JP4740352B2 - Rice cooker transport device and rice cooker equipped with the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a rice cooker transport device and a rice cooker including the same, and more specifically, a rice cooker transport device including a gripping device that can grip and release the rice cooker, and a lifting device that lifts and lowers the gripping device, and the same. It is related with the rice cooker provided with such a rice cooker conveyance apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Various rice cooker transport devices have been proposed that include a gripping device that can grip and release a rice cooker and a lifting device that lifts and lowers the gripping device. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a rice trolley transport traveling carriage provided with a chuck for gripping a rice cooker and a means for raising and lowering an arm provided with the chuck. About the rice cooker that has run through the side of the rice cooker row consisting of a plurality of rice cookers arranged in a row, transports the uncooked rice cooker to the appropriate rice cooker and sets it at the rice cooking position, and rice cooking is finished Operates to take out from the rice cooker and transport it to the downstream carry-out position. Patent Document 2 also discloses a rice cooker transport device that runs not in the side of the rice cooker row but in the upper space of the rice cooker row, It operates to carry to the rice cooker, set to the rice cooking position, and take out the cooked rice cooker from the rice cooker and carry it to the carry-out position.

  In any of these conventional rice cooker conveyors, the controller controls the conveyor so that a new rice cooker is not conveyed on the rice cooker where the rice cooker is already set. There is a case where a gripping device that grips another rice cooker is lowered on a rice cooker on which the rice cooker is already set due to some mistake.

  When a gripping device that holds another rice cooker descends on a rice cooker that already has a rice cooker set, the held rice cooker collides with the rice cooker set in the rice cooker, and at that position. Despite stopping the descent, the gripping device continues to descend, and the gripping claws of the gripping device may come into contact with the rice cooker or the like that has stopped descending, and may be damaged such as deformation or breakage. Since the gripping claw is equipped with a drive mechanism that moves the gripping claw forward or backward relative to the rice cooker, if the gripping claw is damaged, it is not easy to repair or replace it. Inconvenience that it cannot be used over time.

  Such inconvenience is not limited to the case where the gripping device that grips another rice cooker is lowered on the rice cooker where the rice cooker is already set, but holds the rice cooker in a place where some foreign matter exists. When the gripping device is lowered, or even when the rice cooker is not gripped, the gripping device may be lowered in a wrong place or a place where foreign matter exists, which is also a disadvantage that can occur similarly. .

JP 2002-104646 A JP 2005-287645 A

  The present invention was made in order to solve the disadvantages of the conventional rice cooker transport device as described above. In the unlikely event that the control device is wrong, the rice cooker is already set on the rice cooker or in other places. Provided is a rice cooker transport device in which a gripping claw is not damaged such as deformation or breakage even when the grip device is lowered to a place where foreign matter exists, and a rice cooker equipped with such a rice cooker transport device. This is a problem.

  The present invention provides a rice cooker transport apparatus that includes the above-described problem, a gripping device that can grip and release the rice cooker, and a lifting device that lifts and lowers the gripping device, and the gripping device grips the upper surface of the rice cooker. At least a pair of gripping claws for holding the rice cooker in contact with the lower surface of the bowl portion of the rice cooker to be held, a support member for rotatably supporting each gripping claw around a horizontal axis, and each gripping claw Means for preventing rotation downward from the horizontal plane, and a drive device for moving the pair of gripping claws between a gripping position for gripping the rice cooking pot and a release position for releasing the rice cooking pot. The problem is solved by providing a rice cooker transport device and a rice cooker equipped with such a rice cooker transport device.

  In the rice cooker transport device of the present invention, the gripping claws for gripping the rice cooker are pivotally supported around the horizontal axis, and means for preventing the gripping claws from rotating downward relative to the horizontal plane is provided. Since the gripping claws may be brought into contact with the lower surface of the bowl portion of the rice cooker, the gripping claws may be gripped on the rice cooker on which the rice cooker is already set. Even when the gripping device is lowered in a place where there are other foreign objects, if the gripping claws come into contact with a rice cooker or foreign matter that has stopped descending, the gripping claws can rotate upward and escape, No damage such as deformation or breakage.

