JP5862987B2 - Goods sorting equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an article sorting facility that sorts articles in the middle of conveying articles.

  Conventionally, various sorting facilities have been developed and disclosed in the logistics industry (for example, Patent Document 1 below). The sorting equipment 100 includes a plurality of slats 18 for mounting and transporting articles 16 and shoes 20 attached to the slats 18 (FIGS. 13 and 14).

  The slat 18 is attached to the endless chain 14. The endless chain 14 is stretched between the drive sprocket 12a and the driven sprocket 12b. A motor is provided in the drive sprocket 12a. The drive sprocket 12a is rotated by the motor, and the endless chain 14 goes around.

  The slat 18 is oriented in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the article 16. A moving roller 24 and a side roller 26 are provided between the slat 18 and the endless chain 14. As the endless chain 14 circulates, the moving roller 24 moves along the slat rail 28. Further, the side roller 26 is guided to the lateral guide surface 30.

  The shoe 20 includes an upper part 34 on the mounting surface 32 side, a lower part 36 on the opposite side, and a side part 38 that connects the upper part 34 and the lower part 36. The shoe 20 makes one round when viewed in a cross-section from a direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and is attached so as to make a part of the slat 18 once. The shoe 20 is disposed at one end of the slat 18 when the article 16 is placed on the placement surface 32. The upper part 34 laterally pushes the article 16. The lower portion 36 is used to move the shoe 20 along the slat 18. The lower portion 36 is provided with a rotating shaft 42, and the guide roller 44 is attached to the rotating shaft 42 so as to freely rotate.

  The sorting facility 100 is provided with a plurality of branch guide portions 102 shown in FIG. The branch guide unit 102 includes a straight traveling guide rail 50, a moving guide rail 52, and a sorting unit 104. The sorting means 104 is provided with an electromagnet 56. The guide roller 44 includes a magnetic material, and when the electromagnet 56 is supplied with power, the guide roller 44 is attracted to the electromagnet 56. The guide roller 44 is guided by the moving guide rail 52, and the shoe 20 moves along the slat 18. At this time, the shoe 20 pushes the article 16 in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction. When the article 16 is pushed sideways, the article 16 is transferred to the branch conveyor 48.

  If power is not supplied to the electromagnet 56, the guide roller 44 goes straight along the straight guide rail 50. The shoe 20 does not move along the slat 18.

  In order to determine whether or not power is supplied to the electromagnet 56, a method of determining the moving distance of the article 16 by the pulse encoder 106 is employed in Patent Document 1. A pulse encoder 106 is attached to the rotating shaft of the driven sprocket 12b. The moving distance of the endless chain 14 is calculated based on the number of pulses counted by the pulse encoder 106. The moving distance of the article is calculated based on the number of pulses after the article 16 passes the predetermined position. By this calculation, power is supplied to the electromagnet 56 when the article 16 reaches the predetermined electromagnet 56 (FIG. 16). The shoe 20 moves along the slat 18 and the article 16 is pushed laterally with respect to the conveying direction.

  The shoe 20 is disposed at the end of the slat 18 and moves along the slat 18 when the article 16 is pushed sideways. For example, assume that two articles 16b and 16c are being conveyed as shown in FIG. Assume that all the shoes 20 are at one end of the slat 18. When the rear article 16c is sorted first, the position of the shoe 20 that laterally pushed the article 16c is at the other end (FIG. 17B). Next, it is assumed that the front article 16b is sorted. At this time, the article 16b is directed obliquely with respect to the transport direction, and the article 16b protrudes from the surrounding slats. When the lateral pressing of the article 16b is continued, the article 16b is sandwiched between the shoes 20 (FIG. 17C). This is an accident that damages the article 16b and the shoe 20. Considering this, the interval between the articles cannot be shortened, and the sorting efficiency of the articles is lowered.

  Further, due to the elongation of the endless chain 14, the calculation result of the movement distance of the article 16 may be different from the actual movement distance. Even if the number of pulses is corrected, it is not perfect. In order to sort the articles 16 described above, it is also necessary to move the desired shoe 20 reliably.

JP 2009-249121 A

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an article sorting facility for preventing an accident in which an article is caught in a shoe and improving the sorting efficiency of the article.

