JP2010024045A - Bent carrying device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a bent carrying device easy to miniaturize for reliably and safely carrying carried objects. <P>SOLUTION: The bent carrying device includes a plurality of carrying units having linear carrying passages where a number of rollers are turnably journaled between a pair of bearing frames arranged in parallel, and guide plates arranged on both sides along the linear carrying passages. The shaft front ends of the rollers pass through the bearing frames, endless belts are wrapped around pulleys fitted to the front ends thereof, and bent portions of bent carrying passages are connected to each other so that both front ends of the linear carrying passages are perpendicular to each other. With the inside bearing frame where a predetermined number of short connecting rollers are pivotally supported to the front end of one linear carrying passage, the front end of the other linear carrying passage has close contact. At the bent portions, shafts are protruded from the outside bearing frame and the upper faces of the bearing frames approximately correspond to the heights of the carrying passage surfaces. Circular arc R-portions are formed on the guide plates to expose the predetermined-width carrying passage surfaces. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a transport apparatus that includes a plurality of transport units each including a straight transport path and includes a bent transport path that extends while changing direction at right angles.

  An example of the conveyance structure 400 of the conveyance unit, which is the basic configuration of the bending conveyance apparatus, is shown in the plan view of FIG. 11A and the side view of FIG. FIG. 12 is a plan view of a bent conveyance path in a conventional bent conveyance device. In the conventional example shown here, a bent conveying apparatus is shown in which a bent conveying path 500 is formed in a U-shape, which is composed of three conveying units provided with straight conveying paths (403a to 403c). As shown in FIG. 11, in the conveyance structure 400 in the conventional conveyance unit, two sets of chains 430 travel along the conveyance direction 402 so as to be parallel to each other, and rollers are disposed between the plates of the respective chains 430. A conveyance path 403 is formed by pivotally supporting 410. Each chain 430 is stretched over a sprocket 413 that is rotated by a driving device such as a motor. As a result, the roller 410 itself moves in the transport direction as the chain 430 travels, Articles (conveyed items) are conveyed.

  In order to configure a bent conveying apparatus using a plurality of the conveying units 400, as shown in FIG. 12, the straight conveying paths (403a to 403c) constitute a straight portion of the bent conveying path 500. Each conveyance unit is arranged, and for example, an auxiliary conveyance device such as a turntable 460 as shown in this figure is installed in the bent portion 450, or another mechanism for pushing out the conveyance object by a swinging arm or the like is provided. In other words, the conveyed product is transferred (transferred) from the upstream straight conveyance path (403a, 403b) to the downstream straight conveyance path (403b, 403c).

  In the conventional bending conveyance device, it is necessary to install an auxiliary conveyance device (auxiliary device) such as a turntable at a bent portion in the bending conveyance path, and the auxiliary device requires extra cost. Moreover, if an auxiliary device such as a turntable that requires a separate drive source is used, the running cost will be high. In addition, an area for installing the auxiliary device is required, and in a factory or the like where the floor area is limited, the number of transfer devices to be installed is reduced and production efficiency is deteriorated. Further, in the transport structure 400 as shown in FIG. 11, since the sprocket 413 and the chain 430 are arranged on both sides of the transport path 403, as shown in FIG. 12, the straight transport paths (403a, 403a, 403b, or 403b, 403c) are arranged so that their tips are perpendicular to each other to form the bent portion 450, both direct conveyance paths (403a, 403b, Or 403b and 403c) cannot be brought close to each other. Therefore, a wide space is required on both sides of the straight conveyance path (403a to 403c), and it is difficult to reduce the size of the entire bending conveyance apparatus.

  There are also many problems in transferring between the transport path 403 of the transport unit 400 and the turntable. Specifically, as shown in the plan view and the side view shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, respectively, the linear conveyance path (403a, 403b) has a linear shape on the side surface of the roller 410 at the tip. The end surface of the turntable 460 is an arc. Therefore, it is necessary to interpose the transfer plate 490 in the portion 480 that fills the straight line and the arc (A). Moreover, in fact, as shown in (B), since the chain 430 is guided by the sprocket 413 to make the U-turn at the end of the straight conveyance path 403, the U-turn portion is on the conveyance path surface. A larger front-to-back distance d and a height difference Δh are generated between the roller 411 and the end roller 412. Therefore, it is necessary to interpose the transfer plate (shaded portion) 490 over a long distance including the longitudinal distance d.

