JP2516916B2 - Container inversion discharge device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically taking out a large number of articles contained in a container from the inside of the container, for example, in a sorting and packaging facility for agricultural products. The present invention relates to a container inversion discharging device suitable for automatically extracting fruits and vegetables from a container such as a container containing a large number of fruits and vegetables brought in by a production farm and supplying them to a sorting line.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, as a device for taking out a large number of articles from a container, there is known one such as Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-15373.

In the above-mentioned conventional publication, the belt is wound around a rotating drum whose outer peripheral portion is a cylindrical curved surface of a constant shape and a pulley which is horizontally provided at the same height as the upper portion of the rotating drum. A container with a large number of articles (fruits) sent between the rotating drum and the guide device is provided along the outer circumference of the container with a guide device at an interval allowing passage of the container with the opening edge of the rectangular opening surface portion. Depends only on the contact friction with the belt wound around the outer circumference of the rotating drum, it is conveyed upward and inverted, and the inverted container is sent horizontally forward, and the fruit inside the container is discharged from the gap at the end of the container. It was designed to be taken out and taken out.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, the above conventional ones have the following problems.

That is, in the above-mentioned conventional one, since the opening surface of the container is a rectangular flat surface, the outer peripheral portion of the rotating drum around which the belt is wound is a cylindrical curved surface of a constant shape, so that a large number of articles can be accommodated. In order to shield almost the entire opening surface of the container with the circular arc (curved surface) of the belt wound around the rotary drum, a rotary drum with a small curvature, that is, a large radius of curvature (diameter) is required, and the device is large. There was a problem that became.

The reason why a rotary drum having a large radius of curvature, that is, a large diameter is required is that if the diameter of the rotary drum is made small, the front and rear portions of the opening surface of the container will not be shielded, and a large number will be accommodated in the container. This is because a part of the present article spills out from the front and rear parts while the container is being inverted.

Further, in the above-mentioned conventional one, since the mechanism for transporting the container upward is a mechanism for transporting the container upward only by relying on the contact friction between the belt wound around the outer periphery of the rotary ram and the opening edge of the container. However, there is a problem in that the holding and conveying force of the belt with respect to the container is weak, and the container is hung up by the belt during the conveyance and is not smoothly conveyed upward and slides downward.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, and can relatively reduce the size of the device,
Provided is a container reversal discharge device capable of smoothly conveying a container upward without causing the container to slide downward while the container containing a large number of articles is being inverted while being conveyed upward. The purpose is to

[Means for Solving Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention takes the following technical means.

That is, in the present invention, a reversing conveyor having a substantially semi-circular conveying unit, a belt receiving member and a pulley whose outer peripheral portion is formed in a substantially drum shape with a large number of belt receiving members and is rotatable around a rotation shaft. A wide conveyor with a wide belt stretched,
A container pick-up device is provided, and the rectangular opening surface of the container containing a large number of articles is used as the wide belt side, and the container fed between the wide belt and the conveying section is inverted while being inverted while being conveyed upward. In the container reversing and discharging device for picking up the container from the container by picking up the container by the container lifting device, the distance between the conveying unit and the wide belt opposite to the conveying unit is usually larger than the height of the container. Each belt receiving member is constantly biased by a spring in a radial direction around the rotation axis and is pushed by a wide belt by an opening edge of the fed container. The container reversing and discharging device is configured so as to move while resisting the biasing force of the spring when the container is reversed.

Thus, in the present invention, in the normal state, the interval is provided narrower than the height dimension of the container, between the conveyor of the reversing conveyor and the wide belt stretched on the belt receiver, When the container containing the square opening surface is fed with the wide belt side, the wide belt is formed among the belt receiving members that form the outer peripheral portion of the belt receiver and are always biased by the spring in the radial direction. A plurality of belt receiving members pushed through the opening edge of the container via the biasing force of the spring move in the direction opposite to the radial direction so as to follow the opening edge, and the wide belt is opened in the rectangular opening of the container. Since the entire surface is closed, it is possible to use a belt receiver having a relatively small radius of curvature, that is, a relatively small diameter, so that the device can be made relatively small, and the opening edge of the container is Via wide belt Since it is pressed by a plurality of belt receiving members that are in contact with each other and are biased by the spring, the holding and conveying force of the wide belt with respect to the container is strong, and the container does not slide downward during the conveyance, Can be smoothly conveyed upward and can be reversed.

