JP2020006042A - Tableware recovery system and ascending/descending device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a tableware recovery system which can gather containers dispersedly placed in a plurality of places of a conveyance path on a terminal side of a belt conveyor and can smoothly transfer the containers from the belt conveyor to an ascending/descending device provided on the terminal side of the belt conveyor, and an ascending/descending device.SOLUTION: A tableware recovery system in the invention includes: a belt conveyor where a container in which tableware can be input is placed; an ascending/descending device which is installed on a terminal side of the conveyor for ascending and descending an ascending/descending part where the container fed from the belt conveyor transfers; and a roller group which is extended on a terminal of the belt conveyor and can support the container fed from the belt conveyor for transferring to the ascending/descending part. The roller group includes a drive roller which is at least one of the rollers belonging to the roller group and rotates to advance the container fed from the belt conveyor in an advancing direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a dish collection system and a lifting device.

  In recent years, it has become socially difficult to secure workers, and in restaurants, for example, automatic machines such as transport equipment that transports used tableware from a customer seat to a kitchen have become widespread. References 1-2).

JP 2013-018571 A JP 2009-131292 A

  As a form of an apparatus for transporting used tableware in a store, for example, a bath box into which tableware is put is placed and transported on a belt conveyor extending along a boundary between an area where customer seats are arranged and a kitchen area. There are various forms, such as a tableware, a tableware which is directly placed on a conveyor belt conveyor provided along a customer seat, and a tableware which is fed into a waterway provided along a customer seat and transported by a water flow. However, in the case where the tableware is directly mounted on the conveyor belt conveyor provided along the customer seat and then conveyed, the tableware cannot be collectively mounted on the belt. In the latter case using the water flow, it is necessary to put the tableware little by little into the channel to prevent the channel from being clogged with tableware.

  Therefore, as a measure to save the work of transporting the tableware from the customer's table to the kitchen while saving the used tableware in the customer's table quickly, the tableware is put into the above-mentioned open-top container called a so-called bath box. It is conceivable that the container is transported by a belt conveyor installed in the store. When such a belt conveyor is installed in a store, the transport surface on which the bus box is placed may be provided for sanitary reasons, beauty in the store, space for other devices installed in the store, and other various reasons. Designed to be relatively close to the floor. Therefore, when washing the dishes in the bus box that has arrived at the end of the belt conveyor, it is necessary to lift the bath box from the belt conveyor.

  However, as described above, in recent years, it has become difficult to secure workers, and therefore, it is desired to automate the work of lifting the bus box that has arrived at the end of the belt conveyor. Therefore, it is conceivable to provide a lifting device for raising the bus box at the end of the belt conveyor. However, a plurality of bus boxes may be placed on a transport path of a belt conveyor that transports used tableware by the bus boxes. When a plurality of bus boxes are placed on the transport path in a belt conveyor provided with an elevating device at the end, the transfer to the elevating device is performed in order from the bus box near the end of the belt conveyor.

Further, on the conveyor path of the belt conveyor, there may be a case where bus boxes into which used tableware are put are discretely placed at a plurality of places. However, the belt conveyor cannot operate the belt unless the end bus box is removed from the transport path. Therefore, in a belt conveyor provided with an elevating device at the end, the belt cannot be operated unless the bus box located at the end of the belt conveyor moves to the elevating device. Therefore, if the bus boxes are discretely placed at a plurality of places on the transport path, there may be a case where a relatively long time is required for the bus boxes to arrive at the end of the belt conveyor. Therefore, a stopper is provided at the end of the belt conveyor, and when the bus box cannot move onto the elevating device, the belt conveyor is operated while the progress of the bus box is blocked by the stopper, and the conveyor is separated into a plurality of locations on the transport path. It is conceivable to collect bus boxes placed on the end of the belt conveyor. In this case, the stopper is moved in and out of the transport path between the end of the belt conveyor and the elevating device.

