JP4943667B2 - Sorting device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a parallel branching slat type sorter having high sorting capacity and reduced in manufacturing cost. <P>SOLUTION: In this slat type sorter 10, articles P carried by an endlessly arranged large number of slats 14 are sorted by pushing them by moving shoes 18 moving in a direction perpendicular to a carrying direction. One moving shoe 18 is installed for each zone Z defined by the determined quantity of multiple slats 14. The moving shoes 18 are so formed as to move the articles P placed on the zones Z parallel with each other. In this structure, since a pitch between the moving shoes 18 is increased, a time allowance is produced for switching a branch switch 32, a precise control and a sensor are not required, cost reduction is enabled, and the reliability of the sorter can be increased. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a slat type sorting apparatus that performs sorting by pushing an article on a slat to the side in the conveying direction by a moving shoe.

  As a conventional general slat type sorting apparatus, for example, the one disclosed in Patent Document 1 below is known. The sorting device described in Patent Document 1 includes a large number of endlessly arranged slats and moving shoes attached to each slat. The moving shoe is attached to be slidable in the longitudinal direction of the slat (perpendicular to the conveying direction). The sorting position is provided with an obliquely extending branch rail, and the moving shoe can be moved from one side to the other side by being guided by the branch rail.

  In such a sorting apparatus, a large number of slats are driven to circulate to convey the articles placed thereon, and a number of moving shoes corresponding to the length of the articles are sequentially switched by a branch switch. Thus, it is possible to perform sorting by pushing out articles to the side in the conveying direction. At this time, since the lateral movement is started sequentially from the moving shoe on the head side of the article, the article rotates on the conveying surface and is sent to the sorting chute in an oblique posture. However, if the article is slanted on the transport surface, the distance from the leading edge of the article to the end of the article will be extended, so a sufficient distance between the articles will be secured to prevent interference with subsequent articles. It is necessary to keep it. In addition, when the article rotates on the transport surface, the article may move either forward or backward, so the distance between the articles needs to be further increased. This causes a decrease in sorting ability.

For this reason, conventionally, a slat type sorting apparatus that enables parallel branching as described in Patent Document 2 below has been developed. In this sorting apparatus, a plurality of branch rails in the sorting area are arranged in parallel to each other, and a plurality of moving shoes are simultaneously moved to the side to send the articles to the sorting chute without rotating. Therefore, the sorting capability is improved as compared with a sorting device in which articles are sorted at an angle.
JP-A-11-255326 Japanese Patent No. 3445288

  However, in the slat type sorting apparatus as described in Patent Document 2, a plurality of branch rails are necessary, and it is necessary to attach branch switches to each and control each branch switch. There is a problem that becomes high.

  Further, since the moving shoes are attached to all the slats, the pitch between the moving shoes is short, and it is necessary to switch the branch switch at an extremely high speed. Specifically, after one moving shoe enters the branch rail, it is necessary to switch the branch switch at a speed of several tens of milliseconds in order to advance the next moving shoe straight. For this reason, special sensors and control devices have to be used, which has been a factor in increasing the cost of the sorting device. Problems relating to high-speed switching of the branch switch are not limited to those described in Patent Document 2, and the same applies to the sorting apparatus described in Patent Document 1.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a parallel branching type slat type sorting apparatus that has a high sorting capability and can reduce costs.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention pushes an article conveyed by a large number of slats arranged in parallel and endlessly with a moving shoe moving in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. In the slat type sorting apparatus for sorting, one moving shoe is provided for each zone defined by a predetermined number of slats, and the moving shoe is configured to move an article placed on the zone in parallel. It is characterized by that. As a configuration that enables the parallel movement of the article, it is effective that the moving shoe includes a push plate having a width corresponding to the length of the zone in the conveyance direction.

  In this configuration, since the pitch between the moving shoes becomes wide, there is a time margin for switching the branch switch, and precise control and sensors are not required.

  According to the present invention, the number of moving shoes is smaller than in the prior art, and the cost is reduced.

  In addition, there is a time margin for switching the branch switch, which eliminates the need for precise control and sensors, which can also reduce costs. Since there is a margin in switching the branch switch, the conveyance speed can be increased and the sorting ability is improved. Furthermore, the failure of the branch switch is reduced and the reliability of the apparatus is improved.

