JP5341437B2 - Transport device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a conveying apparatus for conveying an article comprising a normal article and abnormal article.

There is a system in which when an article inspected by an inspection apparatus is being conveyed to the next processing apparatus through a conveyance line, an abnormal article is rejected from the conveyance line by a rejection mechanism according to an inspection result by the inspection apparatus. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a system that discharges a container that has been determined to be insufficient in liquid volume by a liquid volume measuring device from a conveyance line.
JP 2000-180248 A

  When the throughput of one inspection apparatus is lower than the throughput of the upstream processing apparatus, in order to effectively use the throughput of the upstream processing apparatus, two or more inspection apparatuses are installed and installed. Need to operate in parallel. In this case, it is necessary to branch the conveyance line from the upstream processing apparatus to the inspection apparatus according to the number of inspection apparatuses. Two or more transport lines that have passed through two or more inspection apparatuses can be merged or re-branched according to the throughput of the downstream processing apparatus.

  By the way, abnormal articles to be rejected should generally be very small compared to normal articles, and equipment can generally be so constructed. In such a facility, it is not preferable to provide as many exhaust lines as the number of inspection devices because an increase in occupied space and an increase in installation cost are caused. Therefore, a method of sharing a waste line in two or more inspection devices or waste mechanisms will be useful.

  However, in sharing the evacuation line, consideration should be given to prevent interference between the evacuation mechanisms. For example, when an abnormal article rejected by a certain rejecting mechanism crosses the optical axis of a sensor for confirming the rejecting action by another rejecting mechanism, a malfunction may occur. In addition, when an article that has been rejected by a certain rejection mechanism collides with an article that has been rejected by another rejection mechanism, the article may be damaged. For example, an article that has passed through an inspection device that inspects the contents in the container at the liquid level is rejected by a certain exclusion mechanism because it does not satisfy the allowable level of the liquid level, and collides with an article that has been discharged from another exclusion mechanism. And If the container is deformed by this collision, the liquid level cannot be accurately re-established, and even if the article is an article that has been rejected by mistake, it cannot be handled as a normal article. Further, when an article rejected by a certain exclusion mechanism collides with an article rejected by another exclusion mechanism, the article may fall down. A fallen article can clog the evacuation line. In addition, when the article has a cylindrical shape, there is a possibility that it rolls back to the conveyance line and is mixed into a normal article.

  The present invention has been made in recognition of the above problems, and provides, for example, a conveyance device that prevents interference between the evacuation mechanisms by sharing the evacuation line, and a guide device suitable for such a conveyance device. With the goal.

The present invention relates to a conveying apparatus for conveying an article comprising a normal article and abnormal articles, the conveying device includes a first conveying line for conveying the articles, and a second conveying line for conveying the articles, the first conveying line And the second conveying line, and the abnormal article is transferred to the second conveying line so that the abnormal article is sent to the rejecting line among the articles conveyed through the first conveying line. A first evacuation mechanism for extruding and urging in the direction of the first direction, and a direction of the first conveyance line so that the abnormal article among the articles conveyed through the second conveyance line is sent to the evacuation line A second evacuation mechanism for pushing out and evacuating toward the surface, and between the first evacuation mechanism and the second evacuation mechanism, and defining a region between the first evacuation mechanism and the second evacuation mechanism. First exhaust In the side region of the side area of the mechanism and the second displacing mechanism and a partition mechanism for partitioning by the partitioning member movable.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first inspection optical axis of the first sensor for confirming the rejection of the abnormal article by the first rejection mechanism is disposed between the first transport line and the partition mechanism. A second inspection optical axis of a second sensor for confirming rejection of abnormal articles by the second rejection mechanism is disposed between the second transport line and the partition mechanism, and the partition mechanism is The partition member prevents the abnormal article rejected by the first rejecting mechanism from crossing the second inspection optical axis and the abnormal article rejected by the second rejecting mechanism from crossing the first inspection optical axis. It is preferable that it is comprised.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the partition mechanism prevents the abnormal article rejected by the first rejection mechanism and the abnormal article rejected by the second rejection mechanism from colliding with each other. It is preferable that it is comprised.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the partition member is arranged in the vicinity of the middle between the first transport line and the second transport line so as to be along the first transport line and the second transport line. It is preferable to include a rod-shaped member.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rod-shaped member preferably has a cushion material on the surface thereof.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the partition mechanism includes a rotating shaft, a bearing that supports the rotating shaft, and an abnormal article colliding with the rod-shaped member so that the rod-shaped member is centered on the rotating shaft. It is preferable that a connecting member for connecting one end of the rotating shaft and the partition member so as to swing in a pendulum shape, and a weight connected to the other end of the rotating shaft.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the guide apparatus suitable in the conveying apparatus which prevented the interference between the rejection mechanisms by sharing a rejection line, for example, and such a conveying apparatus is provided.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a transport apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a guide device suitable as a component of the transport device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

  The conveyance device 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is typically disposed on the downstream side of the inspection devices 52 and 54, and rejects the articles determined to be abnormal articles by the inspection devices 52 and 54. The articles determined as normal articles by the inspection devices 52 and 54 are sent to the downstream processing apparatus through the normal article conveyance lines 10 and 20. The article may be, for example, an article obtained by filling a container (for example, a metal container, a glass container, a resin container, or the like) with a beverage, but may be another article. The inspection devices 52 and 54 may be, for example, X-ray inspection devices that inspect the internal volume (filling) of articles formed by filling containers with beverages with X-rays, but other inspection devices (for example, appearance inspection devices). But you can.

