JP5439664B2 - Aligned supply and transport device for small molded products - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an alignment supply / conveyance device (hereinafter also simply referred to as “conveyance device”) that performs alignment and conveyance of small molded products for visual inspection of small molded products such as tablets. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus for supplying and feeding small molded articles that is improved to improve the alignment of small molded articles on a conveyor belt and to improve the conveying capability.

  Conventionally, an alignment supply / conveyance device for small molded articles such as tablets sent in a complicated state is proposed in Patent Documents 1 to 3. In the conveyance devices proposed in Patent Documents 1 to 3, small molded products are placed on a conveyance belt and moved along an alignment guide so that they are aligned in a row and sent to a downstream inspection device. The alignment guide has a tapered shape so as to gradually narrow the alignment conveyance path formed by the conveyance belt toward the downstream side. In these conveying apparatuses, a height regulating gate that regulates the height between the conveying belt and the conveying belt is provided in the middle of the aligning conveying path, and is aligned according to the size of the small molded product. In these apparatuses, a sorting pin, a windmill, and the like are further used to further improve the alignability, and an unsuccessful or excessively small molded product is excluded to the reduction conveyance path side.

JP 2003-128233 A JP 2006-131355 A JP 2007-055739 A

  In the conventional small-sized article alignment supply / conveyance apparatus, as described above, small-shaped articles sent in a complicated state are aligned in a line. In this case, the quantity of small molded articles sent onto the conveying device is not necessarily a controlled quantity. In other words, the number of small molded products that can be neatly arranged in a line by the conveying device is not sent to the conveying device, and may be small or large.

  In particular, when the number of small molded products sent to the conveying device is large, as shown in Patent Documents 2 and 3, the surplus is reduced by the sorting pin provided at the exit portion of the alignment mechanism and the shaft of the windmill. Is smoothly distributed to the transport path side. However, in such a conventional conveying device, the small molded product may come into contact with or collide with a sorting pin that distributes the surplus of the small molded product or the shaft of the windmill, thereby preventing smooth sorting. Cases can arise. In this case, the conveyance of the subsequent small molded product is temporarily stopped, and a state occurs in which there is a gap between the small molded products that are conveyed in a line. As a result, the conveyance of such an irregular small molded product causes a decrease in the supply capability to the subsequent inspection processing unit.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for aligning and conveying a small molded product that minimizes the decrease in the supply and conveyance capability of such a small molded product and further improves the alignment.

In order to achieve the above object, an apparatus for supplying and conveying small molded articles according to the present invention includes a conveyor belt that carries and transports small molded articles, and a guide side surface that is disposed on the conveyor belt and guides the small molded articles. A guide member having a height regulation gate that regulates the height between the guide member, a small molded product conveyed on the conveyor belt, and the conveyor belt, so that the small molded product can pass only in a stable posture. A width regulating guide having a side surface that regulates the width between the guide side surface of the guide member so that only one small molded article to be conveyed can pass in a stable posture; A reduction conveyance path that is adjacent to the alignment conveyance path and returns the compact molded product excluded from the alignment conveyance path to the upstream of the alignment conveyance path, and is arranged in the vicinity of the upstream end of the width regulation guide, Before being transported In aligning the supply conveyor system for a small molded article and a rotation shaft for distributing a small molded articles, using said guide alignment air nozzle and the air are aligned along the side of the small molded articles by the use of air This further includes a sorting air nozzle that excludes the small molded product to the reducing conveyance path side .

The distribution air nozzle is preferably arranged on the upstream side of the rotating shaft so as to exclude small molded products that are not aligned along the guide surface to the reduction conveyance path side. Furthermore, the aligning and conveying apparatus for small molded articles according to the present invention has a plurality of alignment air nozzles arranged in parallel with each other along the alignment conveying path, and is a midstream area of the alignment conveying path, It is preferable to be disposed immediately above the conveyance path.

