JP2011121759A - Conveyor unit and conveyor device with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a conveyor unit capable of increasing the rotational torque of a downstream side conveyance roller. <P>SOLUTION: A plurality of conveyance rollers 16 include upstream side conveyance rollers 34 arranged on the upstream side in a conveyance direction of a driving roller 14, and downstream side conveyance rollers 36 arranged on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the driving roller 14. An upstream side driven roller 46 is arranged freely rotatably and vertically movably between the driving roller 14 and the upstream side conveyance roller 34, and the upstream side driven roller 46 is pressed and contacted to the driving roller 14 and the upstream side conveyance roller 34 from the lower side. Moreover, a downstream side driven roller 60 is arranged freely rotatably and vertically movably between the driving roller 14 and the downstream side conveyance roller 36, and the downstream side driven roller 60 is pressed and contacted to the driving roller 14 and the downstream side conveyance roller 36 from the upper side. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a conveyor unit for conveying an object to be conveyed and a conveyor apparatus including the same.

  Conventionally, a conveyor device is used to convey an object to be conveyed, and this conveyor device is configured by arranging a plurality of conveyor units along a conveyance path (see, for example, Patent Document 1). . The conveyor unit includes a unit frame, a driving roller and a plurality of conveying rollers that are rotatably supported by the unit frame and arranged in parallel along the conveying path, and a driving motor for rotationally driving the driving roller. I have. The plurality of transport rollers include a plurality of upstream transport rollers disposed on the upstream side in the transport direction of the drive roller, and a plurality of downstream transport rollers disposed on the downstream side in the transport direction of the drive roller. Yes.

  An upstream driven roller is rotatably and vertically movable on the lower side between the driving roller and the adjacent upstream conveying roller and on the lower side between the pair of adjacent upstream conveying rollers, respectively. ing. The upstream driven roller is elastically biased upward by a coil spring, and is pressed from below to the drive roller, the upstream transport roller adjacent thereto, and the pair of adjacent upstream transport rollers. . A downstream driven roller is rotatably and vertically movable on the lower side between the drive roller and the adjacent downstream transport roller and on the lower side between the pair of adjacent downstream transport rollers. It is installed. The downstream driven roller is elastically biased upward by a coil spring, and is pressed from below to the drive roller, the downstream transport roller adjacent thereto, and a pair of adjacent downstream transport rollers. .

  When the driving roller is rotated in the conveying direction, the rotation of the driving roller is transmitted to each of the plurality of upstream conveying rollers via the plurality of upstream driven rollers, and a plurality of rotations are transmitted via the plurality of downstream driven rollers. Is transmitted to each of the downstream conveying rollers.

JP 2008-169033 A

  The conventional conveyor unit as described above has the following problems. On the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the driving roller, when the upstream driven roller adjacent to the driving roller rotates, the driving roller acts to push up the upstream driven roller. As a result, the upstream driven roller acts so as to bite into the driving roller, and the transmission torque between the driving roller and the upstream conveying roller is increased. However, on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the driving roller, when the downstream driven roller adjacent to the driving roller rotates as the driving roller rotates, the driving roller acts to push down the downstream driven roller. The pressing force of the downstream driven roller against the driving roller is reduced, and the transmission torque between the driving roller and the downstream conveying roller is reduced.

  Therefore, in the conveyor apparatus provided with the conveyor unit described above, the rotational torque of the downstream conveyance roller at the connection portion between a pair of adjacent conveyor units is reduced, and the object to be conveyed from the upstream conveyor unit to the downstream conveyor unit is reduced. Cannot be transported smoothly. In particular, in a branch type conveyor apparatus including a main conveyor and a branch conveyor branched to the upstream side thereof, the rotation torque of the downstream-side transport roller is larger because the transport direction changes at the connection portion between the main conveyor and the branch conveyor. Is required. However, as described above, the rotational torque of the downstream-side transport roller is reduced, so that the transported object cannot be smoothly transported from the branch conveyor to the main conveyor.

  The objective of this invention is providing the conveyor unit which can enlarge the rotational torque of a downstream conveyance roller.

  Moreover, the other object of this invention is to provide the conveyor apparatus which can perform the conveyance of the to-be-conveyed object from a branch conveyor to a main conveyor smoothly.

In a conveyor unit according to a first aspect of the present invention, a unit frame, a driving roller rotatably supported by the unit frame and arranged in parallel along a conveying path, a plurality of conveying rollers, and the driving roller are provided. A drive source for rotational driving,
The plurality of transport rollers include an upstream transport roller disposed upstream in the transport direction of the drive roller, and a downstream transport roller disposed downstream in the transport direction of the drive roller, An upstream driven roller is disposed between the driving roller and the upstream conveying roller so as to be rotatable and vertically movable. The upstream driven roller pushes the driving roller and the upstream conveying roller from below. Further, a downstream driven roller is disposed between the drive roller and the downstream transport roller so as to be rotatable and vertically movable, and the downstream driven roller is arranged from the upper side to the drive roller and the downstream roller. Is pressed against the side transport roller,
When the drive roller is rotated in the transport direction by the drive source, the upstream driven roller acts so as to bite into the drive roller, and the rotation of the drive roller passes through the upstream driven roller to the upstream side. The downstream driven roller is transmitted to the conveying roller and acts so that the downstream driven roller bites into the driving roller, and the rotation of the driving roller is transmitted to the downstream conveying roller via the downstream driven roller. Features.

