JP2019085203A - Conveying device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a conveying device capable of discharging an object during conveyance.SOLUTION: A conveying conveyor 30 includes: a first conveyor 31s for conveying a negative electrode 9 along a conveying direction P1 and providing it with a force toward a conveying direction P2; a regulation part 31p for regulating the negative electrode 9 to move to the conveying direction P2 at a side end part of the first conveyor 31s in the conveying direction P2; a detection part A1 for detecting a state of the negative electrode 9 on the first conveyor 31s; a drive part 31d for driving the regulation part 31p so as to change an interval between the regulation part 31p and the side end part of the first conveyor 31s; and a control part for controlling the drive part 31d on the basis of a detection result of the detection part A1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to a transport apparatus.

  Patent Document 1 describes a conveyer that conveys a battery electrode plate. The transport conveyor has a plurality of inclined rollers and a belt body. The rotation axis of the inclined roller has an inclination angle α (α> 0 °) with respect to the normal to the battery electrode plate in the transport direction. Therefore, the battery electrode plate moves to the side end of the transfer conveyor as the transfer proceeds. The belt body is disposed at this side end. The battery plate moved toward the side end is pressed against the belt body. Thereby, the correction of the attitude of the battery plate and the positioning in the width direction are performed.

JP 2004-250215 A

  As described above, according to the transfer conveyor described in Patent Document 1, the battery electrode plate can be positioned while being transferred. However, when the attitude of the battery electrode plate when supplied to the transport conveyor is largely deviated from the desired attitude, it is difficult to correct the attitude by the above method. There are also cases where the battery plate is defective. In these cases, it is desirable to discharge from the conveyance path during conveyance by the conveyance conveyor so that the battery electrode plate in such a state is not introduced in the post-process.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a transport device capable of discharging an object during transport.

  A transport apparatus according to the present invention transports an object along a first direction and applies a force toward the second direction intersecting the first direction to the object, and a first conveyor in the second direction Extending along the side edge of the object to control the movement of the object in the second direction, the object on the first conveyor, or on the upstream side of the first conveyor in the conveyance path of the object A detection unit that detects the state of the object, a drive unit that drives the restriction unit to change the distance between the restriction unit and the side end, and a control unit that controls the drive unit based on the detection result of the detection unit; Equipped with

  In this transport apparatus, a force is applied in the second direction while the target is transported along the first direction by the first conveyor. And the control part is provided along the 2nd direction of the 1st conveyor. Therefore, while being conveyed along the first direction on the first conveyor, the object also moves in the second direction and is positioned in contact with the restricting portion. In particular, in this transport apparatus, the gap between the regulating unit and the side end of the first conveyor is changed by the driver driving the controlling unit under the control of the controller according to the detection result of the detecting unit. Ru. Therefore, the target object of the state abnormality detected by the detection unit can be discharged during transportation by enlarging the interval.

  In the conveyance device according to the present invention, the restriction portion may include a belt that moves at a speed according to the conveyance speed of the object along the first direction in the first conveyor. In this case, the friction between the object and the regulation portion can be reduced.

  In the transport device according to the present invention, the drive unit may change the interval by rotating the restricting portion around the base end side of the restricting portion in the first direction. In this case, the portion where the gap is enlarged is the tip end side of the restricting portion in the first direction. Therefore, the discharge location of the target can be limited to the leading end side of the regulating portion.

  In the transport apparatus according to the present invention, the detection unit detects the rotation angle relative to the standard posture of the object as the state of the object on the first conveyor, and the control unit detects the rotation angle as a predetermined angle. When indicating the above, the drive unit may be controlled to drive the regulating unit. In this case, when the rotation angle of the object is equal to or more than a predetermined angle, the object can be discharged. The standard posture is an ideal posture of the object when no rotation occurs during conveyance, and may be recorded in advance in the control unit or the like. Further, that the rotation angle is equal to or more than a predetermined angle means, for example, that the rotation angle of the posture around the center of the object exceeds the upper limit that can be adjusted (corrected) by the first conveyor.

  A transport apparatus according to the present invention includes a second conveyor that transports an object along a direction intersecting the first direction, and the first conveyor transports an object transported by the second conveyor along the first direction. It may be further transported. As described above, when the transport direction is changed between the second conveyor and the first conveyor, the change in the posture of the object is likely to be large, and thus it is more effective to be able to discharge the object.

  In the transport apparatus according to the present invention, the restricting portion may be divided into a plurality of portions along the first direction, and the drive portion may drive a part of the plurality of portions of the restricting portion. . In this case, the load on the drive unit can be reduced.

  The transport apparatus according to the present invention includes a guide member disposed below the first conveyor and the regulation unit and guiding an object dropped through a gap using a slope, and the detection unit is a state of the object The posture of the object may be detected as In this case, it is possible to recover without damaging the object. For this reason, it is easy to reuse an object having an abnormality in posture but not affecting the quality after discharge.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the conveying apparatus which can be discharged | emitted during conveyance can be provided.

