JP5311458B2 - Container group loading device and loading method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for stacking a group of containers with aligned containers on a pallet. In particular, the present invention relates to a container group stacking apparatus and a container group stacking method capable of stacking containers on a pallet by sucking and holding a container group, a separate sheet, and a top frame.

  In the palletizer as a device for stacking a group of containers on a pallet, a device for aligning relatively small containers such as bottles, cans, and packaging materials made of paper or synthetic resin and sequentially stacking them on the pallet is It is called a “bulk palletizer” and is sometimes distinguished from a “case palletizer” that stacks cases.

  For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-89421) discloses a bulk palletizer in which aligned container groups are restrained by mechanical means such as a four-way guide, and the container groups are transferred onto a pallet and stacked. According to such a bulk palletizer, a multi-stage stack in which separate sheets (sheets for stably and hygienically holding containers to be stacked) and a group of containers are stacked on a pallet and a top frame is arranged at the top. Can be realized (see FIG. 8 of Patent Document 1).

  However, since the conventional bulk palletizer requires adjustment of the structure and mounting position of the mechanical means depending on the shape and size of the target article (container), it requires time and effort for adjustment at the time of manufacturing and product change. Further, when the shape or alignment state of the target article is changed, the container may not be smoothly held and transported. In particular, if some containers were missing, the entire container group could fall. Furthermore, since separate sheets and top frames as stacking sub-materials cannot be held and transported, a dedicated device for moving these separately onto the pallet is required.

  On the other hand, a means has been proposed in which a separate sheet and a group of containers placed thereon are collectively sucked and held, and these are collectively transferred onto a pallet. For example, Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-203621) discloses a suction-type container provided with a suction chamber device that covers a separate container group and a separate sheet carrying the container group from above and sucks the separate sheet with a vacuum force. A group transport device is disclosed. According to this apparatus, the container group for one stage and the separate sheet on which the container group is placed are integrally held and conveyed.

  According to the suction-type container group conveying apparatus of Patent Document 2, the container group and a separate sheet laid on the bottom of the container group can be conveyed at a time. However, in the case of performing palletizing by stacking the container group and the separate sheet by applying this suction type container group conveying apparatus, a step of laying the separate sheet under the container group in advance by a separate means is required. For this reason, a conveyance process became complicated and there existed a possibility that the conveyance required time might become long. Further, in order to prevent air leakage from the outer periphery of the separate sheet, more accurate sheet positioning is required, and the apparatus configuration and operation are complicated. Furthermore, this suction-type container group transporting device cannot hold and transport the top frame as a stacking auxiliary material, and therefore requires a dedicated device for moving the top frame onto the pallet.

  Patent Document 3 (US Pat. No. 3,307,819) discloses an apparatus for sucking and holding a flexible thin film by a vacuum holder having a plurality of suction holes. The vacuum holder of patent document 3 can hold | maintain a film, even if it is a case where the suction hole which is not covered with the flexible thin film film exists, without reducing the vacuum degree of a vacuum holder. However, for this purpose, the vacuum holder of Patent Document 3 has a complicated structure in which it is necessary to mount valve means for preventing the vacuum degree from being lowered in all the suction holes.

  Patent Document 4 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 03-102014) discloses a device for conveying an individual object including a negative pressure source and a suction head connected to the negative pressure source. A boundary wall having a number of suction holes is provided below the suction head. Cups, cans, and the like to be transported are attracted to the boundary plate of the suction head by the negative pressure provided by the negative pressure source. Transported. The transport device of Patent Document 4 is characterized in that a thin flow duct is provided to connect all the suction holes of the suction head and the negative pressure device. The distribution duct is configured to increase its pressure resistance in order to prevent a negative pressure drop in the suction chamber by a suction hole that is open without contacting the object to be transported.

  The apparatuses of Patent Document 3 and Patent Document 4 disclose apparatuses that convey a flexible thin film film, a cup, a can, or the like by adsorbing the film to a suction head. In these devices, even when a vacuum holder for performing suction or a part of the suction port of the suction head is opened, a negative pressure is maintained and a container or the like can be transported. However, these devices require special valve means or flow ducts to prevent a negative pressure drop even if a part of the suction port is opened. For this reason, the structure of the whole apparatus was complicated. Moreover, it is necessary to optimize the configuration of these valve means or distribution ducts by the container to be transported, and the versatility of the apparatus for the container to be transported is low.

JP 2003-89421 A JP 2004-203621 A U.S. Pat. No. 3,307,819 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 03-102014

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and does not necessarily cause plastic deformation or breakage in a container as a handling object that is not necessarily strong, and changes in the shape and material of the container, Alternatively, a container group stacking device and a container group stacking method that can deal with irregular container arrangements, can be stably held and transported with sufficient suction force, and stacked on a pallet. It was made to provide. It is another object of the present invention to make it possible to easily cope with changes in conditions such as product type switching of containers to be handled in a relatively short time.

  Furthermore, the present invention holds and conveys various container groups, separate sheets and top frames, respectively, in a state where the container groups and separate sheets are combined, and in a state where the separate sheets and top frame are combined. To provide a container group stacking apparatus and a container group stacking method capable of stacking a container group, a separate sheet and a top frame on a pallet quickly and efficiently with a simple apparatus configuration that can be transported and the like. With the goal.