  The apparatus for aligning and feeding small molded articles according to the present invention includes an air nozzle for alignment, thereby reducing the number returned to the upstream side and improving the alignment effect of small molded articles supplied in a complicated state. . Furthermore, by providing an air nozzle for sorting, temporary lowering or stopping of the conveyance speed of small molded products is eliminated, and the conveyance capability is enhanced. Therefore, by providing these air nozzles, it is possible to align the small molded products in a line without creating a gap, thereby reducing the decrease in the supply and conveyance capability as much as possible.

It is a top view which shows substantially the whole alignment supply conveyance apparatus of the small molded article which concerns on this invention. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged plan view showing one side of the transport device of FIG. 1. It is a fragmentary sectional view of the part which attached the air nozzle for alignment. It is a fragmentary top view which shows the outline of the distribution mechanism of the exit part in the conventional conveying apparatus. It is a fragmentary top view which shows the outline of the distribution mechanism which concerns on this invention. It is a fragmentary sectional view of the part which attached the air nozzle for distribution. It is a figure for demonstrating the distribution mechanism which concerns on this invention. It is a graph which shows the comparison of the conveyance capability of the conveying apparatus which concerns on this invention, and the conventional apparatus.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of an aligned supply / conveyance apparatus for small molded articles according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing almost the whole of an aligned supply / conveyance apparatus for small molded articles according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged plan view showing one side of the transport apparatus of FIG. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of a portion to which the alignment air nozzle is attached. FIG. 4 is a partial plan view showing an outline of a distribution mechanism for an outlet portion in a conventional transport apparatus, and FIG. 5 is a partial plan view showing an outline of a distribution mechanism according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of a portion to which a sorting air nozzle is attached. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the sorting mechanism according to the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a graph showing a comparison of the transport capability between the transport apparatus according to the present invention and the conventional apparatus.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, a transport apparatus 1 according to this embodiment for transporting a small molded article T such as a tablet has a configuration different from that of a conventional transport apparatus in an alignment mechanism and a sorting mechanism, as will be described later. However, basically, it has the same configuration as that of a conventional transfer device. That is, the transport apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment also includes a first transport path 10a for alignment, a second transport path 10b, and a return transport path 80 disposed between the two transport paths 10a and 10b. It is composed of The two transport paths 10a and 10b are installed substantially horizontally and have a symmetrical shape with an inclined return transport path 80 disposed at the center. Therefore, in the present specification, one of the first alignment transport path 10a and the reduction transport path 80 will be described, and the description of the other second alignment transport path 10b will be omitted. The configuration of the second alignment transport path 10b can be understood by replacing the alphabet a attached to the reference numeral with b in the description of the first alignment transport path 10a.

  The first alignment transport path 10a includes a transport belt 11a for transporting the small molded product T in the main transport direction (arrow X), a guide member 20a on which a guide side surface 21a for guiding the small molded product T is formed. It includes a gate portion 30a, a second gate portion 40a, and an alignment air nozzle 101a and a sorting air nozzle 112a, which are features of the present invention.

  The conveyor belt 11a is an endless conveyor, and is passed between two pulleys so that the conveyance surface of the small molded article T extends from the conveyance apparatus F at the front stage to the inspection processing apparatus C for the small molded article at the rear stage. Driven.

  The guide member 20a is disposed immediately above the conveyor belt 11a and has the guide side surface 21a for guiding the small molded product T as described above. The guide side surface 21a defines the first alignment conveying path 10a substantially equal to the width of the conveying belt 11a in the small molded article receiving portion on the upstream side in the main conveying direction of the small molded article T. Thus, it is formed so as to cross the conveyor belt 11a obliquely. That is, as the guide side surface 21a of the guide member 20a goes downstream, the guide side surface 21a approaches the reduction conveyance path 80 side, and as a result, the width of the first alignment conveyance path 10a of the small compact articles T is gradually narrowed. The first alignment transport path 10a is defined. As shown in detail in FIG. 5, the guide side surface 21a has the smallest width of the first alignment conveying path 10a in the vicinity of the entrance of the second gate portion 40a described later, and the diameter of the small molded product T to be conveyed. The first alignment transport path 10a is defined so as to have a width substantially equal to. The guide side surface 21a is finally formed so as to be parallel to the main transport direction (arrow X), and the width of one small molded product T to be transported together with a width regulating guide 42a of the second gate portion 40a described later. That is, the first alignment conveying path 10a is defined so as to have a width substantially equal to the diameter of the small molded article T to be conveyed. Therefore, the direction of the guide side surface 21a is changed from an inclined surface that obstructs and crosses the conveying belt 11a to a parallel surface that is parallel to the main conveying direction (arrow X) of the conveying belt 11a.

