JP2009208939A - Spacing adjusting device of conveyed article - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To adjust a spacing between articles to be small as the width of the article is smaller before transfer, in a sorting facility for transferring and sorting a plurality of articles with different widths mixed and flowing on a conveying line to a branch conveyor line in an orthogonal direction with a sorter. <P>SOLUTION: A front conveyor 13a and a rear conveyor 13b are provided at a middle position of a conveying line, and a first detector 13c detecting an article B is mounted to the front conveyor 13a, and a second detector 13d detecting a right tip of the article B with a diagonal optical axis whose left side is near a downstream is mounted to the rear conveyor 13b. A plurality of articles B are made to approach to a right side and conveyed while a front side and a rear side are made to approach to each other. After the first detector 13c detects the front articles B, the second detector 13d detects the tip of the rear article B. Then, the rear conveyor 13b is stopped. When the first detector 13c does not detect the article B, the rear conveyor 13b is actuated. Therefore, the smaller the width of the article B, the slower a detection timing of the second detector 13d becomes, so that a spacing Cw between the articles B can be adjusted to be small. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a sorting facility in which a plurality of articles having different flow widths mixed in a transfer line are transferred to a branching conveyor line by a sorter and sorted in an orthogonal direction, and the interval between the preceding and succeeding articles is changed before the transfer. The present invention relates to a distance adjustment device for a conveyed product that is adjusted to a different interval according to the.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a sorter that sorts articles, a structure in which an endless chain provided with a plurality of extruded pieces is rotated at high speed in a direction orthogonal to a conveyance line is known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). The article being transported is moved in advance to the side opposite to the branching side, and an interval is formed between the preceding and following articles so that the pushing piece being moved does not come into contact with the succeeding article. The interval between the articles is set to be constant based on the article having the maximum width among all articles flowing through the transport line.

By the way, such a sorter can transport the succeeding article to the branching position quickly before the movement of the extruding piece is finished as the width of the succeeding article is small, and can operate the next extruding piece at an earlier timing. It is. However, in the prior art, the extruded piece was always operated at a fixed timing with the article having the maximum width, so the narrower the subsequent article, the more the extruded piece waits until the next operation, and the sorter's ability is sufficient. It was not able to utilize it.
Japanese Patent No. 3864074 Japanese Patent No. 3864075

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to eliminate these conventional problems, and to adjust the interval between articles to be smaller as the width of the article is smaller, so that the waiting time for the operation of the sorter can be shortened. .

The configuration of the present invention that solves this problem is as follows.
1) In the sorting equipment that sorts by transferring a plurality of articles with different flow widths mixed in the conveying line to the branch conveyor line by using a sorter, the interval between the preceding and subsequent articles is set to the width of the article before the transfer. An apparatus for adjusting the interval of a conveyed product that adjusts to a different interval according to the apparatus, wherein an alignment unit that brings an article to one side and brings the front and back close to an upstream position of the conveyance line is provided at a midpoint of the conveyance line downstream of the alignment unit. A front conveyor and a rear conveyor that are driven independently are provided in series, a first detector is provided on the front conveyor to detect an article, and a tip of the article opposite to the approaching side is provided by an optical sensor having an oblique optical axis. A second detector for detection is provided on the rear conveyor. When the second detector detects the tip of the article after the first detector detects the article, the rear conveyor is stopped, and then the first detector detects the article. Combining after disappear 2) Adjusting apparatus for adjusting the distance between transported objects 2) The distance adjusting apparatus for transported objects described in 1) above, and the distance adjusted by the same distance adjusting apparatus. Sorting equipment that consists of a sorter line that transports multiple items to the branch conveyor line and a sorter that transfers the items on the sorter line to the branch conveyor line in the orthogonal direction and sorts them. 3) The sorter runs between the sprockets. A structure in which a plurality of extruding pieces for extruding articles on an endless belt or an endless chain that are laid is projected at equal intervals so that the extruding pieces are reversed and circulated after moving in the direction of the branch conveyor line, 2) In the sorting facility described.

  According to the present invention, a plurality of articles having different widths are moved to one side by the aligning means and conveyed in a state where the front and rear are close to each other, and after the first detector detects the front article, the second detector detects the rear article. When the front end is detected, the rear conveyor stops, and when the first detector stops detecting the front article (when it passes), the rear conveyor is activated and the article is sent out with the interval between the articles adjusted to a predetermined interval. .

