JP2022164151A - Article conveyance system and feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an article conveyance system capable of facilitating handling of articles such as load with a subsequent device.SOLUTION: An article conveyance system includes: a conveyance section with a conveyance path; a first article detection section; a shape detection section; and a processor. The conveyance path can convey one or a plurality of articles to a subsequent downstream side conveyance section and the overall length thereof is longer than that of one article. The first article detection section detects that an article has passed through a first prescribed position of the conveyance path. The shape detection section detects a contour of an article on the conveyance path having passed through the first prescribed position with the detection of an article at the first article detection section as a trigger. The processor controls the conveyance section, the first article detection section and the shape detection section. The processor outputs whether or not an article on the conveyance path is conveyed to the downstream side conveyance section when the article is placed on the conveyance path on the basis of the contour of the article detected by the shape detection section.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to an article transport system and a supply device.

A system is provided for singulating and arranging articles such as packages supplied from the outside one by one. The system includes a singulator that singulates and aligns the articles, a conveyor that feeds the articles to the singulator, and the like.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-507149

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an article conveying system and a supply device that facilitates the handling of articles such as packages by subsequent devices.

According to an embodiment, an article transport system includes a transport section having a transport path, a first article detector, a shape detector, and a processor. The transport path is capable of transporting one or more articles to the subsequent downstream transport section, and has a total length longer than the one article. The first article detection section detects that the article has passed through the first predetermined position on the conveying path. The shape detection section detects the outer shape of the article on the conveying path passing through the first predetermined position, using the detection of the article by the first article detection section as a trigger. A processor controls the transport section, the first article detection section, and the shape detection section. The processor determines, based on the outer shape of the article detected by the shape detecting section, whether to convey the article on the conveying path to the downstream conveying section when the article is placed on the conveying path. or

Schematic which shows the supply apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a supply device according to an embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an article conveying system, a first collecting section, a downstream conveying section, and a second collecting section of a supply device according to one embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the shape detection section of the multi-feed detection section of the article conveying system of the supply device according to the embodiment acquires the shape of the article; FIG. 4 is a schematic top view showing an exclusion mechanism of an article transport system of a supply device according to one embodiment; FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the multi-feeding exclusion section of the article conveying system of the supply device according to one embodiment, viewed from the direction along line AA in FIG. 5; FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the multi-feeding exclusion unit shown in FIG. 6 of the article conveying system of the supply device according to the embodiment, viewed from the upstream side; FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the multi-feeding exclusion section of the article conveying system of the supply device according to one embodiment, viewed from the direction along line AA in FIG. 5; FIG. 9 is a schematic view of the multi-feeding exclusion unit shown in FIG. 8 of the article conveying system of the supply device according to one embodiment, viewed from the upstream side; FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the multi-feeding exclusion section of the article conveying system of the supply device according to one embodiment, viewed from the direction along line AA in FIG. 5; FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the multi-feeding exclusion section of the article conveying system of the supply device according to one embodiment, viewed from the direction along line AA in FIG. 5; FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the multi-feeding exclusion unit shown in FIG. 11 of the article conveying system of the supply device according to the embodiment, viewed from the upstream side; FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the multi-feeding exclusion unit shown in FIG. 11 of the article conveying system of the supply device according to the embodiment, viewed from the upstream side; 4 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the supply device according to one embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the article conveying system of the supply device according to one embodiment; 6 is a flow chart showing an example of an article removal operation in the article conveying system of the supply device according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the multi-feed canceling section in the article conveying system of the supply device according to the modification; 17A and 17B are schematic diagrams showing the operation of the multi-feed canceling unit in the article conveying system of the supply device according to the modification. FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the multi-feed canceling unit in the article conveying system of the supply device according to the modification, following FIG. 18 ; 19A and 19B are schematic diagrams showing the operation of the multi-feed canceling unit in the article conveying system of the supply device according to the modification.

The supply device 10 will be described below with reference to the drawings.
A supply device (article supply device) 10 separates (separates) multi-layered articles, for example, in a physical distribution system, at a predetermined pitch (time interval) with respect to a subsequent device such as a sorting device (distribution sorter) that sorts by destination. or a predetermined distance interval) or more. A supply device (parts supply device) 10 is provided, for example, in a part of a manufacturing line, separates (separates) a large number of parts (articles) of the same or different types, and feeds the parts to subsequent devices at intervals of a predetermined pitch or more. supply (goods);

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the supply device 10 is viewed from above. The XYZ orthogonal coordinate system shown in FIG. 1 is defined in the supply device 10 . FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the supply device 10. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the supply device 10 includes an input unit 12 for inputting a plurality of articles S, and an upstream side for separating multiple layers of input articles and aligning them in a row. Conveying section 14, article conveying system (article conveying/rejection system) 16, first recovery section (article recovery section) 18, downstream side conveying section 20, main control section 22, second recovery section (article recovery part) 24. The input section 12 , the upstream transport section 14 , the article transport system 16 , the first collection section 18 , and the downstream transport section 20 are controlled by the main control section 22 .

An example of the input unit 12 is a basket. For example, a tipper containing a plurality of articles S is tilted, and a plurality of articles S in a basket slide against the tipper, so that a plurality of articles S are accumulated at the boundary between the input section 12 and the upstream conveying section 14. . The articles S placed on the input section 12 come into contact with, for example, the upstream end of the upstream conveying section 14 .

The upstream transport section 14 is arranged downstream of the input section 12 in the +X-axis direction. In the present embodiment, the upstream transport section 14 is formed in a substantially J-shape as a whole on the XY plane.

The upstream conveying section 14 includes a first conveyor section (extraction conveying section) 32 arranged downstream of the input section 12 in the +X-axis direction, and a first conveyor section (extraction conveying section) 32 arranged downstream of the first conveyor section 32 in the +X-axis direction. 2 conveyor section (item separating and conveying section) 34, which is arranged in the −X-axis direction on the downstream side of the second conveyor section 34, and which conveys the articles S with respect to the first conveyor section 32 and the second conveyor section 34; and a changing third conveyor section 36 .

The first conveyor section 32 has a horizontal conveying path 33 on a horizontal plane (ground), for example, by an endless belt.

The second conveyor section 34 has a plurality of conveyors (slope conveyors) 34a, 34b, 34c, and 34d. Each conveyor 34a-34d has a plurality of transport paths 35a, 35b, 35c, 35d inclined with respect to a horizontal plane, for example as uphill and downhill, for example by endless belts. The transport paths 35a-35d are arranged in order in the +X-axis direction. In this embodiment, the second conveyor section 34 has an uphill transport path 35a, a downhill transport path 35b, an uphill transport path 35c, and a downhill transport path 35d in order from the upstream side to the downstream side. have.