  By the way, in order to transfer the bus box at the end of the belt conveyor to the elevating device, it is necessary to apply a force in the traveling direction to the bus box. One of the methods is, for example, to operate a belt conveyor. However, as described above, when the belt conveyor is operated in a state where a plurality of bus boxes are gathered to the end side of the belt conveyor, each bus box is connected without gap and moves from the belt conveyor side to the elevating device side. Therefore, it is difficult to separate the bus box that should be transferred to the elevating device from the bus box that should be kept in front of the elevating device. Also, in order to keep moving the belt conveyor on which the bus box whose progress has been stopped by the stopper is placed, a power having a magnitude that can withstand the frictional force generated between the bottom surface of the bus box and the conveying surface of the belt conveyor is used. The drive unit of the belt conveyor needs to perform, and there is a possibility that the drive unit will be forced to be large.

  Therefore, for example, one or more movable rollers are provided between the end of the belt conveyor and the elevating device, and the bus box whose progress is stopped by the stopper is supported by these rollers. Can be considered. However, in such a configuration, even if the stopper is retracted from the transport path and the belt conveyor is operated in order to transfer the bus box, which has been stopped by the stopper, to the elevating device, the bus box remains on the roller. And the bus box may not be transferred to the elevating device.

  Accordingly, the present application is intended to smoothly collect the containers discretely placed at a plurality of locations on the transport path from the belt conveyor to an elevating device provided at the end side of the belt conveyor while being able to gather the containers at the end side of the belt conveyor. Disclosed are a tableware retrieval system and a lifting device that can be transferred.

  In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, a lifting device that lifts and lowers a container unwound from a belt conveyor on which a container into which tableware can be placed is placed is provided at an end of the belt conveyor, and a lifting device is provided. At least one of the rollers in the set of rollers was used as a driving roller.

  In detail, the present invention relates to a tableware collection system, in which a belt conveyor on which containers into which tableware can be put is placed and a belt conveyor disposed at the end side of the belt conveyor, the containers fed from the belt conveyor are transferred. An elevating device that elevates the elevating unit, and a roller group that is provided at the end of the belt conveyor and that can support a container that is unreeled from the belt conveyor and transferred to the elevating unit, includes a roller group. At least one of the rollers includes a driving roller that rotates so that the container fed from the belt conveyor advances in the traveling direction.

  Here, the terminating end of the belt conveyor means a region near the end in the traveling direction of the conveying path formed by the belt conveyor, and, for example, a portion in contact with the belt conveyor or a specific one of the belt conveyors. It is not limited to the site. In addition, ascending and descending means that at least one of ascending and descending is possible, and is not limited to, for example, one capable of realizing both ascending and descending of the elevating unit.

In the above-mentioned tableware collection system, the lifting device is provided at the end side of the belt conveyor, so that the staff can lift the container without lowering the upper body. Therefore, compared to a case where the container is lifted by lowering the upper body, it is possible to reduce the burden on the staff who performs the work of cleaning the used tableware put in the container. In addition, since the height of the container to be lifted is increased, workability is improved, and the container can be processed more quickly.

  And in the above-mentioned tableware collection system, since used tableware is put into a container and is conveyed by a belt conveyor, the tableware can be collectively conveyed. Moreover, since the above-mentioned tableware collection system is a form in which used tableware is conveyed by a belt conveyor, the work of carrying the tableware can be saved while the used tableware can be quickly cleared.

  And in the above-mentioned tableware collection system, at least one of the plurality of rollers extended to the end of the belt conveyor is a driving roller, so that even if the container is continuously connected to the end of the belt conveyor, The containers can be transferred one by one from the container closest to the lifting device to the lifting unit of the lifting device. Therefore, in the case of the above-mentioned tableware collection system, the containers discretely placed at a plurality of locations on the transport path can be gathered at the end side of the belt conveyor, while moving to the lifting / lowering device provided at the end side of the belt conveyor. Containers can be smoothly transferred from the belt conveyor.

  The roller group includes a plurality of idler rollers that are sequentially arranged from the end of the belt conveyor, and a drive roller that is disposed closer to the elevating device than the idlers. You may. In the case of the tableware collection system having such a roller group, it becomes easy to separate the container placed on the belt conveyor from the container that is unreeled from the belt conveyor and moved by the driving roller.