The invention of claim 1 is a container group stacking device for stacking a container group consisting of a plurality of containers on a pallet,
A multi-row stage that receives a plurality of containers and waits for a group of containers in an aligned state; and
A separate sheet supply device for supplying a separate sheet as a stacking sub-material inserted between the stacking stages of the container group;
A top frame supply device for supplying a top frame as a stacking auxiliary material arranged at the top of the stacked container group;
A holding and conveying device for holding the object to be conveyed so that it can be conveyed;
The holding and conveying device is
A suction head for providing a flat object suction surface having a plurality of suction holes on the lower surface side of the suction chamber, and holding the article to be sucked by bringing the article suction surface into contact with the object to be conveyed;
Moving means for moving the suction head in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction; and
Comprising negative pressure supply means connected to the suction chamber of the suction head;
The negative pressure supply means of the holding and conveying device is
The container is arranged to face the entire surface of the article suction surface when the suction head abuts the container on the article suction surface and sucks and holds the container through the plurality of suction holes. In a state in which outside air is not directly sucked from almost all of the suction holes, the container can be sucked and held with almost no plastic deformation, and there is a region where the container does not face the article suction surface, so In the state of directly sucking outside air from a suction hole that is not in contact, it has a suction characteristic of suction side static pressure vs. air volume that brings about negative pressure or air flow that can maintain suction holding of the container,
The container group stacking device is characterized in that a container group, a separate sheet, and a top frame as objects to be conveyed can be stacked in a predetermined order on the pallet by the holding and conveying device.

In addition to this, the invention of claim 1 is characterized in that the negative pressure supply means is configured by utilizing a suction side of a blower.

Furthermore, the invention of claim 1
The negative pressure caused by the negative pressure supply means to the suction hole on the article suction surface of the suction head has the following two conditions:
(1) The container is brought into contact with all of the plurality of suction holes of the article suction surface, and the negative pressure is 10 KPa or less in a state where outside air is not directly sucked from all of the suction holes, and (2) The negative pressure becomes 0.5 KPa or more in a state where the container is brought into contact with half of the plurality of suction holes of the article adsorption surface and the outside air is directly sucked from the other half of the suction holes;
It is set so that it may satisfy | fill.

  As a result of various studies by the inventors, when the negative pressure provided to the suction hole on the article suction surface of the suction head by the negative pressure supply means exceeds 10 KPa, a container made of an easily deformable material is sucked. It has been confirmed that the possibility of causing plastic deformation becomes very high when held. In addition, when the negative pressure is less than 0.5 KPa, in the case of a normal small and light container, there is a high risk that it will drop off when it is sucked and held, and stable holding may be difficult. confirmed. From the above, it has been confirmed that in the present invention, it is most preferable that the negative pressure supply means provide a negative pressure of 0.5 KPa or more and 10 KPa or less.

The invention of claim 2 is a container group stacking method for stacking a container group consisting of a plurality of containers on a pallet,
A suction head for providing a flat article suction surface having a plurality of suction holes on the lower surface side of the suction chamber, and holding the article to be sucked by bringing the article suction surface into contact with the object to be conveyed, the suction A holding and conveying device for holding a conveyance object in a conveyable manner, comprising a moving means for moving the head in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction, and a negative pressure supply means connected to a suction chamber of the suction head. Yes, the negative pressure supply means of the holding and conveying device,
The container is arranged to face the entire surface of the article suction surface when the suction head abuts the container on the article suction surface and sucks and holds the container through the plurality of suction holes. In a state in which outside air is not directly sucked from almost all of the suction holes, the container can be sucked and held with almost no plastic deformation, and there is a region where the container does not face the article suction surface, so A holding and conveying device having suction characteristics of suction side static pressure versus air volume that brings about a negative pressure or air flow that can maintain suction holding of the container in a state in which outside air is directly sucked from a non-contact suction hole. used and,
The negative pressure supply means of the holding and conveying device is configured using the suction side of the blower,
In the process of performing suction holding and transport by the suction head for the container group aligned on the multi-row stage, and the separation sheet and the top frame as the stacking auxiliary material ,
The negative pressure caused by the negative pressure supply means to the suction hole on the article suction surface of the suction head has the following two conditions:
(1) The negative pressure is 10 KPa or less in a state in which a container is brought into contact with all of the plurality of suction holes of the article suction surface and outside air is not directly sucked from all of the suction holes.
(2) The negative pressure is 0.5 KPa or more in a state in which a container is brought into contact with half of the plurality of suction holes of the article adsorption surface and outside air is directly sucked from the remaining half of the suction holes,
Is satisfied , the container group, the separate sheet and the top frame are stacked in a predetermined order on a pallet.

The invention of claim 3 is the container group stacking method according to claim 2 ,
The separation sheet supplied by the separate sheet supply device is sucked and held by the suction head of the holding and conveying device and conveyed onto the pallet, where the negative pressure is released or lowered, and the separate sheet is placed on the pallet. And the process of
The container group aligned on the multi-row stage is sucked and held by the suction head of the holding and transporting device, transported onto the pallet, and the negative pressure is released or lowered there, so that the container group is already mounted on the pallet. The step of placing on the separated sheet is repeated, and the separate sheet and the container group are stacked up to a predetermined number of stages.

The invention of claim 4 is the container group stacking method according to claim 2 ,
A step of sucking and holding a group of containers arranged in a multi-row stage by the suction head of the holding and conveying device;
The suction head that sucks and holds the container group is moved onto the separate sheet supplied by the separate sheet supply device, and the separate sheet is further sucked and held below the container group sucked and held by the suction head. Process and
The suction head that integrally sucks and holds the container group and the separate sheet is moved onto the pallet, and the negative pressure is released or lowered there, thereby mounting the container group and the separate sheet together on the pallet. The separating sheet and the container group are stacked up to a predetermined number of stages by repeating the placing step.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the suction head holding the container group is moved onto the separate sheet, and the separate sheet is brought into contact with the lower side of the container group sucked and held by the suction head. The negative pressure is also applied to a plurality of adjacent containers, an article suction surface of the suction head, and a gap space defined by a separate sheet. Therefore, as described above, the separate sheet can be further sucked and held under the container group sucked and held by the suction head.

