JP2702310B2 - Multi-row branch alignment device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multi-row branching and aligning apparatus for branching and aligning parts supplied on a transport path in a plurality of branch transport paths.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As such a multi-row branching and aligning apparatus, there has been known an apparatus comprising a rotary parts feeder and a branch transport path connected thereto.

[0003]

However, in the above conventional example, the installation area of the rotary parts feeder is large, so that it is difficult to reduce the size of the apparatus, the degree of freedom of the installation location is low, and the rotary parts feeder is expensive. There is a problem of sticking to.

[0004]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a plurality of branch transport paths on the downstream side of a transport path for transporting a large number of components in one direction. The components are arranged so as to be taken one by one in a row, and the component inlets of the respective branch conveyance paths are directed from the one closest to one side of the conveyance path to the one closest to the other side. , Sequentially arranged so as to retreat from the upstream position to the downstream position of the transport path, and at the side end of the component inlet of each branch transport path, a component that is not taken into the branch transport path is adjacent to the downstream side. A roller for leading to the branch transport path is provided.

[0005]

The operation of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. The component a supplied from the component supply unit 2 to the upstream side of the transport path 1 is transported to the downstream side, and a plurality of branch transport paths 3
Go to a to 3e. From the right side R to the left side L of the transport path 1, a first branch transport path 3a, a second branch transport path 3b, a third branch transport path 3c, a fourth branch transport path 3d, and a fifth branch transport path 3e are provided. Suppose A return transport path 4 is provided on the left side L of the fifth branch transport path 3e.

[0006] The component inlet 5a of the first branch transport path 3a is located at the most upstream side, the second, third, and fourth ones sequentially retreat downstream, and the component inlet of the fifth branch transport path 3e. 5e is located on the most downstream side. The supplied part a is mainly the first
It is assumed that it reaches the branch transport path 3a.

[0007] The component a that has reached the component inlet 5a of the first branch transport path 3a is, in principle, taken into the first branch transport path 3a. It is guided by the roller 6a provided at the tip, and reaches the component inlet 5b of the second branch conveyance path 3b downstream of the roller 6a.
Then, in principle, it is taken into the second branch conveyance path 3b, and when there is a trouble such as fullness, it is guided to the roller 6b provided at the end of the side of the component inlet 5b, and the second side is located downstream from the roller 6b. After reaching the component inlet 5c of the three-branch transport path 3c, there are also those that are taken into the third branch transport path 3c and those that are sent to the fourth branch transport path 3d. Similarly, in the fourth branch transport path 3d and the fifth branch transport path 3e, some are taken in and others are not.

[0008] Among the parts a conveyed by the conveyance path 1, first, the second branch conveyance path 3b or the third branch conveyance path 3b
Although some of them reach c, as in the above case, they may be taken into the branch transport path or may be sent to the downstream branch transport path. In any case, in the present invention,
The component inlets 5a to 5e of each of the branch transport paths 3a to 3e are arranged so as to sequentially retreat downstream, and the component inlets 5a to 5e are arranged.
The rollers 6a to 6d for guiding the component a not taken into the branch transport path to the adjacent branch transport path on the downstream side are disposed at the side end of the roller, so that the flow of the component a is smooth and the component a can be branched and aligned.

Parts a that are not taken into any of the branch transport paths 3a to 3e are discharged to the return transport path 4, but this return transport path 4 is not essential to the present invention.
Instead, a discharge box or the like can be provided.

[0010]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The illustrated embodiment relates to a multi-row branch alignment apparatus A for branching and guiding a cap-shaped battery can material (part) a to a battery can manufacturing apparatus 7.

Part a having a cylindrical shape (cap shape)
Is transported by the component supply conveyor 8 and is supplied from the supply guide (component supply unit) 2 to the transport path 1 of the multi-row branching and aligning apparatus A.
Is supplied to the upstream right side. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the transport path 1 includes a belt conveyor 11, a driving pulley 12, driven pulleys 13 and 14, a tension pulley 15, a motor 16 for driving the driving pulley 12, and the like.
Is transported in one direction as indicated by the arrow in FIG.

On the downstream side of the transport path 1, five branch transport paths 3a to 3e are provided. These branch conveying paths 3a to 3e are located on both sides of the belt conveyor 11 and four guide walls 31a to 31d arranged on the belt conveyor 11 with a small gap therebetween, as shown in detail in FIG. It is configured using the side walls 32R, 32L.

