JP2016030665A - Work array apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a work array apparatus which can prevent damage to work.SOLUTION: A work array apparatus comprises: a distribution conveying unit 10 which conveys works S and can move to RP direction; an alignment conveying unit 41 arranged in a downstream side of the distribution conveying unit 10 and that conveys the works S along an X direction in a state where the works S are aligned along a direction of crossing with the X direction; and a housing unit 30 arranged between the distribution conveying unit 10 and the alignment conveying unit 41 and formed in plurality containing the works S and lining up in the RP direction. The distribution conveying unit 10 feeds the works S sequentially for plural housings while moving to the RP direction while conveying the works S. The housing unit 30 succeeds the works S contained in the plural housings to the alignment conveying unit 41 sequentially.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a workpiece alignment apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a workpiece aligning device that aligns workpieces conveyed in one row on a conveyor in a plurality of rows. Such a workpiece aligning apparatus includes a conveyor that conveys workpieces in a first direction and a guide that is disposed on the conveyor and guides the workpieces. The guide is formed to be swingable in a second direction that intersects the first direction. In this work aligning device, the work transferred from the upstream device onto the conveyor is supported by a guide. Then, the workpiece is aligned in a direction intersecting the first direction by swinging the guide in the second direction (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-2040

  However, the workpiece alignment apparatus described above aligns the workpieces by swinging the guides on the operating conveyor. For this reason, a change in relative position between the workpiece and the conveying surface of the conveyor becomes large, the workpiece slides with respect to the conveyor, and the workpiece may be damaged such as scratches due to friction with the conveyor. Further, by swinging the guide on the conveyor, the workpiece may be sandwiched between the guide and the conveyor and may be damaged such as crushing.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a workpiece alignment device that can suppress damage to a workpiece.

  The workpiece alignment apparatus of the present invention is a workpiece alignment device that aligns the workpiece while conveying the workpiece in a first direction, and is capable of conveying the workpiece and moving in a second direction that intersects the first direction. An alignment transport unit and an alignment that is arranged on the downstream side of the distribution transport unit and transports the work along the first direction in a state where the work is aligned along a direction intersecting the first direction. A transfer unit; and a storage unit that is disposed between the distribution transfer unit and the alignment transfer unit and that includes a plurality of storage units that store the workpiece in a row in the second direction. The transport unit supplies the work to the plurality of storage units in order while moving in the second direction while transporting the work, and the storage unit transfers the work stored in the plurality of storage units. In order to the alignment transport unit To, characterized in that.

  According to the present invention, after a work is accommodated in the accommodating part and distributed by the sorting and conveying part movable in the second direction, the work being conveyed by the aligning and conveying part is distributed in order to succeed the work to the aligning and conveying part. There is no need. Therefore, the change in the relative position between the workpiece and the conveyance surface of the alignment conveyance unit does not increase. Further, since the sorting and conveying unit moves in the second direction while conveying the workpiece, it is possible to prevent the workpiece from being sandwiched between the guide for moving the workpiece in the second direction and the conveying means. Therefore, damage to the work can be suppressed.

In the workpiece alignment apparatus, the storage unit is disposed vertically above the alignment transport unit, and the storage unit includes a partition wall formed between the adjacent storage units, and a bottom portion of the storage unit. And a moving plate that moves in the second direction as the sorting transport unit moves in the second direction.
According to the present invention, since the bottom portion of the storage unit is configured by the moving plate that moves in accordance with the movement of the sorting and conveying unit in the second direction, the storage unit stores the workpiece in order and is arranged vertically downward. The workpieces can be dropped and succeeded to the aligned conveying unit. Therefore, it is possible to easily obtain a configuration in which the workpieces are aligned in a plurality of rows without sliding with respect to the conveying means.

In the workpiece alignment apparatus, the storage portion includes a pair of the partition walls disposed on both sides in the second direction, a stopper disposed between the pair of partition walls, and a tip of the workpiece abutting; It is preferable that the storage portion is formed so that a rear end of the work projects from the partition wall in a state where a front end of the work is in contact with the stopper.
According to the present invention, since the rear end of the work housed in the housing portion protrudes from the partition wall of the housing portion, the leading end of the subsequent work transported from the upstream is in the housing portion in which the work has already been housed. It can be prevented from being accommodated. As a result, it is possible to prevent the work subsequent to the work already accommodated from being sandwiched and damaged by the sorting transport unit and the partition wall moving in the second direction. Therefore, damage to the work can be suppressed.

In the workpiece alignment apparatus, the workpiece alignment apparatus includes a low-speed conveyance unit that is disposed downstream of the alignment conveyance unit and conveys the workpiece along the first direction, and the low-speed conveyance unit stays in a state where the workpieces are aligned. It is preferable that the transporting speed of the low-speed transport unit is smaller than the transport speed of the alignment transport unit.
According to the present invention, when the work is retained by the staying means, the work stays on the low speed transport unit by disposing the low speed transport unit having a transport speed lower than that of the align transport unit on the downstream side of the align transport unit. Can be made. For this reason, the workpiece alignment apparatus can reduce the sliding opportunity of a workpiece | work and a conveyance means. Therefore, damage to the work can be suppressed.

In the workpiece alignment apparatus, a first sensor that detects that the workpiece is accommodated in the accommodating portion, a second sensor that detects passage of the workpiece before the workpiece is accommodated in the accommodating portion, and It is desirable to provide.
According to the present invention, the work can be reliably accommodated in each accommodating portion by detecting the accommodation of the work by the first sensor. Moreover, the movement speed to the 2nd direction of a distribution conveyance part is controllable by detecting passage of a workpiece | work with a 2nd sensor. Thereby, the workpiece | work alignment apparatus can accommodate a workpiece | work efficiently with respect to an accommodating part in a short time.

