JP5734165B2 - Tray type transport device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tray-type conveyance device that conveys an article by traveling on a traveling path in a state where carriages supporting trays on which the article is placed are connected to each other, and more particularly to a structure of the carriage.
And this conveyance apparatus is used for the goods sorting apparatus which sorts goods, for example.

  A tray-type transport device includes a plurality of carriages that support trays on which articles are placed, and a drive device that travels the carriages, and travels on a travel path with adjacent carriages connected in the front-rear direction. Is known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Japanese Patent No. 3622953 (paragraphs 0019 to 0025, FIGS. 1 to 3) JP 2010-47412 A (paragraphs 0017 to 0026, FIGS. 1 and 2)

In a tray-type transport device, the pitch, which is the connection interval between carriages, is the interference between adjacent trays in the front-rear direction when trays with different lengths are used depending on the type of articles placed on the tray. It is desirable to change from the viewpoint of avoiding the problem.
On the other hand, the pitch can be changed by changing the length of the connecting rod of the inter-carriage connecting member that connects the adjacent carriages in the front-rear direction, but when the length of the connecting rod becomes excessively long, The rigidity of the connecting rod is insufficient and the running stability of the carriage is lowered (for example, the carriage is detached from the running path due to the centrifugal force acting on the carriage during curved running), or the curved running path with a large curvature. There was a problem that it may be difficult to travel.

  Further, when the pitch is changed by exchanging the pitch defining member that defines the pitch, the pitch defining member is used for assembling the carriage component (for example, a member that supports the tray or the traveling unit) to the pitch defining member. With the structure, there is a problem that the structure of the pitch defining member is complicated, the cost of the pitch defining member is increased, and the cost of the conveying device is increased.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and the object thereof is to ensure the required running stability of the carriage by a pitch defining member which is a member separate from the inter-carriage connecting member of the carriage supporting the tray. However, the pitch, which is the connection interval between the carriages, can be changed, the cost is reduced by reducing the manufacturing cost of the pitch defining member, and the energy consumption in the drive device is reduced by reducing the weight of the carriage. It is to provide a tray type conveying apparatus.

First, the invention according to claim 1 includes a plurality of carriages that support trays on which articles are placed, and a drive device that drives the carriages, and the carriages run the yokes that support the trays and the carriages. An inter-carriage coupling member that couples the traveling unit and the carriages, and the yoke is a support main body that supports the tray and the traveling unit, and is a separate member from the support main body and the inter-carriage coupling member. A pitch defining member that defines a pitch that is a connection interval of the support body, and the pitch defining member is coupled to the support body to be a reinforcing member of the support body, and the carriages are connected adjacently in the front-rear direction . A tray-type transport device that travels on a travel path in a state where the carriage supports a tray that supports the tray. A support member, wherein the support body is composed of a front support body and a rear support body that are spaced apart and supported in the front-rear direction of the tray support member, and the pitch defining member is the front support body A connecting member that connects the rear support main body and the front support main body and the rear support main body formed of a forming material having a strength higher than that of the resin. is there.

According to a second aspect of the invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect of the invention , the pitch defining member is constituted by one rod coupled to the support body, and the support body is moved in the front-rear direction. The above-mentioned problem is solved by having an extending part extending through and the inter-carriage connecting member being attached to the extending part.

According to a third aspect of the invention, in addition to the configuration of the first or second aspect of the invention, the inter-carriage connecting member has a connecting rod and is attached to the pitch defining member , The connecting rod is disposed at a position where it does not overlap when viewed from the front-rear direction, thereby solving the above-mentioned problems.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention , in addition to the configuration according to any one of the first to third aspects, the inter-carriage connecting member can be adjusted in the front-rear direction with respect to the pitch defining member. by having a mounted joint, which solves the problems described above.

  Therefore, the tray type conveying device of the present invention includes a plurality of carriages that support a tray on which articles are placed, and a driving device that causes the carriages to travel, and travels in a state where adjacent carriages are connected in the front-rear direction. By traveling on the road, each carriage traveling on the traveling path can not only carry the article placed on the tray supported by the carriage, but also has the following effects unique to the present invention. Play.

