JP2804881B2 - Article sorting equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an article sorting apparatus for efficiently sorting articles in a narrow space by effectively utilizing a space.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a sorting apparatus for sorting parcels, letters, and other articles such as destinations, an endless transport line is provided, and an article supply line and an assortment line are installed at arbitrary positions on the transport line. Then, a number of transport vehicles are connected to the chain conveyor on the line, and the transport vehicles are run. However, the chain conveyor drive system generates a large amount of noise and has a complicated configuration. For this purpose, a reaction plate that constitutes the secondary side of the linear motor is attached to the transport carriage connected in a ring on the traveling path of the endlessly continuous transport line, and the primary side of the linear motor that is separately arranged in the linear part of the transport path is continuously connected. There has been proposed a linear motor system in which a thrust is sequentially applied to a carriage by energization. As this linear motor driven article sorting apparatus, for example, the one disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-45488 is known. The feature of this method is that it is possible to configure it three-dimensionally, as compared to the case where the endless traveling article sorting device driven by the chain drive could only be arranged in a plane.
In order to save space, the upper and lower layers are configured in two stages, with curved sections with slopes at both ends, and a sorting chute on both sides of the upper part of the article inlet (induction) in the lower part of the middle straight part. .

[0003]

However, in this method, articles falling to the sorting chute are replaced with empty boxes when a predetermined amount is provided by providing a box or basket at the lower end of each chute, and the filled boxes are sent out respectively. Transferred to the place. Here, replacement and delivery of boxes are generally performed by an operator, and considerable labor is required, including preparing an appropriate number of empty boxes for replacement near the lower end of the chute. In addition, since goods for sorting can be brought in only a narrow range near the induction, there are many disadvantages such that only small quantities can be carried in.

The present invention makes use of the three-dimensional setting characteristics of the sorting apparatus, and saves a large number of types in a small space with a small number of attendants.
An object of the present invention is to provide an article sorting apparatus capable of sorting a large number of articles at a high speed.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to achieve the above-mentioned object, and enables a carriage to travel on a loop-shaped traveling path by a linear motor and moves between adjacent traveling vehicles. In an article sorting apparatus that is configured to be connected and run in a number of manners, a receiving area for sorted articles is arranged on the inner peripheral side of the loop-shaped travel path, and along the travel path,
An article loading path for carrying in sorted goods from the outside to the receiving place, a loading unit having an input chute for loading sorted goods into the transport trolley, and a plurality of sorting units for receiving sorted goods from the transport trolley and sorting the goods. A sorting section having a sorting chute is formed, and the traveling path where the article carrying path and the sorting section are formed is located at a high position, and the traveling path having the input section is located at a low position. Provide a height difference, along the sorting section of the traveling path, above the sorting chute, a packing box transfer conveyor for transferring a packing box such as an empty cardboard box for filling the sorted articles, Also,
A sorting box receiving the sorted articles falling from the sorting chute is placed on the packing box conveyed by the packing box conveying conveyor in front of the lower end of the sorting chute. The container further receives a packaging box filled with the sorted articles from the sorting article receiving tray at a position substantially below the sorting chute and at substantially the same height as the sorting article receiving tray, and is shipped to a shipping port. It is characterized in that conveyors are provided respectively.

[0006]

The article sorting apparatus utilizes a three-dimensional setting characteristic of the sorting apparatus, and ascends and descends the transport path appropriately while circling a predetermined range. Arranges a loading area for sorted goods on the circumferential side, and travels so that the part of the running path that forms the goods loading path and the sorting part is at a high position and the part of the running path that forms the input part is at a low position. In addition to providing a height difference on the road, along the sorting
A packaging box transport conveyor for transporting an empty cardboard box or other packaging box above the sorting chute, a sorting goods receiving table for placing the packaging box on the lower front of the sorting chute, and a sorting box. By arranging the shipping conveyors at approximately the same height as the sorting article receiving table below the chute, space can be saved, and the sorted articles can be transferred to the packaging box by the sorting worker. Filling and transfer of a full box to a shipping conveyor can be performed smoothly.