The third conveyor section 36 has a plurality of conveyors (width shift conveyors) 36a, 36b, and 36c. The conveyor 36a is arranged downstream of the conveyor 34d of the second conveyor section 34 in the +X-axis direction and extends from the conveyor 34d of the second conveyor section 34 in the X-axis direction. Conveyor 36b is arranged downstream of conveyor 36a in the +X-axis direction. The conveyor 36b extends in the Y-axis direction. Conveyor 36c is arranged downstream of conveyor 36b in the -Y-axis direction. The conveyor 36c extends in the X-axis direction.

Each conveyor 36a-36c has a plurality of transport paths 37a, 37b, 37c for moving articles S, for example horizontally. The extending direction of the conveyor 36a is different from the conveying direction of the conveying path 37a. The extending direction of the conveyor 36b is different from the conveying direction of the conveying path 37b. The extending direction of the conveyor 36c is different from the conveying direction of the conveying path 37c. In this embodiment, the third conveyor section 36 has, in order from the upstream side to the downstream side, a conveying path 37a that moves the article S in the +X-axis direction and the +Y-axis direction, and a conveying path 37a that moves the article S in the +X-axis direction and the -Y-axis direction. and a transport path 37c for moving the article S in the −X-axis direction and the −Y-axis direction.

The third conveyor section 36 further has side conveyors 38a, 38b, 38c. Side conveyors 38a-38c are provided on conveyors 36a-36c, respectively. Side conveyors 38a-38c form the side walls of conveyors 36a-36c and assist in conveying articles S that they contact from upstream to downstream. For example, the +X axis direction conveying speed component between the conveying path 37a and the side conveyor 38a, the −Y axis direction conveying speed component between the conveying path 37b and the side conveyor 38b, and the −X axis direction between the conveying path 37c and the side conveyor 38c. The directional conveying speed components are different. Therefore, the third conveyor section 36 changes the direction in which the articles S move from the +X-axis direction to the −Y-axis direction, while keeping the articles S in contact with the conveying surfaces of the side conveyors 38a to 38c and aligning them. - Turn in the X-axis direction.

FIG. 3 is a top view showing the article conveying system 16, the first collecting section 18, and the downstream conveying section 20 of the supply device 10. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which profile data of the height, shape, and position of two (a plurality of) articles S are acquired using the optical section method. FIG. 5 is a schematic top view showing the double feed elimination section 46 of the feeding device 10. As shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the article S is delivered to the downstream transport section 20 without being removed using the removal mechanism 64. As shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a state of the double feed excluding unit 46 in a state of delivering the articles S to the downstream conveying unit 20 without excluding the articles S using the excluding mechanism 64, viewed from the upstream side to the downstream side. In addition, in FIG. 7, the illustration of the first elevating section 74 and the second elevating section 76 is omitted. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the article S is separated from the preceding article S using the exclusion mechanism 64. As shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a state of the double feed exclusion section 46 in a state where the article S is separated from the preceding article S by using the exclusion mechanism 64, viewed from the upstream side to the downstream side. In addition, in FIG. 9, the illustration of the first elevating section 74 and the second elevating section 76 is omitted. 10 and 11 are schematic diagrams showing the double feed eliminating section 46 of the feeding device 10 at the position indicated by line AA in FIG. 5 and showing the operation of the double feeding eliminating section 46. FIG. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a state of the double feed eliminating section 46 in a state where the articles S are collected by the first collecting section 18, viewed from the upstream side to the downstream side. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a state of the double feed eliminating section 46 in a state where the articles S are collected by the second collecting section 24, viewed from the upstream side to the downstream side. 12 and 13, illustration of the first elevating section 74 and the second elevating section 76 is omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , the article transport system 16 has a parallel exclusion section 42 , a multi-feed detection section 44 , a multi-feed exclusion section 46 and a control section 48 . The parallel elimination unit 42 , the double feeding detection unit 44 , and the multiple feeding elimination unit 46 are controlled by the control unit 48 .

The parallel exclusion section 42 is arranged in the -X-axis direction downstream of the end of the conveying path 37c of the conveyor 36c and the end of the side conveyor 38c. The double feed detection unit 44 is arranged in the −X-axis direction on the downstream side with respect to the end of the parallel elimination unit 42 . The double-feeding elimination unit 46 is arranged downstream of the end of the double-feeding detection unit 44 in the -X-axis direction.

The width in the Y-axis direction of the parallel elimination section 42, the double-feed detection section 44, and the multiple-feed elimination section 46 is narrower than the width of the transport path 37c in the Y-axis direction. The widths in the Y-axis direction of the parallel exclusion section 42, the multi-feed detection section 44, and the multi-feed exclusion section 46 are widths that make it difficult to arrange a plurality of articles S, for example.

As shown in FIG. 1, the parallel exclusion section 42 has a plurality of conveyors 42a and 42b. Each of the conveyors 42a, 42b has a plurality of transport paths 43a, 43b for horizontally transporting the articles S by, for example, endless belts. The transport paths 43a and 43b are arranged in order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the -X-axis direction. The conveying direction of the conveying paths 43a and 43b is along the X-axis direction. The width of the transport paths 43a and 43b of the parallel exclusion section 42 in the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction (transport direction) is narrower than the width of the Y-axis direction at the end of the transport path 37c of the third conveyor section 36. . The terminal end of the side conveyor 38c is adjacent to the position on the -Y-axis direction side of the center of the width of the transport path 43a in the Y-axis direction.

As shown in FIG. 3, the double-feed detection unit 44 includes a transport unit 52, a first article detection unit (article detection sensor) 54, a shape detection unit (shape detection sensor) 56, and a second article detection unit (article detection sensor) 58. The conveying section 52, the first article detection section 54, the shape detection section 56, and the second article detection section 58 are controlled by the control section 48, for example.

The conveying section 52 can convey the articles S to the subsequent double feeding removing section 46 and the downstream conveying section 20 . The transport section 52 is, for example, a belt conveyor. The conveying path 52a of the conveying unit 52 is longer than the total length of the article S to be conveyed in the conveying direction, for example, at least several times the total length of the article S in the conveying direction. It is preferable that the conveying speed of the conveying path 52a of the conveying unit 52 is adjusted to be constant.

The first article detection unit 54 is provided, for example, above near the upstream end of the transport path 52a. The first article detection unit 54 detects that the article S has passed through the first predetermined position of the transport path 52a. In the first article detection section 54, for example, a light emitting section such as a laser beam and a light receiving section such as a photodiode are separated along the Y-axis direction. The control unit 48 determines that the article S has not passed through the first predetermined position when the light from the light emitting unit is received by the light receiving unit. The control unit 48 determines that the article S has passed through the first predetermined position when the light from the light emitting unit is no longer received by the light receiving unit.

The shape detection unit 56 is provided downstream of the first article detection unit 54, for example, above near the upstream end of the transport path 52a. The shape detection section 56 is preferably adjacent to the first article detection section 54 . The shape detection section 56 detects the outer shape of the article S on the conveying path 52a passing through the first article detection section 54 . The shape detection unit 56 is, for example, a 3D scanner. The shape detection section 56 has a light emitting section and a light receiving section, and detects the outer shape of the article S by, for example, a light section method, as shown in FIG. The shape detection unit 56 irradiates the article S with linear laser light from the light emitting unit, receives the reflected light, and obtains information on the shape, position, and height of the article S using an imaging device such as a CMOS. .

