JP4659535B2 - Roller conveyor - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to roller conveyors for transporting and placing the article on the conveying surface formed by the plurality of rollers.

  As a roller drive mechanism of a roller conveyor that conveys articles by arranging a large number of rollers in parallel and rotating each roller, there are various devices that rotate the rollers in a non-contact manner using power transmission by magnetic force. Known (for example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

In the conveyor disclosed in each of the above patent documents, magnets in which an N pole band and an S pole band are alternately magnetized spirally in the circumferential direction on the outer circumferential surface are provided on the drive shaft and the driven shaft, respectively. Configured to be placed close together in contact. The driven shaft is rotated under the magnetic action of both magnets by rotating the drive shaft. That is, according to this configuration, power can be transmitted from the drive shaft to the driven shaft by a magnet in a non-contact manner, which causes wear of the transmission means and contact noise compared to the conventional power transmission system using a belt or chain. Since no contact resistance is generated, the rotational driving force can be transmitted to a large number of rollers very smoothly.
Japanese Patent No. 2949493 Japanese Patent No. 2683317

  In the field of food and pharmaceuticals, production facilities such as conveyors are regularly cleaned and washed at the end of work and from a viewpoint of preventing hygiene and contamination. In this case, it is preferable that each part of the roller conveyor can be easily and reliably cleaned in a short time. However, in the devices disclosed in the above patent documents, it is easy to remove and attach the roller that is in direct contact with the article. However, there is a problem that it takes time for cleaning, cleaning, and the like. Also, when part replacement when the roller is damaged or the like, is pointed out that difficulties working time becomes longer.

  That is, the present invention has been proposed in view of the above-described problems inherent in the above-described conventional technology, and it has been proposed to suitably solve this problem, so that the unitized roller group can be easily attached and detached. and to provide a roller conveyor which is adapted to be subjected to maintenance such as cleaning and replacement of parts in a short time.

In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the intended purpose, a roller conveyor according to the invention of claim 1 is provided:
A drive magnet that is concentrically disposed on a drive shaft that is rotatably supported on one side of the machine base and can rotate integrally, and a driven magnet that is adjacent to the drive magnet in a non-contact manner are concentrically arranged at one end in the axial direction. A plurality of rollers disposed so as to be integrally rotatable, and these rollers are arranged side by side so as to intersect the drive shaft, and the rotation of the drive shaft can be transmitted to the rollers by the magnetic force of the drive magnet and the driven magnet. A roller conveyor configured as follows:
A plurality of roller units that rotatably support the roller by a predetermined number and are detachably disposed on the machine base via attachment members are provided. Each roller unit is attached to the machine base. Each follower magnet is configured to be held at a predetermined position spaced above the drive magnet ,
Each roller unit is provided with the same number of rollers, and the number of drive shafts corresponding to the number of rollers provided is provided in parallel, and each drive shaft is provided with a motor that independently drives each drive shaft. The number of driving magnets corresponding to the number of roller units is provided at predetermined intervals in the axial direction, and the driven magnets of the rollers arranged in order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the article conveying direction are the driving magnets of the driving shafts. Each of the motors is rotationally driven so that the rotation speed of the rollers periodically changes and the phase of the rotation speed of each roller is sequentially shifted toward the conveyance direction. To do.
According to the invention of claim 1, since the rollers are unitized into a plurality of units and configured to be detachable from the machine base, at the time of cleaning or when changing to the shape, material, etc. of the roller according to the properties of the product Detachment can be done easily and in a short time. In addition, when individual rollers are arranged at different assembly positions, etc., there is no error in assembling each roller, and anyone can easily and accurately regardless of the skill and experience of the operator. Can be attached to. Further, the roller rotational speed is periodically changed, and the articles placed in a random state on the transport surface formed by the roller group are sequentially shifted by shifting the phase of the rotational speed of each roller toward the transport direction. , Can be aligned in the width direction during transport.

The invention according to claim 2 is provided with engagement means that can be attached by placing the attachment member on the machine base.
According to the invention of claim 2, since the attachment member can be accurately attached to the machine base by the engaging means, the driven magnet is held at an appropriate position with respect to the drive magnet, and the drive magnet is moved to the driven magnet. It is possible to reliably transmit power.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the engaging means includes a protrusion projecting upward from the machine base and an engagement hole formed in the attachment member so as to engage with the protrusion. Configured.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the driven magnet can be easily held at an appropriate position with respect to the drive magnet simply by fitting the protrusion into the engagement hole.

