JP3660412B2 - Product accumulation equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a product stacking apparatus for stacking products to be packed in a product packaging line while aligning them.
[0002]
[Prior art and problems]
In the product packaging line, cup products such as cup noodles and cup ice cream, bottle products such as bottled juice and detergent in bottle containers, or package products such as cigarettes and confectionery are efficiently filled into containers such as cardboard boxes. In order to pack (that is, package), it is necessary to accumulate these products while aligning them before filling them into a container. As a device for aligning and accumulating such products, products have been conventionally used. An integrated device is used.
[0003]
As a conventional product stacking apparatus, there is one using a delivery screw as shown in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-196137. In this case, the product is moved along a transfer table at high speed by rotating the delivery screw. In this way, products are aligned and accumulated.
[0004]
However, in addition to using the delivery screw, the conventional device requires a pusher pin for pushing the product, an engagement roller that engages with the spiral groove of the delivery screw, a transfer table, and the like. The structure is complicated and the cost is high.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of such a conventional situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide a product integration device capable of simplifying the structure and reducing the cost.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A product stacking device according to the present invention is a product stacking device for stacking and stacking products to be packed in a product packaging line, and a product transporting conveyor provided in a circulatory manner and a plurality of pins or A plurality of containers having rack teeth in the lower part and arranged slidably in the conveying direction on the conveying surface of the conveyor and into which products supplied by the product supply means are introduced, and a drive motor below the conveyor And having teeth that can be engaged with the pins or rack teeth of each container, and the rotation of the container into which the product has been introduced through the pins or rack teeth. And a sprocket or pinion for sliding at high speed.
[0007]
According to the product accumulation device of the present invention, the product supplied by the product supply means is introduced into an empty container on the conveyor conveyance surface. At this time, the teeth of the sprocket (or pinion) are engaged with the pins (or rack teeth) at the bottom of the container into which the product has been introduced.
[0008]
Next, the drive motor is driven, and the sprocket (or pinion) starts to rotate. Then, the container into which the product has been introduced slides at a high speed on the downstream side in the transport direction on the transport surface of the conveyor via pins (or rack teeth) that engage with the teeth of the sprocket (or pinion). Thereby, the container in which the product is introduced is separated from the empty container on the upstream side in the transport direction.
[0009]
Thereafter, by repeating the same operation, a plurality of containers into which products have been introduced are stacked while being aligned on the downstream side in the transport direction of the conveyor.
[0010]
In this case, since a high-speed feed mechanism of the product is configured by a simple engagement / disengagement mechanism using a sprocket and a pin or a pinion and a rack, the structure can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1 is a schematic plan view of a product packaging line in which a product stacking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is adopted, FIG. 2 is a schematic front view thereof, FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3.
[0012]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the product packaging line 1 is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the belt conveyor (product supply means) 2 for supplying products 10 to be packaged, and the belt conveyor 2. And a belt conveyor (product conveyor) 3 for conveying and aligning and accumulating the products 10 supplied.
[0013]
A photoelectric switch 4 for detecting the passage of the product 10 is provided on the downstream side of the belt conveyor 2. The belt conveyor 3 is composed of two belt conveyors 3a and 3b arranged at intervals. Both belt conveyors 3a and 3b are wound around a drive pulley 5 and a driven pulley 6, and the drive pulley 5 is rotationally driven by a drive motor (not shown).
[0014]
A plurality of containers 11 into which products 10 supplied by the belt conveyor 2 are introduced are provided on the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 3. Each container 11 is made of resin, for example, and is slidable in the product conveyance direction (the left direction in FIGS. 1 and 2) on the conveyance surface of the belt conveyor 3.
[0015]
A product introduction station D of the belt conveyor 3 into which the product 10 is introduced from the belt conveyor 2 is provided with a sprocket 7 for feeding the container 11 into which the product 10 has been introduced at a high speed in the product conveyance direction. The sprocket 7 is disposed between the belt conveyors 3a and 3b, and the upper part thereof is disposed slightly above the respective conveying surfaces of the belt conveyors 3a and 3b.
[0016]
The sprocket 7 is attached to the shaft 8 as shown in FIG. The shaft 8 is rotatably supported by a bearing 9 and is connected to an output shaft 13 a of a servo motor 13 through a coupling 12.
[0017]
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of (here, four) pins 15 arranged at predetermined intervals are rotatably provided below the respective containers 11. The teeth 7a of the sprocket 7 are engaged with the pins 15 of the container 11 arranged at the product introduction station D.