It is sectional drawing which shows the inside of the electrical storage apparatus manufactured by applying the electrode conveyance apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. It is a top view which shows the positive electrode and negative electrode which were shown by FIG. It is a side view of the electrode conveyance device concerning this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a side view of the transport conveyor shown in FIG. 4; It is a top view of the conveyance conveyor shown by FIG. It is a top view which shows the mode of control of a controller. It is a figure which shows the detail of the alignment conveyor shown by FIG. It is a top view which shows the conveyance conveyor which concerns on a modification. It is a top view which shows the conveyance conveyor which concerns on a modification. It is a side view of the electrode conveyance device concerning a modification.

  Hereinafter, one embodiment of an electrode conveyance device is described with reference to drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements or corresponding elements may be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of a power storage device manufactured by applying the electrode transfer device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the positive electrode and the negative electrode shown in FIG. The power storage device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is configured as a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery.

  The storage device 1 includes, for example, a substantially rectangular case 2 and an electrode assembly 3 housed in the case 2. The case 2 is formed of, for example, a metal such as aluminum. Although not illustrated, for example, a non-aqueous (organic solvent-based) electrolytic solution is injected into the inside of the case 2. The positive electrode terminal 4 and the negative electrode terminal 5 are disposed apart from each other on the case 2. The positive electrode terminal 4 is fixed to the case 2 via the insulating ring 6, and the negative electrode terminal 5 is fixed to the case 2 via the insulating ring 7.

  Further, an insulating film F is disposed between the electrode assembly 3 and the inner side surface and the bottom surface of the case 2, and the insulating film F insulates the case 2 from the electrode assembly 3. The lower end of the electrode assembly 3 is in contact with the inner bottom surface of the case 2 via the insulating film F. By arranging the spacer S between the electrode assembly 3 and the case 2, a gap is filled between the electrode assembly 3 and the case 2. The spacer S includes one or more sheets, and the number of sheets may vary depending on the thickness of the electrode assembly 3.

  The electrode assembly 3 has a structure in which a plurality of positive electrodes 8 and a plurality of negative electrodes 9 are alternately stacked via a bag-like separator 10. The positive electrode 8 is wrapped in a bag-like separator 10. The positive electrode 8 in a state of being wrapped in the bag-like separator 10 is configured as a positive electrode 11 with a separator. Therefore, the electrode assembly 3 has a structure in which a plurality of separator-attached positive electrodes 11 and a plurality of negative electrodes 9 are alternately stacked. The electrodes located at both ends of the electrode assembly 3 are negative electrodes 9.

  The positive electrode 8 has a metal foil 14 which is a positive electrode current collector made of, for example, aluminum foil, and a positive electrode active material layer 15 formed on both sides of the metal foil 14. The metal foil 14 has a foil main body portion 14a having a rectangular shape in plan view, and a tab 14b integrated with the foil main body portion 14a. The tab 14 b protrudes from an edge near one end of the foil main body 14 a and pierces the separator 10. The tab 14 b is connected to the positive electrode terminal 4 via the conductive member 12. In FIG. 2, the tab 14 b is omitted for the sake of convenience.

  The positive electrode active material layer 15 is formed on both sides of the foil body 14 a. The positive electrode active material layer 15 is a porous layer formed by containing a positive electrode active material and a binder. Examples of the positive electrode active material include composite oxides, metallic lithium and sulfur. The composite oxide includes, for example, at least one of manganese, nickel, cobalt and aluminum and lithium.

  The negative electrode 9 has, for example, a metal foil 16 which is a negative electrode current collector made of copper foil, and a negative electrode active material layer 17 formed on both sides of the metal foil 16. The metal foil 16 has a foil main body 16a having a rectangular shape in plan view, and a tab 16b integrated with the foil main body 16a. The tab 16b protrudes from the edge near one end of the foil body 16a. The tab 16 b is connected to the negative electrode terminal 5 via the conductive member 13. In FIG. 2, the tab 16 b is omitted for the sake of convenience.

  The negative electrode active material layer 17 is formed on both sides of the foil body 16a. The negative electrode active material layer 17 is a porous layer formed by containing a negative electrode active material and a binder. As the negative electrode active material, for example, graphite, highly oriented graphite, meso carbon micro beads, hard carbon, carbon such as soft carbon, alkali metals such as lithium and sodium, metal compounds, SiO x (0.5 ≦ x ≦ 1.5) Etc.) or boron-added carbon and the like.

  The separator 10 has a rectangular shape in plan view. Examples of the material of the separator 10 include porous films made of polyolefin resins such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), and woven or non-woven fabrics made of polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), methyl cellulose and the like.

  In the case of manufacturing the electricity storage device 1 configured as described above, first, the active material mixture is applied to both sides of the strip-like metal foil, and then the treatment such as drying and pressure is applied to both sides of the strip-like metal foil. An electrode base material on which an active material layer is formed is formed. Next, the positive electrode 8 and the negative electrode 9 are manufactured by punching (cutting) the electrode base material into a predetermined shape. Then, after manufacturing the separator-attached positive electrode 11 formed by wrapping the positive electrode 8 in the bag-like separator 10, the separator-attached positive electrode 11 and the negative electrode 9 are alternately stacked, and the separator-attached positive electrode 11 and the negative electrode 9 are fixed with a tape or the like. Thus, an electrode assembly 3 is obtained. The tab 14b of the separator-attached positive electrode 11 is connected to the positive electrode terminal 4 through the conductive member 12, and the tab 16b of the negative electrode 9 is connected to the negative electrode terminal 5 through the conductive member 13. 2 to accommodate.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing the electrode transfer device according to the present embodiment. The electrode conveyance apparatus 20 shown by FIG. 4 is an apparatus which conveys the negative electrode (electrode, target object) 9 along the conveyance path | route from the installation of a front process to the apparatus 40 which is an installation of a back process as an example. Hereinafter, the direction in which the negative electrode 9 is transported is referred to as a transport direction P1. The electrode transfer device 20 includes a transfer conveyor 21, a transfer conveyor 22, a transfer conveyor (transfer device) 30, inspection units 24 and 25, and a controller (control unit) 26.