  In addition, a conveyed product is not automatically conveyed on this board 490, but it moves on the board 490 by the inertia by the upstream linear conveyance path 403a, or is pushed by another conveyed product. However, if the transfer plate 490 is long, the transfer plate 490 is distorted in the middle, and a step is generated between the surface of the straight conveyance path 403a and the upper surface of the transfer plate 470 or between the turntable 460 and the transfer plate 490. there is a possibility. If the conveyed product is caught by this step, the conveyed product does not move downstream, and if it is a production line, the downstream downstream process is temporarily interrupted. There is also a possibility that the transported object may be damaged or dropped by colliding with the step.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, to provide a bent conveyance device that can reduce the cost for installation space and capital investment, and has high reliability when transferring a conveyed product.

And this invention is a conveying apparatus provided with the bending conveyance path extended while bending at right angle,
A plurality of transport units having a straight transport path, and a guide plate for guiding a transported object along the bent transport path,
The linear transport path of each transport unit is supported by a plurality of rollers having an axial direction in a direction crossing the transport path so as to be rotatable between a pair of bearing frames arranged in parallel on both sides of the transport path. Become
The roller is configured such that a shaft is coaxially inserted inside a hollow cylindrical outer cylinder portion,
The shaft penetrates at least one of the bearing frames, and a tip protrudes outside the frame, and a pulley is fitted coaxially to the tip.
An endless belt that is circulated and driven by driving means is bridged over the pulley,
In the bent portion of the bent conveyance path, the ends of the respective straight conveyance paths of the two conveyance units are connected so as to be orthogonal to each other,
The one end side of each of the straight conveyance paths in the bent portion is arranged such that the bearing frame on the right angle inner angle side of the bent portion is arranged close to the bearing frame on the outer angle side, and the width of the straight conveyance path is narrowed.
A connecting roller corresponding to the narrow width is pivotally supported on one tip side of the linear conveyance path, and a shaft of the connecting roller protrudes from the bearing frame on the outer angle side,
On one side of the linear conveyance path, the other straight line is formed at a substantially L-shaped corner formed by the inner-side bearing frame on which the coupling roller is pivotally supported and a roller adjacent to the coupling roller. The top inner corner side of the transport path is in close contact, and the upper surface of the bearing frame on the inner corner side of each of the two linear transport paths in the intimate region substantially matches the height of the transport path surface,
In the bearing frame on the inner corner side of the other straight conveyance path, in the region close to the corner, the shaft of the bending roller supported by the shaft projects from the bearing frame on the outer corner side,
The guide plate is disposed on an upper surface of the straight conveyance path of the plurality of conveyance units, and the bent portion exposes the road surface of the straight conveyance path with a predetermined width by continuing the line along an arcuate R portion. In addition, the bent conveying device is configured to expose the substantially L-shaped corner at substantially the center of the bent portion.

  The shaft is loosely fitted in the hollow cylinder of the outer cylinder part, and the roller rotates by rotating the outer cylinder part by friction of the shaft with the inner surface of the hollow cylinder. When the shaft is stopped by an external force, the bending conveyance device may be configured such that the shaft idles while sliding in the outer cylinder portion.

  In addition, in the bent conveyance path, for the rollers constituting the conveyance path surface from the start point to the end point of the arc of the R portion of the guide plate, the shaft does not idle in the corresponding part, but in the hollow cylinder of the outer cylinder part. It may be fixed.

  In any one of the above-described bending conveyance devices, the roller has a length that substantially matches the width of the conveyance path at the start and end of the bending conveyance path, the shortest length in the connecting roller, The length from the start point to the end point of the arc may be adjusted to a length that forms the road surface of the bent conveyance path.

  The outer cylinder portion is configured by a hollow cylindrical unit roller having a predetermined length arranged coaxially, and the roller is bent and conveyed whose length is adjusted by the number of unit rollers inserted through the same shaft. It can also be a device.

  The bent portion may be bent only in one direction from upstream to downstream, and the shaft may be a bent conveyance device that protrudes only from the outer bearing frame. In the bending conveyance device, it is more preferable that the endless belt is stretched under the pulley.

The bent conveying path may be a bent conveying device including a crank portion bent in a crank shape by a straight conveying path of three conveying units,
The bending conveyance device including the crank portion is configured such that, in the second conveyance unit from the upstream of the three conveyance units, the connection roller is pivotally supported at one end of the linear conveyance path, and the bending roller is disposed at the other end. A first endless belt that is pivotally supported and extends over the side from which the shaft of the connecting roller protrudes; a second endless belt that extends over the side from which the shaft of the bending roller protrudes; A drive roller with a shaft protruding on both sides of the bearing frame,
One of the first and second endless belts is directly circulated and driven by the driving means, and is stretched over a pulley fitted to one end of a shaft of the driving roller, and the other belt is The drive roller is spanned by a pulley fitted at the other end of the drive roller, and is indirectly circulated by the drive means.

