JP2017178511A - Sweeper device, and bulk depalletizer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sweeper device and a bulk depalletizer, which are enabled to correspond to the step of cutting out a transportation target by transporting a container group without disturbance in an aligning state and to invite no large-sized device.SOLUTION: A sweeper device 2 clamps a container group 80 from the two right and left sides and the two front and rear sides. Alignment guide means 7 for clamping the container group 80 from the two transverse sides includes: a pair of alignment guide members 10; a drive cylinder 11 disposed along a longitudinal direction in the transverse direction on the front and rear sides of the container group 80; and a displacement gage 12 and a brake part 13 of the drive cylinder 11. There are provided: an operation part 14 for operating and outputting the drive range of the alignment guide members 10 on the basis of a guide closing size of each container group 80; and a first operation control part 15 for controlling an alignment guide electromagnetic valve 22, the displacement gage 12 and the brake part 13. A pair of alignment guide members 10 are driven in a manner to clamp the container group 80 as a whole from the two transverse sides while leaving the container group in an aligned state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a sweeper device for sandwiching a large number of containers placed in a predetermined alignment pattern, and a bulk depalletizer provided with the sweeper device.

  Many containers such as glass bottles, plastic bottles and bottle cans are stacked on a pallet for each layer and shipped in a form called bulk. On the pallet, a bulk sheet and a number of containers (hereinafter referred to as a container group) placed on the bulk sheet are stacked in layers. There is known a bulk depalletizer that lifts a container group one by one from the uppermost stage and sends the container group onto a conveyor.

  The bulk depalletizer is provided with a sweeper device that collectively holds a group of containers from the periphery. The container group is arranged in a predetermined alignment pattern for each layer, and it is necessary to transport the container group while maintaining this alignment state. In order to transport containers of various varieties without any trouble such as load collapse during transportation, the guide unit for sandwiching the container group in the sweeper device has an adjustment mechanism that adjusts the guide width so that it can correspond to each container Is provided. Since this adjustment mechanism is operated manually and is operated every time the container type is changed, it takes time and effort.

  In Patent Document 1, the cans arranged at the uppermost part of the packing body are slid by an extruding plate that moves from the rear to the front, and are sandwiched by a guide plate that moves inward from the left and right directions by the cylinder. Depalletizer is listed. In Patent Document 2, a group of containers arranged on a pallet are pressed and held by advancing three alignment bars arranged in a U shape from three directions by an air cylinder.

  Furthermore, in another example described in Patent Document 2, a group of containers arranged on a pallet are pressed and held by advancing four alignment bars arranged in a cross-beam shape from four directions by an air cylinder. Yes. Patent Document 3 describes an alignment transport device that aligns containers arranged in a staggered pattern. In this conveying apparatus, the containers surrounded by four pressing members from four directions are rearranged by operating the air cylinder connected to each pressing member.

JP-A-6-24567 JP 2008-296939 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-279052

  As shown in FIG. 10, there is a case where a container group Y transported by a bulk depalletizer is divided into horizontal rows at the final end of the transport conveyor C as a transport destination and transferred in a single row state. When such a cutting process exists, the container group Y must be aligned without any disturbance until just before the cutting process. If even one container group Y is disturbed, the process is stopped at the time of carving, and complicated work such as manual rearrangement is required.

  The depalletizer disclosed in Patent Document 1 cannot be applied to applications in which a container group is conveyed in an aligned state. In addition, it is a device that is simply sandwiched from the left and right sides and pressed from the rear, and since a magnet hand is provided in the front, the container group is not aligned.

  In the container alignment apparatus of Patent Document 2, the container group is simply pressed from three directions with three alignment bars, or the container group is simply pressed from four directions with four alignment bars. Therefore, it does not become an appropriate pressing state, and when the container group arranged in order is pressed, disorder may arise and a container group cannot be rearranged. Therefore, in this container alignment apparatus, the aligned container group cannot be transported without disturbance and cannot be adapted to the cutting process.

  The alignment transport device of Patent Literature 3 is provided with four air cylinders that press each of the pressing members that surround the container group from four directions. Since each air cylinder is long arranged in the direction in which the pressing member is pressed, a wide space for incorporating each air cylinder is required. For this reason, there is a drawback in that the apparatus becomes large, leading to an increase in cost due to an increase in parts and the like, and securing a large installation space.

  Accordingly, in view of the problems of the prior art, the present invention can cope with the separation process of the transport destination by transporting the container group in an aligned state without disturbance, and the sweeper device and the bulk which do not cause an increase in the size of the device The purpose is to provide a depalletizer.