That is, according to the tray type transport apparatus of the present invention according to claim 1, the carriage includes a yoke that supports the tray, a traveling unit that travels the carriage, and an inter-carriage coupling member that couples the carriages to each other. Has a support body that supports the tray and the traveling unit, and a pitch defining member that is a separate member from the support body and the inter-carriage connecting member and that defines a pitch that is a connecting interval between the carriages. However, since the carriage includes the pitch defining member of the yoke in addition to the inter-carriage connecting member, the length of the pitch defining member in the front-rear direction is coupled to the supporting body and is a reinforcing member of the supporting body. Change the length of the connecting member between the carriages to change the pitch. (E.g., it is too long.) Without causing a reduction in the running stability of the carriage due, it is possible to secure the required running stability.
In addition, the pitch defining member also serves as a reinforcing member that reinforces the support body in the yoke that requires high rigidity to support the tray and the traveling unit. The weight can be reduced, and energy consumption in the drive device can be reduced.
Further, since the pitch defining member is a member that does not support the tray and the traveling unit, the structure necessary for supporting the tray and the traveling unit is not necessary for the pitch defining member. Since the manufacturing cost can be reduced because of simplification, the cost of the carriage and the cost of the conveying device can be reduced even when the pitch defining member is replaced for changing the pitch.

In addition, the carriage is provided with a tray supporting member for supporting the tray, the support body, is composed of a front support body and the rear support body which supports disposed respectively spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the tray supporting member, the pitch defined by member is formed by a large formation material strength than front support body and the rear support body and the resin a coupling member for coupling to form the front support body and a rear support body a pitch defined Since the member is formed of a forming material having a strength higher than that of the resin that is a forming material of the front support body and the back support body, the rigidity of the yoke is increased, so that the front support body and the rear support body that support the tray support member are improved. Since the support body is made of resin, it is possible to transport a heavy article while reducing the weight of the yoke and thus the carriage. S is enlarged, it is possible to improve the convenience of the transport device.
In addition, even when the pitch defining member becomes longer in order to increase the pitch, the required rigidity of the pitch defining member is ensured, and a decrease in carriage running stability due to insufficient rigidity of the pitch defining member can be prevented. .

According to the tray type transfer device of the present invention according to claim 2, in addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 1 , the pitch defining member is constituted by one rod coupled to the support body, Since the pitch defining member is constituted by one rod by having an extending portion that extends through the support body in the front-rear direction and the inter-carriage connecting member is attached to the extending portion, Since the structure is simplified and the manufacturing cost is reduced, it is possible to reduce the cost of the transport apparatus that can change the pitch by the pitch defining member.
Moreover, since the inter-carriage connecting member is attached to the extending portion extending in the front-rear direction from the support body in the pitch defining member, the length of the inter-carriage connecting member in the front-rear direction can be shortened, and the carriage Can be reduced in weight.

According to the tray type conveying apparatus of the present invention according to claim 3 , in addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 1 or 2 , the inter-carriage connecting member has a connecting rod and is attached to the pitch defining member. Since the pitch defining member and the connecting rod are arranged at positions where they do not overlap when viewed from the front-rear direction, the position of the connecting rod is larger than when the connecting rod and the pitch defining member are arranged on the same straight line. From the viewpoint of enhancing the reinforcing effect of the supporting body, the pitch defining member that is also the reinforcing member of the supporting body is reduced. It can be arranged in a suitable position.

According to the tray type conveying apparatus of the present invention according to claim 4, in addition to the effect exerted by the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , the inter-carriage connecting member is provided in the front-rear direction to the pitch defining member. by position in has a joint mounted adjustably, in addition to the change of the pitch by the pitch defining member, by changing the mounting position of the joint relative to the pitch defining member, to change the pitch Therefore, the pitch defined by the pitch defining member can be adjusted, and the pitch changing function of the pitch defining member can be enhanced.

The Example of this invention shows the principal part side view of a tray type conveying apparatus. FIG. 2 is a front view of a carriage of the tray-type transport device as viewed in the direction of arrow II in FIG. 1. The perspective view of the carriage of the tray type conveying apparatus of FIG. The top view of the carriage of the tray type conveying apparatus of FIG.

