JP3317606B2 - Belt junction conveyor - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a belt junction conveyor which joins or branches articles on a main line of a conveyor, for example, from an oblique direction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional belt junction conveyor, as shown in FIG. 6, an endless belt 82 stretched between a pair of rollers 80, 81 is connected to a pair of fixed pipes 83, 81.
According to 84, there is one that is folded at an angle from one roller 80 or 81 side to the other roller 81 or 80 side (see Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 61-263243). Each of the rollers 80 and 81 is rotatably supported by a conveyor frame 85, and is a roller 80 (hereinafter, referred to as a lower roller) on the lower left side in FIG.
The lower left roller 80 is driven by a motor 86. The fixed pipes 83 and 84 are substantially parallel to each other in the vertical direction, and are arranged so that the longitudinal direction is along the main line 87 of the transport conveyor to be merged or branched.

[0003] The endless belt 82 is a roller 8 on the upper right side in FIG.
1 (hereinafter referred to as an upper right roller 81) and hangs over an upper fixed pipe 83, and the surface thereof is a conveying surface 89 of the article 88.
It has become. The transport surface 89 of the endless belt 82 is inverted by the upper fixed pipe 83, and the transport surface 89 is wound around the lower left roller 80 in contact with the lower left roller 80. The lower left roller 80 is wound upside down. After that, the endless belt 82 is wrapped around the upper surface of the lower fixed pipe 84 and is turned over again. Then, the endless belt 82 is wrapped around the upper right roller 81 from the lower fixed pipe 84, and
9 is wound around the surface and is continuous.

[0004]

In the above-mentioned conventional belt junction conveyor, the endless belt 82 is wound around each of the fixed pipes 83 and 84, and is slid back. For this reason, the endless belt 82 is
In this case, the endless belt 82 is likely to meander in the longitudinal direction, and may be displaced in the width direction of the endless belt 82. When such a displacement occurs, there is a problem that the operation of the conveyor is hindered and various troubles are caused. In addition, measures are taken to prevent belt deterioration due to friction due to sliding.

Conventionally, measures have been taken to suppress the meandering of the endless belt 82 by processing the surfaces of the rollers 80, 81 into a crown shape and adjusting the mounting angle of the rollers 80, 81 to the conveyor frame 85. Has been taken. However, the adjustment of the mounting angle of each of the rollers 80 and 81 requires a high degree of accuracy and a very small amount of adjustment, requiring a great deal of labor and time for the adjustment. Also,
Once the adjustment is completed, the endless belt 82 will meander again due to the imbalance of the load of the article 88 to be conveyed, the fluctuation of the frictional force between the endless belt 82 and the fixed pipes 83 and 84 due to temperature change, and the like. It has not been dispelled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a belt capable of preventing the deterioration of the belt and correcting the displacement in the width direction of the endless belt quickly and accurately so that the position of the endless belt in the width direction can always be a predetermined position. It aims to provide a junction conveyor.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide an intermediate portion of an endless belt which is stretched between a pair of rollers intersecting a virtual extension line of each rotating shaft, to return to two fixed pipes. Hang each endless belt at an angle,
In a belt junction conveyor in which a belt can be rotated by being turned while sliding, an air ejection hole provided at a predetermined position on an outer peripheral surface of a fixed pipe and ejecting air between an endless belt and each fixed pipe; An air supply source for supplying air to the air supply, an air control valve for opening and closing air supply from the air supply source to each fixed pipe,
Detecting means for detecting a displacement in the width direction of the endless belt;
Achieved by a belt junction conveyor having a control means for controlling an air control valve based on a signal from the detection means and adjusting an amount of air blown out between an endless belt and each fixed pipe from an air blowout hole of each fixed pipe. Is done.

[0008]

In the belt junction conveyor according to the present invention, the endless belt is wound around the upper and lower fixed pipes in a state of being stretched between the respective rollers, and is fixed from one roller side to the other roller side in a plan view. Folded at an angle of. Here, in the contact with the endless belt during conveyance, the direction in which the endless belt shifts differs between a case where there are many upper fixed pipes and a case where there is a lot of contact with the lower fixed pipe. In the present invention, utilizing this, the air control valve is controlled based on a position shift signal of the endless belt in the width direction from the detecting means, and the balance of the amount of air blown out from the air blowing holes of both fixed pipes is adjusted. As a result, the balance between the fixed pipe and the frictional force generated between the endless belt and each fixed pipe is adjusted, and the displacement of the endless belt in the width direction is corrected.