The first branch transport path 3a is connected to the right side wall 32R.
Between the first guide wall 31a and the second branch conveyance path 3b
Is located between the first guide wall 31a and the second guide wall 31b, and the third branch transport path 3c is located between the second guide wall 31b and the third guide wall 31b.
Between the guide wall 31c and the fourth branch conveyance path 3d.
The fifth branch conveyance path 3e is formed between the fourth guide wall 31d and the left side wall 32L between the fourth guide wall 31c and the fourth guide wall 31d. The branch conveying paths 3a to 3e take in the parts a one by one and convey them in one row to the downstream side by the conveying force of the belt conveyor 11.

The component inlet 5a of the first branch transport path 3a is
Located on the most upstream side, the second, third and fourth ones 5b, 5
c, 5d sequentially retreat to the downstream side, the component intake 5e of the fifth branch transport path 3e is located at the most downstream side, and the line L connecting these component intakes 5a to 5e and the traveling direction of the belt conveyor 11 Is set to about 25 ° as shown in FIG. The angle θ is optimally determined according to the type and shape of the component a and the conveying force of the belt conveyor 11, but is preferably set in the range of 15 ° to 45 °.

Each of the guide walls 31a to 31d has an inclined left side surface 33a to 33d at its upstream end, and rollers 6a to 6d are provided at its leading end. Rollers 6a ~
6d, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the guide walls 31a to 3d.
It is rotatably supported by a support shaft 61 suspended and fixed to the tip of 1d. As the rollers 6a to 6d of the present embodiment,
Although the diameter of the roller is substantially the same as that of the part a, it is preferable that the diameter of the rollers 6a to 6d is set to be 0.3 to 2.0 times the diameter of the part a. The rollers 6a to 6d
Is a driven type, but it is also possible to use a component that is forcibly rotated in a direction to guide the component a to the component intake on the downstream side.

The rollers 6a to 6d serve to guide the parts a which are not taken into the branch transport path to the adjacent downstream branch transport path, and together with the inclined surfaces (left side surfaces) 33a to 33d. The part a can be smoothly moved obliquely downstream.

On the left side of the component inlet 5e of the fifth branch transport path 3e, an inlet 41 of the return transport path 4 is formed by cutting out a part of the left side wall 32L.

The return transport path 4 is provided for the belt conveyor 1
1 is provided with a belt conveyor 42 for transporting the component a in a direction opposite to that of the transport path 1.
And is supplied again to the transport path 1 from the return port 43.

The multi-row branching and aligning apparatus of the present invention can be constructed in various modes other than the above-described embodiment. For example,
In the above embodiment, the transport path 1 is constituted by the belt conveyor 11, but may be constituted by another type of conveyor such as a vibrating conveyor. Further, the transport path 1 is constituted by an inclined surface, and the component a
This may be configured to be conveyed using its own weight. In this case, the upstream side must be made higher and the downstream side must be made lower, but at the same time, one side of the inclined surface (right side R in the same manner as in FIG. 1) is slightly lower than the other side. It is good to keep.

[0020]

According to the present invention, as compared with the conventional apparatus using a rotary parts feeder, since the parts can be branched and aligned while being transported in a straight line, the installation area is small and the apparatus can be easily made compact. With a high degree of freedom of installation location,
A relatively low-cost multi-row branching and aligning apparatus can be provided, and the multi-row branching and aligning apparatus has an effect that components can be smoothly branched and aligned.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a main part of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a component taking-in section of a branch conveyance path.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing a part of FIG. 4;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Conveyance path 3a-3e Branch conveyance path 5a-5e Parts inlet 6a-6d Roller a parts

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] A plurality of branch transport paths are provided on a downstream portion of a transport path for transporting a large number of components in one direction, and each of the branch transport paths is loaded with one component in one row. In addition, the component inlets of the respective branch transport paths are sequentially retracted from the upstream position to the downstream position of the transport path from the one closest to one side to the one closest to the other side of the transport path. And a roller that guides a component that is not taken into the branch transport path to an adjacent downstream branch transport path at a side end of the component inlet of each branch transport path. Multi-row branching and aligning device. 2. The multi-row branching and aligning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveying path is constituted by a belt conveyor, and each branch conveying path is constituted by a guide wall arranged on the belt conveyor with a small gap.