  The sweeper device of the present invention includes an alignment guide means for collectively sandwiching a container group composed of a large number of containers placed in a predetermined alignment pattern from both the left and right sides in the transport direction, and a pressure contact guide means for collectively sandwiching from both the front and rear sides. The alignment guide means includes a pair of alignment guide members that are long on the left and right sides of the container group and are arranged so as to sandwich the container group from both the left and right sides. And a drive cylinder coupled to each alignment guide member and provided to run in the longitudinal direction in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction on the front and rear sides of the container group, and to drive each alignment guide member; A displacement meter that detects the displacement of each alignment guide member by measuring the amount of movement of the rod of the drive cylinder, and a brake that stops the operation of the rod of the drive cylinder. A calculation unit that calculates and outputs a driving range of each alignment guide member for sandwiching the container group from both the left and right sides based on data input in advance for each container group, and input from the calculation unit Based on the value of the drive range, the drive cylinder, the displacement meter, and the brake unit are controlled, and the pair of alignment guide members are driven so as to sandwich the container group from both the left and right sides in an aligned state. And a section.

  In the sweeper apparatus of the present invention, the alignment guide means for sandwiching the container group placed in a predetermined alignment pattern from the left and right sides includes a pair of alignment guide members, a drive cylinder for driving the alignment guide members, and a pair of alignment guide members. Based on the displacement meter that detects the displacement, the brake unit that stops the operation of the rod of the drive cylinder, the calculation unit that calculates and outputs the drive range of each alignment guide member, and the value of the drive range that is input from the calculation unit, And an operation control unit that drives the pair of alignment guide members.

  By this alignment guide means, the drive range of the pair of alignment guide members is set for each type of container group, and the container group is sandwiched from the left and right sides based on the set value. Every time, the container group is appropriate without stress. Therefore, the container group placed in a predetermined alignment pattern can be sandwiched at an appropriate position. By such an alignment guide means and a pressure contact guide means sandwiched in a lump from both the front and rear sides, the container group can be conveyed while maintaining the alignment state even if the product type is changed.

  Even if the product type is changed, the container group can be transported while maintaining the aligned state of the container group. Therefore, the container group is transported without any disturbance on the transport destination, for example, the transport conveyor, and the process is not stopped at the time of separation for each row. Thereby, it can be made to correspond to a carving process. Further, in the conventional mold change operation accompanying the change of the product type, the drive range of the guide member has been manually adjusted in the past, but this can be performed automatically. Thereby, working efficiency can be improved.

  The drive cylinders connected to the alignment guide members are provided so that the longitudinal direction runs along the direction perpendicular to the transport direction on the front and rear sides of the container group. Does not increase in size, does not increase costs due to an increase in parts, and secures installation space.

  It is preferable that each of the alignment guide members is configured to be variable in size from the front end to the rear end. If the dimensions from the front end to the rear end of each alignment guide member are made variable, the space for arranging the alignment guide members can be reduced, and at the same time, interference with the pressure guide means can be prevented, and the apparatus can be made compact. Is possible.

  Each of the alignment guide members includes a front first member and a rear second member that are arranged in the transport direction and are capable of approaching and separating from each other. It is preferable that a fitting portion for restricting biting is formed. In this case, a part of the container group can be prevented from biting between the first member and the second member, and the container group can be reliably held.

  The pressure contact guide means includes a pair of pressure contact guide members that are long on the front and rear sides of the container group in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction and are arranged so as to sandwich the container group from both the front and rear sides. An air cylinder that is connected to a member and is provided along the longitudinal direction in the conveyance direction on the left and right sides of the container group, and drives the pressure contact guide members, and the container by the pair of pressure contact guide members It is preferable to include an adjustment unit that can adjust the operating pressure to the air cylinder so that the pressing force from the front and rear to the group is in an elastic and gentle state.

  The pressure contact guide means for sandwiching the container group from both the front and rear sides includes a pair of pressure contact guide members, an air cylinder that drives the pair of pressure contact guide members, and a pressing force from the front and rear to the container group by the pair of pressure contact guide members. And an adjusting section that enables adjustment of the operating pressure to the air cylinder so as to be in a state.

  By making the pressing force from the front and back to the container group by the pair of pressure contact guide members elastic and gentle, it is possible to prevent deformation of the container due to excessive pressing force from both the front and rear sides, and the container being transferred pops out. Such a trouble can be prevented, and together with the alignment guide means, high retainability of the container group can be maintained.

  The bulk depalletizer of the present invention is a bulk depalletizer in which a container group consisting of a large number of containers placed in a predetermined alignment pattern is collectively sandwiched from the surroundings while being aligned by a sweeper device, and is sent onto a conveying device. The sweeper device is the above-described sweeper device.

  The alignment guide means in the sweeper device provided in the bulk depalletizer of the present invention includes a pair of alignment guide members, a drive cylinder for driving the alignment guide members, a displacement meter for detecting the displacement of each alignment guide member, and an operation of the rod of the drive cylinder. A brake unit that stops the operation, a calculation unit that calculates and outputs a drive range of each alignment guide member, and an operation control unit that simultaneously drives a pair of alignment guide members based on the value of the drive range input from the calculation unit; It has.

