JP2006168786A - Gripping mechanism for transferring spherical agricultural product - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To gently discharge a spherical agricultural product carried to a predetermined position in a predetermined posture, in a gripping mechanism transferring the spherical agricultural product structured to cause a plurality of downward extending fingers to move to open/close inwardly and outwardly, having a finger body made of an elastic resin material bendably provided on each finger, and equipped with a push-out tool rising/lowering at the center of the fingers. <P>SOLUTION: In a step of discharging the spherical agricultural product pinched by the fingers, the push-out tool at an upper waiting position is advanced downward to push out while the product is elastically and weakly pinched with the finger body deformed to stretch outwardly. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention mainly relates to a gripping mechanism used for a transfer device that transports a spherical farm product with a head such as lettuce or cabbage.

As the gripping mechanism, there is one used for a transfer device that supplies lettuce that has been placed and conveyed by a conveyor to an input port of a packaging device body. A plurality of fingers extended to the inside and outside can be operated to be opened and closed, and each finger is composed of a rubber finger body that is hollow and configured to be able to bend inside and outside. There is known a configuration in which an opening / closing operation is provided at the center of a finger group (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2000-95218 A

  The gripping mechanism is provided with a rubber finger body that can be bent and opened on the finger, so that it can be gripped softly and reliably without damaging the lettuce so as to be gripped by hand from above. However, when discharging the lettuce transported to a predetermined position, the lettuce may drop as soon as the finger is released, and the posture of the dropped lettuce may change on the receiving part. There was a risk that the leaves would break.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to such points, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to gently discharge a spherical crop conveyed to a predetermined position in a predetermined posture.

In the first invention, a plurality of fingers extended downward are configured to be opened and closed and moved to the inside and outside, and each finger is equipped with a finger body made of an elastic resin material so that it can be bent and operated. A gripping mechanism for transferring spherical crops, which is equipped with a pusher that can be moved up and down,
In the step of discharging the spherical crops gripped by the fingers, the pushing operation is performed by moving the pusher in the upper standby position downward while the finger body is extended and deformed outwardly and the spherical crops are elastically held between the fingers. It is comprised so that it may be made.

  According to the said structure, it can open and close largely by moving the whole finger | toe in and out, and can be made to respond | correspond to the magnitude | size of the spherical crop of the holding | grip object. In addition, the finger body is bent and deformed inward so that it can be gripped gently without giving a strong clamping action by gripping the spherical crops from below.

  When discharging the spherical crop that has been gripped and transported to a predetermined position, first, the bent finger body is extended and deformed outward to make the spherical crop elastically weakly clamped, and in this state The push-out tool at the standby position is moved downward and pushed out. As a result, the spherical crop is pushed down and discharged so as to slip through each finger body. In this way, the spherical crop that is pushed out and discharged while being pinched weakly is gently supplied to the receiving part below, and there is little possibility that the posture changes greatly due to the drop reaction or the leaf breaks due to the drop impact.

  Therefore, according to the first invention, the spherical crop conveyed to a predetermined position can be discharged gently in a predetermined posture, and can be effectively used particularly for transferring a spherical crop of leaf material such as lettuce and cabbage. .

According to a second invention, in the first invention,
The finger is formed by extending the finger main body downward from a lower end portion of a finger arm that can swing and open about an upper fulcrum, and a lower free end portion of the finger main body is configured as a finger drive link. Thus, it is configured to drive and displace inward and outward.

  According to the above configuration, the finger main body made of an elastic resin material is bent by the finger drive link, so that it is superior in durability and easy to maintain compared to the air drive system.

According to a third invention, in the second invention,
The finger arms of the plurality of fingers are oscillated and biased inward, and a cam plate is provided for receiving and supporting each finger arm from the inside. The pusher is attached to the lower end of the operation rod that is raised and lowered, and the cam plate is rotatably fitted and supported on a boss member that supports the operation rod. It is.

