JP5570549B2 - Transport device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a transport device, and more particularly to a transport device including a scraper-type chain conveyor used for transporting powder particles and the like.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a transport device including a scraper-type chain conveyor used for transporting powder and the like is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  The conveyor of this transport device includes an endless chain wound around a pair of sprockets and attached with a scraper at predetermined intervals, and a chain tensioning device that increases the tension of the endless chain and eliminates the looseness of the endless chain. I have. This prevents the endless chain from drooping into the outlet when the endless chain stops turning.

JP 2009-234725 A

  However, in the above-described conventional transport device, some slack is generated in the endless chain due to its own weight, and this slack becomes prominent as the transport path becomes longer. For this reason, it can be considered that the scraper and the conveying surface are separated in advance so that the scraper to which the endless chain is attached does not fall into the dropping port. However, in such a configuration, a part of the article to be conveyed remains between the scraper and the conveyance surface, and in the conveyance path in which various articles are conveyed, the residue is differently conveyed thereafter. There was a problem of being mixed with other items.

In order to solve the above problems, a transport device according to the present invention includes a transport surface that extends in the transport direction and transports an article, a pair of sprockets provided on the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction, and the pair of sprockets. An endless chain wound around the sprocket, a plurality of scrapers attached to the endless chain in parallel so as to slide on the transport surface by the rotational drive of the endless chain, and across the transport surface The upper surface has an opening formed on the conveying surface so as to open, a closed region for closing the opening, and an open region where a drop opening for the article is opened, and the closed region is used for the conveyance. and a closed position transverse to the conveying surface located at a position corresponding to the opening portions on the surface and the same surface, located at the position where the opening area corresponding to the opening on the conveying surface in the same plane Transport Between an open position across the, and a gate plate which is slidably configuration, the gate plate supports the scraper over the entire region in the transport direction of the open area, a pair of side and edge support portion, possess a central support portion, a support portion and a pair of oblique supporting portion, said pair of side edge support portion, the upstream side end of each side edge of the open area Extending from the portion along the side edge of the open region toward the downstream side in the transport direction, and extending to an intermediate portion between the upstream end portion and the downstream end portion of the open region, and the central support portion is The central portion of the open region in the direction crossing the transport surface extends from the upstream end in the transport direction toward the downstream in the transport direction, and is in the transport direction from the downstream end of the side edge support portion. The pair of oblique support portions extends to the upstream position, Serial toward from the end of the conveyance direction downstream side of the central support portion to the end portion of the downstream side of the respective side edge portions of the open area, Ru extend respectively across the conveying surface.

  According to this configuration, the scraper is supported by the support portion of the gate plate at the opening. This can prevent the scraper from dropping into the opening.

  Further, no gap is generated between the scraper and the conveyance surface, and the conveyed article can be prevented from remaining between the scraper and the conveyance surface.

  In the transport device according to the invention, the drop opening may open over the entire region in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the open region.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the article to be further conveyed from remaining between the scraper and the conveyance surface.

  In the transport device according to the invention, a portion of the endless chain located on the transport surface may be supported by the scraper so as to be separated from the transport surface.

  According to this structure, it can prevent that an endless chain and a conveyance surface contact, a noise generate | occur | produces, or a conveyance surface is damaged.

  In the transport device according to the invention, the scraper may be made of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene.

  According to this configuration, wear of the scraper sliding on the transport surface can be reduced, and the transport device can be operated with low noise.

  The present invention is configured as described above, and can prevent the scraper from dropping into the opening, and can prevent the conveyed article from remaining between the scraper and the conveyance surface. Play.

It is a perspective view which shows the structural example of the conveying apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structural example of the chain conveyor of the conveying apparatus of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the structural example of the chain conveyor of the conveying apparatus of FIG. It is a top view which shows the structural example of the gate board of the conveying apparatus of FIG. It is a top view which shows the structural example of the conveying apparatus of FIG. 1, and is a figure which shows the state which located the gate board in the closed position. It is a top view which shows the structural example of the conveying apparatus of FIG. 1, and is a figure which shows the state which has located the gate board in the open position.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout all the drawings, and redundant description thereof is omitted.