In the workpiece alignment apparatus, the first direction is a horizontal direction, the second direction is a swinging direction around a vertical axis, and the sorting transport unit has an upstream end around the vertical axis. The sorting conveyance unit is arranged so that its downstream end can be opposed to the workpiece storage ports of the plurality of storage units. It is desirable that the workpieces are sequentially supplied to the storage units.
According to the present invention, the sorting transport unit is the same on the upstream side by swinging the downstream end in the second direction around the vertical axis with the upstream end of the sorting transport unit as an axis. The workpiece can be received at the position, and the workpiece can be aligned in the second direction on the downstream side. Therefore, it is possible to more easily obtain a work aligning device having the above-described effects.

In the workpiece alignment apparatus, the workpiece alignment apparatus includes a low-speed conveyance unit that is disposed downstream of the alignment conveyance unit and conveys the workpiece along the first direction, and at least one of the alignment conveyance unit and the low-speed conveyance unit It is desirable that a guide for correcting the workpiece being conveyed to a predetermined posture is fixed.
According to the present invention, the workpiece succeeded to the alignment conveyance unit in a posture inclined with respect to the predetermined posture is corrected to the predetermined posture by the guide. At that time, since only the force of the conveying means that conveys the workpiece in the first direction is used, a change in the relative position between the workpiece and the conveying surface of the alignment conveying unit can be suppressed. Therefore, damage to the work can be suppressed.

  According to the present invention, after a work is accommodated in the accommodating part and distributed by the sorting and conveying part movable in the second direction, the work being conveyed by the aligning and conveying part is distributed in order to succeed the work to the aligning and conveying part. There is no need. Therefore, the change in the relative position between the workpiece and the conveyance surface of the alignment conveyance unit does not increase. Further, since the sorting and conveying unit moves in the second direction while conveying the workpiece, it is possible to prevent the workpiece from being sandwiched between the guide for moving the workpiece in the second direction and the conveying means. Therefore, damage to the work can be suppressed.

It is a side view of the workpiece alignment apparatus of embodiment. It is sectional drawing in the II-II line of FIG. It is a top view of a distribution conveyance part. It is a side view of a distribution conveyance part. It is a front view of the distribution conveyance part seen from the downstream of the conveyance direction. It is an expanded sectional view of the A section in the VI-VI line of FIG. It is sectional drawing in the part equivalent to the VII-VII line of FIG. It is a side view of an alignment conveyance unit. It is a top view of an alignment conveyance unit. It is the flowchart which showed the movement control process in the distribution conveyance part.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a side view of the workpiece alignment apparatus of the embodiment. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. In describing the configuration of the workpiece aligning apparatus 1, an XYZ coordinate system is used. In this XYZ coordinate system, in the work aligning apparatus 1 that aligns the work S while transporting the work S, the transport direction (horizontal direction) of the work S is the X direction, the vertical direction is the Z direction, and is orthogonal to the X direction and the Z direction. The direction to perform is defined as the Y direction. Further, the circumferential direction of the vertical axis P is defined as the RP direction. In the drawing, the arrow direction is defined as + direction, and the direction opposite to the arrow direction is defined as − direction. Here, the + direction in the X direction indicates the downstream side in the transport direction, and the + direction in the Z direction indicates vertically upward.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the workpiece aligning apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is arranged in a first direction (+ X direction) along a horizontal direction of a bar-shaped workpiece S such as sausage that has been conveyed in a row from the upstream. It is an apparatus that aligns in a plurality of rows while being conveyed. The workpiece alignment apparatus 1 includes a sorting transport unit 10, an alignment transport unit 40 having an alignment transport unit 41 and a low-speed transport unit 51, and a storage unit disposed between the sorting transport unit 10 and the alignment transport unit 41. 30. Each above-mentioned part is installed in the base 2 mounted on horizontal surfaces, such as a floor surface not shown. In the present embodiment, a rod-shaped workpiece S having a length L, a width W, and a circular cross section will be described as an example.

(Distribution transport unit)
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the sorting transport unit. FIG. 4 is a side view of the sorting transport unit. FIG. 5 is a front view of the sorting transport unit viewed from the downstream side (+ X side) in the transport direction. In the following description, the CXCY coordinate system may be used in the description of the sorting transport unit 10 and the accommodation unit 30 mainly. In this CXCY coordinate system, the transport direction (horizontal direction) of the workpiece S in the sorting transport unit 10 is defined as the CX direction, and the horizontal direction orthogonal to the CX direction is defined as the CY direction. The CX direction is a radial direction centered on the vertical axis P. Further, in the figure, the arrow direction is assumed to be a + direction, and the direction opposite to the arrow direction is assumed to be a-direction. Here, the + direction in the CX direction indicates the downstream side in the transport direction in the sorting transport unit 10.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the sorting and conveying unit 10 is configured to convey the workpiece S and be movable in the RP direction (corresponding to “second direction” in the claims). The sorting and conveying unit 10 includes a conveyor unit 11 that conveys the workpiece S in the + CX direction, a guide unit 18 disposed on the + Z side of the conveyor unit 11, and a swing that swings the conveyor unit 11 and the guide unit 18 in the RP direction. And a sensor unit 25 attached to the end portion on the + CX side.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the conveyor unit 11 includes a frame 12, a plurality of rollers 13 attached to the frame 12, an endless transport belt 14 wound around the plurality of rollers 13, and the −Z side of the frame 12. And a drive unit 15 attached to the.

  The frame 12 is rectangular when viewed from the CY direction, and is formed long in the CX direction. A plurality of (four in this embodiment) rollers 13 are attached to the −CY side of the frame 12. The plurality of rollers 13 include a pair of first rollers 13 a disposed at both ends of the frame 12 in the CX direction, and a pair of second rollers 13 b disposed near the center of the frame 12 in the CX direction. A pair of 1st roller 13a is arrange | positioned so that it may become the same height from a floor surface (not shown), and it is rotatably attached to the surroundings of the axis in alignment with CY direction. The pair of second rollers 13b are arranged at the same height from the floor (not shown) and at a position lower than the first rollers 13a, and are attached to be rotatable around an axis along the CY direction. . The drive unit 15 is, for example, a servo motor, and is attached to the −Z side of the frame 12 near the center of the frame 12 in the CX direction. The conveyor belt 14 is formed with a predetermined width using, for example, rubber. The conveyor belt 14 has an inner peripheral surface wound around the pair of first rollers 13a and the output shaft 15a of the drive unit 15, and an outer peripheral surface wound around the pair of second rollers 13b. Thereby, the conveyor part 11 can drive the conveyance belt 14 by rotating the output shaft 15a of the drive part 15. FIG.

