JP4794534B2 - Article conveying device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention separates two areas, a sanitary area and a contaminated area, an indoor area and an outdoor area, and allows only articles to pass between the two areas without passing a person. Relates to the device.

  Conventionally, for example, an article discharging apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is known as a means for managing the entry and exit of such two areas.

  This article discharging apparatus is an apparatus for discharging an article from a first isolator having a sterile space to the outside. The article discharging apparatus conveys the article in the first isolator to the second isolator through the communication port. A first conveyor that opens and closes the communication port, and a second shutter that can be closed with a slight gap between the first shutter and the first isolator. When the article is moved to the second isolator, the first shutter is opened, the second shutter is closed, the air supply blower is operated with a small air volume, and after the article is moved to the second isolator, the first shutter is closed. Thus, the second shutter is opened, and the article is discharged from the second isolator while operating the air supply blower with a large air volume.

JP 2002-310474 A

  The article discharging apparatus as described in Patent Document 1 is intended to prevent contaminants such as bacteria from entering the isolator from the outside and discharge the article from the isolator to the outside. It is necessary to put it on, and it is difficult to discharge things like carts.

  In order to discharge a large article or a whole article such as a carriage that moves on the floor with a conveyor, it is necessary to install a conveyor that moves on the floor, which requires a large amount of work and is installed in an existing facility. There is a problem that it is difficult to do and its maintenance is also difficult.

  For this reason, conventionally, it is necessary to drop only necessary articles from the carriage, place them on the transfer conveyor, pass between the areas, and then place the articles on the carriage again, which is troublesome.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and it is not necessary to replace an article so that only an article passes between two areas without passing a person. Its purpose is to provide.

In order to achieve the above object, an invention according to claim 1 of the present invention provides an article conveying apparatus for conveying an article from a first area to a second area.
An intermediate zone isolated from these zones is provided between the first zone and the second zone, a first opening is formed between the first zone and the middle zone, and between the middle zone and the second zone. The first opening is provided with first door means for opening and closing the first opening, and second door means for opening and closing the second opening by raising and lowering to the second opening is provided,
While the first opening is opened by the first door means, the second opening is closed by the second door means, and while the second opening is opened by the second door means, the first opening is closed by the first door means. And
In the intermediate area, a conveyance path is formed between the first opening and the second opening, and a pair of conveyance means is provided on both sides of the conveyance path, and a part of the pair of conveyance means is part of the second door means. A pair of conveying means pushes an article on the conveying path from both sides toward the second opening, passes through the second opening and passes through the second area. It is made to move to.

  The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the conveyance path according to claim 1 has the same height as the floor surface of the first area and the second area.

  According to a third aspect of the invention, each of the conveying means according to the first or second aspect includes a conveying chain that circulates on a horizontal plane, and the pair of conveying chains are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line of the conveying path. The blocks attached to the respective transport chains push out the articles.

  The invention according to claim 4 is the one according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first opening is opened by the first door means in the initial state and the second opening is closed by the second door means, When the article passes through the first opening and fits in the intermediate zone and starts the transfer operation, the first door closes the first opening, and after the first opening is completely closed, the second door opens the second opening, After the second opening is completely opened, the pair of conveying means starts operating and pushes the article out of the second opening, and then the pair of conveying means stops operating, and the second door means opens the second opening. And the first opening is opened by the first door means after the second opening is completely closed.

  The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that a human sensor for detecting that there is an intruder in the intermediate area is provided in the intermediate area according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the conveyance path according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, an article detection sensor that detects that an article has been put in a correct position, and an article is conveyed in the pair. characterized in that one or both articles detecting sensor of an article detection sensor for detecting that it has been put in the wrong position clamping find al are is provided by the means.

  According to the present invention, the conveying means provided on both sides of the conveying path pushes the article from both sides to move from the middle area to the second area through the second opening and move on a large or floor surface. Even an article to be carried can be directly transferred from the first area to the second area. Since it is not necessary to place articles on the conveyor, labor saving can be achieved. Since the construction of the conveyance path itself can be simplified, it can be easily installed in existing facilities, and maintenance is also facilitated.

  While the first opening is opened by the first door means, the second opening is closed by the second door means, and while the second opening is opened by the second door means, the first opening is closed by the first door means. In addition, since the first opening and the second opening do not open at the same time, it is possible to prevent a person from passing through these openings.