[0018]
With such a configuration, when the sprocket 7 is rotated by driving the servo motor 13, the container 11 of the product introduction station D is accelerated in the product transport direction on the transport surface of the belt conveyor 3, and downstream in the transport direction of the belt conveyor 3. It slides to the side at high speed.
[0019]
A cylinder 50 is disposed in the vertical direction near the downstream end of the belt conveyor 3. The piston rod 51 of the cylinder 50 is disposed between the belt conveyors 3a and 3b, a protruding position that protrudes upward from the respective conveying surfaces of the belt conveyors 3a and 3b, and a retracted position that retreats downward from the respective conveying surfaces. Can be taken.
[0020]
Therefore, when the container 11 is moved at a high speed by the rotation of the sprocket 7, the piston rod 51 acts as a stopper for the container 11 moving at a high speed by moving the piston rod 51 to the protruding position in advance. A plurality of containers 11 storing 10 are accumulated while being aligned in the downstream portion of the belt conveyor 3. 1 and 2, section A indicates a section in which the product 10 is fed at a high speed, and section B indicates a section in which the product 10 is accumulated.
[0021]
As shown in FIG. 2, in the section B of the belt conveyor 3, a robot for taking out each product 10 in a plurality of aligned and accumulated containers 11 and filling it in a container such as a cardboard box (not shown). An arm 20 is arranged. The robot arm 20 is provided with a plurality of suction pads 21 for sucking and holding the product 10.
[0022]
Sprockets 30 and 31 driven by a drive motor (not shown) are provided on the upper and downstream ends of the belt conveyor 3. The upper portions of the sprockets 30 and 31 are disposed slightly above the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 3, and the pins 15 below the container 11 can be engaged with the teeth of the sprockets 30 and 31. .
[0023]
Outside the sprockets 30 and 31, guide plates 32 and 33 having a semicircular arc shape when viewed from the front are provided. The guide plates 32 and 33 are for preventing the containers 11 from being detached from the sprockets 30 and 31 while guiding the containers 11 that move while being engaged with the sprockets 30 and 31.
[0024]
A belt conveyor 40 is disposed below the belt conveyor 3 so as to face the belt conveyor 3. The belt conveyor 40 is for conveying the empty container 11 from which the product 10 has been carried out in the section B of the belt conveyor 3 to the product introduction station D again, and is wound around the driving pulley 41 and the driven pulley 42. . The conveying surface of the belt conveyor 40 is disposed at a height position that is continuous with the inner peripheral surfaces of the guide plates 32 and 33.
[0025]
Next, product alignment and integration operations with the above configuration will be described.
The product 10 carried into the belt conveyor 2 is supplied to the product introduction station D of the belt conveyor 3 through the belt conveyor 2 and is introduced into the empty container 11 that has been waiting at the product introduction station D. At this time, as described above, the teeth 15a of the sprocket 7 are engaged with the pins 15 disposed in the lower portion of the container 11. The supply of the product 10 to the product introduction station D is detected by the photoelectric switch 4.
[0026]
Next, the servo motor 13 is driven and the sprocket 7 starts to rotate. Then, the container 11 of the product introduction station D slides at high speed on the conveyance surface of the belt conveyor 3 on the conveyance direction downstream side via the pin 15 engaged with the sprocket teeth 7a. Thereby, the container 11 into which the product 10 is introduced is separated from the empty container 11 on the upstream side in the transport direction, and moves to the position of the section B of the belt conveyor 3. At this time, since the container 11 moves while being guided by the guides 55 and 56 (FIG. 3) provided above the belt conveyors 3a and 3b, the container 11 is prevented from being lifted.
[0027]
On the other hand, on the downstream side in the transport direction of the belt conveyor 3, the piston rod 51 is moved to the protruding position by driving the cylinder 50, and the container 11 moved to the position of the section B acts as a stopper as described above. Stops in contact with the piston rod 51.
[0028]
An empty container 11 into which the product 10 is to be introduced next is moving to the product introduction station D by the operation of the belt conveyor 3. Similarly, the product 10 is introduced into the container 11 through the belt conveyor 2. After the product is introduced, the container 11 is accelerated by the rotation of the sprocket 7 and moved to the position of the section B. And it abuts on the container 11 which has already moved to the position of the section B and stops.
[0029]
Thereafter, by repeating the same operation, a plurality of containers 11 into which the product 10 has been introduced are accumulated while being aligned in the section B of the belt conveyor 3.
[0030]
When a predetermined number of containers 11 are accumulated in the section B, the robot arm 20 is driven, and the product 10 in each container 11 in the section B is carried out by the suction pad 21, and is placed in a container such as a cardboard box (not shown). Filled.