  In addition, since the moving shoe itself prevents the rotation of the article, it is not necessary to provide a plurality of branch rails and branch switches as in the sorting device described in Patent Document 2 described above.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  1 and 2 are a plan view and a perspective view, respectively, of a slat type sorting apparatus 10 according to the present invention. The sorting apparatus 10 shown in the figure is a so-called slat consisting of a pair of endlessly stretched chains 12 and a large number of endless slats 14 which are placed between the chains 12 and arranged parallel to each other. Conveyor is the basic configuration. Each chain 12 is wound between a pair of front and rear sprockets (only the rear sprocket 16 is shown in FIG. 2), and by driving a drive motor (not shown) provided on the front sprocket, The chain 12 and thus the slat 14 can be driven to circulate. Further, in the present embodiment, the slat 14 is a pipe-like one, thereby reducing the weight and cost of the sorting apparatus 10. In this specification, the words “left” and “right” are based on the transport direction, and the words “upper” and “lower” are based on the top and bottom when the slat 14 is located on the transport surface side. ing.

  In addition, the sorting apparatus 10 includes a plurality of moving shoes 18 for pushing out the articles P to the side in the transport direction (left side in the illustrated embodiment). Each moving shoe 18 is provided for each zone Z defined by a predetermined plurality of slats 14 (see FIG. 1). In the present embodiment, one zone Z is composed of twelve slats 14, but the length in the transport direction of one zone Z is not limited to this. The moving shoe 18 is attached between the pair of slats 14 in the center in the transport direction of each zone Z so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction of the slats 14 (perpendicular to the transport direction).

  As clearly shown in FIG. 3, the moving shoe 18 includes a slider 20 disposed between the slats 14 and a push plate 22 connected to the slider 20 for pushing out an article.

  The slider 20 is an H-shaped member including an upper plate portion 20a, a lower plate portion 20b, and a connecting portion 20c that connects the upper plate portion 20a and the lower plate portion 20b. The upper plate portion 20a, the lower plate portion 20b, A slat 14 is slidably fitted in each of a pair of grooves 20d formed between the two.

  The push plate 22 is fixed to the upper plate portion 20 a of the slider 20. The push plate 22 is an L-shaped plate composed of a vertical portion 22 a and a horizontal portion 22 b, and the horizontal portion 22 b is fixed to the upper plate portion 20 a of the slider 20 with bolts and nuts 24. Further, the width (the length in the transport direction) of the vertical portion 22a of the push plate 22 is set to a size corresponding to the transport direction length of the zone Z, preferably slightly smaller than the length in the transport direction of the zone Z.

  A guide pin 26 extends downward from the lower plate portion 20 b of the slider 20, and a guide wheel 28 is rotatably attached to the guide pin 26. The guide wheel 28 is guided by the branch rail 30.

  The branch rail 30 is provided for each sorting position, and is provided immediately below the slat 14 on the transport surface side. In the illustrated embodiment, the branch rail 30 extends obliquely from the right side to the left side along the transport direction. The left and right ends of the branch rail 30 are separated from the left and right chains 12 by a predetermined distance. Accordingly, the guide wheel 28 of the moving shoe 18 does not contact the branch rail 30 when the moving shoe 18 is brought close to the right edge or the left edge of the sorting device 10.

  A branch switch 32 is disposed adjacent to the right end of the branch rail 30. The branch switch 32 has a well-known structure and has a swing plate (not shown). When the branch switch 32 is in the initial state, the swinging plate does not engage with the guide wheel 28 of the moving shoe 18 that is moving along the right edge of the sorting device 10, and the moving shoe 18 You can go straight ahead. Further, when the swing switch 32 is switched by swinging the branch switch 32, the swing plate engages with the guide wheel 28 of the moving shoe 18 moving on the right side, and this is guided to the adjacent branch rail 30. It is possible. After the guide wheel 28 is introduced into the branch rail 30, the moving shoe 18 is moved from the right side to the left side as the slat 14 is driven to circulate.

  In FIG. 2, a rail 34 having the same form as the branch rail 30 is shown. This rail 34 is for returning the moving shoe 18 moved to the left edge portion of the sorting apparatus 10 to the right edge portion when returning from the return side to the conveying surface side.

  Next, the operation of the present invention in the above configuration will be described.