The article sorting facility according to the present invention includes a rotation driving device, an endless chain that circulates along an article conveyance path by the rotation driving device, and a plurality of belt-like article placement surfaces that are attached to the endless chain. An article support, a frame for supporting the article support , an article laterally attached body attached to the article support and capable of pushing the article by moving along the article support, and a test provided the movement path of Detai article wherein a detection device for detecting the passage of the object to be detected, and the linear guiding rail for linearly moving the article transverse pushing body in the transport direction, the article side push body A moving guide rail for moving along the support, a means for distributing the article laterally pressing body to either a linear guide rail or a moving guide rail, and transporting to the moving guide rail And a confirmation device that confirms that the article lateral pusher has moved along the article support, and the detected object is provided at an end of the article support. One article support is provided with a detected body at each of both ends, and the other article support is provided with a detected body at one end or the other end. In the other article support, the other end without the detected body or A side roller guided by a frame is provided at one end, and an article support provided with a detected body at the one end and an article support provided with a detected body at the other end alternately in the article transport direction. Are lined up.

  The rotation drive device rotates and the endless chain goes around the conveyance path. An article support is attached to the endless chain, and the article support also circulates. The article is placed on the article support and the article is conveyed. The article laterally pushing body laterally pushes the article at a branching point in the middle of conveyance. In order to grasp the position of the article support, a detected body is attached to the article support and a detection device for the detected body is provided. The confirmation device confirms that the article lateral pusher has moved.

The article laterally pressing body is provided on the opposite side of the mounting surface of the article support, and moves along a straight guide rail or a moving guide rail, and a shaft of a rotating body to which the rotating body is attached. With. When the confirmation device detects the passage of the rotating body or the shaft of the rotating body, it is confirmed that the article lateral pressing body has moved along the article support.

  In each article support, the article is laterally pushed by the detection device that detects the article support, the timing when the detection device detects the article support, and the timing when the confirmation device detects the passage of the rotating body or the shaft of the rotating body. Means for determining whether the body is at one end or the other end of the article support.

  Means for measuring the size of the article are provided. Based on the position of the article lateral pusher and the size of the article, the sorting means selects a straight guide rail and a movement guide rail for sorting the article lateral pusher.

  The present invention can grasp the position of an article support by attaching a detection plate to each of the article supports and detecting the detection plate with a detection device. By extending the endless chain, the position of the article support is not mistaken. It is possible to check the article laterally pushed body that has moved along the article support, and it is also possible to determine the possibility of the article being caught. The object can be prevented from being caught in advance. Since the pinching of the articles can be avoided in advance, the interval between the articles can be shortened, and the sorting efficiency of the articles can be increased.

It is the figure which showed the detection board in the sorting equipment of the articles | goods of this invention. It is a figure which shows conveyance of articles | goods. It is a figure which shows the branch guide part provided with the detection apparatus. It is a figure which shows the positional relationship of a slat and a detection board. It is a figure which shows a detection apparatus, (a) is a side view, (b) is a top view. It is a figure which shows after an article | item is mounted on a slat until it branches. It is a figure which shows the timing when the goods and the detection plate are detected. It is a figure which shows the structure for calculating | requiring the width | variety of articles | goods. It is a figure which shows the length which an article swells at the time of side pushing of an article. It is a figure which shows the communication connection of a computer and each control apparatus. It is a figure which shows the branch of articles | goods, (a) is a figure before branching, (b) is a figure which branches an other article | item ahead. It is the figure which extended the rotating shaft of the side roller as a to-be-detected body. It is a figure which shows the slat and shoe in the conventional goods sorting equipment. It is a figure which shows conveyance of the conventional article | item. It is a figure which shows the conventional branch guide part. It is a figure which counts and splits the conventional pulse. It is a figure which pinches | interposes goods, (a) is a figure before branching, (b) is a figure after branching a back article, (c) is in the middle of branching the other article FIG.

  The article sorting equipment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings are shown schematically and may differ from the actual size. The article to be conveyed will be described as a rectangular parallelepiped or a cube.

  1 and 2, the article sorting apparatus 10 according to the present invention includes a rotation drive device 12a, an endless chain 14 that circulates around a transport path, and a plurality of slats (article support) 18 for carrying and transporting the article 16. And a shoe (article side pusher) 20 attached to the slat 18.

  The rotary drive device 12a is a drive sprocket or the like. Hereinafter, the drive sprocket is denoted by reference numeral 12a. A motor is used as a drive source of the drive sprocket 12a. A driven sprocket 12b is provided at a predetermined interval from the drive sprocket 12a. The drive sprocket 12a and the driven sprocket 12b are both ends of the transport path.

  The endless chain 14 is engaged with the drive sprocket 12a and the driven sprocket 12b. As the drive sprocket 12a rotates, the endless chain 14 circulates along the transport path. In order to prevent a contact accident with the endless chain 14 that goes around, a cover 22 is provided around the endless chain 14.

