JP5092807B2 - Hanging trolley conveyor - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention suspends a carrier by front and rear suspension members respectively connected to front and rear load trolleys that engage with a free rail, and suspends a transported object supported by a carrier hanger along a transport path. This relates to a trolley conveyor.

As a trolley conveyor used in the production line of large products such as automobiles, power rails and free rails are installed vertically along the transport path, and each of the front and rear load trolleys is supported and guided by the free rails. It is possible to switch between a state where the driving force of the power chain supported and guided by the power rail is transmitted to the free trolley and a state where it is not transmitted, with the carrier suspended by the connected front suspension member and rear suspension member. There is a so-called power and free suspension trolley conveyor.
As such a suspended trolley conveyor, the upper and lower ends of the front suspension member, the front load trolley and the carrier are connected to each other so as to be able to swing back and forth relative to each other via a left and right direction pin. (See, for example, Patent Document 1), and in recent years, the trolley, carrier, and stopper are configured to increase the weight of the object to be transported. Therefore, the necessity of providing such an impact absorbing mechanism is increasing.

JP 54-129672 A (Fig. 1-2)

  The suspension type trolley conveyor as in Patent Document 1 has the effect of absorbing and mitigating the impact, but the distance between the front and rear load trolleys is not constant, particularly in the storage unit in the front-rear direction. Since the pitch between carriers that are packed together (hereinafter referred to as “storage pitch”) is not kept constant, there may be a problem that the detection position of the limit switch of the storage unit is shifted. The reliability of the conveyor has decreased.

  Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned situation, the present invention intends to solve the problem that the drive dog can absorb and relieve an impact when the drive dog collides with the driven dog, and the storage pitch is kept constant. Therefore, the present invention is to provide a suspended trolley conveyor that can improve the reliability of the conveyor.

  In order to solve the above problems, the hanging trolley conveyor according to the present invention has power rails and free rails installed vertically along the conveyance path, and is mounted on the load trolleys before and after the free trolley supported and guided by the free rails. The carrier is suspended by the front and rear suspension members connected to each other, and the suspension capable of switching between the state where the driving force of the power chain supported and guided by the power rail is transmitted to the free trolley and the state where it is not transmitted. A lower-type trolley conveyor, wherein upper and lower suspension trolleys are connected to the front and rear load trolleys via respective lateral pins so as to be able to swing relative to each other, and the front and rear suspension members. The lower end of the carrier and at least one of the front and rear of the upper frame of the carrier are connected to each other so as to be able to swing relative to each other via a lateral pin. The front end and rear end of the connecting rod extending in the front-rear direction and the rear portion of the front load trolley and the front portion of the rear load trolley are relatively vertically and horizontally oscillated via a left-right pin and a vertical pin, respectively. It is possible to connect, and it is possible to extend and contract in the longitudinal direction by providing an expansion / contraction part in the middle part in the longitudinal direction of the connecting rod, and the carrier is transported along the linear path or stopped on the linear path In this state, shortening prevention means for preventing shortening of the expansion / contraction part is provided.