  Further, the apparatus may further include a stopper loading / unloading device that is disposed between the belt conveyor and the elevating unit, and that inserts and removes a stopper on the path of the container that is unreeled from the belt conveyor. With such a tableware collection system, the belt conveyor can be continuously operated in a state where the entry of the container into the elevating device is blocked by the stopper, so that the containers are discretely placed on the conveying surface of the belt conveyor. Even in this case, the containers can be gathered at the end side of the belt conveyor.

  In addition, when the container is at the end of the belt conveyor and there is no container at the elevating unit, the tableware collecting system operates the belt conveyor and the driving roller to transfer the container at the end of the belt conveyor to the elevating unit. Then, the lifting device may further include a control device that raises the lifting unit. In the case of a dish collection system provided with such a control device, the containers at the end of the belt conveyor can be sequentially lifted by the lifting unit to the upper part of the lifting device.

  Also, the lifting device has an optical sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object by sensor light that crosses the upper part of the space where the lifting unit moves up and down, and stops lifting of the lifting unit when the optical sensor detects an object. It may be. In the case of a tableware collection system including such an elevating device, the height of the opening at the upper end of the container in a state in which the container is raised above the elevating device, even when containers of various sizes having different depths are used. Is constant regardless of the depth of the container.

  Further, the belt conveyor can transport the container in both directions of one end side and the other end side, and the elevating devices may be provided at both end sides of the belt conveyor. With such a tableware collection system, the staff can lift the container without lowering the upper body on either side of the belt conveyor.

  Further, the present invention is, for example, an elevating device installed at the end side of a belt conveyor on which containers into which tableware can be placed are placed, and an elevating unit to which the containers unreeled from the belt conveyor move, and an elevating unit. It may be provided with an elevating unit for elevating and lowering, and a driving roller for supporting a container which is fed out from the belt conveyor and moves on to the elevating unit, and which rotates so that the container fed out from the belt conveyor advances in the traveling direction.

  In the case of the above-mentioned tableware collection system and the elevating device, the elevating device provided on the end side of the belt conveyor while the containers discretely placed at a plurality of locations on the transport path can be gathered at the end side of the belt conveyor. It is possible to smoothly transfer from the belt conveyor.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a lower dining table system according to an embodiment from a side. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the lower dining table system according to the embodiment from above. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing the vicinity of the end of the transfer device and the lifting device. FIG. 4 is an enlarged internal structure diagram showing the vicinity of the end of the transfer device and the lifting device. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a flowchart of a process realized by a control device that controls the transport device and the elevating device. FIG. 6 is a first diagram illustrating an example of the movement of the bath box realized in the lower dining table system. FIG. 7 is a second diagram illustrating an example of the movement of the bath box realized in the lower dining table system. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a comparison of the operation of the staff lifting the bath box.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. The embodiment described below is one aspect of the present invention, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. The embodiments and modifications described below are suitable for restaurants that provide various foods such as sushi and drinks, bowls such as soba and udon, and fried food and tempura.

  FIG. 1 is a side view of a lower dining table system 1 according to an embodiment (an example of a “dishware collection system” in the present application). FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the lower dining table system 1 according to the embodiment from above. The lower dining table system 1 is a system that transports used tableware in a restaurant, and a transport device 4 that forms a transport path extending along a wall W at a boundary between an area where the customer seats 2 are arranged and a kitchen area. And a lifting / lowering device 5 at the end of the transport device 4 in the kitchen 3. The lower dining table system 1 also has a control device (not shown) that controls the transport device 4 and the elevating device 5. The transport device 4 of the lower dining table system 1 is configured such that these do not interfere with the ordered food and beverage transport device 30 that transports the food prepared in the kitchen 3 to each customer seat 2 and the food and beverage transport device that circulates and transports the food. It is installed below the food and beverage transport device.