  The rice cooker transport device of the present invention preferably includes a moving means that moves along a rice cooker transport line in the rice cooking system. As a preferred example of the rice cooker transport line, a plurality of rice cookers are arranged in a row. The conveyance line along the rice cooker row | line | column arrange | positioned in the shape is mentioned. The conveying line along which the rice cooker conveying apparatus of the present invention moves may be linear, curved, or a linear combination of a straight line and a curved line. Moreover, the rice cooker conveyance apparatus of this invention may move the space of the side part of a conveyance line, or may move the space of the upper part of a conveyance line. However, in the case of the rice cooker provided with the rice cooker transport device of the present invention, from the viewpoint of reducing the installation space of the entire rice cooker, the rice cooker transport device of the present invention moves in the upper space of the rice cooker row. Is desirable.

  In a preferred embodiment of the rice cooker transport apparatus of the present invention, at least a control device that controls the lifting / lowering operation of the gripping device by the lifting / lowering device, and a gripping claw that is turned upward by a certain angle or more than a horizontal plane. A rotation sensor that detects and outputs a rotation signal. When the control device receives a rotation signal from the rotation sensor while the gripping device is descending, it is determined as an operation error, and an error signal is output. It is programmed to issue. As a result, the rice cooker transport device according to the present invention immediately detects the error when the gripping device is accidentally lowered onto the rice cooker where the rice cooker is already set or where there is a foreign object. Appropriate measures such as stopping further lowering of the gripping device and generating an alarm sound can be taken quickly.

  According to the rice cooker transport device of the present invention, even when the control device is mistakenly moved down on the rice cooker on which the rice cooker is already set or where a foreign object is present, When contacting the member from below, the member can be turned upward to escape, so that there is an advantage that it is not damaged such as deformation or breakage. In addition, when the gripping claw is in contact with some foreign object and rotates upward, an error signal is output from the control device, so that the rice cooker transport device is stopped or the operator's attention is given appropriately. It is possible to take a response. According to the rice cooker equipped with the rice cooker transport device of the present invention, even if the control device is wrong, the gripping claw will not be damaged, so the operation can be resumed in a short time by releasing the operation error The advantage of being able to do is obtained.

It is a front view which shows an example of the rice cooker provided with the rice cooker conveyance apparatus of this invention. It is a top view which shows an example of the rice cooker provided with the rice cooker conveyance apparatus of this invention. It is a top view of a rice cooker conveyance apparatus. It is a right view of a rice cooker conveyance apparatus. It is a top view of the holding | gripping apparatus cut | disconnected by the X-X 'line | wire of FIG. It is a top view of the holding | grip apparatus with a holding nail | claw in a release position. FIG. 6 is a Y-Y ′ cross-sectional view of FIG. 5. FIG. 6 is a Y-Y ′ cross-sectional view of FIG. 5. It is sectional drawing which shows the other example of a holding claw and its supporting member. It is sectional drawing which shows the other example of a holding claw and its supporting member. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the rice cooker conveying apparatus of this invention. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the rice cooker conveying apparatus of this invention.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, taking as an example the case where the rice cooker conveying apparatus of the present invention is applied to a rice cooking apparatus, but the present invention is not limited to the illustrated one.

  FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of a rice cooker equipped with a rice cooker transport device of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is the rice cooker conveyance apparatus of this invention, 2 is the rice cooker provided with the rice cooker conveyance apparatus 1 of this invention. The rice cooker transport device 1 is drawn with a gripping device 3 capable of gripping and releasing the rice cooker, a gripping device 3 with a travel position drawn with a solid line indicated by A in the figure, and a broken line indicated with B in the figure. And a lifting / lowering device 4 that moves up and down between the gripping and releasing positions. Reference numerals 5 and 5 denote traveling wheels of the rice cooker transport device 1, and reference numeral 6 denotes a traveling path of the traveling wheels 5 and 5. The rice cooker transport device 1 reciprocates on the traveling path 6 as shown by arrows in the figure by rotating the traveling wheels 5 and 5 in the forward or reverse direction.