The invention of claim 5 is the container group stacking method according to any one of claims 2 to 4 , wherein the container group is stacked up to a predetermined number of stages, and then the stacking is finally completed. As the separation sheet supplied by the separation sheet supply device is sucked and held by the suction head of the holding and conveying device and conveyed onto the uppermost container group, and the negative pressure is released or reduced there, thereby separating the separate sheet. Placing on the uppermost container group, and
By sucking and holding the top frame supplied by the top frame supply device by the suction head of the holding and conveying device and conveying it on the uppermost separate sheet, the negative pressure is released or reduced there, thereby the top frame is wherein characterized in that it further comprises steps, the placing at the top of the separate sheet.

The invention of claim 6 is the container group stacking method according to any one of claims 2 to 4 , wherein the container group is stacked up to a predetermined number of stages, and then the step is finally completed. As
A top frame is stacked on a separate sheet supplied by a separate sheet supply device by a top frame supply device, and a suction head of the holding and conveying device is brought into contact with an upper surface of the top frame on the separate sheet so that the top frame and the top frame Simultaneously sucking and holding the lower separate sheet with the suction head; and
By moving the suction head that integrally sucks and holds the top frame and the separate sheet onto the uppermost container group, the negative pressure is released or reduced there, thereby bringing the top frame and the separate sheet together. wherein characterized in that it further comprises steps, the placing on the top of the container group.

According to the method of claim 6 , after the top frame is stacked on the separate sheet, the suction head is brought into contact with the upper surface of the top frame on the separate sheet, whereby the separate sheet, the top frame, and the suction head article. Negative pressure is applied to the space defined by the adsorption surface. Therefore, as described above, the top frame and the separate sheet below the top frame can be simultaneously sucked and held by the suction head.

  According to the container group stacking device of the first aspect, the individual containers constituting the container group can be stacked on the pallet without being plastically deformed (or damaged) by the negative pressure. For this reason, it can respond to the stacking of the container of various shapes, dimensions, materials, and rigidity. In addition, it is possible to flexibly cope with the change in the arrangement form of the container group with the minimum setting change, and the operation is easy. In addition, it is possible to carry out the stacking without problems even if the container group is not aligned properly or partially missing, and the operation stability is excellent. Furthermore, not only container groups but also separate sheets and top frames can be held and conveyed using the suction head of the same holding and conveying device, so that the complexity of the structure of the container group loading device can be avoided and the loading operation can be avoided. Can be simplified and made more efficient.

  According to the container group stacking device of the first aspect, the static pressure versus air volume characteristic of the negative pressure supply means that brings negative pressure to the suction head is optimized, so that the object to be transported on the article suction surface of the suction head. When the container is brought into contact with and held by suction, the container is plastically deformed even in a state where the container is disposed so as to face the entire surface of the article adsorption surface and outside air is not directly sucked from almost all the suction holes. Can be held without suction. At the same time, since there is a region where the container does not face the article suction surface, even when the negative pressure of the suction head is reduced by directly sucking outside air from the suction hole not in contact with the container, suction of the container Retention can be maintained.

  Thus, even if air is sucked from between the article adsorption surface and the container, there is an effect that the container can be stably sucked and held. There is no need for a special structure such as a member for preventing air from flowing in between. In addition, since the article adsorbing surface may be a rigid body such as a metal or a synthetic resin, a clean and damaged pad is not mixed in the container with little maintenance. And since there are few complicated parts which require maintenance like the special valve of patent document 3, the hose of patent document 4, etc., an inexpensive apparatus with few failures can be provided. As described above, according to the apparatus of the present invention, there is an effect that the container can be stably sucked and held without being plastically deformed or damaged in response to changes in various conditions of the target container.

As described in claim 1 , by using the suction side of the blower as the negative pressure supply means, the suction characteristics of the suction side static pressure versus the air volume as described above can be realized relatively inexpensively. In particular, by using the suction side of the blower, it is possible to realize a negative pressure supply means having a low negative pressure characteristic over a wide air volume region, so that the container is arranged so as to face the entire surface of the article adsorption surface, and almost all Even when the negative pressure of the suction head becomes high without sucking outside air directly from the suction hole, the container can be sucked and held with almost no plastic deformation. Further, the negative pressure supply means can be used even when the negative pressure of the blower suction head is reduced by directly sucking outside air from a large number of suction holes that are not in contact with the container so that the area where the container does not contact the article suction surface is wide. Since the suction side of the blower can suck the outside air from the suction hole with a large air volume, the negative pressure drop is slight, and the container can be reliably sucked and held.

By setting the negative pressure and the air volume according to physical properties such as the shape and weight of the container so that the two conditions described in claim 1 are satisfied at the same time, the container is placed in all the suction holes on the article suction surface of the suction head. When the container is held and transported in a state where the outside air is not directly sucked from all the suction holes by contact, even if the transport object is a container made of a relatively easily deformable material, Little plastic deformation occurs in the container during suction holding. At the same time, even when the container does not come into contact and the suction hole that is not blocked by the container directly sucks outside air, stable suction is performed so that the container does not fall off when the container is transported to the article suction surface of the suction head. Can be held. Thus, the invention of claim 3 can achieve two contradictory matters.