[0009]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a belt junction conveyor according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, roller 1
0 and 11 are at both ends of the conveyor frame (not shown),
Each of them is rotatably supported such that virtual extension lines of a rotation shaft (not shown) intersect at a predetermined angle. An endless belt 40 is stretched between the rollers 10 and 11. At least one of the rollers 10 and 11 (the right roller 11 in this embodiment) is one of the rollers 10 and 11.
A drive belt 16 wound around a driven pulley 12 fixed to an end and a drive pulley 15 fixed to a rotation shaft 14 of the motor 13, and the like. They are linked and rotate with the rotation of the motor 13.

A pair of fixed pipes 20 and 21 are provided on the conveyor frame in a vertically upper and lower pair in a substantially parallel state, and the virtual extension line in the axial direction is at a predetermined angle with the virtual extension line of the rotation axis of each of the rollers 10 and 11. Are arranged so as to intersect with each other. Each of the fixed pipes 20 and 21 inverts the endless belt 40 going and going back and forth between the rollers 10 and 11 at an intermediate position thereof, thereby forming the endless belt 4.
0 from one roller 10 or 11 side to the other roller 11
Or turn it back to the 10 side. That is, the upper fixed pipe 20 in FIG. 1 (hereinafter, referred to as the upper fixed pipe 20) is wound around the endless belt 40 from the left roller 10 with the transport surface 41 as the surface. And this endless belt 4
0 is inverted by the upper fixed pipe 20 and wound around the right roller 11 with the transport surface 41 as the back surface. Next, FIG.
An endless belt 40 wrapped around the right roller 11 is wound around the middle and lower fixed pipe 21 (hereinafter, referred to as a lower fixed pipe 21) with the conveying surface 41 as a surface, and is thus turned upside down to the lower surface of the left roller 10. Turns back and forms a loop.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, upper and lower fixed pipes 20 and 21 have upper and lower air chambers 22 and 23, respectively. The air control valves 30 and 31 communicate with a compressed air supply source 25. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, air ejection holes 26 are provided at predetermined positions on the outer periphery of each of the fixed pipes 20 and 21 at a predetermined position on the surface that contacts the endless belt 40 (the left half of the outer peripheral surface in FIG. 2). 20,2
A plurality of air ejection holes 26 eject compressed air supplied to the respective air chambers 22 and 23 between the endless belt 40 and the fixed pipes 20 and 21. As shown in FIG. 3, a groove-shaped air reservoir 2 is formed along the longitudinal direction on the outer peripheral surface of each of the fixed pipes 20, 21.
7 may be provided, and each air ejection hole 26 may be connected by an air reservoir 27. According to this, between the endless belt 40 and the fixed pipes 20, 21, the fixed pipes 20,
The compressed air can be sent uniformly and efficiently over the longitudinal direction of the compressed air.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, air control valves 30, 31 each comprising a two-position electromagnetic directional control valve.
Are located in an air pipe 24 for communicating the upper air chamber 22 with the compressed air supply source 25, and in the lower air chamber 23 and the compressed air supply source 2
5 are provided in the air pipes 24 communicating with each other.

A pair of sensors 50 and 51 are provided on the right and left sides of the endless belt 40 between the right roller 11 and the upper fixed pipe 20. Each of the sensors 50 and 51 is configured by a transmission type photoelectric tube having a light emitting unit 52 and a light receiving unit 53, and detects a positional displacement of the endless belt 40 in a width direction.
That is, each of the sensors 50 and 51 includes a light emitting unit 52 and a light receiving unit 53.
The gap between the endless belts 40 is detected by blocking the intervening light by the endless belts 40.