  The guide member 20a is configured to be movable in a horizontal direction and a direction orthogonal to the main transport direction (arrow X), and the position adjusting knob 16a moves the guide member 20a and thus the guide side surface 21a. The width of the first alignment transport path 10a can be adjusted in accordance with the size of the small molded product T to be transported. Reference numerals 17a and 17a are clampers for fixing the guide member 20a to the base.

  The first gate portion 30a is provided substantially in the middle of the first alignment transport path 10a along the guide side surface 21a constituting the first alignment transport path 10a. The 1st gate part 30a is comprised from the 1st height control gate 31a which controls height corresponding to the small molded article T conveyed. The bottom surface of the first height regulating gate 31a is separated by a predetermined distance from the conveying surface of the first alignment conveying path 10a, for example, a distance slightly longer than the height of the small molded product T, and is separated from the conveying surface. Are attached to the guide member 20a so as to be parallel to each other. The first height regulating gate 31a includes a side surface 32a that obliquely crosses the first alignment transport path 10a and extends to the reduction transport path 80. The first gate member 30a provided with the first height regulating gate 31a is provided substantially in the middle of the first alignment transport path 10a, so that the small molded product T that is transported stands or The overlapped small molded product T is brought down to the side by the side surface 32a of the gate 31a, the overlap is released, in other words, it is brought into a stable posture. Alternatively, it is excluded from the first alignment transport path 10a toward the return transport path 80 along the side surface 32a.

  The second gate portion 40a is provided downstream of the first alignment transport path 10a along the guide side surface 21a that changes the direction from the inclined surface to the parallel surface. As shown in FIG. 5, the second gate portion 40a includes a second height regulating gate 41a, a width regulating guide 42a, a windmill 50a and a wind block 60a (see FIGS. 1 and 2) constituting the distribution mechanism, It is comprised from the side guide 43a and the 2nd side guide 44a.

  On the upstream side of the second height regulating gate 41a (reduction conveyance path 80 side), a side surface 45a that obliquely crosses the first alignment conveyance path 10a and extends to the reduction conveyance path 80 is provided. Contains. On the outside of the second height regulating gate 41a, the tip of the rotating shaft 55a of the windmill 50a constituting the sorting mechanism described later protrudes below the second height regulating gate 41a, and the first alignment transport path 10a. It includes a U-shaped groove 46a that allows it to face up. The depth of the U-shaped groove 46a is such that the rotating shaft 55a constituting the sorting mechanism is the edge of the first alignment transport path 10a on the return transport path 80 side, that is, the transport path 11a side of the transport belt 11a. It is set so that it may be arrange | positioned in the vicinity of the edge part.

  The second height regulating gate 41a is attached to the guide member 20a so that the inside thereof is along the guide side surface 21a of the guide member 20a. Similarly to the first height regulation gate 31a, the bottom surface of the second height regulation gate 41a is separated from the conveyance surface of the first alignment conveyance path 10a by a predetermined distance, and the conveyance surface 10a. It is attached to the guide member 20a so that it may become parallel with respect to. The side surface 45a perpendicular to the bottom surface of the second height regulating gate 41a excludes the small molded product T that is still in an unstable posture in the reduction conveyance path 80.