The present invention includes a plurality of carriages that support a tray on which articles are placed, and a drive device that travels the carriage, and the carriage supports a yoke that supports the tray, a travel unit that travels the carriage, and the carriage. A support body that supports the tray and the traveling unit, and a pitch-defining member that is a separate member from the support body and the inter-carriage connection member and that defines a pitch that is a connection interval between the carriages. The pitch defining member is coupled to the support body and is a reinforcement member of the support body, and is a tray-type transport device that travels on the travel path in a state where the carriages are adjacently connected in the front-rear direction , The carriage includes a tray support member that supports the tray, and the support body is spaced apart in the front-rear direction of the tray support member. The pitch support member is a connecting member that connects the front support body and the rear support body to form the front support body and the rear support body. By using a forming material that is stronger than the resin that is used , the pitch-regulating member that is separate from the inter-carriage connecting member of the carriage that supports the tray ensures the required running stability of the carriage. However, the pitch, which is the connection interval between the carriages, can be changed, the cost is reduced by reducing the manufacturing cost of the pitch defining member, and the energy consumption in the drive device is reduced by reducing the weight of the carriage. As long as it is a thing, the concrete aspect may be what kind.

For example, the tray type conveying device of the present invention is such that the tray supporting member is supported by the yoke so as to be tiltable, the tray supporting member is transported without tilting the tray supporting member, or the tray supporting member is supported by the yoke so that it cannot tilt. It may be what was done.
The tray type transfer device may be provided in the article sorting device, or may be used simply as a transfer device.
The travel path may be either a one-dimensional or two-dimensional travel path in which the position in the vertical direction does not change, or a three-dimensional travel path in which the position in the vertical direction changes.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the embodiment of the present invention, the tray-type transport device 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes a chute 20 (see FIG. 2) and a tilting motion device 30 (see FIG. 2) as a carry-out portion of an article 10 transported by the transport device 100. And an article sorting apparatus that sorts the articles 10.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a conveying device 100 includes a plurality of trays 101 on which articles 10 are placed, a plurality of carriages 102 each supporting the tray 101, and a traveling path (hereinafter, referred to as a carriage 102). A travel rail 103 that forms a “travel path”) and a linear motor 104 as an electric drive device that travels the carriage 102.
When the transport device 100 is operated, all the carriages 102 are driven by the linear motor 104 in the traveling direction in the traveling direction in a state where the adjacent carriages 102 are connected to each other in the front-rear direction (or the traveling direction). Run all at once.
In FIGS. 1 and 2, ribs and the like formed on the resin member shown in FIG. 3 are omitted in order to avoid complication of the drawings.
The resin means a synthetic resin.

  The carriage 102 is a tray support member 110 that supports the resin tray 101, a yoke 120 (or a body) that is a member separate from the tray support member 110 and supports the tray support member 110 so as to be tiltable. An index member 150 that sets tilt and non-tilt of the tray support member 110 with respect to the yoke 120, a travel unit 160 that is supported by the yoke 120 and travels along the travel rail 103, and a carriage 102 adjacent in the front-rear direction. And an inter-carriage connecting member 170 that connects the two.

The linear motor 104 includes a coil portion 104a that is a primary side as a driving force generating portion that generates a driving force that causes the carriage 102 to travel, and a reaction plate that is a secondary side as a driving force acting portion on which the driving force acts. 104b.
The coil portion 104a is disposed along the traveling rail 103 so as to face the reaction plate 104b in the vertical direction. The reaction plate 104 b is attached to the lower end of the yoke 120.

  The front-rear direction is the front-rear direction in the travel direction, the left-right direction is the left-right direction when facing the travel direction, and the up-down direction is a direction orthogonal to the left-right direction on a plane orthogonal to the travel direction. There are directions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively.

  The tray support member 110 is a separate member from the tray mounting base 111 and the tray mounting base 111 to which the tray 101 is detachably mounted by a bolt (not shown) which is a coupling tool as a coupling means. A base support 115 coupled to the base 111.

Referring also to FIG. 4, the tray mounting base 111 that is tiltably supported by the yoke 120 via the base support 115 is composed of a flat base body 112 to which the tray 101 is mounted, and both left and right sides of the base body 112. A pair of flat side plates 113 formed by bending downward is integrally formed and is a thin plate as a single plate member having a substantially uniform thickness as a whole.
The tray mounting base 111 is made of metal (for example, iron or light metal (for example, aluminum)) or resin (for example, fiber reinforced resin), and is made of iron in this embodiment.

  The base body 112 has one or more, in this case, four tray coupling portions 112t to which the tray 101 is coupled by the bolt, and one or more, in this case, two, to which the base support 115 is coupled. And a supporting joint composed of two front supporting joints 112a and a rear supporting joint 112b.