  According to the above configuration, the finger gripping action due to the inward movement of the finger arm becomes elastic, and it is possible to easily grip even spherical crops of different sizes. In addition, since the cam plate for driving the finger arm and the operating rod are supported by the common boss member, it is effective for saving the number of parts and simplifying the structure by sharing the parts.

A fourth invention is the invention according to any one of the first to third inventions,
It is equipped with a transfer device that supplies spherical crops that have been placed and conveyed on a conveyor to the input port of the packaging device body.

  According to the above configuration, the spherical crop that has been gripped and conveyed is pushed and supplied to the charging port reliably and gently in a stable posture, which is effective for good packaging.

  FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 respectively show the front and the plane of a lettuce wrapping apparatus that is an example of a spherical agricultural product wrapping apparatus according to the present invention. This packaging apparatus is basically composed of a packaging apparatus main body 1, a lettuce carry-in conveyor 2, and a transfer apparatus 3. The structure and function of each part will be described below.

  The packaging apparatus main body 1 is configured in a box shape, and a packaging table 5 and an upper cover 6 covering the packaging table 5 from above are arranged on the upper part, and the center of the packaging table 5 is somewhat larger than lettuce (spherical crop) w. The eye opening 7 is formed, and a large opening 8 facing the opening 7 is formed in the upper cover 6. A loading unit 9 for the sheet roll SR is disposed above one end of the packaging apparatus main body 1, and the packaging sheet s fed out from the sheet roll SR is dimensionally cut and supplied onto the packaging table 5. It has become. Then, by letting the lettuce w from the top of the packaging sheet s into the inlet 7 and supplying it, the lettuce w is wrapped around the packaging sheet s below the packaging table 5 and the location of the packaging sheet s is narrowed down. It is comprised so that the lettuce w sealed by heat sealing | fusion and packaged may be sent out from the discharge port 10, and the schematic procedure of packaging operation | movement is shown by FIG.

  That is, first, as shown in FIG. 13 (a), in a state where the packaging sheet s is supplied and loaded on the upper surface of the packaging table 5, lettuce w with the cut end facing upward is pushed into the insertion port 7, and It supplies on the holding stand 11 which is waiting below.

  When it is detected by the optical sensor or the like that the lettuce w has been pushed in and supplied, as shown in FIG. 13 (b), the holding table 11 is lowered and the pair of holding arms 12 are moved closer together. Then, the packaging sheet s that is squeezed by the lip of the insertion port 7 is further narrowed down in close contact with the lettuce w.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 13C, the pair of sandwiching plates 13 are moved closer to each other to further narrow down the narrowing portion of the packaging sheet s from the front and rear and from the left and right.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 13 (d), the pair of heaters 14 are moved closer to each other, and the portion squeezed by the sandwiching plate 32 is heat-sealed and sealed, and the surplus above the sealing portion. The sheet portion s ′ is melt-cut.

  When the sealing is completed, as shown in FIG. 13 (e), the holding arm 12 is opened and the holding table 11 is turned sideways to feed the packaged lettuce w 'to the discharge chute 15.

  The lettuce automatic supply to the packaging apparatus main body 1 performing the packaging operation as described above is performed by the conveyor 2 and the transfer apparatus 3.

  The conveyor 2 is disposed above the packaging device main body 1 at the end opposite to the sheet roll loading unit 9 in the packaging device main body 1 and is driven and rotated around the vertical axis by a motor 20. The transport chain 23 is wound around the drive sprocket 21 having the same diameter and the idle sprocket 22 having the same diameter, and a plurality of receiving portions 24 are attached to the transport chain 23 with a predetermined pitch in the chain rotation direction. In addition, the conveyor chain 23 is configured to be guided by a guide rail (not shown) in the linear movement path, and the receiving portion 24 is planarly formed in an elliptical conveyance path above the packaging apparatus body 1. Circulating and rotating. The receiving portion 24 is configured by radially arranging four receiving pieces 24a that can be elastically deformed, and can be stably placed without damaging the lettuce w.