  The width regulation guide 42a is formed integrally with the second height regulation gate 41a, and is formed below the second height regulation gate 41a (see FIG. 5). The width regulation guide 42a also extends downstream from the U-shaped groove 46a of the second height regulation gate 41a. The rotating shaft 55a of the windmill 50a that constitutes the distribution mechanism is disposed near the upstream end of the width regulating guide 42a. The width regulating guide 42a is further arranged such that its inner side surface is separated from the guide side surface 21a of the guide member 20a by a predetermined distance and is parallel to the guide side surface 21a. As a result, a conveyance path 10a for conveying the small molded articles T in a line is formed. As shown in FIG. 5, an inclined side surface 47a is formed on the outer side of the width regulation guide 42a (returning conveyance path 80 side) so that the upstream side is tapered. By providing the inclined side surface 47a, the small molded product T distributed to the reduction conveyance path 80 side by the distribution mechanism described later can be smoothly dropped onto the reduction conveyance path 80.

  The windmill 50a includes at least a rotating shaft 55a that constitutes a sorting mechanism that sorts the small molded articles T. The lower end of the rotary shaft 55a protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the second height gate 41a by a predetermined length, and the free end of the protruding portion functions as a member that distributes the small molded product T. Composed. The rotary shaft 55a is provided so as to be able to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 5 by compressed air from the wind power block 60a. For details of the structures of the wind turbine 50a and the wind block 60a, see Patent Document 3 above.

  Next, the alignment air nozzle 101a and the sorting air nozzle 112a, which are features of the present invention, will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the alignment air nozzle 101a is, in this embodiment, a downstream position X in the main conveyance direction X where the inclined reduction conveyance path 80 is below the first alignment conveyance path 10a. Thus, it is disposed right above the return conveyance path 80. A plurality of the alignment air nozzles 101a are arranged in parallel to each other along the first alignment conveyance path 10a on the side surface of the air supply device 101 that extends in the main conveyance direction directly above the reduction conveyance path 80. Yes. The plurality of alignment air nozzles 101a are roughly divided into a middle flow area (area where the first gate part 30a is provided) and a downstream area (area where the second gate part 40a is provided). ). The air nozzle 101a for alignment can blow air from diagonally upward and diagonally backward so that the small molded product T is pressed against the guide side surface 21a against the small molded product T on the conveyor belt 11a. Arranged as possible. Accordingly, the air 102a ejected from the alignment air nozzle 101a presses the small molded product T located at a position away from the guide side surface 21a of the guide member 20a constituting the first alignment transport path 10a against the guide side surface 21a. Works. The amount (air volume) of the air 102a ejected from the aligning air nozzle 101a is appropriately adjusted in the air flow controller 100 according to the shape and size of the small molded product T to be conveyed or the conveyance amount.

  By arranging the air nozzles 101a for alignment in this way and blowing the air 102a onto the small molded product T, it becomes possible to press the small molded product T away from the guide side surface 21a of the guide member 20a against the guide side surface 21a. . Furthermore, the effect | action which fills the clearance gap which has arisen between the small molded articles T currently aligned along the guide side surface 21 can also be anticipated, and the alignment effect can be improved further by it.