  According to the bending conveyance device of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the size of the device and save the installation space, and it is possible to reliably convey the conveyance object without using an auxiliary device. As a result, the cost associated with the apparatus itself can be greatly reduced, and high reliability can be ensured during conveyance. Other effects and specific effects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description in this specification.

=== Basic structure of transport unit ===
First, the basic structure of the transport unit which is the main configuration of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 shows an external view of the transport unit. In the illustrated transport unit 1, two rollers 10 that have an axial direction in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction 2 and are arranged in parallel along the transport direction 2 extend in parallel along the transport direction 2. A linear conveyance path 3 is formed by being pivotally supported by a shaft hole 21 formed in the frame (bearing frames: 20a, 20b).

  FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line aa in FIG. The roller 10 includes an outer cylinder part 11 made of a hollow cylindrical hard resin, and a metal shaft 12 inserted into the hollow cylinder of the outer cylinder part 11, and the shaft 12 is a rotating shaft of the roller 10. Is supported by the shaft hole 21 of the guide frame (20a, 20b). Then, either one of the left and right end portions 12a of the shaft 12 passes through one guide frame 20b and protrudes to the outside of the conveyance path 3, and the pulley 13 is fitted to the tip 12a of the protruding shaft 12. . In this example, all the shafts 12 protrude from the same guide frame 20b.

  An endless belt 30 that is circulated and driven by a motor 50 is stretched over each pulley 13, and each pulley 13 rotates as the belt 30 travels. Then, the shaft 12, which is fitted coaxially with the pulley 13, that is, the roller 10, rotates. In the transport unit 1 shown here, the belt 30 is a toothed belt and the pulley 13 is a gear. Further, the belt 30 is stretched on the lower side of the pulley 13 so that the teeth face upward, and the guide roller 14 has a rotating shaft parallel to the shaft 12 and is rotatable on the lower side of the belt 30. Is pivotally supported. The belt 30 travels while being pressed against the pulley 13 while being sandwiched between the pulley 13 and the guide roller 14. Thereby, the power of the belt 30 is reliably transmitted to the pulley 13. Note that the belt 30 is U-turned by guide rollers (14 a, 14 b) having flanges 15 for preventing deviation of the belt 30 at both front and rear ends of the conveyance path 3, and a pulley attached to the output shaft of the motor 50. 16 is circulated and driven.

=== Characteristics of the transport unit ===
The transport unit 1 has various features. For example, by adopting a belt drive system, it is possible to stably transport a conveyed product with reduced noise and vibration, and to have excellent maintainability. Specifically, since the structure is not meshed like a chain and a sprocket, not only can maintenance be performed safely, but also the belt 30 is stretched over the pulley 13 outside the conveyance path 3. There is a feature that the belt 30 can be removed without removing the guide frame (20a, 20b) or the roller 10 and disassembling the conveyance path 3 when exchanging.

  Further, since the pulley 13 is fitted to the tip of the shaft 12, it is possible to remove only the pulley 13 while the roller 10 is pivotally supported on the guide frame (20a, 20b). In the transport unit shown, since the belt 30 is stretched under the pulley 13, when replacing the pulley 13 and the roller 10, the work of re-mounting the belt 30 becomes unnecessary.

  However, the most important feature of the transport unit 1 having the above-described structure in configuring the bending transport device of the present invention is the ease of transfer of transported objects between transport paths. This ease of transfer is due to the drive system in which the pulley 13 coaxial with the roller 10 is rotationally driven by the belt 30 and the conveyance path 3 in which the shaft on which the pulley 13 is fitted protrudes from one of the conveyance paths 3. Brought about by the structure involved.

  Specifically, a pulley 13 having a smaller diameter than the roller 10 can be used, and an arc drawn by the belt 30 when the belt 30 makes a U-turn can be set to the inner side of the beginning and end of the conveyance path 3. As a result, the straight conveyance path 3 is in a state where rollers are spread from the beginning to the end, and the entire length of the straight conveyance path 3 can be used for conveyance without waste. With such a structure, for example, when two transport units are arranged in a straight line, the mutual straight transport paths can be continued without a step.