7 is a rice cooker row comprised of a plurality of rice cookers 7 ₁ , 7 ₂ , 7 ₃ ... Arranged in a row. In the illustrated example, rice mill train 7 is constituted by cooking machine 7 _{1-7 5} five cooking machines, the number of rice machine is not limited to five, even more than five, It may be 4 or less. In this example, the rice cooker transport device 1 is configured to travel in the space above the rice cooker row 7, but the rice cooker transport device 1 may reciprocate along the rice cooker row 7, If the holding device 3 can be raised and lowered with respect to the rice cookers 7 ₁ , 7 ₂ , 7 ₃ ..., The movement path is not limited to the space above the rice cooker row 7. For example, the rice cooker transport device 1 may reciprocate the side of the rice cooker row 7 along the rice cooker row 7.

8in is a receiving part provided on an extension line at one end of the rice cooker row 7, 8out is a carry-out part provided on an extension line at the other end of the rice cooker row 7, and P is a rice cooker. The cooking pot P, the flange portion Pt of the upper and lower stages on top, and Pb is provided, the flange portion Pb of the lower side, as shown in cooking machine 7 _4, when set to cooking machine, By bringing the lower surface into contact with the upper surface of the side wall of the rice cooker, it has a function of holding the rice cooker P at a predetermined height with respect to the rice cooker. On the other hand, as will be described later, the upper brim portion Pt allows the rice cooker P to be gripped and transported by the gripping claws by bringing its lower surface into contact with the gripping claws of the gripping device 3.

  Each of the receiving part 8in and the carrying-out part 8out is provided with a plurality of rotating rollers 9 for conveying the rice cooker P. 10 and 10 are stoppers for stopping the rice cooker P on the receiving portion 8in. The receiving unit 8in receives the rice cooker P containing uncooked rice and water from the preceding line, and holds the received rice cooker P in a position where the gripping device 3 provided in the rice cooker transport device 1 can grip it. The carry-out portion 8out is a portion that receives the release of the gripping device 3 from the rice cooker P that has finished cooking, and sends it out to the subsequent line.

In addition, in the rice cooking device 2 of this example, in the receiving part 8in, in the height of the rice cooking pot P held at a grippable position (height indicated by “Hin” in the drawing), and in the carry-out part 8out, height receive cooking pot P is released (the height shown in Figure "Hout") are both in height (Fig stove pot P when it is set in the cooking machine 7 _{1-7 5,} in cooking machine 7 _4, and is configured to be the same as the height) represented by H. Rice pot P handled by one cooking device, usually, since they have fixed the same shape, the receiving portion 8in, unloading unit 8out, and that cooking machine 7 _{1-7 5} height of cooking pot P is the same in This means that in the rice cooking device 2 of this example, the height of the lower surface of the heel part Pt, which is the gripped part in the rice cooker P, is the same at any position. Thus, the gripping device 3, the receiving portion 8in, unloading unit 8out, and at any position of the cooking machine 7 _{1-7 5,} or gripping the cooking pot P at the same level, can be or released Thus, the lifting device 4 may lift and lower the gripping device 3 between two positions: a gripping / release position B for gripping or releasing the rice cooker P and a traveling position A for transporting the gripped rice cooker P. Become. Thereby, the advantage that the structure of the lifting device 4 and its control become very simple and easy can be obtained.

11 is a cable / hose support / guide device in which various signal lines, power lines, and compressed air pipes are housed. One end of the cable / hose support / guide device is provided at the moving end 12 provided in the rice cooker transport device 1, and the other end is provided. It is attached to a fixed end 14 provided on the frame 13 of the rice cooker 2. Reference numeral 15 is a control device, 16 is a power source, and 17 is a compressed air source, which are connected to a connector portion (not shown) of the fixed end 14 by appropriate signal lines 15a, power lines 16a, and air tubes 17a, respectively. As a result, the power source 16 and the compressed air source 17 are connected to the connector portion and the cable / hose support / guide device 11 through the corresponding lines and pipelines. The control device 15 can control the rice cooker transport device 1 by exchanging various signals with the rice cooker transport device 1.