In the invention according to claim 4 , the drive magnet group disposed on the plurality of drive shafts and corresponding to each roller unit is disposed so as to be inclined from one side to the other in the width direction intersecting the article conveyance direction, The driven magnet groups disposed on the plurality of rollers in each roller unit are disposed so as to be inclined along the corresponding drive magnet groups from the upstream side to the downstream side in the article conveyance direction.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the drive magnet and the driven magnet are arranged to be inclined with respect to the plurality of drive shafts and rollers, the arrangement interval of the drive shafts and rollers can be reduced, Compactness can be achieved.

  According to the roller conveyor according to the present invention, it is possible to perform the maintenance such as cleaning and parts replacement of the roller easily and in a short time.

  Next, a preferred embodiment of the roller conveyor according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a roller conveyor according to an embodiment. The upper surface of a machine base 10 is supported at both ends in the article conveyance direction on one side in the width direction intersecting the article conveyance direction. The plates 12 and 12 are erected so as to oppose each other, and a plurality of (the same number as the rollers 26 provided for each roller unit described later, and six in the embodiment) are provided between the support plates 12 and 12. The drive shaft 14 is installed in parallel in the width direction so as to be rotatable. Of these drive shafts 14, the odd-numbered drive shafts 14 counted from one side in the width direction have shaft ends extending outwardly from the support plate 12 located on the upstream side in the article conveying direction, and pulleys are connected to the shaft ends. 16 are arranged to be integrally rotatable. On the other hand, the even-numbered drive shaft 14 has a shaft end extending outwardly from the support plate 12 located on the downstream side, and a pulley 16 is disposed on the shaft end so as to be integrally rotatable (see FIGS. (See FIG. 4).

  As shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, there are three motors 18 spaced apart in the vertical and width directions on the upstream side and downstream side, respectively, below the position where the drive shaft group is disposed in the machine base 10. There is disposed, a pulley 20 on the output shaft extending is arranged to be respectively integrally rotate in the machine frame outside of the motor 18. An endless belt 22 is wound around the pulley 16 of each drive shaft 14 and the pulley 20 of the corresponding motor 18 so that each drive shaft 14 is driven to rotate independently by the corresponding motor 18. The

  As shown in FIG. 4, each of the drive shafts 14 has a plurality of drive magnets 24 (number corresponding to the number of roller units 28 to be described later, four in the embodiment) at equal intervals in the axial direction. And are arranged concentrically and integrally rotatable. The drive magnet 24 has a cylindrical shape and is magnetized on its outer peripheral surface so that spiral N-pole bands and S-pole bands are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction. The roller 26 is configured to rotate together with the magnet 36. Further, a plurality of drive magnets 24 (same as the number of rollers 26 provided for each roller unit, which will be described later, and six in the embodiment) provided on the drive shafts 14 arranged in the width direction are combined into one set. The number of drive magnet groups equal to the number of roller units 28 to be described later (four sets in the embodiment) is positioned at predetermined intervals in the article conveyance direction. In each set, each drive magnet 24 is disposed at an intersection of a drive shaft 14 on which the drive magnet 24 is disposed and a roller 26 (described later) to which rotation is transmitted from the drive shaft 14. the example are positioned such that the slant of biasing in order on the downstream side of the article carrying direction toward the other from one width direction.

  On the upper surface of the machine base 10, a plurality of roller units 28 (the same number as the number of sets of the drive magnet groups, four in the embodiment) are provided with the same number of rollers 26 as the drive shafts 14 in a rotatable manner. Are detachably attached in parallel with the article conveying direction. As shown in FIG. 1, each roller unit 28 includes an attachment member 32 composed of a pair of holders 30, 30 that are spaced apart in the width direction, and a plurality of roller units 28 that are installed between the holders 30, 30 and arranged in parallel in the article conveyance direction. This (six in the embodiment) support shafts 34, the rollers 26 that are rotatably fitted to the support shafts 34, and concentric and integrally rotatable on one end side in the axial direction of the rollers 26. It is basically composed of a driven magnet 36 provided. Each roller unit 28 is attached to the machine base 10 through the attachment member 32 so as to correspond to the drive magnet group, and the articles 38 are conveyed by rotating the rollers 26. ing.