  The conveyor unit 11 is attached to the base 20 fixed to the base 2 (see FIG. 2) so that the upstream side (−CX side) end can swing around the vertical axis P. The conveyor unit 11 is supported by the swing mechanism 22 on the downstream side (+ CX side). The swing mechanism 22 is, for example, a linear actuator provided with a motor, and is fixed to the base 2. The swing mechanism 22 is configured such that a table portion 22a attached to the + Z side is movable in the Y direction. And the frame support part 23 is arrange | positioned between the conveyor part 11 and the table part 22a. The frame support portion 23 is fixed to the table portion 22 a and is attached to the conveyor portion 11 so as to be displaceable. Accordingly, the swing mechanism 22 can swing the end portion on the downstream side (+ CX side) of the conveyor portion 11 in the RP direction by reciprocatingly driving the table portion 22a in the Y direction.

  The guide part 18 is formed in the CX direction length equivalent to the conveyor part 11 seeing from the CY direction. As shown in FIG. 5, the guide portion 18 is formed in a U shape having a groove portion 18 a that opens downward. The groove portion 18a extends uniformly along the CX direction of the guide portion 18 and is formed so that the width is slightly wider than the width W of the workpiece S and the depth is equal to the width. The guide unit 18 is disposed on the + Z side of the conveyor unit 11 with an interval that does not contact the conveyance surface 14 a of the conveyance belt 14 of the conveyor unit 11.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion A taken along line VI-VI in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 6, the sensor unit 25 includes an accommodation sensor 27 (corresponding to “first sensor” in the claims), a passage sensor 28 (corresponding to “second sensor” in the claims), and an accommodation sensor. 27 and a sensor support portion 26 that supports the passage sensor 28.
The sensor support portion 26 extends from the end portion on the downstream side (+ CX side) of the frame 12 in the + Z direction, and further extends in the + CX direction.

An accommodation sensor 27 is attached to an end portion on the + CX side of the sensor support portion 26 with the detection direction in the −Z direction. The accommodation sensor 27 is, for example, a photoelectric sensor or the like, and detects the accommodation of the workpiece S in the accommodation unit 36 described later.
Further, a passage sensor 28 is attached to the −CX side of the accommodation sensor 27 in the sensor support portion 26 with the detection direction directed to the −Z direction. The passage sensor 28 includes a downstream sensor 28a and an upstream sensor 28b. The downstream sensor 28 a and the upstream sensor 28 b are, for example, photoelectric sensors or the like, similar to the accommodation sensor 27, and detect the passage of the workpiece S before being accommodated in the accommodation portion 36.
The accommodation sensor 27, the downstream sensor 28a, and the upstream sensor 28b are attached to the sensor support portion 26 in this order from the downstream side (+ CX side) to the upstream side (−CX side). At this time, the downstream sensor 28 a is attached at a distance shorter than the length L of the workpiece S from the accommodation sensor 27. Further, the upstream sensor 28b is attached at a distance longer than the length L of the workpiece S from the accommodation sensor 27 and at a distance shorter than the length L of the workpiece S from the downstream sensor 28a.

(Containment unit)
7 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line VII-VII in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7, the accommodation unit 30 is formed with a plurality of accommodation portions 36 that accommodate the workpiece S side by side in the RP direction (see FIG. 3). The accommodating portion 36 includes a first upper plate portion 31, a pair of first partition walls 32 (corresponding to “partition walls” in the claims) disposed on both sides in the RP direction, and the pair of first partition walls 32. And a stopper 33 disposed between the two. Further, when the workpiece S is accommodated, the moving plate 35 is disposed at the bottom of the accommodating portion 36.

  The first upper plate portion 31 has a rectangular plate shape with the Y direction as the longitudinal direction in plan view, and the length in the Y direction is equal to the distance between a pair of frames 42 described later. The first upper plate portion 31 is formed in an arc shape whose side on the −X side is centered on the vertical axis P (see FIG. 2) in plan view. Further, through holes 34 are formed in the first upper plate portion 31 at positions corresponding to the plurality of accommodating portions 36 in a plan view. The plan view shape of the through hole 34 is an oval shape having a long axis along the CX direction.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the plurality of first partition walls 32 are attached to the −Z side surface of the first upper plate portion 31. The first partition wall 32 is a plate-like member formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the CY direction. As shown in FIG. 7, the plurality of first partition walls 32 are arranged at substantially equal angular intervals in the RP direction in parallel with the CX · Z plane. At this time, a pair of adjacent first partition walls 32 are arranged with a gap slightly wider than the width W of the workpiece S. The length of the first partition wall 32 in the CX direction is longer than the length of the first upper plate portion 31 in the X direction. The first partition wall 32 is arranged so that the end on the -CX side is substantially equidistant from the vertical axis P (see FIG. 2).

