JP4938391B2 - Transport device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a transport apparatus that divides and transports a group of containers transported through one transport path to a plurality of transport paths.

  The manufacturing process in a manufacturing factory that manufactures beverage products is mainly divided into a beverage manufacturing process and a packaging process. The packaging step may include a step of filling a beverage into an empty container, a step of inspecting the container and the amount of taste, and a step of packaging the container for shipment. In these processes, the container is conveyed through various forms of conveyance paths suitable for each process. There is a conveyance path in which a container is divided into a plurality of conveyance paths from one conveyance path through which a plurality of containers are conveyed to the next process. Thus, the width of the conveyance path changes. In a place where the width of the conveyance path changes, a phenomenon called a bridge where the container is clogged may occur, or the container may fall down.

  FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an outline of a transport apparatus in which the width of the transport path changes. As shown in FIG. 1, the transport apparatus 100 includes a first transport path 101, second transport paths 102a and 102b, and fixed guides 106a and 106b having different transport path widths. In addition, the conveyance of the container in the 1st conveyance path 101 and the 2nd conveyance path 102 is made by the conveyor 107. FIG. The widths of the first conveyance path 101 and the second conveyance path 102 are defined by the fixed guide 106. Further, the container 103 is transported after being divided into two paths by the separation member 105 that separates the container group.

  In such a transport path, when the container group is transported from the first transport path 101 to the second transport path 102, pocket portions 104a and 104b (spaces in which the container 103 does not exist) can occur. In addition, when the container 103 stagnates in the second transport path 102, the transport device 100 collides with the container 103 and rebounds. When the container 103 is bounced back toward the pockets 104a and 104b in this way, the container 103 can fall down.

Patent Document 1 discloses a transport device having a transport path that diverts into a Y shape at a location where the width of the transport path changes. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating an outline of a transport apparatus in which the width of the transport path disclosed in Patent Document 1 is changed. As shown in FIG. 2, the conveyance device 100 of Patent Document 1 has fixed guides 200 a and 200 b arranged therein to define a conveyance path such as a letter “Y” on the downstream side.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-64921

  The conveyance path of Patent Document 1 is defined so that the pocket portions 104 as shown in FIG. 1 are not formed by disposing the fixed guides 200a and 200b. Therefore, the fixed guides 200a and 200b serve as a support for the rebounded container, and can be expected to suppress the container from falling.

  However, although the conveyance path as shown in FIG. 2 can be expected to have an effect of suppressing the overturn of the container, the width of the conveyance path is narrowed because the width of the conveyance path is narrowed by the fixed guides 200a and 200b. However, there is a problem that the container easily forms a bridge.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of occurrence of a bridge. As shown in FIG. 3, in the conveyance path defined by the fixed guide 200a or 200b and the separation member 105 that diverts the second conveyance path 102, the width of the conveyance path is changed. 300 may form a bridge.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to reduce the problems of occurrence of bridges and container overturning.

The present invention relates to a transport device for transporting a container. The transport device includes a first transport path for transporting the container group, a plurality of second transport paths positioned on the downstream side of the first transport path, and a branch flow located between the first transport path and the plurality of second transport paths. The region, the separation member for diverting the group of containers conveyed through the first conveyance path to the plurality of second conveyance paths, and the separation area are arranged so that they can be rotated by pressing the container in a horizontal plane. a movable guide has, seen including a spring providing a restoring force against the movable guide in the rotational motion, the movable guide is characterized and restoring force of the spring, to carry out oscillating operation by the pressing of the container.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the problems of occurrence of bridges and container overturning.

  Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments do not limit the invention described in the claims, and all the combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the solution means of the present invention. Not exclusively.

  Here, as an application example of the transfer apparatus of the present invention, a transfer apparatus that divides a container group into a plurality of paths will be described. The container group can be divided into a plurality of paths and then formed into a single row, and can be conveyed to a work area or a processing area such as a taste inspection and an exterior inspection, for example.

  FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating an outline of the transport device according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 4, a transport device that divides and transports a group of containers transported through one transport path to two transport paths is taken as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to the diversion to the two conveyance paths 102a and 102b as shown in FIG. 4, and can be applied to a conveyance apparatus that diverts and conveys a group of containers to a plurality of conveyance paths.

  The transport apparatus 100 includes a first transport path 101, a plurality of second transport paths 102a and 102b located on the downstream side of the first transport path 101, and fixed guides 106a and 106b that define the width of the transport path. The containers in the conveyance paths 101 and 102 are conveyed by a conveyor 107.