[0007]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an apparatus for sorting articles according to the present invention. In the drawing, reference numeral 1 denotes a loop-shaped traveling path, and the traveling path 1 is disposed so as to effectively utilize the sorting work chamber. As an example, FIG. An article receiving section 6 is provided at an arbitrary position on the loop-shaped traveling path 1 as an article receiving area 6. In this embodiment, the input unit 2 is
However, the input unit 2 has three to four input devices. The location and number of the loading sections 2 and the shape of the traveling path 1 are not limited thereto.

By setting the receiving area 6 for sorted articles inside the loop area of the loop-shaped traveling path 1, the receiving area 6 can secure a safe and sufficient area, so that storage capacity is large and work efficiency is high. Get better. This loop-shaped traveling path 1
The loop-shaped traveling path 1 is provided with a height difference so that the sorted articles can be easily loaded into the receiving area inside the orbital range of the circle, that is, the sorting section 3 and the article loading path 4 are at a high position, and The loading section 2 is installed at a low position so that the articles can be easily loaded into the sorting machine, thereby facilitating the article transfer operation.

As shown in the drawing, three to four input devices, that is, charging chutes 5 are disposed in the loading section 2 of the loop-shaped travel path 1, and articles are traveled from each of the charging chutes 5 on the travel path 1. The supply chute 5 is connected to a supply conveyor for sequentially supplying the sorting articles carried into the receiving area 6 to the loading chutes 5.

As shown in detail in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sorting section 3 has a large number of sorting chutes 31 arranged at predetermined intervals at a predetermined inclination angle and circulates along the loop-shaped traveling path 1. The articles transferred from the input chute 5 to the traveling carriage 10 are sorted by a destination or the like and paid out to a sorting chute 31 at a predetermined position to be sorted. The traveling path 1 on which the large number of sorting chutes 31 are arranged
Along the sorting section 3 and above the sorting chute 31, a packing box transport conveyor 9 for transferring a packaging box B such as an empty cardboard box for filling the sorted articles, and a sorting chute 31. Is located at the front of the lower end of the box.
The packaging box B transported in the above is placed on the packaging box B,
The sorting article receiving tray 8 for receiving the sorted articles falling from the sorting chute 31 is further placed at the same height position as the sorting article receiving tray 8 below the sorting chute 31. And a shipping conveyor 7 for receiving the packaging box B filled with the sorted articles and transporting it to the shipping port 71.

The packaging box conveying conveyor 9 is positioned parallel to the traveling path 1 at a position where the articles conveyed along the traveling path 1 and the sorting chute 31 are not obstructed. The packaging boxes B such as empty cardboard boxes are supplied from one end of the packaging box conveyor 9 at the same height. Then, the operator picks up an empty packaging box B from the packaging box transport conveyor 9 near the sorting chute 31 and places it on the sorting article receiving table 8 disposed in front of the lower end of the sorting chute 31, The articles sorted as prescribed for each area or each time the articles are used slide down the sorting chute 31 and are automatically stored.

Incidentally, the packaging box conveying conveyor 9 disposed along the traveling path 1 is disposed inside or outside the traveling path 1 or both inside and outside as shown in the drawing.

The shipping conveyor 7 arranged in parallel with the sorting goods receiving tray 8 has one end thereof at a shipping position, and at least at a position along the sorting section 3 at a height substantially equal to that of the sorting goods receiving tray 8. When a certain amount of articles are filled in the packing box B on the sorting article receiving stand 8, an operator pushes the packing box B from the sorting article receiving stand 8 into the shipping conveyor 7. Can be transferred to the shipping conveyor 7.

The shipping conveyor 7 is constituted by a roller conveyor, is installed in a space below the sorting chute 31 of the sorting section 3 and pushes the packing box B transferred by being pushed from the sorting article receiving stand 8 to a shipping port. To be transported.
Then, after transferring the packaging box B to the shipping conveyor 7,
An empty packaging box B, which is transported by the packaging box transport conveyor 9 installed at the top and is waiting, is taken out and placed on the sorting goods receiving stand 8.