  The slat 18 is attached to the endless chain 14. There are two endless chains 14, and slats 18 are stretched between the endless chains 14. The endless chain 14 becomes both side portions of the transport path. Since the endless chain 14 goes around the transport path, the slat 18 also goes around the transport path.

  Side brackets 23 are attached to both ends of the slat 18. The side bracket 23 is plate-shaped and has a L-shaped cross section when bent and viewed in the transport direction. The L-shape is a horizontal portion x1 facing the same direction with respect to the placement surface 32 and an orthogonal portion y1 facing the orthogonal direction with respect to the placement surface 32. The end of the orthogonal portion y1 is attached to the end of the slat 18 by insertion, screwing, welding, or the like. A moving roller 24 and a side roller 26 are attached to the side bracket 23. In each slat 18, a detection plate 60 is attached instead of at least one side roller 26. As will be described later, the detection plate 60 is for grasping the position of the slat 18.

  A frame 27 is provided to support the slats 18. The frame 27 includes a slat rail 28 for moving the moving roller 24 and a lateral guide surface 30 for guiding the side roller 26. The frame 27 is made of an aluminum extrusion molding material or the like. The cover 22 is attached to the frame 27. The rotation of the slat 18 is stabilized by the moving roller 24 and the side roller 26.

  The slat 18 has an article mounting surface 32 formed in a band shape. The length direction of the slat 18 is perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the article 16 (FIG. 6). A plurality of slats 18 are arranged in the transport direction. Usually, since the width of the slat 18 (the length in the conveying direction) is narrower than the article 16, the article 16 is placed so as to straddle the plurality of slats 18. In the description, the end portion of the slat 18 is a band-shaped end portion.

  The shoe 20 includes an upper part 34 on the mounting surface 32 side, a lower part 36 on the opposite side, and a side part 38 that connects the upper part 34 and the lower part 36. The shoe 20 makes one round when viewed in a cross-section from a direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and is attached so as to make a part of the slat 18 once. The shoe 20 is disposed at either end of the slat 18 when the article 16 is placed on the placement surface 32. The shoe 20 can move along the slat 18.

  The upper part 34 of the shoe 20 includes a surface 40 inclined with respect to the transport direction. The inclined surface 40 pushes the article 16 in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction. The lower portion 36 of the shoe 20 includes a rotating shaft 42 and a guide roller (rotating body) 44 attached to the rotating shaft 42. The guide roller 44 advances straight or obliquely with respect to the transport direction. When the guide roller 44 advances in the oblique direction, the shoe 20 moves along the slat 18.

  A plurality of branch guides 46 are provided to sort the articles 16 (FIG. 3). The shoe 20 pushes the article 16 in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction at the branch guide 46 and guides the article 16 to the branch conveyor 48. It is also possible to prevent the article 16 from branching by moving the shoe 20 straight.

  The branch guide unit 46 is provided with two types of rails that serve as tracks for the guide rollers 44. These rails are a linear guide rail 50 for moving the guide roller 44 straight along the transport direction, and a moving guide rail 52 for moving the guide roller 44 obliquely with respect to the transport direction.

  The rectilinear guide rails 50 are provided on both sides of the transport path. The rectilinear guide rail 50 is provided in addition to the branch guide portion 46, and is a single rail along the transport direction. The movement guide rail 52 is directed obliquely with respect to the transport direction. In order for the guide roller 44 to be guided to the distribution means 54, a start-end guide rail 51 arranged in parallel with the linear guide rail 50 is provided on the upstream side of the distribution means 54, and the guide roller 44 passes between them.

  The material of the guide roller 44 includes a magnetic material. Further, in order to select the trajectory of the guide roller 44, a sorting unit 54 is provided. The sorting means 54 is a device that attracts the guide roller 44 by the electromagnet 56 and the permanent magnet 58. A portion of the electromagnet 56 faces the straight traveling guide rail 50 and gradually moves away from the straight traveling guide rail 50. The permanent magnet 58 is continuous with the electromagnet 56 and extends to the end of the movement guide rail 52.

  When power is supplied to the electromagnet 56 and the guide roller 44 is attracted, the guide roller 44 is guided to the moving guide rail 52 via the permanent magnet 58. If the electromagnet 56 is not supplied with power, the guide roller 44 is not attracted and the guide roller 44 goes straight along the straight guide rail 50. Since the electromagnet 56 is used, the branch can be switched instantaneously.

  As the guide roller 44 moves in the oblique direction along the moving guide rail 52, the shoe 20 moves along the slat 18 and pushes the article 16 from the side. The article 16 gradually moves to the end of the slat 18 and is transferred to a branching conveyor 48 provided on the side of the slat 18. An end guide rail 52x for guiding the guide roller 44 straightly is provided at the end of the movement guide rail 52 so that the shoe 20 moves straight after the movement. The straight guide rail 50 and the end guide rail 52x are provided in parallel, the guide roller 44 advances between them, and the guide roller 44 advances straight in the transport direction.