According to the container group stacking method of the second aspect , the individual containers constituting the container group can be stacked on the pallet without being plastically deformed (or damaged) by the negative pressure. For this reason, it can respond to the stacking of the container of various shapes, dimensions, materials, and rigidity. In addition, it is possible to flexibly cope with the change in the arrangement form of the container group with the minimum setting change, and the operation is easy. In addition, it is possible to carry out the stacking without problems even if the container group is not aligned properly or partially missing, and the operation stability is excellent. Furthermore, since not only the container group but also the separate sheet and the top frame can be held and conveyed by using the suction head of the same holding and conveying device, the loading operation can be simplified and made more efficient.

A container group stacking method according to a third aspect relates to a stacking procedure in which separate sheets and container groups are separately and alternately conveyed and placed on a pallet. According to this method, since the separate sheet and the container group are separately held by the suction head and transported and placed on the pallet, each operation is performed reliably and the operation of the container group stacking apparatus is stabilized. There is an effect to make.

The container group stacking method according to claim 4 relates to a stacking procedure in which a separate sheet and a container group are transported and placed together on a pallet. According to this method, since the separate sheets are sucked and held under the container group in advance and then collectively placed on the pallet, the work process is simplified and stacking can be performed with high efficiency. In addition, the relative position of the separate sheet and the container group, and the loading position accuracy with respect to both pallets are improved, so that the packaging of the containers on the stacked pallets is improved, and the collapse of the load during transportation is reduced, It becomes possible to carry out the unloading work by the depalletizer stably.

The container group stacking method according to claim 5 relates to a stacking procedure in which a separate sheet and a top frame are separately transported and placed on a pallet. According to this method, since the separate sheet and the top frame are separately held and placed on the pallet, there is an effect that the operations of the container group stacking apparatus are stabilized by reliably performing each operation.

The container group stacking method according to claim 6 relates to a stacking procedure in which a separate sheet and a top frame are transported and placed together on a pallet. According to this method, since the separate sheet and the top frame are collectively placed on the pallet, the work process is simplified and stacking can be performed with high efficiency. In addition, there is an effect of improving the accuracy of the relative position of the separate sheet and the top frame and the stacking position of the both on the pallet.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a container group stacking apparatus (palletizer) of the present invention and first and second examples of a container group stacking method using the apparatus will be described.

  An embodiment of a container group stacking apparatus 1 according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a state in which a container group stacking device 1 sucks and holds and stacks a plurality of cans 11 regularly arranged as a container group and a separate sheet 12 in contact with the lower surface thereof. It is a side view. The container group stacking device 1 includes a holding and conveying device 10. The holding and conveying apparatus 10 includes a suction head 2, a robot 3 as a moving unit that moves the suction head 2, and a negative pressure supply unit 4. The suction chamber 9 provided inside the suction head 2 and the negative pressure supply means 4 communicate with each other through an intake duct 5. The robot 3 as the moving means can control not only the suction head 2 in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction but also the planar direction angle of the suction head 2.

  The negative pressure supply means 4 includes a blower 4 a, an intake duct 5, an intake distribution chamber 15, and a distribution duct 5 c, and is connected to the suction chamber 9. The intake duct 5 is composed of a fixed fixed duct 5a and a flexible intake duct 5b. The flexible intake duct 5b has flexibility, and its tip can move in accordance with the movement of the intake distribution chamber 15 which is a part of the suction head 2 that moves while being supported by the robot 3.

  A top view of the suction head 2 of the holding and conveying apparatus 10 is shown in FIG. On the upper surface of the suction head 2, intake ports 6 are opened at four locations, and each is connected to a distribution duct 5c. The diameter of the intake duct 5 in this embodiment is 300 mm, and the distance from the intake port 6 to the negative pressure supply means 4 is 10 m. The suction head 2 is supported by the robot 3 via a central mounting portion 30.

  A bottom view of the suction head 2 of the holding and conveying apparatus 10 is shown in FIG. A head frame 2a is provided on the lower surface side of the suction head 2, and an article suction surface 7 in which circular suction holes 8 having a diameter of 7 mm are opened at a pitch of 20 mm is fixed to the head frame. When the ratio (A / B) of the article suction surface (B) to the sum (A) of the opening areas of the suction holes 8 of the article suction surface 7 is the opening ratio, the opening ratio of the article suction surface 7 of this embodiment is 10%. It has become. In FIG. 3, a state in which the article suction surface 7 sucks and holds a plurality of cans 11 arranged in multiple rows in a zigzag pattern without a gap in a planar manner is shown by overlapping with a circular line. Note that the object to be sucked and held on the article suction surface 7 of the suction head 2 (that is, the object to be conveyed by the holding and conveying device 10) is not limited to the can 11 as a container. A frame is also included.

In FIG. 1, the negative pressure supply means 4 of the holding and conveying apparatus 10 is a blower 4a. The intake duct 5 is connected to the suction side of the blower 4a. FIG. 4 shows an example of the relationship (QH characteristics) between the air volume of the blower 4a constituting the negative pressure supply means 4 and the static pressure. When this blower 4a is operated at an air volume of 30 m ³ / min, the suction side provides a negative static pressure of 4 kPa. At this time, the negative pressure supply means 4 has a negative pressure of 3.5 kPa in the suction hole 8 of the article suction surface 7 of the suction head 2 by a combination of the blower 4a, related devices such as the intake duct 5 and the suction head 2. Can bring. Further, when the negative pressure supply means 4 is operated at an air volume of 50 m ³ / min, the negative pressure supply means 4 can provide a static pressure of 2 kPa. In this case, a negative pressure of 1.8 kPa is brought into the suction hole 8 of the article suction surface 7 of the suction head 2. By using one or a plurality of these blowers 4a, the holding and conveying device 10 can generate a negative pressure corresponding to a required negative pressure characteristic.