  In the conveyor unit according to claim 2 of the present invention, the downstream driven roller includes a core member formed of metal, and a friction member provided so as to cover an outer peripheral portion of the core member. And the downstream driven roller is pressed against the driving roller and the downstream transport roller from above using its own weight.

  In the conveyor unit according to claim 3 of the present invention, an elastic biasing means for elastically biasing the downstream driven roller downward is provided in association with the downstream driven roller. The downstream driven roller is pressed against the drive roller and the downstream transport roller from above by the action of the elastic biasing means.

Further, in the conveyor unit according to claim 4 of the present invention, a plurality of the upstream conveying rollers are arranged on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the driving roller, and the driving roller and the upstream conveying roller adjacent thereto are arranged. The upstream driven rollers are rotatably and vertically movable between a pair of adjacent upstream conveying rollers, and the plurality of upstream driven rollers are driven from the lower side, respectively. Pressed against the roller and the upstream transport roller adjacent thereto and the pair of adjacent upstream transport rollers adjacent thereto,
When the drive roller is rotated in the transport direction by the drive source, the plurality of upstream driven rollers act so as to bite into the drive roller and the plurality of upstream transport rollers, so that the drive roller rotates. It is transmitted to each of the plurality of upstream conveying rollers via the plurality of upstream driven rollers.

  In the conveyor unit according to claim 5 of the present invention, a narrow angle formed by a straight line connecting a central axis of the upstream driven roller and each central axis of the pair of upstream conveying rollers adjacent to the upstream driven roller, and the upstream driven roller. Narrow angles formed by straight lines connecting the central axis of the roller and the central axis of the driving roller and the upstream conveying roller adjacent thereto are set to 110 to 115 °, respectively.

Further, in the conveyor unit according to claim 6 of the present invention, a plurality of the downstream conveying rollers are disposed on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the driving roller, and the driving roller and the downstream conveying roller adjacent thereto are arranged. The downstream driven rollers are rotatably and vertically movable between the pair of adjacent downstream transport rollers, and the plurality of downstream driven rollers are respectively connected to the drive roller from above. And the downstream side transport roller adjacent thereto and the pair of adjacent downstream side transport rollers,
When the drive roller is rotated in the transport direction by the drive source, the plurality of downstream driven rollers act so as to bite into the drive roller and the plurality of downstream transport rollers, so that the drive roller rotates. It is transmitted to each of the plurality of downstream transport rollers via the plurality of downstream driven rollers.

In the conveyor unit according to claim 7 of the present invention, the first and second downstream driven rollers are rotatably and vertically movable between the drive roller and the downstream transport roller, The first downstream driven roller is pressed against the driving roller and the downstream conveying roller from above, and the second downstream driven roller is pressed against the driving roller and the downstream conveying roller from below. And
When the driving roller is rotated in the transport direction by the driving source, the first downstream driven roller acts to bite into the driving roller, and the rotation of the driving roller is the first and second downstream sides. It is transmitted to the downstream conveying roller through a driven roller.

Moreover, in the conveyor apparatus of Claim 8 of this invention, it is provided with the main conveyor which forms a main conveyance path | route, and the branch conveyor which forms the branch conveyance path | route branched to the upstream of the said main conveyance path | route,
The branch conveyor is configured by arranging a plurality of branch conveyor units along the branch conveyance path, and the plurality of branch conveyor units includes the conveyor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The conveyor unit is arranged at a connection portion between the main conveyor and the branch conveyor.

  According to the conveyor unit of the first aspect of the present invention, the downstream driven roller is rotatably and vertically movable between the driving roller and the downstream transport roller, and the downstream driven roller is To the driving roller and the downstream conveying roller. As a result, when the driving roller is rotated in the transport direction, the driving roller acts to push down the downstream driven roller, so that the downstream driven roller acts to bite into the driving roller. Accordingly, the transmission torque between the driving roller and the downstream driven roller is increased, and the rotational torque of the downstream conveying roller can be increased.

  Moreover, according to the conveyor unit of Claim 2 of this invention, the downstream driven roller has a core member and the friction member provided so that the outer peripheral part of the core member might be covered. Since the core member is made of metal (for example, metal having a large specific gravity such as iron), the weight of the downstream driven roller is increased. Therefore, the downstream driven roller can be pressed against the driving roller and the downstream conveying roller from the upper side with a relatively simple configuration using the weight of the downstream driven roller.

  In the conveyor unit according to the third aspect of the present invention, since the elastic biasing means for elastically biasing the downstream driven roller downward is provided, the action (elasticity) of the elastic biasing means is provided. By the biasing force), the downstream driven roller can be pressed from above with a large force by the driving roller and the downstream conveying roller. Thereby, the transmission torque between the driving roller and the downstream driven roller can be further increased.