  By this alignment guide means, the drive range of the pair of alignment guide members is set for each type of container group, and the container group is sandwiched from the left and right sides based on the set value, so the closing position of the alignment guide is set for each type of container. It will be appropriate without stress. Therefore, the container group placed in a predetermined alignment pattern can be sandwiched at an appropriate position. By such an alignment guide means and a pressure contact guide means sandwiched in a lump from both the front and rear sides, the container group can be conveyed while maintaining the alignment state even if the product type is changed.

  Even if the product type is changed, the container group can be transported while maintaining the aligned state of the container group. Therefore, the container group is transported without any disturbance on the transport destination, for example, the transport conveyor, and the process is not stopped at the time of separation for each row. Thereby, it can be made to correspond to a carving process.

  The drive cylinders connected to the alignment guide members are provided so that the longitudinal direction runs along the direction perpendicular to the transport direction on the front and rear sides of the container group. Does not increase in size, does not increase costs due to an increase in parts, and secures installation space.

  According to the present invention, since the container group can be transferred to the transport destination without being disturbed in an aligned state, it is possible to correspond to a carving process for carving for each row. Since a large space for incorporating the drive cylinder is not required, the apparatus is not increased in size, the cost is not increased due to an increase in parts, and the installation space is easily secured.

It is a schematic diagram of the bulk depalletizer which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the sweeper apparatus with which a bulk depalletizer is provided, and a container group. It is the side view seen from the A direction of FIG. It is the side view seen from the B direction of FIG. It is the figure which looked at the corner part of a sweeper apparatus from the inner side. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating a motion of an alignment guide member and a press-contact guide member. It is explanatory drawing which looked at the 1st and 2nd member and some container groups from the side. It is a block diagram explaining the control method of an alignment guide means. It is a block diagram explaining the control method of a press-contact guide member. It is explanatory drawing of a cutting process.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a bulk depalletizer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The bulk depalletizer 1 sandwiches a group of containers 80 placed in a predetermined alignment pattern from the front, rear, left and right sides in the transport direction while being aligned by the sweeper device 2, and sends them out onto the transport conveyor 3 (transport device). Is. The bulk depalletizer 1 includes a sweeper device 2 that conveys the container group 80, a lifting device 5 that lifts and lowers the sweeper device 2 between the pallet 4 and the transport conveyor 3, and a depalletizer control that controls the sweeper device 2 and the lifting device 5. A board 6 is provided.

  The sweeper device 2 sandwiches the uppermost container group 80 among the stacked container groups placed on the pallet 4 and holds them up to the conveyor 3 in an aligned state. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the sweeper device 2 and the container group 80. In FIG. 2, the structure connected with wiring and piping is represented typically, and the connection structure between each member is abbreviate | omitted. The sweeper device 2 includes an alignment guide means 7 for sandwiching the container group 80 from both the left and right sides, and a pressure contact guide means 8 for sandwiching the container group 80 from the front and rear sides. Hereinafter, the direction along the transport direction of the container group 80 by the sweeper device 2 is defined as the front-rear direction (the left-right direction in FIGS. 1 and 2), and the direction orthogonal to the transport direction is defined as the left-right direction.

  The alignment guide means 7 includes a pair of alignment guide members 10 that are long in the front-rear direction, a drive cylinder 11 that drives each alignment guide member 10, a displacement meter 12 that detects the displacement of each alignment guide member 10, and a rod of the drive cylinder 11. The brake unit 13 that stops the operation of the alignment unit 11a, the calculation unit 14 that calculates the driving range of each alignment guide member 10, the drive cylinder 11, the displacement meter 12, and the brake unit 13 are controlled, and the pair of alignment guide members 10 are simultaneously controlled. It is mainly comprised by the 1st operation control part (operation control part) 15 to drive.

  The sweeper device 2 is provided with a frame 17 having a quadrilateral shape in plan view for disposing various members. The frame 17 includes front and rear frames 17 a and 17 b formed on the front and rear sides of the container group 80 and left and right frames 17 c and d formed on the left and right sides of the container group 80. The frame 17 is provided with the alignment guide members 10 and the drive cylinders 11 of the alignment guide means 7. The displacement meter 12 and the brake unit 13 are provided integrally with the drive cylinder 11. The calculation unit 14 and the first operation control unit 15 are provided in the depalletizer control panel 6.