Incidentally, the "normal state" in the present invention refers to a state in which the container is not sandwiched between the conveying section of the reversing conveyor and the wide belt opposite to this, and the "wide belt" means the container. It is a belt with a width wider than the width.

[Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings (FIGS. 1 to 6).

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is a supply device for sequentially supplying a container containing a large number of fruits and vegetables as articles, for example, a container 8 one by one, and 101 is a transfer roller thereof. The supply device 1 including the transition roller 101 is a pre-process of the present invention.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a container reversing and discharging device of the present invention, which is composed of a reversing conveyor 3, a wide conveyor 4, and a container lifting device 5.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the reversing conveyor 3 has an inlet portion 301 disposed adjacent to the crossover roller 101 of the supply device 1, and the container 1 is disposed substantially horizontally from the inlet portion 301.
A linear conveying section 302 is formed with a length equal to or more than the number of pieces, and further, a semicircle of about 180 degrees about the rotary shaft 401 of the wide conveyor 4 provided above the terminal end 302a of the linear conveying section 302. A curved conveying section 310 is formed following the terminal end 302a, and an upper portion symmetrical to the terminal end 302a with respect to the rotating shaft 401 is an outlet 303. The outlet portion 303 is adjacent to a starting end portion 513 of the container lifting device 5 described later.

This reversing conveyor 3 is, as shown in the sectional view of FIG.
Slat plates 305 are attached to the attachments of the pair of left and right conveyor chains 304, 304 that rotate while traveling at predetermined intervals in the traveling direction, and the conveyor chains 304, 304 are provided on the frame 306 while being curved in a substantially semicircular shape on the transfer side. The chain rails 307a and 307b and the return-side chain rail 308 are stretched so as to rotate.

Even if the container 8 as a container slides backward due to some reason during the upward transportation of the container, the slat plate 305 is
In order to stop this, the edges at the rear end of the bottom of the container 8 are attached at appropriate intervals so that the edges of the bottom of the container 8 are hooked on the sides of the slat plate 305. In order to prevent such slippage, the slat plate 305 is made of a rubber material or a wood material having an antislip effect or is provided with a convex projection or a crosspiece in accordance with the material of the container 8 and the shape of the bottom surface. The configuration may be different from that shown in the figure.

Reference numeral 309 denotes a side rail that brings the container 8 supplied to the inlet 301 to the center of the transport path of the reversing conveyor 3.

The reversing conveyor 3 is for reversing while feeding the container 8 sandwiched by a wide belt 405 described later while conveying it upward, and therefore, in addition to the one shown in the present embodiment, for example, a bar is used instead of the slat plate 305. It is also possible to use a bar conveyor, a net conveyor, a conveyor with crosspieces, etc. that are bridged.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the wide conveyor 4 is provided with a pressure pulley 402 as a belt receiver that is rotatable around a rotary shaft 401, and a predetermined position in the traveling direction from the upper portion of the pressure pulley 402. A wide belt 405, which is wider than the width of the container 8 and is preferably wider on both sides than several fruits and vegetables, is stretched on the pulley 404 at the end.

The pressure pulley 402 is made up of main members such as a rotary shaft 401, a disc 406, a slide guide 407, a belt receiving roller 408 as a belt receiving member, and a spring 409. As shown in FIGS. Discs 406 and 406 are provided symmetrically on both outsides of the wide belt 405, and each of the discs 406 and 406 on both the left and right sides is provided with a large number of slide guides 407 in a radial pattern centering on the rotation shaft 401, one on each of the left and right sides. The slide guides 40 of each pair face each other so that they face each other.
A belt receiving roller 408 as a belt receiving member is engaged with each of the belts 7 so as to be movable in a radial direction around the rotating shaft 401 and a direction opposite to the radial direction (axial direction).
A spring 409 is provided on the member 8 via fittings 410 provided near both ends of the member 8 to constantly apply a biasing force in a radial direction around the rotation shaft 401.

Further, the details of the pressure pulley 402 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. The slide guide 407 attached to the disc 406.
Has a U-shaped back side facing the disc 406 and an open side facing inward (the wide belt 405 side).

Each belt receiving roller 408 has guide rollers 411 at both ends thereof, and the guide rollers 411 are movably fitted into and engaged with the U-shaped groove of the slide guide 407, and A spring 409 erected between a fixture 410 provided near both ends and an end of a slide guide 407.
Thus, the urging force is always applied in the radial direction, and an external force stronger than the urging force is provided so as to move in a direction opposite to the radial direction while resisting the urging force. 41
Reference numeral 2 is a stopper for restricting the belt receiving roller 408 from moving in a radial direction over a predetermined distance.