  The transport conveyor 21 is disposed upstream of the transport conveyors 22 and 30 in the transport path. The transport conveyor 21 transports the negative electrode 9 supplied from the equipment of the previous process. The transport conveyor 21 is, for example, a suction conveyor. The transport conveyor 21 places the negative electrode 9 on the upper surface 21s and transports the negative electrode 9 while adsorbing it from below. The transport conveyor 21 has a belt 21a provided with a large number of small holes (not shown), and a suction duct (not shown) disposed inside the belt 21a. The suction duct is connected to an external negative pressure source (not shown). An area of the upper surface 21s corresponding to the opening of the suction duct is an area for attracting and holding the negative electrode 9 by applying a negative pressure to the negative electrode 9 through the small holes of the belt 21a. The transport conveyor 21 transports in the transport direction P1 with the negative electrode 9 in contact with the belt 21a (upper surface 21s).

  The inspection unit 24 is provided on the transport conveyor 21 and inspects the negative electrode 9 transported to the transport conveyor 21. The inspection unit 24 includes a cleaner 24 a and an inspection unit 24 b. The cleaner 24 a and the inspection unit 24 b are disposed above the transport conveyor 21 so as to face the upper surface 21 s of the transport conveyor 21. The inspection unit 24 b is disposed downstream of the cleaner 24 a.

  The cleaner 24 a sucks the surface of the negative electrode 9 placed on the upper surface 21 s of the transport conveyor 21 and removes foreign matter attached to the surface of the negative electrode 9. The inspection unit 24 b inspects the negative electrode 9 placed on the upper surface 21 s of the transport conveyor 21. The inspection unit 24 b is, for example, an imaging device provided with a CCD camera. The inspection unit 24 b captures an image of the surface of the negative electrode 9 from above the transport conveyor 21 and acquires an image of the surface of the negative electrode 9. The inspection unit 24 b transmits the acquired image to an external diagnostic device (not shown). The diagnostic device checks, for example, the presence or absence of an abnormality (for example, a scratch, a foreign object, a see-through, a streak, and a bubble mark) on the surface of the negative electrode 9 based on the captured image. Is determined to be defective.

  The transport conveyor 22 is disposed downstream of the transport conveyor 21 in the transport path. The conveyer 22 receives the supply of the negative electrode 9 from the conveyer 21. The conveyer 22 conveys the negative electrode 9 to the conveyer 30.

  FIG. 5 is a side view showing the transfer conveyor (transfer conveyor 22) shown in FIG. The transport conveyor 22 is a suction conveyor. The transfer conveyor 22 has suction conveyors 27 and 28 adjacent to each other along the transfer path. That is, the transport conveyor 22 is divided into suction conveyors 27 and 28. The suction conveyors 27 and 28 are disposed apart from each other.

  The adsorption conveyor 27 conveys the negative electrode 9 while adsorbing it from above at the lower surface 27s. The suction conveyor 27 includes two rollers 27a and 27b spaced apart in the conveyance direction P1, a belt 27c bridged between the two rollers 27a and 27b, and a suction duct 27d arranged inside the belt 27c. ,have. The belt 27c is provided with a large number of small holes (not shown). The suction duct 27d opens downward. The suction duct 27d is connected to an external negative pressure source (not shown) via a suction port (not shown). An area of the lower surface 27s corresponding to the opening of the suction duct 27d is an area for attracting and holding the negative electrode 9 by applying a negative pressure to the negative electrode 9 through the small holes of the belt 27c. The adsorption conveyor 27 conveys the belt 27 c (the lower surface 27 s) in the conveying direction P <b> 1 with the negative electrode 9 in contact with the belt 27 c (lower surface 27 s).

  The adsorption conveyor 28 conveys the negative electrode 9 while adsorbing it from above at the lower surface 28s. In the present embodiment, the adsorption conveyor 28 conveys the plurality of (for example, three to ten) negative electrodes 9 arranged along the conveyance path in a state of being adsorbed. The adsorption conveyor 28 includes two rollers 28a and 28b spaced apart in the conveyance direction P1, a belt 28c bridged between the two rollers 28a and 28b, and a suction duct 28d disposed inside the belt 28c. ,have.

  The configuration of the belt 28c and the suction duct 28d is similar to that of the belt 27c and the suction duct 27d. That is, the belt 28c is provided with a large number of small holes (not shown). The suction duct 28d opens downward. The suction duct 28d is connected to an external negative pressure source (not shown) via a suction port (not shown). An area of the lower surface 28s corresponding to the opening of the suction duct 28d is an area for attracting and holding the negative electrode 9 by applying a negative pressure to the negative electrode 9 through the small holes of the belt 28c. The adsorption conveyor 28 conveys the sheet 28 in the conveying direction P with the negative electrode 9 in contact with the belt 28 c (lower surface 28 s).