  According to invention of Claim 2, since a conveyance path is the same height as the floor surface of a 1st area and a 2nd area, it can move articles | goods on a floor surface smoothly.

  According to invention of Claim 3, a block moves when a pair of conveyance chain moves, and this pair of blocks can extrude articles | goods.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the articles can be reliably conveyed from the first area to the second area, while reverse conveyance from the second area to the first area can be prevented.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a person from passing between both areas by detecting an intruder with the human sensor.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the article detection sensor can confirm that the article has been correctly put into the transport path, or the pair of transport means can prevent the article from being properly put into the transport path. It is possible to prevent the article from being pinched.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of an article conveying apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view thereof.

  In the figure, the article transporting apparatus 10 allows only an article to pass between a first area 12 and a second area 14 from the first area 12 to the second area 14 without interposing a person. The movement of people between the two areas is prohibited, and the reverse transportation of articles from the second area to the first area is also prohibited. Examples of the first area and the second area include a sanitary area and a contaminated area or vice versa, an indoor area and an outdoor area or vice versa, a sterile area and a non-sterile area or vice versa, and a clean area and a non-clean area or vice versa. can do.

  An intermediate area 16 is provided between the first area 12 and the second area 14 and is isolated from both areas, and a first opening 18 is formed between the first area 12 and the intermediate area 16. A second opening 20 is formed between the intermediate section 16 and the second section 14, and the first opening 18 and the second opening 20 are arranged in a straight line. The intermediate area 16 can be defined by walls, ceilings, and panels.

  The first opening 18 is provided with a first shutter 22 as first door means, and the second opening 20 is provided with a second shutter 24 as second door means.

  The first shutter 22 and the second shutter 24 are constituted by electric shutters, and a shutter main body 30 is attached to the upper portions of the openings 18 and 20, and a shutter sheet 32 is wound from the shutter main body 30. The shutter sheet 32 is lifted up and down by the operation of a motor built in the shutter body 30. Further, the shutter body 30 incorporates a lower limit switch and an upper limit switch for detecting that the shutter sheet 32 is at the lower limit position and the upper limit position. However, the door means is not limited to the shutter, and any door that can open and close the openings 18 and 20 can be adopted.

  The heights of the floor surfaces (including the ground) of the first area 12, the second area 14, and the intermediate area 16 are preferably the same, and at least near the first opening 18 of the first area 12, In the vicinity of the intermediate area 16 and the second opening 20 in the second area 14, the height of the floor surface may be the same. In the intermediate area 16, a portion between the first opening 18 and the second opening 20 is a conveyance path 38, and a pair of left and right sides of the conveyance path 38 are symmetrical with respect to the center line of the conveyance path 38. Conveying means 40, 40 are provided.

  Each transport means 40 includes a drive sprocket 42, a driven sprocket 43, a transport chain 44 spanned between the two sprockets 42, 43, and a motor 46 (FIG. 2) for driving the drive sprocket 42. The transport chain 44 is circulated and moved in a plane parallel to the floor surface. A plurality of blocks 48 are attached to each transport chain 44 at appropriate intervals. Further, the conveying means 40 is provided with a deceleration sensor 50 for detecting the passage of the block 48 and a stop sensor 52. When the deceleration sensor 50 detects the passage of the block 48, the motor 46 decelerates and stops. The block 48 can be stopped at the detection position of the sensor 52.

  The transport chain 44 of the transport means 40 is covered and protected by a cover 54. Further, a part of the conveying means 40 extends beyond the intermediate area 16 toward the second area 14.

  A pair of guide rails 56 are provided symmetrically on the floor surface of the conveyance path 38 in the intermediate section 16, and the distance between the pair of guide rails 56 is the first opening at the end on the first opening 18 side. As it advances from 18 to the conveyance path 38, it gradually becomes narrower. As a result, the article can be guided so as to be always centered on the conveyance path 38, and the load can be equally shared by the pair of conveyance means 40. Above the transport means 40, a second guide rail 58 is provided for preventing the articles moving on the transport path 38 from overturning and preventing people from entering other than the transport path 38.

  A control unit 60 is provided on the side of the first opening 18 in the first area 12. As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 60 receives signals from an operation button for starting a transfer operation, a stop button for emergency stop, and a reset button, and also includes a deceleration sensor 50, a stop sensor 52, and shutters 22 and 24. In response to the signals from the upper limit switch 62 and the lower limit switch 64, the signals to the shutter main body 30 that drives the first shutter 22 and the second shutter 24 and the motor drive circuit 66 that drives the motor 46 of each conveying means 40 are sent. Each one is sent out. Optionally, article detection sensors 72 and 74 (see FIG. 1) for detecting the presence / absence of an article can be provided at a predetermined position in the conveyance path 38.