  Each driven magnet 36 in the roller unit 28 is disposed at the intersection of the roller 26 on which the driven magnet 36 is disposed and the drive shaft 14 that transmits rotation to the roller 26 so as to correspond to the drive magnet 24. Is set. In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the driven magnet group of the roller unit 28 is biased toward the other in the width direction from the upstream side to the downstream side in the article conveying direction, and is inclined so as to correspond to the drive magnet group. It is located in the shape.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a pair of protrusions 40, 40 are spaced upward in the article transport direction at positions corresponding to the drive magnet groups on the upper surfaces of both end portions in the width direction of the machine base 10. Projected. Each holder 30 is provided with engagement holes 30a and 30a penetrating in the vertical direction at the same spacing as the pair of protrusions 40 and 40. When the roller unit 28 is attached to the machine base 10 by engaging the protrusions 40 corresponding to the respective engagement holes 30a, the driven magnet 36 of the roller 26 is located above the drive shaft 14. The one end portion side to be disposed is positioned orthogonally (crossing). The protrusion 40 has a head 40a having a diameter that can be inserted into the engagement hole 30a, and a support that is formed on the lower side of the head 40a and has a larger diameter than the engagement hole 30a. When the head portion 40a is inserted into the engaging hole 30a, the lower surface of the holder 30 is abutted against the support portion 40b and the position is regulated, and the driven magnet 36 corresponding to each driving magnet 24 is provided. Are configured to be held at positions spaced upward at a predetermined interval at which magnetic force can act. That is, the roller unit 28 has its lower surfaces placed in contact with and supported by the support portions 40b and 40b by its own weight, and the loaded state is displaced due to the engagement between the protrusion 40 and the engagement hole 30a. It is supposed to be retained. In the embodiment, the engagement holes 30a, 30a and the protrusions 40, 40 constitute engagement means for positioning and attaching the attachment member 32 to the machine base 10.

  The driven magnet 36 has a cylindrical shape and is magnetized on the outer peripheral surface thereof so that spiral N-pole bands and S-pole bands are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction, and the driven magnet 36 and the axis are orthogonal to each other. When the position-related driving magnet 24 rotates, the roller 26 is rotated together with the driven magnet 36 by the magnetic force of both the magnets 24 and 36.

  Each motor 18, the rotational speed of the drive shaft 14 so as to change periodically, is controlled so as to rotate driving the drive shaft 14. Specifically, the rotational speed of the drive shaft 14 is accelerated from a preset low speed to a high speed, decelerated to a low speed after continuing the high speed for a predetermined time, and a shift pattern for continuing this low speed for a predetermined time. It is set to repeat periodically. The motors 18, the period of the shift pattern of the drive shaft 14, that is, the phase of the rotational speed is set to be shifted in order from one widthwise to the other. Then, by controlling the rotation of the plurality of drive shafts 14 in this way, each roller 26 of the roller unit 28 that is rotated by the magnetic force of the drive magnet 24 and the driven magnet 36 is, as shown in FIG. While the roller rotation speed periodically changes, as shown in FIG. 6B, the rotation speed phase of each roller 26 changes so as to be sequentially shifted from the upstream side to the downstream side (in the drawing, the shift pattern is changed to the upstream side). (Indicated sequentially from the roller 26 by reference numerals (1) to (6)). However, the drive shaft 14 is set to rotate so that a plurality of rollers 26 adjacent in the width direction overlap with each other at a high speed.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 6B, the rotational speed phase of each roller 26 is sequentially shifted from the upstream side to the downstream side, so that the high speed region and the low speed region move in the article transport direction, thereby the article 38. Is conveyed downstream. Then, in the conveyance process, the article 38 that is carried at a high speed on the high-speed roller 26 catches up with the article 38 that is carried at a low speed on the roller 26 having a low rotational speed. The articles 38 and 38 are gathered at one point, whereby the plurality of articles 38 are aligned in the width direction. This is an application of the principle of waves, that is, an object in which objects are moved by the wave flow and objects in a high wave position (high speed) are gathered in a low position (low speed).

  In the conveyor configured to align the articles 38 by changing the rotation speed of the rollers 26 as described above, the roller unit is set so that the articles 38 are set to contact with at least two rollers 26. The arrangement interval of each roller 26 arranged in 28 and the roller diameter are selected. When various conditions such as the conveyance speed of the article 38 and the longitudinal length of the article 38 are changed, the roller unit 28 is arranged so that the articles 38 are aligned while being conveyed from the conveyance start end to the conveyance end of the conveyor. The number of rollers 26 can be changed, the number of drive shafts 14 and motors 18 can be changed to correspond to the number of rollers, and the number of rollers 28 can be changed.