The control device 60 determines on which sensor the endless belt 40 is displaced based on signals from the sensors 50 and 51. And the control device 60
The upper air control valve 30 corresponds to the direction of the displacement.
Alternatively, the lower air control valve 31 is turned off, and the supply of the compressed air to the upper air chamber 22 or the lower air chamber 23 is shut off. As a result, the endless belt 40 is displaced in any direction, and the position deviation of the endless belt 40 is corrected.

First, the control device 60 controls each of the sensors 50 and 5.
When the endless belt 40 does not detect the endless belt 40, the upper and lower air control valves 30 and 31 are turned on with the same balance, and compressed air is supplied from the compressed air supply source 25 to the upper and lower air chambers 22 and 23. I have. Here, when the left sensor 50 detects the endless belt 40, the control device 60 turns off the lower air control valve 31 and shuts off the supply of the compressed air to the lower air chamber 23. As a result, the ejection of compressed air from the air ejection holes 26 of the lower fixed pipe 21 is stopped, and the lower fixed pipe 21 and the endless belt 40 are stopped.
When the endless belt 40 is moving in the direction of the arrow A, the frictional force generated between the fixed pipes 20 and 21 is relatively larger than the frictional force generated between the upper fixed pipe 20 and the endless belt 40. At the right side in FIG. On the other hand, when the right sensor 51 detects the endless belt 40, the control device 60 turns off the upper air control valve 30 and shuts off the supply of the compressed air to the upper air chamber 22. As a result, the ejection of compressed air from the air ejection holes 26 of the upper fixed pipe 20 is stopped, and the frictional force generated between the upper fixed pipe 20 and the endless belt 40 is reduced by the frictional force generated between the lower fixed pipe 21 and the endless belt 40. When the endless belt 40 is moving in the direction of the arrow A, an effect of shifting the position on the fixed pipes 20 and 21 to the left in FIG.

The operation of the embodiment will be described. Endless belt 4
0, the right roller 11 is driven by the motor 13 and rotated in the clockwise direction in FIG. 1, so that the left roller 10 passes through the upper fixed pipe 20, the right roller 11 and the lower fixed pipe 21 and then to the left roller 10 again. Move back. At this time, an article conveying surface 41 formed between the upper surface of the right roller 11 and the upper surface of the upper fixed pipe 20.
Moves in a predetermined direction (the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1), whereby the article is transported in the transport direction A. In a state where the endless belt 40 does not meander and there is no shift in the width direction position of the endless belt 40 between the right roller 11 and the upper fixed pipe 20, any of the left and right sensors 50, 5
No. 1 does not detect the endless belt 40 either. At this time, the control device 6
0 holds the upper and lower air control valves 30, 31 in the ON state. As a result, compressed air from the compressed air supply source 25 is supplied to the upper and lower air chambers 22 and 23, and compressed air is ejected from the air ejection holes 26 of the upper and lower fixed pipes 20 and 21. The frictional force generated between the endless belt 40 and each of the fixed pipes 20 and 21 by the jetted compressed air is reduced, and the heat generation of each of the fixed pipes 20 and 21 is suppressed, and the power transmission efficiency is increased.

On the other hand, when the endless belt 40 meanders to the left, for example, and the widthwise position of the endless belt 40 is shifted to the left between the right roller 11 and the upper fixed pipe 20,
The left sensor 50 detects the endless belt 40. At this time,
The control device 60 turns off the lower air control valve 31 for a predetermined time based on a detection signal from the left sensor 50.
Thereby, the supply of the compressed air from the compressed air supply source 25 to the lower air chamber 23 is shut off, and the ejection of the compressed air from the air ejection holes 26 of the lower fixed pipe 21 is stopped. Then, the frictional force generated between the lower fixed pipe 21 and the endless belt 40 is relatively larger than the frictional force generated between the upper fixed pipe 20 and the endless belt 40, and the endless belt is fixed on each of the fixed pipes 20 and 21. The action of causing the position shift 40 to the right in FIG. 1 occurs, and the position shift correction is executed.