  In the conveyor unit according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of upstream conveying rollers are arranged on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the driving roller, and the plurality of upstream driven rollers are respectively arranged from the lower side. It is pressed against the driving roller, the upstream conveying roller adjacent thereto, and the pair of adjacent upstream conveying rollers. When the driving roller is rotated in the conveying direction by the driving source, the plurality of upstream driven rollers act so as to bite into the driving roller and the plurality of upstream conveying rollers, so the upstream driven roller, the driving roller, and the upstream conveying roller Between the two and the upstream conveying rollers can be increased.

  According to the conveyor unit of the present invention, the narrow angle formed by a straight line connecting the central axis of the upstream driven roller and the central axes of the pair of upstream conveying rollers adjacent to each other and the upstream driven roller. The narrow angles formed by the straight lines connecting the central axis of the motor and the central axis of the driving roller and the upstream conveying rollers adjacent thereto are set to 110 to 115 °, respectively. As a result, the transmission torque between the upstream driven roller and the pair of upstream conveyance rollers adjacent to each other, and the transmission torque between the upstream driven roller and the driving roller and the upstream conveyance roller adjacent thereto are respectively optimized. Can be kept.

  In the conveyor unit according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of downstream conveying rollers are arranged on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the driving roller, and the plurality of downstream driven rollers are driven from above. The roller is pressed against the downstream conveyance roller adjacent thereto and a pair of adjacent downstream conveyance rollers. When the driving roller is rotated in the conveying direction by the driving source, the plurality of downstream driven rollers act so as to bite into the driving roller and the plurality of downstream conveying rollers, so the downstream driven roller, the driving roller, and the downstream conveying roller Between the two and a plurality of downstream-side transport rollers can be increased.

  According to the conveyor unit of the seventh aspect of the present invention, the first and second downstream driven rollers are rotatably and vertically movable between the driving roller and the downstream conveying roller. Yes. When the driving roller is rotated in the transport direction, the first downstream driven roller acts so as to bite into the driving roller, so that the transmission torque between the driving roller and the first downstream driven roller increases. In addition, the rotation of the driving roller is transmitted to the downstream conveying roller via the two upper and lower downstream driven rollers, that is, the first and second downstream driven rollers. Can be larger.

  Moreover, according to the conveyor apparatus of Claim 8 of this invention, the some branch conveyor unit contains the conveyor unit in any one of Claims 1-7, This conveyor unit is a main conveyor. It is arranged at the connection with the branch conveyor. In the branch type conveyor apparatus, the connecting direction between the main conveyor and the branch conveyor requires a larger rotational torque of the downstream-side transport roller because the transport direction changes. As described above, any one of claims 1 to 6 In the conveyor unit described above, the rotational torque of the downstream-side transport roller can be increased, so that the object to be transported from the branch conveyor to the main conveyor can be smoothly transported.

It is a perspective view which shows the conveyor unit by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the conveyor unit by the AA line in FIG. It is sectional drawing of the conveyor unit by the BB line in FIG. It is sectional drawing of the conveyor unit by CC line in FIG. It is a figure which shows the conveyor apparatus comprised by arrange | positioning multiple conveyor units of FIG. 1 along a conveyance path | route. It is sectional drawing of the conveyor unit by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the branch type conveyor apparatus provided with the conveyor unit of FIG. It is sectional drawing by the cut surface substantially parallel to the conveyance path | route of the conveyor unit by the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing by the cut surface orthogonal to the conveyance path | route of the conveyor unit of FIG.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of a conveyor unit and a conveyor device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[First Embodiment]
First, the conveyor unit and conveyor apparatus of 1st Embodiment are demonstrated with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conveyor unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the conveyor unit along the line AA in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the conveyor unit along line B-B, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the conveyor unit along line CC in FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the conveyor unit of FIG. It is a figure which shows the conveyor apparatus comprised by arrange | positioning more than one.

  With reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, the conveyor unit 2 of the present embodiment includes a unit frame 4. The unit frame 4 includes a rectangular base plate 6 and a pair of support frames 8 attached to both end portions of the base plate 6. The pair of support frames 8 are disposed to face each other, and each support frame 8 is a flat plate provided so as to cover the inner frame 10 having a substantially U-shaped cross section and the concave surface side of the inner frame 10. And an outer frame 12 having a shape. The support frame 12 is configured as a rectangular cylinder as a whole, and a plurality of bearings (not shown) are provided therein. A driving roller 14 and a plurality of conveying rollers 16 are rotatably supported on the pair of support frames 12, and the object to be conveyed 18 (see FIG. 5) is conveyed by these driving rollers 14 and the plurality of conveying rollers 16. They are arranged along the transport path 20. In addition, a guide rail 22 (described later) having a rectangular cross section extending along the transport path 20 is provided on the upper surface of the base plate 6.