  The operation of the article transport apparatus 10 configured as described above will be described.

  In the initial state, as shown in FIG. 2, the first shutter 22 is raised and the first opening 18 is opened, the second shutter 24 is lowered and the second opening 20 is closed, so that the intermediate section 16 is The intermediate zone 16 and the second zone 14 are in a disconnected state in communication with the first zone 12.

  When it is necessary to carry out the carriage 70 finished in the first area 12 and the load placed on the carriage 70 to the second area 14, the operator opens the first opening 18 together with the carriage 70. Pass through and move to the intermediate zone 16 (FIG. 4A).

  In the intermediate zone 16, in the initial state, one block 48 of each transport means 40 stops at a position near the second opening 20 in order to function as a stopper. When the carriage 70 advances to the intermediate section 16, the front end thereof is guided along the guide rail 56, is centered on the conveyance path 38 and abuts against the block 48, and the carriage 70 is completely contained in the intermediate section 16. For this reason, the length of the conveyance path 38 in the intermediate section 16 is slightly longer than the maximum length of articles that need to be conveyed.

  In this way, after the cart 70 is inserted into the intermediate section 16, when the operator presses the operation button, the transfer operation starts. At this time, if the article detection sensors 72 and 74 are provided, the control unit 60 determines whether the article detection sensor 72 detects the carriage 70 and whether the article detection sensor 74 detects the carriage 70. judge. When the article detection sensor 72 detects the carriage 70, it can be confirmed that the carriage 70 has been correctly inserted into the intermediate area 16, and when the article detection sensor 74 does not detect the carriage 70, the carriage 70 is This prevents the carriage 70 from being pinched by the block 48 of the conveyance chain 44 when the conveyance means 40 described below starts operation because the position is too close to the front. When the determination result is No, an alarm or the like may be output.

  Then, the first shutter 22 is lowered and the first opening 18 is closed by a signal from the control unit 60 (FIG. 4B). This prevents the operator from entering the intermediate area 16 from the first area.

  When the lowering of the first shutter 22 is finished and the control unit 60 receives a signal from the lower limit switch 64, the second shutter 24 starts to rise (FIG. 4C).

  When the raising of the second shutter 24 ends and the control unit 60 receives a signal from the upper limit switch 62, the transport chain 44 of the pair of transport means 40 starts to move simultaneously, and another block attached to the transport chain 44 48 hits the rear end of the cart 70 (FIG. 4D, FIG. 5A), and pushes the cart 70 out. When the transport chain 44 moves approximately half a circle and the carriage 70 completely moves to the second zone, the other block 48 is detected by the deceleration sensor 50, so that the transport chain 44 starts to decelerate and stops ( 4E and FIG. 5B). When the control unit 60 receives a signal from the stop sensor 52, the second shutter 24 is lowered to close the second opening 20 (FIG. 4F). Thus, entry of the operator into the intermediate area 16 is prevented.

  When the lowering of the second shutter 24 ends and the control unit 60 receives a signal from the lower limit switch 64, the first shutter 22 starts to rise. When the raising of the first shutter 22 is finished and the control unit 60 receives a signal from the upper limit switch 62, one transport operation is finished and the initial state is restored (FIG. 2). During this transport operation, a chime can be made to call attention. Further, when a motor abnormality signal is sent from the motor drive circuit 66 to the control unit 60, an alarm can be raised.

  The above is an example of automatic operation, but the above operation is manual operation, and each operation can be instructed with a button to raise and lower the shutter and move the transport chain.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, since the carriage 70 can be moved from the first area 12 to the second area 14, there is no need to change the load of the carriage 70, and labor saving is achieved. be able to. Since the dolly 70 only rolls on the floor surface, it can move smoothly. If the height of the floor surface is the same, the carriage 70 can move more smoothly. Since it is not necessary to lay a transfer conveyor in the transfer path 38 itself, it is easy to install it in existing facilities, and maintenance is also easy.