  The inspection unit 25 is provided on the transport conveyor 22 and inspects the negative electrode 9 transported to the transport conveyor 22. The inspection unit 25 includes a cleaner 25a, an inspection unit 25b, and a discarding unit 25c. The cleaner 25 a and the inspection unit 25 b are disposed below the suction conveyor 27 so as to face the lower surface 27 s of the suction conveyor 27. The inspection unit 25 b is disposed downstream of the cleaner 25 a.

  The configurations of the cleaner 25a and the inspection unit 25b are the same as those of the cleaner 24a and the inspection unit 24b. That is, the cleaner 25 a sucks the surface of the negative electrode 9 adsorbed and held by the lower surface 22 s of the transport conveyor 22, and removes foreign matter attached to the surface of the negative electrode 9. The inspection unit 25 b inspects the negative electrode 9 adsorbed and held on the lower surface 22 s of the transport conveyor 22. The inspection unit 25 b is, for example, an imaging device provided with a CCD camera. The inspection unit 25 b captures an image of the surface of the negative electrode 9 from below the transport conveyor 22 and acquires an image of the surface of the negative electrode 9. The inspection unit 25 b transmits the acquired image to an external diagnostic device (not shown). The diagnostic device checks, for example, the presence or absence of an abnormality (for example, a scratch, a foreign object, a see-through, a streak, and a bubble mark) on the surface of the negative electrode 9 based on the captured image. Is determined to be defective.

  The discarding unit 25 c is disposed between the suction conveyors 27 and 28. The discarding unit 25c is for suppressing a drop into the discarding box 25d for discarding the negative electrode 9 determined to be a defective product in the inspection, a discarding air nozzle 25e for dropping to the discarding box 25d, and a dropping to the discarding box 25d. And a supporting air nozzle 25f. The waste box 25 d is disposed below the suction conveyor 27 and the suction conveyor 28. The waste box 25d opens upward.

  The waste air nozzle 25e is disposed above the suction conveyors 27, 28, and applies a force downward to the negative electrode 9 supplied from the suction conveyor 27 to the suction conveyor 28 by blowing air from the upper side. The waste air nozzle 25 e applies a stronger force to the negative electrode 9 by means of air than adsorption by the adsorption conveyors 27 and 28. As a result, the negative electrode 9 determined to be a defective product is peeled off from the suction by the suction conveyor 28 and dropped, and is put into the waste box 25 d. The support air nozzle 25f is disposed below the suction conveyors 27, 28, and applies a force upward to the negative electrode 9 supplied from the suction conveyor 27 to the suction conveyor 28 by blowing air from the lower side. . Thereby, it is possible to suppress that the negative electrode 9 determined not to be a defective product falls.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the transport conveyor 22 is disposed above the transport conveyors 21 and 30. Specifically, the start end of the transfer conveyor 22 (here, the start end of the suction conveyor 27) has a region R1 that wraps with the end of the transfer conveyor 21. A suction duct is not disposed at a position corresponding to the region R1 at the end of the transport conveyor 21. The transfer conveyor 22 receives the supply of the negative electrode 9 from the transfer conveyor 21 by adsorbing the negative electrode 9 in the region R1. Further, the end of the transfer conveyor 22 (here, the end of the suction conveyor 28) has a region R2 that wraps with the start of the transfer conveyor 30. The suction duct 28d is not disposed in the region R2 of the end portion of the suction conveyor 28 (see FIG. 5). The transfer conveyor 22 supplies the negative electrode 9 to the transfer conveyor 30 in the region R2. The conveyance conveyor 22 (adsorption conveyor 28) drops the negative electrode 9 to the conveyance conveyor 30 and releases it by releasing the adsorption of the negative electrode 9.

  The transport conveyor 30 transports the negative electrode (target object) 9 supplied from the transport conveyor 22 along the transport direction (first direction) P1. Thereby, the transport conveyor 30 supplies the negative electrode 9 to the apparatus 40 which is the installation of a post process. Subsequently, details of the transport conveyor 30 will be described.

  6 is a plan view of the transfer conveyor shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the transport conveyor 30 includes alignment conveyors 31 to 33, a transport conveyor 34, an adsorption conveyor 35, and detection units A1 and A3. The alignment conveyors 31 and 33 extend along the transport direction P1 and transport the negative electrode 9 along the transport direction P1. The alignment conveyor 32 extends along a transport direction (second direction) P2 that crosses (eg, is orthogonal to) the transport direction P1 and transports the negative electrode 9 along the transport direction P2.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the transport conveyor 22 simultaneously transports two rows of negative electrodes 9 in the width direction. The aligning conveyor 31 is supplied with one of the two rows of negative electrodes 9. The alignment conveyor 31 has a first conveyor 31 s for transporting the supplied negative electrode 9 along the transport direction P1. The first conveyor 31s includes a plurality of rollers 31a arranged along the transport direction P1 and rotationally driven around the rotation axis 31x. The rotation axis 31x is inclined at an angle θ less than 90 ° with respect to the transport direction P1. Therefore, the force applied to the negative electrode 9 transported by the first conveyor 31s includes a component traveling in the transport direction P1 as well as a component traveling in the transport direction P2 intersecting the transport direction P1. In other words, the first conveyor 31 s transports the negative electrode 9 along the transport direction P 1 and applies a force toward the transport direction P 2 to the negative electrode 9.