  The drive roller 14 has a hollow cylindrical roller body 24 and a rotation shaft 26 extending through the roller body 24 in the axial direction thereof. The roller body 24 is made of, for example, iron. Further, both end portions of the rotation shaft 26 extend to the outside of the roller body 24. In relation to the drive roller 14, a bearing 28 and a drive motor 30 (constituting a drive source) are attached to the outer frame 12 of one support frame 8, and a bearing 32 is attached to the outer frame 12 of the other support frame 8. Is attached. One end portion of the rotating shaft 26 of the driving roller 14 extends outward through one support frame 8, is rotatably supported by the bearing 28, and is drivingly connected to an output shaft (not shown) of the driving motor 30. (See FIG. 3). Further, the other end portion of the rotating shaft 26 of the driving roller 14 extends outward through the other support frame 8 and is rotatably supported by the bearing 32.

  The plurality of conveyance rollers 16 are arranged on the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the drive roller 14 (right side in FIG. 2) and on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the drive roller 14 (left side in FIG. 2). And a downstream conveyance roller 36 disposed therein. Each of the upstream-side transport roller 34 and the downstream-side transport roller 36 includes a hollow cylindrical roller body 38, 40, and rotating shafts 42, 44 extending through the roller body 38, 40 in the axial direction thereof. Yes. The roller bodies 38 and 40 are made of, for example, iron. Further, both end portions of the rotary shafts 38 and 40 extend to the outside of the roller bodies 38 and 40, respectively, pass through the inner frame 10, and are rotatably supported by bearings (not shown).

  On the lower side between the driving roller 14 and the adjacent upstream conveyance roller 34 and on the lower side between the pair of adjacent upstream conveyance rollers 34, an upstream driven roller 46 and this can be rotated freely. A support member 48 is provided for support in a movable manner in the vertical direction and the transport direction (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The support member 48 includes a pair of bracket portions 50 and a support shaft portion 52 supported between the pair of bracket portions 50, and the upstream driven roller 46 is rotatably supported by the support shaft portion 52. ing. The lower end portions of the pair of bracket portions 50 are mounted on the guide rail 22 so as to be movable up and down and movable in the transport direction so as to sandwich the guide rail 22 from both sides. In addition, a support section 54 having a rectangular cross section and a cylindrical shape is provided between the pair of bracket sections 50, and a pair of cylindrical mounting sections 56 is provided inside the support section 54. The upper end portion of the mounting portion 56 is closed, and the lower end portion penetrates the lower surface of the support portion 54 and is exposed to the outside. Inside the mounting portion 56, a coil spring 58 is disposed so as to be extendable and contractible. The upper end portion of the coil spring 58 is supported by the upper end portion of the mounting portion 56, and the lower end portion thereof is projected to the outside through the lower end portion of the mounting portion 56 and is supported by the upper surface of the guide rail 22. Since the coil spring 58 is biased in the contracting direction, the upstream driven roller 46 is driven by the elastic biasing force of the coil spring 58 from the lower side to the drive roller 14 and the upstream conveying roller 34 adjacent thereto and a pair of adjacent upstream sides. Pressed against the conveying roller 34. When the coil spring 58 is expanded and contracted, the upstream driven roller 46 is moved up and down integrally with the support member 48. The upstream driven roller 46 is preferably made of a material having a large friction coefficient such as urethane, for example, and the frictional force between the upstream driven roller 46, the driving roller 14, and the upstream conveying roller 34 is increased.

  In the present embodiment, the central axis of the upstream driven roller 46 (that is, the center of the support shaft portion 52) and the central axis of the pair of upstream conveying rollers 34 adjacent thereto (that is, the center of the rotating shaft 42) are used. The narrow angle θ (see FIG. 2) formed by the connecting straight lines is set to about 112.3 °. The narrow angle θ is preferably 110 to 115 °, more preferably 112 to 113 °. By setting in this way, the transmission torque between the upstream driven roller 46 and the pair of adjacent upstream transport rollers 34 can be kept at an optimum magnitude. When the narrow angle θ is smaller than 110 °, the central axis of the upstream driven roller 46 is positioned below the state shown in FIG. 2, so that the upstream driven roller 46 is pressed against the upstream conveying roller 34. Therefore, the spring coefficient of the coil spring 58 must be increased. Therefore, a large force is required to contract the coil spring 58, and the support member 48 cannot be easily attached to the guide rail 22. When the narrow angle θ is larger than 115 °, the central axis of the upstream driven roller 46 is positioned above the state shown in FIG. 2, and the upstream driven roller 46 is adjacent to a pair of upstream conveyances. It enters between the rollers 34. For this reason, the friction between the upstream driven roller 46 and the upstream transport roller 34 increases, and the wear of the upstream driven roller 46 increases. Note that the narrow angle formed by the straight line connecting the central axis of the upstream driven roller 46 and the central axis of the driving roller 14 and the upstream transport roller 34 adjacent thereto is set in the same manner as the narrow angle θ described above. Yes.