  As shown in this example, by providing both the power source 16 and the compressed air source 17 outside, the structure of the rice cooker transport apparatus 1 can be simplified, and the rice cooker transport apparatus 1 can be reduced in weight. Since it can do, it becomes possible to raise the traveling speed of the rice cooker conveyance apparatus 1, and there exists an advantage that the stop position can be controlled more correctly. Furthermore, since the rice cooker transport device 1 and the control device 15 are connected not by radio but by wire, there is no loss in the time required for the exchange of signals between the two, and quick control becomes possible and close. Thus, there is an advantage that there is no risk of malfunction due to reception of radio waves emitted from other devices and devices.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the rice cooking device 2 shown in FIG. 1, for the sake of convenience, a part of the control device 15 and the like is omitted. As shown, the cooking apparatus 7 _{1-7 5} constituting the cooking mill train 7 are arranged in a straight line, the receiving portion 8in on the captain line of one end thereof, out section 8out are disposed on the extension of the other end ing. Arrangement of cooking machine 7 _{1-7 5} constituting the cooking machine column 7 is not necessarily limited to a linear shape, may be curved, may be arranged linearly, which consist of a combination of straight lines and curved lines . In the illustrated example, the receiving unit 8in accepts the rice cooker P from the direction orthogonal to the row direction of the rice cooker row 7, and the carry-out unit 8out takes the rice cooker P in the direction along the row direction of the rice cooker row 7. However, it is needless to say that the receiving direction and the carrying-out direction with respect to the rice cooker row 7 can be appropriately changed according to the surrounding environment where the rice cooking device 2 is installed.

  FIG. 3 is a plan view of the rice cooker transport apparatus 1. 3, 5a and 5a are axles of the traveling wheels 5 and 5, and are rotatably supported by bearings 5b, 5b... Attached to the substrate 1a of the rice cooker transport device 1. Reference numeral 18 denotes an electric motor, and reference numeral 18 a denotes a driving pulley attached to a rotating shaft of the electric motor 18. When the electric motor 18 rotates, the rotation is transmitted to the driven pulley 5c attached to one of the axles 5a and 5a via the timing belt 19, and rotationally drives the traveling wheels 5 and 5.

  Reference numeral 20 denotes a chain installed in parallel with the traveling path 6, and 21 denotes a sprocket provided with teeth that engage with the chain 20. Reference numeral 21a denotes a rotating shaft of the sprocket 21, which is rotatably supported by bearings 21b and 21b attached to the rice cooker transport device 1, and a rotation transmission pulley 21c is attached to the tip thereof. Reference numeral 22 denotes a rotary encoder. A driven pulley 22b is attached to the tip of the rotary shaft, and a timing belt 23 is bridged between the rotation transmission pulley 21c and the driven pulley 22b.

When the rice cooker transport device 1 travels on the travel path 6, the sprocket 21 that engages with the chain 20 rotates along with the travel, and the rotation is caused by the rotation shaft 21a, the rotation transmission pulley 21c, the timing belt 23, and the driven It is transmitted to the rotary encoder 22 via the side pulley 22b. The rotary encoder 22 outputs a signal corresponding to the amount of rotation of the internal rotary disk as a signal indicating the position on the traveling path 6 of the rice cooker transport device 1, and the signal is sent from the moving end 12 to the cable / hose support / guide. The signal is transmitted to the control device 15 via a signal line accommodated in the device 11. It goes without saying that the control device 15 controls the traveling of the rice cooker transport device 1 based on this signal so that the rice cooker transport device 1 moves to a predetermined position on the travel path 6 and stops.

