JP2022131576A - Aligning device for products - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an aligning device for products capable of being easily and quickly restarted without manually removing a product placed on each variable speed conveyor when the aligning device stops.SOLUTION: An aligning device for products A comprises: an input conveyor 2 for receiving and conveying the products A to be aligned; an output conveyor 4 for conveying the product A in an aligned state; a plurality of variable speed conveyors VC arranged between the input conveyor 2 and the output conveyor 4; and a controller 14 for performing a transfer correction of a leading product A by performing variable speed control of each variable speed conveyor VC in order to feed the leading product A to a target position on the output conveyor 4 every time when the product A takes a leading position on each variable speed conveyor VC. When receiving a stop signal of the aligning device, the controller 14 executes inverse travel control for making each variable speed conveyor VC travel inversely so as to return all the products A on each variable speed conveyor VC to the input conveyor 2 side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a product aligning device that rearranges and conveys products supplied at irregular intervals or in close contact with each other in an aligned state having a predetermined spacing pattern.

Patent Document 1 discloses an input conveyor that receives and conveys products to be aligned, an output conveyor that conveys aligned products, a plurality of variable speed conveyors arranged between the input conveyor and the output conveyor, and each A controller that corrects the transfer of the leading product through speed control of each variable speed conveyor so as to supply the leading product to the target position on the output conveyor every time the product becomes the leading product on the variable speed conveyor. is disclosed.

Even if the products supplied from the input conveyor are supplied at irregular intervals or in close contact with each other, the aligning device can accurately create the desired alignment of the products by each variable speed conveyor. .

Japanese Patent No. 4197883

When another device located downstream of the aligning device in the product conveying path stops, when a manual stop button or the like that stops the aligning device is pressed, or when the aligning device receives an emergency stop signal ( When receiving an earthquake, opening a safety cover, device abnormality signal, etc., the aligning device stops in response to these stop signals. In this case, the products on each variable speed conveyor are placed in a stopped state in which positional deviation occurs due to inertia or the like. Therefore, in order to restart the aligning device, it is necessary to manually remove all the products on each variable speed conveyor.

The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and it is not necessary to manually remove the products on each variable speed conveyor when the aligning device stops, and the product can be restarted easily and quickly. It is an object of the present invention to provide an alignment device for

In order to achieve the above object, the product aligning device of the present invention comprises an input conveyor that receives and transports products to be aligned, an output conveyor that transports the aligned products, and a conveyor between these input and output conveyors. A plurality of variable-speed conveyors arranged in each variable-speed conveyor, and each time the product reaches the top on each variable-speed conveyor, the leading product is supplied to the target position on the output conveyor. and a controller for performing a transport correction, the controller, upon receiving a signal to stop the aligner, causes each variable speed conveyor to return all products on each variable speed conveyor to the input conveyor. Reverse run control is executed to run in reverse.

Therefore, according to the product aligning device of the present invention, when the aligning device stops, it is not necessary to manually remove the products on each speed change conveyor, and the restart operation can be performed easily and quickly.

1 is a schematic diagram showing the entire product aligning device; FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the product return function which an alignment device has. It is a control flow of product return control which a controller performs.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a product alignment device according to one embodiment. The alignment device comprises a horizontal input conveyor 2 consisting of a belt conveyor, which receives products A at irregular intervals and conveys the received products A at a transport speed _VI .

A horizontal output conveyor 4 consisting of a belt conveyor is arranged in front of the input conveyor 2, and this output conveyor 4 conveys the product _A at a conveying speed VO higher than the conveying speed _VI . More specifically, the output conveyor 4 is provided with pushers 6 at a constant pitch interval P, and the products A are conveyed while positioned in pockets defined between the pushers 6 . The output conveyor 4 extends to, for example, a packaging machine (not shown).

Between the input conveyor ₂ and the output conveyor 4, variable speed conveyors VC ₁ , VC ₂ , VC ₃ consisting of belt conveyors are arranged in _a line. form a variable speed transfer path between Each variable speed conveyor VC has a drive pulley 10, which is connected to a servomotor M ₁ -M ₃ , which is electrically connected to the output of a controller 14 . The servomotors M ₁ to M ₃ also have rotary encoders E ₁ to E ₃ , respectively, and these rotary encoders E are electrically connected to the input side of the controller 14 .

