to this, It is good also as a structure which combined the roller unit of an asymmetrical shape with respect to a boundary surface according to the width | variety etc. of the roller conveyor connected.

  Next, a third example of the embodiment of the invention will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the roller transport system 40 according to the third example of the present embodiment is in a direction substantially parallel to the boundary surface 22 of the first roller unit 18 and the second roller unit 20. A pair of guides 42 </ b> A and 42 </ b> B for guiding a conveyed product are provided on both sides of the boundary surface 22. Since other configurations are the same as those of the roller conveyance system 10 according to the first example of the embodiment, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS.

  The guides 42A and 42B are substantially rod-like bodies arranged along the upper surfaces of the first roller unit 18 and the second roller unit 20 and substantially parallel to the boundary surface 22, and are moved up and down by a driving device (not shown). It is supposed to be movable.

  The roller transport system 40 can realize various transport modes by using the guides 42A and 42B in addition to the transport mode of the roller transport system 10. As an example, first, the distribution operation of the roller conveyance system 40 will be described. Here, an example will be described in which the conveyed product 28 on the roller conveyor 12A is distributed by the conveyance direction conversion device 14 and transferred to the roller conveyors 12B, 12C, and 12D.

  When transferring to the roller conveyor 12 </ b> B, the pair of guides 42 </ b> A and 42 </ b> B is lowered to the vicinity of the upper surfaces of the first roller unit 18 and the second roller unit 20.

  Further, using the control means 24, the roller conveyor 12A conveys the conveyed product 28 in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 7, that is, in the direction of the conveyance direction changing device 14, and the roller conveyor 12B changes the conveyance direction. The roller 26 is driven so that the conveyed product 28 is conveyed in a direction away from the apparatus 14. The first roller unit 18 drives the rollers 16 so that the conveyed product 28 is conveyed in the direction of the roller conveyor 12C, and the second roller unit 20 conveys the conveyed product 28 in the direction of the roller conveyor 12D.

  The transported material 28 on the roller conveyor 12A is transported in the direction of the roller conveyor 12C when transferred onto the first roller unit 18, but when it comes into contact with the guide 42A, it is guided by the guide 42A and guided to the roller conveyor. It is conveyed in the direction of 12B and transferred onto the roller conveyor 12B. In addition, even when the conveyed product 28 is transferred onto the second roller unit 20, it is conveyed in the direction of the roller conveyor 12D, but when it comes into contact with the guide 42B, it is guided by the guide 42B to the direction of the roller conveyor 12B. And transferred onto the roller conveyor 12B.

  When transferring to the roller conveyors 12C and 12D, the guides 42A and 42B are raised so that the pair of guides 42A and 42B do not interfere with the conveyed product 28. In this state, the roller 26 is driven in a direction as indicated by an arrow in FIGS. 4A and 4B, so that the conveyed object is similar to the roller conveying system 10 according to the first example of the embodiment. 28 can be selectively transferred onto the roller conveyors 12C and 12D. That is, the roller conveyance system 40 can distribute in three directions.

  Next, the classification operation of the roller conveyance system 40 will be described. Here, an example will be described in which the conveyed product 28 on the roller conveyor 12A is classified by the conveyance direction conversion device 14 and transferred to the roller conveyor 12B.

  The pair of guides 42 </ b> A and 42 </ b> B is lowered to the vicinity of the upper surfaces of the first roller unit 18 and the second roller unit 20.

  In this state, the roller conveyor 12A conveys the conveyed product 28 in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 9A, that is, the direction of the conveyance direction changing device 14, and the roller conveyor 12B is conveyed by the conveyance direction changing device 14. The roller 26 is driven so as to convey the conveyed product 28 in a direction away from the roller.

  First, when the first roller unit 18 drives the conveyed product 28 in the direction of the roller conveyor 12C and the second roller unit 20 drives the roller 16 so as to convey the conveyed product 28 in the direction of the roller conveyor 12A, The transported material 28 on the roller conveyor 12A is transported in the direction of the roller conveyor 12C when transferred onto the first roller unit 18, but when it comes into contact with the guide 42A, it is guided by the guide 42A and guided to the roller conveyor. 12B, and transferred to a position closer to the first roller unit 18 than the center line CL on the roller conveyor 12B. Also, when the conveyed product 28 is transferred onto the second roller unit 20, the conveyed product 28 is conveyed in the direction of the boundary surface 22 along the boundary between the roller conveyor 12 </ b> A and the second roller unit 20. When it is transferred onto one roller unit 18 and abuts against the guide 42A, it is guided by the guide 42A and conveyed in the direction of the roller conveyor 12B, and is closer to the first roller unit 18 than the center line CL on the roller conveyor 12B. It is transferred to the position.