  4c is a pneumatic cylinder that constitutes the lifting device 4, and 4v is an electromagnetic valve that controls the supply of compressed air to the pneumatic cylinder 4c. 24 and 24 are guide bars at the time of raising / lowering of the holding | gripping apparatus 3. FIG.

  FIG. 4 is a right side view of the rice cooker transport device 1 and shows a state in which the gripping device 3 is at the travel position A that is most raised. In FIG. 4, 4r is a piston rod of the pneumatic cylinder 4c. The piston rod 4r protrudes downward from the substrate 1a of the rice cooker transport device 1, and the top plate 3a of the gripping device 3 is connected to the tip thereof. . Reference numerals 24 a and 24 a are guide tubes for the guide bars 24 and 24, and the guide tubes 24 a and 24 a penetrate the substrate 1 a of the rice cooker transport device 1. The lower ends of the guide bars 24, 24 are connected to the top plate 3a of the gripping device 3 similarly to the piston rod 4r. In the state shown in the figure, the piston rod 4r of the pneumatic cylinder 4c is at the most retracted position, and the gripping device 3 is at the most elevated travel position.

  3b is a plate-like cover member integrally coupled with the top plate 3a, and the size and shape of the cover member cover the at least the upper opening of the rice cooker P gripped by the gripping device 3. Yes. The cover member 3b has a pair of left and right pneumatic cylinders 3c, 3c and a solenoid valve 3v for controlling the supply of compressed air to the pneumatic cylinders on the upper surface side and inside the outer periphery of the cover member 3b. 3v are attached.

  31 and 31 are a pair of left and right gripping claws, 32 and 32 are support members, 33 and 33 are horizontal rotation shafts to which the respective gripping claws 31 and 31 are coupled, and the rotation shafts 33 and 33 are as described later. The support members 32 are rotatably supported on the shaft. In this example, the grip claws 31 are a pair of left and right, but may be two pairs or three or more pairs. Reference numerals 34 and 34 are guide bars for guiding the movement of the support members 32 and 32 in the horizontal direction. The guide bars 34 and 34 pass through the inside of the guide tubes 34a and 34a attached to the support members 32 and 32. 32 and 32 protrude outside. Although not shown in this figure, the tip portions of the piston rods of the pneumatic cylinders 3c and 3c are coupled to the support members 32 and 32, respectively. By switching the solenoid valves 3v and 3v according to a signal from a control device 15 (not shown) and controlling the supply of compressed air to the pneumatic cylinders 3c and 3c, the piston rod protrudes from the cylinder or is pulled into the cylinder, and the support member 32, The gripping claws 31, 31 supported by 32 can be moved between the release position and the gripping position. Thus, in this example, the pneumatic cylinders 3c, 3c and the electromagnetic valves 3v, 3v constitute a drive device that moves the gripping claws 31, 31 between the release position and the gripping position.

  In FIG. 4, the pneumatic cylinders 3 c and 3 c are in a state where the respective piston rods are in the most retracted position inside the cylinder, and the gripping claws 31 and 31 of the gripping device 3 are in the gripping positions closest to each other. . When the gripping claws 31 and 31 are in the gripping position, at least a part of the gripping claws 31 and 31 is directly below the upper hook portion Pt of the rice cooker P, and the upper surface of the gripping claws 31 and 31 is the rice cooker P It is in contact with the lower surface of the flange portion Pt or is in a position where it can contact. On the other hand, as will be described later, when the piston rods of the pneumatic cylinders 3c and 3c are projected most outward from the cylinder, the gripping claws 31 and 31 of the gripping device 3 are at the most disengaged positions. When the gripping claws 31 and 31 are in the release position, the gripping claws 31 and 31 are no longer located directly below the upper bowl portion Pt of the rice cooker P, and even if the gripping device 3 is raised, The upper surfaces of the claws 31 do not come into contact with the lower surface of the bowl portion Pt of the rice cooker P.