  FIG. 3 is a side view seen from the direction A in FIG. 2 and shows the drive cylinder 11 of the alignment guide means 7 and the vicinity thereof. 4 is a side view as seen from the direction B in FIG. 2 and shows the alignment guide member 10 of the alignment guide means 7 and the vicinity thereof. FIG. 5 is a view of the corner portion 2a of the sweeper device 2 as viewed from the inside. As shown in FIG. 2, the alignment guide means 7 of the present embodiment includes four drive cylinders 11 disposed on the front and rear frames 17 a and b on the front and rear sides of the container group 80, and the left and right sides of the container group 80. A pair of alignment guide members 10 that are long in the front-rear direction and provided on the left and right frames 17c and d on both sides are provided.

  The four drive cylinders 11 are the same type of air cylinders, and each rod 11a operates with the same stroke by supplying and exhausting the same amount of air. The two front drive cylinders 11 are installed along the longitudinal direction of the front frame 17a, and the two rear drive cylinders 11 are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the rear frame 17b. It is installed to keep the direction. The two front drive cylinders 11 are arranged so as to be contrasted with each other. Similarly, the two rear drive cylinders 11 are also arranged so as to be contrasted with each other. As shown in FIG. 3, each drive cylinder 11 is provided with an air supply port 20 and an exhaust port 21 for operating air, and the operating air is supplied and exhausted via the alignment guide electromagnetic valve 22 shown in FIG. Is called.

  The pair of alignment guide members 10 can sandwich the container group 80 from both the left and right sides. As shown in FIG. 4, each alignment guide member 10 is arranged along the transport direction and includes front and rear first and second members 10 a and 10 b that can approach and separate from each other. A stepped fitting portion 101 is formed on the inner side where these members 10a and 10b are brought into contact with each other, and can be fitted when the first and second members 10a and 10b come close to each other. The fitting portion 101 restricts the biting of the container group 80 between the first member 10a and the second member 10b. The fitting part formed inside each member 10a, 10b will not be limited if it is a shape which can be fitted, and it may be a wedge shape cut diagonally in addition to a step shape.

  The first and second members 10a and 10b approach or separate from each other in the front-rear direction by the air cylinder 41 of the pressure contact guide means 8 or another air cylinder (not shown). In this way, each alignment guide member 10 is configured such that the dimension from the front end c1 to the rear end c2 can be varied.

  An interlocking mechanism (not shown) is provided for interlocking each alignment guide member 10 with the pressure contact guide means 8 that sandwiches the container group 80 from both front and rear sides, and the front end c1 of each alignment guide member 10 corresponds to the movement of the pressure contact guide means 8. To the rear end c2.

  Each of the front and rear ends c1 and c2 of each alignment guide member 10 that is long in the front-rear direction is connected to a rod 11a of a drive cylinder 11 that is disposed two in the front-rear direction. By actuating the rods 11a of the drive cylinders 11, the alignment guide members 10 on the left and right sides of the container group 80 reciprocate in and out in the left and right direction. As a result, the rods 11a of the two drive cylinders 11 at the front and rear are operated, so that the pair of alignment guide members 10 are driven inward so as to sandwich the container group 80 from both the left and right sides, or the containers sandwiched. Drive outward to move the group 80 apart.

  The two front and rear drive cylinders 11 are arranged symmetrically, and the rods 11a are operated with the same stroke, whereby the pair of alignment guide members 10 are driven inward within the same drive range. . A displacement meter 12 provided in each drive cylinder 11 can measure the amount of movement of the rod 11a, whereby the displacement of the pair of alignment guide members 10 is detected.

  The calculation unit 14 provided in the depalletizer control panel 6 performs each alignment for sandwiching the container group 80 from both the left and right sides based on the guide closed dimension value that is data input in advance for each container group 80. The drive range of the guide member 10 is calculated. The guide closed dimension is a dimension between the two alignment guide members 10 when the container group 80 is sandwiched.

  The basis data to be calculated by the calculation unit 14 is the guide closed dimension in this embodiment, but it is not limited as long as it is based on a unique value for each type of container. If the value of the guide closed dimension for each container group 80 is input to the input unit of the depalletizer control panel 6, the calculation unit 14 of the control panel 6 determines the drive range of each of the pair of alignment guide members 10 from the guide closed dimension. Is calculated and output to the first operation control unit 15.

  The first operation control unit 15 provided in the depalletizer control panel 6 is communicably connected to the alignment guide electromagnetic valve 22, the displacement meter 12, and the brake unit 13 connected to each drive cylinder 11 through a communication cable. The first operation control unit 15 controls each of these units based on the value of the driving range input from the calculation unit 14 and a pair of alignment guides so as to sandwich the container group 80 from both the left and right sides in an aligned state. The member 10 is driven.