  As shown in FIG. 6, the first partition wall 32 has a notch 32 a. The notch 32 a opens in the −CX direction and is formed uniformly in the thickness direction of the first partition wall 32. When the sorting / conveying unit 10 swings, a moving plate 35 described later passes through the notch 32a. The notch 32 a has a width along the Z direction larger than the thickness of the flat plate portion 35 a of the moving plate 35. Further, the bottom of the notch 32 a on the + CX side is formed on the + CX side with respect to the tip of the moving plate 35. The notch 32 a is formed at a position where the distance from the center of the width along the Z direction to the −Z side surface of the first upper plate portion 31 is larger than the width W of the workpiece S.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the moving plate 35 is attached to the downstream (+ CX side) end of the sorting and conveying unit 10. The moving plate 35 includes a flat plate portion 35a and a pair of attachment portions 35b (see FIG. 5) formed integrally with the flat plate portion 35a. The flat plate portion 35a has a width in the CY direction that is narrowed by a step as viewed from the Z direction toward the + CX side from the -CX side. More specifically, the flat plate portion 35a has a predetermined width in the + CX direction from the end portion on the + CX side of the sorting and conveying unit 10 and has a width in the CY direction due to the step 35c formed symmetrically on both sides of the CY direction. It is narrower. Further, the flat plate portion 35a extends in the + CX direction, and is narrowed to a width equal to the width W of the workpiece S by a step 35d formed symmetrically on both sides of the CY direction, and extends in the + CX direction. The flat plate portion 35a has a length in the CX direction that is equal to the length L of the workpiece S, and the length of the side on the -CX side is slightly narrower than the width of the conveyor belt 14 (see FIG. 5). As shown in FIG. 6, the flat plate portion 35 a is disposed so that it is horizontal and the upper surface is substantially flush with the conveying surface 14 a of the conveying belt 14. As shown in FIG. 5, the pair of attachment portions 35b are each formed in a rectangular plate shape, and extend in the + Z direction from the −CX side of the flat plate portion 35a. At this time, the pair of attachment portions 35b are connected to the flat plate portion 35a with a gap slightly wider than the width of the groove portion 18a of the guide portion 18. The pair of attachment portions 35b are fixed to the + CX side end surface of the guide portion 18 with bolts or the like, so that the movable plate 35 is attached to the sorting and conveying portion 10.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the stopper 33 is attached to the surface on the −Z side of the first upper plate portion 31. The stopper 33 is a plate-like member formed in a trapezoidal shape when viewed from the CY direction. When viewed from the CY direction, the stopper 33 has a −Z side side 33a and a + Z side side 33b orthogonal to a + CX side side 33c parallel to the Z direction. Further, the −33X side 33d of the stopper 33 is inclined such that the + Z side end is positioned on the −CX side with respect to the −Z side end. The stopper 33 is disposed in parallel with the CX / Z plane. The length of the stopper 33 in the Z direction is shorter than the length of the first partition wall 32 in the Z direction. The stopper 33 has a distance from the −CX side end to the −CX side end of the first partition wall 32 so that the −CX side end is substantially equidistant from the vertical axis P. It arrange | positions so that it may become shorter than the length L of.

In the accommodating portion 36, the first partition walls 32 are disposed at both ends in the RP direction, the first upper plate portion 31 is disposed in the + Z direction, and the stopper 33 is disposed in the + CX direction. Further, in the case where the + CX side end of the sorting and conveying unit 10 is disposed opposite the −CX side workpiece storage port of the storage unit 36, the moving plate 35 extending from the end is notched. The moving plate 35 enters the portion 32 a and is arranged in the −Z direction of the accommodating portion 36. Thereby, the accommodating part 36 is enclosed in each direction excluding the work accommodating port, and can accommodate the work S supplied from the sorting and conveying part 10. Further, when the sorting conveyance unit 10 moves in the RP direction, the moving plate 35 arranged in the −Z direction of the storage unit 36 also moves. As a result, the accommodating portion 36 drops the workpiece S in the −Z direction, and succeeds the workpiece S to the alignment conveyance portion 41.
The accommodating portion 36 is disposed so as to have a gap between the downstream end portion (+ CX side) of the sorting and conveying portion 10. When the workpiece S is accommodated in the accommodating portion 36, the gap is arranged such that the tip of the workpiece S is disposed between the pair of first partition walls 32 and the rear end of the workpiece S is disposed in the groove portion 18a. It is set to such an extent that the sorting and conveying unit 10 swings and no excessive shearing force is applied to the workpiece S. In addition, a gap is formed between the + CX side tip of the moving plate 35 and the stopper 33 so that the workpiece S accommodated in the accommodating portion 36 falls from the tip.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the above-described storage unit 30 is disposed on the + Z side of the alignment transport unit 41 described later. At this time, the first upper plate portion 31 is attached to the pair of frames 42 such that the end surface on the −Z side of the first partition wall 32 does not come into contact with the conveyance surface 44 a of the alignment conveyance unit 41. Further, the first upper plate portion 31 is attached to the pair of frames 42 so that the separation distance between the −Z side end surface of the stopper 33 and the conveyance surface 44 a of the alignment conveyance portion 41 is larger than the width W of the workpiece S. It has been.

(Alignment transport unit)
FIG. 8 is a side view of the alignment transport unit. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the alignment transport unit.
As shown in FIG. 8, the alignment conveyance unit 40 includes an alignment conveyance unit 41 disposed on the downstream side (+ X side) of the sorting conveyance unit 10 (see FIG. 1), and a downstream side (+ X side) of the alignment conveyance unit 41. ) And a guide unit 60 arranged on the + Z side of the alignment conveyance unit 41 and the low-speed conveyance unit 51.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the alignment transport unit 41 transports the workpieces S transported from the sorting transport unit 10 along the X direction in a state of being aligned in a plurality of rows along the direction intersecting the X direction. . As shown in FIG. 8, the alignment transport unit 41 includes a pair of frames 42, a plurality of rollers 43 (a pair of first rollers 43 a and a pair of second rollers 43 b) attached to the frame 42, and a plurality of rollers 43. And an endless conveying belt 44 wound around the frame 42 and a drive unit 45 attached to the −Z side of the frame 42. The frames 42 are disposed on both sides in the Y direction of the alignment transport unit 41 (see FIG. 9). A plurality of rollers 43 and a conveyor belt 44 are disposed between the pair of frames 42. The width of the conveyance belt 44 of the alignment conveyance unit 41 is wider than the width of the conveyance belt 14 of the sorting conveyance unit 10. About another structure, since it is the same as that of the conveyor part 11 of the distribution conveyance part 10, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted. The alignment transport unit 41 is disposed such that the transport surface 44a is located on the −Z side with respect to the transport surface 14a of the sorting transport unit 10 (see FIG. 1).