The base support body 115 is supported by the front support body 130 and the rear support body 140 of the yoke 120 so as to be tiltable, and is disposed apart from each other in the front-rear direction, and is a front base support body 116 that is a separate member. And a rear base support 117.
The rear base support 117 has a contour that is substantially similar to the contour of the front base support 116 shown in FIG.

The front base support 116 is tiltably coupled to the front base coupling portion 116a (shaded in FIG. 4) coupled to the front support coupling portion 112a and the front support main body 130. And a front yoke side coupling portion 116b.
Similarly, similarly to the front base support body 116, the rear base support body 117 has a rear base side coupling portion 117a (shaded in FIG. 4) coupled to the rear support coupling portion 112b. And a rear yoke side coupling portion 117b coupled to the rear support body 140 so as to be tiltable.

The front base side coupling portion 116a and the rear base side coupling portion 117a constitute a base side coupling portion of the base support 115, and the front yoke side coupling portion 116b and the rear yoke side coupling portion 117b are arranged on the yoke side of the base support body 115. Construct a coupling part.
Each of the yoke side coupling portions 116b and 117b has a support pin 129 as a pivot portion provided in the front support body 130 or the rear support body 140, and a tilt center line Lt (see FIG. 2) of the tray support member 110 in the front-rear direction. It is pivotally attached to be parallel.

The front base support body 116 and the rear base support body 117 are made of a resin member, and the tray mounting base 111 and the base support bodies 116 and 117 are provided in the support coupling portions 112a and 112b by insert molding. The joint portions 116a and 117a formed so as to partially cover the upper surface 112c and the lower surface 112d of the base main body 112 with resin flowing in through through holes (not shown) are integrally coupled.
The tray mounting base 111 arranged so as to extend in parallel in the front-rear direction is also a reinforcing member that increases the rigidity of the tray support member 110 by connecting the front base support body 116 and the rear base support body 117.

  The yoke 120 that travels along the travel path by the travel unit 160 is a support main body 121 that supports the tray support member 110 and a separate member from the support main body 121 and is coupled to the support main body 121 so that the rigidity of the yoke 120 is increased. A yoke connecting member 122 as a reinforcing member for enhancing the strength and a support pin 129.

The support main body 121 is composed of a front support main body 130 and a rear support main body 140 that are arranged separately from each other in the front-rear direction and are separate members. The support main bodies 130 and 140, which are resin members, are made of resin main body forming portions 131 and 141, and core members 132 and 142 made of cylindrical rods as reinforcing members that reinforce the main body forming portions 131 and 141 (FIG. 1).
The resin forming the main body forming portions 131 and 141 of the support main bodies 130 and 140 is, for example, a fiber reinforced resin or a polyamide resin.
The core materials 132 and 142 are embedded in the main body forming portions 131 and 141 in a state of extending in the vertical direction.

The main body forming part 131 of the front support body 130 includes a front support part 133 that supports the front base support 116 in a tiltable manner, a front drive support part 134 to which the reaction plate 104b is fixed, and a bifurcated part that supports the traveling unit 160. A traveling unit support portion 135 having a shape portion, and one or more front coupling portions that are constituted by two first and second front coupling portions 137 and 138 in the present embodiment.
Similarly, the main body forming portion 141 of the rear support body 140 includes a rear support portion 143 that supports the rear base support member 117 so as to be tiltable, a rear drive support portion 144 to which the reaction plate 104b is fixed, and the front coupling portion. And the same number of first and second rear coupling portions 147 and 148.

  The yoke connecting member 122 includes a columnar first yoke connecting member 123 that connects the support main bodies 130 and 140 at the first front connecting portion 137 and the first rear connecting portion 147, and a position above the first yoke connecting member 123. A cylindrical second yoke coupling member 124 that is disposed and couples the support bodies 130 and 140 at the second front coupling portion 138 and the second rear coupling portion 148.

The first and second yoke connecting members 123 and 124 each composed of a straight rod are arranged in the left and right direction at the center of each support body 130 and 140 and extending in parallel in the front and rear direction. Furthermore, the first and second front coupling portions 137, 138 and the first front joint portions 137, 138 provided in the regions where the strength is increased by the core members 132, 142 in the embedded region of the core members 132, 142 in the vertical direction and the left-right direction. , The second rear coupling portions 147 and 148. Thereby, the rigidity of the yoke 120 can be further increased.
The first yoke coupling member 123 through which the core member 132 passes is constituted by a pipe material as a long rod material having the same cross-sectional shape in the longitudinal direction, thereby contributing to weight reduction of the carriage 102.