  The driving range of the pair of alignment guide members 10 is set for each type of container group 80 by the alignment guide means 7 configured as described above, and the container group 80 is sandwiched from both the left and right sides based on the set value. Therefore, the closed position of the pair of alignment guide members 10 is appropriate so that no stress is applied to the container group 80 for each product type. Thereby, the container group 80 placed in a predetermined alignment pattern can be sandwiched at appropriate positions from the left and right sides.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the pressure contact guide means 8 drives a pair of pressure contact guide members 40, each pressure contact guide member 40, and air cylinders 41 disposed on the left and right sides of the container group 80. First and second adjusting parts (adjusting parts) 42 and 43 for adjusting the operating pressure of the first and second adjusting parts (other operating control parts) 44 for controlling the first and second adjusting parts 42 and 43, and It is mainly composed of. The pair of pressure contact guide members 40 can sandwich the container group 80 from both the front and rear sides.

  Each pressure contact guide member 40 and each air cylinder 41 are arranged on the frame 17. A connecting member 25 for connecting to the front pressure contact guide member 40 is fixed to the front end of each air cylinder 41. The first and second adjusting portions 42 and 43 are respectively introduced into the first and second ports 46 and 47 serving as inlets and outlets of the working air sent to the air cylinder 41 and the first and second ports 46 and 47, respectively. First and second electromagnetic valves 48 and 49 provided in the working air piping, and first and second ports 46 and 47 connected between the first and second electromagnetic valves 48 and 49. Second pressure controllers 57 and 58 are included. The second operation control unit 44 is provided on the depalletizer control panel 6.

  The air cylinder 41 of the present embodiment operates by sending operating air to each of the first and second ports 46 and 47. The movement of the air cylinder 41 can be controlled by adjusting the air pressure of the working air sent to the first and second ports 46 and 47 by the first and second pressure controllers 57 and 58, respectively.

  The air cylinders 41 are arranged on the left and right sides of the container group 80 so as to follow the longitudinal direction of the left and right frames 17c and 17d, respectively, in the front-rear direction. The pressure-contact guide member 40 is disposed on the front and rear frames 17a and 17b on both the front and rear sides of the container group 80 so that the longitudinal direction is along the left and right direction.

  The two air cylinders 41 are the same type of air cylinders. The left air cylinder 41 is installed along the longitudinal direction of the left frame 17c, and the right air cylinder 41 is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the right frame 17d. Is installed.

  An air cylinder 41 is connected to each of the left and right ends of the front pressure contact guide member 40 via a connection member 25, and an air cylinder 41 is connected to each of the left and right ends of the rear pressure contact guide member 40. . When each air cylinder 41 is operated, the respective pressure contact guide members 40 before and after the container group 80 reciprocate in and out in the front-rear direction. When the left and right air cylinders 41 are operated, the pair of pressure contact guide members 40 are driven toward the inside so as to sandwich the container group 80 from both the front and rear sides, or directed outward so as to separate the sandwiched container group 80. Drive.

  The movement of each pressure contact guide member 40 is adjusted by the first adjustment unit 42 and the second adjustment unit 43. By controlling the first pressure controller 57 of the first adjustment unit 42, the air pressure of the first working air to the first port 46 of the air cylinder 41 is adjusted. At the same time, the air pressure of the second working air to the second port 47 of the air cylinder 41 is adjusted by controlling the second pressure controller 58 of the second adjusting unit 43. The first and second pressure controllers 57 and 58 may be controlled by the depalletizer control panel 6.

  Of the first and second working air sent to both the first and second ports 46 and 47, the air cylinder 41 moves toward the lower air pressure set by the first and second pressure controllers 57 and 58. The pressing force to the inside of the front and rear pressure contact guides 40 is controlled by the pressure difference between the first working air and the second working air.

  That is, the first and second pressure controllers 57 and 58 corresponding to each of the left and right air cylinders 41 are manually set or pressure controlled by the second operation control unit 44, and the first and second electromagnetic valves The air cylinders 41 can be operated by performing the operation commands 48 and 49 by the second operation control unit 44. By adjusting the first and second pressure controllers 57 and 58, the air pressures of the left and right air cylinders 41 are set, and the pressure guide members 40 disposed in the front and rear of the container group 80 are pressed from both the front and rear sides. The pressure is controlled.

  Unlike the alignment guide means 7, the pressure contact guide means 8 forms a state in which the container group 80 is always pressed by springs from both the front and rear sides. That is, in the pressure contact guide means 8, when each pressure contact guide member 40 comes into contact with the container group 80, an elastic pressing state is formed such that the containers are not crushed and pushed back. Adjusting the first and second pressure controllers 57 and 58 of the first and second adjusting units 42 and 43 to adjust the air pressure of the first working air and the air pressure of the second working air to be different from each other; The pressing force from the front and rear sides to the container group 80 by the pair of pressure contact guide members 40 is made elastic and gentle.