  Since a 2nd detector detects the front-end | tip part on the opposite side to the said approach side of an article | item with the optical sensor of an oblique optical axis, the timing which a 2nd detector detects changes according to the width | variety of an article | item. In the case of a wide article, the detection by the second detector becomes faster and stops at a position upstream from the average, and the distance from the article in front is increased. In the case of a narrow article, the detection by the second detector Becomes slower and stops at a position downstream of the average, and the distance from the article in front is reduced.

  Therefore, when narrow-width articles are transported, the distance between the articles is adjusted to be smaller than that of the conventional maximum width, so the sorter can be operated at a faster timing than that of the maximum-width articles. The waiting time until the next operation can be shortened and the sorter's ability can be fully utilized. Moreover, since the space | interval between the articles | goods which flow through a conveyance line becomes small, the conveyance quantity per unit time can increase and conveyance efficiency can also be improved.

  The alignment of the articles in the present invention is generally performed by the direction of the rollers of the roller conveyor and the difference in conveying speed of the front and rear conveyors, but may be sent out by being directly aligned by the operator's hand. The proximity distance between the articles at the time of alignment is set to be smaller than the minimum distance between the first detector and the second detector. Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

  The embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 is an example in which the apparatus for adjusting the interval of conveyed items according to the present invention is provided in a sorting facility that sorts cardboard boxes containing fresh food items according to stores. FIG. 1 is a layout diagram of the sorting equipment of the embodiment, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of the interval adjusting device of the embodiment, FIG. 3 is a side view of the sorter of the embodiment, and FIG. 4 is an explanation showing the operation of the interval adjusting device of the embodiment. FIG. 5, FIG. 5 is an operation flow of the interval adjusting device of the embodiment, FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing a comparison of interval adjustment of the embodiment, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of the sorting device of the embodiment.

  In the figure, 10 is an input conveyor line, 11 is a skew conveyor line (alignment means), 12 is an accumulator conveyor line (alignment means), 13 is a conveyance interval control line (interval adjustment device), 13a is a front conveyor, and 13b is a rear Conveyor, 13c is a first detector, 13d is a second detector, 13e is a controller, 14 is a sorter line, 15 is a sorter, 15a is an extruded piece, 15b is a timing belt, 15c is a driving sprocket, 15d is a driven sprocket, 16 Is a branch conveyor line, and B is an article.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the sorting equipment of the present embodiment includes an input conveyor line 10 for an operator to input and deliver an article B that has been received, a skew conveyor line 11 that moves the article B to the left side, and before and after the arrival. The accumulator conveyor line 12 that brings the articles B close to each other, the conveyed product interval control line 13 that adjusts the articles B that are close to each other at a predetermined interval, and the sorter line that conveys the article B with the adjusted spacing to the branch conveyor line 16 14 and a sorter 15 that sorts the article B on the sorter line 14 into the right branch conveyor line 16.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the conveyance interval control line 13 includes a front conveyor 13a and a rear conveyor 13b that are independently driven in series, and a first detector 13c that detects an article B with an optical sensor on the front conveyor 13a. The second detector 13d for detecting the right end of the article B is attached to the rear conveyor 13b with an optical sensor having an oblique optical axis whose left side is closer to the downstream side. When the second detector 13d detects the tip of the article B after the first detector 13c detects the article B, the controller 13e stops the rear conveyor 13b, and then the first detector 13c stops detecting the article B. And a control for operating the rear conveyor 13b.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the sorter 15 hangs two endless timing belts 15b between a pair of left and right drive sprockets 15c and a driven sprocket 15d, and puts an extruding piece 15a between the two timing belts 15b. Four projecting parts are provided at intervals, arranged in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the sorter line 14, and the extruded piece 15 a moves in the direction of the branch conveyor line 16 and then reverses and circulates. The length of the extruded piece 15a is slightly shorter than the shortest article B among all the articles B, and the distance between the extruded pieces 15a is larger than the largest article B among all the articles B. Yes.