  First, the drive motor of the sorting apparatus 10 is activated, the slats 14 are driven to circulate, and the articles P are sent onto the transport surface. At this time, the timing of feeding the articles P into the sorting device 10 is controlled so that each article P is placed in the above-described zone Z, that is, in an area adjacent to the push plate 22 of the moving shoe 18 brought to the right. (See FIG. 2).

  Subsequently, when the article P reaches a predetermined sorting position, the branch switch 32 is controlled to swing the swing plate from the initial position. As a result, as described above, the moving shoe 18 adjacent to the article P moves from the right side to the left side, and the article P is pushed by the push plate 22 of the moving shoe 18 and is arranged at the side of the sorting position. It is sent to the chute 36.

  At this time, since the width of the push plate 22 is substantially equal to the entire length of the zone Z, the article P is stably pushed by the push plate 22 and moves sideways without rotating. Therefore, the trouble due to the rotation of the article P, that is, the uncertain state of whether the article P moves forward or backward, is eliminated, and the article P can be reliably sent out to the sorting chute 36. In addition, since it is not necessary to consider interference with the front and rear articles P, the length of the zone Z can be minimized.

  Further, as shown in the illustrated embodiment, when the article P is transported by the sorting device 10 so that the longitudinal direction of the article P coincides with the transport direction, the article P is sent out to the sorting chute 36 in the short direction. Become. This has the effect that the retention quantity can be made larger than when the articles P are retained by the sorting chute 36 rather than being sent out in the longitudinal direction.

  Furthermore, since the articles P do not rotate on the transport surface of the sorting apparatus 10, there is little need to provide slats 14 in the entire area of each zone Z, and the slats before and after each zone Z are omitted as shown in FIG. It is also possible to do. Providing a portion without the slat 14 as described above not only enables cost reduction, but also has an effect that the internal maintenance of the sorting apparatus 10 can be easily performed using the gap.

  After the sorting of one article P is completed, when the subsequent article P is moved straight without sorting, it is necessary to switch the branch switch 32 to return to the initial state. Switching of the branch switch 32 may be performed until the next moving shoe 18 reaches the branch switch 32. However, since the pitch between the moving shoes 18 is equal to a plurality of slats, and in this embodiment, equal to twelve slats. There is sufficient time before switching the switch 32. The same applies to the case of sorting the articles P that follow the articles P that go straight ahead. For this reason, the branch switch 32 can be switched without using precise control and sensors, leading to cost reduction. In addition, since the mechanical operation of the branch switch 32 is reduced, the failure of the branch switch 32 itself is reduced, and the reliability of the sorting device 10 is improved. In particular, when a plurality of articles P are continuously fed into the same sorting chute 36, the branch switch 32 is not returned to the initial state and can be maintained as it is, so that the effect is great.

  Furthermore, since there is a time margin for switching the branch switch 32, it is possible to increase the transport speed of the sorting apparatus 10, thereby improving the sorting capability.

  In addition, it is understood that only one moving shoe 18 is required for a plurality of slats 14 and only one set of branch rail 30 and branch switch 32 is required for one sorting position, which greatly contributes to cost reduction. Let's be done.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described in detail, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not restricted to the said embodiment.

  For example, although pipe-shaped slats are used in the above embodiment, flat slats can also be used. Further, the shape of the moving shoe and the branching method of the moving shoe are not limited to those described above.

It is a top view of the sorting apparatus by this invention. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a sorting device according to the present invention. It is sectional drawing along the III-III line | wire of FIG. 1 which shows the structure of a moving shoe.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Sorting device, 12 ... Chain, 14 ... Slat, 16 ... Sprocket, 18 ... Moving shoe, 20 ... Slider, 22 ... Push plate, 28 ... Guide wheel, 30 ... Branch rail, 32 ... Branch switch, 36 ... Sorting shoot.

Claims (1)

Sorting by sorting the articles (P) conveyed by a large number of endlessly arranged slats (14) by a moving shoe (18) moving in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. In the device (10):
One moving shoe (18) is provided for each zone (Z) defined by a predetermined plurality of slats (14);
The moving shoe (18) is configured to move the article (P) placed on the zone (Z) in parallel,
The sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving shoe (18) includes a push plate (22) having a width corresponding to a length of the zone (Z) in the conveyance direction .

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