JP2021160909A - Linear transport device - Google Patents

Abstract

To transport a transported object stably regardless of a transport path.SOLUTION: A linear transport device has: a guide part 3 arranged in a loop form; a first holding part 1 and a second holding part 2 which are disposed at the guide part 3 and may move along a transport direction Tr; and a linear driving part 4 which controls movement of the first holding part and the second holding part. The first holding part 1 has a first arm part 13 which protrudes outward with its angle relative to the transport direction fixed. The second holding part 2 has: a second arm part 23 which protrudes outward and in which a tip part may swing along the transport direction Tr; and a biasing part 27 which biases the second arm part 23. The first arm part 13 holds the rear of the transported object Bx and the second arm part 23 holds the front of the transported object Bx.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a transfer device using a linear motor.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-525176 discloses a linear transport device using a linear motor as a device for transporting articles. This linear transfer device includes a stator of a linear motor in which an electromagnet is arranged, and a transfer member provided with a permanent magnet. A linear motor system is formed by an electromagnet and a permanent magnet. Then, the transport member has a holder or a corresponding holder, the product is sandwiched between the holders arranged in the transport direction and the corresponding holder, and the product is transported by moving the transport member.

Special Table 2015-525176

When the linear transport device is used for transporting articles in the manufacturing process, the transport trajectory of the articles needs to be curved as well as linear in order to improve the efficiency and space saving of the articles. In the case of the linear transport device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-525176, when the product is transported to a curved transport track while the product is held by the holder or the corresponding holder, the distance between the holder and the corresponding holder changes, and the product There is a risk that it will not be able to hold and transport.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a linear transport device capable of stably transporting an object to be transported regardless of the shape of the transport path.

In order to achieve the above object, at least a part of the linear transfer device of the present invention has a guide portion arranged in a loop along the transport direction of the object to be transported, and a guide portion arranged in the guide portion along the transport direction. It has a first holding portion and a second holding portion that can be moved, and a linear driving unit that can independently control the movement of the first holding portion and the second holding portion in the transport direction. The first holding portion has a first arm portion that projects outward in a direction intersecting the transport direction and has a fixed angle with respect to the transport direction. The second holding portion has a second arm portion that protrudes outward in a direction intersecting the transport direction and whose tip portion can swing along the transport direction, and the tip portion rearward of the transport direction. It has an urging portion that applies a moving force to the second arm portion. The first arm portion holds the rear side in the transport direction of the object to be transported, and the second arm portion holds the front portion in the transport direction of the object to be transported.

According to this configuration, it is possible to transport the object to be transported while the first arm portion and the second arm portion are in contact with each other and holding the side surfaces of the object to be transported. Further, even when the first holding portion and the second holding portion move along the curved guide portion by rotating the second arm portion by the force of the urging portion, the first arm portion and the first holding portion and the second holding portion It is possible to maintain a state in which the second arm portion contacts and holds the side surface of the object to be transported. As a result, even when the object to be conveyed is conveyed along the curved guide portion, the object to be conveyed can be stably conveyed.

In the above configuration, the guide portion has a configuration in which a straight portion and a curved portion are combined. The linear drive unit has a longer distance between the first holding unit and the second holding unit along the conveying direction when the first holding portion and the second holding portion are in the curved portion than in the straight portion. The movement of the second holding portion is controlled. By controlling the movement of the first holding portion and the second holding portion in this way, the linear drive unit makes the holding of the transported object by the first arm portion and the second arm portion more stable. As a result, the object to be transported can be transported in a more stable state.

In the above configuration, the guide portion has a plurality of curved portions having different radii of curvature, and the linear driving portion determines the distance between the first holding portion and the second holding portion in the conveying direction. The movement of the first holding portion and the second holding portion is controlled so that the smaller the radius, the longer the radius. With this configuration, even when the object is moved along the curved portion of the guide portion whose radius of curvature changes, the object to be conveyed can be conveyed in a stable state.

In the above configuration, the first holding portion and the second holding portion are provided, the number of the first holding portion and the second holding portion is the same, and the first holding portion and the first holding portion are in the transport direction. The second holding portions may be arranged alternately.

In the above configuration, the linear drive unit is arranged in each of the plurality of coils arranged in the guide unit and the first holding unit and the second holding unit, and intersects the plurality of coils and the transport direction. It may have magnets facing in the direction.

In the above configuration, the first arm portion further includes a first convex portion projecting forward in the transport direction, and the first convex portion is a concave portion provided on a side surface of the transported object or the transported object. It may be engaged with an outer surface in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the above.

In the above configuration, the second arm portion further includes a second convex portion protruding rearward in the transport direction, and the second convex portion is a concave portion provided on a side surface of the transported object or the transported object. It may be engaged with an outer surface in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the above.

In the above configuration, the second holding portion further includes the first arm portion arranged in front of the second arm portion in the transport direction, and the second holding portion replaces the first holding portion. May be placed.

Even if it is arranged outside the transport area to which the transported object is transported, and further has a transport guide that extends in the transport direction and at least a part of the transported object faces in a direction intersecting the transport direction. good.

According to the linear transfer device of the present invention, the object to be conveyed can be stably conveyed regardless of the shape of the transfer path.

It is a schematic layout drawing of the linear transfer apparatus which concerns on this invention. FIG. 5 is a plan view of a state in which the first holding portion and the second holding portion holding the transport case are moving along a linear guide rail. FIG. 2 is a view of the first holding portion and the second holding portion shown in FIG. 2 as viewed from the outside. It is a figure seen from the rear side in the transport direction of the 1st holding part. It is a figure seen from the rear side of the 2nd holding part 2 in the transport direction. It is a top view of the 2nd arm part when it is in the 1st position. It is a top view of the 2nd arm part when it is in the 2nd position. It is a functional block diagram of a linear drive part. FIG. 5 is a plan view of a state in which the first holding portion and the second holding portion holding the transport case are moving along a curved guide rail. 9 is a plan view of a first holding portion, a second holding portion, and a transport case that move along a guide rail having a radius of curvature smaller than that of the guide rail shown in FIG. It is a top view of the 1st holding part, the 2nd holding part and the transport case of the 1st modification. It is a top view of the state which held the transport case by the 2nd holding part of the 2nd modification.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Linear transfer device 100>
FIG. 1 is a schematic layout diagram of the linear transfer device 100 according to the present invention. In the linear transfer device 100 shown in FIG. 1, the first transfer guide 51, the second transfer guide 52, and the third transfer guide 53 are indicated by broken lines. Further, the guide portion 3 is formed in a loop shape in which both ends are connected. In the following description, the loop-shaped guide portion 3 is used as a reference, and the direction toward the outside of the portion surrounded by the guide portion 3 is defined as the outer direction in the direction intersecting the transport direction Tr, and is simply described as “outer”. In some cases.

As shown in FIG. 1, the linear transfer device 100 is incorporated in a manufacturing process of a product (not shown) and uses a linear motor to transfer a transfer case Bx which is an object to be transported. More specifically, the linear transport device 100 transports the transport case Bx or the transport case Bx containing the container Cv.

The linear transfer device 100 receives the transfer case Bx at the carry-in unit InA. In a plan view, the transport case Bx has a shape in which the corners of a square are chamfered with a curved line. The vertical and horizontal widths of the transport case Bx in a plan view are W1 (see FIG. 2 and the like described later). The object to be transported is not limited to the shape of the transport case Bx. For example, it may have a chamfered shape at a corner of a rectangular shape in a plan view, or may have a square shape or a rectangular shape in a plan view. A shape having a surface in which the front surface 131 of the first arm portion 13 and the rear surface 230 of the second arm portion 23, which will be described later, can be brought into contact with each other and held can be widely adopted.