  In the present embodiment, a case will be described as an example where used tableware is transported in a state of being put into a bath box 6 (an example of a “container” in the present application). The tableware can be transported using a thin plate tray or other various types of containers instead of the bath box 6. Further, in the present embodiment, a case where the transport device 4 forms a linear transport path will be described as an example. However, the lower table system 1 is configured such that the transport device 4 is combined with a plurality of nonlinear transport routes. It may form a transport path.

  At the store where the lowering table system 1 is installed, the used tableware left in the customer seat 2 after the customer finishes eating and drinking is put into the bath box 6, and the bath box 6 is transported through the opening H provided in the wall W. It is placed on the device 4 and transported by the transport device 4. The transport device 4 is designed such that the transport surface of the transport device 4 is located relatively close to the floor so that the bus box 6 can be easily mounted. Therefore, in the area where the customer seats 2 are lined up, the bus box 6 can be easily placed on the transport device 4. Further, since the lifting device 5 is provided at the end of the transfer device 4, the bus box 6 transferred to the transfer device 4 whose transfer surface is relatively close to the floor is moved at the end of the transfer device 4. Is moved up by the lifting device 5. Therefore, the staff 7 in the kitchen 3 can lift the bus box 6 transported by the transport device 4 at a position higher than the transport surface of the transport device 4.

  FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing the vicinity of the end of the transport device 4 and the lifting device 5. FIG. 4 is an enlarged internal structure diagram showing the vicinity of the end of the transport device 4 and the lifting device 5.

  First, the transport device 4 will be described. Although most of the transport device 4 is omitted in FIG. 3, as can be seen from a part of which is illustrated in FIG. 3, the transport device 4 is a belt forming a transport surface on which the bus box 6 is placed. It has a conveyor 8. The belt conveyor 8 is a device having an annular wide belt and a motor (not shown) for driving the belt. Further, the transport device 4 has a sensor 10 near the end of the transport path formed by the belt conveyor 8 to detect the presence or absence of an object placed on the belt conveyor 8. The transport device 4 extends to the end of the transport path formed by the belt conveyor 8 and includes five idler rollers 9 that can support a bus box 6 that is unreeled from the belt conveyor 8 and moves on to the elevating device 5. Have. The transport device 4 includes a guide plate 13 that defines the course of a bus box 6 that is unreeled from the belt conveyor 8 and moves on to the elevating device 5, and a portion on which the idler roller 9 having a smooth peripheral surface and low friction is disposed. Having on both sides.

  The transport device 4 is disposed between the belt conveyor 8 and the elevating device 5, and includes a stopper 19 that is put in and out of the path of the bus box 6 that is fed from the transport device 4 to the elevating device 5, and a stopper 19. A stopper insertion / removal device 20 for raising and lowering. The stopper 19 is inserted and removed from between the fourth idler roller 9 and the fifth idler roller 9 from the belt conveyor 8 side among the five idler rollers 9. When the stopper insertion / removal device 20 sets the stopper 19 at the upper limit position of the elevating range, the stopper 19 is in a state of protruding on the path of the bus box 6 fed from the transport device 4 to the elevating device 5. When the stopper insertion / removal device 20 sets the stopper 19 to the lower limit position of the elevating range, the stopper 19 is retreated from the path of the bus box 6 fed from the transport device 4 to the elevating device 5. Therefore, the progress of the bus box 6 fed from the transport device 4 to the lifting device 5 is allowed when the stopper 19 is at the lower limit position, and is prevented by the stopper 19 when the stopper 19 is at the upper limit position.

Next, the lifting device 5 will be described. The elevating device 5 includes an elevating plate unit 15 (an example of the “elevating unit” in the present application) on which the bus box 6 is placed and moved up and down. The elevating plate portion 15 has fitting portions (not shown) fitted in the guide grooves 14 extending in the vertical direction in the vicinity of four corners, and moves up and down along the track of the guide grooves 14. The elevating plate portion 15 has a rectangular frame 16 as viewed from above, and idle rollers 17 arranged on the frame 16. The idler rollers 17 are arranged so as to gradually lower from the transport device 4 side to the opposite side, and form a mounting surface that is substantially slightly inclined. Therefore, the bus box 6 that has moved from the transport device 4 to the elevating plate unit 15 is held while being placed on the elevating plate unit 15. The elevating device 5 includes a sensor 12 for detecting the presence or absence of an object placed on the elevating plate portion 15 in a state where the elevating plate portion 15 is at the lower limit position of the elevating range, A sensor 11 for detecting the presence or absence of an object placed on the elevating plate portion 15 in the position.