[Constitution]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration example of the transport apparatus 100.

  The conveyance apparatus 100 is a conveyance apparatus which conveys articles, such as a granular material. The article conveyed by the conveyance device 100 is not particularly limited as long as it can be conveyed by using this conveyance device. Examples of the granular material include grains such as rice, wheat and corn, sugar and bone powder, but are not limited thereto.

  Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the downstream side in the transport direction may be referred to as downstream, and the upstream side in the transport direction may be referred to as upstream.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the conveying device 100 includes a conveying surface 1 for conveying an article, a chain conveyor 2 that moves an article on the conveying surface 1, an opening 3 formed on the conveying surface 1, A gate plate 4 located on the same plane as the transfer surface 1 is provided.

  The conveyance surface 1 is formed smoothly and extends in the conveyance direction. In the present embodiment, the upper surface of the bottom plate 10 made of steel that extends in the horizontal direction constitutes the conveying surface 1. The bottom plate 10 extends intermittently in the transport direction through an opening 3 to be described later in detail. The articles moved on the conveying surface 1 by the chain conveyor 2 are discharged from the downstream edge 10 a of the bottom plate 10.

  A pair of side plates 11 are provided so as to rise vertically upward from both side edges of the bottom plate 10. Therefore, the conveying path is formed in a trough shape as a whole so that the conveyed granular material is not spilled off from the side edge of the bottom plate 10. However, the shape of the conveyance path is not limited to this, and instead, for example, it may be formed in a U shape in a sectional view.

  The chain conveyor 2 is attached to the pair of sprockets 20 provided on the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction, the endless chain 21 wound around the pair of sprockets 20, and the endless chain 21, and slides on the transport surface 1. A plurality of scrapers 22 that move. Therefore, the chain conveyor 2 includes a forward path portion 2a extending in parallel with the transport surface 1, a return path portion 2b positioned facing the upper side of the forward path portion 2a, and circles formed at both ends of the forward path portion 2a and the return path portion 2b. And an arcuate inversion portion 2c.

  The pair of sprockets 20 rotate around the axis of the rotation shaft extending in the horizontal direction. Of the pair of sprockets 20, the downstream sprocket 20 a is a main sprocket connected to the conveyor drive device 7, and the upstream sprocket 20 b is a driven sprocket that rotates as the sprocket 20 rotates. A known actuator can be used for the conveyor driving device 7.

  The endless chain 21 is formed so as to form an annular shape as a whole, and includes a link 26 extending in the transport direction and a pin 27 extending in the horizontal direction for linking the links 26 so as to be swingable. In addition, the endless chain 21 is not restricted to said form, It may replace with this and may comprise an annular belt, for example.

  The plurality of scrapers 22 are attached to the endless chain 21 in parallel at a predetermined interval so that the scraper 22 positioned in the forward path portion 2 a slides on the transport surface 1 by the rotational drive of the endless chain 21. A space between the scrapers 22 located in the forward path portion 2a constitutes a storage portion 24 in which articles to be conveyed are stored.

  2 and 3 are cross-sectional views illustrating a configuration example of the forward path portion 2a of the chain conveyor 2 of the transport device 100. FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the scraper 22 has a pair of scraper members 23. The scraper member 23 is a thick plate body, and the material thereof is ultra high molecular weight polyethylene. Since ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene is excellent in wear resistance, it is possible to reduce wear of the scraper member 23 that slides on the conveying surface 1. Moreover, since ultra high molecular weight polyethylene is excellent in a sliding characteristic, the conveyance apparatus 100 can be operated with low noise. The scraper member 23 is attached to the scraper member 23 so as to extend from both side surfaces of the link 26 of the endless chain 21 in a direction crossing the transport surface 1. Both side ends (the outer ends of the scraper member 23) of the scraper 22 positioned in the forward path portion 2a are positioned so as to be close to or in contact with the side plate 11.