Then, the linear transfer device 100 conveys the transfer case Bx to the carry-out unit OutA. In the linear transfer device 100 shown in FIG. 1, the transfer direction is clockwise, and the transfer path is from the carry-in portion InA to the carry-out portion OutA, and the region is defined as the transport region Ar1. A first processing unit St1 and a second processing unit St2 are arranged in the middle of the transport area Ar1. The layout of the linear transfer device 100 can be appropriately changed according to the arrangement of the carry-in section InA, the carry-out section OutA, the first processing section St1, and the second processing section St2. Although the linear transfer device 100 of the present embodiment has two processing units in the transfer area Ar1, it may have one processing unit or has three or more processing units. You may.

In the linear transport device 100, the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 move along the transport region Ar1 in a state where the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 described later hold the transport case Bx. By doing so, the transport case Bx is transported.

Next, the details of each part of the linear transfer device 100 will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a state in which the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 holding the transport case Bx are moving along the linear guide rail 30. FIG. 3 is a view of the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 shown in FIG. 2 as viewed from the outside. FIG. 4 is a view seen from the rear side of the transport direction Tr of the first holding portion 1. FIG. 5 is a view seen from the rear side of the transport direction Tr of the second holding portion 2. In FIG. 2, the first transport guide 51 and the second transport guide 52 are shown by broken lines. In FIG. 3, the transport case Bx is indicated by a chain line, and the first transport guide 51 is indicated by a broken line.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the linear transfer device 100 includes a first holding unit 1, a second holding unit 2, a guide unit 3, a linear drive unit 4, a first transfer guide 51, and a second. It has a transport guide 52 and a third transport guide 53.

<Guide part 3>
The guide unit 3 guides the movement of the first holding unit 1 and the second holding unit 2. The guide portion 3 has a guide rail 30. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 and the like, the guide rail 30 includes a main rail 31, a grooved rail 32, and a flat rail 33.

The main rail 31 is a tubular body having a rectangular cut surface cut along a surface orthogonal to the transport direction Tr. The shape of the cross section of the main rail 31 is the longitudinal direction in the vertical direction. Inside the main rail 31, the coil 41 of the linear drive unit 4 is arranged. The main rail 31 is made of a material through which the magnetic force from the coil 41 is transmitted when an electric current is passed through the coil 41 to excite it. Examples of such materials include, but are not limited to, some stainless steels, aluminum and alloys thereof.

The grooved rail 32 is fixed to the upper part of the main rail 31. The main rail 31 and the grooved rail 32 can be fixed by welding, screwing, or the like, but the fixing is not limited to this. The main rail 31 and the grooved rail 32 may be integrally formed. The grooved rail 32 has a concave rail portion 321 recessed from the outer surface in the direction intersecting the transport direction Tr. The rail portion 321 is formed over the entire circumference of the guide portion 3. The grooved rail 32 has two rail portions 321. The two rail portions 321 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction. The two rail portions 321 accommodate the roller protruding portion 141 of the upper roller 14 described later of the first holding portion 1 and the roller protruding portion 241 of the upper roller 24 described later of the second holding portion 2. The upper roller 14 and the upper roller 24 move along the rail portion 321.

The flat rail 33 is fixed to the lower part of the main rail 31. The main rail 31 and the flat rail 33 can be fixed by welding, screwing, or the like, but the fixing is not limited to this. The main rail 31 and the flat rail 33 may be integrally formed. The flat rail 33 has a shape along a vertical line on the outside of the cross section cut at the surface intersecting the transport direction Tr (see FIG. 4 and the like). The lower roller 15 described later of the first holding portion 1 and the lower roller 25 described later of the second holding portion 2 come into contact with the outer surface of the flat rail 33. The lower roller 15 and the lower roller 25 rotate while being in contact with the outer surface of the flat rail 33.

The guide portion 3 is formed in a loop shape by connecting both ends of the guide rail 30. The guide portion 3 includes a first straight portion 301, a second straight portion 302, a first curved portion 303, and a second curved portion 304, respectively, formed by the guide rail 30 (see FIG. 1).

Both the first straight line portion 301 and the second straight line portion 302 are formed by a straight guide rail 30. The first straight line portion 301 and the second straight line portion 302 have the same length and are arranged in parallel in a plan view. In both the first straight line portion 301 and the second straight line portion 302, the rail portion 321 of the grooved rail 32 is arranged outward.

The first curved portion 303 and the second curved portion 304 include a curved guide rail 30a. The first curved portion 303 and the second curved portion 304 may be partially linear. The front end portion of the first straight line portion 301 in the transport direction and the rear end portion of the second straight line portion 302 in the transport direction are connected. Further, the second curved portion 304 connects the front end portion of the second straight line portion 302 in the transport direction and the rear end portion of the first straight line portion 301 in the transport direction. As described above, the guide portion 3 is formed in a loop by connecting the first straight line portion 301, the first curved line portion 303, the second straight line portion 302, and the second curved line portion 304 in this order.

In the guide portion 3 used in the linear transfer device 100 of the present embodiment, the first curved portion 303 and the second curved portion 304 have an arc shape having the same radius of curvature. However, it is not limited to this. The first curved portion 303 and the second curved portion 304 may be arcs having different radii of curvature. Further, at least one of the first curved portion 303 and the second curved portion 304 may have a curved shape in which curves having different radii of curvature are combined.

In the linear transfer device 100, the guide portion 3 has a loop shape. The first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 move along the guide portion 3. Therefore, the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 circulate along the guide portion 3. In the linear transport device 100, the carry-in portion InA is arranged in the vicinity of the rear end portion of the first straight line portion 301 of the transport region Ar1 in the transport direction Tr. Then, the first processing unit St1 is arranged in the vicinity of the front end portion of the first straight line portion 301 of the transport region Ar1 on the front side of the transport direction Tr.

Further, the second processing unit St2 is arranged in the vicinity of the rear end portion of the second straight line portion 302 of the transport region Ar1 on the rear side of the transport direction Tr. Then, the carry-out portion OutA is arranged in the vicinity of the front end portion of the second straight line portion 302 of the transport region Ar1 in the transport direction Tr. In the linear transfer device 100, after the transfer case Bx is carried out from the carry-out section OutA, the first holding section 1 and the second holding section 2 move along the second curved section 304 to transport the first straight section 301. It moves to the rear end side of the direction Tr. Therefore, the second curved section 304 is a waiting area Wt in which the first holding section 1 and the second holding section 2 stand by before the next transfer.

Next, the first holding unit 1 and the second holding unit 2 will be described.

<1st holding part 1>
The first holding portion 1 is arranged on the outer surface of the guide rail 30 and can move along the guide portion 3. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the first holding portion 1 includes a main body portion 11, a holding plate 12, a first arm portion 13, an upper roller 14, and a lower roller 15.

A magnet 42, which will be described later, of the linear drive unit 4 is arranged on the main body 11. The main body 11 is arranged on the outside of the guide rail 30 so as to face the guide rail 30. In the first holding portion 1 used in the linear transport device 100 of the present embodiment, the magnet 42 is housed inside the main body portion 11 and faces the coil 41 arranged on the main rail 31 in a direction intersecting the transport direction. do.

The holding plate 12 is arranged outside the main body 11. The holding plate 12 is fixed to the main body 11. As shown in FIG. 3, the holding plate 12 is a rectangular plate material whose longitudinal direction is in the vertical direction.