When the endless belt 40 meanders to the right, for example, and the widthwise position of the endless belt 40 is shifted rightward between the right roller 11 and the upper fixed pipe 20, the right sensor 51 detects the endless belt 40. . At this time, the control device 60 turns off the upper air control valve 30 for a predetermined time based on the detection signal from the right sensor 51. Thereby, the supply of the compressed air from the compressed air supply source 25 to the upper air chamber 22 is shut off, and the ejection of the compressed air from the air ejection holes 26 of the upper fixed pipe 20 is stopped. And
The frictional force generated between the upper fixed pipe 20 and the endless belt 40 is relatively larger than the frictional force generated between the lower fixed pipe 21 and the endless belt 40, and the endless belt 40 is placed on each of the fixed pipes 20 and 21. The effect of causing a position shift to the left in FIG. 1 occurs, and the position shift is corrected.

When the displacement of the endless belt 40 in the width direction is corrected and neither sensor 50 or 51 detects the endless belt 40, the control device 60 turns on the upper and lower air control valves 30 and 31 again. And Thereby, the compressed air from the compressed air supply source 25 is supplied to the upper and lower air chambers 22 and 23, and the compressed air is jetted from the air jet holes 26 of the upper and lower fixed pipes 20 and 21. Thereafter, each time the sensors 50 and 51 detect a displacement in the width direction due to meandering of the endless belt 40, the control device 60 repeats the same control as described above to correct the displacement.

As described above, according to the above-described embodiment, the control device 60 controls the upper and lower air control valves 30 and 31 based on the signals from the sensors 50 and 51, and controls the direction of the displacement of the endless belt 40. Corresponding to each fixed pipe 2
By adjusting the amount of air jetted between the endless belt 40 and each of the fixed pipes 20 and 21 from the air jet holes 26 of 0 and 21, the frictional force generated between the endless belt 40 and each of the fixed pipes 20 and 21 is reduced. Adjustment makes it possible to quickly and accurately correct the displacement of the endless belt 40 in the width direction,
The position in the width direction of the endless belt 40 can always be a predetermined position. Thus, it is not necessary to adjust the mounting angle of each of the rollers 10, 11 with respect to the conveyor frame, which requires a great deal of labor and time, before operating the conveyor. In addition, the endless belt 40 is operated during the operation of the conveyor due to the unbalance of the load of the articles to be conveyed and the fluctuation of the frictional force between the endless belt 40 and the fixed pipes 20 and 21 due to a change in temperature.
Even when the meandering is meandering, it is possible to quickly and accurately correct the displacement of the endless belt 40 in the width direction, and to suppress the meandering.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the upper and lower air directional control valves each having a two-position electromagnetic directional control valve are provided in the air pipe 24 which connects the upper air chamber 22 or the lower air chamber 23 with the compressed air supply source 25. The control valves 30 and 31 are provided. In addition to these, a flow control valve (not shown) is provided in each air line 24, and each sensor 5
The light emitting unit 52 and the light receiving unit 53 of 0, 51 are connected to an endless belt 40.
May be provided at predetermined intervals along the width direction. Each flow control valve has upper and lower air control valves 30,
It is controlled by the control device 60 together with 31. According to this, the control device 60 controls the light-shielded sensor 50 or 51
The direction of the position shift of the endless belt 40 is detected depending on which side is the left or right, and the position shift of the endless belt 40 is detected by the number of the light-shielded light emitting units 52 and the light receiving units 53 in the sensors 50 or 51. The amount can be detected. The controller 60 controls the upper and lower air control valves 30 and 31 and the respective flow control valves in accordance with the direction and amount of displacement of the endless belt 40, so that the endless belt 40 and the respective fixed pipes 20 and 21 can be adjusted more precisely, and the endless belt 40
Can be corrected more quickly and accurately.

In the above-described embodiment, sensors 50 and 51 composed of photoelectric tubes are provided on both left and right sides of the endless belt 40 between the right roller 11 and the upper fixed pipe 20, and signals from the sensors 50 and 51 are provided. The control device 60 controls the upper and lower air control valves 30 and 31 based on the above. A mechanical valve (not shown) is provided instead of the sensors 50 and 51, the control device 60 and the air control valves 30 and 31, and the mechanical valve is provided. The endless belt 40 may be configured to be mechanically linked to the movement in the width direction, that is, the displacement.