The conveying speed of the accumulator conveyor line 12 is 40 m / min, the conveying speed of the conveyed product interval control line 13 and the sorter line 14 is 50 m / min, and the moving speed of the pushing piece 15a of the sorter 15 is 80 m / min. The interval Cw between the articles B is calculated by the following calculation formula.
Cw = (C + W) × VL / VW
C: Spacing direction interval between the article B being sorted and the subsequent article B (in this embodiment, about 100 mm)
W: width of the subsequent article B VL: transport speed of the sorter line 14 VW: movement speed of the pushing piece 15a of the sorter 15

  The operation of the conveyed product interval control line 13 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 2, the articles B before and after moving from the accumulator conveyor line 12 are conveyed in a state where there is a slight gap due to the speed difference from the rear conveyor 13b as shown in FIG. 4 (a). As shown in FIG. 4B, when the first detector 13c detects the front article B, and then the second detector 13d detects the tip of the rear article B, the rear conveyor 13b stops and the front conveyor 13b stops. The article B is continuously conveyed. As shown in FIG. 4 (c), when the front article B passes through the first detector 13c and is no longer detected, the rear conveyor 13b is activated and the conveyance of the rear article B is resumed. It is sent out to the sorter line 14 in a state adjusted to the interval Cw.

At this time, in the wide article B, as shown in FIG. 6A, the right end is detected at the upstream position, and the interval Cw ₁ between the front and rear articles B is adjusted greatly. If the width W of the article B is 600 mm, for example, the interval Cw ₁ is adjusted to 437.5 mm. In the article of the narrow width B contrast, distance Cw ₂ downstream is position detected right end of the article B is adjusted smaller, as shown in Figure 6 (b). If the width W of the article B is 150 mm, for example, the interval Cw ₂ is adjusted to 156.3 mm, which is 281.3 mm smaller than that of the 600 mm width.

  Articles B adjusted in this way are sorted into the branch conveyor line 16 by the sorter 15. As shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C, even if the narrow article B is located downstream of the wide article B, the moving extruding piece 15 a has a distance equivalent to that of the wide article B. It is held and sorted without contact. Therefore, the smaller the width W of the succeeding article B, the shorter the distance Cw from the preceding article B can be shortened, and accordingly the sorter 15 can be operated at a faster timing, and the waiting time until the next operation is shortened. The ability of the sorter 15 can be fully utilized. Further, since the interval Cw between the articles B flowing through the sorter line 14 is reduced, the transport quantity per unit time is increased and the transport efficiency can be improved.

  The conveyed product interval adjusting apparatus of the present invention is used for sorting a plurality of articles having different widths into a plurality of sorting destinations.

It is a layout figure of the sorting equipment of an Example. It is explanatory drawing of the space | interval adjustment apparatus of an Example. It is a side view of the sorter of an Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows the action | operation of the space | interval adjustment apparatus of an Example. It is an operation | movement flow of the space | interval adjustment apparatus of an Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows the comparison of the space | interval adjustment of an Example. It is explanatory drawing of the sorting apparatus of an Example.

Explanation of symbols

10 Input conveyor line 11 Skew conveyor line (alignment means)
12 Accumulate conveyor line (alignment means)
13 Conveyance interval control line (interval adjustment device)
13a Front conveyor 13b Rear conveyor 13c First detector 13d Second detector 13e Controller 14 Sorter line 15 Sorter 15a Push-out piece 15b Timing belt 15c Drive sprocket 15d Driven sprocket 16 Branch conveyor line B Article

Claims (3)

  In sorting equipment that sorts by transferring a plurality of articles with different flow widths mixed in the transfer line to the branch conveyor line with a sorter using the sorter, the interval between the front and rear articles is in accordance with the width of the articles before the transfer. An apparatus for adjusting the interval of a conveyed product that adjusts to a different interval, wherein an alignment unit that brings an article to one side and approaches the front and back is provided at an upstream position of the conveyance line, and is independent of an intermediate position of the conveyance line downstream of the alignment unit. A front conveyor and a rear conveyor that are driven in series are provided in series, a first detector is provided on the front conveyor to detect an article, and a tip of the article opposite to the approaching side is detected by an optical sensor having an oblique optical axis. When the second detector is provided on the rear conveyor and the first detector detects the article after the first detector detects the article, the rear conveyor is stopped, and then the first detector no longer detects the article. After conveyor Characterized in that a control means for controlling so as to dynamic, clearance adjusting device of the conveyance thereof.   The interval adjustment device for a conveyed product according to claim 1, a sorter line for conveying a plurality of articles whose intervals are adjusted by the interval adjustment device to a branch conveyor line, and an article on the sorter line perpendicular to the branch conveyor line Sorting equipment composed of sorters that are transferred to and sorted.   The sorter has a plurality of extruded pieces that push out articles onto an endless belt or endless chain hung between the sprockets at equal intervals so that the extruded pieces move in the direction of the branch conveyor line and then reverse and circulate. The sorting equipment according to claim 2 which is a structure.

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