In this embodiment, when the articles S overlap each other, the control unit 48 outputs the number of steps (natural number) of the shape of the article S based on the shape of the article S acquired by the shape detection unit 56, and the number of steps is It refers to the case where it is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. An example threshold is two. For example, when the number of steps is two or more, the control unit 48 determines that the articles S overlap each other.

In the present embodiment, the articles S are connected to each other when the interval between the articles S along the transport direction (X-axis direction) is within a predetermined threshold. The predetermined threshold value can be appropriately set according to the transport speed of the transport path 52a of the transport unit 52, for example. In the article conveying system 16 , whether or not the articles S are oversupplied depends on the processing capacity of the articles S in the article conveying system 16 .

The second article detection unit 58 is provided, for example, above near the downstream end of the transport path 52a. The second article detection unit 58 detects that the article S has passed through the first predetermined position of the conveyance path 52a and the second predetermined position of the conveyance path 52a downstream of the position where the shape of the article S is detected by the shape detection unit 56. to detect. In the second article detection section 58, for example, a light emitting section such as a laser beam and a light receiving section such as a photodiode are separated along the Y-axis direction. The control unit 48 determines that the article S has not passed the second predetermined position when the light from the light emitting unit is received by the light receiving unit. The control unit 48 determines that the article S has passed through the second predetermined position when the light from the light emitting unit is no longer received by the light receiving unit.

The control unit 48 controls the first article detection unit 54 based on the constant conveying speed of the conveying path 52 a of the conveying unit 52 and the distance between the first article detection unit 54 and the second article detection unit 58 . It is possible to calculate the time required for the article S to pass through the second article detection section 58 . Therefore, when the article S passes through the second article detection section 58 after the time calculated based on the conveyance speed of the conveyance path 52a is triggered by the passage of the article S through the first article detection section 54, The control unit 48 determines that both are the same article S.

As shown in FIGS. 1 , 3 , and 5 to 13 , the double feed rejection section 46 has a transport section 62 and a rejection mechanism 64 .

The conveying unit 62 has, for example, a plurality (eg, four) of conveyors 62a, 62b, 62c, and 62d arranged in the Y-axis direction, and conveys the articles S in the −X-axis direction from the upstream side along the downstream side. The conveyors 62a-62d are, for example, endless belt conveyors.

The exclusion mechanism 64 selectively excludes the article S from being conveyed from the conveying path 52 a of the conveying section 52 to the downstream conveying section 20 under the control of the control section 48 . The exclusion mechanism 64 includes a plurality of (for example, three) payout rollers 72a, 72b, and 72c respectively arranged between the conveyors 62a to 62d of the transport section 62, and the downstream ends (−X axis A first elevating unit 74 that moves up and down along the Z-axis direction in conjunction with or independently of the direction side part) 73a, and the upstream end part (+X-axis direction side part) 73b of each of the payout rollers 72a to 72c or independently along the Z-axis direction. Here, an example will be described in which the first elevating unit 74 interlocks and elevates the dispensing rollers 72a-72c, and the second elevating unit 76 interlocks and elevates the dispensing rollers 72a-72c.

The pay-out rollers 72a-72c are rotatable about the conveying direction (X-axis direction) by a motor (not shown), for example. In this embodiment, the payout rollers 72a-72c switch between a stopped state, clockwise rotation, and counterclockwise rotation when viewed from the upstream side (+X axis direction) to the downstream side (−X axis direction). It is possible. Incidentally, each rotation axis of the payout rollers 72a to 72c is appropriately inclined within the ZX plane, for example.

The first elevating section 74 is provided on the downstream side (−X axis direction side) with respect to the second elevating section 76 . The first elevating section 74 supports the upstream side of the dispensing rollers 72a to 72c so as to be able to ascend and descend relative to the downstream side. The first lifting section 74 supports the dispensing rollers 72a-72c so as not to hinder the rotation of the dispensing rollers 72a-72c. The first elevating section 74 moves the payout rollers 72a-72c between positions above and below the conveying surfaces of the conveyors 62a-62d of the conveying section 62. As shown in FIG.

The second elevating section 76 supports the downstream side of the dispensing rollers 72a to 72c so as to be able to move up and down with respect to the upstream side. The second lifting section 76 supports the dispensing rollers 72a-72c so as not to hinder the rotation of the dispensing rollers 72a-72c. The second elevating section 76 cooperates with the first elevating section 74 to move the payout rollers 72a-72c between the positions above and below the conveying surfaces of the conveyors 62a-62d of the conveying section 62. to move.

As shown in FIGS. 6, 8, 10 and 11, the rejection mechanism 64 adjusts the first elevator 74 and the second elevator 76 so that the downstream ends 73a and the upstream ends 73a and 72a of the payout rollers 72a-72c. The Z-direction positions of both ends 73b are adjusted.

Based on the outer shape of the article S detected by the shape detecting section 56, the control section 48 moves the article S on the conveying path 52a to the downstream conveying section 20 when the article S is placed on the conveying path 52a. Output whether or not to transport. More specifically, the control unit 48 forms an image of the article S detected by the shape detection unit 56, outputs overlapping and connecting information of the article S, and based on the overlapping and connecting information of the article S, detects the article S is to be conveyed to the downstream conveying unit 20 or not. Further, the control unit 48 outputs whether or not the supply of the articles S to the conveying path 52a of the conveying unit 52 is an oversupply, based on the overlap and sequence information of the articles S. FIG. The control unit 48 removes and collects the article S using the removal mechanism 64 while the downstream conveying unit 20 or the device downstream of the downstream conveying unit 20 is stopped. The control unit 48 selectively removes and collects the article S using the removal mechanism 64, triggered by the detection of the article S by the second article detection unit 58. FIG.

In the control unit 48, a processor such as one or a plurality of CPUs expands a control program stored in a memory such as a ROM into a RAM, and appropriately controls the parallel elimination unit 42, the double feed detection unit 44, and the double feed elimination unit 46. process. Alternatively, in the control unit 48, a processor such as one or a plurality of CPUs, for example, reads a program via a network, and executes appropriate processing for the parallel elimination unit 42, the double feed detection unit 44, and the double feed elimination unit 46. The control unit 48 can realize control of the parallel elimination unit 42, the multi-feed detection unit 44, and the multi-feed elimination unit 46 by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that implements one or more functions. The article transport system 16 is controlled by a controller 48, for example, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). Note that the control unit 48 has a storage device that stores various types of information including control information. The controller 48 transmits and receives signals to and from the main controller 22 and is controlled by the main controller 22 .

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the first collection section 18 is arranged adjacent to the article transport system 16 in the +Y-axis direction. The first recovery section 18 has a first inclined conveyor 82 , a second inclined conveyor 84 , a curved conveyor 86 and a re-input conveyor 88 .