  The alignment conveyor 31 further includes a restricting portion 31p. The restricting portion 31p extends along the side end portion of the first conveyor 31s in the transport direction P2. More specifically, the restriction portion 31 p extends along the conveyance direction P <b> 1 at the side end of the first conveyor 31 s in the conveyance direction P <b> 2. As described above, the negative electrode 9 transported by the first conveyor 31s is given a force in the transport direction P2. Therefore, in the state where there is no restriction, the negative electrode 9 also moves in the transport direction P2. On the other hand, the restricting portion 31p is in contact with the negative electrode 9 moving in the transfer direction P2 by being positioned at the side end of the first conveyor 31s on the transfer direction P2 side, and corrects the posture of the negative electrode 9 The movement of the negative electrode 9 in the transport direction P2 is restricted.

  The restricting portion 31p includes a pair of rollers 31r, a frame (not shown) supporting the pair of rollers 31r at constant intervals, and a belt 31b wound around the pair of rollers 31r. The belt 31b moves (circulates) at a speed according to the transport speed of the negative electrode 9 along the transport direction P1 in the first conveyor 31s by driving the roller 31r. Therefore, the relative speed between the belt 31b and the negative electrode 9 along the transport direction P1 is substantially zero. As described above, the alignment conveyor 31 adjusts the position of the negative electrode 9 by conveying the negative electrode 9 in the transport direction P1 by the first conveyor 31s while contacting the belt 31b of the regulating unit 31p. The alignment conveyor 31 supplies the negative electrode 9 to the apparatus 40 of the post process.

  The alignment conveyor 31 further includes a drive unit 31 d. The driving unit 31 d drives the restricting unit 31 p so as to change the distance between the restricting unit 31 p and the side end of the first conveyor 31 s. Here, the drive unit 31d is provided, for example, on the roller 31r on the base end side in the transport direction P1 of the regulating unit 31p. Then, the driving unit 31 d changes the interval by rotating the restricting portion 31 p around the base end side (here, the roller 31 r) of the restricting portion 31 p by driving the frame.

  The alignment conveyors 32 and 33 are also similar to the alignment conveyor 31 in principle, but will be individually described. The other negative electrode 9 of the two rows of negative electrodes 9 transported by the transport conveyor 22 is supplied to the alignment conveyor 32. A second conveyor 32s is provided to convey the supplied negative electrode 9 along the conveyance direction P2. The second conveyor 32s includes a plurality of rollers 32a arranged along the transport direction P2 and rotationally driven around the rotation axis 32x. The rotation axis 32x is inclined at an angle θ less than 90 ° with respect to the transport direction P2. Therefore, the force applied to the negative electrode 9 transported by the second conveyor 32s includes a component traveling in the transport direction P2 as well as a component traveling in the transport direction P1 negative side intersecting the transport direction P2. In other words, the second conveyor 32 s transports the negative electrode 9 along the transport direction P 2 and applies a force toward the negative side in the transport direction P 1 to the negative electrode 9.

  The alignment conveyor 32 further includes a restricting portion 32p. The restricting portion 32p extends along the side end portion of the second conveyor 32s on the negative side in the conveyance direction P1. More specifically, the restriction portion 32p extends along the conveyance direction P2 at the side end of the second conveyor 32s on the negative side of the conveyance direction P1. As described above, the negative electrode 9 conveyed by the second conveyor 32s is given a force toward the negative side in the conveyance direction P1. Therefore, in the state where there is no restriction, the negative electrode 9 also moves in the transport direction P1. On the other hand, the restricting portion 32p is in contact with the negative electrode 9 moving in the transfer direction P1 by being located at the side end on the negative side of the transfer direction P1 of the second conveyor 32s, and corrects the posture of the negative electrode 9 The movement of the negative electrode 9 in the transport direction P1 in the negative direction is restricted.

  The restricting portion 31p includes a pair of rollers 32r, a frame (not shown) supporting the pair of rollers 32r at constant intervals, and a belt 32b wound around the pair of rollers 32r. The belt 32b moves (circulates) at a speed according to the transport speed of the negative electrode 9 along the transport direction P2 in the second conveyor 32s by driving the roller 32r. Therefore, the relative velocity between the belt 32b and the negative electrode 9 along the transport direction P2 is substantially zero. As described above, the alignment conveyor 32 adjusts the position of the negative electrode 9 by transporting the negative electrode 9 in the transport direction P2 by the second conveyor 32s while contacting the belt 32b of the regulating portion 32p.

  The negative electrode 9 conveyed by the alignment conveyor 32 is transferred to the conveyance conveyor 34 and conveyed along the conveyance direction P2, and thereafter, to the suction conveyor 35 disposed so as to partially overlap above the conveyance conveyor 34. It is adsorbed and conveyed along the conveyance direction P1. Thereafter, the negative electrode 9 falls in the non-adsorption area R3 of the adsorption conveyor 35, and is supplied to the alignment conveyor 33 partially overlapping below the adsorption conveyor 35. That is, the transport direction of the negative electrode 9 is converted when it reaches the alignment conveyor 33 from the alignment conveyor 32 (second conveyor 32s) (here, 90 ° conversion).