  Further, since the bearing frame 20a on the side where the shaft 14 is not penetrated only needs to have a function of supporting the shaft 14, the thickness t can be reduced as shown in FIG. For example, in the conveyance unit 1, the conveyance unit 1 can be brought into close contact with another device or the like on the side surface 22 where the belt 30 of the linear conveyance path 3 is not stretched. Further, the upper surface of the bearing frame (20a, 20b) and the conveying path surface by the roller 10 can be set to the same height h. Thus, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, even if the linear transport paths (3a, 3b) of the two transport units (1a, 1b) are brought into close contact so as to be parallel (or orthogonal), both transports are performed. Since there are no steps or obstacles between the paths (3a, 3b), even when the transported object 80 is transferred from one transport path 3a to the other transport path 3b, the transported object 80 is pushed out to the transport path 3b as the transport destination. All that is necessary is to move it while sliding on the conveyance path surface.

=== First Embodiment ===
The bent conveying apparatus of the present invention utilizes the characteristics derived from the structure of the conveying unit 1 described above, and directly connects the respective linear conveying paths of the plurality of conveying units without using an auxiliary device to form a bent conveying path. ing. FIG. 4 shows an external view of the bent conveyance device 100 in the first embodiment of the present invention. The transport apparatus 100 includes a transport path (bent transport path) 103 that bends while changing direction at a right angle on the way from upstream to downstream according to the transport direction 102.

  The bent conveyance path 103 is formed by connecting the linear conveyance paths (103a to 103c) in each of the three conveyance units (101a to 101c) so as to form a U-shape. In addition, guides are provided on both sides toward the conveyance direction 102 on the upper surface of the three linear conveyance paths (103a to 103c) connected in a U-shape in order to prevent the conveyed product from deviating from the conveyance path. Plates (104, 105) are attached. The guide plates (104, 105) border the curved conveyance path 103 along the exposed surface of the straight conveyance paths (103a to 103c). In the portion where the straight conveyance paths (103a to 103c) are connected to each other, the bent portion 150 in the bent conveyance path 103 is formed by continuing the straight line along the R portions (106, 107) forming the inner circumference and the outer circumference of the double arc. Is forming. In this way, the bent conveyance path 103 is formed in a substantially U shape having a double contour line by the guide plates (104, 105).

  Moreover, the belt 130 of each conveyance unit (101a-101c) is spanned so that it may be arrange | positioned so that it may become the outer side of the U-shaped bending conveyance path 103, and a main maintenance operation can ensure a wide space. It can be performed outside the U-shape, and the maintenance opportunities in the narrow space inside the U-shape are minimized. Further, like the transport unit 1 shown in FIG. 1, a belt 130 is stretched under the pulley, thereby achieving better maintainability. In addition, in the bending conveyance apparatus 100a shown in FIG. 4, the cover 108 for safety is attached to the part over which a pulley and the belt 130 are bridged.

  As described above, the three straight portions in the U-shaped bent conveying path 103 of the bent conveying apparatus 100 of the first embodiment are respectively connected to the straight conveying paths (103a to 103a) of the individual conveying units (101a to 101c). 103c). And the bending conveyance apparatus 100 of this 1st Example is a thing for conveyance, without providing the apparatus and mechanism for direction change in the bending part 150 of the bending conveyance path 103 by the various features with which the conveyance unit 1 mentioned above is provided. A driving force can be secured. In addition to the space required for bending the transport path 103, the installation space for the entire apparatus 100 can be made extremely small. In the first embodiment, the U-shaped bent conveyance path 103 constituted by three linear conveyance paths (103a to 103c) is conveyed from the left end point 103L of the U-shape for the sake of convenience. However, the two U-shaped end points (103L, 103R) have no distinction between upstream and downstream, and can be either the start end or the end depending on the belt circulation direction.

=== Structure of bent conveyance path ===
FIG. 5 shows the overall structure of the bent conveying path 103 in the bent conveying apparatus 100 of the first embodiment. In this figure, the arrangement and connection structure of the straight conveyance paths (103a to 103c) in each of the three conveyance units (101a to 101c) are shown. FIG. 6 shows a connection structure (A) between the straight conveyance paths (103a, 103b) in the bent portion 150, and an enlarged view (B) of a main part indicated by a circle 190 in the (A). In the bent portion 150 of the bent conveyance path 103, the respective straight conveyance paths (103a and 103b, 103b and 103c) of the two conveyance units (101a and 101b, 101b and 101c) are connected so as to be orthogonal to each other. ing.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the bearing frame 120a on the bending direction side in the linear conveyance path 103a on the upstream side in the conveyance direction 102, that is, a right angle that is an intersecting angle between the two linear conveyance paths (103a, 103b). The inner angle side bearing frame (inner frame) 120a is not a single continuous frame over the entire length of the straight conveyance path 103a, and an individual inner frame (coupling frame) 122a is formed at the outer end side of the bearing frame (outer side). In the region where the connecting frame 122a is disposed, the width of the straight conveyance path 103a is narrow. Further, in this example, an intermediate frame 123 a is arranged between the connecting frame and the inner frame (terminal frame) 124 a on the start end side of the conveyance path 103 so as to be separated from the outer frame.

