JP5177743B2 - Top chain - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a top chain used for various conveying devices.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in factories and stores, packages and goods are transported by a transport device in order to save labor. As this transport device, there is known a top chain configured by connecting a large number of links each having a receiving plate on which a transported object is placed. Of these top chains, the one with a crescent shaped receiving plate is known as a crescent chain.
This crescent chain is preferably used in a so-called rotating sushi restaurant, and a plate on which sushi is placed is placed on a receiving plate and circulates.
In the crescent chain, adjacent links are connected to each other by a shaft rod, but conventionally, a split pin is inserted into the lower end portion of the shaft rod or a C-ring is fitted to prevent the shaft rod from coming off.

By the way, there is a case where the crescent chain is removed from the conveying device in order to replace the broken link or to clean the one accumulated under the crescent chain.
In this case, it is necessary to pull up the crescent chain and remove the split pin or remove the C-ring. However, these operations are troublesome and time consuming.
In addition, when connecting the links again after replacing or cleaning the links, it is troublesome to attach the split pins and the C ring to the shaft. Moreover, when the links are separated from each other, the split pins and the C ring are removed from the shaft rod, so that the split pins and the C ring may be lost.

  Furthermore, in recent years, there is a case where the main body of the transfer device on which the crescent chain is arranged can be disassembled and assembled, and it is desired that the crescent chain can be easily disassembled and assembled. When installing, it was troublesome and time consuming during disassembly and assembly.

Therefore, the applicant has previously proposed that the links be attached and detached with a single touch using a shaft rod provided with an O-ring (Patent Document 1). In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, the links can be connected to each other with a shaft by one touch, and the attachment / detachment of the links becomes easy.
JP 2007-229017 A

  However, in the case of the invention described in Patent Document 1, depending on the material of the link, as shown in FIG. 7, when the shaft 101 is pushed in, the O-ring 103 of the shaft 101 has a U-shaped link 105. By hitting the lower piece 107, the lower piece 107 may bend and the shaft rod 101 may not be pushed completely. In that case, it was necessary to attach the lower piece 107 of the link 105 by pressing it by hand.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a top chain in which links can be easily and reliably attached and detached.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the invention according to claim 1 is a top chain configured by sequentially connecting a plurality of links by a shaft rod, It has a substantially U-shaped link body in which an upper piece and a lower piece are connected at a connecting portion, and a receiving plate for an object to be conveyed provided on the upper piece of the link body. The rear end portion is fitted into the front end portion of the rear link, and is connected by a shaft rod. At least one of the connection portions of the adjacent links, the rear end of the front link body among the adjacent links A supporting piece is provided on the lower surface of the part so as to be separated from the lower surface, and the shaft rod is fitted between the lower surface and the supporting piece with the front end portion of the lower piece of the rear link fitted. The locking portion at the lower end of the shaft rod is the rear link A top chain, characterized in that locked detachably in the lower part or the support piece of the body.

  The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the locking portion of the shaft rod is an O-ring mounted in an annular groove formed on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft rod. It is a top chain.

  A third aspect of the present invention is a transport device in which the top chain according to the first or second aspect is used.

  Further, the invention according to claim 4 is a support member fixed to the lower piece of the link body in order to constitute the support piece of the top chain according to claim 1 or claim 2.

  According to the top chain of the present invention, the links can be attached and detached easily and reliably.

  Hereinafter, the top chain of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of a circulating and conveying apparatus to which one embodiment of the top chain of the present invention is attached. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. It is omitted.
3 is a plan view showing a part of the top chain of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a bottom view thereof.
Further, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV of FIG. 3, showing a state in which the second shaft rod is fitted, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the second shaft rod is fitted from the state of FIG. is there.
In the following description, the right side in FIGS. 3 and 4 is the front side, and the left side is the rear side.

The top chain of the present embodiment is a crescent chain in which the receiving plate on which the object to be conveyed is placed has a crescent shape, and is suitably used for a circulating conveyance device used in a so-called rotating sushi restaurant.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the circulating and conveying apparatus 1 is formed with an annular groove 3 formed on the upper surface of a base 2, and an annular crescent chain 5 is disposed in the groove 3.
The crescent chain 5 is meshed with a sprocket (not shown) connected to a motor (not shown) and circulates as the motor rotates.

The crescent chain 5 of the present embodiment is formed in an annular shape by sequentially connecting the links 7 and 7 with a shaft rod.
The link 7 includes a substantially U-shaped link body 9 and a receiving plate 11 that is fixed to the link body 9 and on which an object to be conveyed is placed.