  The alignment conveyor 33 receives the supply of the negative electrode 9 from the alignment conveyor 32 via the transfer conveyor 34 and the adsorption conveyor 35. The alignment conveyor 33 has a first conveyor 33s that conveys the supplied negative electrode 9 along the conveyance direction P1. The first conveyor 33s includes a plurality of rollers 33a arranged along the transport direction P1 and rotationally driven around the rotation axis 33x. The rotation axis 33x is inclined at an angle θ less than 90 ° with respect to the transport direction P1. Therefore, the force applied to the negative electrode 9 transported by the first conveyor 33s includes a component traveling in the transport direction P1 as well as a component traveling in the transport direction P2 negative side intersecting the transport direction P1. In other words, the first conveyor 33s transports the negative electrode 9 along the transport direction P1 and applies a force toward the negative side in the transport direction P2 to the negative electrode 9.

  The alignment conveyor 33 further includes a restricting portion 33p. The restricting portion 33p extends along the side end of the first conveyor 33s on the negative side in the conveyance direction P2. More specifically, the restricting portion 33p extends along the conveyance direction P1 at the side end of the first conveyor 33s on the negative side of the conveyance direction P2. As described above, the negative electrode 9 conveyed by the first conveyor 33s is given a force toward the negative side in the conveyance direction P2. Therefore, in the state where there is no restriction, the negative electrode 9 also moves to the negative side in the transport direction P2. On the other hand, the restricting portion 33p is in contact with the negative electrode 9 moving to the negative side in the conveyance direction P2 by being positioned at the negative side of the conveyance direction P2 of the first conveyor 33s, and corrects the posture of the negative electrode 9 At the same time, the movement of the negative electrode 9 to the negative side in the transport direction P2 is restricted.

  The restricting portion 33p includes a pair of rollers 33r, a frame (not shown) supporting the pair of rollers 33r at a constant interval, and a belt 33b wound around the pair of rollers 33r. The belt 33b moves (circulates) at a speed according to the transport speed of the negative electrode 9 along the transport direction P1 in the first conveyor 33s by the drive of the roller 33r. Therefore, the relative speed between the belt 33b and the negative electrode 9 along the transport direction P1 is substantially zero. As described above, the alignment conveyor 33 adjusts the position of the negative electrode 9 by transporting the negative electrode 9 in the transport direction P1 by the first conveyor 33s while contacting the belt 33b of the regulating portion 33p. The alignment conveyor 33 supplies the negative electrode 9 to the apparatus 40 of the post process.

  The alignment conveyor 33 further includes a drive unit 33 d. The drive unit 33 d drives the restricting unit 33 p so as to change the distance between the restricting unit 33 p and the side end of the first conveyor 33 s. Here, as an example, the driving unit 33 d is provided on the roller 33 r on the base end side in the transport direction P <b> 1 of the regulating unit 33 p. Then, the drive unit 33 d changes the interval by rotating the restricting portion 33 p with the base end side (here, the roller 33 r) of the restricting portion 33 p as an axis by driving the frame.

  The detection unit A1 is provided on the alignment conveyor 31. Detection part A1 is provided in the end face side rather than the center of alignment conveyor 31 (the 1st conveyor 31s) about conveyance direction P1 as an example. The detection unit A1 includes, for example, an imaging device, and detects the state of the negative electrode 9 on the first conveyor 31s. Here, the detection unit A1 detects the posture of the negative electrode 9 as the state of the negative electrode 9. The detection unit A1 transmits the detection result to the controller 26. The controller 26 controls the drive unit 31 d based on the detection result of the detection unit A1.

  The detection unit A3 is provided in the alignment conveyor 33. Detection part A3 is provided in the end face side rather than the center of alignment conveyor 33 (the 1st conveyor 33s) about conveyance direction P1 as an example. The detection unit A3 includes, for example, an imaging device, and detects the state of the negative electrode 9 on the first conveyor 33s. Here, the detection unit A3 detects the posture of the negative electrode 9 as the state of the negative electrode 9. The detection unit A3 transmits the detection result to the controller 26. The controller 26 controls the drive unit 33 d based on the detection result of the detection unit A3.

  Subsequently, control of the controller 26 will be described. The alignment conveyor 31 and the alignment conveyor 33 are in principle the same with respect to the installation positions of the regulation portions 31p and 33p and the direction of the force applied to the negative electrode 9 except that the positive and negative in the transport direction P2 are opposite. Accordingly, in the following description, the alignment conveyor 31 will be described as a representative, but the same applies to the alignment conveyor 33.

  FIG. 7 is a plan view showing control of the controller. As described above, the controller 26 acquires the detection result of the attitude of the negative electrode 9 from the detection unit A1. Here, the detection unit A1 detects, as the state of the negative electrode 9, a rotation angle with respect to the standard posture of the negative electrode 9. When the detection result indicates that the rotation angle of the posture of the negative electrode 9 is equal to or greater than a predetermined angle, the controller 26 drives the restricting portion 31p to discharge the negative electrode 9 during the conveyance of the first conveyor 31s. The drive unit 31d is controlled to do this. Thus, the restricting portion 31p is driven to rotate, and the distance between the restricting portion 31p and the side end of the first conveyor 31s is enlarged.