The packing box conveying conveyor 9 is constituted by a roller conveyer, and feeds empty packing boxes sequentially and stores them along the entire length of the conveyor, and a pressure sensor in which the end of the packing box is disposed at the end of the conveyor 9. When the pressure reaches or exceeds a certain pressure, the operation of the conveyor 9 is stopped, and when the packaging box is removed at any position and the detection pressure of the pressure sensor decreases, the conveyor 9 starts and the interval is increased. When the pressure detected by the pressure sensor increases, the operation is stopped. In this way, empty packing boxes are always supplied on the conveyor 9 in an aligned manner.

[0016]

According to the article sorting apparatus of the present invention, the three-dimensional setting characteristics of the sorting apparatus are used to appropriately raise the transport path.
As it is configured to go around a certain range while descending, a loading area for sorted goods is arranged on the inner peripheral side of the loop-shaped running path, and the part of the running path where the article loading path and the sorting part are formed is At a high position, a difference in height is provided in the traveling path so that the portion of the traveling path where the input section is formed is located at a low position, and packaging of an empty cardboard box or the like along the sorting section of the traveling path and above the sorting chute. A packaging box transport conveyor for transporting the packaging box, a sorting article cradle on which the packaging box is placed in front of the lower end of the sorting chute, and a sorting article cradle below the sorting chute at a height substantially equal to that of the sorting chute. By placing the shipping conveyors at different positions, space can be saved, and sorting workers can fill the packing boxes with the sorted products and fill the full boxes with the shipping conveyors. Transfer with a simple mechanism device, Depending on the number of workers, smoothly,
In addition, it can be performed without imposing a great burden on the operator.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of a main part showing one embodiment of an article sorting apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external view of the whole.

FIG. 3 is an external view of a known article sorting apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Running path 2 Input part 3 Sorting part 31 Sorting chute 4 Article carrying-in path 5 Input part 51 Input chute 6 Receiving place 7 Shipping conveyor 71 Shipping port 8 Sorted goods receiving stand 9 Packaging box transport conveyor 10 Traveling cart B Packaging box Body (cardboard box)

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-50-90064 (JP, A) JP-A-5-208705 (JP, A) JP-A-63-33221 (JP, A) JP-B 5-45488 (JP) , B2) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B65G 1/00-1/20 B65G 47 / 38,47 / 46

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A transport vehicle (10) can be run on a loop-shaped travel path (1) by a linear motor, and a plurality of adjacent travel vehicles (10) are movably connected to travel. In the article sorting apparatus according to the present invention, a receiving area (6) for sorted articles is provided on the inner peripheral side of the loop-shaped traveling path (1), and the receiving section for sorting articles from the outside along the traveling path (1). A loading section (5) provided with a loading chute (51) for loading sorted articles into the transport carriage (10) and a transport carriage (10);
A sorting section (3) including a plurality of sorting chutes (31) for receiving sorted articles from the apparatus and sorting the articles is formed, and the article carrying path (4) and the traveling path (3) formed with the sorting section (3). The travel path (1) is provided with a height difference so that the part of (1) is at a high position and the part of the travel path (1) where the input section (5) is formed is at a low position. A packaging box transport conveyor (9) for transporting a packaging box (B) such as an empty cardboard box for filling the sorted articles along the sorting section (3) and above the sorting chute (31). The packaging box (B) conveyed by the packaging box transport conveyor (9) is placed in front of the lower end of the sorting chute (31), and sorted into the packaging box (B). A sorting article receiving tray (8) for receiving the sorted articles falling from the chute (31). Furthermore, a packing box (B) filled with the articles sorted from the sorting article receiving tray (8) at a position below the sorting chute (31) at substantially the same height as the sorting article receiving tray (8). An article sorting apparatus, comprising: a shipping conveyor (7) for receiving and transporting the goods to a shipping port (71).