  FIG. 5 is a plan view of the gripping device 3 cut along the line X-X ′ in FIG. 4. As shown in the drawing, rotary shafts 33 and 33 are rotatably attached to the left and right support members 32 and 32 via bearings 32a and 32a, respectively. Each rotating shaft 33 and 33 is couple | bonded with the holding claws 31 and 31 via the attachment pieces 31a and 31a. Accordingly, the grip claws 31 and 31 are supported by the support members 32 and 32 so as to be rotatable around a horizontal axis. 31s and 31s are stoppers attached to the attachment pieces 31a and 31a.

  Reference numerals 3r and 3r denote piston rods of a pair of pneumatic cylinders 3c and 3c. The piston rods 3r and 3r are respectively connected at their distal ends to left and right support members 32 and 32, respectively. In the state shown in the figure, the piston rods 3r and 3r are in the most retracted state inside the cylinder, and the grip claws 31 and 31 that are rotatably supported by the support members 32 and 32 are in the grip positions closest to each other. . When the piston rods 3r and 3r protrude from the pneumatic cylinders 3c and 3c, the support members 32 and 32 are guided by the guide bars 34 and 34, respectively, and move outward. In the position where the piston rods 3r and 3r are most protruded from the cylinder, the gripping claws 31 and 31 are in the release positions farthest from each other.

  FIG. 6 is a plan view of the gripping device 3 with the gripping claws 31, 31 in the release position. In the release position, the gripping claws 31, 31 do not exist directly under the heel part Pt of the rice cooker P. In addition, the front-end | tip part of the side which faces the rice cooking pot P of the holding claws 31 and 31 is curving in the reverse circular arc shape along the outer periphery shape in the to-be-gripped part of the rice cooking pot P as shown in the figure.

  FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line Y-Y ′ of FIG. 5, and shows only the peripheral portions of the support member 32 and the gripping claws 31 in an enlarged manner. As shown in the figure, the gripping claw 31 is attached to a rotary shaft 33 via an attachment piece 31a, and the rotary shaft 33 is rotatably supported by a bearing 32a attached to a support member 32. Thereby, the gripping claw 31 is rotatable about a horizontal axis together with the rotation shaft 33. However, the stopper 31s is attached to the attachment piece 31a. At the position shown in the figure, the stopper 31s is in a state where the side surface is in contact with the side surface of the support member 32. From being counterclockwise in the drawing, that is, turning downward from the horizontal plane is prevented. Thus, since the gripping claws 31 are provided with the stoppers 31s, even if the upper surface of the gripping claws 31 does not rotate downward from the horizontal plane and is brought into contact with the lower surface of the bowl portion Pt of the rice cooker P (not shown), it is sufficient. The rice cooker P can be held and conveyed while supporting the weight of the rice cooker P.

  FIG. 8 shows a state in which the gripping claw 31 is rotated upward with respect to the horizontal axis around the horizontal axis together with the rotation shaft 33. Thus, it is free for the gripping claw 31 to turn upward from the horizontal plane, that is, to rotate clockwise in the figure, because it is not restricted by the stopper 31s. Further, as is clear from the figure, the center of gravity of the gripping claw 31 is on the left side of the rotation shaft 33, so that the gripping claw 31 rotates counterclockwise with respect to the rotation shaft 33 by its own weight when there is no external force. Then, the stopper 31s returns to the position shown in FIG. 7 where the stopper 31s contacts the side surface of the support member 32, that is, the position where the rice cooker P can be gripped. 7 and 8 described the right gripping claw 31 in FIG. 5, the same applies to the left gripping claw 31 except that the left and right are reversed.

  In the above example, the stoppers 31s and 31s that contact the side surfaces of the support members 32 and 32 are shown as means for preventing the gripping claws 31 and 31 from rotating downward from the horizontal plane. , 31 is not limited to the above-described stoppers 31s, 31s. For example, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a stopper 32 s may be attached to the support member 32 so that when the gripping claw 31 is in a horizontal state, a part of the gripping claw 31 comes into contact with the stopper 32 s. . As shown in FIG. 9, the gripping claw 31 is prevented from rotating downward from the horizontal plane by the stopper 32s. However, as shown in FIG. 10, the gripping claw 31 rotates upward from the horizontal plane. It is free to do.