  As a comparative example, FIG. 4 shows a characteristic of a vacuum pump used as a negative pressure supply unit to the suction head 2 in a conventional holding and conveying apparatus by a one-dot chain line. As can be seen from FIG. 4, the vacuum pump has a characteristic of generating a very high suction negative pressure in a relatively small air volume range (a characteristic in which the pressure change with respect to the air volume change is steep). According to such characteristics, the container is sucked and held very strongly in a state where most of the suction holes in the suction head are closed by the container to be handled (that is, there are almost no suction holes for directly sucking outside air). Can do. On the other hand, if the number of suction holes for directly sucking outside air increases because the container is not blocked by the container, the suction negative pressure is drastically decreased, which makes it difficult to stably hold the container. As long as a vacuum pump with such characteristics is used, it is extremely difficult to control the negative pressure for sucking and holding containers made of easily deformable materials without plastic deformation, and when some containers are missing. Therefore, it is difficult to say that it is practically impossible to achieve both the prevention of plastic deformation of the container and the stable suction holding.

  On the other hand, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the suction side of the blower having a characteristic in which the pressure change is relatively gradual with respect to the air volume change is adopted as the negative pressure supply means 4. For this reason, even if most or all of the plurality of suction holes 8 provided in the article suction surface 7 are blocked by the container, the negative pressure increases and the container to be handled does not plastically deform. Even if the container does not come into contact with a part or half of the plurality of suction holes 8, the negative pressure is not lowered and it becomes difficult to suck and hold the container to be handled. A relatively wide range of pressure and air volume suitable for holding by suction can be secured. For this reason, even if the number of containers to be sucked and held at one time changes, it can be handled by the apparatus as it is without taking any additional measures. That is, according to the container group stacking apparatus 1 of this embodiment, even when the shape and quantity of containers to be handled are changed, it is possible to achieve both the prevention of deformation of a container made of an easily deformable material and stable suction holding. It can be easily achieved. In that sense, the holding and conveying apparatus 10 of the present embodiment can greatly contribute to enhancing the versatility of the container group stacking apparatus 1 in which it is incorporated.

In the case where the holding and conveying apparatus 10 in the present embodiment holds 176 cans 11 made of paper and having an open top surface with a diameter of 80 mm, an internal capacity of 600,000 mm ³ and a weight of 30 g, as well as 176 cans 11 and their bottom surfaces Taking as an example the case of holding and transporting a combination article of separate sheets 12 arranged so as to abut against, the relationship between the negative pressure near the suction hole 8 of the holding and conveying device 10 and the air flow is taken as an example and held and conveyed The characteristics of the device 10 will be described. The can 11 has a cylindrical shape in which an upper surface is open and a space 13 closed inside is formed by a side surface and a lower surface.

A case will be described in which the holding and conveying apparatus 10 simultaneously holds and conveys 176 cans 11 that are arranged in multiple rows so as to be in contact with each other at equal intervals as shown in the plan view of FIG. 5 (staggered arrangement). At this time, a vertical gap 14 exists between three adjacent cans 11. The area ratio in the horizontal direction of the gap around the can 11 is 22%. A plurality of cans 11 arranged in a dense manner in this manner are held at the top with 176 suctioned by the suction head 2 at a time. At this time, the article suction surface 7 of the suction head 2 is in contact with 12 to 17 suction holes 8 per can 11. When two air blowers 4a are used and the air volume is set to 80 m ³ / min, the suction hole 8 in contact with the can 11 among the suction holes 8 of the article suction surface 7 of the suction head 2 has a negative pressure of 2.5 kPa. In this way, the can 11 is stably held. On the other hand, the suction hole 8 positioned above the gap 14 is open to the outside air even when the can 11 is sucked and held by the suction head 2 and directly sucks the outside air. However, since the air flow generated in the suction hole 8 is a flow rate at which the negative pressure necessary for holding the can 11 is maintained, the can 11 is stably held. Further, since the static pressure at which the can 11 is plastically deformed is 3 kPa or more, there is no fear that the can 11 is plastically deformed by the negative pressure derived from the suction head 2, and the can 11 is held in a suitable state.

Next, a description will be given of a case where 176 cans 11 and a combined article of separate sheets 12 arranged so as to be in contact with the lower surface thereof are held and conveyed. When the air volume of the negative pressure supply means 4 using two blowers is 80 m ³ / min, 2 of the suction holes 8 on the article suction surface 7 of the suction head 2 are in contact with the can 11. A negative pressure of .5 kPa is provided to hold the can 11 stably. On the other hand, since the gap 14 is a space closed by the separate sheet 12 and the article adsorbing surface 7 in contact with the lower surface, a negative pressure of about 2.5 kPa is similarly applied to the gap 14 to separate the gap 14. The sheet 12 can be stably held. As described above, the holding and conveying device 10 is configured such that a part of the suction hole 8 of the article suction surface 7 of the suction head 2 is transferred to the can 11 by optimizing the negative pressure supplied by the negative pressure supply unit 4. Even in a state where the outside air is directly sucked without contact, the can 11 can be suitably held and transported. Further, it is possible to similarly hold and transport the combined article formed by combining the separate sheet 12 and the 176 cans 11 positioned thereon without changing the air volume of the negative pressure supply means 4. is there.

  (First Embodiment) A first embodiment of a method of stacking a plurality of cans 11 and separate sheets 12 on a pallet 20 using the container group stacking apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. To do. As shown in FIG. 6, the holding and conveying device 10 is installed between the multi-row stage 22 to which the cans 11 are supplied, the conveying conveyor 25 of the pallet 20, the separate sheet supply device 23, and the top frame supply device 28. ing.