  The transport apparatus 100 is configured to transport an article 1 including normal articles and abnormal articles. The conveyance device 100 includes a first conveyance line 10 that conveys the article 1, a second conveyance line 20 that conveys the article 1, and a waste line 30 that is disposed between the first conveyance line 10 and the second conveyance line 20. And.

  Here, in the first transport line 10, the article 1 can be transported by the first conveyor 12 while being laterally guided by the first guides 14 and 16. In the second transport line 20, the article 1 can be transported by the second conveyor 22 while being laterally guided by the second guides 24 and 26. In the waste line 30, the article 1 can be transported by the third conveyor 36 while being laterally guided by the third guides 42 and 44. Fourth conveyors 32 and 34 may be disposed between the first conveyor 12 and the third conveyor 36 and between the second conveyor 22 and the third conveyor 36, respectively. The first conveyor 12, the second conveyor 22, the third conveyor 36, and the fourth conveyors 32 and 34 may typically be table top chain conveyors, but may be other types of conveyors.

  The transport apparatus 100 further pushes and rejects the abnormal article in the direction of the second transport line 20 so that the abnormal article among the articles 1 being conveyed through the first transport line 10 is sent to the reject line 30. The abnormal article is pushed out in the direction of the first conveyance line 10 and rejected so that the abnormal article among the articles 1 conveyed through the first rejection mechanism 63 and the second conveyance line 20 is sent to the rejection line 30. A second evacuation mechanism 65. The first and second evacuation mechanisms 63 and 65 drive the articles 1 from the first and second conveying lines 10 and 20 by driving the pushing members 66 and 68 with cylinders (actuators) 62 and 64 such as air cylinders, for example. It can be configured to extrude.

  The transport apparatus 100 further includes a partition mechanism 90. The partition mechanism 90 has a movable bar-shaped member 92 as a movable partition member, whereby the area between the first evacuation mechanism 63 and the second evacuation mechanism 65 is separated from the area 3 on the first evacuation mechanism 63 side. Partitioning into the region 5 on the second evacuation mechanism 65 side.

  The partition mechanism 90 can also be understood as a guide device that guides the moving article 1. The partition mechanism 90 includes, for example, a movable rod-shaped member 92, a rotation shaft 95, a bearing 94 that supports the rotation shaft 95, and the article 1 collides with the rod-shaped member 92, thereby causing the rod-shaped member 92 to rotate the rotation shaft 95. A connecting member 98 for connecting one end of the rotating shaft 95 and the rod-shaped member 92 so as to swing in a pendulum shape as a center, and a weight 96 connected to the other end of the rotating shaft 95 are included. The rod-shaped member 92 can be arranged along the first transport line 10 and the second transport line 20 in the vicinity of the middle between the first transport line 10 and the second transport line 20. The bearing 94 can be supported by a support member 97.

  According to the configuration in which the article 1 collides with the rod-shaped member 92 and the rod-shaped member 92 swings in a pendulum manner about the rotation shaft 95, the article 1 is effectively damaged by the collision with the rod-shaped member 92. Can be prevented. The weight 96 has a role of braking the swing of the rod-shaped member 92. If the mass of the weight 96 is reduced, the swing width of the rod-shaped member 92 can be increased, and conversely, the mass of the weight 96 is increased. By doing so, the swinging width of the rod-shaped member 92 can be reduced. In order to further reduce the damage to the article 1 due to the collision with the rod-shaped member 92, it is preferable to provide a cushion material on the surface of the rod-shaped member 92.

  The transport apparatus 100 can include a first sensor 72 for confirming the rejection of the abnormal article by the first rejection mechanism 63 and a second sensor 74 for confirming the rejection of the abnormal article by the second rejection mechanism 65. The inspection optical axis (first inspection optical axis) 76 of the first sensor 72 is disposed between the first transport line 10 and the rod-shaped member 92, and the inspection optical axis (second inspection optical axis) 78 of the second sensor 74. May be disposed between the second transport line 20 and the bar-shaped member 92. The first and second sensors 72 and 74 are configured to detect that the article (abnormal article) 1 has crossed the inspection optical axis. The article (abnormal article) 1 crossing the inspection optical axis means that the abnormal article has been rejected.