In the first holding portion 1 of the present embodiment, the holding plate 12 is fixed to the upper roller support portion 111 and the lower roller support portion 112 by screwing. The fixing of the holding plate 12, the upper roller support portion 111, and the lower roller support portion 112 is not limited to screwing, and may be welding, adhesion, or the like. A fixing method capable of firmly fixing the holding plate 12 to the main body 11 can be widely adopted.

The first arm portion 13 is formed integrally with the holding plate 12. The first arm portion 13 projects outward from the holding plate 12 in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction Tr. When the first holding portion 1 is attached to the guide rail 30, the first arm portion 13 extends in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction Tr. In other words, when the first holding portion 1 is attached to the guide rail 30, the first arm portion 13 extends in a direction orthogonal to the outer surface of the guide rail 30. That is, when the first holding portion 1 is attached to the guide rail 30, the angle of the first arm portion 13 with respect to the transport direction Tr is fixed. Then, in the present embodiment, the front surface 131 of the transport direction Tr of the first arm portion 13 is fixed orthogonally to the transport direction Tr.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first arm portion 13 holds the rear surface of the transport case Bx in the transport direction Tr. The first arm portion 13 is in contact with the rear surface of the transport case Bx in the transport direction Tr and is held. A non-slip may be attached to at least a portion of the first arm portion 13 that comes into contact with the transport case Bx.

The angle of the first arm portion 13 with respect to the transport direction Tr is fixed, and the first arm portion 13 holds the rear surface of the transport case Bx in the transport direction. As a result, the control unit 43, which will be described later, of the linear drive unit 4 can accurately confirm the position of the transport case Bx based on the position of the first holding unit 1. In other words, the first arm portion 13 positions the transport case Bx during transport.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first arm portion 13 has a first convex portion 16. The first convex portion 16 projects forward from the front surface of the transport direction Tr of the first arm portion 13. When the first arm portion 13 holds the rear surface of the transport case Bx in the transport direction, the first convex portion 16 is inserted into the concave portion Bx1 formed in the transport case Bx. When a centrifugal force acts on the transport case Bx, the first convex portion 16 engages with the concave portion Bx1 and suppresses the outward movement of the transport case Bx.

The front surface 131 of the first arm portion 13 is a surface orthogonal to the transport direction Tr. However, the front surface 131 may intersect with the transport direction Tr, and the angle of intersection is not limited to orthogonality. Further, when the front surface 131 of the first arm portion 13 is in contact with the rear surface of the transport direction Tr of the transport case Bx and is held, the transport case Bx can be held firmly to the extent that it does not move even if centrifugal force acts on the transport case Bx. The first convex portion 16 may be omitted. By omitting the first convex portion 16, the shape of the surface of the object to be transported, which the first arm portion 13 contacts and holds on the surface, may be planar. Therefore, the types of objects to be transported increase.

The upper roller 14 is rotatably supported by the upper roller support portion 111. More specifically, the upper roller 14 is rotatably arranged around a rotation axis parallel to the outer surface of the guide rail 30 while being orthogonal to the transport direction Tr. The outer peripheral surface of the upper roller 14 has a roller projecting portion 141 that projects radially outward toward the center in the axial direction. The roller protrusion 141 fits with the rail portion 321 of the grooved rail 32.

The upper roller 14 rotates while being fitted in the rail portion 321. As a result, when the first holding portion 1 moves along the guide rail 30, the vertical displacement of the first holding portion 1 is suppressed. That is, the first holding portion 1 moves accurately along the guide portion 3.

The lower roller 15 is rotatably supported by the lower roller support portion 112. More specifically, the lower roller 15 is rotatably arranged around a rotation axis parallel to the outer surface of the guide rail 30 while being orthogonal to the transport direction Tr. The lower roller 15 is cylindrical, and the outer peripheral surface of the lower roller 15 comes into contact with the outer surface of the flat rail 33.

The first holding portion 1 is attracted to the outer surface of the guide rail 30 by the magnetic force of the magnet 42 arranged inside. The guide rail 30 may be provided with an suction portion made of a metal such as iron that attracts the magnet, or may be attracted by the magnetic force between the iron core provided in the coil 41 and the magnet 42. Further, the first holding portion 1 may be movable along the guide rail 30 and may be attached to the guide rail 30 by using a hook or the like so as not to easily fall off from the guide rail 30.

When the first holding portion 1 is attached to the outer surface of the guide rail 30, the upper roller 14 and the lower roller 15 come into contact with the guide rail 30, so that the main body portion 11 is separated from the outer surface of the guide rail 30 at a certain distance. Be placed. Then, when the first holding portion 1 moves along the guide rail 30, the upper roller 14 and the lower roller 15 rotate while being in contact with the guide rail 30. That is, the first holding portion 1 is vertically supported by the upper roller 14 and the lower roller 15. Therefore, the first holding portion 1 moves along the guide rail 30 while maintaining a constant angle with respect to the guide rail 30.

<Second holding part 2>
The second holding portion 2 is arranged on the outer surface of the guide rail 30 and can move along the guide portion 3. As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, the second holding portion 2 includes a main body portion 21, a first rotation limiting portion 221 and a second rotation limiting portion 222, and a second arm portion 23. It has an upper roller 24 and a lower roller 25.

A magnet 42, which will be described later, of the linear drive unit 4 is arranged on the main body 21. The main body 21 is arranged on the outside of the guide rail 30 so as to face the guide rail 30. In the second holding portion 2 used in the linear transport device 100 of the present embodiment, the magnet 42 is housed inside the main body portion 21 and faces the coil 41 arranged on the main rail 31 in a direction intersecting the transport direction. do.

The upper roller 24 is rotatably supported by the upper roller support portion 211. More specifically, the upper roller 24 is rotatably arranged around a rotation axis parallel to the outer surface of the guide rail 30 while being orthogonal to the transport direction Tr. The outer peripheral surface of the upper roller 24 has a roller projecting portion 241 that projects radially outward toward the center in the axial direction. The roller protrusion 241 fits with the rail portion 321 of the grooved rail 32.

The upper roller 24 rotates while being fitted in the rail portion 321. As a result, when the second holding portion 2 moves along the guide rail 30, the vertical displacement of the second holding portion 2 is suppressed. That is, the second holding portion 2 moves accurately along the guide portion 3.

The lower roller 25 is rotatably supported by the lower roller support portion 212. More specifically, the lower roller 25 is rotatably arranged around a rotation axis parallel to the outer surface of the guide rail 30 while being orthogonal to the transport direction Tr. The lower roller 25 is cylindrical, and the outer peripheral surface of the lower roller 25 comes into contact with the outer surface of the flat rail 33.

The second holding portion 2 is attracted to the outer surface of the guide rail 30 by the magnetic force of the magnet 42 arranged inside. The guide rail 30 may be provided with an suction portion made of a metal such as iron that attracts the magnet, or may be attracted by the magnetic force between the iron core provided in the coil 41 and the magnet 42. Further, the second holding portion 2 may be movable along the guide rail 30 and may be attached to the guide rail 30 by using a hook or the like so as not to easily fall off from the guide rail 30.

When the second holding portion 2 is attached to the outer surface of the guide rail 30, the upper roller 24 and the lower roller 25 come into contact with the guide rail 30, so that the main body portion 21 is separated from the outer surface of the guide rail 30 at a certain distance. Be placed. Then, when the second holding portion 2 moves along the guide rail 30, the upper roller 24 and the lower roller 25 rotate while being in contact with the guide rail 30. That is, the second holding portion 2 is vertically supported by the upper roller 24 and the lower roller 25. Therefore, the second holding portion 2 moves along the guide rail 30 while maintaining a constant angle with respect to the guide rail 30.