  In this embodiment, the multi-row stage 22 is constituted by a wide conveyor chain, and is divided into an upstream conveyor 22a and a downstream conveyor 22b and is driven individually. Further, the number (176) of cans 11 arranged in a staggered arrangement in advance by a well-known container aligning apparatus (not shown) further upstream of the upstream conveyor 22a is taken as a group, with a space in the front and rear. Sequentially supplied to the upstream conveyor 22a. Then, when the can 11 placed on the downstream conveyor 22b is sucked and held by the holding and conveying device 10 and lifted, and when the downstream conveyor 22b is empty, a group of cans 11 on the upstream conveyor 22a is placed on the downstream conveyor 22b. Are sequentially transferred. As another example of the multi-row stage 22, the multi-row stage 22 is formed of a wide flat plate, and the number of cans 11 (176 pieces) stacked in a row is sequentially pushed between the guide bars on both sides. It may be configured to be supplied onto the multi-row stage 22 by being pushed by a plate or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the robot 3 moves the suction head 2 to the upper end surfaces of the plurality of cans 11 in which the multi-row stage 22 is arranged, and makes the article suction surface 7 of the suction head 2 contact. Thereby, the inside of the can 11 becomes negative pressure, and the plurality of cans 11 are sucked and held by the suction head 2. Hereinafter, this is referred to as a first suction holding step.

  The suction head 2 in a state where the plurality of cans 11 are sucked and held is moved onto the separate sheet supply device 23 by the robot 3. At this time, a separate sheet 12 taken out from the separate sheet magazine by a known means (not shown) is supplied onto the separate sheet supply device 23. The lower end surface of the can 11 sucked and held by the holding and conveying device 10 is brought into contact with the separate sheet 12 prepared on the separate sheet supply device 23, so that the cans 11 and the articles of the suction head 2 that are densely arranged are arranged. A negative pressure similar to the inside of the can 11 is also applied to the space of the gap 14 of the can 11 partitioned by the suction surface 7 and the separate sheet 12. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, a separate sheet (indicated by reference numeral 12 a in FIG. 8) is integrally sucked and held on the lower surface side of the row of cans 11 sucked and held by the suction head 2. Hereinafter, this is referred to as a second suction holding process.

  The robot 3 moves the suction head 2 in a state in which a plurality of densely arranged cans 11 and separate sheets 12 are sucked and held, the position and angle of the cans 11 and the separate sheets 12 on the plane of the pallet 20, and the height at that time. Move to correspond to. That is, the robot 3 matches the position and angle of the can 11 and the separate sheet 12 on the plane so as to properly match the pallet position, and follows the stacking height that sequentially changes as the stacking progresses. However, the can 11 and the separate sheet 12 are brought close to the uppermost can 11 at that time and opened. Thus, the robot 3 accurately places the cans 11 and the separate sheets 12 in a densely arranged state at predetermined positions on the pallet 20 by releasing the negative pressure at an appropriate position. In the following, this is referred to as a suction release step.

  Here, in order to release the negative pressure as quickly as possible, a shutter 27 is provided on the side of the intake head 2 of the intake duct 5 (see FIG. 1), and outside air is introduced by opening the shutter 27 and the intake duct. 5 is provided on the negative pressure supply means 4 side (see FIGS. 1 and 6), and the damper 26 can be opened to block intake of the negative pressure supply means 4. In that case, the negative pressure is quickly released by the action of the shutter 27 and the damper 26, and the can 11 and the separate sheet 12 are quickly released from the suction holding of the suction head 2 and placed on the pallet.

  The first suction holding process for the can 11, the second suction holding process for the can 11 and the separate sheet 12, and the suction release process are executed a plurality of times, thereby being arranged densely on the pallet 20. The cans 11 and the separate sheets 12 can be stacked alternately. FIG. 9 shows a state in which cans 11 and separate sheets 12 are alternately stacked in four stages as a result of executing four cycles of the first suction holding process, the second suction holding process, and the suction releasing process.

  In FIG. 6, when it is detected by a sensor (not shown) that the stacking of a predetermined number of stages is completed, the top frame supply device 28 detects the separation sheet 12 supplied to the separate sheet supply position 23 as indicated by an arrow B. The top frame 24 is stacked on top. The top frame 24 has a frame shape in which a part of a plane is opened, and a top frame space 24 a exists inside the top frame 24. Although the description of the specific structure of the top frame supply device 28 is omitted, for example, the top frame holding plate having a plurality of vacuum cups is moved up and down and on a plane to suck and supply the top frame 24. A known device can be used.

  The robot 3 brings the article suction surface 7 of the suction head 2 into contact with the upper surface of the top frame 24 disposed on the separate sheet 12, and makes the top frame space 24 a closed by the article suction surface 7 negative pressure. Thus, the separate sheet 12 and the top frame 24 are sucked and held by the suction head 2 together. Then, as shown in FIG. 10, with the top frame 24 and the separate sheet 12 being sucked and held, the suction head 2 is moved to the uppermost stage of the stacked cans 11 and then the negative pressure is released. The top frame 24 and the separate sheet 12 are arranged on the can 11 stacked on the pallet 20 so as to be stacked, thereby completing the stacking. The pallet 20 on which the predetermined number of cans 11 are mounted is transported to the next process by the transport conveyor 25, and the next stacking pallet is supplied. At this time, when the negative pressure of the article suction surface 7 of the suction head 2 becomes high and the separate sheet 12 may be plastically deformed, while stopping one of the two blowers and preventing this, The suction holding and conveyance of the Pareto sheet 12 and the top frame 24 are performed using the intake air of one blower.