  In addition, the transfer device 100 includes a flow dividing region 402 located between the first transfer path 101 and the second transfer path 102 and a separation member 105 that splits the container group 103. Furthermore, the conveying apparatus 100 includes movable guides 400a and 400b disposed in the flow dividing region 402, and springs 401a and 401b that apply restoring force to the movable guides 400a and 400b. The upstream ends of the movable guides 400a and 400b are pivotally supported by shafts 403a and 403b so that the movable guides 400a and 400b can rotate in a horizontal plane. The shafts 403a and 403b are supported by fixed guides 106a and 106b, for example.

  The container 103 is conveyed by the conveyor 107 to the diversion area 402 through the first conveyance path 101, and is then diverted to the second conveyance paths 102a and 102b in the diversion area 402 while being conveyed by the conveyor 107. The shunting of the container 103 is performed by the separation member 105 arranged so that the tip portion is positioned in the shunting region 402. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the separation member 105 has a shape in which a tip end is pointed toward the upstream side. Thereby, the separation member 105 separates the container group 103 conveyed through the first conveyance path 101 in the diversion area 402 and diverts it to the second conveyance paths 102a and 102b.

  The movable guides 400a and 400b are arranged so that the pocket portion 104 as shown in FIG. 1 is not formed. More specifically, the movable guides 400a and 400b are arranged such that the substantial width of the flow dividing region 402 (the width of the space in which the container can move) gradually increases toward the downstream side. The movable guides 400a and 400b rotate in a horizontal plane around the axes 403a and 403b. One end of the springs 401a and 401b is connected to the downstream end of the movable guides 400a and 400b. Provides resilience. The other ends of the springs 401a and 401b can be attached to the outer side surface (side surface on the opposite side of the conveyance path) of the fixed guide 106.

  In the springs 401 a and 401 b, the restoring force in the inner direction is stored when the movable guide 400 is rotated outward with respect to the conveyance path by pressing the container 103. When the pressure of the container 103 against the movable guide 400 is weakened, the movable guide 400 is pulled back inward by the restoring force.

  According to the present embodiment, the transport device reduces the overturn of the container by arranging the movable guides 400a and 400b so that the pocket portion is not formed. That is, even if the succeeding container 103 collides with the container group on the second transport path 102 and bounces back, the movable guides 400a and 400b support the body part of the bounced container 103 so that the container can be overturned. Can be suppressed. Since the movable guides 400a and 400b are disposed so as to be rotatable, the movable guides 400a and 400b can also serve as cushioning materials, and can prevent the container 103 from falling or being damaged by an impact on the movable guides 400a and 400b.

  FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating the operation of the movable guide in the transport apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5 shows a state in which the movable guides 400 a and 400 b are pushed and expanded due to the container 103 staying in the flow dividing region 402.

  The movable guide 400 oscillates by repeatedly rotating in the outward or inward direction by the pressure applied by the container and the restoring force applied to the springs 401a and 401b. Such a swinging operation applies vibrations to the container group that forms the bridge, so that the generation of the bridge can be reduced.

  As described above, in the transport apparatus according to the present embodiment, the movable guide is disposed so that the pocket portion is not formed in the transport path. Therefore, the falling of the container due to the subsequent container colliding with the staying container and bounced back can be reduced. The transport apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a movable guide arranged so as to be able to rotate in a horizontal plane in the flow dividing region, and a spring that gives a restoring force to the rotating operation of the movable guide. Thereby, a movable guide performs rocking | fluctuation operation | movement by the press of a container and can reduce generation | occurrence | production of a bridge | bridging. Therefore, the transfer device according to the present invention can reduce the occurrence of bridges while suppressing the container from falling to the pocket portion that is likely to occur at a location where the width of the transfer path changes.

It is a top view showing the outline | summary of a general conveying apparatus. It is a top view showing the outline | summary of a general conveying apparatus. It is a top view showing generation | occurrence | production of the bridge | bridging in a general conveying apparatus. It is a top view showing the outline | summary of the conveying apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a top view showing operation | movement of a movable guide in the conveying apparatus which concerns on this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

100: transport device 101: first transport path 102a, b: second transport path 103: container 105: separation member 106a, b: fixed guide 107: conveyor 400a, b: rotation guide 401a, b: spring 402: shunt area 403a, b: shaft

Claims (1)

A transport device for transporting a container,
A first transport path for transporting the container group;
A plurality of second transport paths located downstream of the first transport path;
A shunt region located between the first transport path and the plurality of second transport paths;
A separation member for diverting a group of containers conveyed through the first conveyance path to the plurality of second conveyance paths;
A movable guide arranged so as to be able to be rotated by pressing the container in a horizontal plane in the shunt region;
Look including a spring providing a restoring force against the rotation of the movable guide,
The transporting apparatus , wherein the movable guide performs a swinging motion by a restoring force of the spring and a pressing of the container .

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