The second arm portion 23 is rotatably supported by the arm support portion 213 protruding outward from the upper roller support portion 211 of the main body portion 21. A columnar shaft 231 centered on a rotation axis J1 orthogonal to the transport direction Tr and parallel to the outer surface of the guide rail 30 is arranged on the arm support portion 213. In the case of the linear transfer device 100 of the present embodiment, the rotation shaft J1 extends in the vertical direction.

The second arm portion 23 is rotatably supported by the shaft 231. That is, the second arm portion 23 is rotatably supported by the arm support portion 213 around the rotation axis J1. As described above, the rotation axis J1 extends in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction Tr. Therefore, the outer tip of the second arm portion 23 rotates in the same direction as the transport direction Tr. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the second arm portion 23 holds the front surface of the transport case Bx in the transport direction Tr. The second arm portion 23 comes into contact with the front surface of the transport case Bx in the transport direction Tr. That is, the second arm portion 23 holds the front surface of the transport case Bx on a surface. A non-slip may be attached to at least a portion of the second arm portion 23 that comes into contact with the transport case Bx.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, the second arm portion 23 has a second convex portion 26. The second convex portion 26 projects rearward from the surface of the second arm portion 23 on the rear side of the transport direction Tr. When the second arm portion 23 holds the front surface of the transport case Bx in the transport direction, the second convex portion 26 is inserted into the concave portion Bx1 formed in the transport case Bx. When a centrifugal force acts on the transport case Bx, the second convex portion 26 engages with the concave portion Bx1 and suppresses the outward movement of the transport case Bx.

When the rear surface 230 of the second arm portion 23 is in contact with the front surface of the transport direction Tr of the transport case Bx and is held, the second arm portion 23 can be held firmly to the extent that it does not move even if centrifugal force acts on the transport case Bx. The convex portion 26 may be omitted. By omitting the second convex portion 26, the shape of the surface of the object to be transported, which the second arm portion 23 contacts and holds on the surface, may be planar. Therefore, the types of objects to be transported increase.

The first rotation limiting portion 221 and the second rotation limiting portion 222 are attached to the arm support portion 213. The first rotation limiting unit 221 is arranged in front of the transport direction, and the second rotation limiting unit 222 is arranged in the rear of the transport direction. The first rotation limiting unit 221 and the second rotation limiting unit 222 are arranged so as to face each other in the transport direction.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the second arm portion 23 has a restricted portion 232 extending from a portion supported by the shaft 231 toward the main body portion 21. When the second arm portion 23 rotates, the restricted portion 232 can come into contact with the first rotation limiting portion 221 or the second rotation limiting portion 222.

An urging portion 27 is attached to the shaft 231. The urging portion 27 applies a force to the second arm portion 23 to move the outer end to the rear side of the transport direction Tr. In the second holding portion 2, a torsion spring can be mentioned as an urging portion 27 that applies a force to the second arm portion 23 in the rotational direction. As the urging portion, in addition to the torsion spring, a configuration capable of applying a force to the second arm portion 23 such as a coil spring, a gas damper, and an oil damper can be widely adopted.

The operation of the second arm portion 23 of the second holding portion 2 formed as described above will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the second arm portion 23 when it is in the first position P1. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the second arm portion 23 when it is in the second position P2.

As described above, the urging portion 27 applies a force to the second arm portion 23. Therefore, in the second holding portion 2, when no external force is applied to the second arm portion 23, the urging portion 27 moves the outer tip of the second arm portion 23 to the rear of the transport direction Tr. do. As shown in FIG. 6, when the second arm portion 23 rotates by a certain angle, the restricted portion 232 comes into contact with the first rotation limiting portion 221. The position of the second arm portion 23 when the restricted portion 232 of the second arm portion 23 comes into contact with the first rotation limiting portion 221 is defined as the first position P1. That is, in the second holding portion 2, when no external force is applied to the second arm portion 23, the second arm portion 23 moves to the first position P1.

As shown in FIG. 7, when a force is applied outward from the shaft 231 of the second arm portion 23 toward the front of the transport direction Tr, the second arm portion 23 is more than the shaft 231 around the rotation shaft J1. The outer side rotates in front of the transport direction Tr. Then, when the rotation angle becomes a constant angle, the restricted portion 232 of the second arm portion 23 comes into contact with the second rotation limiting portion 222. The position of the second arm portion 23 when the restricted portion 232 of the second arm portion 23 comes into contact with the first rotation limiting portion 221 is defined as the second position P2.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the second arm portion 23 is in the second position P2, the surface of the second arm portion 23 in contact with the rear surface of the transport case Bx in the transport direction is orthogonal to the transport direction Tr. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the first position P1 of the second arm portion 23 is a state in which the outer end portion of the second arm portion 23 is moved to the rear of the transport direction Tr. Then, in the second holding portion 2, the second arm portion 23 is rotatable between the first position P1 and the second position P2.

Details of holding the transport case Bx and transporting the transport case Bx by the first holding section 1 and the second holding section 2 will be described later.

<Linear drive unit 4>
The linear drive unit 4 will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram of the linear drive unit 4. The linear transfer device 100 has a plurality of first holding portions 1 and second holding portions 2 arranged on the guide rail 30. The linear drive unit 4 employs a linear motor mechanism. The linear drive unit 4 can independently drive each first holding unit 1 and each second holding unit 2.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 8 and the like, the linear drive unit 4 includes a plurality of coils 41, a magnet 42, a control unit 43 (see FIG. 8), and a linear motor driver 44 (see FIG. 8). .. The plurality of coils 41 are arranged along the loop shape inside the guide rail 30 and the guide rail 30a arranged in a loop shape. Electric power is independently supplied to each coil 41 from the linear motor driver 44 (see FIG. 8).

The magnet 42 is a permanent magnet and is arranged on the main body 11 of the first holding portion 1 and the main body 21 of the second holding portion 2. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the magnet 42 is arranged inside the main body 11 and the main body 21. The main body 11 and the main body 21 are made of a material that does not attract the magnet. Therefore, the magnetic force of the magnet 42 leaks to the outside of the main body 11 and the main body 21. Then, the magnet 42 is arranged so as to be able to apply a magnetic force to the coil 41. A linear motor is formed by a magnet 42 arranged in the main body 11 of the first holding portion 1 and the main body 21 of the second holding portion 2, and a plurality of coils 41 arranged inside the guide rail 30 and the guide rail 30a. Will be done.

The control unit 43 controls the operation of each unit of the linear drive unit 4. As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 43 includes a processing circuit 431 and a storage circuit 432. The processing circuit 431 is a circuit that processes various types of information, and has an arithmetic circuit such as a CPU and an MPU. Further, the processing circuit 431 controls the drive of each of the above-mentioned actuators, motors, etc. based on the processing result.

The storage circuit 432 is a circuit that includes or is connected to a semiconductor memory such as a ROM or RAM, a portable memory such as a flash memory, and a storage medium such as a hard disk. The storage circuit 432 may store various programs such as a control program or a processing program, and if necessary, the program corresponding to the processing may be called and the processing circuit 431 may operate the program to perform the processing. ..

The control unit 43 controls to change the operating state of the first holding unit 1 and the second holding unit 2, for example, the speeds of the first holding unit 1 and the second holding unit 2. A linear motor driver 44 is connected to the control unit 43. The linear motor driver 44 is connected to a power supply circuit (not shown). The linear motor driver 44 is a circuit that controls the electric power supplied to the coil 41, and includes a circuit such as an arithmetic processing circuit and a power supply circuit that adjusts the voltage and current supplied to each coil 41. The linear motor driver 44 supplies an appropriate current to each coil 41 based on an instruction from the control unit 43.