  (Second embodiment) Second embodiment of a method of stacking a plurality of cans 11 and separate sheets 12 on a pallet 20 using the container group stacking device 1 (a different loading method from the first embodiment) ) Will be described below.

  In the container group stacking method in the present embodiment, the separation sheet 12 supplied by the separate sheet supply device 23 is first sucked and held by the suction head 2 of the holding and conveying device 10 and conveyed onto the pallet 20. Therefore, the separate sheet 12 is placed on the pallet 20 by releasing or reducing the negative pressure of the suction head 2. Next, a plurality of cans 11 aligned on the multi-row stage 22 are sucked and held by the suction head 2 and conveyed onto the pallet 20 where the negative pressure is released or reduced, whereby the cans 11 are already placed. It is placed on a separate sheet 12. The container group stacking apparatus 1 repeats the placement of the separate sheet 12 and the placement of the can 11 to stack the separate sheet 12 and the can 11 up to a predetermined number of stages.

  After stacking the cans 11 up to a predetermined number of stages, the suction head 2 sucks and holds the separate sheet 12 supplied by the separate sheet supply device 23 and conveys it onto the uppermost can 11 where the negative pressure is released. Alternatively, the separate sheet 12 is placed on the uppermost can 11 by lowering. Finally, the top frame 24 supplied by the top frame supply device 28 is sucked and held by the suction head 2 and conveyed onto the uppermost separate sheet 12, where the negative pressure is released or lowered, so that the top The frame 24 is placed on the uppermost separate sheet 12. This completes the stacking.

  Specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail above, but these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes of the specific examples illustrated above. For example, when the cylindrical containers are arranged at a predetermined interval without being densely packed, the area ratio in the horizontal direction of the peripheral gap with respect to the cross-sectional area of the cylindrical container becomes larger. Even in such a case, the container group stacking apparatus 1 of the present invention has a gap area ratio of 50% or less with respect to the cross-sectional area of the container, and the container is applied to half of the suction holes 8 of the suction head 2. When in contact, the container can be transported.

  Moreover, in the said Example, although the detailed description performed about the case where the holding | maintenance conveyance apparatus 10 of the container group stacking apparatus 1 of this invention conveys the cylindrical paper can 11, it is more flexible made of synthetic resin. Even if the container group is made of a material, the container group is made of metal, or the container group is made of a breathable material, the conditions for the air volume and the negative pressure of the negative pressure supply means 4 are adjusted, or the design conditions By changing the above, it is possible to suitably transport these container groups without plastic deformation. The container can be transported even if it has a square cross section or a more complicated shape. The package according to the container can also be stacked by applying the container group stacking device of the present invention.

  In the above description, the robot 3 is used as the moving means of the holding and conveying device 10 and the stacking is performed in a state where the pallet is fixed at a low position. However, instead of such a robot 3, A device that stacks a group of containers on a pallet while moving the pallet up and down with a portal type configuration that has been widely used for palletizers, such as the device shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-122220 (FIG. 13), is adopted as the moving means. Thus, the holding and conveying apparatus 10 may be configured.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the blower 4a of the holding and conveying apparatus 10 is installed on the floor is shown. However, by using the blower 4a fixed to the suction head 2 that is supported and moved by the robot 3, the intake duct 5 is used. The configuration can be simplified.

It is a side view of the container group stacking apparatus 1 which is one Embodiment of this invention. 4 is a top view of the suction head 2 of the holding and conveying apparatus 10. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the suction head 2 of the holding and conveying apparatus 10. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the relationship between the air volume of the air blower which is the negative pressure supply means 4, and the static pressure on the suction side. It is a figure which shows the state of the can 11 densely arranged in multiple rows in order to be suction-held by the holding | maintenance conveyance apparatus. It is a layout figure of container group loading apparatus 1 which is one embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the 1st suction holding process performed using the holding | maintenance conveyance apparatus. It is a figure which shows the 2nd suction holding process performed using the holding | maintenance conveyance apparatus. It is a side view of the can 11 and the separate sheet | seat 12 which were stacked in the holding | maintenance conveyance process. 2 is a side view of the holding and conveying apparatus 10 that sucks and holds a top frame 24 and a separate sheet 12. FIG.

1 Container group stacking device 2 Suction head 3 Robot (moving means)
4 Negative pressure supply means 4a Blower 5 Intake duct 5a Flexible intake duct 5b Fixed duct 5c Distribution duct 6 Intake port 7 Article suction surface 8 Suction hole 9 Suction chamber 10 Holding and conveying device 11 Can (container)
12 Separate sheet 13 Can inner space 14 Clearance 15 Intake distribution chamber 20 Pallet 22 Multi-row stage 23 Separate sheet supply device 24 Top frame 25 Conveyor 26 Damper 27 Shutter 28 Top frame supply device

Claims (6)