The first inclined conveyor 82 is adjacent to the parallel exclusion section 42 and the double feed detection section 44 . The position adjacent to the parallel elimination section 42 and the double feeding detection section 44 on the first inclined conveyor 82 is substantially the same height position as the transportation surface of the transportation path 52a of the transportation section 52 of the parallel elimination section 42 and the multiple feeding detection section 44. or lower than that. The first inclined conveyor 82 is lowered as it moves away from the parallel elimination section 42 and the double feed detection section 44 in the +Y-axis direction.

As shown in FIGS. 3 , 7 , 9 , 12 and 13 , the second inclined conveyor 84 is adjacent to the double feed detector 44 and double feed rejector 46 . A second inclined conveyor 84 is provided downstream of the first inclined conveyor 82 . The position of the second inclined conveyor 84 adjacent to the double-feeding detection unit 44 and the double-feeding elimination unit 46 is substantially at the same height as the upper surface of the conveyor 62d of the transport unit 62 of the double-feeding detection unit 44 and the double-feeding elimination unit 46. or lower than that. The second inclined conveyor 84 is lowered with increasing distance from the double feed detection section 44 and the double feed elimination section 46 in the +Y-axis direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the curved conveyor 86 is provided downstream of the second inclined conveyor 84 . The curved conveyor 86 changes the conveying direction of the article S from, for example, the -X-axis direction to the +Y-axis direction.
The curved conveyor 86 may be composed of a single conveyor, or may have a structure in which a plurality of linear conveyors are crossed to bend the conveying direction of the articles S as a whole.

The re-input conveyor 88 conveys the articles S collected by the first inclined conveyor 82 and the second inclined conveyor 84 through the curved conveyor 86 to, for example, the first conveyor section 32 or the boundary between the input section 12 and the first conveyor section 32. do.

As shown in FIG. 1, the downstream conveying section 20 has a plurality of short length conveyors 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d, 20e, 20f, 20g, and 20h. A plurality of conveyors 20a-20h are capable of controlling the conveying speed of articles S. As shown in FIG.

The main control unit 22 develops a control program stored in a memory such as a ROM by a processor such as one or a plurality of CPUs in a RAM, and the input unit 12, the upstream conveying unit 14, the article conveying system 16, the first Appropriate processing is performed on the recovery unit 18 and the downstream transport unit 20 . Alternatively, the main control unit 22, for example, a processor such as one or a plurality of CPUs reads a program via a network, and the input unit 12, the upstream conveying unit 14, the article conveying system 16, the first collecting unit 18, and the downstream Appropriate processing for the side transport unit 20 is executed. The main control unit 22 controls the input unit 12, the upstream conveying unit 14, the article conveying system 16, the first collection unit 18, and the downstream conveying unit 20 by a circuit that realizes one or more functions (for example, ASIC). Note that the main control unit 22 has a storage device that stores various types of information including control information.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , the second collection section 24 is adjacent to, for example, the double feed removal section 46 and the downstream transport section 20 . The position adjacent to the double feed eliminating unit 46 and the downstream transport unit 20 in the second collecting unit 24 is the upper surface of the conveyor 62a of the transport unit 62 of the double feed eliminating unit 46 and the upper surface of the conveyor 20a of the downstream transport unit 20. It is located at approximately the same height or lower. The second collecting section 24 is lowered as it separates from the double feed removing section 46 and the downstream side conveying section 20 in the -Y axis direction.

The operation of the supply device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 16. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 14, the main control unit 22 and the control unit 48 of the supply device 10 work together to Operate the conveying section 52 of the double feed detection section 44, the conveying section 62 of the double feed removing section 46, the first inclined conveyor 82 and the second inclined conveyor 84 of the first collection section 18, and the conveyors 20a to 20h of the downstream side conveying section 20. (step S1).

6 and 7, the delivery rollers 72a-72c of the multi-feed removing section 46 are positioned below the conveying surfaces of the articles S of the conveyors 62a-62d of the conveying section 62. As shown in FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 14, the main control unit 22 operates the input unit 12 to input one or more articles S from the input unit 12 to the upstream transport unit 14 (step S2). The supply device 10 according to this embodiment supplies, for example, a large number of articles S in bulk to the boundary between the input section 12 and the first conveyor section 32 of the upstream transport section 14 .

The first conveyor section 32 of the upstream conveying section 14 picks up the articles S put into the boundary between the feeding section 12 and the first conveyor section 32 one by one, and conveys them toward the second conveyor section 34 . The conveyors 34a-34d of the second conveyor section 34 repeat uphills and downhills to eliminate the overlap of the articles S with each other. The conveyors 36a-36c of the third conveyor section 36 convey the articles S downstream while bringing them into contact with the side conveyors 38a-38c. At this time, the third conveyor section 36 changes the conveying direction of the articles S from the +X-axis direction to the -Y-axis direction, and further changes to the -X-axis direction. Therefore, the supply device 10 draws the article S to the side conveyors 38a-38c by the conveyors 36a-36c of the third conveyor section 36 arranged in a substantially U shape. At this time, a plurality of articles S are aligned in one line. The main control unit 22 also adjusts the conveying speed of the conveyor units 32, 34, and 36 so that, for example, the articles S are conveyed faster toward the upstream side and slower toward the downstream side, thereby forming intervals between the articles S. do. For this reason, the supply device 10 aligns the articles S in a row at the downstream end of the third conveyor section 36, and sets the interval between the articles S to a predetermined interval or more. The interval between the articles S at this time is the interval at which the control unit 48 normally determines that the articles S are not connected to each other. In this way, the conveyor units 32, 34, and 36 of the upstream transport unit 14 align a plurality of articles S in a line by conveying the articles S (step S3).

Articles S are placed on conveying paths 43 a and 43 b of conveyors 42 a and 42 b of parallel exclusion section 42 . Normally, the articles S are transferred to the multi-feed detection section 44 through the conveying paths 43a and 43b of the conveyors 42a and 42b of the parallel exclusion section 42. As shown in FIG.

For example, articles S aligned in the Y-axis direction at the downstream end of the third conveyor section 36 and protruding from the conveying paths 43a and 43b fall off the conveying paths 43a and 43b depending on the weight balance state on the conveying paths 43a and 43b. and is collected by the first inclined conveyor 82 . Among the articles S arranged in the Y-axis direction on the conveying path 37c, the articles S on the +Y-axis direction side may be collected by the first inclined conveyor 82 without passing through the conveying paths 43a and 43b of the parallel exclusion section 42. be.

The articles S collected by the first inclined conveyor 82 pass through the second inclined conveyor 84 , the curve conveyor 86 and the re-insertion conveyor 88 and are again placed on the conveying path 33 of the first conveyor section 32 . The articles S placed on the transport path 33 of the first conveyor section 32 are again aligned in a line through the conveyor sections 34 and 36 .