  The scraper 22 positioned in the forward path portion 2a is attached so that the lower end is positioned closer to the transport surface 1 than the portion of the endless chain 21 positioned in the forward path portion 2a. As a result, the portion of the endless chain 21 positioned in the forward path portion 2 a is supported by the scraper 22 positioned in the forward path portion 2 a and is separated from the transport surface 1. As described above, the endless chain 21 is supported by the scraper 22, and the endless chain 21 and the transport surface 1 are in contact with each other, thereby preventing noise and damage to the transport surface 1.

  In the present embodiment, a part of the plurality of scrapers 22 is a scraping scraper member 25 in place of the scraper member 23 as shown in FIGS. The sweep-out scraper member 25 has a shape in which ends facing the conveying surface 1 of the pair of scraper members 23 are connected, and the ends extend across the entire pair of side plates 11. . As a result, articles remaining between the endless chain 21 and the conveyance surface 1 can be conveyed toward the downstream side in the conveyance direction, dropped from the drop opening 43, and discharged.

  Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, the scraper 22 travels from the return path section 2 b to the forward path section 2 a through the upstream inversion section 2 c by the driving force of the conveyor driving device 7. Thereafter, the scraper 22 that has passed through the forward path portion 2a is driven to circulate again through the reversing portion 2c on the downstream side in the transport direction toward the return path portion 2b.

  A transfer device 110 is disposed on the upstream end of the chain conveyor 2. The transfer device 110 drops an article to be conveyed from above the upstream end of the chain conveyor 2 and transfers the article to the transfer device 100. The dropped article passes between the scrapers 22 located on the return path portion 2b and falls, is placed on the upstream end of the transport surface 1, and is accommodated in the accommodating portion 24 located on the forward path portion 2a.

  The opening 3 opens across the transport surface 1. Accordingly, the transport surface 1 extends intermittently in the transport direction through the opening 3. In the present embodiment, one opening 3 is provided on the transport surface 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a plurality may be provided so as to be aligned in the transport direction.

  FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating a configuration example of the gate plate 4 of the transport apparatus 100. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a configuration example of the transfer apparatus 100, and shows a state in which the gate plate 4 is located at the closed position. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a configuration example of the transport apparatus 100, and shows a state in which the gate plate 4 is located at the open position.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the gate plate 4 is a plate, and includes a closed region 41 and an open region 42 on the upper surface. The closed region 41 closes the opening 3 by being located in the opening 3 as shown in FIG. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the open area 42 releases the opening 3 by being located in the opening 3. The closed region 41 and the open region 42 are regions having the same shape as the opening 3, and the opening 3 is located side by side in a direction crossing the transport surface 1. Then, by sliding the gate plate 4 in the direction in which the closed region 41 and the open region 42 are aligned, the closed region 41 is positioned at a position corresponding to the opening 3 on the same plane as the transfer surface 1 and crosses the transfer surface 1. Thus, the gate plate 4 can be positioned at an open position where the closed position and the open region 42 are located at a position corresponding to the opening 3 on the same plane as the transfer surface 1 and cross the transfer surface 1.

  The gate plate driving mechanism 8 slides the gate plate 4 in the direction in which the opening 3 crosses the transport surface 1. The gate plate drive mechanism 8 includes a gate plate support portion (not shown) that slidably supports the gate plate 4, a ball screw mechanism 80, and a drive portion 83. The ball screw mechanism 80 includes a ball screw 81 and a slider 82 that reciprocates in the direction crossing the conveying surface 1 as the ball screw 81 rotates. A known actuator can be used for the drive unit 83. And in this Embodiment, the drive part 83 and the ball screw 81 are connected through the drive belt. As a result, when the drive unit 83 rotates the ball screw 81, the gate plate 4 slides in a direction crossing the transport surface 1.