A large number of belt receiving rollers 408 regulated by the respective stoppers 412 form a pressure pulley 402 whose outer peripheral portion is formed in a substantially drum shape centered on the rotation shaft 401 and which is rotatable about the rotation shaft 401. It

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the distance between the conveying unit 310 of the reversing conveyor 3 and the wide belt 405 that is stretched around the pressure pulley 402 so as to face the conveying unit 310 is normally larger than the height of the container 8. When the container 8 is fed between the wide belt 405 and the substantially semi-circular conveying section 310, the rectangular opening surface of the container 8 containing a large number of fruits and vegetables is set to the wide belt 405 side. Of the belt receiving rollers 408 that form the outer peripheral portion of the pressure pulley 402 and are constantly biased by the spring 409 in the radial direction, a plurality of belt receiving rollers 408 pressed by the open end 801 of the container 8 via the wide belt 405. The belt receiving roller 408 moves in a direction opposite to the radial direction so as to follow the opening edge 801 while resisting the biasing force of the spring 409, and the wide belt 405 closes the entire rectangular opening surface of the container 8. Has become.

Therefore, the diameter of the pressurizing pulley 402 can be made relatively small even if the rectangular opening surface of the container 8 is a flat surface, so that the container inverting and discharging device 2 can be made relatively small.

For example, a commonly used 20 kg container for fruits and vegetables has a length in the traveling direction of about 35 to 37 cm, but the diameter of the pressure pulley 402 can be set to about 60 to 80 cm. The height of 403 can be configured within the reach of the operator.

Further, as described above, the outer peripheral portion of the pressure pulley 402 has a substantially drum shape in the normal state, and the conveying portion 31 of the reversing conveyor 3
When the container 8 is fed between the 0 and the wide belt 405, the container 8 is deformed so that a part of the outer peripheral portion of the substantially drum shape is crushed, and the wide belt 405 covers the container 8 with a flat plate-shaped lid. It works like it does. Moreover, at this time, since the opening edge 801 of the container 8 is pressed by the plurality of belt receiving rollers 408 to which the spring 409 constantly applies the urging force in the radial direction, the wide belt 405 is held to the container 8. The carrying force can be increased, the container 8 does not slide downward during the carrying, and the container 8 can be smoothly carried upward and can be inverted.

Substantially semicircular conveying section of the reversing conveyor 3 and the pressure pulley 402
The space between the wide belt 405 and the wide belt 405 is normally narrower than the height of the container 8, and when the container 8 fed between them is sandwiched, the wide belt is spread over the entire opening.
The belt receiving roller 408 is provided in such a range that it is pressed like a flat lid by 405, but each belt receiving roller 408 forming the outer peripheral portion of the pressure pulley 402 has elasticity due to the spring 409, so the height dimension of the container 8 It has the function of absorbing even the slight variations in size.

The length of the carry-out section 403 of the wide conveyer 4 can be set as appropriate, but is set to a length that is at least suitable for combination with the container lifting device 5.

As the wide belt 405, it is preferable to use a belt having a cushioning material (for example, a napped material such as artificial grass is planted) provided on the surface of the belt for the purpose of protecting fruits and vegetables.

The container lifting device 5 is, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 6,
A conveyor chain stretched from the outlet portion 303 of the reversing conveyor 3 to a predetermined position above the empty container carrying-out device 6 by being inclined.
A pick-up unit 504, which is a combination of a catch arm 502 and a stay 503, is attached to 501 at predetermined intervals in the traveling direction.

The catch arm 502 has a catch pad 505 for grasping the container 8 attached to the tip end of the catch arm 502 so as to swing freely with a connector 506, and two catch pads 505 are paired to one stay 503 in a left-right symmetrical manner. Faced to each other, a spring 507 applies tension so as to narrow the width in the central direction, and is attached so as to be slidable in the outer direction (direction in which the width is widened).

Reference numerals 508 and 509 denote slide guide pins and rollers, which slidably hold the catch arm 502 in a stay 503 having a U-shaped cross section.

As the mechanism for sliding the catch arm 502, various slide guide mechanisms other than the illustrated example can be used.

On the other hand, the stay 503 is provided with a long hole 510 in a portion where the catch arm 502 slides, and a cam follower 511 provided on the catch arm 502 penetrates the long hole 510. The length of the long hole 510 allows a slight margin for the opening and closing dimensions of the catch arm 502, which is determined from the width dimension of the container 8.