  In order to return the moved shoe 20 to its original position, a rail on which the guide roller 44 can move between the two linear guide rails 50 is provided on the return path of the conveyance path, and the shoe 20 is returned to the original position by the rail. Return to the position. When the article 16 is placed on the slat 18, the shoe 20 is disposed at a predetermined end of the slat 18.

  In order to determine whether or not power is supplied to the electromagnet 56, it is necessary to detect that the desired shoe 20 has reached the distribution means 54. Therefore, the present invention includes a detection device 62 that detects the detection plate 60 by attaching the detection plate 60 to the side bracket 27 attached to the end of the slat 18 as described above. The position of the slat 18 is grasped by the timing at which the detection plate 60 is detected.

  The detection plate 60 is provided at the end on the opposite side of the placement surface 32. By providing at the end, the movement of the shoe 20 is not disturbed. For example, the detection plate 60 is provided at a position where the conventional side roller 26 is disposed. The detection plate 60 is plate-shaped, and the plane is in the same direction with respect to the transport direction and is directed in the direction perpendicular to the placement surface 32.

  In FIG. 1, the detection plate 60 is bent and the cross section viewed in the transport direction is L-shaped. The L-shape is a horizontal portion x2 facing the same direction as the mounting surface 32 and an orthogonal portion y2 facing the orthogonal direction to the mounting surface 32. The orthogonal part y2 is used for detection. Further, a thread is provided in the horizontal portion x1, the horizontal portion x1 of the side bracket 23 and the horizontal portion x2 of the detection plate 60 are overlapped, and the detection plate 60 is attached to the side bracket 23 by a bolt 59. A nut may be used instead of providing a thread on the horizontal portion x1. It may be attached by welding instead of the bolt 59, or may be fixed by providing a claw or a hole in the horizontal portion x1 and the horizontal portion x2 so as to be hooked or fitted, and the fixing method is not particularly limited. Furthermore, the side bracket 23 may not be bent into an L shape, and the cross section viewed in the conveyance direction may be an I shape. The end of the side bracket 23 where the slat 18 is not attached is used as the detection plate 60. In any configuration, a plate whose plane is in the same direction with respect to the transport direction and is oriented in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface 32 is the same as the configuration in which the plate is attached to the end portion of the slat 18. Become.

  As shown in FIG. 4, one slat 18a is provided with detection plates 60 at both ends, and the other slats 18b, 18c are provided with detection plates 60 at one end or the other end. The slat 18a provided with detection plates 60 at both ends is used as a reference. When the detection plate 60 of the reference slat 18a is detected by the detection device 62, the detection plate 60 is counted from the beginning. Counting is repeated each time the slat 18 makes one revolution.

  Note that reference numerals 18a, 18b, and 18c will be described as reference numerals 18 unless otherwise specifically described. Assume that the slat 18a is number 1, and the number increases in order along the transport direction. This number is common to the shoe 20 attached to the slat 18 and the detection plate 60 (FIG. 6).

  The slats 18b having the detection plate 60 at one end and the slats 18c having the detection plate 60 at the other end are arranged alternately. The slat 18b is provided with a side roller 26 at the other end. The slat 18c is provided with a side roller 26 at one end. Since one detection device 62 does not continuously detect the detection plate 60 at the same end, there is a margin in detection time. It can cope with high-speed conveyance of the article 16.

  The detection device 62 is provided on the upstream side of the sorting unit 54 in the transport direction. A start-end guide rail 51 is provided on the upstream side of the sorting means 54 in parallel with the straight-ahead guide rail 50, and a detection device 62 is disposed at the upstream end of the start-end guide rail 51. This is because the shoes 20 are sorted after the detection plate 60 is detected. The distance between the detection device 62 and the sorting means 54 is determined in consideration of the time for detecting the detection plate 60, the conveyance speed of the article 16, the power supply time to the electromagnet 56, and the like.

  Two detection devices 62 are provided on the movement path of the detection plate 60. As shown in FIG. 1, the detection plate 60 is provided on the end side of the slat 18 with respect to the guide roller 44. Therefore, in FIG. 3, the detection device 62 is provided on the outer side of the linear guide rail 50 in the transport direction. It arrange | positions so that the two detection plates 60 of the reference | standard slat 18a can detect simultaneously. Since the slat 18 faces the direction orthogonal to the transport direction, the two detection devices 62 are arranged on a line orthogonal to the transport direction. Since the number of detection plates 60 detected by the reference slat 18a and the other slats 18b, 18c is different, the reference slat 18a can be distinguished from the other slats 18b, 18c.