  The elevating device 5 includes an elevating unit 21 that moves the elevating plate unit 15 up and down. The elevating unit 21 is provided below the elevating plate unit 15 and moves up and down so as to push the elevating unit 21 upward. The elevating unit 21 has two meshing chains 23 and a chain driving unit 22 that extends the meshing chain 23 upward or downward. The meshing chain 23 is a chain that maintains a rod-like shape when meshed with each other. The chain drive unit 22 has a built-in motor and a speed change mechanism. The chain drive unit 22 extends upward while the two meshing chains 23 are meshed with each other, and releases the meshing between the two meshing chains 23. Each of them is fed in different directions. The elevating device 5 is not limited to a form using two meshing chains 23, but may be a form using another mechanism such as a ball screw or an air cylinder.

  Hereinafter, a processing flow executed by the control device of the lower dining table system 1 will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a flowchart of a process realized by a control device that controls the transport device 4 and the elevating device 5. When the control device detects that the transport start operation has been performed on the operation button provided near the opening H in the area where the customer seats 2 are lined up, the control device operates the belt conveyor 8. Then, the control device determines whether an object is detected by the sensor 10 at the end of the belt conveyor 8 (S101).

  For example, after the tableware used in any of the customer seats 2 is put into the bath box 6 and the bus box 6 is placed on the belt conveyor 8 and the transport device 4 is operated, the bus box 6 is eventually turned on by the sensor 10. Arrives at the site provided. When the bus box 6 arrives at the site where the sensor 10 is provided, since the sensor 10 detects the bus box 6, an affirmative determination is made in step S101.

  When the control device makes an affirmative determination in step S101, it next determines whether the lifting / lowering device 5 is on standby (S102). The control device makes an affirmative determination in step S102 when the elevating plate portion 15 of the elevating device 5 is at the lower limit position of the movable range and the sensor 12 has not detected an object.

  If the control device makes an affirmative determination in step S102, then the stopper 19 is moved by the stopper insertion / removal device 20 to lower it to the lower limit position of the movable range (S103). When the stopper 19 is lowered to the lower limit position of the movable range, the bus box 6 can pass above the idle roller 9.

  Next, the control device operates the belt conveyor 8 and the driving roller 18 (S104). When the belt conveyor 8 and the driving roller 18 are operated, the bus box 6 placed on the belt conveyor 8 moves from the belt conveyor 8 to the elevating plate section 15 via the idle rollers 9. The bus box 6 that has moved from the belt conveyor 8 to the drive roller 18 continues to travel by receiving the rotational force of the drive roller 18 even after leaving the belt conveyor 8 and moves onto the elevating plate unit 15. Then, when the bus box 6 moves onto the elevating plate portion 15 and moves away from the drive roller 18, it stops on the elevating plate portion 15.

  The control device determines whether an object is detected by the sensor 12 below the lifting device 5 (S105). Then, when the sensor 12 detects the bus box 6 by the transfer of the bus box 6 from the belt conveyor 8 to the elevating plate portion 15, the control device makes an affirmative determination in step S105.

  If an affirmative determination is made in step S105, the control device moves the elevating plate unit 15 by the chain drive unit 22 to raise the upper limit position of the movable range, and raises the stopper 19 by the stopper insertion / removal device 20 to the upper limit position of the movable range. (S106). When the stopper 19 moves up to the upper limit position of the movable range, the bus box 6 cannot pass over the idle roller 9. When the lifting plate unit 15 moves up to the upper limit position of the movable range, the bus box 6 placed on the lifting plate unit 15 reaches the upper part of the lifting device 5. Therefore, the staff 7 can lift the bus box 6 that has reached the upper portion of the lifting device 5 without lowering the upper body.