(Effects of Example)
Next, the operation of the roller conveyor according to the above-described embodiment will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 5, each driven magnet 36 of each roller unit 28 attached to the upper surface of the machine base 10 is held above the corresponding drive magnet 24 in each drive magnet group at a predetermined interval. Has been. Therefore, when the drive shaft 14 is rotationally driven by the motor 18, the roller 26 is integrated with the driven magnet 36 by the magnetic force of the drive magnet 24 and the driven magnet 36 as the drive magnet 24 rotates integrally therewith. Rotate to. That is, since power is transmitted from the drive shaft 14 to the roller 26 in a non-contact manner, the roller 26 can be rotated very smoothly without causing wear of the transmission means and contact noise.

  In the embodiment, the rotation speed of the roller 26 in each roller unit 28 is periodically changed, and the drive shaft 14 is rotationally driven by each motor 18 so that the phase of the rotation speed is sequentially shifted from the upstream side to the downstream side. Is done. Therefore, as described above, the article 38 conveyed as the roller 26 moves in the high speed region and the low speed region is placed on the high speed roller 26 with respect to the article 38 conveyed on the low speed roller 26. The article 38 being conveyed in this way catches up and moves so as to gather at one point. That is, the plurality of articles 38 placed on the conveyance surface in a random state are collected so as to be aligned in the width direction while being conveyed from the conveyance start end to the end of the conveyor (see FIG. 5).

  Next, when cleaning or washing the roller unit 28, the unit 28 can be removed from the machine base 10 by lifting the roller unit 28 so as to remove the protrusion 40 from each engagement hole 30 a. Therefore, the roller unit 28 can be cleaned or washed at another place. The exchange with the damage to the roller 26, can be performed easily with the outside to remove the roller unit 28 from the machine base 10.

  Roller unit 28 such as cleaning is completed and placed on the machine base 10 and the like protrusion 40 is inserted into the engagement holes 30a. At this time, the lower surface of the holder 30 is brought into contact with the support portion 40b of the protrusion 40 and the position thereof is regulated. It is held at a position to be separated. Therefore, power transmission from the drive shaft 14 to the roller 26 is reliably performed.

  As described above, since the roller unit 28 including the plurality of units of rollers 26 is configured to be separable from the machine base 10, maintenance such as cleaning of the roller unit 28 can be performed easily and in a short time. Further, since the roller unit 28 is supported by its own weight without being displaced relative to the machine base 10, the roller unit 28 can be attached to and removed from the machine base 10 without using a tool or the like. Workability is improved. In the embodiment, since the drive magnet group and the driven magnet group are arranged obliquely, the arrangement of the drive shafts 14 and the rollers 26 without the adjacent drive magnets 24 and 24 and the driven magnets 36 and 36 interfering with each other. By reducing the interval, the device itself can be made compact. Furthermore, by which is arranged to distribute the plurality of motors 18 on the upstream side and the downstream side of the machine base 10, the apparatus compact can be achieved.

  As in the embodiment, the arrangement position of the driven magnet 36 with respect to each roller 26 of the roller unit 28 is different, and the arrangement position of each roller 26 is specified in relation to the drive magnet 24. Since each roller unit is attached and detached in units of 28, compared to a configuration in which individual rollers are attached to and detached from the machine base 10, there is no error in assembling each roller, and it depends on the skill and experience of the operator. The roller 26 can be attached easily and accurately. Even when the rollers 26 having different shapes or the like are arranged in a predetermined order by changing the shapes or the like of some of the rollers 26 in accordance with the shape or properties of the article 38, the rollers with respect to the machine base 10. By attaching and detaching in units of 28 units, it is possible to prevent an assembly error from occurring.