  In this way, by closing the gate plate 4 in the closed position, the closed region 41 of the gate plate 4 closes the opening 3. Further, by positioning the gate plate 4 at the open position, the open region of the gate plate 4 opens the opening 3.

  The open area 42 of the gate plate 4 has a drop opening 43 and a support portion 44.

  The support part 44 is arrange | positioned so that the scraper 22 may be supported over the whole region of a conveyance direction. That is, the support part 44 has, for example, a pair of side edge support parts 44a, a center support part 44b, and a pair of oblique support parts 44c. The pair of side edge support portions 44 a respectively extend from the upstream end of each side edge of the open area 42 toward the downstream side in the transport direction along the side edge of the open area 42, and on the upstream side of the open area 42. It extends to an intermediate portion between the end portion and the downstream end portion. The center support portion 44b extends from the upstream end portion of the central portion in the direction crossing the transport surface 1 of the open region 42 toward the downstream side in the transport direction, and is slightly upstream from the downstream end portion of the side edge support portion 44a. It extends to the side position. The pair of oblique support portions 44 c extend across the transport surface 1 from the downstream end portion of the central support portion 44 b toward the downstream end portions of the side edges of the open region 42. A drop opening 43 is opened in the remaining portion of the portion where the support portion 44 related to the open region 42 is formed.

  Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 4, the scraper 22 sliding on the open region 42 has a range R1 from the upstream end of the open region 42 to the downstream end of the central support portion 44b in the transport direction. When it is located, it is supported by the side edge support portion 44 a and the center support portion 44 b so as not to fall into the drop opening 43. Further, when the scraper 22 is located in a range R2 from the downstream end of the center support portion 44b to the downstream end of the side edge support portion 44a in the transport direction, the side edge support portion 44a It is supported by the cross support portion 44 c so as not to fall into the drop opening 43. Further, when the scraper 22 is located in a range R3 from the downstream end of the side edge support portion 44a to the downstream end of the open region 42 in the transport direction, the scraper 22 is supported by the oblique support portion 44c. , It does not fall into the drop opening 43. As described above, the support portion 44 of the scraper 22 that slides on the open area 42 is configured to support the scraper 22 over the entire area in the transport direction of the open area. Note that. The configuration of the support portion 44 is an example, and is not limited to the above form.

  The dropping port 43 is opened over the entire region in the direction crossing the transport surface 1 of the open area 42 (direction orthogonal to the transport direction). That is, in the direction R4 in which the side edge support portion 44a is formed in the direction crossing the transport surface 1, the drop opening 43 opens downstream from the downstream end of the side edge support portion 44a. Further, in the range R5 where the central support portion 44b is formed, the dropping port 43 is opened to the downstream side from the upstream end portion of the oblique support portion 44c. In the other range R <b> 6, the drop opening 43 is opened downstream from the upstream end of the open region 42. Accordingly, the accommodating portion 24 that moves on the open area 42 passes over the drop opening 43 at any location in the direction crossing the transport surface 1. Therefore, almost all articles accommodated in the accommodating portion 24 are thrown into the drop opening 43 by passing over the open area 42.

[Operation example]
Next, an operation example of the transport apparatus 100 will be described.

  First, an operation example when the gate plate 4 is positioned at the closed position will be described.

  When an article conveyed by the transfer device 110 is dropped onto the conveyance device 100, the article passes through the scraper 22 of the forward path portion 2 a and falls and is transferred onto the conveyance surface 1. As a result, it is accommodated in the accommodating portion 24 located in the forward path portion 2a.

  The articles stored in the storage unit 24 are transported on the transport surface 1 to the downstream side in the transport direction by the scraper 22. And it passes on the closed area | region 41 of the gate board 4 located in the opening part 3, and is discharged | emitted from the downstream edge part of the chain conveyor 2. FIG.

  Next, when the gate plate 4 is positioned at the open position by the gate plate driving mechanism 8, the open region 42 of the gate plate 4 is positioned in the opening 3 and the opening 3 is opened.