  The detection device 62 (a) detects the detection plate 60, (b) counts the detection plate 60, and (c) sends the counted value to the distribution means 54. The width of the slats 18, the distance between the slats 18, and the distance from the detection device 62 to the sorting means 54 are determined at the time of design, and these values do not change. With these values, the number of slats 18 from the detection device 62 to the distribution means 54 is known.

  By sending the counted value of the detection plate 60 to the distributing means 54 and subtracting the number of the slats 18 from the counted value, the distributing means 54 knows the number of the slats 18 reaching the distributing means 54. . Since it is different from the method using the conventional pulse, the slat 18 is hardly displaced.

  When the above subtraction is performed, it may be 0 or minus. The total number of slats 18 is known at the time of design. When it becomes 0, it is set as the total number of slats 18. When it becomes minus, the amount of minus is subtracted from the total number of slats 18.

  The detection device 62 includes a light emitting means 64 that emits light and a light receiving means 66 that receives light (FIGS. 5A and 5B). The light emitting means 64 uses a laser diode or a light emitting diode. The light receiving means 66 uses a photodiode or a phototransistor. The light emitting means 64 and the light receiving means 66 are opposed to each other at a constant interval. The detection plate 60 passes between the light emitting means 64 and the light receiving means 66 (FIG. 5B).

  The light emitted from the light emitting means 64 is received by the light receiving means 66. When the detection plate 60 passes between the light emitting means 64 and the light receiving means 66, the light to the light receiving means 66 is blocked. The passage of the detection plate 60 can be detected by this light shielding.

  The light emitting means 64 and the light receiving means 66 of the detection device 62 are each two and are arranged in the transport direction. Each detection device 62 detects the detection plate 60 twice. The moving direction of the detection plate 60 can be determined by the time lag that is blocked by each light receiving means 66. When the detection plate 60 is moving in the forward direction with respect to the transport direction, 1 is added each time the detection plate 60 is detected. Each time the reference slat 18a is detected, the reference slat 18a is set to 1 and addition is performed. When the detection plate 60 is moving in the direction opposite to the conveyance direction, 1 is subtracted every time the detection plate 60 is detected. Since the total number of slats 18 is known, the number of the next slat 18 in which the reference slat 18a is detected is taken as the total number, and then subtraction is performed from the total number. Even if the slat 18 is moved in the reverse direction for some reason, the position of the slat 18 can be accurately recognized.

  A light emitting means 68 and a light receiving means 70 are provided for detecting that the article 16x has passed the predetermined position P1 after the article 16x is placed on the slat 18 (FIG. 6). The light emitting means 68 and the light receiving means 70 may be the same as the detection device 62 described above. The article 16x is detected by shading. Further, the detection device 62 is provided at the predetermined position. It can be seen that the article 16x is placed on the slat 18 of the number counted when the article 16x is detected.

  FIG. 7 shows temporal changes in the amount of received light when the article 16x is detected at the predetermined position P1 and the amount of received light when the detection plate 60 is detected. The downstream side in the transport direction of the slat 18 is defined as one side 19f, and the upstream side in the transport direction is defined as the other side 19e.

  The lengths d1 and d2 from the one side 19f and the other side 19e of the slat to the detection plate 60 are known at the time of design. The distances d3 and d4 from the detection plate 60 to the article 16 are determined from the difference in the conveyance speed and the timing at which each received light amount changes. By these values d1, d2, d3, d4, the length from one side 19f of the slat 18 to the tip of the article 16x (d1 + d3) and the length from the other side 19e of the slat 18 to the rear end of the article 16x (d2 + d4) Is required.

  As described above, the slat 18 on which each article 16x is placed and its position are known. Since the number of the slat 18 on which each article 16x is placed is known, if the number is subtracted, the number of slats 18 in the meantime can be known. The size of the slats 18 and the spacing between the slats 18 are known at the time of design. The distance between the articles is also determined from the number of slats 18 between the articles and the position of the slats 18 on which the articles 16x are placed.

  As described later, the positional relationship between the article 16x and the slat 18 and the interval between the articles are obtained by sending a light-shielded timing to a computer. Used to determine whether the article 16x can be branched or not.

  When an identification mark such as a barcode is attached to the article 16x, reading means is provided at the predetermined position P1. Not only the article 16x and the slat 18 can be matched, but also the contents of the article placed on the slat 18 can be matched.

