JP2011011848A - Guide device and carrying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a guide device having a high degree of freedom in changing a shape of a guide plane; and to provide a carrying device including the same.SOLUTION: The guide device 10 for guiding articles 1 during transportation includes a plurality of guide members 12, a plurality of supporting mechanisms 16 for supporting the plurality of guide members 12, respectively, and a plurality of flexible connection members 14 for connecting the adjacent guide members 12 to each other so that the plurality of guide members 12 stand in a row, the connection members 14 each including a coil member. The guide device 10 further includes a cover material 18 for covering at least portions which contact with the articles 1 to be guided out of side faces of the plurality of guide members 12 and the plurality of connection members 14 to form the smooth guide plane.

Description

  The present invention relates to a guide device for guiding an article being transported and a transport device including the same.

  A conveyance device for an article such as a container includes a conveyor that conveys the article and a guide. Articles such as pillars with poor stability can tip over during transport, especially when the width of the transport path is greater than the width of the article. The guide may be designed and manufactured to prevent the article from falling down, but a defect may be discovered after the guide is installed, and the shape of the guide may be forced to change. However, for example, it is very difficult to change the shape of a guide manufactured by molding resin or metal, and it is often necessary to remanufacture the guide. Patent Document 1 discloses an auxiliary guide that can be used by being attached to a fixed guide.

JP 2007-119118 A

  An object of this invention is to provide the guide apparatus with a high freedom degree of the shape change of a guide surface, and a conveying apparatus including the same.

  A first aspect of the present invention relates to a guide device that guides an article being conveyed. The guide device includes a plurality of guide members, a plurality of support mechanisms that respectively support the plurality of guide members, and the plurality of the plurality of guide members. And a plurality of connecting members having flexibility to connect adjacent guide members to each other so that the guide members are connected.

  A second aspect of the present invention relates to a transport device, and the transport device includes a conveyor that transports an article and the guide device that is arranged to guide the article transported by the conveyor.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the guide apparatus with a high freedom degree of the shape change of a guide surface and a conveying apparatus including the same are provided.

It is a top view which shows schematic structure of the conveying apparatus of suitable embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows a part of guide apparatus. It is a figure which shows the structural example of a support mechanism.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a transport apparatus 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The conveyance device 100 includes a conveyor 40 that conveys the article 1 and a guide device 10 that is arranged to guide the article 1 being conveyed by the conveyor 40. The transport apparatus 100 can further include guides 50, 55, 46. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the guide 55, the guide device 10, and the guide 56 are disposed from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction, and the guide 50 is disposed to correspond to them. The article 1 can be an article having a cylindrical portion such as a beverage container. The transport apparatus 100 can be configured to transport the article 1 while narrowing the width of the transport path in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction. For example, such a transport apparatus 100 is configured to make articles arranged in n rows into m (m <n) rows, or to make articles discharged from a plurality of devices or transport paths into a single row (one row). Can be used. The conveyor 40 may be configured by arranging a plurality of table top chain conveyors 42, for example.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the guide device 10 includes a plurality of guide members 12, a plurality of support mechanisms 16 that respectively support the plurality of guide members 12, and adjacent guides so that the plurality of guide members 12 are connected. And a plurality of connecting members 14 having flexibility for connecting the members 12 to each other. When the guide member 12 is connected by the flexible connecting member 14, the degree of freedom in changing the shape of the guide surface formed by the guide member 12 and the connecting member 14 is increased. For example, the article 1 is overturned during conveyance. In such a case, the guide surface can be easily adjusted.

  FIG. 2A is a plan view showing a part of the guide device 10, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A 'of FIG. The connecting member 14 can include a coil spring, for example. The guide member 12 has, for example, a screw portion 12 ′ at an end thereof, and the guide member 12 and the coil spring can be connected by inserting or screwing the screw portion 12 ′ into a coil spring as the connecting member 14. In addition to the coil spring, the connecting member 14 may be configured by a flexible member such as rubber. The guide device 10 preferably includes a covering material 18 that covers at least a portion of the side surfaces of the plurality of guide members 12 and the plurality of connecting members 14 that are in contact with the article 1 to be guided to form a smooth guide surface.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the support mechanism 16. It is preferable that at least one of the plurality of support mechanisms 16 has an adjustment mechanism for adjusting at least one of the position and posture of the guide member 12 supported by the support mechanism 16. For example, at least one of the plurality of support mechanisms 16 includes the position of the guide member 12 supported by the support mechanism 16 in the direction along the axial direction (first direction), the height of the guide member 12, and the height of the guide member 12. It is preferable to have an adjustment mechanism for adjusting at least one of the position in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction and the rotation angle of the guide member 12 around the vertical direction.

  In the configuration example shown in FIG. 3, the adjustment mechanism of the support mechanism 16 is fixed to the first member 110 connected to the guide member 12, the structure supporting the conveyor 40, or the support member 30 connected to the structure. A third member 130, and a second member 120 that connects the first member 110 and the third member 130. For example, the first member 110 has a long hole 112, the second member 120 has a long hole 122, and the first member 110 and the second member 120 have bolts 114 passing through the long hole 112 and the long hole 122, and They are fixed to each other by nuts (not shown). According to such a configuration, by loosening the bolt 114, the conveyance direction of the guide member 12, the direction orthogonal thereto, and the rotation angle around the vertical direction can be adjusted. The third member 130 has a long hole 132 extending in the height direction (vertical direction), and the second member 120 and the third member 130 are fixed to each other by a bolt 134 that passes through the long hole 132. According to such a configuration, the position of the guide member 12 in the height direction can be adjusted by loosening the bolt 134.

1 Goods (for example, beverage containers)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Guide apparatus 12 Guide member 12 'Screw part 14 Connection member 16 Support mechanism 18 Coating | covering material 30 Support member 40 Conveyor 42 Table top chain conveyor 50,55,56 Guide 100 Conveyance apparatus 110 1st member 120 2nd member 130 3rd member 112, 122, 132 Long hole 114, 134 bolt

Claims (4)

A guide device for guiding an article being conveyed,
A plurality of guide members;
A plurality of support mechanisms for respectively supporting the plurality of guide members;
A plurality of connecting members having flexibility to mutually connect adjacent guide members so that the plurality of guide members are connected;
A guide device comprising: The connecting member includes a coil spring,
The guide device includes a covering material that covers at least a portion of the side surfaces of the plurality of guide members and the plurality of connecting members that are in contact with an article to be guided to form a smooth guide surface.
The guide device according to claim 1. At least one support mechanism of the plurality of support mechanisms has an adjustment mechanism for adjusting at least one of a position and a posture of a guide member supported by the support mechanism.
The guide device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein A conveyor for conveying articles;
The guide device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the guide device is arranged to guide an article being conveyed by the conveyor.
A conveying device comprising:

Images