  After raising the elevating plate unit 15 to the upper limit position of the movable range by the chain drive unit 22, the control device determines whether an object is detected by the sensor 11 above the elevating device 5 (S107). . When the lifting plate unit 15 is at the upper limit position of the movable range and the bus box 6 is placed on the lifting plate unit 15, the sensor 11 detects the bus box 6. When the bus box 6 is lifted from the elevating plate unit 15 and is not placed on the elevating plate unit 15, the sensor 11 does not detect the bus box 6. Accordingly, in this step S107, while the bus box 6 is placed on the sensor 11, the sensor 11 continues to detect the bus box 6, so that the control device makes an affirmative determination. Then, in step S107, when the bus box 6 is lifted from the sensor 11, the sensor 11 stops detecting the bus box 6, so that the control device makes a negative determination.

  After making a negative determination in step S107, the control device causes the chain drive unit 22 to lower the elevating plate unit 15 to the lower limit position of the movable range (S108). If the elevating plate unit 15 has reached the lower limit position of the movable range and the sensor 12 has not detected an article, the elevating device 5 is in a state in which the bus box 6 can be received as described in the description of step S102 above. That is, a standby state is set.

  An example of the movement of the bus box 6 realized by the control device of the lowering table system 1 executing the above-described series of processing flows will be described below. FIG. 6 is a first diagram illustrating an example of the movement of the bath box 6 realized in the lower dining table system 1. FIG. 7 is a second diagram illustrating an example of the movement of the bath box 6 realized in the lower dining table system 1.

  For example, when tableware used in a plurality of customer seats 2 is put into a bath box 6 and a plurality of bus boxes 6 are continuously or discretely placed on a belt conveyer 8 through openings H in a plurality of places, the plurality of dishes are set. When the belt conveyor 8 carrying the bus box 6 is operated, a plurality of bus boxes 6 are arranged at the end of the belt conveyor 8 in a continuous state (see FIGS. 6A and 7A). Then, since the sensor 10 at the end of the belt conveyor 8 detects the bus box 6, an affirmative determination is made in step S101 described above.

  If an affirmative determination is made in step S102 after an affirmative determination is made in step S101 described above, step S103 is executed and the stopper 19 is lowered to the lower limit position of the movable range. Therefore, the bus box 6 is allowed to pass over the idle rollers 9, and the step S 104 is subsequently executed to operate the belt conveyor 8 and the drive roller 18, whereby the bus box 6 is idled from the belt conveyor 8. It moves toward the lifting plate portion 15 via the roller 9 (see FIGS. 6B and 7B). At this time, the belt conveyor 8 stops at an appropriate timing while the drive roller 18 is operating, so that the plurality of bus boxes 6 connected to the belt conveyor 8 are moved to the most elevating device 5 side. The existing bus box 6 gradually moves away from the other adjacent bus box 6 and moves onto the elevating plate portion 15 (see FIGS. 6C and 7C). Then, when the bus box 6 moves onto the elevating plate portion 15 and moves away from the drive roller 18, it stops on the elevating plate portion 15.

  When the sensor 12 detects that the bus box 6 has moved from the belt conveyer 8 to the elevating plate portion 15, the processing in step S105 described above is performed, and when the stopper 19 reaches the upper limit position of the movable range, the bus box 6 is placed on the belt conveyer 8. In this state, the stopper 19 protrudes on the path of the bus box 6 and the bus box 6 cannot pass over the idler roller 9 (see FIGS. 6D and 7D). . Then, the processing in step S106 described above is executed, and the lifting / lowering plate unit 15 moves to the upper limit position of the movable range, so that the bus box 6 placed on the lifting / lowering plate unit 15 reaches the upper part of the lifting / lowering device 5.