In this way, since the width of the conveyor 42a of the parallel exclusion section 42 on the downstream side is narrower than the width of the conveyor 36c, the supply device 10 can, for example, distribute the articles S aligned in the Y-axis direction to the +Y-axis direction. The article S on the side is dropped into the first collection section 18 . Therefore, the supply device 10 prevents the articles S arranged in the Y-axis direction from being conveyed from the upstream conveying section 14 to the downstream conveying section 20 through the article conveying system 16 .

The article S conveyed on the conveying path 43b of the conveyor 42b of the parallel exclusion section 42 is conveyed to the conveying path 52a of the conveying section 52 of the double feeding detection section 44. FIG.

The main control unit 22 and the control unit 48 control the speed of the conveyers 32, 34, and 36 and the conveying speed of the conveyors 42a and 42b of the parallel exclusion unit 42 within a predetermined time after the introduction of the articles S by the input unit 12. Based on this, it is output whether or not the first article detection unit 54 has detected the article within a predetermined time range (step S4).

When the article S is not detected by the first article detection section 54 within a predetermined time after the article S is inserted by the insertion section 12 (step S4-No), the main control section 22 and the control section 48 end the process, Conveyor portions 32 , 34 , 36 of the upstream side conveying portion 14 , conveyors 42 a and 42 b of the parallel removing portion 42 , conveying portion 52 of the double feeding detecting portion 44 , conveying portion 62 of the double feeding removing portion 46 , and the first recovery portion 18 The first inclined conveyor 82, the second inclined conveyor 84, and the conveyors 20a-20h of the downstream transport section 20 are deactivated.

When the passage of the article S is detected by the first article detection section 54 within a predetermined time after the article S is thrown by the insertion section 12 (step S4-Yes), the control section 48 , the detection timing (time) when the passage of the article S in the −Z-axis direction (downward) of the first article detection section 54 is detected by the first article detection section 54 of the article conveying system 16 is acquired.

Then, the control unit 48 determines whether the articles S pass through the double-feeding exclusion unit 46 and are delivered to the downstream conveying unit 20, or whether the articles S are removed by the double-feeding exclusion unit 46 and collected by the first collecting unit 18. Execute (step S5).

If the article S is detected by the first article detection section 54 within a predetermined time after the article S is put in by the input section 12 (step S4-Yes), the control section 48 has already detected the article S by the first article detection section 54. When the first article detecting section 54 of the article conveying system 16 detects the passage of the article S in the -Z-axis direction (downward) of the first article detecting section 54, the article S passes following the article S that has been picked up. Get the detection timing (time). The control unit 48 acquires the detection timing (time) when each article S conveyed in succession passes through the first article detection unit 54 in the -Z-axis direction (below).

The processing of step S5 will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 15, when an article S is detected by the first article detection unit 54 (step S4—Yes), the control unit 48 detects the shape of the article S using the detection of the article S by the first article detection unit 54 as a trigger. The detection unit 56 is operated. The shape detection unit 56 detects the shape of the article S that has passed through the first predetermined position (step S11), and the control unit 48 acquires information on the shape of the article S that has passed through the first predetermined position.

The control unit 48 generates an image of the article S based on the information detected by the shape detection unit 56 (step S12), and acquires three-dimensional image information of the article S detected by the shape detection unit 56. FIG.

Based on the three-dimensional image information, the control unit 48 detects the overlap and series of articles S from information such as sudden height changes (steps). Then, based on the threshold value, the control unit 48 determines whether the articles S are in an overlapping state or in a continuous state (step S13). The control unit 48 determines a series of zero-gap articles in which the articles S are continuous in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and a series in which the articles S are spaced apart in the X-axis direction.

The control unit 48 causes the storage device to store the determination result as to whether the articles S are in an overlapping state or in a continuous state together with the image information of the articles S (step S14).

The control unit 48 controls the detection of the article S at the first predetermined position by the first article detection unit 54, the conveying speed of the conveying path 52a, and the distance between the first article detection unit 54 and the second article detection unit 58. After the predetermined time has elapsed, it is determined whether or not the article S is detected at the second predetermined position in the second article detection section 58 (step S15). The control unit 48 determines that the same article S has been tracked on the conveying path 52a when the second article detection unit 58 detects the article S after a predetermined time has passed since the detection of the article S by the first article detection unit 54. do.

Further, the conveying path 52a of the conveying section 52 is straight and, for example, has a constant speed. The orientation of the article S does not change between the upstream end and the downstream end of the conveying section 52 . Therefore, for the same article S, the light blocking time at the first article detection section 54 and the light blocking time at the second article detection section 58 match or substantially match. That is, with the passage of the article S through the first predetermined position in the first article detection section 54 as a trigger, the article S reaches the second article detection section 58 at the elapse of the time calculated based on the conveying speed of the conveying path 52a. When the article S passes through the second predetermined position and the detection times (light shielding times) of the first article detection section 54 and the second article detection section 58 match or substantially match, the control section 48 detects the same It is judged as the article S. In this way, the control unit 48 may use the detection times of the articles S by the first article detection unit 54 and the second article detection unit 58 as one piece of information for determining that the articles S are the same.

When the second article detection unit 58 detects the article S after the predetermined time has elapsed (S15-Yes), the control section 48 communicates with the main control section 22 and follows the downstream conveying section 20 and the downstream conveying section 20. It is determined whether or not the device (not shown) is operating normally (step S16). If the downstream transport section 20 and the device (not shown) succeeding the downstream transport section 20 are operating normally (S16-Yes), the control section 48 determines whether or not to operate the exclusion mechanism 64. (Step S17).

When the control unit 48 does not operate the exclusion mechanism 64 (S17-No), the control unit 48 adjusts the first elevating unit 74 and the second elevating unit 76 of the exclusion mechanism 64 as shown in FIGS. , the pay-out rollers 72a-72c are arranged below the upper surfaces (conveying surfaces) of the conveyors 62a-62d of the conveying section 62. As shown in FIG. For this reason, the control unit 48 conveys the articles S on the conveyors 62a to 62d of the conveying unit 62 of the double feed removing unit 46 arranged as shown in FIGS. 20h (step S18). The main control unit 22 regulates the conveying speed of each of the conveyors 20a to 20h of the downstream conveying unit 20, and maintains the pitch in the X-axis direction between the article S preceding the article S and the article S succeeding the article S. arrange.

In step S15, the same article S as the article S detected by the first article detection section 54 is not detected by the second article detection section 58 when a predetermined time has passed since the detection of the article S by the first article detection section 54. If so (S15-No), the controller 48 operates the exclusion mechanism 64 (step S19).