  The suspension type trolley conveyor according to the present invention has power rails and free rails installed vertically along the transport path, and the front and rear suspensions respectively connected to the front and rear load trolleys supported and guided by the free rails. A suspended trolley conveyor that is in a state in which the carrier is suspended by a lowering member and can switch between a state in which the driving force of the power chain supported and guided by the power rail is transmitted to the free trolley and a state in which the driving force is not transmitted. The upper and lower suspension members and the front and rear load trolleys are connected to each other so as to be able to swing relative to each other via a lateral pin, and the lower ends of the front and rear suspension members and the carrier Connect at least one of the front and rear of the upper frame via a left and right direction pin so that they can swing relative to each other and extend in the front and rear direction. The front end portion and the rear end portion of the bag are connected to the rear portion of the front load trolley and the front portion of the rear load trolley via a left and right direction pin and a vertical direction pin, respectively, so as to be relatively vertically and horizontally swingable, An expansion / contraction part is provided in an intermediate part in the longitudinal direction of the connecting rod so that the expansion / contraction can be performed in the longitudinal direction, and the expansion / contraction part is in a state where the carrier is conveyed along a straight path or stopped on the straight path. Therefore, the upper and lower ends of at least one of the front and rear suspension members can relatively swing back and forth via the load trolley, the upper frame of the carrier, and the left and right pins. Because it is connected, the rocking force at a predetermined stop point can be obtained when the driving force of the power chain is transmitted to the free trolley (the driven dog is pulled by the driving dog). Etc. to lift the drive dog to stop the free trolley (carrier), engage the driven dog of the front trolley of the succeeding free trolley with the impact force of the rear trolley of the preceding free trolley, etc. When the drive dog is removed and the storage force is stored sequentially, and the drive force of the power chain is not transmitted to the free trolley (the driven dog is not pulled by the drive dog), The impact force when the swing cam or the like is lowered and the driven dog is pulled by the drive dog to return the free trolley to the conveying state can be absorbed and relaxed by swinging the suspension member and the carrier.

In addition, the front and rear portions of the connecting rod extending in the front-rear direction, the rear portion of the front load trolley, and the front portion of the rear load trolley can be relatively swung up and down and left and right via a left and right direction pin and a vertical direction pin, respectively. In the state where the expansion and contraction portion is provided in the middle portion of the connecting rod in the longitudinal direction so that it can be expanded and contracted in the longitudinal direction, the shortening of the expansion and contraction portion of the connecting rod is prevented in a state where the carrier is conveyed along the linear path. Since the shortening prevention means is provided, the distance between the front and rear load trolleys is kept constant in a state where the shortening of the expansion / contraction portion of the connecting rod is prevented by the shortening prevention means.
Therefore, since the storage pitch is kept constant, it is possible to eliminate problems such as a shift of the detection position of the limit switch of the storage unit in the transport path, thereby improving the reliability of the conveyor.
In addition, since the connecting rod connecting the front and rear road trolleys has an expansion / contraction portion, not only a straight path but also a horizontal curved path can travel stably and reliably.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, and all the embodiments that satisfy the requirements described in the claims are described. Is included.
In the present specification, the transport direction of the transported object W is assumed to be the front (refer to the direction of arrow A in the figure), and the left and right are referred to as facing forward. Moreover, let the figure seen from the right side be a front view.

  1 to 5 are schematic views of a suspended trolley conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view, FIG. 2 is a view from the front, and FIG. 3 is an intermediate connecting rod that is a connecting rod. FIG. 4 is a configuration explanatory view of the intermediate connecting rod 15, FIG. 4 (a) is a plan view, FIGS. 4 (b) and 4 (c) are front views, and FIG. 5 is a straight line. It is a top view which shows the state of the road trolleys 11 and 12 before and behind in the path | route S and the horizontal curve-shaped path | route C, and the intermediate | middle connection rod 15 which connects these. 4A and 4B show a state in which the intermediate connecting rod 15 is most contracted, and FIG. 4C shows a state in which the intermediate connecting rod 15 is extended most.

  The suspended trolley conveyor shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a so-called power and free overhead conveyor. The upper and lower power rails 1 and the free rails 5 and 5 are supported by the yokes 28. The carrier 25 is suspended by the front and rear suspension members 21 and 22 connected to the front and rear load trolleys 11 and 12 engaging with the free rails 5 and 5, respectively, and is supported by the hanger 27 of the carrier 25. The object to be transported W is transported along the transport path.

The power trolley 3 is supported and guided by the power rail 1 by engaging the left and right rollers 3A and 3A with the power rail 1 having an I-shaped cross section (see arrow A in FIG. 1). ) And a drive dog 4 that swings around a horizontal support shaft 4A is attached to the lower side of the power trolley 3.
Further, the free trolley 6 engages the left and right rollers 6A, 6A,. By contacting the rollers 6B,..., The left and right free rails 5 and 5 are supported and guided so that the driving dog 4 of the power trolley 3 and the driven dog 8 of the front trolley 7 of the free trolley 6 are engaged. By being pulled by the chain 2, it moves along the transport path.

