JP3684320B2 - Article accumulation and delivery device, article accumulation method and article delivery method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial application fields]
The present invention relates to an article stacking and feeding apparatus, an article stacking method, and an article feeding method capable of smoothly and stably transporting articles such as containers in the filling and packaging industry and the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In the filling and packaging industry and the like, when an article such as a container is supplied to a filling and packaging line and subjected to a predetermined process, the container is sent to each processing machine without interruption at a predetermined interval (speed). It is necessary to be
[0003]
Conventionally, in order to supply the container stably, the container is fed from the pool conveyor having a certain space to the line from the gate that squeezes the outlet of the container, and the squeezing inclination to the outlet is increased (slowly). By taking, the conveyance failure by the bridge | bridging etc. resulting from the contact pressure between containers was avoided.
Therefore, inevitably, a large distance in the flow direction in the pool conveyor must be taken, and thus a large installation space in the processing factory is required.
[0004]
In addition, since the feeding conveyor at the outlet of the container is configured as a single unit, it is difficult to adjust the number of containers fed into the line and the pitch of the aligned containers. It is not possible to follow-up accurately. Etc. have various problems.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and transports articles from a supply section on one side to a stacking means arranged in parallel in the width direction of the storage area, and the width direction of the storage area. Stop the driving of the outer stacking means, drive the stacking means on the supply section side, transport articles from one side to the other side in the storage area, and use the stacking slope guide provided on the downstream side of the stacking means The articles are fed to the collecting means on the outer side in the width direction of the storage area, and the articles are collected, and a plurality of sets of these articles arranged in the width direction of the feeding section in the storage area are arranged in parallel. As each article is individually driven so as to increase the article transfer speed from the outlet side to the article delivery outlet side, the article is conveyed to the feeding means, and the feeding slope provided on the downstream side of the feeding means. By delivering the article to the exit along the guide, Smooth and stable product accumulation and feed apparatus and articles integrated way conveyance is performed with, and its object is to provide an article feeding method.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The means of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned object is as follows:
In an article accumulation and feeding device that accumulates a large number of articles in a random state and moves a necessary quantity from the articles in the other direction while moving from one direction to the other direction,
A plurality of sets of the article supply unit provided at the start end of the storage area of the article and a plurality of sets in the width direction of the storage area, and the article is transferred from one side to the other side from the supply unit. The accumulation means for conveying, and the accumulation inclination guide for narrowing the accumulation flow path of the article as it extends from the one side portion to the other side portion in the storage area, and to divide into the accumulation section and the feeding section in the storage area A plurality of sets of outlets for the articles provided on the downstream side of the integrated inclined guide, and a plurality of sets arranged side by side in the width direction of the feeding portion in the storage area from the outlets to the downstream from the upstream side as the outlets. A feeding means for transporting the article to the side, a feeding inclination guide for narrowing a feeding flow path of the article from the upstream side to the downstream side in the feeding section in the storage area, and a terminal portion of the feeding inclination guide The delivery port of the article provided in the In the configuration of a set of stacking means and the plurality of feeding means and each article accumulating and feeding device which gave a driving means for driving connected individually.
[0007]
Also,
An alignment guide member that is provided substantially in parallel with the stacking means on the outlet side of the articles in the stacking section of the storage area and is detachable from the articles on the stacking means is provided.
[0008]
And
Articles are conveyed from the supply section on one side to the stacking means arranged in parallel in the width direction of the storage area, the driving of the stacking means on the outer side in the width direction of the storage area is stopped, and the stacking on the supply section side is stopped. Driving means to convey the article from the one side to the other side in the storage area, and along the accumulation slope guide provided on the downstream side of the accumulation means, the width direction outside of the accumulation area In the article accumulation method, the articles are collected up to the accumulation means.