  The link main body 9 includes plate-like upper pieces 13 and lower pieces 15 that are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction, and a columnar connection portion 17 that connects the rear ends of the upper piece 13 and the lower piece 15.

The upper piece 13 has a rectangular plate shape elongated in the front-rear direction, and its front end portion extends upward as it goes forward, and then extends horizontally.
The lower piece 15 has a rectangular plate shape elongated in the front-rear direction, and the front-rear dimension is substantially the same as that of the upper piece 13.

The connecting portion 17 has a cylindrical shape, and is provided between the rear end portions of the upper piece 13 and the lower piece 15 with the axial direction thereof being vertically arranged, and is integrated with the upper piece 13 and the lower piece 15. That is, the rear end portion of the upper piece 13 is disposed in contact with the upper surface of the connection portion 17, and the rear end portion of the lower piece 15 is disposed in contact with the lower surface of the connection portion 17.
In this way, a through hole 19 is formed in the rear end portion of the link body 9 formed by integrating the upper piece 13, the lower piece 15, and the connection portion 17 along the vertical direction.
In the present embodiment, a circular through hole 19 is formed along the vertical direction so as to pass through the axis of the connecting portion 17.

  The receiving plate 11 is a substantially crescent-shaped plate piece. Specifically, the receiving plate 11 has a front end portion that protrudes forward in a substantially semicircular shape and a rear end portion that is recessed forward in a substantially semicircular shape.

The receiving plate 11 is placed on the front end portion of the upper piece 13 and integrated with the upper piece 13.
At this time, the receiving plate 11 is provided with a front end portion protruding forward from a front end portion of the upper piece 13.

And the stepped through-hole 21 is formed in the location where the upper piece 13 and the receiving plate 11 overlapped along the up-down direction. In the present embodiment, a circular through hole 21a is formed in the upper piece 13 along the vertical direction, and a hole 21b having a larger diameter than the through hole 21a of the upper piece 13 is received coaxially with the through hole 21a. A stepped hole 21 is formed in the plate 11.
A through hole 23 is formed in the front end portion of the lower piece 15 along the vertical direction so as to be coaxial with the stepped hole 21. The through hole 21 a of the upper piece 13 has a slightly larger diameter than the through hole 23 of the lower piece 15.

When the links 7 and 7 having such a configuration are connected to each other, each of the links 7A and 7B such that the rear end of the front link 7B is sandwiched by the front end of the rear link 7A among the adjacent links 7 and 7. Place.
That is, the front end portion of the upper piece 13 of the rear link 7A is disposed in contact with the upper surface of the rear end portion of the upper piece 13 of the front link 7B, and the front end portion of the lower piece 15 of the rear link 7A is disposed on the front side. It is disposed in contact with the lower surface of the rear end of the lower piece 15 of the link 7B.
At this time, the receiving plate 11 of the rear link 7A and the receiving plate 11 of the front link 7B are arranged close to or in contact with each other.
Thus, in the state in which the rear end portion of the front link 7B is fitted between the front end portions of the upper piece 13 and the lower piece 15 of the rear link 7A, each through hole in the front end portion of the rear link 7A. 21 and 23 and the through-hole 19 of the rear end part of the front link 7B are arrange | positioned coaxially.

Then, the first shaft rod 25 is fitted into the communicating through holes 21, 23, 19.
The first shaft rod 25 has a substantially round bar shape, and a disk-shaped flange portion 25a is formed at the upper end portion of the first shaft rod 25 by increasing the diameter outward in the radial direction. The first shaft rod 25 has an outer diameter corresponding to the through hole 23 of the lower piece 15, and the flange portion 25 a has an outer diameter corresponding to the large diameter hole 21 b of the stepped hole 21, that is, the hole 21 b of the receiving plate 11. It is said.
A circular through hole 25b is formed in the lower end portion of the first shaft rod 25 along the radial direction.

The first shaft rod 25 is fitted in the vertical direction in the holes 21, 23, 19 in which the links 7, 7 are overlapped and communicated with each other, and the through hole 25b at the lower end thereof is from the lower piece 15 of the rear link 7A. Located down. And the split pin 27 is inserted in the through-hole 25b of the 1st shaft rod 25, and link 7A, 7B is connected.
At this time, the flange portion 25a of the first shaft rod 25 is arranged in the hole 21b of the receiving plate 11, that is, the large diameter hole 21b of the stepped hole 21, and is arranged flush with or slightly below the upper surface of the receiving plate 11. Is done. That is, the thickness of the flange portion 25 a of the first shaft rod 25 is the same as or slightly thinner than the depth of the hole 21 b of the receiving plate 11.