Here, the free trolley 6 is positioned between the front trolley 7 at the front end provided with the driven dog 8 on the upper side, the rear trolley 9 at the rear end provided with the cam plate 10 on the upper side, and the load. The front trolley 11 and the rear load trolley 12 are supported. The front trolley 7 and the front load trolley 11 are provided by the front connecting rod 13, and the rear load trolley 12 and the rear trolley 9 are provided by the rear connecting rod 14. Are connected by an intermediate connecting rod 15 which is a connecting rod.
The structure of the free trolley 6 is as follows. The configuration is not limited to this, and the configuration is appropriately selected according to the conveyance path, the size of the object to be conveyed, the configuration of the carrier, and the like, and has at least the front and rear load trolleys 11 and 12.

There is a cam stop mechanism (not shown) for releasing the engagement between the driving dog 4 of the power trolley 3 and the driven dog 8 of the front trolley 7 in order to stop the free trolley 6 (carrier 25). For example, the drive dog 4 and the driven dog 8 are engaged with each other by driving the swing cam with an actuator such as an air cylinder and raising it, and swinging and raising the drive dog 4 around the horizontal support shaft 4A. Can be released.
Further, with respect to the preceding free trolley 6 (preceding carrier 25) stopped and positioned in this manner, the front trolley 7 of the succeeding free trolley 6 (following carrier 25) is provided by the cam plate 10 of the rear trolley 9 of the preceding free trolley 6. The driving dog 4 that is engaged with and pulled by the driven dog 8 swings and rises around the horizontal support shaft 4A, and the engaged state with the driven dog 8 is released. Are sequentially stopped in a state where the interval between 25,... Is narrowed, and the articles W,.
Furthermore, the free trolley 6 stopped in this way is driven and lowered by driving the swing cam by the actuator, so that the drive dog 4 can be engaged with the driven dog 8, so that it is stored. To be conveyed are sequentially conveyed together with the free trolley 6 (carrier 25).

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the rear portion of the front trolley 7 and the front end portion of the front connecting rod 13 are connected to each other so as to be able to swing up and down and to the left and right through a left and right direction pin 7A and a vertical direction pin 13A. The rear end portion of the front connecting rod 13 and the front portion of the front load trolley 11 are connected to each other through a left and right direction pin 11A and a vertical direction pin 13B so as to be relatively vertically and horizontally swingable.
Further, the rear portion of the front load trolley 11 and the front end portion of the intermediate connecting rod 15 are connected to each other so as to be able to swing up and down and to the left and right relatively via a left and right direction pin 11B and a vertical direction pin 15A. The end portion and the front portion of the rear load trolley 12 are connected to each other so as to be able to swing up and down and to the left and right through the left and right direction pins 12A and the up and down direction pins 15B.
Further, the rear portion of the rear load trolley 12 and the front end portion of the rear connecting rod 14 are connected to each other so as to be relatively swingable up and down and left and right via the left and right direction pins 12B and the up and down direction pins 14A. The end portion and the front portion of the rear trolley 9 are coupled to each other so as to be able to swing up and down and to the left and right through a left and right direction pin 9A and a vertical direction pin 14B.

As shown in FIG. 3, the front suspension member 21 includes a suspension pin 23 </ b> A and a connection member 24 </ b> A that are rotatably coupled around the vertical axis V <b> 1 of the front load trolley 11 in a suspended state. The upper end portion of the suspension member 21 (suspension pin 23A) and the front load trolley 11 are connected to each other so as to be able to swing back and forth relatively via the left / right direction pin 21A, and the lower end of the front suspension member 21 (connection member 24A). The part and the front part of the upper frame 26 of the carrier 25 are connected to each other so as to be able to swing relative to each other via a lateral pin 21B.
Further, the rear suspension member 22 is constituted by a suspension pin 23B and a connection member 24B which are coupled so as to be relatively rotatable around the vertical axis V2 of the rear load trolley 12 in the suspended state, and the rear suspension member 22 ( The upper end portion of the suspension pin 23B) and the rear load trolley 12 are connected to each other so as to be able to swing back and forth relatively via the left and right direction pin 22A. The lower end portion of the rear suspension member 22 (connection member 24B) and the carrier 25 The rear portion of the upper frame 26 is connected to the rear portion of the upper frame 26 via a left / right direction pin 22B so as to be relatively swingable back and forth.