  The low speed conveyance unit 51 conveys the workpiece S along the X direction. Similarly to the alignment conveyance unit 41, the low-speed conveyance unit 51 includes a pair of frames 52, a plurality of rollers 53 (a pair of first rollers 53a and a pair of second rollers 53b) attached to the frame 52, and a plurality of rollers. 53, an endless conveyance belt 54 wound around 53, and a drive unit 55 attached to the −Z side of the frame 52. The width of the conveyance belt 54 of the low-speed conveyance unit 51 is equal to the width of the conveyance belt 44 of the alignment conveyance unit 41. Since other configurations are the same as those of the alignment transport unit 41, detailed description thereof is omitted. The low-speed transport unit 51 is arranged such that the transport surface 54a is the same height as the transport surface 44a of the alignment transport unit 41 or slightly lower.

  The guide unit 60 is disposed along the conveyance surface 44 a of the alignment conveyance unit 41 and the conveyance surface 54 a of the low-speed conveyance unit 51. The guide unit 60 includes an alignment guide part 61, a correction guide part 66, and a conveyance guide part 71. The alignment guide portion 61, the correction guide portion 66, and the conveyance guide portion 71 are arranged in this order from the upstream side (−X side) to the downstream side (+ X side).

  The alignment guide unit 61 is disposed on the + Z side of the alignment transport unit 41. As shown in FIG. 9, the alignment guide portion 61 includes the −Z side end portions of the plurality of first partition walls 32 and the −Z side end surfaces of the plurality of stoppers 33 described above. .

As shown in FIG. 8, the correction guide portion 66 is arranged from the + Z side of the alignment conveyance unit 41 to the + Z side of the low-speed conveyance unit 51. The correction guide portion 66 includes a pair of support arms 67, a second upper plate portion 68, and a plurality of second partition walls 69 (corresponding to “guide” in the claims).
As shown in FIG. 9, the pair of support arms 67 is a rod-shaped member having a U-shaped cross section that opens in the + Z direction, and the length thereof is set to be equal to the distance between the pair of frames 42. Each of the support arms 67 has one end attached to the + Y side frame 42 and the other end attached to the −Y side frame 42.

  The second upper plate portion 68 is a rectangular plate member. The second upper plate portion 68 has a length in the Y direction slightly shorter than the distance between the pair of frames 42, and the length in the X direction is equal to the length in the Y direction. The + Z side surface of the second upper plate portion 68 is attached to the pair of support arms 67 so that the separation distance from the conveyance surface 44 a of the alignment conveyance unit 41 is wider than the width W of the workpiece S.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a plurality (16 in the present embodiment) of second partition walls 69 are formed in a rectangular plate shape as viewed from the Y direction. As shown in FIG. 9, the plurality of second partition walls 69 are attached to the −Z side surface of the second upper plate portion 68 in parallel with the XZ plane and at substantially equal intervals in the Y direction. At this time, the pair of second partition walls 69 adjacent to each other in the Y direction are arranged with a gap slightly wider than the width W of the workpiece S.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the length of the second partition wall 69 in the X direction is equal to the length of the second upper plate portion 68 in the X direction, and the length in the Z direction is the transport surface 44a of the alignment transport unit 41. Is set slightly shorter than the distance between the second upper plate portion 68 and the second upper plate portion 68. As shown in FIG. 9, the second partition wall 69 has an end on the upstream side (−X side) tapered in a plan view, and the position of the end on the upstream side (−X side) is the first. It arrange | positions so that it may correspond with the position of the edge part of the downstream (+ X side) of the partition wall 32 in a X direction and a Y direction.

  As illustrated in FIG. 8, the conveyance guide unit 71 is disposed on the + Z side of the low-speed conveyance unit 51. The conveyance guide portion 71 includes a pair of support arms 72, a third upper plate portion 73, and a plurality of third partition walls 74. The pair of support arms 72 is configured in the same manner as the pair of support arms 67 of the correction guide portion 66. The third upper plate portion 73 is configured in the same manner as the second upper plate portion 68 of the correction guide portion 66, so that the separation distance from the conveyance surface 54a of the low-speed conveyance portion 51 is wider than the width W of the workpiece S. The surface on the + Z side is attached to the pair of support arms 72. As shown in FIG. 9, the plurality of third partition walls 74 are configured in the same manner as the second partition wall 69, and the position of the upstream side (−X side) end portion is the downstream side (+ X of the second partition wall 69). Side) end portions are arranged so as to substantially coincide with each other in the X direction and the Y direction. At this time, the pair of third partition walls 74 adjacent to each other in the Y direction are arranged with a gap slightly wider than the width W of the workpiece S.

  In addition, a staying means (not shown) provided in the low-speed transport unit 51 is disposed at the downstream end (+ X side) of the transport guide unit 71. The staying means is, for example, a door member that opens and closes a downstream (+ X side) opening in a space defined by a pair of adjacent third partition walls 74.

(Operation of workpiece alignment device)
Next, operation | movement of the workpiece | work alignment apparatus 1 of this embodiment is demonstrated.
The workpiece alignment apparatus 1 aligns the workpieces S by simultaneously operating the sorting conveyance unit 10, the alignment conveyance unit 41, and the low-speed conveyance unit 51. The sorting / conveying unit 10 swings the end on the downstream side (+ CX side) in the RP direction by the swing mechanism 22 while transporting the workpiece S toward the downstream side (+ CX side) by the transport belt 14. The alignment transport unit 41 transports the workpiece S toward the downstream side (+ X side) by the transport belt 44 at a transport speed equivalent to that of the sorting transport unit 10. The low speed conveyance unit 51 conveys the workpiece S toward the downstream side (+ X side) by the conveyance belt 54 at a speed lower than the alignment conveyance unit 41.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the workpiece alignment apparatus 1 receives a workpiece S from an upstream apparatus (not shown) at the −CX side end of the sorting and conveying unit 10. The sorting conveyance unit 10 conveys the workpiece S toward the downstream side (+ CX side) by the conveyance belt 14. The workpiece S is transported in the space defined by the transport surface 14a of the conveyor unit 11 and the groove 18a of the guide unit 18 (see FIG. 5).