  Further, a confirmation device 90 for confirming that the shoe 20 has moved along the slat 18 is provided. The confirmation device 90 detects the rotation shaft 42 or the guide roller 44 of the shoe 20 and confirms the movement of the shoe 20. A confirmation device 90 is disposed on the moving path of the rotating shaft 42 or the guide roller 44. Since there are a plurality of branch guide portions 46, the confirmation device 90 is provided for each movement guide rail 52. The confirmation device 90 is provided on the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the movement guide rail 52 in order to confirm the movement of the shoe 20. For example, it is provided at the position of the terminal guide rail 52 x provided at the downstream end of the moving guide rail 52.

  The method of detecting the rotating shaft 42 or the guide roller 44 of the shoe 20 may be either contact or non-contact. For example, a photoelectric switch including a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit is used. The light emitting means is a laser diode or a light emitting diode. The light receiving means is a photodiode or a phototransistor. The light emitted from the light emitting means is received by the light receiving means. Light passes between the straight guide rail 50 and the terminal guide rail 52x, and the light is blocked by the rotating shaft 42 and the guide roller 44, thereby detecting the passage of the shoe 20. In this case, the straight guide rail 50 and the end guide rail 52x are provided with openings and notches, and the light emitting means and the light receiving means are installed so that light passes through the openings and notches.

  As described above, the width of the slats 18 and the interval between the slats 18 are known at the time of designing, and the distance from the detection device 62 to the confirmation device 90 is also known. With these values, the number of slats 18 from the detection device 62 to the confirmation device 90 is also known. If the number of the slats 18 is subtracted from the value counted by the detection device 62, the number of the slats 18 reaching the confirmation device 90 is obtained. The case where the subtracted value becomes 0 or minus is the same as the case of the distribution means 54 described above.

  A value obtained by counting the detection plate 60 is sent from the detection device 62 to the confirmation device 90, and the confirmation device 90 subtracts the number of slats 18 from the counted value. The number of the slat 18 when the shoe 20 is detected is known. It can be seen whether or not the desired shoe 20 has moved along the slat 18. It can also be seen at which end of each slat 18 the shoe 20 of each slat 18 is located.

  Prior to placing the articles 16y, 16z on the slat 18, the articles 16y, 16z are conveyed by the carry-in conveyor 72. The transfer conveyor 72 is provided with photoelectric switches 74 and 76 for measuring the width and length of the article 16z. A photoelectric switch 74 in which light is perpendicular to the transport direction and a photoelectric switch 76 in which light is oblique to the transport direction are used. The width and length of the article 16z are calculated based on the conveyance speed and the light shielding time of the photoelectric switches 74 and 76. The width and length of the article 16z are calculated to determine the number of shoes 20 when the article 16z is transferred.

  Specifically, the length L of the article 16z is determined by the light shielding time of the photoelectric switch 74 and the conveyance speed. As shown in FIG. 8, the photoelectric switch 76 is used to obtain the width x1 of the article 16z. The length X is obtained from the light shielding time of the photoelectric switch 76 and the conveyance speed. The angle of the light of the photoelectric switch 76 with respect to the article is φ. Therefore, the relationship X = L + x1tanφ is established. Since X, L, and φ are known, the width x1 of the article 16z can be obtained.

  As a means for obtaining the width and length of the article 16z, in addition to using the photoelectric switches 74 and 76, the article 16z may be photographed with a digital camera, and the width and length of the article 16z may be obtained by image processing. In the case where the articles are not particularly distinguished and described, reference numerals 16x, 16y, and 16z are described as reference numerals 16.

  The angle of the article 16x with respect to the conveyance direction when the article 16x is laterally pushed is known at the time of design. If the width of the article 16x is known, the length that the article 16x swells can be known, and the possibility that the article 16x is sandwiched between the shoes 20 is calculated. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, if the width of the article 16x is x1 and the angle of the article 16x with respect to the conveying direction is θ, the length x2 that the article 16x bulges is x1sinθ.

  The computer 80 which controls operation | movement of each means mentioned above, such as the detection apparatus 62, the distribution means 54, the confirmation apparatus 90, the drive sprocket 12a, the light emission means 68, the light reception means 70, is provided (FIG. 10). The computer 80 performs the operation described below by software, hardware, or both. Further, the calculation for obtaining x1 and x2 described above is performed.

  The computer 80 communicates with a control device 82a that controls the sorting facility 10. Further, communication is performed from the control device 82a to the control devices 82b, 82c, 82d, 82e, and 82f such as the detection device 62. As each control apparatus 82a, 82b, 82c, 82d, 82e, 82f, PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) etc. are mentioned. Since there are a plurality of detection devices 62, distribution means 54, and confirmation devices 90, control devices 82 b, 82 c, and 82 d are also provided in each detection device 62, distribution means 54, and confirmation device 90.