Each variable speed conveyor VC has a maximum allowable transfer speed V _MAX higher than the transfer speed V _O of the output conveyor 4 and normally transfers the product A at a predetermined reference transfer speed V _B . In this embodiment, the reference transfer speed VB _matches the transfer speed _VO . Further, a rotary encoder E ₀ is also connected to the drive _pulley 18 of the output conveyor 4 and is also electrically connected to the input side of the controller 14 .

On the other hand, sensors S ₁ , S ₂ , S ₃ , and S ₄ are arranged above each variable speed conveyor VC and the output conveyor 4, respectively, and these sensors S are electrically connected to the input side of the controller 14. . Each sensor S optically detects the passage of product A and supplies the detection signal to controller 14 .

The controller 14 includes a control circuit 22 connected to each servo motor M, each rotary encoder E and each sensor S, and a memory circuit 24 connected to this control circuit 22. The control circuit 22 is a microprocessor and its peripheral circuits. and a computer with an input/output interface. The storage circuit includes RAM, ROM, etc. For example, the ROM stores a control program file for controlling the running of each variable speed conveyor VC. A data file created for is saved.

When the controller 14 transfers the product A, which is fed on the input conveyor 2 in an undesired spacing pattern, through the three variable speed conveyors VC ₁ to VC ₃ to the output conveyor 4, the controller 14 controls the product A on each variable speed conveyor VC. The transfer speed of each variable speed conveyor VC is controlled each time the VC becomes the head. The controller 14 corrects the transfer of the leading product A through this speed change control, and the leading product A is supplied to the target position on the output conveyor 4 .

More specifically, the control circuit 22 stores a program for the data creating/updating section 26, and the data creating/updating section 26 calculates the transfer increment of each variable speed conveyor VC to generate the data file of the product A on each variable speed conveyor VC. create and update The data file for product A is stored in storage circuit 24 . After that, the control circuit 22 calculates the transfer correction amount of the product A on each variable speed conveyor VC based on the data file of the product A, and based on this transfer correction amount, each servo motor M of each variable speed conveyor VC to output a command signal to actually control the transfer speed.

By repeatedly creating/updating data files in the data creating/updating section 26, data records are created for all the products _A existing _on the variable speed conveyors VC1 to VC3. The current position of product A is constantly monitored based on its transfer on each variable speed conveyor VC. will be updated only incremented.

When the control routine for speed change control and transfer correction is repeatedly executed, the current position and conveyor number CN in the data record of product A are changed as the transfer of all products A on each variable speed conveyor VC progresses. etc. are updated sequentially. Then, based on this update result, the shift control of each variable speed conveyor VC sequentially corrects the movement of each product A, and as a result, each product A moves from the most downstream variable speed conveyor VC ₃ to the target position on the output conveyor 4. supplied accurately.

Here, when the aligning device receives a stop signal indicating that another device different from the aligning device, specifically, another device arranged downstream of the aligning device in the conveying path of the product A has stopped, When a manual stop button, etc. to stop the aligning device is pressed, or when the aligning device receives an emergency stop signal (earthquake, safety cover opening, device error signal, etc.), these stop signals will be output. In response, product return control for returning all the products A on each variable speed conveyor VC to the input conveyor 2 is executed.

The aforementioned stop signal is input to the control circuit 22 of the controller 14 from a stop signal input section (stop signal input means) 28 provided in the alignment device. The control circuit 22 stores control program files for a reverse running section (reverse running control) 30 , a return confirmation section (return confirmation means) 32 , and a data clear section (data clear means) 34 .

FIGS. 2(a) to 2(c) are explanatory diagrams of the product return control of the aligning device, and FIG. 3 shows the control flow of the product return control. In FIG. 2(a), the above-described alignment control by speed change control and transfer correction is performed to create an aligned state of the products A that are aligned at regular intervals on the output conveyor 4. .

As shown in FIG. 3, in the product return control, when the operation of the aligning device is started, first, in step S1, the control circuit 22 receives a stop signal from another device via the stop signal input section 28 or not. determine whether When the determination result in step S1 is No (false), the process proceeds to step S2, and the alignment control shown in FIG. 2(a) is continued. On the other hand, when the determination result of step S1 is true (Yes), the process proceeds to step S3.

In step S3, the return confirmation section 32 of the control circuit 22 determines whether or not the counting of the products A has been completed. Specifically, the return confirmation unit 32 determines the number of all the products A on each variable speed conveyor VC stored in the data file, and the transfer of the product A between the variable speed conveyors VC based on the detection signal of each sensor S. By comparing the numbers, it is determined whether all products A on each variable speed conveyor VC have been returned onto the input conveyor 2 or not.