  Therefore, the upper and lower end portions of the front and rear suspension members 21 and 22 are relatively front and rear through the front and rear load trolleys 11 and 12 and the front and rear portions of the upper frame 26 of the carrier 25 via the left and right direction pins 21A, 21B, 22A and 22B. Since it is connected so as to be able to swing, the swing cam at a predetermined stop position in a state where the driving force of the power chain 2 is transmitted to the free trolley 6 (the driven dog 8 is pulled by the driving dog 4) The front trolley 7 of the subsequent free trolley 6 is driven by the impact force when the free trolley 6 (carrier 25) is stopped by lifting the drive dog 4 and the like, and the cam plate 10 of the rear trolley 9 of the preceding free trolley 6 etc. The impact force when the drive dog 4 that is pulled by engaging with the dog 8 is removed and sequentially stored, and the drive force of the power chain 2 are free trolley. In a state in which the driven dog 8 is not pulled by the driving dog 4, the swing cam or the like at a predetermined stop position is lowered and the driven dog 8 is pulled by the driving dog 4 to free trolley 6. The impact force when returning the (carrier 25) to the transport state can be absorbed and relaxed by the swinging of the suspension members 21 and 22 and the carrier 25.

Next, the configuration of the intermediate connecting rod 15 that is a connecting rod will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the intermediate connecting rod 15 is provided with an expansion / contraction portion 16 at an intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction thereof, and is thus configured to be extendable / contractible in the longitudinal direction.
In other words, on the rear end side of the intermediate connecting rod 15 (which may be the front end side or the center), the connecting body 18 is sandwiched and fixed between the upper and lower connecting plates 17A and 17B on the front side of the vertical pin 15B. Since the shaft 19 is inserted into the through hole 18A formed in the connecting body 18 in the front-rear direction and the connecting body 18 and the shaft 19 can slide in the front-rear direction, the intermediate connecting rod 15 expands and contracts in the longitudinal direction. .

When the intermediate connecting rod 15 having the distance L3 between the front and rear vertical pins 15A and 15B shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b) is most contracted, the step portion 19A and the end face 18B come into contact with each other. Therefore, in this embodiment, the step portion 19A and the end face 18B constitute a shortening prevention means for preventing the stretchable portion 16 from being shortened.
4C, the retaining plate fixed to the left end surface of the shaft 19 by the bolt 20B in the state where the intermediate connecting rod 15 having the distance L3 + Gmax between the front and rear vertical pins 15A and 15B is most extended. 20A and the rear surface of the connecting body 18 come into contact with each other, and further expansion of the expansion / contraction part 16 is prevented.

Next, the state around the intermediate connecting rod 15 in the straight path and the horizontal curved path will be described.
3 and 5, the distance L between the left and right direction pins 21A and 21B connecting the lower end portions of the front and rear suspension members 21 and 22 and the front and rear portions of the upper frame 26 of the carrier 25 is constant. In a steady state where the front and rear suspension members 21 and 22 are suspended, the distance between the vertical axes V1 and V2 of the front and rear load trolleys 11 and 12 is also constant at L, and between the vertical axis V1 and the vertical pin 15A. The distance L1 and the distance L2 between the vertical axis V2 and the vertical pin 15B are also constant. In the straight path S, the distance between the front and rear pins 15A and 15B before and after the intermediate connecting rod 15 is most contracted is L3. Therefore, the relationship is L = L1 + L2 + L3. Further shortening of the stretchable portion 16 is prevented by the (step portion 19A and end surface 18B).
Therefore, since the storage pitch is kept constant, it is possible to eliminate problems such as a shift of the detection position of the limit switch of the storage unit in the transport path, thereby improving the reliability of the conveyor.