The first and second yoke connecting members 123 and 124, the core members 132 and 142, and the support pins 129 are formed with higher strength than the resin that is the material for forming the main body forming portions 131 and 141 of the support main bodies 130 and 140 ( In this embodiment, it is made of metal (for example, iron).
The main body forming portions 131 and 141 of the front support body 130 and the rear support body 140, the first and second yoke connecting members 123 and 124, the core members 132 and 142, and the support pins 129 are integrally coupled by insert molding. ing.

The first yoke connecting member 123 penetrates the front support body 130 and the rear support body 140 in the front-rear direction, and from the rear support body 140 that is one of the front support body 130 and the rear support body 140. It has the extension part 123e extended in the front-back direction.
An inter-carriage connecting member 170 is attached to the extending portion 123e.

Therefore, the pitch P (see FIG. 1), which is the connection interval between the carriages adjacent in the front-rear direction, is the first yoke connecting member 123 as a pitch defining member, which is a separate member from the inter-carriage connecting member 170, and the carriage. Defined by the intermediate connecting member 170.
When the pitch P is changed by the first yoke connecting member 123, the yoke is manufactured using another first yoke connecting member 123 having a different length. Therefore, the first yoke connecting member 123 is a member that can change the pitch P by exchanging with another first yoke connecting member having a different length.

1 to 4, the index member 150, which is a tray tilting member that tilts the tray 101 by tilting the tray supporting member 110 with respect to the yoke 120, swings up and down with respect to the rear base support body 117. Supported as possible.
The index member 150 includes a lever 151 serving as an index body that swingably moves between an inoperative position (indicated by a solid line in FIG. 1) and an operating position (indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1). A rod-shaped cam guide 153 provided on the yoke 120, and a cam 154 provided on the lever 151 for guiding the lever 151 swinging between the non-operating position and the operating position by engagement with the cam guide 153. A spring 155 that is a biasing member that biases the lever 151 toward the non-operating position, and a support pin 156 as a support portion that supports the lever 151 in a swingable manner while being held by the rear base support body 117. And have.

Here, the non-operating position is a position where the lever 151 does not contact the tray mounting base 111, and the tray support member 110 is not tilted (or tilted) when the lever 151 occupies the non-operating position. (Or non-tilting position). In this basic position, the base body 112 is substantially parallel (for example, in a horizontal state) to a plane orthogonal to the vertical direction.
The operating position is a position where the lever 151 contacts the tray mounting base 111.

The lever 151 can abut on the left side as one side in the left-right direction with respect to the tray mounting base 111 at the abutting portion 151c (see FIG. 4). Therefore, when the lever 151 abuts on the tray mounting base 111, the tray support member 110 tilts to the right as the other side in the left-right direction with respect to the yoke 120 (see FIG. 2).
The maximum tilting amount of the tray support member 110 is regulated by the base support 115 abutting against a stopper (not shown) provided on the support body 121.

The cam guide 153 is configured by the second yoke connecting member 124. The cam 154 has a concave shape capable of accommodating the cam guide 153 (see FIG. 2). The cam 154 engages with the cam guide 153 at the non-operating position and is disengaged at the operating position.
When the cam 154 is engaged with the cam guide 153, the tray support member 110 maintains the basic position while the spring 155 biases the lever 151 in the non-actuated position. The lever 151 in the tilting position is brought into contact with the return guide (not shown) arranged at an interval along the traveling path by the tray 101 or the tray support member 110 in the tilted state. Is rotated toward the basic position and is guided by the cam 154 that contacts the cam guide 153 to return to the inoperative position.

  1 to 4, the traveling unit 160 supported only by the front support body 130 in the carriage 102 includes a pair of traveling rollers 161 that constitute a traveling roller as a traveling body that moves on the traveling path, and a traveling path. A pair of guide rollers 162 constituting a guide roller as a traveling guide body that guides the yoke 120 along the longitudinal direction and a traveling unit support portion 135 protruding forward from the front base support body 116 are held in parallel in the vertical direction. And a travel support 164 that is rotatably supported by the support shaft 163.