  More specifically, the pressure difference is set so that the air pressure of the second working air to the second port 47 of the air cylinder 41 is higher than the air pressure of the first working air to the first port 46. When the container group 80 is held and transported by the sweeper device 2, the container group 80 may move rearward and a gap may be formed between the front side of the container group 80 and the pressure contact guide member 40. By making the air pressure of the second working air higher than the air pressure of the first working air, the container group 80 is always elastically and gently pressed by each pressure contact guide member 40. The range of pressure values for elastically pressing the container group 80 by the front and rear pressure contact guide members 40 is preferably 0.05 MPa to 0.6 MPa, and more preferably 0.1 MPa to 0.4 MPa. This prevents the formation of a gap between the front side of the container group 80 and the pressure contact guide member 40 while preventing damage to the containers during conveyance, tipping of the containers in the guide, and disorder of the arrangement of the containers. it can.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the pressure guide member 40 of the pressure guide means 8 is disposed below the drive cylinder 11 of the alignment guide means 7. The alignment guide member 10 of the alignment guide means 7 is disposed below the air cylinder 41 of the pressure contact guide means 8. The drive cylinder 11 and the alignment guide member 10 are connected by a first arm 52 extending vertically. The air cylinder 41 and the pressure contact guide member 40 are connected by a second arm 53 and a connecting plate 54 that extend vertically.

  A support member 55 that is long in the left-right direction is provided on the diagonally lower side of the drive cylinder 11. The shape, arrangement, and connection method of the connecting members that connect the members of the alignment guide means 7 and the pressure contact guide means 8 and other members provided as necessary are not limited. As described above, since the drive cylinder 11, the pressure contact guide member 40, the air cylinder 41, and the alignment guide member 10 are disposed so as to surround the container group 80 from four directions, useless space is provided around the container group 80. The sweeper device 2 can be made compact

  FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the movement of the alignment guide member 10 and the pressure contact guide member 40. In the figure, an open state and a closed state of the pair of alignment guide members 10 and the pair of press contact guide members 40 are shown. The first and second members 10a, 10b before and after each alignment guide member 10 are moved toward and away from each other in the front-rear direction in conjunction with each pressure contact guide member 40. The pair of alignment guide members 10 are interlocked with the pair of pressure contact guide members 40. Each alignment guide member 10 whose dimensions from the front end c1 to the rear end c2 can be varied is always moved inside each pressure contact guide member 40 while changing the dimension between the front and rear ends.

  As described above, the fitting portion 101 is formed inside the first and second members 10a and 10b before and after each alignment guide member 10 so that the first and second members 10a and 10b fit together when they approach each other. It has become. FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of the first and second members 10a and 10b and a part of the container group 80 as viewed from the side. When the first member 10a and the second member 10b are separated and opened, a gap is formed, but since the step-like fitting portion 101 exists, the container group 80 is always fitted as shown in FIG. 101 is located inside.

  Each of the alignment guide members 10 including the first member and the second members 10a and 10b does not have a portion that is interrupted along the front-rear direction, and always overlaps with all the container groups 80. In other words, regardless of whether the pair of alignment guide members 10 is in the closed state or the open state, all of the containers facing the pair of alignment guide members 10 in the container group 80 contact the pair of alignment guide members 10. Touch. Thereby, it is possible to prevent a part of the containers of the container group 80 from biting between the first member 10a and the second member 10b, and the container group 80 can be reliably held.

  Further, with such a configuration, the alignment guide members 10 and the pressure contact guide members 40 do not need to be shifted from each other in the vertical direction, and can be disposed at substantially the same position. The vertical position where the container group 80 is pressed from the left-right direction and the vertical position where the container group 80 is pressed from the front-rear direction substantially coincide with each other, so that the container group 80 can be held reliably and stably. At the same time, by pressing the same vertical position from four directions, damage to the container, tipping of the container in the guide, and disorder of the arrangement of the containers can be prevented.

  A control method when the container group 80 is sandwiched from the four directions by the alignment guide member 10 and the pressure contact guide member 40 and is sent out onto the conveyor 3 will be described. FIG. 8 is a block diagram for explaining a control method for the alignment guide means 7, and FIG. 9 is a block diagram for explaining a control method for the pressure contact guide means 8.

  A guide closed dimension for each container group 80 is input to the input unit of the depalletizer control panel 6, and a driving range for sandwiching the alignment guide members 10 from the left and right directions is provided in the calculation unit 14 provided in the control panel 6. Calculate. The value of the driving range output from the calculation unit 14 is input to the first operation control unit 15. When a command for starting conveyance of the container group 80 is input to the depalletizer control panel 6, the first operation control unit 15 includes the alignment guide electromagnetic valve 22, the displacement meter 12, and the brake unit 13 connected to the drive cylinder 11. To control. As a result, the pair of alignment guide members 10 are driven inward within an appropriate driving range, and the container group 80 is sandwiched from both the left and right sides.