The coil 41 is excited by supplying an electric current to the coil 41. A magnetic force is generated between the excited coil 41 and the magnet 42 arranged in the main body 11 of the first holding portion 1. By sequentially switching the coils 41 that supply the electric current to move the magnetic force, the first holding portion 1 moves along the guide portion 3. Further, a magnetic force is generated between the coil 41 and the magnet 42 arranged on the main body 21 of the second holding portion 2. By sequentially switching the coil 41 that supplies the electric current to move the magnetic force, the second holding portion 2 also moves along the guide portion 3. As described above, the control unit 43 can independently control the movement of the first holding unit 1 and the second holding unit 2.

<Holding and transporting transport case Bx>
As shown in FIG. 2, in the linear transport device 100, the first arm portion 13 of the first holding portion 1 holds the rear surface of the transport case Bx in the transport direction Tr. Further, the second arm portion 23 of the second holding portion 2 holds the front surface of the transport case Bx in the transport direction Tr. Then, with the transport case Bx held by the first holding section 1 and the second holding section 2, the first holding section 1 and the second holding section 2 are moved in the transport direction Tr under the control of the linear drive section 4. As a result, the transport case Bx is transported along the transport area Ar1.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the linear transfer device 100, the transfer case Bx is received by the transfer unit InA. When the transport case Bx is received by the carry-in portion InA, the second holding portion 2 stands by at the initial position Cp adjacent to the carry-in portion InA. When in the initial position Cp, the second arm portion 23 of the second holding portion 2 is in the first position P1.

The first holding unit 1 and the second holding unit 2 in the standby area Wt may be moved in the transport direction Tr. In this case, the first holding unit 1 and the second holding unit 2 in the standby area Wt are moving at a slower speed than when the transport case Bx is transported. Then, when the transport case Bx is transported, the linear drive unit 4 increases the moving speed of the first holding unit 1 closest to the carry-in unit InA and moves it to the carry-in unit InA.

In the carry-in portion InA, the first arm portion 13 of the first holding portion 1 comes into contact with the rear surface of the transport direction Tr of the transport case Bx, and the first arm portion 13 pushes the transport case Bx in the transport direction Tr. At this time, the first convex portion 16 of the first arm portion 13 is inserted into the concave portion Bx1 of the transport case Bx.

Then, the front surface of the transport direction Tr of the transport case Bx comes into contact with the second arm portion 23 of the second holding portion 2, and the second arm portion 23 is moved to the front of the transport direction Tr. Then, when the second arm portion 23 moves to the second position P2, the restricted portion 232 of the second arm portion 23 comes into contact with the second rotation limiting portion 222. Then, the second arm portion 23 is fixed to the main body portion 21 of the second holding portion 2, and the second arm portion 23 holds the front surface of the transport direction Tr of the transport case Bx. At this time, the second convex portion 26 of the second arm portion 23 is inserted into the concave portion Bx1 of the transport case Bx.

As a result, the rear surface of the transport direction Tr of the transport case Bx is held by the first arm portion 13 of the first holding portion 1, and the transport direction of the transport case Bx is held by the second arm portion 23 of the second holding portion 2. The front surface of Tr is held. The linear drive unit 4 moves the first holding unit 1 and the second holding unit 2 along the guide unit 3 while holding the transport case Bx, so that the transport case Bx is transported along the transport area Ar1. ..

In the linear transfer device 100, the transfer case Bx can be conveyed in a state where the first arm portion 13 and the second arm portion 23 are in contact with and held on the front surface and the rear surface of the transfer direction Tr of the transfer case Bx. be. Therefore, the transport case Bx can be stably transported.

As described above, the transport case Bx is transported from the carry-in portion InA along the first straight line portion 301 while being held by the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2. When the transport case Bx moves in the straight portion of the transport region Ar1, the transport case Bx is held by the first holding portion 1 on the rear surface of the transport direction Tr and by the second holding portion 2 on the front surface of the transport direction Tr. .. That is, the transport case Bx is held by the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 in the direction along the transport direction Tr.

On the other hand, in the transport case Bx, there is a gap between the concave portion Bx1 and the first convex portion 16 or the concave portion Bx1 and the second convex portion 26. Therefore, the transport case Bx moves in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction Tr. Then, the first processing unit St1 is arranged in a portion of the transport region Ar1 adjacent to the first straight line portion 301. In the first processing unit St1, the container Cv is arranged with respect to the transport case Bx.

Therefore, in the linear transfer device 100, the first transfer guide 51 and the second transfer guide 52 are arranged on both sides in the direction orthogonal to the transfer direction Tr in the straight portion of the transfer region Ar1. The first transport guide 51 and the second transport guide 52 are both arranged at positions above the first arm portion 13 and the second arm portion 23 and facing the transport case Bx. The first transport guide 51 is on the inside and the second transport guide 52 is on the outside.

When the transport case Bx is transported in the transport area Ar1, it is guided by the first transport guide 51 and the second transport guide 52, so that the movement in the direction intersecting the transport direction Tr is restricted. Therefore, the deviation due to the transportation of the transport case Bx can be kept within a certain range. As a result, the transport case Bx transported to the first processing unit St1 is arranged within a predetermined range in the first processing unit St1. Then, in the first processing unit St1, the container Cv can be accurately arranged in the transport case Bx.

The second processing unit St2 is arranged in the vicinity of the rear end portion of the transport direction Tr of the second straight line portion 302 of the portion along the second straight line portion 302 of the transport region Ar1. It is conveyed to the second processing unit St2. Similarly, the first transport guide 51 and the second transport guide 52 are also arranged along the second straight line portion 302 of the transport region Ar1. Therefore, the transport case Bx transported to the second processing unit St2 is also transported so as to be within a certain range.

<Transportation of curved parts>
As shown in FIG. 1, in the linear transfer device 100, the first holding unit 1 and the second holding unit 2 transport the transport case Bx along the first curved section 303. Therefore, the transport of the transport case Bx in the curved section by the first holding section 1 and the second holding section 2 will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 in a state of moving along the first straight line portion 301 while holding the transport case Bx will be described. In a plan view, the center point between the rotation axes of the upper roller 14 of the first holding portion 1 is set as the first reference point Ct1, and the center point between the rotating axes of the upper roller 24 of the second holding portion 2 is set as the second reference point Ct2. And. Then, the distance along the transport direction of the first reference point Ct1 and the second reference point Ct2 is defined as the relative distance between the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 holding the transport case Bx are moving along the first straight line portion 301, the first arm portion 13 moves the transport case Bx. Holds the rear surface of the transport direction Tr. Similarly, the second arm portion 23 holds the front surface of the transport case Bx in the transport direction Tr. Therefore, the front surface 131 of the transport direction Tr of the first arm portion 13 and the rear surface 230 of the transport direction Tr of the second arm portion 23 are opposed to and parallel to the transport direction Tr, and the distance thereof is W1.

The first arm portion 13 projects outward, and the front surface of the first arm portion 13 is orthogonal to the transport direction. Therefore, the rear surface 230 of the second arm portion 23 is orthogonal to the transport direction Tr. That is, the second arm portion 23 is located at the second position P2.

At this time, the first reference point Ct1 and the second reference point Ct2 are arranged along the linear transport direction Tr and have a distance C0. That is, the distance between the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 that holds the transport case Bx and moves in the straight line portion is C0.

Next, a case where the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 holding the transport case Bx move along the curved portion will be described. FIG. 9 is a plan view of a state in which the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 holding the transport case Bx are moving along the curved guide rail 30a.