  On the upper side between the driving roller 14 and the downstream conveying roller 36, a downstream driven roller 60 and a bracket member 62 for supporting the driven roller 60 rotatably and vertically and in the conveying direction are disposed. (See FIG. 2 and FIG. 4). The bracket member 62 has a substantially U-shaped cross section and is attached to the inner frame 10 of the other support frame 8 via an angle member 64. The downstream driven roller 60 includes a core member 66 and a friction member 68 provided so as to cover the outer periphery of the core member 66. The core member 66 is made of a metal having a relatively large specific gravity such as iron, and the friction member 68 is made of a material having a large friction coefficient such as urethane. Both ends of the core member 66 are formed in a substantially conical shape and protrude outward in the axial direction. The downstream driven roller 60 is disposed inside the bracket member 62 so as to be rotatable and movable in the vertical direction and the conveying direction, and both ends of the core member 66 are in contact with or close to the inner side surface of the bracket member 62. ing. As a result, the downstream driven roller 60 is pressed against the driving roller 14 and the downstream transport roller 36 from above using its own weight.

  In the conveyor unit 2 described above, the plurality of transport rollers 16 are rotationally driven as follows. When the driving roller 14 is rotated in the conveying direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 2) by the driving motor 30, the driving roller 14 is rotated by the frictional force between the driving roller 14 and the upstream driven roller 46 adjacent thereto. Is transmitted to the upstream driven roller 46, and the upstream driven roller 46 is rotated in a predetermined direction (clockwise in FIG. 2). At this time, since the drive roller 14 acts to push up the upstream driven roller 46 (see FIG. 2), the upstream driven roller 46 acts to bite into the drive roller 14, and the drive roller 14 and the upstream driven roller The transmission torque with 46 increases. Further, the friction between the upstream driven roller 46 and the upstream transport roller 34 adjacent to the upstream driven roller 46 transmits the rotation of the upstream driven roller 46 to the upstream transport roller 34. It is rotated in the transport direction. Similarly, the rotation of the driving roller 14 is transmitted to each of the plurality of upstream conveyance rollers 34 via the plurality of upstream driven rollers 46, and the plurality of upstream conveyance rollers 34 are respectively rotated in the conveyance direction. As described above, since the transmission torque between the driving roller 14 and the upstream driven roller 46 is increased, the rotational torque of the upstream conveying roller 34 can be increased.

  Note that the cross-sectional shape of the upstream conveying roller 34 may be slightly elliptical depending on the processing accuracy. In such a case, when the upstream-side transport roller 34 is rotated in the transport direction, the upstream-side transport roller 34 swings in the vertical direction with a predetermined width (for example, about ± 5 mm). As described above, since the upstream driven roller 46 is elastically supported by the coil spring 58, the up and down vibration of the upstream conveying roller 34 is absorbed by the expansion and contraction of the coil spring 58, and the upstream side of the upstream driven roller 46. The core position with respect to the conveying roller 34 can be automatically adjusted. Thereby, the transmission torque between the upstream driven roller 46 and the upstream conveying roller 34 can always be kept in an optimum state.

  Further, when the driving roller 14 is rotated in the conveying direction, the rotation of the driving roller 14 is transmitted to the downstream driven roller 60 by the frictional force between the driving roller 14 and the downstream driven roller 60, and the downstream driven roller is driven. The roller 60 is rotated in a predetermined direction (clockwise in FIG. 2). At this time, since the driving roller 14 acts to push down the downstream driven roller 60 (see FIG. 2), the downstream driven roller 60 acts to bite into the driving roller 14, and the driving roller 14 and the downstream driven roller The transmission torque between 60 increases. Further, due to the frictional force between the downstream driven roller 60 and the downstream transport roller 36, the rotation of the downstream driven roller 60 is transmitted to the downstream transport roller 36, and the downstream transport roller 36 is rotated in the transport direction. The As described above, since the transmission torque between the driving roller 14 and the downstream driven roller 60 is increased, the rotational torque of the downstream conveying roller 36 can be increased.

  As described above, when the driving roller 14 and the plurality of transport rollers 16 are simultaneously rotated in the transport direction, the object 18 placed on the plurality of transport rollers 16 is moved along the transport path 20. It is transported from the upstream side in the transport direction toward the downstream side in the transport direction.

  Referring to FIG. 5, the illustrated conveyor device 70 is configured by arranging a plurality of the above-described conveyor units 2 along the conveyance path 20. When the driving roller 14 and the plurality of transport rollers 16 of each conveyor unit 2 are rotated in the transport direction, the object 18 is transported along the transport path 20 from the upstream side in the transport direction toward the downstream side in the transport direction. Be transported.

  In the conveyor device 70 of the present embodiment, as described above, the rotational torque of the downstream transport roller 36 of each conveyor unit 2 is increased, so that the conveyor unit 2 on the upstream side in the transport direction moves from the conveyor unit 2 on the downstream side in the transport direction. The transported object 18 can be smoothly transported.

  Moreover, since the conveyor apparatus 70 of this embodiment is installed by arranging the some conveyor unit 2 continuously along the conveyance path | route 20, the installation can be performed easily. Further, when a failure or the like occurs in the conveyor device 70, only the failed conveyor unit 2 needs to be repaired or replaced, so that maintenance can be easily performed.