  Next, operation | movement of the holding claws 31 and 31 in the rice cooker conveyance apparatus 1 of this invention is demonstrated using FIG. 11, FIG.

11, for example, in the rice cooking system 2 shown in FIG. 1, on already cooking machine 7 ₄ cooking pot P ₁ is set, the cooking pot conveying apparatus 1, for some misregulation, further cooking pot gripping the P _2, and shows a state that has been conveyed. The pneumatic cylinder 4c in the lifting device 4 is in a position where the piston rod 4r is most drawn into the cylinder, and the gripping device 3 is in the traveling position. The pneumatic cylinders 3c and 3c in the gripping device 3 are also in positions where the piston rods 3r and 3r not visible in the drawing are most drawn into the cylinder, and the gripping claws 31 and 31 are in the gripping positions closest to each other. The lower surface of the upper flange portion Pt of the rice pot _{P 2} on the upper surface of the gripping claws 31, 31 is in contact with, rice pot _{P 2} is gripped by the gripping claws 31, 31. In addition, since the holding claws 31 and 31 have a reverse arc shape with both ends protruding toward the rice cooker as described above, in order to make the relationship with the heel part Pt easy to understand, It is shown as a cut surface. Reference numerals 35 and 35 denote proximity sensors provided on the lower surfaces of the support members 32 and 32.

Figure 12 shows a state in which the piston rod 4r by pneumatic cylinder 4c is actuated protrudes downward, gripping device 3 was lowered while holding the cooking pot P ₂ of the lifting device 4 from the state of FIG. 11. When the gripping device 3 is lowered from the state of FIG. 11, first, the bottom of the cooking pot P ₂ that has been gripped, already cooking machine 7 ₄ to the set cooking pot P ₁ of the upper and contact has to stop descent . However, the gripping device 3 still continues to descend, the protective cover 3b of the gripping device 3 is in contact with the top of the rice pot P _2, more, it stops when no longer lowered.

At this time, the gripping claws 31, 31, the bottom of the cooking pot P ₂ is at the top and the time the contact with the cooking pot P _1, firstly, the contact between the lower surface of the flange portion Pt of the rice pot P ₂ is released , then, when the gripping device 3 is further lowered, but abuts against the lower side of the flange portion Pb of the rice pot _{P 2,} gripping claws 31 and 31, the rotary shaft 33, 33, upwardly to the support member 32 and 32 Since it is rotatably supported, as shown in the figure, it can be rotated upward and the upward external force received from the collar part Pb can be escaped well. If conventional rice cooking kettle conveying device, the gripping claws 31 and 31, since its base is fixed to the support member 32, at the time of contact with the lower side of the flange portion Pb of the rice pot P _2, In the rice cooker transport apparatus 1 according to the present invention, the gripping claws 31 and 31 are freely rotatable upward from the horizontal plane. Therefore, the upward external force can be escaped well, and it is not damaged such as deformation.

Note that the proximity sensors 35, 35 may detect the upward rotation of the gripping claws 31, 31 and send the signal to the control device 15. When the control device 15 receives the rotation signal from the proximity sensors 35, 35, it determines that it is an operation error. For example, the control device 15 stops the lowering of the grip device 3 by the lifting device 4, and emits an alarm sound to alert the operator. Arouse. Since the control device 15 does not determine the temporary vertical movement of the gripping claws 31, 31 caused by the traveling of the rice cooker transport device 1 as the upward rotation, the rotation signal from the proximity sensors 35, 35 is not received. It is preferable to determine that the gripping claws 31 and 31 have rotated upward and to determine an operation error only when the operation continues for a certain time or longer. When the proximity sensor 35, 35 is provided and the control device 15 determines that the operation error has occurred when the gripping claws 31, 31 are rotated upward, and the gripping device 3 stops further lowering, the gripping device 3 but there is a merit that it is possible to avoid actually contacts the top of the cooking pot P ₁ set in the cooking machine 7 _4.