As shown in FIG. 7, the workpiece S conveyed to the + CX side end of the sorting conveyance unit 10 slides on the moving plate 35 by an inertial force or is pushed by the subsequent workpiece S. The workpiece S is accommodated in the accommodating portion 36 that faces the + CX side end of the sorting and conveying portion 10, and the tip of the workpiece S comes into contact with the stopper 33 and stops. At this time, since the moving plate 35 extends in the + CX direction from the + CX side end of the sorting transport unit 10, the bottom of the storage unit 36 that faces the + CX side end of the sorting transport unit 10. Is closed by a moving plate 35. Therefore, the workpiece S is temporarily held in the accommodating portion 36. Further, the stopper 33 is arranged such that the distance from the −CX side end to the −CX side end of the first partition wall 32 is shorter than the length L of the workpiece S. For this reason, in the state where the tip of the workpiece S is in contact with the stopper 33, the rear end of the workpiece S accommodated in the accommodating portion 36 protrudes from the first partition wall 32.
Thus, since the rear end of the workpiece S accommodated in the accommodating portion 36 protrudes from the first partition wall 32 of the accommodating portion 36, the tip of the subsequent workpiece S conveyed from the upstream is already the workpiece S. It can prevent being accommodated in the accommodating part 36 accommodated. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the workpiece S subsequent to the workpiece S already accommodated between the guide portion 18 and the first partition wall 32 of the sorting transport unit 10 moving in the RP direction from being damaged. Therefore, damage to the workpiece S can be suppressed.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the movement control process in the distribution transport unit. The sorting conveyance unit 10 repeatedly performs the following movement control process.
A description will be given from a state in which the sorting and conveying unit 10 is arranged so as to face the containing unit 36 arranged at the end portion in the + RP direction of the containing unit 30 and accommodation of the leading work S is started. As shown in FIG. 10, it is determined whether or not the workpiece S is detected by the accommodation sensor 27 (S10). When the determination in S10 is NO, since the workpiece S is not completely accommodated in the accommodating portion 36, the swing mechanism is maintained until the workpiece S is completely accommodated in the accommodating portion 36 and the accommodation sensor 27 detects the workpiece S. 22 stops the operation (S12).

  When the workpiece S is completely accommodated in the accommodating portion 36, the accommodation sensor 27 detects the workpiece S through the through hole 34, the determination of S10 becomes YES, and the process proceeds to S20. Next, it is determined whether the workpiece S is detected by the upstream sensor 28b (S20).

(When work S is being transported intermittently)
When the work S subsequent to the housed work S is being conveyed intermittently, the upstream sensor 28b does not detect the work S, so the determination of S20 is NO. In this case, the sorting transport unit 10 starts to move at a low speed toward the adjacent storage unit 36 by the swing mechanism 22 (S22). Thus, even if it is a case where it takes time until the subsequent work S is intermittently conveyed and accommodated in the adjacent accommodation part 36 by moving the distribution conveyance part 10 at low speed, the distribution conveyance part 10 It is easy to avoid stopping at a position facing the adjacent accommodating portion 36.

  In S22, when the sorting transport unit 10 starts moving, the moving plate 35 moves in the −RP direction accordingly. As a result, the workpiece S accommodated in the accommodation unit 36 falls on the conveyance belt 44 of the alignment conveyance unit 41 arranged on the −Z side. At this time, the accommodation sensor 27 that is connected to the distribution conveyance unit 10 and swings together with the distribution conveyance unit 10 detects the first upper plate portion 31 of the accommodation unit 30 as a workpiece S in a pseudo manner. The determination is YES.

  Thereafter, the sorting transport unit 10 moves to a position facing the adjacent storage unit 36. At this time, if the subsequent workpiece S is not accommodated in the accommodation portion 36 for some reason and the accommodation sensor 27 does not detect the workpiece S via the through hole 34, the determination in S10 is NO. In this case, the swing mechanism 22 stops operating until the succeeding workpiece S is completely accommodated in the accommodating portion 36 and the accommodation sensor 27 detects the workpiece S (S12).

  On the other hand, when the subsequent workpiece S is conveyed while the sorting conveyance unit 10 is moving toward the adjacent storage unit 36 at a low speed, the upstream sensor 28b detects the workpiece S and the determination of S20 is YES. The process proceeds to S30. Next, it is determined whether the workpiece S is detected by the downstream sensor 28a (S30). Immediately after the upstream sensor 28b detects the workpiece S in S20, the conveyance of the workpiece S does not proceed, so the downstream sensor 28a does not detect the workpiece S, and the determination in S30 is NO. In this case, the distribution transport unit 10 continues to move at a low speed (S32). Thereafter, when the work S is transported and the upstream sensor 28b and the downstream sensor 28a detect the work S, the determination in S30 is YES. In this case, since no time is required until the workpiece S is accommodated in the adjacent accommodating portion 36, the sorting and conveying portion 10 starts high-speed movement (S34).

(When work S is being conveyed continuously)
In S20, when the subsequent workpieces S are continuously conveyed, the upstream sensor 28b detects the workpiece S, so the determination in S20 is YES and the process proceeds to S30. Next, it is determined whether the workpiece S is detected by the downstream sensor 28a (S30). At this time, since the workpiece S is accommodated in the accommodating portion 36, the downstream sensor 28a inevitably detects the workpiece S, the determination in S30 is YES, and the sorting and conveying portion 10 is the swing mechanism. 22 starts high speed movement (S34). In this way, by moving the sorting transport unit 10 at a high speed, when the subsequent workpieces S are continuously transported and it does not take time to be housed in the adjacent housing unit 36, the work S is sorted and transported. 10 can be efficiently accommodated in the accommodating portion 36 without being retained on the surface.