  It is preferable to determine that the operation of rejecting the abnormal article by the first rejection mechanism 63 is completed when the first sensor 72 confirms the rejection of the abnormal article. The first sensor 72 rejects the abnormal article. If the error is not confirmed, error processing such as stopping of the transport apparatus 100 should be performed. Similarly, it is preferable that the rejection operation of the abnormal article by the second rejection mechanism 65 is determined to be completed when the second sensor 74 confirms the rejection of the abnormal article. When the rejection of the article is not confirmed, an error process such as stopping the conveyance device 100 should be performed.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing one problem in the configuration not including the partition mechanism. After the article (abnormal article) 1 rejected by the first rejection mechanism 63 crosses the inspection optical axis 76 of the first sensor 72 for confirming the article (abnormal article) 1 rejected by the first rejection mechanism 63 The inspection optical axis 78 of the second sensor 74 for confirming the article (abnormal article) 1 rejected by the second rejection mechanism 65 is traversed. Therefore, although the article (abnormal article) 1 that should be rejected by the second rejecting mechanism 65 is not rejected by the second rejecting mechanism 65, the article (abnormal article) 1 rejected by the first rejecting mechanism 63 is the first. The two sensors 74 can detect that the second evacuation mechanism 65 has succeeded in evacuation. On the contrary, the inspection optical axis of the second sensor 74 for confirming the article (abnormal article) 1 rejected by the second rejection mechanism 65 by the article (abnormal article) 1 rejected by the second rejection mechanism 65. After traversing 78, traversing the inspection optical axis 76 of the first sensor 72 for confirming the article (abnormal article) 1 rejected by the first rejecting mechanism 63 may occur.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating another problem in the configuration not including the partition mechanism. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the article (abnormal article) 1 rejected by the first rejection mechanism 63 and the article (abnormal article) 1 rejected by the second rejection mechanism 65 collide with each other.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating the flow of articles in the transport apparatus 100 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention including the partition mechanism 90. By providing the partition mechanism 90, the abnormal article rejected by the first rejection mechanism 63 crosses the second inspection optical axis 78, and the abnormal article rejected by the second rejection mechanism 65 is the first inspection optical axis 76. Is prevented from crossing. Further, by providing the partition mechanism 90, collision between the article (abnormal article) 1 rejected by the first reject mechanism 63 and the article (abnormal article) 1 rejected by the second reject mechanism 65 is prevented.

It is a top view which shows schematic structure of the conveying apparatus of suitable embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of a suitable guide apparatus as components of the conveying apparatus of suitable embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the flow of the article | item in the conveying apparatus of suitable embodiment of this invention provided with a partition mechanism. It is a figure which shows typically one problem in the structure which is not provided with a partition mechanism. It is a figure which shows typically the other problem in the structure which is not provided with a partition mechanism.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Article 3 1st area | region 5 2nd area | region 10 1st conveyance line 12 1st conveyors 14 and 16 1st guide 20 2nd conveyance line 22 2nd conveyors 24 and 26 2nd guide 30 Waste line 32 and 34 4th conveyor 36 Third conveyor 52, 54 Inspection device 62, 64 Cylinder 63 First rejection mechanism 65 Second rejection mechanism 66, 68 Pushing member 72 First sensor 74 Second sensor 76, 78 Inspection optical axis 90 Partition mechanism 92 Rod member 94 Bearing 95 Rotating shaft 96 Weight 98 Connecting member 100 Conveying device

Claims (6)

A transport device for transporting articles including normal articles and abnormal articles,
A first transport line for transporting articles;
A second transport line for transporting articles;
An evacuation line disposed between the first transfer line and the second transfer line;
A first evacuation mechanism for pushing out and rejecting the abnormal article in the direction of the second conveyance line so that the abnormal article among the articles being conveyed through the first conveyance line is sent to the evacuation line;
A second evacuation mechanism for pushing out and rejecting the abnormal article in the direction of the first conveyance line so that the abnormal article among the articles conveyed through the second conveyance line is sent to the evacuation line;
An area between the first evacuation mechanism and the second evacuation mechanism is arranged between the first evacuation mechanism and the second evacuation mechanism, and an area between the first evacuation mechanism and the second evacuation mechanism. A partition mechanism for partitioning with a movable partition member into a region on the mechanism side;
A conveying device comprising: A first inspection optical axis of a first sensor for confirming rejection of an abnormal article by the first rejection mechanism is disposed between the first transport line and the partition mechanism;
A second inspection optical axis of a second sensor for confirming the rejection of the abnormal article by the second rejection mechanism is disposed between the second transport line and the partition mechanism;
The partition mechanism is configured such that the abnormal article rejected by the first rejection mechanism crosses the second inspection optical axis, and the abnormal article rejected by the second rejection mechanism crosses the first inspection optical axis. Is configured to be prevented by the partition member,
The conveying apparatus according to claim 1. The partition mechanism is configured to prevent the partition member from causing a collision between the abnormal article rejected by the first reject mechanism and the abnormal article rejected by the second reject mechanism.
The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The partition member includes a rod-shaped member disposed along the first transport line and the second transport line in the vicinity of the middle between the first transport line and the second transport line.
The conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The rod-shaped member has a cushion material on its surface,
The conveying apparatus according to claim 4. The partition mechanism is
A rotation axis;
A bearing that supports the rotating shaft;
A connecting member that connects one end of the rotating shaft and the partition member so that the abnormal member collides with the rod-shaped member so that the rod-shaped member can swing in a pendulum shape around the rotating shaft;
A weight connected to the other end of the rotating shaft;
The transport apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the transport apparatus includes:

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