  In addition, in the conveyor apparatus 70 of this embodiment, each conveyor unit 2 can be independently drive-controlled. In such a case, for example, a detection sensor (not shown) for detecting the object to be conveyed 18 is provided corresponding to each conveyor unit 2, and each conveyor unit 2 is driven based on a detection signal from this detection sensor. The drive of the motor 30 is controlled. Each conveyor unit 2 is driven and controlled as follows, for example. When there is no object to be transported 18 in the specific conveyor unit 2 and the upstream conveyor unit 2, the specific conveyor unit 2 is stopped. When the transported object 18 is transported to the upstream conveyor unit 2, the specific conveyor unit 2 is driven, and then the transported object 18 is moved from the specific conveyor unit 2 to the downstream conveyor unit 2. Then, the driving of the specific conveyor unit 2 is stopped again. By performing such drive control, energy saving can be achieved and the life of the apparatus can be extended.

Alternatively, when there is no object to be transported 18 on the downstream conveyor unit 2 of the specific conveyor unit 2, the specific conveyor unit 2 is driven, and when the object to be transported 18 is on the downstream conveyor unit 2, the specific conveyor The drive of the unit 2 may be stopped. By performing such drive control, it is possible to prevent the object 18 from colliding.
[Second Embodiment]
Next, with reference to FIG.6 and FIG.7, the conveyor unit and conveyor apparatus of 2nd Embodiment are demonstrated. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a conveyor unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a branch type conveyor device including the conveyor unit of FIG. In each of the embodiments described below, the same reference numerals are given to substantially the same components as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

  With reference to FIG. 6, in the conveyor unit 2 </ b> A of the present embodiment, a plurality of downstream-side conveyance rollers 36 </ b> A are disposed on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the driving roller 14. The plurality of downstream-side transport rollers 36A are configured so that their lengths become shorter toward the downstream side in the transport direction (see FIG. 7), and one end portions of the rotation shafts 44 are provided on the upper surface of the base plate 6. A bearing (not shown) is rotatably supported. On the upper side between the driving roller 14 and the adjacent downstream conveying roller 36A and on the upper side between the pair of adjacent downstream conveying rollers 36A, the first downstream driven roller 60A and the first driven roller 60A are rotatable. A bracket member 62 </ b> A is provided for supporting it so as to be movable in the vertical direction and the conveying direction. Further, a second downstream driven roller 72 and a lower roller between the driving roller 14 and the downstream conveying roller 36A adjacent to the driving roller 14 and a lower side between the pair of adjacent downstream conveying rollers 36A are connected to the second downstream driven roller 72, respectively. A support member 74 is provided for supporting the rotor so as to be rotatable and movable in the vertical direction and the conveying direction. The first downstream driven roller 60A and the bracket member 62A are respectively configured in the same manner as the downstream driven roller 60 and the bracket member 60 of the first embodiment, and the drive roller 14 and the downstream side adjacent thereto are arranged from the upper side. It is pressed against the transport roller 36A and a pair of adjacent downstream transport rollers 36A. The second downstream driven roller 72 and the support member 74 are respectively configured in the same manner as the upstream driven roller 46 and the support member 48 of the first embodiment, and the drive roller 14 and the upstream adjacent thereto are arranged from the lower side. It is pressed against the side conveyance roller 34 and a pair of adjacent upstream conveyance rollers 34.

  When the driving roller 14 is rotated in the conveying direction, the rotation of the driving roller 14 is transmitted to each of the plurality of upstream conveying rollers 34 via the plurality of upstream driven rollers 46 as in the first embodiment. Is done. When the driving roller 14 is rotated in the conveying direction, the rotation of the driving roller 14 is caused by the frictional force between the driving roller 14 and the first and second downstream driven rollers 60A and 72. The rotation of the driving roller 14 is transmitted to the downstream driven rollers 60A and 72, and the first and second downstream sides are rotated by the frictional force between the driving roller 14 and the first and second downstream driven rollers 60A and 72. It is transmitted to the driven rollers 60A and 72. The rotation of the first and second downstream driven rollers 60A and 72 is transmitted to the downstream transport roller 36A by the frictional force between the first and second downstream driven rollers 60A and 72 and the downstream transport roller 36A. Then, the downstream side conveyance roller 36A is rotated in the conveyance direction. Similarly, the rotation of the driving roller 14 is transmitted to each of the plurality of downstream conveyance rollers 36A via the plurality of first and second downstream driven rollers 60A and 72, and the plurality of downstream conveyance rollers 36A are respectively It is rotated in the transport direction.

  In the conveyor unit 2A of the present embodiment, when the driving roller 14 is rotated in the conveying direction, the first downstream driven roller 60A acts so as to bite into the driving roller 14, and therefore the driving roller 14 and the first downstream driven The transmission torque with the roller 60A increases. In addition, the rotation of the driving roller 14 is transmitted to the downstream conveying roller 36A via the two upper and lower downstream driven rollers, that is, the first and second downstream driven rollers 60A and 72. The rotational torque of the roller 36A can be further increased.