  As described above, the negative electrode 9 is applied with a force in the transport direction P2 by the first conveyor 31s, and also moves in the transport direction P2 in a state where there is no restriction. For this reason, in the location where the said space | interval is larger than the negative electrode 9, the negative electrode 9 falls from the 1st conveyor 31s via the said space, without contacting the control part 31p, and is discharged | emitted from the 1st conveyor 31s. The standard posture is an ideal posture of the object when no rotation occurs during conveyance (for example, a posture in which one side of the negative electrode 9 is parallel to the conveyance direction P1), and It is recorded. Further, that the rotation angle of the posture of the negative electrode 9 is equal to or more than a predetermined angle means that, for example, the rotation angle of the posture about the center of the negative electrode 9 exceeds the upper limit that can be adjusted by the alignment conveyor 31. Do.

  Further, the alignment conveyor 31 includes a guide member 36 which is disposed below the first conveyor 31s and the restricting portion 31p and guides the negative electrode 9 dropped through the interval using the inclined surface 36s. Here, the guide member 36 is selectively provided on the tip side of the center of the first conveyor 31s in the transport direction P1 corresponding to the area where the expansion of the gap is remarkable. The negative electrode 9 dropped from the first conveyor 31s can be guided by the inclined surface 36s to a predetermined collection position without receiving an impact.

  Here, the configuration for discharging the negative electrode 9 will be supplemented. FIG. 8 is a view showing the details of the alignment conveyor shown in FIG. (A) of FIG. 8 is a plan view, and (b) and (c) of FIG. 8 are cross-sectional views taken along the line VIII-VIII of (a) of FIG. Although the example of FIG. 8 illustrates the case where the angle θ of the rotation shaft 31 x of the roller 31 a in the first conveyor 31 s changes along the transport direction P 1 as described later, it is illustrated in FIG. Thus, the angle θ may be constant along the transport direction P1.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the first conveyor 31 s includes a support 310 that supports the roller 31 a. The support 310 includes a pair of side walls 311 and 312, and the roller 31a is disposed between the pair of side walls 311 and 312. The side wall portion 311 supports one end of the roller 31a, and a drive portion (not shown) for driving the roller 31a is accommodated therein. One end of a roller 31a is connected to this drive unit. The side wall portion 312 supports the other end of the roller 31a.

  Thus, the roller 31a is rotationally driven by the driving force transmitted from the driving unit in a state supported by the side wall portions 311 and 312. The height of the side wall portion 312 is lower than the top (upper end) 31t of the roller 31a. Thus, when the restriction portion 31p is driven to form an interval (in the case of (c) in FIG. 8), the negative electrode 9 passes from the position on the roller 31a to the position on the side wall portion 312 and the interval Can be discharged from the

  As described above, in the transport conveyor 30, a force is applied in the transport direction P2 while transporting the negative electrode 9 along the transport direction P1 by the first conveyor 31s. And the control part 31p is provided along the side edge part in the conveyance direction P2 of 31st of 1st conveyors. Therefore, while the negative electrode 9 is transported along the transport direction P1 on the first conveyor 31s, it also moves in the transport direction P2 and is positioned in contact with the regulating portion 31p. In particular, in the transport conveyor 30, according to the detection result of the detection unit A1, the restriction unit 31p is controlled by the drive unit 31d under the control of the controller 26 according to the detection result of the detection unit A1. Driven and changed. Therefore, the negative electrode 9 in the abnormal state (abnormal posture) detected by the detection unit A1 can be discharged during conveyance by enlarging the interval.

  Further, in the transport conveyor 30, the regulating portion 31p includes a belt 31b which moves at a speed according to the transport speed of the negative electrode 9 along the transport direction P1 in the first conveyor 31s. For this reason, the friction between the negative electrode 9 and the restriction portion 31p can be reduced.

  In addition, in the transport conveyor 30, the drive unit 31d changes the interval by rotating the regulating portion 31p around the base end side of the regulating portion 31p in the transport direction P1. For this reason, the portion where the gap is enlarged is the tip end side of the restricting portion 31p in the transport direction P1. Therefore, the discharge location of the negative electrode 9 can be limited to the tip side of the regulating portion 31p.

  In addition, in the transport conveyor 30, the detection unit A1 detects the rotation angle with respect to the standard posture of the negative electrode 9 as the state of the negative electrode 9 on the first conveyor 31s. Then, the controller 26 controls the drive unit 31 d to drive the restricting unit 31 p when the detection result indicates that the rotation angle is equal to or more than the predetermined angle. For this reason, when the rotation angle of the negative electrode 9 is equal to or more than a predetermined angle, the negative electrode 9 can be discharged.

  The transport conveyor 30 also includes a second conveyor 32s that transports the negative electrode 9 along a direction (here, the transport direction P2) intersecting the transport direction P1. Then, the first conveyor 33s further conveys the negative electrode 9 conveyed by the second conveyor 32s along the conveyance direction P1. As described above, when the transport direction is changed between the second conveyor 32s and the first conveyor 33s, the change in the posture of the negative electrode 9 tends to be large, and thus it is more effective to make the negative electrode 9 dischargeable. Become.