That is, an upper mechanical valve is interposed in place of the upper air control valve 30 in the air line 24 that communicates the upper air chamber 22 and the compressed air supply source 25, and the lower air chamber 23 and the compressed air supply valve 25 communicate with each other. Instead of the lower air control valve 31, a lower mechanical valve is interposed in the air line 24 communicating with the air supply source 25. Then, the supply and cutoff of the compressed air from the compressed air supply source 25 to the upper air chamber 22 or the lower air chamber 23 are performed by the operation of each mechanical valve. The operation arms for switching the operation state of the mechanical valve are respectively disposed on the right and left sides of the endless belt 40 between the right roller 11 and the upper fixed pipe 20, and are mechanically linked to the displacement of the endless belt 40 in the width direction. Let it. Thereby, the endless belt 4
0, one of the mechanical valves is actuated, and the endless belt 40 and the fixed pipe 2 are discharged from the corresponding air ejection holes 26 of the fixed pipes 20 and 21.
The amount of air blown between 0 and 21 is adjusted, and the frictional force generated between the endless belt 40 and each of the fixed pipes 20 and 21 is adjusted. Therefore, similarly to the above embodiment, the endless belt 4
The position of the endless belt 40 in the width direction can always be set to a predetermined position without any need for an adjustment or the like that requires a great deal of labor and time so that the displacement in the width direction of 0 can be corrected quickly and accurately. Can be.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the belt junction conveyor of the present invention comprises a conveyor for converging articles on a main line 70 of a conveying conveyor, or a main line 7 for conveying articles.
It is suitably used as a conveyor that branches off from above.
That is, in FIG. 4, the belt junction conveyor is provided such that the conveying surface 41 of the endless belt 40 makes a predetermined angle with respect to the main line 70 of the conveying conveyor including the belt turning type sorter 71, so that an article (not shown) is From the direction (arrow B direction). In FIG. 5, the belt junction conveyor is moved from the main line 70 to the transfer surface 4 of the endless belt 40.
The articles transferred by the belt revolving sorter 71 are carried out in a predetermined direction (direction of arrow C).

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, the control means controls the air control member based on the signal from the detection means, and the endless belt and each fixed pipe are formed from the air ejection holes of the upper and lower fixed pipes. Since the amount of air blown during the adjustment is adjusted, the frictional force generated between the endless belt and each of the fixed pipes can be adjusted, and the widthwise displacement of the endless belt can be quickly and accurately corrected. . Thereby, the position in the width direction of the endless belt can always be set to the predetermined position without the need for adjustment or the like requiring much labor and time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a belt junction conveyor according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a fixed pipe of the belt junction conveyor of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing another example of a fixed pipe.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an application example of the belt junction conveyor of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing another application example of the belt junction conveyor of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a conventional belt junction conveyor.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 roller (left roller) 11 roller (right roller) 13 driving means (motor) 20 upper fixed pipe 21 lower fixed pipe 22 upper air chamber 23 lower air chamber 25 air supply source (compressed air supply source) 26 air ejection hole 30 air Control member (upper air control valve) 31 Air control member (lower air control valve) 40 Endless belt 41 Conveying surface 50 Detecting means (left sensor) 51 Detecting means (right sensor) 60 Control means (control device)

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B65G 15/22 B65G 15/60

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An intermediate portion of an endless belt (40) stretched between a pair of rollers (10, 11) intersecting virtual extension lines of respective rotating shafts, and two fixed pipes (20, 2).
1) A belt junction conveyor in which each of the endless belts (40) going back and forth is hung at an angle and turned back while sliding, is provided at a predetermined position on the outer peripheral surface of the fixed pipe (20, 21), Endless belt (40) and each fixed pipe (2
Air ejection holes (26) for ejecting air during 0, 21)
An air supply source (25) for supplying air into the fixed pipes (20, 21); and an air control valve for opening and closing air supply from the air supply source (25) into each of the fixed pipes (20, 21). (30, 31)
Detecting means (50, 51) for detecting a displacement in the width direction of the endless belt (40); and controlling an air control valve (30, 31) based on a signal from the detecting means (50, 51). Each fixed pipe (20, 2
A belt junction comprising a control means (60) for adjusting an amount of air blown out from an endless belt (40) and each of the fixed pipes (20, 21) from the air blowout hole (26) of (1). Conveyor.