  The transfer device 3 includes a gripping mechanism 30 that grips the lettuce w, a lifting mechanism 31 that lifts and lowers the gripping mechanism 30 while maintaining a fixed posture, and a lateral movement mechanism 32 that moves the lifting mechanism 31 laterally. The detailed configuration of each part will be described below.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a support frame 34 having a wide vertical width is installed on the upper part of the packaging apparatus main body 1 via left and right support columns 33, and is placed horizontally on the front surface of the support frame 34. A movable base 36 having the lifting mechanism 31 mounted on a fixed guide rail 35 is supported so as to be horizontally and laterally movable. As shown in FIG. 10, guide rollers 37 that roll on the front surface of the support frame 34 are provided above and below the movable table 36 to prevent the movable table 36 from falling forward and backward.

  The elevating mechanism 31 is configured as a parallel quadruple link mechanism comprising an upper and lower elevating link 38 having a base end pivotally connected to a movable base 36 and a front end bracket 39 pivotally connected to the free end thereof. The tip bracket 39 is equipped with a gripping mechanism 30.

  A driving arm 40 constituting the lateral movement mechanism 32 is provided on the front surface of the support frame 34, and a free end of the driving arm 40 is pivotally connected to a lower portion of the elevating link 38. According to this configuration, when the drive arm 40 is largely reversed to the left and right, the elevating link 38 is vertically swung and the entire elevating mechanism 31 is pushed and moved together with the movable base 36 to the left and right of the drive arm 40. At the rotation end, the gripping mechanism 30 is positioned immediately above the take-out position A on the conveyor 2 and the insertion port 7 on the packaging apparatus body 1. The drive arm 40 is fixed to a large-diameter sprocket 41 and rotated integrally therewith, and the large-diameter sprocket 41 is wound around a small-diameter sprocket 42 that is driven forward and backward by a motor M1 from the back of the frame via a chain 43. It is linked to hanging.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 9, the gripping mechanism 30 provided on the tip bracket 39 in the lifting mechanism 31 is provided with four fingers 45 that can be opened and closed. The fingers 45 are respectively provided on the upper portion of the substrate 46 fixed in a horizontal posture on the front surface of the tip bracket 39, and are respectively supported by a finger arm 47 pivoted in and out around a fulcrum a and a lower portion of the finger arm 47. It is comprised from the strip-shaped finger main body 48 which consists of elastic resin materials, such as the attached rubber material.

  A spring 49 is stretched between each finger arm 47 and the substrate 46, and each finger arm 47 is urged to swing inward, that is, in a lettuce gripping direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, a boss member 50 is vertically provided on the substrate 46 so as to be positioned at the center of the finger group, and a cam plate 51 is fitted on the outer periphery of the lower portion of the boss member 50 so as to be horizontally rotatable. Has been. The cam plate 51 is opposed to a roller 52 provided inside each finger arm 47, and each finger arm 47 that is urged to swing inward is received and supported on the outer periphery of the cam plate 51 via the roller 52. It has come to be.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the cam plate 51 is connected to two operation wires 53 and 54 operated by a motor M2, and the two operation wires 53 and 54 are turned upside down by the forward and reverse rotation of the motor M2. As a result of the pulling operation and the loosening operation, the cam plate 51 is driven to rotate in the forward and reverse directions, and all the finger arms 47 are simultaneously forcibly opened outwardly and oscillated and biased inward according to the cam shape on the outer periphery of the cam plate. It comes to move.

  Only the upper end of the finger main body 48 is screwed to the finger arm 47, and the finger main body 48 is switched between an open posture along the finger arm 47 and a grip posture bent and deformed inward. Is possible. Further, a sponge material 55 having an appropriate elasticity is attached to the inward surface of the finger body 48 so that the lettuce w can be gripped without being damaged.