The pair of left and right travel rollers 161 are rotatably supported by the travel support 164 and roll on the travel rail 103. Further, the pair of left and right guide rollers 162 are rotatably supported by the traveling unit support portion 135 and roll on the side surface which is the guide surface of the traveling rail 103.
The rotation center line of the traveling roller 161 is included in a plane parallel to the left-right direction and the front-rear direction.
The travel support 164 rotates about a rotation center axis Lr (see FIG. 4) parallel to the vertical direction, so that each travel roller 161 rotates about the rotation center line Lr ( 4, the traveling direction of the carriage 102 is changed along the curved traveling path.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the inter-carriage connecting member 170 is coupled to a front coupling portion 168 and a rear coupling portion 169 disposed behind the rear support body 140.
The front coupling portion 168 is provided on the traveling unit support portion 135 and is configured by a support shaft 163. The rear coupling 169 is configured by the extending portion 123 e of the first yoke coupling member 123.

The inter-carriage connecting member 170 includes a spherical joint 171 that is a first joint as a front joint that is swingably and detachably attached to a front coupling portion 168 of a rear carriage 102B that is a carriage 102 that is connected rearwardly. A second joint 172 as a rear joint that can be attached to and detached from the rear coupling portion 169 and is immovable with respect to the rear coupling portion 169, and a coupling as a coupling member that couples the spherical joint 171 and the second joint 172 Rod 173.
As is apparent from FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the connecting rod 173 is disposed at a position that does not overlap the first yoke connecting member 123 when viewed from the front-rear direction.

The connecting rod 173 is a member whose length in the front-rear direction can be adjusted. The connecting rod 173 is a first connecting member 173 a formed integrally with the outer ring 171 a of the spherical joint 171 and connected to the second joint 172. 2 connecting members 173b.
The first and second connecting members 173a and 173b are screw-coupled to each other, and the length in the front-rear direction can be adjusted by relatively rotating.
For this reason, by adjusting the length of the connecting rod 173, the first pitch portion that is defined by the first yoke connecting member 123 at the pitch P is changed to the second pitch portion that is specified by the length of the connecting rod 173. By changing, the pitch P which is the sum of the first pitch portion and the second pitch portion is changed.

  1 and 2, the carriage 102 further includes a detected portion (for example, a magnet) 191 (see FIG. 1) detected by a position sensor (for example, a magnetostrictive sensor) included in the article sorting apparatus. The position sensor detects, for example, that the carriage 102 is located at the sorting position where the chute 20 is disposed on the travel path through the detected portion 191 provided on the reaction plate 104b.

  When the position sensor detects that the carriage 102 that supports the tray 101 on which the article 10 whose sorting position has been designated in advance has been placed has reached the designated predetermined position, the position sensor is placed at the sorting position. The tilting movement device 30 is actuated and comes into contact with the operation portion 151a (see FIGS. 2 and 3) of the lever 151. As a result, the lever 151 swings toward the base body 112 of the tray mounting base 111 and contacts the tray mounting base 111 at the contact portion 152 to tilt the tray support member 110, and hence the tray 101. Then, the article 10 placed on the tray 101 is dropped onto the chute 20 from the tilted tray 101 and is conveyed by the chute 20 and then stored in the container.

Next, operations and effects of the embodiment configured as described above will be described.
The transport apparatus 100 includes a plurality of carriages 102 that support a tray 101 on which articles 10 are placed, and a linear motor 104 that travels the carriages 102, and travels on a travel path in a state where the carriages 102 are connected to each other.
With this configuration, the articles 10 placed on the tray 101 supported by the carriages 102 are transported by the carriages 102 that simultaneously travel on the traveling path, and the articles 10 are sorted at preset sorting positions. Can do.

  The yoke 120 of the carriage 102 is a separate member from the support main body 121 that supports the tray 101 and the traveling unit 160, and the support main body 121 and the inter-carriage connection member 170, and defines a pitch P that is the connection interval between the carriages 102. The first yoke coupling member 123 is coupled to the support body 121 and serves as a reinforcement member for the support body 121.