  Regarding the pressure contact guide means 8, the first and second pressure controllers 57 and 58 are manually adjusted in advance to the second port 47 of the air cylinder 41 so that the container group 80 is always elastically and gently pressed. The pressure difference is set so that the air pressure of the second working air becomes higher than the air pressure of the first working air to the first port 46. The adjustment of the first and second pressure controllers 57 and 58 may be performed electrically by input to the depalletizer control panel 6.

  When a command for starting the conveyance of the container group 80 is input to the depalletizer control panel 6, the pressure guide unit 8 is controlled together with the alignment guide unit 7. In response to the input of the command, the second operation control unit 44 sends a command to the first and second electromagnetic valves 48 and 49 to open both the electromagnetic valves 48 and 49. Working air is sent to the air cylinder 41 through the first and second ports 46 and 47. The front and rear pressure contact guide members 40 are driven by the operation of the air cylinder 41. By the pair of pressure contact guide members 40, the container group 80 is elastically sandwiched from both the front and rear sides while being always pressed with a gentle weak force.

  As described above, when a command for starting the conveyance of the container group 80 is input to the depalletizer control panel 6, the driving of the alignment guide member 10 and the pressure contact guide member 40 of the sweeper device 2 is started, and the container group 80 is moved to both the left and right sides. And sandwiched from both front and rear sides. The lifting device 5 of the bulk depalletizer 1 moves the sweeper device 2 holding the container group 80 up and down and moves it onto the conveyor 3. When the movement of the sweeper device 2 onto the conveyor 3 is detected, the lifting device 5 stops and signals are sent from the first and second operation control units 15 and 44 to the respective means 7 and 8 of the sweeper device 2. Then, the alignment guide member 10 and the pressure contact guide member 40 are retracted from the container group 80, and the transfer of the container group 80 onto the conveyor 3 is completed.

  In the sweeper device 2 and the bulk depalletizer 1 of the present embodiment, the alignment guide means 7 that sandwiches the container group 80 from both the left and right sides is a pair of alignment guide members 10, a drive cylinder 11 that drives the alignment guide members 10, and the alignment guide members 10. A displacement meter 12 that detects the displacement of the drive cylinder 11, a brake unit 13 that stops the operation of the drive cylinder 11, a calculation unit 14 that calculates and outputs a drive range of each alignment guide member 10, and a drive range input from the calculation unit 14 The first operation control unit 15 that drives the pair of alignment guide members 10 based on the values is provided.

  The drive range of the pair of alignment guide members 10 is set for each type of container group 80 by the alignment guide means 7, and the container group 80 is sandwiched from the left and right sides based on the set value. The closing position is appropriate for each type of product so that no stress is applied to the container group 80. Therefore, the container group 80 placed in a predetermined alignment pattern can be sandwiched at an appropriate position. By such an alignment guide means 7 and a pressure contact guide means 8 sandwiched in a lump from both the front and rear sides, the container group 80 can be conveyed while maintaining the alignment state even if the product type is changed.

  Even if the product type is changed, the container group 80 can be transported while maintaining the alignment state thereof, so that the container group 80 is transported without any disturbance on the transport conveyor 3 as a transport destination, and the process can be stopped at the time of separation for each row. Absent. Thereby, it can be made to correspond to a carving process. Further, in the conventional mold change operation accompanying the change of the product type, the drive range of the guide member has been manually adjusted in the past, but this can be performed automatically. Thereby, working efficiency can be improved.

  The drive cylinders 11 connected to the alignment guide members 10 are provided so as to follow the longitudinal direction in the left-right direction on the front and rear sides of the container group 80, so that a wide space for incorporating the drive cylinders 11 becomes unnecessary. The apparatus is not increased in size, the cost is not increased due to an increase in parts, and the installation space can be secured easily.

  Since each alignment guide member 10 is configured so that the dimension from the front end c1 to the rear end c2 can be changed, the arrangement space of each alignment guide member 10 can be reduced, and at the same time, interference with the pressure contact guide member 40 is prevented. The apparatus can be made compact.

  Since the fitting portion 101 is formed on the inner side of each alignment guide member 10 where the first member 10a and the second member 10b are abutted, a part of the container group 80 is interposed between the first member 10a and the second member 10b. The container can be prevented from biting. Thereby, the container group 80 can be reliably held, troubles such as the container falling down can be prevented, and stable conveyance becomes possible.

  The pressure guide means 8 that sandwiches the container group 80 from both the front and rear sides includes a pair of pressure contact guide members 40, an air cylinder 41 that drives the pressure guide member 40, and a pressing force from the front and rear to the container group 80 by the pair of pressure contact guide members 40 is elastic. And an adjusting portion that can adjust the operating pressure to the air cylinder 41 so as to be in an appropriate and gentle state.