  The detection device 62 and the like are driven based on a command from the computer 80. For example, the distribution means 54 for branching from the computer 80 to the control device 82a and the number of the slat 18 on which the article 16 is placed are transmitted. The number of the slat 18 is transmitted from the control device 82a to the control device 82c of the distribution means 54. The distribution means 54 can supply power to the electromagnet 56 with a predetermined number.

  The driving status of the detection device 62 and the like is sent to the computer 80 and displayed on the monitor of the computer 80. For example, the number of the slat 18 detected by each detection device 62 is sent. The computer 80 obtains the number of the slat 18 that has reached the sorting means 54 and the confirmation device 90 from the number of the slat 18 by the method described above, or the conveyance speed of the article 16 from the time difference in which the light receiving means 70 is shielded from light. Alternatively, the conveyance direction may be obtained. Further, the distribution means 54 for branching is determined based on the size of the article 16 that has been sent.

  The computer 80 may be configured to send commands directly to the control devices 82a, 82b, 82c, and 82d of the respective means. The computer 80 may also comprehensively control other devices such as the branch conveyor 48 and the carry-in conveyor 72. Data from the photoelectric switches 74 and 76 of the carry-in conveyor 72 is also sent to the computer 80.

  The data sent from the confirmation device 90 to the computer 80 includes the number of the shoe 20 whose movement has been confirmed by the confirmation device 90. The computer 80 compares the numbers of the slats 18 and the shoes 20 between the data sent to the distribution means 54 and the data received from the confirmation device 90. By this comparison, it can be confirmed whether or not the shoe 20 of the desired slat 18 has moved. Moreover, it can also be confirmed whether each shoe 20 exists in the edge part of the slat 18 by movement.

  If the shoe 20 of the desired slat 18 has not moved, a display is made on the monitor of the computer 80 to inform the operator. Further, the computer 80 and an alarm device may be connected to issue an alarm. If necessary, the sorting equipment 10 is stopped.

  As described above, (A) it is known which end of each slat 18 each shoe 20 is, (B) the number of the slat 18 on which each article 16 is placed, (C) the article 16 of the slat 18 (D) the length x2 of the swell of the article 16 can be found from the size of the article 16, and (E) the interval between the articles 16 can be seen. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether or not the article 16 is sandwiched between the shoes 20 when the article 16 is transferred to the branch conveyor 48.

  When the computer 80 determines the sorting of the articles 16, the jamming is also determined. If it is determined from (A) to (E) that the article 16 is sandwiched between the shoes 20 when the article 16 is branched, the number of the slat 18 on which the article 16 is placed is not sent to the distribution means 54. The article 16 goes straight without branching. Even if the number of the slat 18 is once transmitted to the distribution means 54, a signal for canceling the number is sent. The straight traveling guide rail 50 and the moving guide rail 52 selected by the sorting means 54 are selected according to the size and interval of the articles 16.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 11A, when two articles 16b and 16c are being conveyed, the rear article 16c is sorted first, and the latter article 16b is sorted later. It will be caught in. Therefore, the rear article 16c is moved straight without sorting, and the other article 16b is sorted (FIG. 11B).

  Next, the operation of the article sorting facility 10 will be described. (1) The articles 16y and 16z are transferred from the carry-in conveyor 72 onto the slats 18. In the carry-in conveyor 72, the size of the article 16z is measured.

  (2) The article 16x transferred to the slat 18 is transported along the transport path. The article 16x is detected at a predetermined position P1 immediately after the start of conveyance, and the detection plate 60 is also counted at that time. The article 16x is placed on the slat 18 of the counted value, and the article 16x and the slat 18 are associated with each other. At this time, the length from one side of the slat 18 to the tip of the article 16x and the length from the other side of the slat 18 to the rear end of the article 16x are also measured. When an identification mark such as a barcode is attached, the identification mark is read.

  (3) The number of the slat 18 on which the article 16x is placed is transmitted from the computer to the sorting means 54 of the branch guide section 46 that branches the article 16x. At this time, the computer determines whether to move the shoe 20 in consideration of the interval between the articles, the size of the article 16x, the final transport destination of the article 16x, and the like.

  (4) Each time the detection device 62 detects the detection plate 60, it counts and sends the value to the distribution means 54. When the article is being conveyed in the forward direction with respect to the conveyance direction, the number is increased every time the detection plate 60 is detected. Each time the detection plate 60 of the reference slat 18a is detected, the counted value is reset and the number is increased from the beginning.