If the determination result in step S3 is No (false) and the return confirmation unit 32 has not completed counting the product A, that is, it is determined that the product A remains on at least one of the variable speed conveyors VC. , the process proceeds to step S4. In step S4, the reverse running section 30 of the control circuit 22 carries out reverse running of each variable speed conveyor VC. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 2(b) and 2(c), the product A on each variable speed conveyor VC is returned to the input conveyor 2 in sequence. Reverse running of each variable speed conveyor VC is performed by rotating each servo motor M in reverse.

The product A on the input conveyor 2 is returned to an upstream device (not shown) positioned upstream of the alignment device in the product A conveying path by performing reverse travel in the same manner as the variable speed conveyors VC. In addition, the product A on the output conveyor 4 continues to be conveyed while positioned in the pocket defined between the pushers 6, and the downstream device ( not shown).

On the other hand, the determination result of step S3 is true (Yes), and it is determined that the counting of products A in the return confirmation unit 32 is completed, that is, all the products A on each variable speed conveyor VC have been returned to the input conveyor 2. If so, the process proceeds to step S5. In step S5, the data clearing unit 34 of the control circuit 22 erases the data files created regarding the transportation status of all the products A, transportation correction, etc., stored in the storage circuit 24. FIG. As a result, the operation history of the aligning device before receiving the stop signal is reset, and the process proceeds to step S6.

In step S6, the operation of each variable speed conveyor VC is stopped. Further, when the transportation of the product A to the upstream side device and the downstream side device described above is completed, the operation of the input conveyor 2 and the output conveyor 4 is also stopped. This completely stops the operation of the aligning device and permits the aligning device to restart.

As described above, according to the aligning device of the present embodiment, when the controller 14 receives the stop signal of the aligning device via the stop signal input section 28, all the products A on each variable speed conveyor VC are input. The reverse running unit 30 executes reverse running control to reversely run each variable speed conveyor VC so as to return to the conveyor 2 side, ie, the input conveyor 2 as well as the upstream device on the upstream side. As a result, when the aligning device stops, it is not necessary to manually remove the product A on each variable speed conveyor VC, and the aligning device can be restarted easily and quickly.

Further, when the controller 14 receives the stop signal, the return confirmation unit 32 executes return confirmation means for confirming that all the products A on the variable speed conveyors VC have been returned to the input conveyor 2 side by the reverse running control. do. As a result, the product A on each variable speed conveyor VC can be reliably returned to the input conveyor 2 side, so that the reliability of the product return control can be enhanced.

Further, the controller 14 creates a data file regarding the transportation status and transfer correction for each product A in the data creating/updating unit 26 and stores it in the storage circuit 24. When the stop signal is received, the controller 14 executes reverse travel control, After confirmation by the return confirmation means, the data clearing section 34 executes data clearing means for erasing the data file. As a result, the operation history of the aligning device before receiving the stop signal is reset and the aligning device can be initialized, so that the aligning device can be restarted more easily and quickly.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the transfer mechanism for the product A comprising the input conveyor 2, the output conveyor 4, and the variable speed conveyors VC is not limited to the configuration described above.

2 input conveyor 4 output conveyor 14 controller 30 reverse running unit (reverse running control)
32 return confirmation unit (return confirmation means)
34 Data clear section (data clear means)
A Product VC Variable speed conveyor

Claims (3)

An input conveyor that receives and conveys the products to be aligned, an output conveyor that conveys the aligned products, a plurality of variable speed conveyors arranged between the input conveyor and the output conveyor, and on each variable speed conveyor a controller for correcting the movement of the leading product through speed change control of each variable speed conveyor so as to supply the leading product to a target position on the output conveyor every time the product becomes the leading product in the An alignment device,
When the controller receives a stop signal of the aligning device, the controller executes reverse travel control to reversely travel each of the variable speed conveyors so as to return all the products on each of the variable speed conveyors to the input conveyor side. alignment device. 2. The controller according to claim 1, wherein, when receiving said stop signal, said controller executes return confirmation means for confirming that all products on said variable speed conveyors have been returned to said input conveyor side by said reverse running control. Alignment device for the described product. The controller creates and saves a data file regarding the transfer status and transfer correction for each product,
3. The product according to claim 2, wherein the controller executes data clearing means for erasing the data file after execution of the reverse running control and confirmation by the return confirmation means when the stop signal is received. alignment device.

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