  In the region where the connecting frame 122a is arranged, a predetermined number of rollers (connecting rollers) 111a having a short length in accordance with the width of the narrow linear conveyance path 103 (in this example, a connecting roller having a length W2). 5 rollers are pivotally supported. Accordingly, a substantially L-shaped corner (corner) is formed by the connecting frame 121a on which the connecting roller 111a is pivotally supported and the roller (a corner roller having a length W3> W2) 112a adjacent to the connecting roller 111a. 160 is formed, and the corner 160 is in close contact with the inner corner side of the other straight conveyance path 103b. Further, the upper surface of the connecting frame 122a and the upper surface of the portion 122b that is in close contact with the corner roller 112a in the inner frame 120b of the other linear conveyance path 103b substantially coincide with the height of the road surface of the linear conveyance path by the rollers. Of course, the corner roller 112a and the roller 111b at the tip of the other straight conveyance path 103b have a gap that can rotate with the inner frame (120b, 120a) of the straight conveyance path (103b, 103a) on the connection partner side. And close.

  As for the shaft, if the shaft of the rollers (111a, 114b) included in the region where the two straight conveyance paths (103a, 103b) are in close contact with each other at the corner 160 protrudes from the outer frame (121a, 121b). It does not have to be protruding in the same direction. In other words, the region 122b that is in close contact with the corner 160 in the shaft of the connecting roller 111a that is pivotally supported by the connecting frame 122a of the one straight conveyance path 103a and the inner frame 120b of the other straight conveyance path 103b. The shafts of the rollers (bending rollers: 111b, 112b) that are pivotally supported by the shaft must be projected from the outer frames (121a, 121b) of the respective straight conveyance paths (103a, 103b).

  Next, the guide frame (104, 105), which is another constituent element constituting the bent conveyance path 103, will be described. Guide frames (104, 105) are arranged on the upper surface of the straight conveyance paths (103a to 103c) of the plurality of conveyance units (101a to 101c), and along the curved conveyance path 103 extending while maintaining a predetermined width. Form. And while preventing a conveyed product from deviating out of the conveyance path 103, it has the function to guide a conveyed product along the conveyance path 103 smoothly. Therefore, in the bending part 150, the straight line part along a line is continued by the circular arc-shaped R part (106,107), and the double 1/4 circular arc is formed. Further, the positions of the center 153, the start point 151, and the end point 152 of the double arc are such that the apex 161 portion of the substantially L-shaped corner 160 is exposed at the center in the width direction in the conveyance path 103, and the corner 160 is a bent portion. It is set to be exposed at substantially the center of the conveyance path surface forming 150.

  And in the bending conveyance apparatus 100 of this invention including a 1st Example, it is conveyed in a certain direction by the linear conveyance path 103a of one conveyance unit 101a in the bending part 150 by the structure of the bending conveyance path 103 mentioned above. The conveyed product is guided in the extending direction of the next straight linear conveyance path 103b by the arc-shaped R portions (106, 107) of the guide plates (104, 105). At this time, the corner portion (160) where the two straight conveyance paths (103a, 103b) intersect is located at the center of the bent portion 150, and the inner frame (122a, 122b) in the region of the bent portion 150 is located. Since the upper surface is almost the same height as the conveyance path surface, the conveyed product passing through the bent portion 150 can smoothly transfer to the next linear conveyance path 103b whose axial direction is orthogonal while sliding on the upper surface of the inner frame (122a, 122b). it can.

=== Second Embodiment ===
In the first embodiment, the bent conveying apparatus 100 including the U-shaped bent conveying path 103 is exemplified. Of course, not only a bent conveyance path that bends only in the same direction as in the L-shape or the U-shape, but a bent conveyance path that bends in a crank shape is also conceivable. In view of this, a bent conveying apparatus having a crank-shaped bent conveying path is shown as a second embodiment, and the structure of the conveying path is illustrated in FIG. Also in the second embodiment, there is actually no distinction between upstream and downstream in the bent conveyance path 203, but in FIG. 7, for convenience, the straight conveyance paths (203a to 203c) shows an example in which they are connected so as to alternately extend in different directions from upstream to downstream in a predetermined transport direction 202.