As a method of indicating the degree of curvature of the curved guide rail 30a, the radius of curvature of the outer peripheral surface of the curved guide rail 30a is adopted. The radius of curvature of the outer peripheral surface of the curved guide rail 30a shown in FIG. 9 is R1.

As described above, the angle of the front surface 131 of the first arm portion 13 of the first holding portion 1 with respect to the transport direction Tr is fixed at a right angle. That is, the front surface 131 of the first arm portion 13 extends in the normal direction of the outer peripheral surface of the guide rail 30.

As shown in FIG. 9, in a plan view, the transport direction Tr between the first reference point Ct1 of the first holding portion 1 and the second reference point Ct2 of the second holding portion 2 moving on the curved guide rail 30a. Let C1 be the distance along the line. That is, the distance between the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 along the curved guide rail 30a is defined as C1.

When the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 move along the curved guide rail 30a, the front surface 131 of the first arm portion 13 expands in the direction along the normal line of the transport direction Tr. Therefore, the first arm portion 13 is far from the second arm portion 23, and the force with which the second arm portion 23 is pushed by the transport case Bx is weakened.

As described above, the second arm portion 23 is rotatable about the rotation shaft J1 and is urged by the urging portion 27 so that the outer end portion is directed toward the rear side in the transport direction Tr. .. When moving along the linear guide rail 30 while holding the transport case Bx, the second arm portion 23 is pushed by the transport case Bx and is located at the second position P2.

As the force applied to the second arm portion 23 from the transport case Bx becomes smaller, the second arm portion 23 rotates so that the outer end portion is directed toward the rear of the transport direction Tr. As a result, the rear surface 230 of the second arm portion 23 comes into contact with and holds the front surface of the transport case Bx in the transport direction Tr. The urging portion 27 can apply a force capable of holding the front surface of the transport direction Tr of the transport case Bx to the second arm portion 23 even when the second arm portion 23 is located at a position other than the second position P2.

When the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 holding the transport case Bx move along the curved guide rail 30a, the second arm portion 23 rotates. The front surface of the transport case Bx is held by the front surface 131 of the first arm portion 13, and the front surface of the transport case Bx is held by the rear surface 230 of the second arm portion 23. As a result, the transport case Bx is transported while maintaining a stable posture even when the transport case Bx is held and transported by the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 along the curved guide rail 30a.

In the linear transfer device 100 according to the present embodiment, the linear drive unit 4 sets the distance between the first holding unit 1 and the second holding unit 2 when moving along the curved guide rail 30a as a linear guide rail. It is adjusted so that the length is different from that when moving along 30. By adjusting in this way, even when moving along the curved guide rail 30a while holding the transport case Bx, the front surface 131 of the first arm portion 13 and the rear surface 230 of the second arm portion 23 The parallelism with can be increased. Hereinafter, the distance between the first holding unit 1 and the second holding unit 2 controlled by the linear drive unit 4 along the transport direction Tr will be described.

As described above, when the front surface 131 of the first arm portion 13 and the rear surface 230 of the second arm portion 23 are parallel and the distance thereof is the width W1 of the transport case Bx, the first arm portion 13 and the second arm The unit 23 can hold the transport case Bx most stably. That is, in the linear drive unit 4, the distance between the front surface of the first arm unit 13 and the rear surface of the second arm unit 23 is the same as the width W1 of the transport case Bx.

As shown in FIG. 9, the lateral distance of the second holding portion 2 with respect to the first holding portion 1 when moving along the curved guide rail 30a moves along the linear guide rail 30. It is almost the same as when you are doing it. The guide rail 30a is curved in the direction opposite to the protruding direction of the second arm portion 23. Therefore, the second holding portion 2 is displaced with respect to the first holding portion 1 in the direction in which the guide rail 30 is curved.

That is, the distance C1 along the transport direction Tr of the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 moving on the curved guide rail 30a is the first holding portion 1 moving on the linear guide rail 30. It becomes longer than the distance C0 along the transport direction Tr of the second holding portion 2.

That is, when the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 holding the transport case Bx move along the linear guide rail 30, the linear drive portion 4 moves the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2. Adjust the distance to C0. Further, when the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 holding the transport case Bx move along the curved guide rail 30a, the distance between the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 is set to C1. adjust. The distance C0 <distance C1.

As a result, even when the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 move along the curved guide rail 30a while holding the transport case Bx, the first arm portion 13 and the second arm portion 13 and the second arm portion 23 holds the rear surface and the front surface of the transport direction Tr of the transport case Bx in surface contact with each other. Therefore, the first arm portion 13 and the second arm portion 23 can firmly hold the transport case Bx.

Even when the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 move along the curved guide rail 30a by rotating the second arm portion 23 by the force of the urging portion 27, the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 move along the curved guide rail 30a. It is possible to maintain a state in which the arm portion 13 and the second arm portion 23 are in contact with each other on the rear surface and the front surface of the transport direction Tr of the transport case Bx, respectively. As a result, even when the transport case Bx is transported along the curved guide rail 30a, the transport case Bx can be stably transported.

Further, the first convex portion 16 of the first arm portion 13 is inserted into the concave portion Bx1 provided on the rear side of the transport case Bx in the transport direction Tr. Then, the first convex portion 16 engages with the concave portion Bx1. The second convex portion 26 of the second arm portion 23 is also inserted into the concave portion Bx1 provided on the front surface of the transport direction Tr of the transport case Bx. Since the second convex portion 26 is movable when tilted, it does not engage with the inside of the concave portion Bx1.

In the linear transport device 100, the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 move along the first curved portion 303 while holding the transport case Bx. At this time, a centrifugal force acts on the transport case Bx to which the first holding portion 1, the second holding portion 2 and the container Cv are attached. As described above, the centrifugal force supports the centrifugal force of the transport case Bx by the first holding portion 1 by engaging the first convex portion 16 with the concave portion Bx1 of the transport case Bx. Therefore, the transport case Bx is unlikely to fly to the outside due to centrifugal force.

When the centrifugal force becomes large, the centrifugal force may not be supported only by the engagement between the first convex portion 16 and the concave portion Bx1. In preparation for such a case, the third transport guide 53 is arranged outside the portion of the transport region Ar1 adjacent to the first curved portion 303. The third transport guide 53 is arranged above the first arm portion 13 and the second arm portion 23, like the first transport guide 51 and the second transport guide 52.

When a centrifugal force that cannot be supported by the first holding portion 1 acts on the transport case Bx, the third transport guide 53 guides the transport case Bx. As a result, it is possible to prevent the transport case Bx from being separated from the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 by centrifugal force. Further, the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 may be detachable from the guide rail 30. In this case, since the centrifugal force is supported by the third transport guide 53, it is possible to prevent the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 from falling off from the guide rail 30 due to the centrifugal force.

The first curved portion 303 and the second curved portion 304 of the linear transfer device 100 use a guide rail 30 having a constant radius of curvature over the entire area. On the other hand, curved guide rails 30a and 30b having different polar radii may be combined and formed. Hereinafter, the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 when moving along the guide rails 30 having different radii of curvature will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the first holding portion 1, the second holding portion 2, and the transport case Bx that move along the guide rail 30b having a radius of curvature smaller than that of the guide rail 30a shown in FIG. The guide rail 30b shown in FIG. 10 has a radius of curvature of the outer peripheral surface of R2 (<R1) in a plan view.

As shown in FIG. 10, in a plan view, the transport direction Tr between the first reference point Ct1 of the first holding portion 1 and the second reference point Ct2 of the second holding portion 2 moving the curved guide rail 30b. Let C2 be the distance along the line. That is, the distance between the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 along the curved guide rail 30b is defined as C2.