As described above, the pick-up unit 504 has a pair of catch arms 502 having a catch pad 505 which can swing freely.
The slide guide pin 508, the roller 509, and the spring 507 are slidable with respect to one stay 503.

The pick-up unit 504 is provided at a ratio of at least two to one container in the traveling direction with respect to the conveyor chain 501.

Numerals 512 are expansion cams, which are provided in pairs at a starting end portion (driven portion) 513 and an end portion (driving portion) 514 of the container lifting device 5 respectively. This pair of expansion cams 512
Respectively contact the cam followers 511 of the pick-up unit 504 to slide and guide the cam followers 511 to both outer sides, and act to expand the pair of catch arms 502 to a width exceeding the width of the container 8. Further, the pair of expansion cams 512 includes a drive shaft 515 and a driven shaft 516, and a bearing 517, respectively.
And the holder 518 so as to prevent the frame stay 519 from rotating.

The grasping unit 504 grasps the container 8 by the cam follower 511 of the grasping unit 504 being guided and rotated by the expanding cam 512 of the starting end portion 513, whereby the two catchy arms 502 move the container 8 together. It is pinched from both sides and picked up and transferred.

Further, when the container 8 that has been picked up is opened, the end portion 514
The cam follower 511 is guided by the expansion cam 512 provided on the drive shaft 515 of the container and the two catch arms 502 are opened to both outer sides, whereby the containers 8 sandwiched between the catch pads 505 of the catch arms 502 are sequentially opened. It is discharged onto the empty container carrying-out device 6.

The starting end portion 51 of the container lifting device 5 configured as described above
3 is adjacent to the outlet 303 of the reversing conveyor 3, and the catch pad 505 of the catch arm 502 is erected at a height suitable for sandwiching the reversed container 8 on the wide belt 405 from both sides, The terminal part 514 is installed above the carry-out part 403 of the wide belt 405 with a predetermined space, and is installed at a height position where the container 8 can be unloaded onto the empty container carry-out device 6.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a driving device, which is adapted to drive the reversing conveyor 3, the wide conveyor 4, and the container lifting device 5 in synchronization with each other.

As the empty container carrying-out device 6, it is also possible to use a slide that slides under its own weight when using a conveyor.

The height dimension can be increased by appropriately increasing the sliding range (deformation amount) of each belt receiving roller 408 forming the outer peripheral portion of the pressure pulley 402 of the wide conveyor 4 and the opening / closing width of the catch arm 502 of the container lifting device 5. It is possible to automatically convey, reverse, and discharge containers 8 of different sizes randomly.

The operation of the container reversal discharge device 2 configured as described above will be described.

The large number of containers 8 containing fruits and vegetables supplied from the supply device 1 has a rectangular opening surface on which the wide belt 40 of the wide conveyor 4 is provided.
As the 5 side, the wide belt 405 and the conveyor 310 of the reversing conveyor 3
Sent between and. Since the distance between the transport unit 310 and the wide belt 405 facing the transport unit 310 is normally narrower than the height dimension of the container 8, when the container 8 is fed in the meantime, it forms the outer peripheral portion of the pressure pulley 402. In addition, among the belt receiving rollers 408, which are constantly biased by the spring 409 in the radial direction about the rotation shaft 401, a plurality of belts pushed by the open end 801 of the container 8 via the wide belt 405. The receiving roller 408 moves in the direction opposite to the radial direction so as to follow the opening edge 801 of the container 8 while resisting the biasing force of the spring 409, and the wide belt 405 closes the entire rectangular opening surface of the container 8. As a result, the pressurizing pulley 402 having a relatively large curvature, that is, a relatively small radius of curvature, that is, a relatively small diameter can be used, the container reversing and discharging device 2 can be made relatively small, and a wide belt. Four When 05 covers the entire rectangular opening surface of the container 8, the opening edge 801 of the container 8 is closed by the spring 4
By being pressed by the plurality of belt receiving rollers 408 to which the biasing force is always applied in the radial direction by 09, the holding and conveying force of the wide belt 405 with respect to the container 8 can be strengthened. Then, the container 8 sandwiched between the transport unit 310 of the reversing conveyor 3 and the wide belt 405 is inverted on the wide belt 405 while being transported upward by the sandwiching and holding transport force. The container 8 which is inverted and transferred on the wide belt 405 grips the container 8 from both sides by the catch arms 502 of the container lifting device 5, grasps the container 8 from both sides, and moves upward synchronously with the wide belt 405 to gradually incline upward and incline the container 8. Gradually pull up. The fruits and vegetables remaining on the discharge part 403 of the wide belt 405 are diffused on the wide belt 405 and continuously sent to the apparatus of the next process from the pulley 404 at the end of the wide conveyor 4 without interruption.