  On the other hand, the first roller unit 18 conveys the conveyed product 28 in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 9B, that is, in the direction of the roller conveyor 12A, and the second roller unit 20 moves on the roller conveyor 12D. When the roller 16 is driven so as to convey the conveyed product 28 in the direction, the conveyed product 28 transferred from the roller conveyor 12A onto the second roller unit 20 is conveyed in the direction of the roller conveyor 12D. When it comes into contact with 42B, it is guided by the guide 42B, conveyed in the direction of the roller conveyor 12B, and transferred to a position closer to the second roller unit 20 than the center line CL on the roller conveyor 12B. In addition, even when the conveyed product 28 is transferred onto the first roller unit 18, the conveyed product 28 is conveyed in the direction of the boundary surface 22 along the boundary between the roller conveyor 12 </ b> A and the first roller unit 18, and is transferred to the first roller unit 18. Is transferred onto the second roller unit 20 and brought into contact with the guide 42B, is guided by the guide 42B and conveyed in the direction of the roller conveyor 12B. It is transferred to the position.

  That is, by appropriately controlling the rotation directions of the rollers 16 of the first roller unit 18 and the second roller unit 20, the conveyed product 28 can be selectively sorted and transferred to different positions on the roller conveyor 12B. it can.

  Thereby, for example, a sensor or the like for determining the quality of the conveyed product 28 is installed on the roller conveyor 12A, and the rotation of the rollers 16 of the first roller unit 18 and the second roller unit 20 based on the determination result. By appropriately controlling the direction, the conveyed product 28 can be classified into a non-defective product and a defective product and transferred to different positions on the roller conveyor 12B.

  In the third example of the present embodiment, the guides 42A and 42B are substantially rod-shaped bodies, but the structure of the guide is not particularly limited as long as the conveyed product can be guided in a direction substantially parallel to the boundary surface.

  The present invention can be used in various transport systems using a roller conveyor.

The top view including a partial block diagram which shows typically the structure of the roller conveyance system concerning the 1st example of an embodiment of the invention The top view which expands and shows the conveyance direction conversion apparatus of the roller conveyance system Plan view schematically showing the merging action of the roller transport system Top view schematically showing the distribution action of the roller transport system Plan view schematically showing the alignment operation of the roller transport system The top view which shows typically the structure of the roller conveyance system concerning the 2nd example of embodiment of this invention The top view which shows typically the structure of the roller conveyance system concerning the 3rd example of embodiment of this invention Side view Plan view schematically showing the classification action of the roller transport system

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10, 30, 40 ... Roller conveyance system 12A, 12B, 12C, 12D ... Roller conveyor 14, 32 ... Conveyance direction conversion device 16, 26 ... Roller 18, 34 ... First roller unit 20, 36 ... Second roller unit 22 ... Boundary surface 24 ... Control means 28 ... Conveyed material 42A, 42B ... Guide

Claims (8)

  A pair of roller units in which a plurality of rollers are arranged substantially in parallel are adjacent to each other so as to form a common conveyance surface, and the rotation shaft of the roller constituting one roller unit and the other roller unit are provided. The rotating shaft of the constituting roller is arranged so as to be directed in different directions along the conveying surface, and the conveying object on the conveying surface can be conveyed and the conveying direction can be changed by the rotational driving force of the roller. A transfer direction changing device characterized by the above. In claim 1,
The transport direction changing device according to claim 1, wherein the pair of roller units is configured to be mirror-symmetric with respect to a boundary surface between the pair of roller units when viewed from a normal direction of the transport surface. In claim 1 or 2,
The roller unit has a substantially square shape when viewed from the normal direction of the transport surface, and has a plurality of types of rollers having different rotation lengths and substantially parallel to the rotation axis. A transport direction changing device, wherein the transport direction changing device is disposed up to the vicinity of the periphery so as to be inclined with respect to the periphery of the square. In claim 3,
The roller unit has a substantially square shape when viewed from the normal direction of the conveying surface, and the roller is disposed so that its axial direction is substantially parallel to the diagonal of the square. apparatus. In any one of Claims 1 thru | or 4,
A transport direction changing device comprising a control unit capable of individually controlling at least one of a rotation speed and a rotation direction of the roller for each roller unit. In claim 1,
Guides capable of approaching and separating from the upper surfaces of the pair of roller units and capable of guiding a conveyed product in a direction substantially parallel to a boundary surface between the pair of roller units in an approaching state are provided on both sides of the boundary surface. A transport direction changing device characterized in that it is provided.   A roller conveyance system, wherein a plurality of roller conveyors are connected via the conveyance direction conversion device according to claim 1. In claim 7,
A roller transport system, wherein four roller conveyors are connected in a cross shape through the transport direction changing device.

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