  In addition, a finger drive link 56 for bending the finger main body 48 inward and outward is provided on the outer side of the finger arm 47. The upper end of the finger drive link 56 is pivotally connected to the free end of the operation arm 57 pivotally supported by the upper fulcrum a of the finger arm 47, and the lower end of the finger drive link 56 is the outer surface of the lower end of the finger body 48. Further, a pin 59 provided in the middle in the longitudinal direction of the finger drive link 56 is engaged with an inclined long hole 60 formed in the finger arm 47, and the operation arm 57 is When the finger drive link 56 is moved up and down by swinging operation, the lower end of the finger drive link 56 is displaced inward and outward by the guide action of the pin 59 and the inclined elongated hole 60, and the finger body 48 is bent inward and outward. It has come to be.

  A slide boss 61 is externally fitted to the boss member 50 provided on the substrate 46 so as to be movable up and down. An operation protrusion 62 projecting radially from the slide boss 61 and an extended end of the operation arm 57 are provided. Are engaged with each other through the long hole 63 and the pin 64. Further, a bracket 66 is horizontally fixed above the substrate 46 via a pair of standing stays 65, and a pair of drive arms 67 pivotally supported around the fulcrum b by the bracket 66 are provided. The slide bosses 61 are respectively engaged with rollers 68 that are pivotally mounted on the outer peripheral diagonal position of the slide boss 61. The stay 65 passes through a pair of guide pieces 61a protruding from the slide boss 61, and the rotation of the slide boss 61 around the longitudinal axis is prevented.

  The drive arm 67 is connected to two operation wires 69 and 70 operated by a motor M3, and the motor M3 is rotated forward and backward so that the operation wires 69 and 70 are reversely pulled and relaxed. As a result, the drive arm 67 is rotated in the forward and reverse directions and the entire operation arm 57 is swung, so that the finger bodies 48 of all the fingers 45 are simultaneously bent inward and outward as described above.

  An operating rod 71 is inserted into and supported by the boss member 50 erected on the substrate 46, and a pusher 72 is provided at the lower end of the operating rod 71. Further, the upper portion of the operating rod 71 is guided and supported by a support frame 73 erected from the bracket 66 so as to move up and down, and the operating rod 71 is slid upwardly by a compression coil spring 74 that is externally fitted, and in a normal state. The pusher 72 is held at the upper standby position between the fingers. A passive arm 75 projects from the upper end of the operating rod 71 in a cantilevered manner.

  The support frame 34 is equipped with a drive arm 76 that is rotated by a motor M4. The passive arm 75 is located in the movement locus of a pin 77 provided at the tip of the drive arm 76, and the drive arm The operating rod 71 is pushed down against the compression coil spring 74 by rotating and pressing the passive arm 75 downward.

  The present invention is configured as described above. Next, the lettuce w automatic supply operation will be described.

  An operator stands and puts the lettuce w on the receiving portion 24 that rotates in a circulating pitch while standing at a suitable position around the conveyor 2 with the cut end facing upward, so that the lettuce w is directed toward the take-out position A by the transfer device 3. Will be transported. Here, as shown in FIG. 12, a towel roller 78 is disposed above the vicinity in front of the take-out position A at a height that interferes with the moving path of the lettuce w so as to be retractable upward. While w pushes up the towel roller 78 and passes through, the juice exuding at the cut end is absorbed and removed by the towel roller 78.

  When the transported lettuce w arrives at the take-out position A, this is detected by presence / absence detecting means such as an optical sensor or a contact sensor, and the conveyor 2 is stopped based on this detection, and the gripping mechanism of the transfer device 3 is also detected. 30 is lowered in a state where the finger 45 is opened and the pusher 72 is retracted upward, and is put on the lettuce w stopped at the take-out position A.

  When the gripping mechanism 30 is lowered to the lower limit, the cam plate 51 is rotated and the finger arm 47 is urged and swung inward, and the slide boss 61 is operated downward to bend the finger body 48 inward. The lettuce w is elastically gripped from all directions by the finger body.

  When the gripping of the lettuce w is completed, the drive arm 40 is rotated in the reverse direction, so that the gripping mechanism 30 that grips the lettuce w rises substantially linearly and then laterally moves toward the packaging apparatus body 1 with a mountain-shaped curved locus. Then, it descends substantially linearly from the vicinity of the top of the charging port 7 and brings the gripped lettuce w into the charging port 7.