[0009]
Furthermore,
A plurality of feeding means arranged in parallel in the width direction of the feeding portion in the storage area are arranged so that the article transfer speed increases as they extend from the outlet side to which the article is supplied to the outlet side of the article. In the article feeding method, the article is driven individually, the article is conveyed to the feeding means, and the article is fed to the feeding outlet along a feeding inclination guide provided on the downstream side of the feeding means.
[0010]
【Example】
Next, an embodiment of an article accumulation and delivery device, an article accumulation method and an article delivery method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In FIG. 1, A is an article accumulation and feeding device used in the filling and packaging industry such as fluid, and a large number of articles b such as containers are collected in a random state and moved from one direction to the other. The required quantity is fed out in order from the article b in the other direction, and includes a supply unit 1, a stacking means 2, a stacking inclination guide 3, an outlet 4, a feeding means 5, a feeding tilt guide 6, and a feeding. It is basically constituted by the outlet 7, and driving means 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16 that are individually connected to and driven by a plurality of sets of collecting means 2 and a plurality of sets of feeding means 5. .
[0011]
The supply unit 1 is provided at the start end of the storage area c of the article b and supplies the article b to the storage area c. The belt or top chain driven by the driving means 9 such as a motor is provided. The terminal part of the feeding means 10 which consists of conveyors etc. is connected.
[0012]
The stacking means 2 described above is arranged in parallel in the width direction of the storage area c and conveys the articles b from one side to the other side from the supply unit 1, and is constituted by a conveyor such as a belt. For example, as shown in an exploded view in FIG. 2, the belt is divided into three belt groups 2a, 2b, 2c, and each of the conveyor groups 2a, 2b, 2c is further divided into 2a1, 2a2. The conveyor group 2b is divided into 2b1, 2b2, 2b3, 2b4, and 2b5 conveyors, and the conveyor group 2c is divided into 2c1, 2c2, 2c3, 2c4, and 2c5 conveyors.
The conveyor groups 2a, 2b, and 2c are driven by driving means 11, 12, and 13 such as motors, respectively, so that an integrated constant speed or individual speed becomes a variable speed.
[0013]
The accumulation slope guide 3 described above narrows the accumulation flow path 14 of the article b as it extends from the one side to the other side in the accumulation area c, and in the accumulation area c, the accumulation section c1 and the feeding section c2. The product b group which is formed into a lump in the accumulation flow path 14 is transported and guided by being gradually inclined at the end of the accumulation means 2 by a plate material.
[0014]
The above-described take-out port 4 is provided on the downstream side of the accumulation inclined guide 3 to take out the article b in the accumulation flow path 14, and the terminal end of the accumulation inclined guide 3 is substantially parallel to the conveyor group 2 a in the accumulation means 2. The guide piece 3a is extended, and this guide piece 3a is provided so that it may be located on the conveyor group 2a or its vicinity.
[0015]
The feeding means 5 described above is arranged in parallel in the width direction of the feeding portion c2 in the storage area c from the outlet 4, and conveys the article b from the upstream side, which is the outlet 4, to the downstream side. For example, as shown in an exploded view in FIG. 2, the belt is divided into two belt groups 5a and 5b, and each of the conveyor groups 5a and 5b is further divided into a conveyor group 5a. The conveyor group 5b is divided into 5b1, 5b2, 5b3 and 5b4 conveyors.
The conveyor groups 5a and 5b are driven by driving means 15 and 16 such as motors, respectively, so that an integral constant speed or individual speeds are variable.
[0016]
The above-mentioned feeding inclination guide 6 is provided so as to narrow the feeding flow path 17 of the article b from the upstream side to the downstream side in the feeding part c2 in the storage area c, and the feeding means 5 is made of a plate-like material. The article b located in the feeding flow path 17 is transported and guided while being gradually inclined at the end of the sheet.
[0017]
The above-described feeding outlet 7 is provided at the end portion of the feeding inclination guide 6 and feeds the articles b in the feeding flow path 17 one by one, and faces the unloading means 18 such as a belt conveyor. The article b is conveyed to the next process.