  In the bent conveying apparatus 200 of the second embodiment, in the conveying units (201a, 201c) on the start end side and the terminal end side of the crank-shaped bent conveying path 203, the roller shafts are uniformly projected in the same direction and formed at the tip thereof. The same belt (230a, 230c) can be bridged over the fitted pulleys (214a, 214c). However, in the transport unit 201b located in the middle part of the crank, since the straight transport paths (203a, 203c) having different bending directions are connected to both ends of the straight transport path 203b, the shafts are uniformly projected in the same direction. One belt cannot be bridged. Therefore, the protruding direction of the shaft is reversed between the bending roller 212 at the upstream end of the straight conveyance path 203b and the connecting roller 213 at the downstream end so that the shaft does not protrude in the inner angle direction of the bending portion 250. I have to. Then, the two belts (231, 232) are individually bridged according to the protruding direction of the shaft.

  The belts (231, 232) spanned by pulleys (214-216, 217-219) fitted to the tips of the shafts protruding in the respective directions may be driven by individual motors. In the second embodiment, a system that can be driven by a single motor is employed to achieve a reduction in size and weight and power saving of the bent conveyance device 200. FIG. 8 shows a schematic diagram of the driving method. (A) is a partial top view of the linear conveyance path 203b seen from the top, (B) is a bb arrow cross section in (A). In this drive system, a roller (drive roller) 211 from which a shaft 223 projects from both sides of a pair of bearing frames (221, 222) is provided in the middle of the straight conveyance path 203b, and pulleys (216, 217) are fitted to both ends thereof. Has been. In this example, the belt (main belt) 231 spanned on the side from which the shaft of the bending roller 212 on the upstream side of the straight conveyance path 203b protrudes is directly circulated by a motor. The main belt 231 is stretched over pulleys (214 to 216) from the bending roller 212 to the driving roller 211.

  On the other hand, a belt (sub-belt) 232 spanned on the side from which the shaft of the connecting roller 213 protrudes at the downstream end is a pulley (217 to 219) fitted from the drive roller 211 to the shaft of the connecting roller 213. ). Thereby, the main belt 231 is directly circulated and driven by the motor to drive the drive roller 211, and the drive roller 211 circulates and drives the sub belt 232. The auxiliary belt 232 may be driven by a pulley 217 coaxial with the driving roller 211 to rotate at least the connecting roller 213, and the other roller 220 projects the shaft toward the main belt 231, and the main belt 231. You may make it rotate by. Also, in the spanning region of the main belt 231, the roller at the end opposite to the bending roller 212 at the tip is not used as the driving roller 211, and the pulley in the middle of the region where the main belt 231 is spanned is used as the driving roller 211. A pulley may be used.

=== About the width of the bent conveyance path and the straight conveyance path ===
The width of the straight conveyance path needs to be wider than the width of the bent conveyance path so that the roller exists on the road surface even at the bent portion of the bent conveyance path. However, if the width of the straight conveyance path is increased with the same width over the entire path of the bent conveyance path, for example, in the first embodiment, the inner area surrounded by the U-shape is reduced. It becomes difficult to install a device or the like. Also in the second embodiment, if the width is made uniform, the installation area of the device itself increases. Therefore, in the bending conveyance device of each of the above embodiments, the width of the straight conveyance path is appropriately changed in the course of the path by dividing the inner frame with respect to the bending conveyance path having a predetermined width. As a result, miniaturization of the apparatus is achieved.

  For example, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, at the start end 103L and the end point 103R of the bent conveyance path 103, the length of the roller (FIG. 6: reference numeral 110a) is set to the width of the bent conveyance path ( Reference length) W1. Then, at the start point 151 and the end point 152 of the arc that forms the R portion (106, 107) serving as the entrance / exit of the bent portion 150, the length of the rollers (113a, 114b) is appropriately adjusted, and the roller (113a) at the bent portion 150 is adjusted. , 113b, 114b) so as not to “chip” on the road surface formed. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, in the bent portion 150, in order to form a substantially L-shaped corner 160, the connecting roller 111a having the shortest length W2 is axially supported on one linear conveyance path 103a. At the same time, the length of the rollers (112a, 113a, 111b, 112b, 110b) other than the connecting roller 111a included at least from the start point 151 to the end point 152 of the R portion in the two linear conveyance paths (103a, 103b). Is set to the longest W3, so that “chip” cannot be made on the conveyance road surface.