  Furthermore, the transport conveyor 30 is provided below the first conveyor 31s and the regulation portion 31p, and is provided with a guide member 36 that guides the negative electrode 9 dropped through the interval between them using the inclined surface 36s. Then, the detection unit A1 detects the posture as the state of the negative electrode 9. Therefore, it is possible to recover without damaging the negative electrode 9. As a result, it becomes easy to reuse the negative electrode 9 which does not affect the quality although there is an abnormality in the posture.

  The above embodiment describes one embodiment of the transfer apparatus according to the present invention. Therefore, the conveyance apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described conveyance conveyor 30, and the conveyance conveyor 30 can be arbitrarily changed without departing from the scope of each claim. Subsequently, modifications will be described.

  FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a transfer conveyor according to a modification. As illustrated in (a) of FIG. 9, in the transfer conveyor 30 according to the modification, the restricting portion 31p of the alignment conveyor 31 is divided into a plurality of (here, two) portions along the transfer direction P1. There is. Then, the drive unit 31 d rotationally drives one of the two parts of the regulation unit 31 p (one on the tip end side). In this way, the load on the drive unit 31 d can be reduced. Moreover, the discharge location of the negative electrode 9 can be further limited.

  Further, in the example shown in FIG. 9B, the drive unit 31d is provided, for example, on both of the pair of rollers 31r (that is, the frame is driven to collectively drive both of the pair of rollers 31r). By driving the whole of the restricting portion 31p substantially parallel to the first conveyor 31s, the gap between the restricting portion 31p and the side end of the first conveyer 31s is changed (enlarged). In this case, the guide member 36 is provided over the entire transport direction P1.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10A, the alignment conveyor 31 may have a restricting portion 31m instead of the restricting portion 31p. The regulating portion 31m is a flat plate-like member having no drive portion such as a belt or a roller, and the surface on the first conveyor 31s side is a low friction surface. Even with such a configuration, it is possible to position the negative electrode 9 while reducing the friction between the restricting portion 31 m and the negative electrode 9.

  Further, as shown in (b) of FIG. 10, the angle θ of the rotation axis 31x of the roller 31a in the first conveyor 31s may change along the transport direction P1. In this example, the angle θ gradually increases from the proximal end side to the distal end side in the transport direction P1, and is 90 ° at a part of the distal end side. In this case, the magnitude of the force in the transport direction P2 can be changed from the distal end side to the proximal end side (in this case, it can be gradually reduced).

  In addition, in the regulating portion 31p, the state of the negative electrode 9 is not limited to the posture of the negative electrode 9 described above, and the one determined as a defective product by the inspection portions 24b and 25b in the previous step may be discharged. In that case, as shown in FIG. 11, the above-mentioned discarding unit 25c can be omitted. Further, in this case, the inspection units 24 b and 25 b can function as a detection unit that detects the state of the negative electrode 9 (whether or not it is a defective product) on the upstream side of the transport conveyor 30 in the transport path of the negative electrode 9. Furthermore, in the above description, the object to be transported is not limited to the negative electrode 9, and may be the positive electrode 8 or the positive electrode 11 with a separator, or may be other than the electrode.

  9 negative electrode (target object) 26 controller (control unit) 30 conveyer (conveyor) 31s, 33s first conveyer 32s second conveyer 31p, 32p, 33p restricting portion 31d, 33d: drive unit, 31b, 32b, 33b: belt, 36: guide member, 36s: inclined surface, A1, A3: detection unit, P1: conveyance direction (first direction), P2: conveyance direction (second direction).

Claims (7)

A first conveyor for conveying an object along a first direction and applying a force to the object in a second direction intersecting the first direction;
A restricting portion which extends along the side end of the first conveyor in the second direction and restricts the movement of the object in the second direction;
A detection unit that detects the state of the object on the first conveyor or on the upstream side of the first conveyor in the transport path of the object;
A driving unit that drives the regulating unit to change the distance between the regulating unit and the side end;
A control unit that controls the drive unit based on the detection result of the detection unit;
A transport device comprising: The restricting portion includes a belt moving at a speed according to a transfer speed of the object along the first direction on the first conveyor.
The transport apparatus according to claim 1. The driving unit changes the interval by rotating the restricting portion with the proximal end side of the restricting portion in the first direction as an axis.
The transport apparatus according to claim 1. The detection unit detects a rotation angle with respect to a standard posture of the object as the state of the object on the first conveyor,
The control unit controls the drive unit to drive the restriction unit when the detection result indicates that the rotation angle is equal to or greater than a predetermined angle.
The transport apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3. A second conveyor configured to convey the object along a direction intersecting the first direction;
The first conveyor further conveys the object conveyed by the second conveyor along the first direction.
The conveyance apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-4. The restricting portion is divided into a plurality of portions along the first direction,
The driving unit drives a part of the plurality of portions of the regulating unit.
The conveying apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-5. It has a guide member disposed below the first conveyor and the restricting portion and guiding the object dropped through the gap using an inclined surface.
The detection unit detects an attitude of the object as the state of the object.
The conveyance apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-6.

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