[0018]
In the supply section 1 described above, the switching means 19 for selectively supplying the article b to the storage area c and the carry-out means 18 is connected, and the plate-like dam member 20 is connected to the fluid cylinder. By selecting whether the carrying-out means 18 is closed or opened by the actuating member 21 such as the like, the articles b are pooled in the storage area c, or the articles b are taken out one by one directly. And the article b is fed directly to the feeding part c2 in the storage area c by the insertion guide 22.
Further, if the insertion guide 22 is provided so as to be movable up to the carry-out means 18 by an operating member (not shown), the article b can be directly fed into the delivery port 7.
[0019]
Further, an alignment guide member 23 is provided on the side of the outlet 4 of the article b in the accumulating section c1 in the storage area c, provided in parallel with the conveying direction of the accumulating means 2, and the article on the accumulating means. With respect to b, by moving back and forth in the direction indicated by the arrow p in FIG. By retreating the alignment guide member 23 by a predetermined amount, it is possible to release the contact pressure applied to the articles b gathered together in this portion to form a lump.
The forward and backward movement of the alignment guide member 23 is performed by an operation member 24 such as a fluid cylinder.
[0020]
Therefore, the article stacking and feeding device, the article stacking method, and the article feeding method according to the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above have the following actions.
First, when the article b is pooled in the storage area c (article accumulation step), the weir member in the switching means 19 is fed onto the carry-out means 18 so that the article b is guided to the storage area c side. Then, the articles b are sequentially fed into the storage area c one by one from the supply unit 1 to which the feeding means 10 is connected.
Moreover, the drive means 12 and 13 are operated, the conveyor groups 2b and 2c in the stacking means 2 are operated, and the conveyor group 2a is still stopped.
[0021]
Then, the article b is transported from the upstream side to the downstream side by the conveyor group 2c and hits the surface of the accumulated inclined guide 3. The article b is guided by this inclined surface to the conveyor group 2b and further to the conveyor group 2a one after another. It moves and the predetermined number of articles | goods b are accumulate | stored in the accumulation | storage part c1 in the storage area c in a random state.
[0022]
In this accumulation, the conveyor group 2a acts as a stopper for the article b by the operation of the conveyor groups 2b and 2c and the stoppage of the conveyor group 2a, so that the article b can be used without using the article stopper as in the prior art. Can be accumulated.
[0023]
Next, when the articles b of the stacking section c1 in the storage area c are transported to the next process step (article feeding process), the alignment guide member 23 facing the conveyor group 2a in the stacking means 2 is operated. When the member 24 is moved backward by a predetermined amount from the accumulating part c by the operation of the member 24, the contact pressure between the articles b is released from each of the articles b grouped on the conveyor group 2a in the accumulating part c1, and the accumulated flow The bridge state on the path 14 is eliminated.
[0024]
In this state, when the driving means 11 is operated and the conveyor group 2a in the stacking means 2 is operated, the articles b placed on the conveyor group 2a are fed into the feeding inclined guide provided at the end portion of the conveyor group 2a. When it hits the 6th surface, it is transferred along the feeding inclination guide 6 to the feeding means 5 in the feeding portion c1.
[0025]
The conveyor groups 5a and 5b in the feeding means 5 have the transfer speeds of the conveyors 5a1, 5a2, 5a3, 5a4, 5a5, 5b1, 5b2, 5b3 and 5b4 changed, that is, 5a1 <5a2 <5a3 <5a4 < Since different speeds are set such as 5a5 <5b1 <5b2 <5b3 <5b4, the articles b fed along the feeding inclination guide 6 gradually become wider as the distance between the articles b goes to the feeding outlet 7. Thus, these articles b are transported without interfering with each other.
[0026]
The articles b aligned at a predetermined pitch are sent out to the delivery outlet 7 in the delivery flow path 17 and transferred onto the delivery means 18, so that they are conveyed to the processing line of the next process.