  Referring to FIG. 7, the illustrated conveyor device 70 </ b> A includes a main conveyor 78 that forms a main conveyance path 76, and a branch conveyor 82 that forms a branch conveyance path 80 branched to the upstream side of the main conveyance path 76. I have. The main conveyor 78 is configured by arranging a plurality of main conveyor units 2 along the main conveyance path 76. The main conveyor unit 2 is configured similarly to the conveyor unit 2 of the first embodiment. Further, the branch conveyor 82 is configured by arranging a plurality of branch conveyor units 2, 2 </ b> A along the branch conveyance path 80. The branch conveyor units 2 and 2A include the conveyor unit 2 of the first embodiment and the conveyor unit 2A of the present embodiment. The conveyor unit 2 </ b> A of the present embodiment is disposed on the most downstream side in the transport direction of the branch transport path 80, that is, at the connection portion between the main conveyor 78 and the branch conveyor 82.

In the branch type conveyor device 2A of the present embodiment, the connecting portion between the main conveyor 78 and the branch conveyor 82 requires a larger rotational torque of the downstream-side transport roller 36A because the transport direction changes. In addition, since the rotational torque of the downstream-side transport roller 36A can be increased, it is possible to smoothly transport an object to be transported (not shown) from the branch conveyor 82 to the main conveyor 78.
[Third Embodiment]
Next, with reference to FIG.8 and FIG.9, the conveyor unit of 3rd Embodiment is demonstrated. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along a cutting plane substantially parallel to the conveyor path of the conveyor unit according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane orthogonal to the conveyor path of the conveyor unit shown in FIG. It is.

  In the conveyor unit 2B of this embodiment, the downstream driven roller 84 and the downstream driven roller 84 are rotatable on the upper side between the driving roller 14 and the downstream transport roller 36 adjacent thereto, and can be moved in the vertical direction and the transport direction. A support member 86 is provided for support. The downstream driven roller 84 and the support member 86 are respectively configured in the same manner as the upstream driven roller 46 and the support member 48 of the first embodiment. The arrangement is reversed. The support member 86 is attached to the inner frame 10 of the other support frame 8 via a box-like attachment member 88 having an open bottom surface. A guide rail 90 having a rectangular cross section extending along the transport path 20 is provided on the inner upper surface of the mounting member 88, and the upper ends of the pair of bracket portions 92 of the support member 86 sandwich the guide rail 90 from both sides. The guide rail 90 is mounted so as to be movable up and down and movable in the transport direction. As a result, the downstream driven roller 84 and the support member 86 are disposed inside the attachment member 88. Further, the lower end of a coil spring 96 (which constitutes an elastic biasing means) disposed in a retractable manner inside the mounting portion 94 is supported by the lower end of the mounting portion 94, and the upper end thereof is the upper end of the mounting portion 94. And is supported on the lower surface of the guide rail 90. Since the coil spring 96 is urged in the contracting direction, the downstream driven roller 84 is driven by the elastic biasing force of the coil spring 96 from above, so that the driving roller 14 and the downstream transport roller 36 adjacent thereto and the pair of downstream transport rollers adjacent thereto. Pressed against the roller 36.

  Therefore, also in the conveyor unit 2B of this embodiment, the same effect as the said 1st and 2nd embodiment is achieved.

  In the present embodiment, the downstream driven roller 84 is made of, for example, urethane or the like. However, similarly to the first embodiment, from the friction member provided so as to cover the core member and the outer periphery thereof. The core member may be formed of a metal having a relatively large specific gravity such as iron, and the friction member may be formed of a material having a large friction coefficient such as urethane. As a result, the downstream driven roller 84 is pressed against the driving roller 14 and the downstream conveying roller 36 from above by the elastic biasing force of the coil spring 96 and using its own weight. The transmission torque with the driven roller 84 can be further increased.

  As mentioned above, although various embodiment of the conveyor unit and conveyor apparatus according to this invention was described, this invention is not limited to this embodiment, Various deformation | transformation thru | or correction | amendment are possible, without deviating from the scope of this invention. is there.

  For example, in each of the above embodiments, a plurality of the upstream conveying rollers 34 are disposed on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the driving roller 14, but only one may be disposed. In such a case, one or a plurality of downstream-side transport rollers 36 (36A) can be disposed on the downstream side of the drive roller 14 in the transport direction.

  Further, for example, in the first and second embodiments, both end portions of the core member 66 of the downstream driven roller 60 (60A) are formed in a substantially conical shape and protrude outward in the axial direction. Is configured to be in contact with or close to the inner surface of the bracket member 62 (62A), but may be configured as follows, for example. The rotating shafts protrude from the both ends of the core member 66 to the outside, and guide recesses are provided on both sides of the bracket member 62 (62A) so that the rotation shaft of the core member 66 can be freely rotated into the guide recesses. In addition, it is mounted so as to be movable in the vertical direction and the conveyance direction. Accordingly, the downstream driven roller 60 (60A) is supported by the bracket member 62 (62A) so as to be rotatable and movable in the vertical direction and the conveying direction.