  Further, when the pneumatic cylinder 4c is provided with a piston position sensor and can detect whether or not the piston rod 4r has reached the outermost protruding position, a signal from the piston position sensor The control device 15 may determine an operation error. That is, after the control device 15 issues a lowering command for the grip device 3 to the elevating device 4, a signal is detected to detect that the piston rod 4r has reached the position where the piston rod 4r protrudes to the outermost side even after a predetermined time has elapsed. If it is not received, it is considered that some trouble has occurred in the lowering of the gripping device 3, so that the control device 15 determines an operation error and may stop the lowering of the gripping device 3 or emit an alarm sound. it can.

  In the above description, the rice cooker transport device of the present invention has been described by taking a rice cooker including a plurality of rice cookers arranged in a row as an example, but the application target of the rice cooker transport device of the present invention is limited to the rice cooker. I can't. For example, the rice cooker transport apparatus of the present invention is also effective when the rice cooker is transported and placed on various devices constituting a transport line such as a roller conveyor and a lifter. In other words, regardless of the type of apparatus, even if the rice cooker is erroneously transported and placed in a place where another rice cooker or foreign matter already exists on the cooker, the present invention can be used. If it is a rice cooker conveyance apparatus, the advantage that a holding nail | claw will not be deform | transformed and damaged is acquired.

  As described above, according to the rice cooker transport apparatus of the present invention, even if the rice cooker is erroneously transported and placed in a place where the rice cooker or other foreign matter already exists due to some mistake, The gripping claw that grips the device is not damaged such as deformation or breakage, and it is possible to easily return the apparatus or system to the original state by correcting the error. In addition, according to the rice cooker equipped with the rice cooker transport device of the present invention, even if the control device is wrong, the gripping claw will not be damaged. The advantage is that it can be resumed. These advantages are extremely important for efficient rice cooking, and the industrial applicability provided by the present invention is great.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Rice cooker conveyance apparatus 2 Rice cooking apparatus 3 Grasp apparatus 4 Lifting apparatus 5 Traveling wheel 6 Travel path 7 Rice cooker row 31 Grasping claw 31s, 32s Stopper 32 Support member 33 Rotating shaft 35 Proximity sensor 3c, 4c Pneumatic cylinder 3v, 4v Electromagnetic Valve P Rice cooker Pt, Pb Buttocks

Claims (5)

A rice cooker transport device comprising a gripping device capable of gripping and releasing a rice cooker and a lifting device for raising and lowering the gripping device, wherein the gripping device has a lower surface of a bowl portion of the rice cooker to be gripped. At least a pair of gripping claws that hold the rice cooker in contact with the rice cooker, and each gripping when the gripping claw comes into contact with the rice cooker that has stopped descending while the gripping device grips the rice cooking pot. A support member that rotatably supports each gripping claw about a horizontal axis so that the claw rotates upward, and a stopper that prevents each gripping claw from rotating downward relative to the horizontal plane, A rice cooker transport apparatus comprising a drive device that moves a pair of gripping claws horizontally between a gripping position for gripping a rice cooker and a release position for releasing the rice cooking pot.   The rice cooker conveying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for moving the rice cooker conveying apparatus along a rice cooker conveying line in the rice cooking system.   The rice cooker conveyance apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the rice cooker conveyance line in the rice cooking system is a conveyance line along a rice cooker row in which a plurality of rice cookers are arranged in a row.   A control device that controls at least the lifting operation of the gripping device by the lifting device, and a rotation sensor that detects and outputs a rotation signal when the gripping claw rotates upward by a certain angle or more than the horizontal plane, The control device is programmed to determine an operation error and issue an error signal when the control device receives a rotation signal from the rotation sensor while the gripping device is lowered. The rice cooker conveyance apparatus as described in.   The rice cooker provided with the rice cooker row | line | column which arrange | positions several rice cookers in a line | column, and the rice cooker conveyance apparatus in any one of Claims 1-4 which drive | works along the rice cooker row | line | column.

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