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the rejection mechanism 64 adjusts the first elevation unit 74 and the second elevation unit 76 to move the downstream ends 73a of the dispensing rollers 72a-72c to the conveyors 62a-62d of the transport unit 62. , and the upstream end 73b of the conveying section 62 is positioned below the upper surfaces of the conveyors 62a-62d. That is, the first elevating section 74 lifts the downstream end portions 73a of the payout rollers 72a to 72c on the -X axis side upward in the +Z axis direction compared to the payout rollers 72a to 72c on the +X axis direction side. In addition, the second elevating section 76 maintains a position where the upstream ends 73b of the payout rollers 72a-72c are lower than the upper surfaces of the conveyors 62a-62d of the transport section 62. As shown in FIG. Then, as shown in FIG. 12, the control unit 48 rotates the dispensing rollers 72a to 72c clockwise when the upstream end 73b on the downstream side is viewed from the upstream side. In this case, the double feed exclusion section 46 conveys the articles S toward the second inclined conveyor 84 of the first recovery section 18 . Therefore, the delivery rollers 72a-72c at the positions shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 shoot the article S onto the second inclined conveyor 84 of the first recovery section 18 for recovery. The articles S collected by the first collection section 18 are transported to the first conveyor section 32 through the second inclined conveyor 84 , the curved conveyor 86 and the re-insertion conveyor 88 .

In step S16, when the control unit 48 determines that the downstream transport unit 20 or the device succeeding the downstream transport unit 20 is not operating normally (S16-No), the control unit 48 causes the exclusion mechanism 64 to operate. Operate (step S19). At this time, the article S is shot onto the second inclined conveyor 84 of the first collection section 18 and the article S is collected by the first collection section 18, as described above in step S19. Therefore, the articles S collected by the first collection section 18 are re-thrown into the first conveyor section 32 (step S19).

In step S17, if the exclusion mechanism 64 is to be operated (S17-Yes), the control section 48 selects the operation of the exclusion mechanism 64 (step S20).

The processing of step S20 will be described with reference to FIG.

When the controller 48 determines that the distance between the articles S in the X-axis direction is equal to or less than the predetermined distance and that it is necessary to increase the distance between the articles S (S31-Yes), the controller 48 performs the operations shown in FIGS. 9, the first elevating unit 74 and the second elevating unit 76 of the rejection mechanism 64 are adjusted to position the payout rollers 72a-72c above the upper surfaces of the conveyors 62a-62d of the transport unit 62 ( step S32). Since the upstream end 73b of the payout rollers 72a-72c rises above the upper surface of the conveyors 62a-62d of the transport section 62, the payout rollers 72a-72c restrict the articles S from entering the double feed rejection section 46. do. Therefore, the article S abuts against the upstream end 73b of the dispensing rollers 72a-72c. A portion of the article S is placed on the conveyors 62a-62d, but slips between the conveyors 62a-62d and stays in place. The control unit 48 determines whether or not a predetermined period of time has passed since the dispensing rollers 72a-72c were placed at the positions shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 (step S33). If the predetermined time has not passed (S33-No), wait until the predetermined time has passed. After a predetermined period of time has passed (S33-Yes), the controller 48 lowers the delivery rollers 72a-72c with respect to the conveyors 62a-62d as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 (step S34). Articles S are delivered to downstream transport 20 over conveyors 62a-62d. Therefore, the controller 48 separates the article S from the preceding article S, and then transfers the article S to the downstream conveying section 20 .

When the control unit 48 determines that it is not necessary to increase the distance between the articles S in the conveying direction (X-axis direction) by a predetermined distance or more (S31-No), the image of the article S detected by the shape detection unit 56 Based on this, it is determined whether or not the same article S has been collected a predetermined number of times (for example, three times) or more (step S35).

When the control unit 48 determines that a certain article S has been collected more than a predetermined number of times (S35-Yes), the double feed exclusion unit 46 is operated as shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 13, the rejection mechanism 64 adjusts the first elevation unit 74 and the second elevation unit 76 to move the downstream ends 73a of the dispensing rollers 72a-72c to the conveyors 62a-62d of the transport unit 62. , and the upstream end 73b of the conveying section 62 is positioned below the upper surfaces of the conveyors 62a-62d. That is, the first elevating section 74 lifts the downstream end portions 73a of the payout rollers 72a to 72c on the -X axis side upward in the +Z axis direction compared to the payout rollers 72a to 72c on the +X axis direction side. In addition, the second elevating section 76 maintains a position where the upstream ends 73b of the payout rollers 72a-72c are lower than the upper surfaces of the conveyors 62a-62d of the transport section 62. As shown in FIG. Then, as shown in FIG. 13, the control unit 48 rotates the dispensing rollers 72a to 72c counterclockwise when the upstream end 73b on the downstream side is viewed from the upstream side. In this case, the multi-feeding exclusion section 46 conveys the articles S toward the second collection section 24 . Therefore, the delivery rollers 72a to 72c at the positions shown in FIGS. 11 and 13 shoot the article S to the second recovery section 24 for recovery. Therefore, the article conveying system 16 removes the article S to the second collection section 24 outside the supply device 10, not to the first collection section 18 side (step S36).

When the controller 48 determines that the article S has not been collected more than the predetermined number of times (S35-No), the exclusion mechanism 64 of the double feed exclusion section 46 is operated as shown in FIG. Therefore, the article conveying system 16 removes the article S to the second inclined conveyor 84 on the side of the first collecting section 18 (step S37). The articles S collected by the second inclined conveyor 84 are placed on the conveying path 33 of the first conveyor section 32 through the curved conveyor 86 and the re-insertion conveyor 88 . Then, the articles S placed on the transport path 33 of the first conveyor section 32 are aligned through the conveyor sections 34 and 36 again. This article S is delivered to subsequent devices through the article conveying system 16 and the downstream conveying section 20 .

The article transport system 16 of the feeder 10 operates in this manner to more reliably separate and singulate articles S, such as packages, to increase the spacing between the articles S and to transport the articles S to subsequent devices in the feeder 10. Make it easier to handle.

The control unit 48 controls the conveying unit 52, the first article detecting unit 54, and the shape detecting unit 56, and based on the outer shape of the article S detected by the shape detecting unit 56, the article S is placed on the conveying path 52a. It outputs whether or not the article S on the conveying path 52a is to be conveyed to the downstream conveying section 20 when the article S is being conveyed. The control unit 48 uses the detection by the first article detection unit 54 as a detection trigger for the article S, detects the shape of the article S by the shape detection unit 56, acquires image information, and detects the overlapping of the articles S from the image information. and runs can be determined. For this reason, the article conveying system 16 determines within a predetermined time whether the article S should be processed by the succeeding device as it is or whether it should be temporarily collected by the multi-feeding exclusion section 46 subsequent to the multi-feeding detection section 44. can do. Based on this determination, the supply device 10 can operate the exclusion mechanism 64 as necessary. Therefore, when a plurality of articles S are overlapped and conveyed to the article conveying system 16, the overlapped articles S can be sent to the first collection section 18 of the supply device 10 a number of times. In addition, when a plurality of articles S are conveyed to the article conveying system 16 in a row, the articles S in the overlapping state can be collected by the first collecting section 18 of the supply device 10 . Therefore, the supply device 10 can prevent the stacked articles S from being conveyed to the subsequent device. In addition, the supply device 10 can prevent the articles S from being conveyed to a subsequent device in a row. The article conveying system 16 conveys the article S to the subsequent device without stopping the operations of the upstream conveying section 14, the article conveying system 16, the first collecting section 18, and the downstream conveying section 20 of the supply device 10. Alternatively, recovery by the first recovery unit 18 or the second recovery unit 24 can be selected.