  In this embodiment, the air supply device 101 is paired with the alignment air nozzle 101a arranged along the first alignment conveyance path, and along the second alignment conveyance path 10b. A plurality of alignment air nozzles 101b are arranged in parallel to each other.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 6, the sorting air nozzle 112a is disposed on the upstream side of the second gate portion 40a and substantially parallel to the side surface 45a of the second height regulating guide 41a. The distribution air nozzle 112a is preferably disposed substantially parallel to the side surface 45a at a distance slightly larger than the size (diameter) of the small molded product T from the side surface 45a. The number of the air nozzles 112a for distribution is one in this embodiment, but may be plural. The air nozzle 112a for sorting is aired obliquely from above and obliquely rearward so that the small molded product T moves toward the reducing conveyance path 80 with respect to the small molded product T on the conveyance belt 11a. It is arranged so that it can be sprayed. Air 110a ejected from the distribution for the air nozzle 112a is reduced conveying the small molded articles T ₁ of excess non-aligned along the guide side surface 21a of the small molded articles T in the first alignment conveyance path 10a It acts to eliminate the path 80. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the surplus small molded article T ₁ is surplus with a speed vector Vb as a combined force of the speed vector Va given by the air 110a and the speed vector V moved by the transport belt 11a. The small molded product T ₁ moves on the conveyor belt 11a. Therefore, as small molded articles T ₁ having a magnitude and direction of the resultant velocity vector Vb is eliminated reducing the transport path 80, the air volume of the air 110a ejected from the orientation and the nozzle 112a of the distribution for the air nozzle 112a is set Is done. Further, the excessive small molded product T ₁ is ejected from the direction of the distribution air nozzle 112a and the nozzle 112a so as to be removed by the reduction conveyance path 80 before contacting or colliding with the rotating shaft 55a constituting the distribution mechanism. The air volume of the air 110a to be set is set. The air volume of the air 110a ejected from the distribution air nozzle 112a is adjusted by the air flow controller 114a.

The distribution for air nozzles 112a arranged in this manner, by blowing air into small molded articles T ₁ of the surplus, for the small-type molded article T ₁ is is easily eliminated reducing transport path 80, shown in FIG. 4 This eliminates the problems associated with conventional devices. In the conventional apparatus, the excessively small molded product T1 does not move along the guide side surface 21a of the guide member 20a. Therefore, the excessively small molded product T1 comes into contact with or collides with the rotation shaft 55a of the windmill 50a constituting the distribution mechanism. And the subsequent small molded product T. In the case where the small molded articles T and T1 are not smoothly distributed by the distribution mechanism, the subsequent small molded article T is braked or the subsequent small molded article T is temporarily stopped. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, a gap is formed between the small molded products T to be conveyed in a line along the guide side surface 21a of the guide member 20a, and the small molded product is transferred to the inspection processing apparatus C at the subsequent stage. T cannot be continuously supplied, and the supply amount decreases.

In the present embodiment, by providing the distribution for air nozzles 112a, small molded articles T ₁ of the excess is eliminated in advance reduction carrier path 80 before reaching the rotary shaft 55a constituting the sorting mechanism. Even if the excess small molded article T1 cannot be completely removed to the reduction conveyance path 80, the small molded article T1 is moved from the small molded article T aligned in a line along the guide side surface 21a to the reduction conveyance path 80 side. Because of the separation, the sorting action on the rotation shaft 55a can be easily and reliably performed. Therefore, the occurrence of such a problem in the conventional example is suppressed, and the supply amount of the aligned conveyance is improved (see FIG. 5).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the reduction conveyance path 80 is disposed between the first alignment conveyance path 10 a and the second alignment conveyance path 10 b having a symmetrical shape, and the first and second alignment paths are arranged. The small molded product T excluded from the transport paths 10a and 10b is returned to the transport apparatus F disposed upstream of the supply alignment transport apparatus 10 and again the first alignment transport path 10a or the second alignment transport path. 10b is passed and aligned. The specific configuration of the return conveyance path 80 is the same as that of the conventional example, and detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  The transport operation of the small molded product T in the aligned supply transport device according to the present embodiment described above will be briefly described.