  The lower table system 1 according to the present embodiment is configured such that used tableware is put into the bath box 6 and is conveyed from the customer seat 2 to the kitchen 3 by the belt conveyor 8, so that the tableware is conveyed as a unit. Can be. In addition, since the lower table system 1 according to the present embodiment is a mode in which used tableware is transported by the belt conveyor 8, for example, the tableware is put into a waterway provided along a customer seat and transported by a water flow. As described above, it is not necessary to put tableware into the waterway little by little in order to prevent the waterway from being clogged with tableware. That is, with the lowering table system 1 according to the present embodiment, the work of transporting the tableware from the guest table 2 to the kitchen 3 can be saved while the used tableware remaining in the guest table can be quickly cleared.

  In addition, since the lowering table system 1 according to the present embodiment includes the elevating device 5, for example, for reasons of hygiene, beauty of the store, convenience of space with other devices installed in the store, and others. For various reasons, even if the transfer device 4 is designed so that the transfer surface on which the bus box 6 is placed is relatively close to the floor, it is unnecessary to lift the bus box 6 from such a low position.

  Further, in the lowering table system 1 according to the present embodiment, a plurality of idler rollers 9 are provided to extend to the end of the belt conveyor 8, and the drive rollers 18 Since the belt conveyor 8 is extended to the end of the conveyor 8, the belt conveyor 8 is stopped while the driving roller 18 is operated, or the driving roller 18 is operated at a higher speed than the belt conveyor 8. Even if the bus boxes 6 are connected on the belt conveyor 8, the bus box 6 located closest to the lifting / lowering device 5 can be separated from other bus boxes 6. Therefore, in the case of the lower dining table system 1 of the present embodiment, for example, when a customer leaves at a plurality of places 2 at the same time, the bus box 6 into which the used tableware has been put is transferred to the conveyor surface of the belt conveyor 8. The staff pushes the bus box 6 placed on the belt conveyor 8 toward the elevating device 5 or activates the belt conveyor 8 even if the members are discretely placed through the openings H at a plurality of locations. The bus boxes 6 placed discretely on the belt conveyor 8 can be collected by hitting a stopper 19 at the end side of the belt conveyor 8 as shown in FIGS. 6A and 7A. . Then, a plurality of bus boxes 6 gathered at the end of the belt conveyor 8 and connected without gaps are separated one by one from the bus box 6 closest to the lifting device 5 and separated from the other bus boxes 6 by the lifting plate portion of the lifting device 5. 15 and can be raised to the upper part of the lifting device 5.

In addition, in the lowering table system 1 of the above-described embodiment, the stopper 19 protrudes from between any adjacent belt conveyors 8 among the plurality of idle rollers 9 extending to the end of the belt conveyor 8. Even if the belt conveyor 8 continues to operate in a state where the progress of the bus box 6 is hindered by the stopper 19, the idle roller 9 of the bottom surface of the bus box 6 in contact with the stopper 19 Since no frictional force occurs between the bottom surface of the bus box 6 and the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 8 in the supported portion, for example, when the stopper 19 is provided at the end of the belt conveyor 8 In contrast to the above, there is a case where it is desired to keep the belt conveyor 8 operated against the frictional force generated between the bottom surface of the bus box 6 and the transfer surface of the bus box 6. It can also reduce the size of the power of the driving portion of the belt conveyor 8. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the possibility that the drive unit of the belt conveyor 8 is forced to be enlarged.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the operation of the staff 7 lifting the bus box 6 for comparison. The comparative example shown in FIG. 8 is a lowering table system 101 in which the elevating device 5 and the idler roller 9 are omitted from the lowering table system 1 and a transport device 104 having a belt conveyor 108 corresponding to the belt conveyor 8 is provided. . Since the lowering table system 101 according to the comparative example does not include the equivalent of the elevating device 5, the staff 7 needs to lower the upper body when lifting the bus box 6 placed on the belt conveyor 108. is there. On the other hand, as can be seen by comparing the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 with the comparative example, since the lowering table system 1 according to the present embodiment includes the elevating device 5, the staff 7 does not lower the upper body. The bus box 6 can be lifted. Therefore, in the case of the embodiment, as compared with the comparative example, it is possible to reduce the burden on the staff 7 who performs the work of cleaning the used tableware put in the bath box 6.