As described above, when the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 move along the curved guide rail 30b, the front surface 131 of the first arm portion 13 and the rear surface 230 of the second arm portion 23 are separated from each other. Are parallel at W1. Therefore, in a plan view, the lateral distance between the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 that move along the curved guide rail 30b is when the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 move along the linear guide rail 30. Is almost the same as. The curved guide rail 30b is curved in the direction opposite to the protruding direction of the second arm portion 23.

The radius of curvature R2 of the outer peripheral surface of the curved guide rail 30b shown in FIG. 10 is smaller than the radius of curvature R1 of the outer peripheral surface of the curved guide rail 30a shown in FIG. Therefore, the amount of displacement of the second holding portion 2 with respect to the first holding portion 1 in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction Tr when moving along the curved guide rail 30b moves along the curved guide rail 30a. It is larger than the amount of displacement of the second holding portion 2 with respect to the first holding portion 1 in the same direction.

Therefore, the distance C1 between the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 when moving along the guide rail 30a while holding the transport case Bx is the first when moving along the guide rail 30b. The distance between the holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 is shorter than the distance C2. The radius of curvature R2 of the outer peripheral surface of the guide rail 30b is smaller than the radius of curvature R1 of the outer peripheral surface of the guide rail 30a.

That is, in the linear drive unit 4, when the first holding unit 1 and the second holding unit 2 holding the transport case Bx move along the curved guardrail, the first holding unit 4 is aligned with the radius of curvature of the guide rail. The distance between 1 and the second holding portion 2 along the transport direction Tr is adjusted. As described above, the smaller the radius of curvature, the longer the distance between the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 along the transport direction Tr.

As shown in FIG. 10, when the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 move along the guide rail 30b having a radius of curvature R2, the restricted portion 232 of the second arm portion 23 is subjected to the first operation. It comes into contact with the motion limiting unit 221. That is, the second arm portion 23 is located at the first position P1. The outer end of the second arm portion 23 does not move any further to the rear end of the transport direction Tr. Therefore, the guide rail 30b is a guide rail having a minimum radius of curvature R2 that allows the first arm portion 13 and the second arm portion 23 to hold the side surface of the transport case Bx on the surface and move. That is, the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 are arranged on a guide rail and a linear guide rail having a radius of curvature of the outer peripheral surface larger than the radius of curvature R2 of the outer peripheral surface, and the outer surface of the transport case Bx is surfaced. It is possible to move along the guide part while holding it with.

The minimum radius of curvature R2 can be changed by changing the movable region of the second arm portion 23.

When the second arm portion 23 rotates to the first position P1, the second convex portion 26 engages with the concave portion Bx1. In this case, in addition to the first arm portion 13, the second arm portion 23 also supports the centrifugal force of the transport case Bx. As a result, when moving along the guide rail 30b, the transport case Bx is difficult to fly from the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 due to centrifugal force.

Further, in the linear transfer device 100, the linear drive unit 4 independently drives and controls the first holding unit 1 and the second holding unit 2. A plurality of processing units St1 and St2 are arranged in the transport area Ar1 to which the transport case Bx is transported, and in the processing units St1 and St2, the container Cv arranged in the transport case Bx or the transport case Bx is previously provided. The prescribed processing is applied. Therefore, in the linear drive unit 4, the transfer speeds of the first holding unit 1 and the second holding unit 2 that hold the transfer case Bx change in the processing units St1 and St2 and their surroundings.

For example, when the transport case Bx is transported to the second processing unit St2 in the transport region Ar1, the held first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 move along the first curved portion 303 of the guide portion 3. It is decelerated when you are. That is, when the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 holding the transport case Bx are moving along the first curved portion 303, the speed may be reduced.

At this time, the inertial force due to the weight of the transport case Bx and the container Cv is forward in the tangential direction in the transport direction. That is, the inertial force due to the weight of the transport case Bx and the container Cv acts on the tip side of the shaft 231 of the second arm portion 23 of the second holding portion 2 that holds the front surface of the transport direction Tr of the transport case Bx. ..

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the second arm portion 23 of the second holding portion 2 moving along the curved guide rails 30a and 30b is in a state of being movable toward the first position P1. ing. The tip of the second arm portion 23 is urged toward the rear in the transport direction.

Therefore, when decelerating at the first curved portion 303, the inertial force of the transport case Bx and the container Cv acts on the second arm portion 23 as a force in the direction toward the first position P1. At this time, since the second arm portion 23 is restrained by the urging portion 27 in the direction toward the second position P2, the inertial force and the urging force from the urging portion 27 cancel each other out. As a result, the second arm portion 23 can cancel or alleviate the impact acting on the transport case Bx and the container Cv due to the inertial force when decelerating at the curved portion.

In the above description, deceleration during transportation along the first curved portion 303 of the guide portion 3 has been described as an example, but the same applies to the second curved portion 304. Further, even when moving along a curved guide rail other than these, the second arm portion 23 can cancel or alleviate the inertial force to reduce the impact. Further, the inertial force can be canceled or relaxed by the second arm portion 23 in the same manner when the radius of curvature changes, for example, when entering the curved portion from the straight portion.

<First modification>
Another example of the linear transfer device 100a of the first modification will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 11 is a plan view of the first holding portion 1a, the second holding portion 2a, and the transport case Cx of the first modification.

In the linear transfer device 100a shown in FIG. 11, the first arm portion 13a and the first convex portion 16a of the first holding portion 1a are different from the first arm portion 13 and the first convex portion 16. Further, the second arm portion 23a and the second convex portion 26a of the second holding portion 2a are different from the second arm portion 23a and the second convex portion 26a. The other portions of the first holding portion 1a and the second holding portion 2a have the same configuration as the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2. Therefore, substantially the same parts as the first holding part 1 and the second holding part 2 of the first holding part 1a and the second holding part 2a are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description of the same parts will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 11, the first holding portion 1a and the second holding portion 2a hold the transport case Cx. The transport case Cx has a corner portion Cx1 at a right angle to a plane view at least at an outer end portion.

As shown in FIG. 11, the outer end portion of the first arm portion 13a of the first holding portion 1a reaches the outer side of the outer end surface of the transport case Cx. Then, it has a first convex portion 16a that protrudes forward from the front surface 131 of the first arm portion 13a in the transport direction Tr. The first convex portion 16a engages with the outer end face of the transport case Cx.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the outer end portion of the second arm portion 23a of the second holding portion 2a reaches the outer side of the outer end surface of the transport case Cx. Then, it has a second convex portion 26a projecting rearward from the rear surface 230 of the second arm portion 23a in the transport direction Tr. The second convex portion 26a engages with the outer end face of the transport case Cx.

By using a long arm portion such as the first arm portion 13a and the second arm portion 23a, the area of the first arm portion 13a and the second arm portion 23a in contact with the transport case Cx is increased. Therefore, it is possible to firmly hold and transport the transport case Cx. Further, it is not necessary to form a recess in the transport case Cx.

If the first arm portion 13a and the second arm portion 23a are lengthened, the moment acting on the first holding portion 1a and the second holding portion 2a due to the movement / stop during transportation of the transport case Cx becomes large. Therefore, the long first arm portion 13a and the second arm portion 23a are preferably used for a linear transfer device having a small number of movements / stops.

In other words, when used in a linear transfer device having a large number of movements / stops, it is preferable to use the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 having a short first arm portion 13 and a second arm portion 23.