  As described above, by detecting the accommodation of the workpiece S by the accommodation sensor 27, the workpiece S can be reliably accommodated in each accommodation portion 36. Further, by detecting the passage of the workpiece S by the passage sensor 28 (the downstream sensor 28a and the upstream sensor 28b), the moving speed of the sorting transport unit 10 in the RP direction can be controlled. Thereby, the workpiece alignment apparatus 1 can efficiently accommodate the workpiece S in the accommodating portion 36 in a short time. In particular, in this embodiment, the passage sensor 28 includes two sensors (a downstream sensor 28a and an upstream sensor 28b). For this reason, the workpiece aligning device 1 can control the moving speed in the RP direction of the sorting and conveying unit 10 depending on whether the workpiece S is being conveyed continuously or intermittently. Thus, the workpiece S can be more efficiently accommodated in the accommodating portion 36.

As described above, the sorting and conveying unit 10 sequentially performs the above-described series of operations, thereby supplying the workpieces S sequentially to the plurality of accommodating units 36 while moving the workpieces S and moving in the −RP direction. . Further, the storage unit 30 sequentially inherits the workpieces S stored in the plurality of storage units 36 to the alignment transport unit 41.
As shown in FIG. 7, the distribution transport unit 10 further once temporarily supplies the workpiece S to the storage unit 36 at the end in the −RP direction (see FIG. 2) among the plurality of storage units 36. Move in the RP direction. Thereby, after the accommodating unit 30 succeeds the workpiece S accommodated in the accommodating portion 36 at the end to the aligning and conveying portion 41, the sorting and conveying portion 10 can supply the workpiece S to the accommodating portion 36 again. Then, the moving direction is reversed in the + RP direction, and the accommodating operation is continued from the accommodating portion 36 at the end in the −RP direction. As a result, it is possible to efficiently align many workpieces S without a wasteful return operation of the sorting conveyance unit 10.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the workpiece S that has fallen on the alignment conveyance unit 41 passes between a pair of adjacent first partition walls 32 of the alignment guide unit 61, and is downstream by the conveyance belt 44. (+ X side) At this time, since the first partition wall 32 is disposed along the CX direction, the long workpiece S is conveyed with being inclined with respect to the X direction (along the CX direction).

Next, the workpiece S that has reached the + CX side end of the alignment guide portion 61 enters between a pair of adjacent second partition walls 69 of the correction guide portion 66. At this time, since the end portion on the −X side of the second partition wall 69 is tapered, the workpiece S conveyed while being inclined with respect to the X direction is not caught by the second partition wall 69, and the alignment guide portion 61 is passed to the correction guide 66. The space defined by the pair of adjacent second partition walls 69 has a width in the Y direction that is slightly wider than the width W of the workpiece S. As a result, the workpiece S inherited by the alignment conveyance unit 41 in a posture inclined with respect to the X direction is corrected to a posture along the X direction by the second partition wall 69. At that time, the posture of the workpiece S is corrected by using only the force of the conveying belt 44 of the aligning and conveying unit 41 that conveys the workpiece S in the X direction without moving the second partition wall 69. A change in relative position with respect to the conveyance surface 44a of the conveyance unit 41 can be suppressed. Therefore, the work S can be corrected to a predetermined posture while suppressing damage to the work S.
Then, the workpiece S is directly transferred to the low-speed transport unit 51 and is transported in the X direction by the transport belt 54.

  Next, the workpiece S that has reached the + X side end of the correction guide portion 66 directly enters between a pair of adjacent third partition walls 74 of the conveyance guide portion 71, and ends on the + X side of the conveyance guide portion 71. It is conveyed to. By the way, the workpieces S are succeeded to the alignment transport unit 41 in the order in which the work S is transferred from the sorting transport unit 10 to the storage unit 36 in the storage unit 30. For this reason, the workpiece | work S is conveyed in the state arranged in zigzag form in the alignment conveyance part 41. FIG. After succeeding to the low-speed transport unit 51, the pitch in the X direction is reduced, but the transport is also performed in a staggered manner. Therefore, the work S is retained on the transport surface 54a of the low-speed transport unit 51 by a staying means (not shown). Thereby, the workpieces S are aligned in the Y direction. The plurality of workpieces S are succeeded to a downstream device (not shown) in a state of being aligned in the Y direction, and are picked up by a predetermined number, for example, by a robot arm.

  As described above, when the low-speed transport unit 51 having a transport speed lower than that of the aligning and transporting unit 41 is arranged on the downstream side (+ X side) of the aligning and transporting unit 41, when the work S is retained by the staying means, the work S Can be retained on the low-speed transport unit 51. For this reason, the workpiece alignment apparatus 1 can reduce the sliding opportunity (sliding time and sliding distance) between the workpiece S and the conveyor belt 54. Therefore, damage to the workpiece S can be suppressed.

  As described in detail above, the workpiece alignment apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment transports the workpiece S and moves in the RP direction, the sorting transport unit 10, and the downstream side (+ CX side) of the sorting transport unit 10. Between the alignment transport unit 41, the sorting transport unit 10 and the alignment transport unit 41, which transports the work S along the X direction in a state where the work S is aligned along the direction crossing the X direction. And a housing unit 30 in which a plurality of housing portions 36 for housing the work S are formed side by side in the RP direction. And the distribution conveyance part 10 supplies the workpiece | work S to the some accommodating part 36 in order, moving to the RP direction, conveying the workpiece | work S. FIG. The accommodation unit 30 sequentially inherits the workpieces S accommodated in the plurality of accommodation units 36 to the alignment conveyance unit 41.