  In addition, in the said embodiment, although the form which formed the conveyance apparatus 4 so that the conveyance path extended along the wall W was taken, the conveyance apparatus 4 uses the conveyance path which passes the side of each customer seat 2, for example. It may be formed to form a transport path from the customer seat 2 to the kitchen 3. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the form in which the tableware of each customer seat 2 is put in the bath box 6 and transported is described. For example, they may be used separately according to the type of object to be stored.

  Further, in the lowering table system 1 of the above-described embodiment, the lifting plate unit 15 stops at the upper limit position. For example, when the sensor 11 detects an object, the lifting plate unit 15 stops lifting. Is also good. If the elevation of the elevating plate portion 15 is stopped when an object is detected by the sensor 11, for example, even when various large and small bus boxes 6 having different depths are used, the elevating device 5 The height of the opening at the upper end of the bus box 6 in a state where it is raised upward can be constant regardless of the depth of the bus box 6.

  Further, in the lowering table system 1 of the above embodiment, the lifting device 5 is provided at the end side of the transport device 4, but the lowering system 1 can operate the transport device 4 in both directions, for example, The lifting device 5 may be provided on each side of the transport device 4. If the lowering table system 1 is in such a form, the staff 7 can lift the bus box 6 without lowering the upper body at any of both end sides of the belt conveyor 8.

W · · Wall H · · Opening 1,101 · · Lower table system 2 · · Seats 3 · · Kitchen 4,104 · · · Transport device 5 · · Lifting device 6 · · Bus box 7 · · Staff 8, 108 · · · Belt conveyor 9, idle rollers 10, 11, 12, sensor 13, guide plate 14, guide groove 15, lifting plate section 16, frame 17, idle roller 18, drive roller 19, etc. Stopper 20 ··· Stopper insertion / removal device 21 ··· Lifting unit 22 ··· Chain drive unit 23 ··· Meshing chain 30 ··· Ordered food and beverage transport device

Claims (7)

A belt conveyor on which containers into which tableware can be placed are placed;
An elevating device that is installed on the end side of the belt conveyor and elevates an elevating unit to which a container fed out from the belt conveyor is transferred,
A roller group that is extended to the end of the belt conveyor, and is capable of supporting a container that is fed from the belt conveyor and transfers to the elevating unit,
The roller group is at least any one of the rollers included in the roller group, and includes a driving roller that rotates so that the container fed from the belt conveyor advances in the traveling direction.
Tableware collection system. The roller group includes:
A plurality of idler type idler rollers arranged in order from the end side of the belt conveyor,
And the drive roller disposed closer to the elevating device than the plurality of idler rollers,
The dish collection system according to claim 1. The apparatus further includes a stopper loading / unloading device that is disposed between the belt conveyor and the elevating unit, and that removes and inserts a stopper on a path of a container that is unreeled from the belt conveyor.
The dish collection system according to claim 1. When there is a container at the end of the belt conveyor and there is no container at the elevating unit, after moving the container at the end of the belt conveyor by operating the belt conveyor and the driving roller to the elevating unit, The lifting device further includes a control device that raises the lifting unit,
The dish collection system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The elevating device has an optical sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object by sensor light that traverses the upper part of the space where the elevating unit moves up and down, and stops lifting the elevating unit when the optical sensor detects an object. Do
The dish collection system according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The belt conveyor is capable of conveying the container in both directions of one end and the other end,
The elevating device is provided at each end of the belt conveyor,
The tableware collection system according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A lifting device installed at the end side of the belt conveyor on which containers into which tableware can be put are placed,
An elevating unit to which the container fed from the belt conveyor is transferred,
An elevating unit for elevating the elevating unit,
A drive roller that supports a container that is unreeled from the belt conveyor and transfers to the elevating unit, and that rotates so that the container unreeled from the belt conveyor advances in the traveling direction,
lift device.

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