  Thus, in a state where the links 7 and 7 are connected to each other, the links 7 and 7 can be rotated around the first shaft 25. Similarly, the links 7 and 7 are sequentially connected.

By the way, in this example, when the links 7 and 7 are connected to each other and configured in an annular shape, the second shaft 31 is used in place of the first shaft 25 at the two connected portions.
A support tool 33 is provided on the front link 7 </ b> C among the two links 7 connected by the second shaft rod 31.

  The support 33 includes a rectangular plate-shaped piece 35 fixed in contact with the lower surface of the lower piece 15 of the link body 9, a vertical piece 36 extending perpendicularly downward from the rear end of the one piece 35, And a rectangular plate-like support piece 37 extending rearward from the lower end of the vertical piece 36. The support 33 is made of a hard synthetic resin. Further, since the support piece 37 has a sufficiently shorter dimension than the lower piece 15 of the link 7, it does not bend.

  The support piece 37 of the support tool 33 is arranged in parallel with the lower piece 15 of the link body 9, and the distance between the lower piece 15 and the support piece 37 of the support tool 33 is substantially the same as the thickness of the lower piece 15 of the link body 9. It is said.

  Of the links 7 and 7 connected by the second shaft rod 31, the rear link 7D has a large-diameter hole 21b of a stepped hole 21 formed at a position where the upper piece 13 and the receiving plate 11 overlap. It is a rectangular hole. That is, the hole 21b formed in the receiving plate 11 is a rectangular hole.

When two adjacent links 7 and 7 are connected by the second shaft 31, the upper piece 13 of the rear link 7D is disposed in contact with the upper surface of the upper piece 13 of the front link 7C, The lower piece 15 of the link 7D is fitted between the lower piece 15 of the front link 7C and the support piece 37 of the support 33.
In the present embodiment, the front end of the lower piece 15 of the rear link 7D is sandwiched between the lower piece 15 of the front link 7C and the support piece 37 of the support 33.
As described above, when the rear end portion of the front link 7C is fitted in the front end portion of the rear link 7D, the through holes 21 and 23 at the front end portion of the rear link 7D and the rear link 7C The end through hole 19 communicates, and the second shaft rod 31 is fitted into the communicated through holes 21, 23, 19.
In the present embodiment, in the state where the front end of the lower piece 15 of the rear link 7D is positioned in contact with the vertical piece 36 of the support 33, the through holes 21, 23, 19 of the links 7C, 7D are formed. Communicate.

The second shaft 31 has an elongated cylindrical shape, and an upper end portion thereof protrudes radially outward to form a flange portion 31a. In the present embodiment, the flange portion 31a of the second shaft rod 31 has a substantially oval shape in which both end portions of the disc are cut out by parallel straight lines.
An annular groove 31b is formed at the lower end of the second shaft rod 31 along the circumferential direction.
Furthermore, the lower end from the annular groove 31b of the second shaft rod 31 is formed in a truncated cone shape that decreases in diameter as it goes downward.
An O-ring 39 is fitted into the groove 31 b of the second shaft rod 31. As the O-ring 39, for example, a natural rubber, or a rubber made of synthetic rubber having high elasticity such as EP, IIR, nitro rubber, fluorine rubber, or silicon rubber is preferably used.

  When the O-ring 39 is fitted into the groove 31b of the second shaft rod 31, the outer peripheral surface of the O-ring 39 slightly protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the second shaft rod 31, and the outer diameter of the O-ring 39 is The diameter is slightly larger than the through hole 23 of the lower piece 15.

When the second shaft rod 31 is fitted from above into the through holes 21, 23, 19 in which the adjacent links 7C, 7D communicate with each other, the O-ring 39 is connected to the through hole 19 at the rear end of the front link 7C and the rear When it passes through the through hole 23 of the lower piece 15 of the link 7D, it is elastically deformed and once contracted in diameter, and then protrudes downward from the lower piece 15 of the rear link 7D to be restored. The O-ring 39 is disposed in contact with or close to the lower surface of the lower piece 15 of the rear link 7D, and the flange 31a is placed in the hole 21b of the receiving plate 11, that is, the large-diameter hole 21b of the stepped hole 21. Be placed.
As a result, the links 7C and 7D are connected to the flange portion 31a of the second shaft rod 31 with the O-ring 39 restricted in the vertical movement, and can be rotated around the second shaft rod 31. In addition, the thickness of the collar part 31a is the same as or slightly thinner than the depth of the hole 21b of the receiving plate 11, and in the state where the second shaft 31 is inserted into the links 7C and 7D, the collar part 31a It is arranged flush with the upper surface or slightly below.