The article conveying system 16 according to the present embodiment not only allows the articles S to overlap each other, but also reduces the gap between two articles S arranged in the conveying direction (between an article S and the preceding article S), which is difficult to separate by a subsequent device. , or a series of zero gaps between one article S and the following article S) can also be determined. Then, the supply device 10 can remove the articles S to the first collection section 18 or the second collection section 24 and collect them as necessary. Therefore, the article conveying system 16 and the supply device 10 having the article conveying system 16 detect the overlapping articles S or the series of articles S within a predetermined range, By removing the article S to the collection unit 24, the article S can be favorably processed in the subsequent apparatus.

Further, the main control unit 22 or the control unit 48 controls the conveyor units 32 , 34 , 36 of the upstream transport unit 14 , the parallel elimination unit 42 , the double feed detection unit 44 , the double feed elimination unit 46 , the first recovery unit 18 . When any one of the first inclined conveyor 84, the second inclined conveyor 84, and the conveyors 20a to 20h of the downstream conveying section 20 malfunctions, the articles S are once collected in the first collecting section 18, and the articles S are collected again. While arranging in one example, the articles S can be spaced apart in the conveying direction. Therefore, the supply device 10 can prevent the articles S in an overlapping state or the articles S in a continuous state from being delivered to a device subsequent to the supply device 10 .

The control section 48 needs to track the articles S from the detection of the overlapping of the articles S by using the first article detection section 54 until the overlapped articles S are removed by the double feed removal section 46 . If the articles S are in an overlapping state or a continuous state, there is a possibility that the automatic processing of the articles S in the downstream conveying section 20 and the subsequent devices of the downstream conveying section 20 will be hindered. After the first article detection section 54 detects the article S, the control section 48 tracks the article S, and when the overlapping article S or the series of articles S is placed on the conveying section 62 of the double feed eliminating section 46, the control section 48 tracks the article S. , the excluding mechanism 64 can be operated to eject to the first recovering section 18 and recover. Therefore, the supply device 10 can reliably remove the articles S to be removed and collected from the conveying section 62 by the multi-feeding removing section 46 . Therefore, the supply device 10 can prevent the articles S, which are scheduled to be excluded and collected by the double-feeding exclusion section 46 , from being transported to the downstream-side transport section 20 .
For example, on the transport path 52a of the transport section 52, when the operation of the transport section 52 stops in the section from the first article detection section 54 to the second article detection section 58, the inertial force acting on the article S causes the transport path 52a to move. There is a possibility that the article S will slip against the As a result, the time from when the article S passes through the first predetermined position in the first article detection section 54 to when it passes through the second predetermined position in the second article detection section 58 is different, and the article S is the same article. It becomes difficult to track whether or not there is. Articles S that cannot be tracked from passing the first predetermined position in the first article detection section 54 to passing the second predetermined position in the second article detection section 58 are overlapped or joined together. It is difficult for the control unit 48 to determine whether there is Therefore, in the present embodiment, an article S that cannot be tracked in the section from the first article detection section 54 to the second article detection section 58 is collected by the first collection section 18 . Therefore, the article conveying system 16 can avoid overlooking the fact that the articles S are delivered to the succeeding apparatus in a state of being overlapped or linked.

In the supply device 10 of the present embodiment, when the downstream conveying unit 20 or a subsequent device downstream of the downstream conveying unit 20 stops, the article S is collected in the first collection unit 18, Stop the discharge of the article S to the device. Therefore, by using the supply device 10 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the articles S from accumulating on the downstream side of the article conveying system 16 .

As described above, the supply device 10 according to the present embodiment can determine whether a plurality of articles S overlap or are connected in the article transport system 16, and can collect the articles S depending on the situation. Then, the supply device 10 can convey the articles S again and prevent the articles S from overlapping and continuing. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the articles S from stagnation in the downstream conveying section 20 and devices succeeding the downstream conveying section 20, and the articles S can be processed satisfactorily in the devices succeeding the supply device 10. can.

The supply device 10 can spread the articles S to an appropriate interval along the conveying direction in the upstream conveying section 14 and convey them to the article conveying system 16 . Therefore, after the preceding article S reaches the downstream conveying section 20 through the removal mechanism 64, the supply device 10 collects the article S to be removed to the first collection section 18, or It is possible to secure the time to move the first lifting unit 74 and the second lifting unit 76 in order to recover the waste. The control unit 48 can move the first lifting unit 74 and the second lifting unit 76 using, for example, the detection of the article S by the second article detection unit 58 as an exclusion trigger. Therefore, the supply device 10 can reliably pass the article S to be passed through the removal mechanism 64 toward the subsequent device, remove the article S from the conveying section 62 by the removal mechanism 64, and reliably collect the article S to be collected. can.

When the article S determined to overlap with another article S is conveyed by the supply device 10 less than the predetermined time (for example, the third time) (the second time or less), the control unit 48 causes the payout rollers 72a to 72c to move. With a clockwise rotation, the upstream ends 73b of the payout rollers 72a-72c are lower than the conveyors 62a-62d and the downstream ends 73a are higher than the conveyors 62a-62d. Therefore, the articles S are shot onto the second inclined conveyor 84 . Therefore, the supply device 10 can more reliably eliminate the overlapping of the articles S and deliver the articles S to the succeeding device.

The articles S may maintain the same overlapping state, such as when a plurality of articles S are stuck to each other. In this case, since the articles S are stuck to each other, the control unit 48 determines that the articles S overlap each other. When it is determined that the articles S are overlapped with each other, the supply device 10 is conveyed a predetermined number of times (for example, the third time) or more, the control unit 48 operates the exclusion mechanism 64 to remove the articles S from the It can be shot to the second collecting section 24 . Therefore, the supply device 10 can more reliably eliminate the overlapping of the articles S and deliver the articles S to the succeeding device earlier. For the articles S collected in the second collection section 24, for example, a worker determines whether or not a plurality of articles S are stuck together or overlapped. If a plurality of articles S are piled up, the worker releases the piles and passes the articles S to a subsequent device with a gap between them. If a plurality of articles S are not piled up, the worker passes the article S as it is to the succeeding device.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide the article conveying system 16 and the supply device 10 that facilitate the handling of articles S such as packages by subsequent devices.