  According to this configuration, after the work S is accommodated in the accommodation unit 36 and distributed by the sorting conveyance unit 10 movable in the RP direction, the work S is transferred to the alignment conveyance unit 41, and therefore the conveyance is performed by the alignment conveyance unit 41. There is no need to sort the work S inside. Therefore, the change in the relative position between the workpiece S and the conveyance surface 44a of the alignment conveyance unit 41 does not increase. Further, since the sorting and conveying unit 10 moves in the RP direction while conveying the workpiece S, it is possible to prevent the workpiece S from being sandwiched between the guide unit 18 that moves the workpiece S in the RP direction and the conveying belt 14. Therefore, damage to the workpiece S can be suppressed.

Further, in the workpiece aligning apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the storage unit 30 is disposed above the alignment transport unit 41, and the first partition wall 32 formed between the storage units 36 adjacent to each other is included in the storage unit 30. And a moving plate 35 that is disposed at the bottom of the storage unit 36 and moves in the RP direction as the sorting transport unit 10 moves in the RP direction.
According to this structure, the bottom part of the accommodating part 36 is comprised by the moving plate 35 which moves with the movement to the RP direction of the distribution conveyance part 10. FIG. For this reason, the accommodation unit 30 can accommodate the workpieces S in order, and can drop and inherit the workpieces S with respect to the alignment transport unit 41 arranged on the −Z side. Therefore, a configuration in which the workpieces S are arranged in a plurality of rows without sliding with respect to the transport belt can be easily obtained.

Further, in the workpiece alignment apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the conveyance direction of the workpiece S is the horizontal direction (X direction), and the movement direction of the sorting conveyance unit 10 is the RP direction. The sorting transport unit 10 is supported so that its upstream end (−CX side) can swing around the vertical axis P, and can move in the RP direction. And the distribution conveyance part 10 is arrange | positioned so that the edge part of a downstream (+ CX side) may oppose the workpiece | work accommodation port of the some accommodating part 36, and supplies the workpiece | work S with respect to the some accommodating part 36 in order. .
According to this configuration, the sorting transport unit 10 is located at the same position on the −CX side by swinging the + CX side end in the RP direction around the −CX side end of the sorting transport unit 10 as an axis. The workpiece S can be received and the workpiece S can be aligned in the RP direction on the + CX side. Therefore, the workpiece alignment apparatus 1 having the above-described operational effects can be obtained more easily.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment described with reference to the drawings, and various modifications can be considered within the technical scope thereof.
For example, in the above embodiment, the workpiece S is a rod having a circular cross section, but is not limited thereto, and workpieces having various shapes can be used.
Moreover, in the said embodiment, although each conveyance part was comprised by the belt conveyor, it is not limited to this, For example, you may comprise by a roller conveyor.

  In addition, it is possible to appropriately replace the components in the above-described embodiments with known components without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Work alignment apparatus 10 ... Distribution conveyance part 27 ... Accommodating sensor (1st sensor) 28 ... Passing sensor (2nd sensor) 30 ... Accommodating unit 32 ... 1st partition wall (partition wall) 33 ... Stopper 35 ... Moving plate 36 ... Accommodating part 41 ... Alignment conveyance part 51 ... Low speed conveyance part 69 ... 2nd partition wall (guide) P ... Vertical axis RP ... 2nd direction S ... Workpiece | work X ... 1st direction

Claims (7)

A workpiece alignment device that aligns the workpiece while conveying the workpiece in a first direction,
While conveying the workpiece, a sorting and conveying unit movable in a second direction intersecting the first direction,
An alignment transport unit that is disposed on the downstream side of the sorting transport unit and transports the work along the first direction in a state in which the work is aligned along a direction intersecting the first direction;
An accommodation unit that is disposed between the sorting conveyance unit and the alignment conveyance unit, and a plurality of accommodation units that accommodate the workpiece are formed side by side in the second direction;
The sorting and conveying unit supplies the workpiece in order to the plurality of accommodating units while moving in the second direction while conveying the workpiece,
The accommodation unit sequentially inherits the workpieces accommodated in the plurality of accommodation units to the alignment conveyance unit,
A workpiece alignment apparatus characterized by the above. The workpiece alignment apparatus according to claim 1,
The storage unit is disposed vertically above the alignment transport unit,
The housing unit is
A partition wall formed between the adjacent accommodating portions;
A moving plate that is arranged at the bottom of the housing part and moves in the second direction as the sorting transport part moves in the second direction;
Comprising
A workpiece alignment apparatus characterized by the above. The work alignment apparatus according to claim 2,
The accommodating portion is
A pair of partition walls arranged on both sides in the second direction;
A stopper that is disposed between the pair of partition walls and that contacts the tip of the workpiece;
Defined by
The storage portion is formed such that the rear end of the workpiece protrudes from the partition wall in a state where the tip of the workpiece is in contact with the stopper.
A workpiece alignment apparatus characterized by the above. The workpiece alignment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A low-speed conveyance unit that is arranged on the downstream side of the alignment conveyance unit and conveys the workpiece along the first direction;
The low-speed transport unit includes a staying means for retaining the work in an aligned state,
The conveyance speed of the low-speed conveyance unit is smaller than the conveyance speed of the alignment conveyance unit,
A workpiece alignment apparatus characterized by the above. In the workpiece alignment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A first sensor for detecting that the workpiece is accommodated in the accommodating portion;
A second sensor that detects passage of the workpiece before the workpiece is accommodated in the accommodating portion;
A workpiece alignment apparatus characterized by the above. The workpiece alignment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The first direction is a horizontal direction;
The second direction is a swinging direction around a vertical axis,
The sorting conveyance unit is supported so that an upstream end thereof can swing around a vertical axis, and is movable in the second direction.
The sorting and conveying unit is arranged so that downstream end portions thereof can be opposed to the workpiece storage ports of the plurality of storage units, and sequentially supply the workpieces to the plurality of storage units.
A workpiece alignment apparatus characterized by the above. The workpiece alignment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A low-speed conveyance unit that is arranged on the downstream side of the alignment conveyance unit and conveys the workpiece along the first direction;
A guide for correcting the workpiece being conveyed to a predetermined posture is fixed to at least one of the alignment conveyance unit and the low-speed conveyance unit.
A workpiece alignment apparatus characterized by the above.

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