=== Regarding the roller length adjustment ===
As described above, when the length of the roller is changed in the course of the curved conveyance path, or when the length of the roller is changed according to the size of the conveyed product, the radius of R of the bent portion, etc., these various lengths If all the rollers are prepared, the versatility is poor, and the manufacturing cost and procurement cost increase. Therefore, in each of the above embodiments, as shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of short rollers (unit rollers) 312 having a predetermined length are arranged coaxially to constitute the outer cylinder portion 311 of the roller 310, and the plurality A single roller 310 is configured by inserting the shaft 313 through the unit rollers 312. Accordingly, if only the shafts 313 having different lengths are prepared, the length of the rollers 310 can be easily changed at low cost by simply increasing or decreasing the number of unit rollers 312 as appropriate. In each of the above-described embodiments, the number of unit rollers 312 is set to 6, 8, and 5, respectively, to obtain rollers having the reference length W1, the shortest W2, and the longest W3.

=== About a directional conveyance ===
In a factory production line or the like, there is a case where it is desired to keep a conveyed product in a certain direction. For example, in the process of picking up a part that has been determined by a person (such as a handle) from the transport path and assembling it with another part prepared at hand, the handle etc. If you are always on the way, production efficiency will increase and safety will be higher.

  In the bending conveyance apparatus of the present invention, the straight portion in the bending conveyance path is constituted by a roller that rotates in a certain direction. Therefore, in the straight conveyance path, the direction of the conveyed product can be kept constant on the conveyance path. Further, in the bent portion, the conveyed product is directly transferred to the next straight conveyance path without using a rotary table or the like, and is guided between the two straight conveyance paths by the arc of the R portion. In the case of transporting a part having a width approximately equal to the width of the workpiece, the direction of the transported object can be maintained constant with respect to the arc also in the bent portion.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 10, when the transported object 80 is transported by the U-shaped bent transport path 103 shown in the first embodiment, a predetermined portion 81 of the transported object 80 is placed outside the U-shape. In the case of conveying in the direction, the conveyed product 80 that has been conveyed in a predetermined direction on the straight conveyance path (103a, 103b) is guided by the arc of the R portion (106, 107) at the bent portion 150 and directed outward. The power point 81 is transferred to the next straight conveyance path (103b, 103c) with the outer arc 107 facing the outer circular arc 107, and the conveyance object 80 has a predetermined position 81 in the outer direction even in the next straight conveyance path (103b, 103c). It is conveyed while facing the direction. As described above, the bent conveyance apparatus of the present invention is also suitable for an application in which a directional conveyance object is conveyed while being directed in a certain direction with respect to the conveyance path.

=== Conveying path where stagnation is possible ===
The roller has a structure in which a shaft is inserted into a hollow cylindrical outer cylinder, but the shaft does not need to be fixed by being press-fitted into the outer cylinder. In each of the above embodiments, the shaft is loosely fitted in the outer cylinder portion. That is, the outer cylinder portion is rotated by friction with the shaft that is directly rotated by the power from the belt. Therefore, when the rotation of the outer cylinder portion is forcibly stopped by an external force, the shaft idles in the outer cylinder portion. In other words, the bent conveyance device in each of the above embodiments has a function of retaining the conveyance object traveling on the conveyance path. Of course, it is also possible to press-fit the shaft into the outer cylinder portion to obtain a bent conveyance device having no retention function.

  Also, if the roller with the shaft fixed and the loosely fitted roller are mixed, for example, if only the roller at the position where the conveyed product is transferred can be retained in the production line, the transfer device can transfer the conveyed product. It is possible to prevent the conveyed product from staying without resistance until it is placed on the conveying path 3 and being opened, and applying a heavy load to the transfer device. Alternatively, only the roller exposed between the start point and the end point of the arc of the R portion of the bent portion in the bent conveyance path may fix the shaft, thereby conveying the objects to each other in the two linear conveyance paths to be connected. When transferring, the conveyed product surely moves toward the downstream conveying path, and the conveyed product does not stay in the middle of the bent portion.

It is a basic structure figure of the conveyance unit which comprises the bending conveyance apparatus of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the conveyance path in the said conveyance unit. It is sectional drawing of the state which brought the conveyance paths of the said conveyance unit into close contact. It is an external view of the bending conveyance apparatus in 1st Example of this invention. It is a structural diagram of the bending conveyance path in the said bending conveyance apparatus. It is a structural diagram of the bending part in the said bending conveyance path. It is a top view of the bending conveyance path of the bending conveyance apparatus in 2nd Example of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the bridging method of the unsupported belt in the bending conveyance apparatus of the said 2nd Example. It is a structural diagram of the roller in the bending conveyance apparatus of each said Example. It is a figure which shows the conveyance state of the conveyed product in the bending conveying apparatus of the said 1st Example. It is a structural diagram of the conveyance path of the conveyance unit which comprises the conventional bending conveyance apparatus. It is a structural diagram of the bending conveyance path in the conventional bending conveyance apparatus. It is a structural diagram of the bending part in the conventional bending conveyance path.