With this configuration, the carriage 102 includes the first yoke coupling member 123 included in the yoke 120 in addition to the inter-carriage coupling member 170. Therefore, the pitch can be changed by changing the length of the first yoke coupling member 123 in the front-rear direction. Since P is changed, the running stability of the carriage 102 is reduced by changing the length of the inter-carriage connecting member 170 for changing the pitch P (for example, excessively increasing the length). Therefore, the required running stability can be ensured.
In addition, since the first yoke connecting member 123 also serves as a reinforcing member that reinforces the support body 121 in the yoke 120 that requires high rigidity to support the tray 101 and the traveling unit 160, a dedicated reinforcing member is not required. Thus, the yoke 120 and thus the carriage 102 can be reduced in weight, and the power consumption, which is the energy consumed by the linear motor 104, can be reduced.
Further, since the first yoke connecting member 123 is a member that does not support the tray 101 and the traveling unit 160, the structure necessary for supporting the tray 101 and the traveling unit 160 is not necessary for the first yoke connecting member 123. Therefore, since the structure of the first yoke connecting member 123 is simplified and the manufacturing cost can be reduced, the carriage 102 can be used even when the first yoke connecting member 123 is replaced for changing the pitch P. Cost, and hence the cost of the transport apparatus 100 can be reduced.

  The support main body 121 is configured by a front support main body 130 and a rear support main body 140 that are disposed apart from each other in the front-rear direction and supports the tray support member 110, and the first yoke connecting member 123 is a resin member. It is a connecting member that connects a certain front support body 130 and the rear support body 140, and is formed of a forming material having a strength higher than that of the resin forming the front support body 130 and the rear support body 140.

With this configuration, the first yoke connecting member 123 is formed of a forming material having a strength higher than that of the resin that is the forming material of the front support body 130 and the rear support body 140, so that the rigidity of the yoke 120 is increased. Further, since the front support body 130 and the rear support body 140 that support the tray support member 110 are made of resin, it is possible to transport the heavy article 10 while reducing the weight of the yoke 120, and thus the carriage 102. The types of articles 10 to be processed can be expanded, and the convenience of the transport apparatus 10 can be enhanced.
Moreover, even when the first yoke connecting member 123 becomes longer in order to increase the pitch P, the required rigidity of the first yoke connecting member 123 is ensured, and the carriage 102 of the carriage 102 due to insufficient rigidity of the first yoke connecting member 123 is secured. A decrease in running stability can be prevented.

The first yoke coupling member 123 is constituted by one rod coupled to the support body 121, and has an extending portion 123e that extends through the support body 121 in the front-rear direction, and is connected between the carriages. The member 170 is attached to the extension part 123e.
With this configuration, since the first yoke connecting member 123 is configured by one rod, the structure is simplified and the manufacturing cost is reduced. Therefore, the pitch P can be changed by the first yoke connecting member 123. The cost of the transport apparatus 100 can be reduced.
In addition, since the inter-carriage connecting member 170 is attached to the extending portion 123e extending in the front-rear direction from the support body 121 in the first yoke connecting member 123, the length of the inter-carriage connecting member 170 in the front-rear direction is shortened. Thus, the weight of the carriage 102 can be reduced.

An inter-carriage connecting member 170 having a connecting rod 173 is attached to the first yoke connecting member 123, and the first yoke connecting member 123 and the connecting rod 173 are arranged at positions that do not overlap when viewed from the front-rear direction.
With this configuration, as compared with the case where the connecting rod 173 and the first yoke connecting member 123 are arranged on the same straight line, the arrangement of the first yoke connecting member 123 due to the position of the connecting rod 173 is reduced, and the connecting rod is reduced. Since the degree of freedom of arrangement of the first yoke connecting member 123 with respect to 173 is increased, the first yoke connecting member 123 as a pitch defining member that is also a reinforcing member of the support main body 121 is preferable from the viewpoint of enhancing the reinforcing effect of the support main body 121. Can be placed at any position.

The yoke 120 is disposed separately in the front-rear direction, and the support body 121 includes a front support body 130 and a rear support body 140 that both support the tray support member 110, and a separate member from the support body 121. The first support body 130 and the rear support body 140 are connected to each other, and the first and second yoke connecting members 123 and 124, which are reinforcing members that increase the rigidity of the yoke 120, are connected. The main body 140 is made of a resin member.
With this configuration, since the front support body 130 and the rear support body 140 that directly support the tray support member 110 are made of resin, the yoke 120 can be reduced in weight and the carriage 102 can be reduced in weight. The power consumption, which is the energy consumption at 104, can be reduced.
In addition, since the rigidity of the yoke 120 and the carriage 102 is enhanced by the first and second yoke connecting members 123 and 124 that connect the front support body 130 and the rear support body 140, an article having a large weight while reducing the weight of the carriage 102. The convenience of the transport apparatus 100 can be enhanced by expanding the types of articles 10 to be transported, such as being capable of transporting 10.
Further, since the tray support member 110, the front support body 130, the rear support body 140, and the first and second yoke connecting members 123 and 124 are separate members, the type of the article 10 to be conveyed by combining these members. Since various carriages 102 can be manufactured according to the manufacturing cost, usage environment, etc., the degree of freedom in designing the carriage 102 can be increased.