  In this state, when the article transferred onto the conveyance surface 1 by the transfer device 110 is conveyed to the downstream side in the conveyance direction by the chain conveyor 2, and the article reaches the opening 3, the range of the open region 42 shown in FIG. By sequentially passing through R1, R2, and R3, almost all articles accommodated in the accommodating portion 24 are dropped downward from the drop opening 43 and discharged.

  Thus, since the chain conveyor 2 which concerns on this Embodiment has two discharge paths of the downstream edge part and the opening part 3 of the chain conveyor 2, each article conveyed by the chain conveyor 2 is each. Can be assigned to the route.

  As described above, in the transport device 100 of the present invention, the scraper 22 is supported by the support portion 44 of the gate plate 4 in the opening 3. As a result, the scraper 22 can be prevented from dropping into the opening 3.

  Further, since the conveying device 100 slides on the conveying surface 1 and moves the article on the conveying surface 1 toward the opening 3 or the downstream edge 10a of the bottom plate 10, the scraper 22 and the conveying surface 1 It is possible to prevent the article to be conveyed from remaining between the scraper conveying surface and no gap between them.

  From the foregoing description, many modifications and other embodiments of the present invention are obvious to one skilled in the art. Accordingly, the foregoing description should be construed as illustrative only and is provided for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the invention. The details of the structure and / or function may be substantially changed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

  The conveyor of the present invention is useful for application to a conveying device used for conveying powder particles and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Conveyance surface 2 Chain conveyor 2a Outward path part 2b Return path part 2c Inversion part 3 Opening part 4 Gate board 7 Conveyor drive device 8 Gate board drive mechanism 10 Bottom board 10a Downstream edge 11 Side board 20 Sprocket 20a Downstream sprocket 20b Upstream sprocket 21 Endless chain 22 Scraper 23 Scraper member 24 Storage portion 25 Scraper member for sweeping 41 Closed region 42 Open region 43 Drop port 44 Support portion 44a Side edge support portion 44b Central support portion 44c Oblique support portion 80 Ball screw mechanism 81 Ball screw 82 Slider 83 Drive unit 100 Conveying device 110 Transfer device

Claims (4)

A transport surface extending in the transport direction for transporting articles;
A pair of sprockets provided upstream and downstream in the conveying direction;
An endless chain wound around the pair of sprockets;
A plurality of scrapers attached to the endless chain in parallel so as to slide on the conveying surface by rotational driving of the endless chain;
An opening formed in the transport surface to open across the transport surface;
The upper surface has a closed region for closing the opening and an open region in which the drop opening of the article is open, and the closed region is located at a position corresponding to the opening on the same plane as the transport surface. and a closed position transverse to the conveying surface, and an open position in which the open area transverse to the conveying surface located at a position corresponding to the opening portion on the conveying surface in the same plane, slidable And a gate plate configured to
The gate plate, possess supporting the scraper over the entire region in the transport direction of the open region, a pair of side edge support portion, and a central support portion, a support portion and a pair of oblique supporting part The pair of side edge support portions respectively extend from the end on the upstream side in the transport direction of each side edge of the open region toward the downstream side in the transport direction along the side edge of the open region. It extends to an intermediate portion between the upstream end and the downstream end of the region, and the central support portion extends from the upstream end in the transport direction of the central portion in the direction crossing the transport surface of the open region. The pair of oblique support portions extend toward the downstream side in the transport direction and extend to a position upstream of the downstream end of the side edge support portion in the transport direction, and the pair of oblique support portions are in the transport direction of the central support portion. The transport method from the downstream end to each side edge of the open area Towards the end of the downstream side, Ru extend respectively across said conveying surface, the conveying device.   The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drop opening is opened over the entire region in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the open region.   The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the endless chain located on the transport surface is supported by the scraper so as to be separated from the transport surface.   The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the scraper is made of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene.

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