2, 2A, 2B Conveyor unit 14 Drive roller 16 Transport roller 20 Transport path 30 Drive motor (drive source)
34 Upstream conveying roller 36, 36A Downstream conveying roller 46 Upstream driven roller 60, 84 Downstream driven roller 60A First downstream driven roller 66 Core member 68 Friction member 70, 70A Conveyor device 72 Second downstream driven roller 78 Main conveyor 82 Branch conveyor 96 Coil spring (elastic biasing means)

Claims (8)

A unit frame, a drive roller rotatably supported by the unit frame and arranged in parallel along the transport path, and a plurality of transport rollers, and a drive source for rotationally driving the drive roller,
The plurality of transport rollers include an upstream transport roller disposed upstream in the transport direction of the drive roller, and a downstream transport roller disposed downstream in the transport direction of the drive roller, An upstream driven roller is disposed between the driving roller and the upstream conveying roller so as to be rotatable and vertically movable. The upstream driven roller pushes the driving roller and the upstream conveying roller from below. Further, a downstream driven roller is disposed between the drive roller and the downstream transport roller so as to be rotatable and vertically movable, and the downstream driven roller is arranged from the upper side to the drive roller and the downstream roller. Is pressed against the side transport roller,
When the drive roller is rotated in the transport direction by the drive source, the upstream driven roller acts so as to bite into the drive roller, and the rotation of the drive roller passes through the upstream driven roller to the upstream side. The downstream driven roller is transmitted to the conveying roller and acts so that the downstream driven roller bites into the driving roller, and the rotation of the driving roller is transmitted to the downstream conveying roller via the downstream driven roller. A featured conveyor unit.   The downstream driven roller has a core member made of metal and a friction member provided so as to cover the outer periphery of the core member, and the downstream driven roller has its own weight. The conveyor unit according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor unit is pressed against the driving roller and the downstream conveying roller from above.   In relation to the downstream driven roller, elastic biasing means for elastically biasing the downstream driven roller downward is provided, and the downstream driven roller is operated by the action of the elastic biasing means. The conveyor unit according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor unit is pressed against the driving roller and the downstream conveying roller from above. A plurality of the upstream conveying rollers are arranged on the upstream side of the driving roller in the conveying direction, and between the driving roller and the upstream conveying roller adjacent thereto and between a pair of the adjacent upstream conveying rollers. Each of the upstream driven rollers is rotatably and vertically movable, and the plurality of upstream driven rollers are respectively arranged from the lower side to the driving roller, the upstream conveying roller adjacent thereto, and a pair of adjacent rollers. Pressed against the upstream conveying roller of
When the drive roller is rotated in the transport direction by the drive source, the plurality of upstream driven rollers act so as to bite into the drive roller and the plurality of upstream transport rollers, so that the drive roller rotates. The conveyor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the conveyor unit is transmitted to each of the plurality of upstream conveying rollers via the plurality of upstream driven rollers.   A narrow angle formed by a straight line connecting the central axis of the upstream driven roller and each central axis of the pair of upstream conveying rollers adjacent thereto, the central axis of the upstream driven roller, the driving roller, and the upstream adjacent thereto 5. The conveyor unit according to claim 4, wherein narrow angles formed by straight lines connecting the respective central axes of the side conveying rollers are set to 110 to 115 degrees, respectively. A plurality of the downstream conveyance rollers are arranged on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the drive roller, and between the drive roller and the downstream conveyance roller adjacent thereto and between a pair of the adjacent downstream conveyance rollers. Each of the downstream driven rollers is rotatably and vertically movable, and each of the plurality of downstream driven rollers includes, from above, the driving roller, the downstream transport roller adjacent thereto, and a pair of adjacent rollers. Pressed against the downstream conveying roller,
When the drive roller is rotated in the transport direction by the drive source, the plurality of downstream driven rollers act so as to bite into the drive roller and the plurality of downstream transport rollers, so that the drive roller rotates. The conveyor unit according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor unit is transmitted to each of the plurality of downstream conveyance rollers via the plurality of downstream driven rollers. First and second downstream driven rollers are rotatably and vertically movable between the driving roller and the downstream conveying roller, and the first downstream driven roller is configured so that the driving roller and The second downstream driven roller is pressed against the downstream conveying roller, and the second downstream driven roller is pressed against the driving roller and the downstream conveying roller from below,
When the driving roller is rotated in the transport direction by the driving source, the first downstream driven roller acts to bite into the driving roller, and the rotation of the driving roller is the first and second downstream sides. The conveyer unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the conveyer unit is transmitted to the downstream conveying roller via a driven roller. A main conveyor that forms a main transport path, and a branch conveyor that forms a branch transport path branched upstream of the main transport path,
The branch conveyor is configured by arranging a plurality of branch conveyor units along the branch conveyance path, and the plurality of branch conveyor units includes the conveyor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The conveyor unit is disposed at a connection portion between the main conveyor and the branch conveyor.

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