[Example of change]
The present application is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and other configurations can be appropriately employed.
1 . In the embodiment, the projection 40 is provided on the machine base 10 and the engagement hole 30a is provided on the attachment member 32. However, the structure may be reversed, and when the attachment member 32 is attached to the machine base 10. In addition, the engagement means is not limited to the protrusion 40 and the engagement hole 30a as long as the drive magnet 24 and the driven magnet 36 can be held so as to be separated from each other at a constant interval. Can do.
2 . In the embodiment, the roller unit 28 placed on the machine base 10 is configured to be supported by its own weight without misalignment. However, the roller unit 28 is fixed to the machine base 10 by appropriate locking means. Can be adopted.
3 . The number of roller units 28 arranged on the machine base 10 and the number of rollers 26 arranged on the roller unit 28 are not limited to the number of the embodiments, and are appropriately set according to the specifications of the conveyor. do it. In this case, the number of drive shafts 14 and the number of drive magnets 24 disposed on each drive shaft 14 may be matched to the number of rollers 26 and the number of roller units 28.
4 . In the embodiment, a description has been given of a pattern in which spiral N-pole and S-pole bands are alternately magnetized in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surfaces of the drive magnet 24 and the driven magnet 36. It is not limited, and the N pole band and the S pole band of one of the magnets may be arranged alternately in the circumferential direction parallel to the axial direction, and the driven magnet 36 is rotated when the drive magnet 24 rotates. Any other pattern may be adopted as long as it is a magnetized pattern that rotates following the magnetic force. Further, in the embodiment, the case where the N pole band and the S pole band are magnetized on the outer peripheral surface of the magnet material has been described. However, a permanent magnet may be attached. The drive magnet and the driven magnet may be configured by being attached to each other so that the S poles are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction.
5 . In the embodiment, the case where the drive magnet group and the driven magnet group are arranged obliquely has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this arrangement, and the drive magnet 24 and the intersection of the drive shaft 14 and the corresponding roller 26 are not limited to this arrangement. As long as the driven magnets 36 are arranged, they may not be arranged in order. However, in the case of a conveyor using the wave principle as in the embodiment, even if the magnets 24 and 36 are randomly arranged, the phase of the rotation speed of each roller 26 is sequentially shifted toward the transport direction. It is necessary to rotate each drive shaft 14.

It is a schematic perspective view which shows the roller conveyor which concerns on an Example. The roller conveyor according to the embodiment, a fragmentary side view showing a state in which remove the support plate on the downstream side. It is a front view which partially cuts and shows the roller conveyor which concerns on an Example. The disposed position of the drive shaft in the roller conveyor according to the embodiment is a plan view showing a state in which removed roller unit. It is a top view which shows the roller conveyor which concerns on an Example. It is a graph which shows the gear shift pattern of the roller which concerns on an Example.

Explanation of symbols

10 machine bases, 14 drive shafts, 18 motors, 24 drive magnets, 26 rollers 28 roller units, 30a engagement holes (engagement means), 32 attachment members, 36 driven magnets 40 protrusions (engagement means)

Claims (4)

A drive magnet (24) concentrically disposed on a drive shaft (14) rotatably supported on one side of the machine base (10) and integrally rotatable, and a drive magnet (24) at one end in the axial direction And a plurality of rollers (26) arranged in a concentric manner so as to be integrally rotatable, the rollers (26) intersect with the drive shaft (14). A roller conveyor configured to transmit the rotation of the drive shaft (14) in parallel to the roller (26) by the magnetic force of the drive magnet (24) and the driven magnet (36),
A plurality of roller units (28) that rotatably support the rollers (26) by a predetermined number, and are detachably disposed on the machine base (10) via attachment members (32), Each roller unit (28) is configured so that each driven magnet (36) is held at a predetermined position above the drive magnet (24) when attached to the machine base (10) ,
Each roller unit (28) is provided with the same number of rollers (26), and the number of drive shafts (14) corresponding to the number of rollers provided is arranged side by side. Each of the drive shafts (14) is provided with motors (24) corresponding to the number of roller units (28) at predetermined intervals in the axial direction. The driven magnets (36) of the rollers (26) arranged in order from the upstream side to the downstream side of the rollers are configured to be positioned corresponding to the drive magnets (24) of the drive shafts (14), and the motors ( 18) A roller conveyor, characterized in that the roller rotational speed periodically changes and the rotational speed of each roller (26) is rotationally shifted in order toward the transport direction .   The roller conveyor according to claim 1, further comprising engagement means (30a, 40) capable of being attached by mounting the attachment member (32) on the machine base (10).   The engaging means includes a protrusion (40) protruding upward from the machine base (10), and an engagement hole formed in the attachment member (32) so as to engage with the protrusion (40). The roller conveyor according to claim 2, wherein the roller conveyor is constituted by a joint hole (30 a). A drive magnet group disposed on the plurality of drive shafts (14) and corresponding to each roller unit (28) is disposed so as to be inclined from one side to the other in the width direction intersecting the article transport direction. The driven magnet group disposed on the plurality of rollers (26) in the unit (28) is disposed so as to be inclined along the corresponding drive magnet group from the upstream side to the downstream side in the article transport direction. The roller conveyor as described in any one of Claims 1-3 .

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