  The second shutter 20 is closed by the second shutter 24 while the first opening 18 is opened by the first shutter 22, and the second shutter 20 is opened by the first shutter 22 while the second opening 20 is opened by the second shutter 24. Since the first opening 18 is closed and the first opening 18 and the second opening 20 do not open at the same time, it is possible to prevent a person from passing through these openings.

  In addition to the above embodiment, it is also possible to provide a human sensor that senses that there is an intruder in the intermediate area 16. The human sensor can be constituted by an infrared sensor, an image sensor, or the like. If an intruder is detected in the intermediate area 16 from the start to the end of the transfer operation by the human sensor, the operation can be urgently stopped or raised when the shutter is being lowered. This prevents intruders from passing through the intermediate area 16.

  In order to prevent air from flowing between the first section 12 and the second section 14, air curtain generating means is provided in the first opening 18 and / or the second opening 20, respectively, so that the opening is opened. The air curtain may be formed along the opening surface during the operation.

In the above example, part of the conveying means 40 extends the intermediate section 16 to Yue forte towards the second section 14.

  It is also possible to define the intermediate section 16 with a panel and configure the article transporting apparatus 10 as a unit including the intermediate section 16.

  Furthermore, it is possible to provide reading means 80 (see FIG. 1) along the conveyance path 38 in the article conveyance device. The reading means 80 can optically read information attached to the article to be conveyed, and the information may be read when the article is put into the intermediate area 16 and abuts against the block 48. Information about the article read by the reading means 80 can be transferred to the processing device 82, displayed on the processing device 82, stored, or subjected to other processing. In this way, the conveyance of the article can be managed and can be used for delivery management.

It is a top view of the article conveyance apparatus by this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the article conveyance apparatus by this invention. It is a block diagram of a control part. It is a principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the effect | action of the article conveyance apparatus by this invention. It is a principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the effect | action of the article conveyance apparatus by this invention. It is a principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the effect | action of the article conveyance apparatus by this invention. It is a principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the effect | action of the article conveyance apparatus by this invention. It is a principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the effect | action of the article conveyance apparatus by this invention. It is a principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the effect | action of the article conveyance apparatus by this invention. It is a principal part top view showing the effect | action of the article conveyance apparatus by this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Article conveying apparatus 12 1st area 14 2nd area 16 Intermediate area 18 1st opening 20 2nd opening 22 1st shutter (1st door means)
24 Second shutter (second door means)
38 Conveying path 40 Conveying means 44 Conveying chain 48 Blocks 72 and 74 Article detection sensor

Claims (6)

In the article transport apparatus for transporting articles from the first area to the second area,
An intermediate zone isolated from these zones is provided between the first zone and the second zone, a first opening is formed between the first zone and the middle zone, and between the middle zone and the second zone. The first opening is provided with first door means for opening and closing the first opening, and second door means for opening and closing the second opening by raising and lowering to the second opening is provided,
While the first opening is opened by the first door means, the second opening is closed by the second door means, and while the second opening is opened by the second door means, the first opening is closed by the first door means. And
In the intermediate area, a conveyance path is formed between the first opening and the second opening, and a pair of conveyance means is provided on both sides of the conveyance path, and a part of the pair of conveyance means is part of the second door means. A pair of conveying means pushes an article on the conveying path from both sides toward the second opening, passes through the second opening and passes through the second area. An article conveying device characterized by being moved to   2. The article conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveying path has the same height as the floor surface of the first area and the second area.   Each conveying means includes a conveying chain that circulates on a horizontal plane, and the pair of conveying chains are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line of the conveying path, and blocks attached to each conveying chain push out articles. 3. The article conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the article conveying apparatus is characterized in that:   In the initial state, the first door means opens the first opening and the second door means closes the second opening. When the article passes through the first opening and enters the intermediate area and starts the transfer operation, the first door means After the first opening is closed, the second opening is opened by the second door means after the first opening is completely closed, and after the second opening is completely opened, the pair of conveying means starts to operate to open the article to the second opening. After pushing outward, the pair of conveying means stop operating, the second door means closes the second opening, and after the second opening is completely closed, the first door means opens the first opening. The article conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the article conveying apparatus is characterized in that:   The article conveyance device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a human sensor that senses that there is an intruder in the intermediate area is provided in the intermediate area. Wherein the conveying path, the article detection sensor for detecting an article detection sensor for detecting that it has been put into the article correct position, that the article is put in the wrong position for pinched by the pair of transport means 6. The article conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one or both article detection sensors are provided.

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