<Second modification>
FIG. 12 is a plan view of a state in which the transport case Bx is held by the second holding portion 2b of the second modified example. In FIG. 12, two second holding portions 2b hold the front surface and the rear surface of the transport case Bx in the transport direction Tr. The second holding portion 2b is different from the second holding portion 2 in that it has a holding plate 12b, a first arm portion 13b, and a first convex portion 16b. In addition, other than that, the second holding portion 2b has the same configuration as the second holding portion 2. Therefore, in the second holding portion 2b, substantially the same parts as those of the second holding part 2 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description of substantially the same parts will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 12, the second holding portion 2b has a holding plate 12b, a first arm portion 13b, and a first convex portion 16b. The holding plate 12b is a member substantially the same as the holding plate 12 of the first holding portion 1.

The first arm portion 13b is integrally attached to the holding plate 12b. The first arm portion 13b is arranged on the front side of the transport direction Tr with respect to the second arm portion 23. The first arm portion 13b is substantially the same as the first arm portion 13 of the first holding portion 1. The first convex portion 16b projects forward from the first arm portion 13b in the transport direction Tr. The first convex portion 16b is substantially the same as the first convex portion 16 of the first holding portion 1.

As shown in FIG. 12, in the linear transfer device 100b, the second holding portion 2b is used instead of the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2. Then, the transport case Bx is held by two second holding portions 2b arranged side by side on the guide rail 30 in front of and behind the transport direction Tr.

That is, the first arm portion 13b of the second holding portion 2b arranged on the rear side of the transport direction Tr comes into contact with and holds the rear surface of the transport direction Tr of the transport case Bx. At this time, the first convex portion 16b of the second holding portion 2b on the rear side of the transport direction Tr is inserted into the recess Bx1 of the transport case Bx and engages with the recess Bx1.

Further, the second arm portion 23 of the second holding portion 2b arranged on the front side of the transport direction Tr is pushed by the transport case Bx and moves to the first position P1. Then, the second arm portion 23 of the second holding portion 2b on the front side of the transport direction Tr moved to the first position P1 comes into contact with and holds the front surface of the transport direction Tr of the transport case Bx. At this time, the second convex portion 26 of the second holding portion 2b on the front side of the transport direction Tr is inserted into the concave portion Bx1 of the transport case Bx.

By using the second holding portion 2b of this modification, the two second holding portions 2b can be held while being in contact with the front surface and the rear surface of the transport direction Tr of the transport case Bx. Therefore, it is not necessary to form a plurality of holding portions, and the production is easy. Further, the second holding portion 2b can hold both the rear surface and the front surface of the transporting direction Tr of the transport case Bx. Therefore, even if the second holding portion 2b is an odd number, the linear transfer device 100b can be operated. That is, it is possible to reduce the number of the second holding portions 2b. As a result, the configuration of the linear transfer device 100b can be simplified, and the number of the second holding units 2b controlled at the same time can be reduced, so that the control of the linear drive unit 4 can also be simplified.

As shown above, in the linear transport devices 100, 100a, 100b according to the present invention, the transport case Bx is transported with an opening at the top. Therefore, in the linear transfer device 100, an article (for example, container Cv) is attached / detached from above with respect to the opening of the transfer case Bx, or an article arranged in the transfer case Bx is processed (for example, an object to be contained in the container Cv). Filling) can be done. Further, in the linear transfer devices 100, 100a, 100b, the first holding unit and the second holding unit can be moved and stopped individually, so that when processing is performed by the processing units St1, St2, etc., the transfer case It is easy to decelerate and stop Bx and Cx. Therefore, a plurality of processing units can be arranged in the path of one transport area Ar1. This makes it possible to simplify the production line of goods.

Further, in the linear transfer device according to the present invention, the transfer case can be conveyed along the curved guide portion. Therefore, the degree of freedom in the layout of the guide portion is high, and it is possible to widely meet the demands of the article manufacturing line.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to this content. Further, the embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various ways as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the invention.

100 Linear transfer device 100a Linear transfer device 100b Linear transfer device 1 1st holding part 11 Main body part 111 Upper roller support part 112 Lower roller support part 12 Holding plate 13 1st arm part 14 Upper roller 141 Roller protrusion 15 Lower roller 16th 1 Convex part 1a 1st holding part 13a 1st arm part 16a 1st convex part 2 2nd holding part 21 Main body part 211 Upper roller support part 212 Lower roller support part 213 Arm support part 221 1st rotation limiting part 222 2nd Rotation restriction part 23 2nd arm part 231 Shaft 232 Restricted part 24 Upper roller 241 Roller protrusion 25 Lower roller 26 2nd convex part 27 Biasing part 2a 2nd holding part 23a 2nd arm part 26a 2nd convex part 2b 2nd holding part 12b Holding plate 13b 1st arm part 16b 1st convex part 3 Guide part 30 Guide rail 301 1st straight part 302 2nd straight part 303 1st curved part 304 2nd curved part 31 Main rail 32 Grooved rail 321 Rail part 33 Flat rail 4 Linear drive part 30a Curved guide rail 30b Curved guide rail 41 Coil 42 Magnet 43 Control part 431 Processing circuit 432 Storage circuit 44 Linear motor driver 51 1st transfer guide 52 2nd transfer guide 53 Third transport guide

Claims (9)

At least a part of the guide section is arranged in a loop along the transport direction of the object to be transported.
A first holding portion and a second holding portion that are arranged in the guide portion and can move along the transport direction, and
It has a linear drive unit that can independently control the movement of the first holding unit and the second holding unit in the transport direction.
The first holding portion has a first arm portion that projects outward in a direction intersecting the transport direction and has a fixed angle with respect to the transport direction.
The second holding portion includes a second arm portion that protrudes outward in a direction intersecting the transport direction and whose tip portion can swing along the transport direction.
It has an urging portion that applies a force for moving the tip portion to the rear in the transport direction to the second arm portion.
A linear transport device in which the first arm portion holds the rear side in the transport direction of the object to be transported, and the second arm portion holds the front portion in the transport direction of the object to be transported. The guide portion has a configuration in which a straight portion and a curved portion are combined.
The first holding portion is such that the distance between the first holding portion and the second holding portion along the transport direction is longer when the first holding portion and the second holding portion are in the curved portion than when they are in the straight portion. The linear transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the unit and the second holding unit is controlled. The guide portion has a plurality of curved portions having different radii of curvature.
The linear drive unit of the first holding portion and the second holding portion so that the distance between the first holding portion and the second holding portion in the transport direction becomes longer as the radius of curvature of the curved portion becomes smaller. The linear transfer device according to claim 2, wherein the movement is controlled. It has a plurality of the first holding portions and a plurality of the second holding portions.
Any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the number of the first holding portion and the second holding portion is the same, and the first holding portion and the second holding portion are alternately arranged in the transport direction. The linear transfer device according to. The linear drive unit
A plurality of coils arranged in the guide portion and
The invention according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein each of the first holding portion and the second holding portion has a plurality of the coils and magnets facing in a direction intersecting the transport direction. Linear transfer device. The first arm portion further includes a first convex portion that projects forward in the transport direction.
4. Linear transfer device. The second arm portion further includes a second convex portion that projects rearward in the transport direction.
7. Linear transfer device. The second holding portion is
It further has the first arm portion arranged in front of the second arm portion in the transport direction.
The linear transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the second holding portion is arranged in place of the first holding portion. 1. Claim 1 that is arranged outside the transport area to which the transported object is transported, and further has a transport guide that extends in the transport direction and at least a part of the transport guide faces the direction in which the transport object intersects with the transport direction. The linear transfer device according to any one of claims 8.

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