  The pressure difference can be controlled so that the air pressure of the second working air to the second port 47 becomes higher than the air pressure of the first working air of the first port 46, and the container group 80 by the pair of pressure contact guide members 40. The pressing force from before and after is elastic and gentle. As a result, deformation of the container due to excessive pressing force from both the front and rear sides can be prevented, and troubles such as the container being transferred can be prevented from jumping out, and together with the alignment guide means 7, the container group 80 can be kept high. Sex can be maintained.

  The container group 80 is always in a state of being elastically and gently pressed toward the closing direction of the front and rear press contact guide members 40. Even when the container group 80 is moved backward while the container group 80 is being transported and a gap is formed between the front side of the container group 80 and the pressure contact guide member 40, damage to the container being transported, It is possible to prevent the containers from falling over and to disturb the arrangement of the containers, and to prevent the formation of a gap between the front side of the container group 80 and the pressure contact guide member 40.

  The sweeper device and bulk depalletizer of this embodiment are illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims. The shape and number of alignment guide members and the number and form of drive cylinders for driving the alignment guide members are not limited. The shape and number of the pressure contact guide members, and the number and manner of providing the air cylinder for driving the pressure contact guide members are not limited. The method for interlocking the alignment guide means and the pressure contact guide means is not limited, and the alignment guide means and the pressure contact guide means may be interlocked so as to be shifted from each other in addition to the case where the operation is started simultaneously as in this embodiment. The alignment pattern of the container group may be a regular pattern other than a staggered pattern, and is not limited. The configurations and members described above can be changed as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired, and other configurations and members provided as necessary are not limited.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Bulk depalletizer 2 Sweeper device 3 Conveyor 4 Pallet 5 Lifting device 6 Depalletizer control board 7 Alignment guide means 8 Pressure guide means 10 Alignment guide member 10a First member 10b Second member 101 Fitting part 11 Drive cylinder 11a Rod 12 Displacement meter 13 Brake unit 14 Calculation unit 15 First operation control unit 17 Frame 20 Air supply port 21 Exhaust port 22 Alignment guide solenoid valve 25 Connection member 40 Pressure contact guide member 41 Air cylinder 42 First adjustment unit 43 Second adjustment unit 44 Second operation control unit 46 First port 47 Second port 48 First electromagnetic valve 49 Second electromagnetic valve 57 First pressure controller 58 Second pressure controller 80 Container group

Claims (5)

A sweeper device comprising an alignment guide means for collectively sandwiching a container group composed of a large number of containers placed in a predetermined alignment pattern from both the left and right sides in the transport direction and a pressure contact guide means for collectively sandwiching from both front and rear sides. There,
The alignment guide means includes
A pair of alignment guide members long in the transport direction arranged so as to sandwich the container group from both the left and right sides at the left and right sides of the container group;
A drive cylinder connected to each alignment guide member and provided along the longitudinal direction in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction on the front and rear sides of the container group, and driving each alignment guide member;
A displacement meter that detects the displacement of each alignment guide member by measuring the amount of movement of the rod of the drive cylinder;
A brake part for stopping the operation of the rod of the drive cylinder;
Based on data input in advance for each container group, a calculation unit that calculates and outputs a driving range of each alignment guide member for sandwiching the container group from both left and right sides;
The pair of alignment guides controls the drive cylinder, the displacement meter, and the brake unit based on the value of the drive range input from the calculation unit, and sandwiches the container group from both the left and right sides in an aligned state. An operation control unit for driving the member;
A sweeper device comprising:   The sweeper device according to claim 1, wherein each of the alignment guide members is configured to be variable in size from a front end to a rear end. Each of the alignment guide members is arranged along the transport direction and includes a first member on the front side and a second member on the rear side that can approach and separate from each other.
The sweeper device according to claim 2, wherein a fitting portion for restricting biting of the container group is formed on an inner side where each of the members is abutted. The pressure contact guide means includes:
A pair of pressure contact guide members that are long in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, which is disposed so as to sandwich the container group from both the front and rear sides at the front and rear sides of the container group,
An air cylinder that is connected to each pressure contact guide member, is provided so as to follow the longitudinal direction in the transport direction on the left and right sides of the container group, and drives each pressure contact guide member;
An adjusting unit that can adjust the operating pressure to the air cylinder so that the pressing force from the front and rear to the container group by the pair of pressure contact guide members is in an elastic and gentle state;
The sweeper device according to claim 1, further comprising: A bulk depalletizer that sandwiches a container group consisting of a large number of containers placed in a predetermined alignment pattern from the surroundings while keeping the alignment state by a sweeper device, and sends it onto a transport device,
A bulk depalletizer, wherein the sweeper device is the sweeper device according to claim 1.

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