[0027]
Since the transfer speeds of the conveyor groups 5a and 5b in the feeding means 5 are respectively converted, the necessary quantity of the article b is stabilized according to the processing capacity and processing state of the processing machine in the processing line of the next process. Can be supplied.
[0028]
In the conveyance of the article b to the next processing step, the article b is continuously conveyed by operating the accumulation means 2 of the accumulation unit c1, and the conveyor of the accumulation means 2 is conveyed. The groups 2a, 2b, and 2c selectively perform operation or operation speed adjustment and further stop operation according to the conveyance state of the article b and the processing state of the next process, and are connected to the processing machine of the next process. The drive means 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16 and the operation member 24 of the alignment guide member 23 are appropriately controlled by the control means (not shown).
[0029]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the article accumulation and delivery device, the article accumulation method, and the article delivery method according to the present invention can accommodate the desired quantity of articles within the storage area in the accumulation area of articles within a short range of article transfer. Moreover, it can be smoothly transported without causing improper movement (bridge phenomenon) due to contact pressure between articles in the accumulation.
Even when the articles in the storage area are sent out, there is an extraordinary effect that a certain number of articles can be accurately and stably performed one by one.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an embodiment of an article accumulation and delivery device, an article accumulation method and an article delivery method according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing the stacking means and the feeding means in FIG. 1 in an exploded manner.
[Explanation of symbols]
A article accumulation and delivery device b article c storage area c1 accumulation section c2 delivery section 1 supply section 2 accumulation means 3 accumulation inclination guide 4 outlet 5 delivery means 6 delivery inclination guide 7 delivery outlet 11.12.13.16.16 drive Means 14 Accumulated flow path 17 Feeding inclination guide 23 Alignment guide member

Claims (4)

In an article accumulation and feeding device that accumulates a large number of articles in a random state and moves a necessary quantity from the articles in the other direction while moving from one direction to the other direction,
A plurality of sets of the article supply unit provided at the start end of the storage area of the article and a plurality of sets in the width direction of the storage area, and the article is transferred from one side to the other side from the supply unit. The accumulation means for conveying, and the accumulation inclination guide for narrowing the accumulation flow path of the article as it extends from the one side portion to the other side portion in the storage area, and to divide into the accumulation section and the feeding section in the storage area A plurality of sets of outlets for the articles provided on the downstream side of the integrated inclined guide, and a plurality of sets arranged side by side in the width direction of the feeding portion in the storage area from the outlets to the downstream from the upstream side as the outlets. A feeding means for transporting the article to the side, a feeding inclination guide for narrowing a feeding flow path of the article from the upstream side to the downstream side in the feeding section in the storage area, and a terminal portion of the feeding inclination guide The delivery port of the article provided in the Article accumulation and feed device, characterized in that it allowed a driving means for driving the set of stacking means and the plurality of feeding means and to each connection separately. An alignment guide member is provided substantially parallel to the stacking means on the outlet side of the articles in the stacking section of the storage area so as to be movable toward and away from the articles on the stacking means. Item stacking and feeding device according to Item 1. Articles are transported from the supply section on one side to the stacking means arranged in parallel in the width direction of the storage area, the driving of the stacking means on the outer side in the width direction of the storage area is stopped, and the stacking on the supply section side is stopped. Driving means to transport the article from the one side to the other side in the storage area, and along the accumulation slope guide provided on the downstream side of the accumulation means, the width direction outside of the accumulation area The article accumulation method, wherein the article is accumulated by feeding to the accumulation means. A plurality of sets of feeding means arranged in parallel in the width direction of the feeding section in the storage area are arranged so that the article transfer speed increases as it extends from the outlet side to which the article is supplied to the outlet side of the article. An article feeding method, wherein the article is driven individually, transports the article to the feeding means, and feeds the article to the feeding outlet along a feeding inclination guide provided on the downstream side of the feeding means.

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