[Advantageous Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, as described above, a belt receiving member is formed, which has a substantially semi-circular conveying portion of a reversing conveyor and a plurality of belt receiving members at its outer peripheral portion, and is rotatable around a rotation shaft. The facing interval with the stretched wide belt is normally narrower than the height of the container, and each belt receiving member is constantly biased by a spring in the radial direction around the rotation axis. And is provided so as to move while resisting the urging force of the spring when pushed through the wide belt by the wide belt, the conveying section and the opening edge of the container fed into the inner striking device. Therefore, when a container containing a large number of articles is fed between the wide belt and the conveying section with its rectangular opening surface as the wide belt side, a biasing force is always applied by springs in the radial direction. Belt receiving member Among them, a plurality of belt receiving members pressed against the opening edge of the container via the wide belt move in the direction opposite to the radial direction so as to follow the opening edge while resisting the biasing force of the spring, Since it covers the entire rectangular opening surface of the container, it has the effect that a belt receiver having a relatively small radius of curvature, that is, a relatively small diameter can be used, and the device can be made relatively small, and the container Since the opening edge is pressed by a plurality of belt receiving members that are in contact with the edge via the wide belt and are biased in the radial direction by the spring, the holding and conveying force of the wide belt with respect to the container is strong. Therefore, the container does not slide downward during its transportation, and the container can be smoothly transported upward and can be inverted.

[Brief description of drawings]

Each of the drawings is an explanatory view showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an overall explanatory view of the container inversion discharge device of the present invention, and FIG.
1 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 5 and 5 are perspective views of a slide guide of a pressure pulley, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a catch arm expanding mechanism of a container lifting device. 1 ... Supply device, 101 ... Crossover roller 2 ... Container reverse discharge device, 3 ... Reversal conveyor 301 ... Inlet part, 302 ... Linear transport part 302a ... End part, 303 ... Exit part 304 ... … Conveyor chain, 305 …… Slat plate 306 …… Frame, 307 …… Transfer side chain rail 308 …… Return side chain rail, 310 …… Semi-circular transfer section 309 …… Side rail, 4 …… Wide width conveyor 401 …… Rotary shaft 402 …… Pressure pulley as belt receiver 403 …… Unloading section, 404 …… Pulley 405 …… Wide belt, 406 …… Disc, 407 …… Slide guide 408 …… As belt receiving member Belt receiving roller 409 …… Spring 410 …… Mounting equipment, 411 …… Guide roller 412 …… Stopper, 5 …… Container lifting device 501 …… Conveyor chain, 502 …… Catch arm 503 …… Stay, 504 …… Grasping unit 505 …… Catch pad, 50 6 ...... Connector 507 ...... Spring, 508 ...... Slide guide pin 509 ...... Roller, 510 ...... Long hole 511 ...... Cam follower, 512 ...... Expansion cam 513 ...... Start end part, 514 ...... End part 515 ...... Drive shaft, 516 ... driven shaft 517 ... bearing, 518 ... holder 519 ... frame stay, 6 ... empty container unloading device 7 ... drive device, 8 ... container 801 ... opening edge

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Hiroshi Maeda 630 Shinogase-cho, Hamamatsu City Maki Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-59-194911 (JP, A) JP-A-59-134136 (JP) , A) JP 60-15538 (JP, B2) JP 58-15373 (JP, B2)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A wide belt with a reversing conveyor having a substantially semi-circular conveying section, a belt receiver having an outer peripheral portion formed in a substantially drum shape with a large number of belt receiving members and rotatable about a rotation axis, and a pulley. Is provided with a wide conveyor and a container picking-up device, and the container having a large number of articles is fed between the wide belt and the conveying section with the rectangular opening surface of the container as the wide belt side. A container reversing and discharging device for reversing while conveying upward, picking up the reversed container with a container lifting device and taking out articles from the container,
The interval between the conveyor and the wide belt facing it is normally smaller than the height of the container, and each belt receiving member is always attached by a spring in the radial direction about the rotation axis. While being given power,
A container reversing and discharging device, which is provided so as to move while resisting the biasing force of the spring when pushed through a wide belt by the opening edge of the fed container.