Further, in the horizontal curved path C of FIG. 5, in the steady state where the front and rear suspension members 21 and 22 are suspended, the distance between the vertical axes V1 and V2 is constant at L as described above, and the vertical axis V1. The distance L1 between the vertical pin 15A and the vertical axis V2 and the distance L2 between the vertical pin 15B are constant, and the intermediate connecting rod 15 has a telescopic portion 16 extending so that the distance between the vertical pins 15A and 15B is as follows. L3 + G.
Note that the expansion / contraction stroke of the expansion / contraction part 16 (maximum extension amount Gmax in FIG. 4C) depends on the radius of curvature of the horizontal curved path C that travels the free trolley 6. It is necessary to make it larger than the elongation required for this (for example, G in FIG. 5).
Since the intermediate connecting rod 15 has the expansion / contraction part 16 as described above, the free trolley 6 is a straight line while the storage pitch is kept constant by the intermediate connecting rod 15 and its shortening prevention means in the straight path S as described above. Not only the route S but also the horizontal curved route C can travel stably and reliably.

  In the above description, the upper and lower end portions of the front and rear suspension members 21 and 22 are both connected to the front and rear load trolleys 11 and 12 and the front and rear portions of the upper frame 26 of the carrier 25 and the left and right direction pins 21A, 21B, 22A and 22B. However, one of the front and rear suspension members 21 and 22 is connected to the load trolley 11 or 12 so that it can be moved back and forth relatively. The lower end of the carrier 25 may not be connected to the front or rear of the upper frame 26 of the carrier 25 so as to be able to swing back and forth.

It is a front view of the suspension type trolley conveyor which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the figure similarly seen from the front. It is a front view which expands and shows the circumference of a connection collar. (A) is a plan view of the state where the connecting rod is contracted most, (b) is a front view of the same, and (c) is a front view of the state where the connecting rod is extended most. It is a top view which shows the state of the front and rear load trolley in a straight path | route and a horizontal curve path | route, and the connecting rod which connects these.

Explanation of symbols

A Transport direction C Horizontal curved path S Straight path W Conveyed object 1 Power rail 2 Power chain 3 Power trolley 4 Drive dog 5 Free rail 6 Free trolley 7 Front trolley 8 Driven dog 9 Rear trolley 10 Cam plate 11 Front load trolley 11A , 11B Left / right direction pin 12 Rear load trolley 12A, 12B Left / right direction pin 15 Intermediate connecting rod (connection rod)
15A, 15B Up-and-down direction pin 16 Expansion-contraction part 18 Connection body 18A Through-hole 18B End surface (shortening prevention means)
19 Shaft 19A Step (shortening prevention means)
21 Front suspension members 21A and 21B Left and right direction pins 22 Rear suspension members 22A and 22B Left and right direction pins 25 Carrier 26 Upper frame

Claims (1)

A power rail and a free rail are installed up and down along the transport path, and the carrier is suspended by front and rear suspension members respectively connected to the front and rear load trolleys supported and guided by the free rail, A suspended trolley conveyor capable of switching between a state where the driving force of the power chain supported and guided by the power rail is transmitted to the free trolley and a state where it is not transmitted,
The upper ends of the front and rear suspension members and the front and rear load trolleys are connected to each other so as to be able to swing relative to each other via left and right pins, respectively, and the lower ends of the front and rear suspension members and the upper portion of the carrier Connect at least one of the front and rear of the frame via a left and right direction pin so as to be relatively swingable back and forth,
The front and rear end portions of the connecting rod extending in the front-rear direction and the rear portion of the front load trolley and the front portion of the rear load trolley can be relatively swung up and down and left and right via a left and right pin and a vertical pin, respectively. And a telescopic portion is provided in the longitudinal middle portion of the connecting rod so as to be stretchable in the longitudinal direction, and the carrier is transported along the straight path or stopped on the straight path. A suspension type trolley conveyor comprising a shortening prevention means for preventing shortening of the expansion and contraction part in a state.

Images