In this embodiment, as an example in which the control unit 48 detects the overlapping or continuation of the articles S with respect to the shape of the article S, the example in which the size of the step of the article S is provided with a threshold value has been described. The control unit 48 may use artificial intelligence to determine whether the articles S overlap or join each other based on the detection result of the shape of the articles S by the shape detection unit 56. The control unit 48 may determine the overlapping or joining of the articles S by machine learning. Determination may be made, and it is also possible to determine the overlapping or continuation of the articles S by deep learning. In this case, the shape detection unit 56 may acquire the article S using an image element such as CMOS, determine the shape using artificial intelligence or the like, and determine whether the articles S are overlapped or connected. In this way, various methods can be used to detect the overlap and series of articles S. FIG.

Further, the control unit 48 may determine whether the color information and size of the article S are regular or irregular based on detection by the shape detection unit 56 . The control unit 48 may determine whether or not the articles S are overlapped or connected to each other based on these combinations.

The exclusion mechanism 64 may have a structure capable of continuously ejecting the articles S. For example, only one of a plurality of consecutive articles S is repelled, for example, by the first recovery unit 18 or the second It may be a mechanism for collecting the articles S to be excluded in the 2 collection unit 24 .

In the present embodiment, the supply device 10 forms an annular conveying path with the upstream conveying section 14 , the article conveying system 16 , and the first collecting section 18 . In this case, the item S can be automatically recycled and repeatedly routed through the item transport system 16 as needed. The upstream conveying section 14 of the supply device 10, the article conveying system 16, and the first collection section 18 may not be annular.

In this embodiment, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is defined for the supply device 10, but appropriate deviations in the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, and Z-axis direction are allowed.

17 to 20, the article conveying system 16 preferably has a multi-feed canceling section 50 between the conveyor 42b of the parallel exclusion section 42 and the multi-feed detection section 44, for example.

The double feed canceling unit 50 includes a transport unit 92 arranged between the conveyor 42b of the parallel elimination unit 42 and the transport unit 52 of the double feed detection unit 44, and a friction imparting unit 94 provided above the transport unit 92. have. The transport unit 94 uses, for example, a belt conveyor to transport the article along the transport direction (−X axis direction). The friction imparting section 94 is provided near the upstream end of the conveying section 92, for example. The friction imparting portion 94 has, for example, a mounting frame 94a extending horizontally in the Y-axis direction, and a plurality of strip-shaped flexible synthetic resin sheets 94b attached to the mounting frame 94a and hanging downward. The sheets 94b are arranged in the Y-axis direction. Each sheet 94b has a greater curvature toward the lower side and a smaller curvature toward the upper side.

As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the lower article S1 of the vertically stacked articles S1 and S2 is conveyed by the conveyer 42b of the parallel exclusion section 42 and the conveying section 92 so that the sheet 94a is conveyed more than the upper article S2. Easy to push away. Therefore, the lower article S1 moves more easily in the conveying direction than the upper article S2. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 19, the upper article S2 falls off from the lower article S1, and the articles S1 and S2 are conveyed in the order separated in the X-axis direction. Then, as shown in FIG. 20, a frictional force is applied to the article S2 by the sheet 94a with respect to the article S1 whose contact with the sheet 94a is released. Therefore, the distance between the articles S1 and S2 in the conveying direction can be appropriately increased. The distance D2 between the articles S1 and S2 shown in FIG. 20 can be larger than the distance D1 between the goods S1 and S2 shown in FIG. Therefore, for example, the overlapped articles S1 and S2 can be released from the overlap by the multi-feed release unit 50 . Therefore, the multi-feed canceling section 50 can convey the articles S to the multi-feed detecting section 44 while preventing the articles S from overlapping each other. Therefore, by using the multi-feed canceling section 50, the probability that the overlapping articles S are conveyed to the multi-feed detecting section 44 can be reduced.

Also, the multi-feed canceling section 50 may be arranged between the multi-feed removing section 46 and the downstream transport section 20 . In this case, if the article conveying system 16 fails to detect the overlapping of the articles S, and the articles S cannot be removed and collected, the overlapping of the articles S can be canceled by the double feeding canceling section 50. . In addition, the multi-feed canceling unit 50 can widen the interval between the consecutive articles S.

According to the supply device 10 including the article conveying system 16 of at least one embodiment described above, articles such as packages can be easily handled by subsequent devices.

While several embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Supply apparatus, 12... Input part, 14... Upstream conveying part, 16... Article conveying system, 18... First collection part, 20... Downstream conveying part, 20a-20h... Conveyor, 22... Main control part, 24 2nd recovery section 32 1st conveyor section 33 transport path 34 2nd conveyor section 34a-34d conveyor 35a-35d transport path 36 3rd conveyor section 36a-36c conveyor , 37a-37c...conveyance path, 38a-38c...side conveyor, 42...parallel exclusion unit, 42a, 42b...conveyor, 43a, 43b...conveyance path, 44...multiple feed detection unit, 46...multiple feed exclusion unit, 48... Control unit 52 Conveyance unit 52a Conveyance path 54 First article detection unit 56 Shape detection unit 58 Second article detection unit 62 Conveyor 62a to 62d Conveyor 64 Exclusion mechanism , 72a-72c... Dispensing roller, 74... First elevating section, 76... Second elevating section, 82... First inclined conveyor, 84... Second inclined conveyor, 86... Curve conveyor, 88... Re-insertion conveyor

Claims (8)

a conveying section having a conveying path capable of conveying one or more articles to a subsequent downstream conveying section and having a total length longer than that of the one article;
a first article detection unit that detects that the article has passed through a first predetermined position on the conveying path;
a shape detection unit that detects the outer shape of the article on the conveying path passing through the first predetermined position, using the detection of the article by the first article detection unit as a trigger;
controlling the conveying section, the first article detecting section, and the shape detecting section, and determining whether the article is placed on the conveying path based on the outer shape of the article detected by the shape detecting section; a processor for outputting whether or not to transport the article on the transport path to the downstream transport unit;
An article transport system. The processor
Acquiring image information of the article detected by the shape detection unit;
outputting overlap and sequence information of the article based on the image information of the article;
2. The article conveying system according to claim 1, wherein whether or not to convey the article to the downstream conveying section is output based on information on the overlap and sequence of the articles. 3. The article conveying system according to claim 2, wherein said processor outputs whether or not the supply of said articles to said conveying path of said conveying unit is an oversupply based on said overlapped and connected information of said articles. 4. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a rejection mechanism provided between said transport section and said downstream transport section for selectively rejecting said article based on an output from said processor. The article transport system described in . 5. The article transport system according to claim 4, wherein said processor rejects said article using said rejection mechanism while said downstream transport section is stopped. a second article detection unit controlled by the processor for detecting that the article has passed a second predetermined position downstream of the first predetermined position and the detection position of the shape of the article by the shape detection unit; have
6. The article conveying system according to claim 4, wherein the processor selectively excludes the article using the exclusion mechanism, triggered by the detection of the article by the second article detection section. an article transport system according to any one of claims 4 to 6;
and an article recovery unit that recovers the article excluded by the exclusion mechanism. 8. The feeding device according to claim 7, comprising a downstream transport section provided downstream of the rejection mechanism.

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