[0031]
Further, when the carry-out of the product 10 is completed in the section B, the cylinder 50 is driven and the piston rod 51 moves to the retracted position. Thereby, each empty container 11 on the belt conveyor 3 is conveyed by the belt conveyor 3 and engages with the sprocket 31 from the downstream end portion of the belt conveyor 3. Then, the belt moves through the sprocket 31 to the lower belt conveyor 40, and then moves from the belt conveyor 40 through the sprocket 30 to the upstream start portion of the belt conveyor 3 again.
[0032]
Thus, in this embodiment, since the high-speed feed mechanism of the product 10 is configured by a simple engagement / disengagement mechanism using the sprocket 7 and the pin 15, the entire structure can be simplified and the cost can be reduced. it can.
[0033]
And in the said embodiment, since the belt conveyor 3 is arrange | positioned in a vertical surface, the space-saving in a horizontal surface can be achieved. Further, since the drive torque of the servo motor 13 is sufficient for moving one product (including the weight of the container 11), the servo motor 13 can be miniaturized and the overall cost can be reduced. be able to.
[0034]
Moreover, according to the said embodiment, since the sprocket 7 can be arrange | positioned in the arbitrary positions of the upstream of the area B between both the sprockets 30 and 31, the freedom degree on a layout is high.
[0035]
In addition, in the said embodiment, although the product packaging line of the type which the container 11 circulates in a vertical surface was shown, application of this invention is not limited to such a product packaging line, A horizontal surface as shown in FIG. The present invention can be similarly applied to a product packaging line in which a container circulates. In FIG. 5, the same reference numerals as those in the above embodiment indicate the same or corresponding parts.
[0036]
The belt conveyor 3 constituting the product packaging line 1 'is arranged in a loop shape in a horizontal plane. The container 11 into which the product 10 has been introduced at the product introduction station D is sent at a high speed to the downstream side in the transport direction of the belt conveyor 3 by the rotation of the sprocket 7 as in the case of the above embodiment, and the position of the section B And is unloaded by a robot arm (not shown).
[0037]
In each embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 5, an example in which the belt conveyor 2 as product supply means is arranged in a direction orthogonal to the belt conveyor 3 is shown. However, the present invention is a belt conveyor above the belt conveyor 3. 3 can also be applied to a belt conveyor 2 disposed in the same direction.
[0038]
The product supply means and the product transport conveyor are not limited to the belt conveyors as in the above embodiments, but are so-called top plate chain conveyors in which a transport surface is configured by combining a plurality of plates. May be.
[0039]
Further, in each of the above embodiments, the product 10 is accommodated by driving a sprocket 7 having a plurality of pins 15 disposed under each container 11 and having teeth 7a engaged with these pins 15. Although the container 11 is fed at high speed, the application of the present invention is not limited to this.
[0040]
For example, rack teeth are provided at the bottom of each container 11, and a pinion having teeth that engage with the rack teeth is provided in place of the sprocket 7 of the above embodiment, and the container 11 in which the product 10 is stored by driving the pinion. May be fed at high speed.
[0041]
Even in this case, since a high-speed feed mechanism of the product is configured by a simple engagement / disengagement mechanism using a pinion and a rack, the structure can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.
[0042]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, in the product stacking apparatus according to the present invention, the high-speed feed mechanism of the product is configured by the simple engagement / disengagement mechanism using the sprocket and the pin or the pinion and the rack, so the structure can be simplified and the cost can be reduced. There is an effect that can be reduced.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a product packaging line in which a product stacking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is employed.
FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the product packaging line.
3 is a partial sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG.
4 is a partial sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of another product packaging line in which the product accumulation device is employed.
[Explanation of symbols]
1,1 'product packaging line 2 belt conveyor (product supply means)
3 (3a, 3b) Belt conveyor (product conveyor)
7 Sprocket 7a Teeth 10 Product 11 Container 13 Servo motor (drive motor)
15 pin

Claims (1)

In a product packaging line, a product stacking device for stacking and stacking products to be packed,
A conveyor for product transportation provided in a circulating manner;
A plurality of pins or rack teeth in the lower part, each of which is slidably arranged in the conveying direction on the conveying surface of the conveyor, and a plurality of containers into which products supplied by the product supply means are introduced;
It is provided below the conveyor so as to be rotatable by a drive motor, and has teeth that can be engaged with the pins or rack teeth of each container. A sprocket or pinion for sliding at high speed in the conveying direction of the conveyor via,
A product integration device.

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