A container group stacking device for stacking a container group consisting of a plurality of containers on a pallet,
A multi-row stage that receives a plurality of containers and waits for a group of containers in an aligned state; and
A separate sheet supply device for supplying a separate sheet as a stacking sub-material inserted between the stacking stages of the container group;
A top frame supply device for supplying a top frame as a stacking auxiliary material arranged at the top of the stacked container group;
A holding and conveying device for holding the object to be conveyed so that it can be conveyed;
The holding and conveying device is
A suction head for providing a flat object suction surface having a plurality of suction holes on the lower surface side of the suction chamber, and holding the article to be sucked by bringing the article suction surface into contact with the object to be conveyed;
Moving means for moving the suction head in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction; and
Comprising negative pressure supply means connected to the suction chamber of the suction head;
The negative pressure supply means of the holding and conveying device is
The container is arranged to face the entire surface of the article suction surface when the suction head abuts the container on the article suction surface and sucks and holds the container through the plurality of suction holes. In a state in which outside air is not directly sucked from almost all of the suction holes, the container can be sucked and held with almost no plastic deformation, and there is a region where the container does not face the article suction surface, so In the state of directly sucking outside air from a suction hole that is not in contact, it has a suction characteristic of suction side static pressure vs. air volume that brings about negative pressure or air flow that can maintain suction holding of the container,
The negative pressure supply means is configured using the suction side of the blower,
The negative pressure caused by the negative pressure supply means to the suction hole on the article suction surface of the suction head has the following two conditions:
(1) The negative pressure is 10 KPa or less in a state in which a container is brought into contact with all of the plurality of suction holes of the article suction surface and outside air is not directly sucked from all of the suction holes.
(2) The negative pressure is 0.5 KPa or more in a state in which a container is brought into contact with half of the plurality of suction holes of the article adsorption surface and outside air is directly sucked from the remaining half of the suction holes,
Meets
A container group stacking device, wherein the holding and transporting device can stack a container group as a transport object, a separate sheet, and a top frame in a predetermined order on a pallet. A container group stacking method for stacking a container group consisting of a plurality of containers on a pallet,
A suction head for providing a flat article suction surface having a plurality of suction holes on the lower surface side of the suction chamber, and holding the article to be sucked by bringing the article suction surface into contact with the object to be conveyed, the suction A holding and conveying device for holding a conveyance object in a conveyable manner, comprising a moving means for moving the head in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction, and a negative pressure supply means connected to a suction chamber of the suction head. Yes, the negative pressure supply means of the holding and conveying device,
The container is arranged to face the entire surface of the article suction surface when the suction head abuts the container on the article suction surface and sucks and holds the container through the plurality of suction holes. In a state in which outside air is not directly sucked from almost all of the suction holes, the container can be sucked and held with almost no plastic deformation, and there is a region where the container does not face the article suction surface, so A holding and conveying device having suction characteristics of suction side static pressure versus air volume that brings about a negative pressure or air flow that can maintain suction holding of the container in a state in which outside air is directly sucked from a non-contact suction hole. used and,
The negative pressure supply means of the holding and conveying device is configured using the suction side of the blower,
In the process of performing suction holding and transport by the suction head for the container group aligned on the multi-row stage, and the separation sheet and the top frame as the stacking auxiliary material ,
The negative pressure caused by the negative pressure supply means to the suction hole on the article suction surface of the suction head has the following two conditions:
(1) The negative pressure is 10 KPa or less in a state in which a container is brought into contact with all of the plurality of suction holes of the article suction surface and outside air is not directly sucked from all of the suction holes.
(2) The negative pressure is 0.5 KPa or more in a state in which a container is brought into contact with half of the plurality of suction holes of the article adsorption surface and outside air is directly sucked from the remaining half of the suction holes,
By satisfying the above, the container group, the separate sheet and the top frame are stacked in a predetermined order on the pallet. In the container group stacking method according to claim 2 ,
The separation sheet supplied by the separate sheet supply device is sucked and held by the suction head of the holding and conveying device and conveyed onto the pallet, where the negative pressure is released or lowered, and the separate sheet is placed on the pallet. And the process of
The container group aligned on the multi-row stage is sucked and held by the suction head of the holding and transporting device, transported onto the pallet, and the negative pressure is released or lowered there, so that the container group is already mounted on the pallet. Placing on the placed separate sheet,
Is repeated, and the separate sheets and the container groups are stacked up to a predetermined number of stages. In the container group stacking method according to claim 2 ,
A step of sucking and holding a group of containers arranged in a multi-row stage by the suction head of the holding and conveying device;
The suction head holding the container group by suction is moved onto a separate sheet supplied by a separate sheet supply device, and is defined by a plurality of adjacent containers, the article suction surface of the suction head, and the separate sheet A step of further sucking and holding the separate sheet under the container group sucked and held by the suction head by applying a negative pressure to the space ; and
The suction head that integrally sucks and holds the container group and the separate sheet is moved onto the pallet, and the negative pressure is released or lowered there, thereby mounting the container group and the separate sheet together on the pallet. Placing the process,
Is repeated, and the separate sheets and the container groups are stacked up to a predetermined number of stages. In the container group stacking method according to any one of claims 2 to 4 ,
After stacking the container group up to a predetermined number of stages, as a process of finally completing the stacking ,
By sucking and holding the separation sheet supplied by the separation sheet supply device by the suction head of the holding and conveying device and conveying it onto the uppermost container group, the negative pressure is released or reduced there, thereby the separation sheet is Placing on the uppermost container group, and
By sucking and holding the top frame supplied by the top frame supply device by the suction head of the holding and conveying device and conveying it on the uppermost separate sheet, the negative pressure is released or reduced there, thereby the top frame is Placing on the uppermost separate sheet,
A container group stacking method , further comprising : In the container group stacking method according to any one of claims 2 to 4 ,
After stacking the container group up to a predetermined number of stages, as a process of finally completing the stacking ,
A top frame is stacked on a separate sheet supplied by a separate sheet supply device by a top frame supply device, and a suction head of the holding and conveying device is brought into contact with an upper surface of the top frame on the separate sheet so that the top frame and the top frame Simultaneously sucking and holding the lower separate sheet with the suction head; and
By moving the suction head that integrally sucks and holds the top frame and the separate sheet onto the uppermost container group, the negative pressure is released or reduced there, thereby bringing the top frame and the separate sheet together. Placing on the uppermost container group,
A container group stacking method , further comprising :

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