The front support body 130 and the rear support body 140, which are resin members, and the metal first and second yoke coupling members 123, 124, which are reinforcement members, are integrally coupled by insert molding to form a front base which is a resin member. Since the support body 116 and the rear base support body 117 and the metal tray mounting base 111 as a reinforcing member are integrally coupled by insert molding, the cost can be reduced.
Further, since the first and second yoke connecting members 123 and 124 and the tray mounting base 111 that are reinforcing members all extend in the front-rear direction, the yoke 120 or the yoke 120 in a plane parallel to the front-rear direction The bending rigidity of the tray support member 110 can be increased.

Hereinafter, an example in which a part of the configuration of the above-described embodiment is changed will be described with respect to the changed configuration.
The second joint 172 may be attached to the extending portion 123e so that the position in the front-rear direction can be adjusted. With this configuration, in addition to changing the pitch P by the first yoke connecting member 123, the pitch P can also be changed by changing the mounting position of the second joint 172 with respect to the first yoke connecting member 123. The pitch P defined by the first yoke connecting member 123 can be adjusted, and the pitch changing function of the first yoke connecting member 123 can be enhanced.

  The first yoke coupling member may be detachably coupled to the front support body 130 and the rear support body 140 by a coupling tool (for example, a bolt), and the coupling position can be adjusted in the front-rear direction. May be combined. In the latter case, the pitch P can be changed by changing the coupling position without replacing the first yoke connecting member with one having a different length.

Although the traveling unit 160 is disposed only at the front part of the yoke in the above-described embodiment, it may be disposed only at the front part and the rear part of the yoke 120, or only at the rear part, or only at the intermediate part between the front part and the rear part.
The yoke connecting member 122 may be composed of one or three or more yoke connecting members.
The rear joint may be a spherical joint 171 as a first joint, and the front joint may be a second joint 172.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Tray type conveying apparatus 101 ... Tray 102 ... Carriage 104 ... Linear motor 110 ... Tray support member 120 ... Yoke 121 ... Support main body 123 ... 1st yoke connection Member 130 ... Front support body 140 ... Rear support body 160 ... Traveling unit 170 ... Inter-carriage connection member 172 ... Second joint 173 ... Connection rod P ... Pitch

Claims (4)

A carriage that includes a plurality of carriages that support a tray on which articles are placed and a drive device that travels the carriage, and the carriage connects the yoke that supports the tray, the travel unit that travels the carriage, and the carriages. A connecting body, and the yoke is a support body that supports the tray and the traveling unit, and a pitch that is a separate member from the supporting body and the inter-carriage connecting member and defines a pitch that is a connecting interval between the carriages. A tray-type transport that travels on a travel path in a state where the pitch-defining member is coupled to the support body and is a reinforcement member of the support body, and the carriages are adjacently connected in the front-rear direction. A device ,
The carriage includes a tray support member for supporting the tray;
The support body is composed of a front support body and a rear support body that are arranged and supported separately from each other in the front-rear direction of the tray support member,
The pitch defining member is a connecting member that connects the front support body and the rear support body, and is formed of a forming material having a strength higher than that of the resin forming the front support body and the rear support body. A tray-type transport device characterized by The pitch defining member includes an extending portion that is configured by one rod coupled to the support body and extends through the support body in the front-rear direction;
The tray-type conveyance device according to claim 1 , wherein the inter-carriage connecting member is attached to the extending portion . The inter-carriage connecting member is attached to the pitch defining member with a connecting rod,
The tray type conveying apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pitch defining member and the connecting rod are arranged at positions where they do not overlap when viewed from the front-rear direction . 4. The inter-carriage connecting member includes a joint that is attached to the pitch defining member so that the position in the front-rear direction can be adjusted. Tray type transport device.

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