  When the gripping mechanism 30 is lowered to the lower limit, as shown in FIG. 6, the finger body 48 is slightly extended outward to release the support for holding the lettuce w from below, and the lettuce w is caused by the elasticity of the finger body 48. In this weakly clamped state, the operating rod 71 is forcibly moved downward by the drive arm 76, and the pusher 72 provided at the lower end of the rod pushes the lettuce w from above and pushes it into the insertion port. In this case, since the lettuce w is pushed down in a state of being pinched slightly by the finger body 48, the leaves are not greatly expanded, but are gently pushed into the insertion port 7 and supplied onto the holding table 11 (see FIG. 13). Thus, the lettuce w is wrapped in a packaging sheet in a state in which the posture is not greatly changed and the leaves are well-organized.

  The gripping mechanism 30 that has finished pushing the lettuce into the insertion port 7 is moved back toward the take-out position A for the next lettuce transfer, and the pusher 72 is moved back to the upper standby position.

  [Other Examples]

  (1) In the above embodiment, the finger 45 is configured by extending a rubber finger main body 48 downward from a lower end portion of a finger arm 47 that can swing and open about the upper fulcrum a. The lower free end portion of the finger body 48 is configured to be displaced inward and outward by the finger drive link 56, but is made of rubber that is bent and deformed inward and outward by the supply and discharge of air that can swing open and close. It can also be carried out using a finger similar to the conventional one configured such that the finger body can be moved in and out.

  (2) The pusher 72 may be configured to be pushed out by an air cylinder.

Overall front view of packaging equipment Overall plan view of packaging equipment Front view showing lifting mechanism and lateral movement mechanism of gripping mechanism Front view showing the gripping mechanism in the open operation state Front view showing the gripping mechanism in the gripping operation state Front view showing the gripping mechanism in the discharge operation state Longitudinal front view showing part of the gripping mechanism Cross-sectional plan view showing part of the gripping mechanism Longitudinal side view showing the main part of the gripping mechanism Longitudinal side view showing part of the lateral movement mechanism of the gripping mechanism The top view which shows the principal part of a finger opening and closing structure Side view showing part of conveyor Explanatory drawing showing the outline procedure of packaging operation

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Packaging apparatus main body 2 Conveyor 3 Transfer apparatus 7 Input port 45 Finger 47 Finger arm 48 Finger main body 50 Boss member 51 Cam board 56 Finger drive link 71 Operation rod 72 Extrusion tool w Spherical crop (lettuce)

Claims (4)

A plurality of downwardly extending fingers are configured to open and close in and out, and each finger is equipped with a finger body made of an elastic resin material so that it can be bent and operated. A gripping mechanism for transferring spherical crops,
In the step of discharging the spherical crops gripped by the fingers, the pushing operation is performed by moving the pusher in the upper standby position downward while the finger body is extended and deformed outwardly and the spherical crops are elastically held between the fingers. A gripping mechanism for transferring spherical crops, characterized in that it is configured to cause   The finger is formed by extending the finger main body downward from a lower end portion of a finger arm that can swing and open about an upper fulcrum, and a lower free end portion of the finger main body is configured as a finger drive link. The holding mechanism for transferring spherical crops according to claim 1, wherein the holding mechanism is configured to drive and displace in and out by means of.   The finger arms of the plurality of fingers are oscillated and biased inward, and a cam plate is provided for receiving and supporting each finger arm from the inside. The pusher is attached to a lower end portion of an operation rod that is moved up and down, and the cam plate is rotatably fitted and supported on a boss member that supports the operation rod. Item 3. A gripping mechanism for transferring spherical crops according to Item 2.   The grip for transferring spherical crops according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the grip is mounted on a transfer device that supplies the spherical crops that have been placed on the conveyor and conveyed to the input port of the packaging device body. mechanism.

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