Explanation of symbols

1, 101a-c, 201a-c Transport unit 2, 102, 202 Transport direction 3, 103a-c, 203a-c Straight transport path 10, 110a-113a, 110b-112b, 210-213 Rollers 20a, 20b, 120a- 120c, 121a to 121c, 221, 222 Bearing frame 30, 130, 230 to 232, Unsupported belt 104, 105 Guide plate 150, 250 Bending portion

Claims (8)

A conveying device having a bent conveying path extending while being bent at a right angle,
A plurality of transport units having a straight transport path, and a guide plate for guiding a transported object along the bent transport path,
The linear transport path of each transport unit is supported by a plurality of rollers having an axial direction in a direction crossing the transport path so as to be rotatable between a pair of bearing frames arranged in parallel on both sides of the transport path. Become
The roller is configured such that a shaft is coaxially inserted inside a hollow cylindrical outer cylinder portion,
The shaft penetrates at least one of the bearing frames, and a tip protrudes outside the frame, and a pulley is fitted coaxially to the tip.
An endless belt that is circulated and driven by driving means is bridged over the pulley,
In the bent portion of the bent conveyance path, the ends of the respective straight conveyance paths of the two conveyance units are connected so as to be orthogonal to each other,
The one end side of each of the straight conveyance paths in the bent portion is arranged such that the bearing frame on the right angle inner angle side of the bent portion is arranged close to the bearing frame on the outer angle side, and the width of the straight conveyance path is narrowed.
A connecting roller corresponding to the narrow width is pivotally supported on one tip side of the linear conveyance path, and a shaft of the connecting roller protrudes from the bearing frame on the outer angle side,
On one side of the linear conveyance path, the other straight line is formed at a substantially L-shaped corner formed by the inner-side bearing frame on which the coupling roller is pivotally supported and a roller adjacent to the coupling roller. The top inner corner side of the transport path is in close contact, and the upper surface of the bearing frame on the inner corner side of each of the two linear transport paths in the intimate region substantially matches the height of the transport path surface,
In the bearing frame on the inner corner side of the other straight conveyance path, in the region close to the corner, the shaft of the bending roller supported by the shaft projects from the bearing frame on the outer corner side,
The guide plate is disposed on an upper surface of the straight conveyance path of the plurality of conveyance units, and the bent portion exposes the road surface of the straight conveyance path with a predetermined width by continuing the line along an arcuate R portion. And exposing the substantially L-shaped corner at substantially the center of the bent portion,
A bending conveyance device characterized by the above.   The shaft is loosely fitted in the hollow cylinder of the outer cylinder part, and the roller rotates by rotating the outer cylinder part by friction of the shaft with the inner surface of the hollow cylinder. The bending conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the shaft is stopped by an external force, the shaft is idled while sliding in the outer cylinder portion.   In the bent conveyance path, the roller constituting the conveyance path surface from the start point to the end point of the arc of the R part of the guide plate is characterized in that the shaft is fixed in the hollow cylinder of the outer cylinder part. The bending conveyance apparatus of Claim 2 to do.   The roller has a length that substantially matches the width of the conveyance path at the start and end of the bent conveyance path, is the shortest length in the connecting roller, and is bent from the start point to the end point of the arc of the R portion. The bending conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bending conveyance apparatus is adjusted to a length that forms a road surface of the conveyance path.   The outer cylinder portion is configured by a hollow cylindrical unit roller having a predetermined length arranged coaxially, and the length of the roller is adjusted by the number of unit rollers inserted through the same shaft. The bending conveyance apparatus of Claims 1-4 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The bent conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bent portion is bent only in one direction from upstream to downstream, and the shaft protrudes only from the outer bearing frame.   The bending conveyance device according to claim 6, wherein the endless belt is bridged under a pulley. The bent conveyance path includes a crank portion bent in a crank shape by a straight conveyance path of three conveyance units,
In the crank portion, the second transport unit from the upstream of the three transport units has the connecting roller pivotally supported at one end of the linear transport path and the bending roller pivotally supported at the other end. A first endless belt spanned on the side from which the shaft of the connecting roller projects, a second endless belt spanned on the side from which the shaft of the bending roller projects, and both sides of the pair of bearing frames And a drive roller from which the shaft protrudes,
One of the first and second endless belts is directly circulated and driven by the driving means, and is stretched over a pulley fitted to one end of a shaft of the driving roller, and the other belt is 6. The bending conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bending conveying apparatus is spanned by a pulley fitted at the other end of the driving roller and indirectly driven by the driving means.

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