In the present embodiment, the lower piece 15 of the rear link 7D is sandwiched by the lower piece 15 of the front link 7C and the support piece 37 of the support 33 to restrict the downward movement, so that the second shaft When the collar 31 is pushed into the link, the lower piece 15 of the rear link 7D is not bent downward by the O-ring 39.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, in the state where the link 7 is arranged in the groove 3 of the base 2 of the transport device 1 and both ends of the receiving plate 11 are placed on the bottom surfaces 3 a and 3 a of the groove 3, The links 7 and 7 can be connected to each other simply by pushing 31 in.
When releasing the connection between the two links 7C and 7D, the crescent chain 5 is slightly pulled up from the groove 3, the second shaft rod 31 is pushed upward, and the second shaft rod 31 is pulled out.

Thus, in the crescent chain 5 of the present embodiment, the support tool 33 is provided on the front link 7C at two places where the links are connected, and the links 7C and 7D are connected by the second shaft 31. In these places, the decomposition is particularly easy. Therefore, the crescent chain 5 can be easily disassembled and carried at these points.
In addition, since the second shaft 31 is only fitted to the link at these two locations, there are no split pins or C-rings as in the prior art, and these components fall out or are lost in the transport device. There is no fear.

Note that the top chain of the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the second shaft rod 31 is used in two places where the links are sequentially connected to form an annular shape, but may be one place, a plurality of places, or all places.

In the above embodiment, the front end of the lower piece 15 of the rear link 7D is fitted between the lower piece 15 of the front link 7C and the support piece 37 of the support 33. The front and rear dimensions can be changed as appropriate.
For example, in a state where the rear end portion of the front link 7C is disposed between the front end portions of the upper piece 13 and the lower piece 15 of the rear link 7D, the support piece 37 of the support member 33 is replaced with the rear link 7D. You may make it extend back from the through-hole 23 of the lower piece 15. In this case, a through hole or notch through which the second shaft rod 31 is passed may be formed in the support piece 37.
In the above embodiment, the O-ring 39 of the second shaft 31 is brought into contact with the lower piece 15 of the rear link 7D and locked, but is brought into contact with the support piece 37 of the support 33 and locked. May be.

Moreover, in the said Example, although it was set as the structure which fixes the support tool 33 to the lower piece 15 of the link 7, you may form the support tool 33 and the link 7 integrally.
Further, in the above embodiment, the O-ring 39 is mounted on the second shaft 31 and this O-ring 39 is locked to the lower piece 15 of the link 7. However, instead of the O-ring, an X-ring, D-ring, etc. Or other means may be used. That is, the structure of the engaging portion provided on the second shaft 31 is not limited as long as the second shaft 31 can be attached to and detached from the link 7 with one touch.

  In the above embodiment, a crescent chain used in a so-called carousel sushi restaurant has been described. Similarly, the second shaft and the support can be applied to a top chain used in a production facility of a factory. is there.

It is a top view which shows an example of the circulation conveyance apparatus with which one Example of the top chain of this invention was attached and comprised. It is II-II sectional drawing of FIG. 1, and one part is abbreviate | omitted and shown. It is a top view which shows a part of top chain of FIG. It is a bottom view which shows a part of top chain of FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V of FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which fitted the 2nd shaft rod from the state of FIG. It is a figure which shows the connection structure of the conventional links.

Explanation of symbols

Reference Signs List 5 Crescent chain 7 Link 9 Link body 11 Receiving plate 13 Upper piece 15 Lower piece 17 Connection portion 25 First shaft rod 31 Second shaft rod 33 Support tool 37 Support piece 39 O-ring

Claims (4)

A top chain composed of a number of links sequentially connected by shafts,
The link includes a substantially U-shaped link body in which an upper piece and a lower piece are connected by a connecting portion, and a receiving plate for a conveyed object provided on the upper piece of the link body,
Adjacent links, the rear end of the front link is fitted into the front end of the rear link, and is connected by a shaft rod,
In at least one of the connection points between adjacent links,
A support piece is provided on the lower surface of the rear end portion of the front link body among the adjacent links so as to be separated from the lower surface, and the front end of the lower piece of the rear link is provided between the lower surface and the support piece. The top is characterized in that the shaft rod is fitted in a state where the portion is fitted, and the locking portion at the lower end portion of the shaft rod is detachably locked to the lower part of the rear link body or the support piece. chain. The top chain according to claim 1, wherein the locking portion of the shaft rod is an O-ring attached to an annular groove formed on an outer peripheral surface of the shaft rod.   A transport device in which the top chain according to claim 1 or 2 is used.   A support fixture fixed to a lower piece of the link body to constitute the support piece of the top chain according to claim 1 or 2.

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