  The small molded product T quantitatively discharged from a hopper or the like is vibrated by the conveying device F and appropriately distributed by the fins F1a and F1b provided downstream of the conveying device F, and the aligned supply conveying device 1 according to this embodiment. To the first and second alignment conveying paths 10a and 10b. At this time, the small molded product T is guided by the fins F1a and F1b so as to be directed to the guide side surfaces 21a and 21b of the first and second alignment conveying paths 10a and 10b. The directions of the fins F1a and F1b are configured to be easily adjusted. The small molded products T conveyed through the two conveying paths 10a and 10b are selected so that only the small molded products T in a stable posture pass through the first gate portions 30a and 30b. Further, the small molded product T transported before and after the first gate portions 30a and 30b is brought close to the guide side surfaces 21a and 21b by the air 102a and 102b ejected from the alignment air nozzles 101a and 101b. Thereby, the small molded product T is aligned without a gap along the guide side surfaces 21a and 21b. When the small molded product T1 that is not aligned along the guide side surfaces 21a and 21b approaches the second gate portions 40a and 40b, the small molded product T1 is ejected from the distribution air nozzles 112a and 112b. This eliminates the reduction conveyance path 80. Alternatively, the small molded product T1 is aligned along the guide side surfaces 21a and 21b so as not to contact or collide with the rotation shafts 55a and 55b of the wind turbines 50a and 50b constituting the distribution mechanism of the second gate portions 40a and 40b. It is separated from the small molded product T. The small molded articles T aligned with no gap along the guide side surfaces 21a and 21b are taken in one piece in a stable posture by the second gate portions 40a and 40b, and as a result, the small molded articles T have no gaps in a row. Aligned. The small molded product T that has reached the conveying paths 10a and 10b defined by the first side guides 43a and 43b and the second side guides 44a and 44b of the second gate portions 40a and 40b, respectively, After being aligned in a row, it is delivered to the inspection processing apparatus C for a small molded article at the subsequent stage.

  FIG. 8 shows a comparison of the round tablet alignment processing ability between the case where the alignment supply / conveyance apparatus of the present invention is used and the conventional apparatus. FIG. 8 further shows design theoretical values (calculated values) in which the small molded product is conveyed in close contact with the moving amount of the conveying belt without gaps. As shown in FIG. 8, the present invention is provided with the alignment air nozzle and the sorting air nozzle so that it approaches the theoretical value and has a processing capacity per unit time as compared with the conventional example regardless of the passage of time. It will be appreciated that the average improvement is about 10% or more.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Small article supply alignment conveyance apparatus 10a, 10b Alignment conveyance path 11a, 11b Conveyor belt 20a, 20b Guide member 21a, 21b Guide side surface 30a, 30b 1st gate part 31a, 31b 1st height control gate 40a, 40b 2nd gate part 41a, 41b 2nd height control gate 42a Width control guide 50a, 50b Windmill 55a Rotating shaft 80 Transfer path 101a, 101b Alignment air nozzle 112a, 112b Distribution air nozzle

Claims (4)

In a stable posture, a conveyor belt that carries and transports a small molded article, a guide member that is disposed on the conveyor belt and has a guide side surface that guides the small molded article, and a small molded article that is conveyed on the conveyor belt. A height regulating gate that regulates the height between the conveyor belt and the small molded product conveyed on the conveyor belt in a stable posture and only one can pass through the A width regulating guide having a side surface that regulates a width between the guide side surface of the guide member, and a small molded product that is adjacent to the alignment conveyance path and excluded from the alignment conveyance path. A small-sized molded product comprising: a return conveying path that returns the upstream of the alignment conveying path; and a rotary shaft that is disposed in the vicinity of the upstream end of the width regulating guide and that distributes the small molded product that has been conveyed. Alignment supply In the feeding device,
Further comprising an air nozzle for distributing to eliminate small molded articles in the conveying path side for the reduction by the use of the guide alignment air nozzle and the air are aligned along the side of the small molded articles by the use of air An apparatus for aligning and feeding small molded products. 2. The distribution air nozzle is disposed on the upstream side of the rotating shaft so as to exclude small molded products that are not aligned along the guide surface to the reduction conveyance path side. The apparatus for aligning and feeding small molded products according to 1. The small-sized molded article supply / conveyance apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of the alignment air nozzles are arranged in parallel with each other along the alignment conveyance path. 4. The apparatus for supplying and feeding small molded products according to claim 3, wherein the air nozzle for alignment is arranged in a middle region of the transport path for alignment and immediately above the transport path for reduction. .

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