  As described above, the distribution unit 54 subtracts a predetermined number from the counted value. The number of the slat 18 reaching the position P2 of the electromagnet 56 of the distribution means 54 is recognized.

  (5) When the predetermined number for branching is reached, the distribution means 54 supplies power to the electromagnet 56. The guide roller 44 at the lower portion 36 of the shoe 20 is guided to the moving guide rail 52 by power feeding. The shoe 20 moves along the slat 18. The shoe 20 pushes the article 16 and the article 16 is guided to the branch conveyor 48.

  If the electromagnet 56 is not supplied with power, the guide roller 44 moves along the straight traveling guide rail 50. The shoe 20 does not move along the slat 18.

  (6) After the predetermined shoe 20 moves along the slat 18, the movement of the shoe 20 is confirmed by the confirmation device 90. When the shoe 20 is confirmed by the confirmation device 90, a value obtained by subtracting a predetermined number from the counted value is the number of the confirmed shoe 20. If the number of the shoe 20 instructed to move by the computer 80, it can be seen that the shoe 20 has moved normally. As it is, the sorting of the articles 16 can be continued.

  When the confirmed shoe 20 number is not the shoe 20 instructing branching, the shoe 20 is displayed on a monitor of the computer 80 or an alarm is issued by an alarm device.

  (7) The computer 80 updates the data describing which end of each slat 18 each shoe 20 is based on the confirmed number of the shoe 20. Based on this data, it is determined whether or not the article 16 can be branched. If the branch cannot be made, the branch instruction is canceled and the instruction is canceled. The article 16 that cannot be branched is conveyed again from the beginning.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the slats 18 can be individually managed by the detection plate 60 attached to the slats 18 and the shoes 20 moved along the slats 18 can be managed. By managing the movement, it is possible to know at which end of each slat 18 each shoe 20 is located, so that it is possible to prevent an accident in which the article 16 is caught between the shoes 20.

  Further, the movement of the shoe 20 can be managed, and when a shoe 20 other than the predetermined one moves, a correction operation or the like can be performed quickly. It is easy to determine whether the article 16 is sandwiched, and even if the interval between the articles is shortened, the sandwiching can be prevented and the sorting ability of the article 16 can be increased.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment was described about this invention, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above. For example, the rotation shaft 60b to which the conventional side roller 26 is attached is extended to replace the detection plate 60 with the rotation shaft 60b protruding from the side roller 26 (FIG. 12). In this case, the side rollers 26 are provided at both ends of the slat 18. In addition, the shape and the like are not limited as long as the object to be detected can be shielded from light.

  In the above embodiment, only the movement of the shoe 20 has been confirmed. However, after the shoe 20 moves from one end to the other end, it travels the other end. The shoe 20 once confirmed by the confirmation device 90 is also confirmed by the confirmation device 90 on the downstream side in the transport direction, and the above-described data needs to be sent from the confirmation device 90 to the computer 80. The computer 80 compares the numbers of the slats 18 and the shoes 20 as described above. Further, the same comparison is performed using the data sent from the confirmation device 90 on the downstream side. Even after the movement, it can be confirmed that the shoe 20 is moving normally.

  The position where the detection plate 60 is attached is not limited to the end of the slat 18. Any position may be used as long as it does not interfere with the conveyance of the article 16, the movement of the slat 18, and the movement of the shoe 20.

  The detecting device 62 uses two light emitting means 64 and two light receiving means 66, respectively, but may be one each. The direction in which the detection plate 60 is moving is not detected, and only the passage of the detection plate 60 is detected. Further, the detection is not limited to non-contact detection using light, and detection by contact of the detection plate 60 may be performed.

  The detection device 62 detects and counts the detection plate 60, but the detected signal may be sent to the distribution unit 54 and counted by the distribution unit 54. Alternatively, counting may be performed by the computer 80 so that the distribution unit 54 can supply power to the electromagnet 56 in accordance with a command from the computer 80.

  The distribution means 54 uses the electromagnet 56, but may be a switch that mechanically distributes the linear guide rail 50 or the movement guide rail 52.

  The article sorting facility 10 is not limited to the one provided with the branch conveyor 48 on one side of the transport path, and may be one provided with the branch conveyor 48 on both sides of the transport path. Two moving guide rails 52 intersect each other, and a distribution means 54 is provided on both of them. The power feeding timing of the electromagnet 56 of the sorting means 54 is the same as that described above.

  Further, when the article 16 is transferred to the branching conveyor 48, the article 16 is inclined with respect to the conveyance path, but the article 16 is moved to the branching conveyor 48 while maintaining the parallel direction to the conveyance path. Also good. In this case, a plurality of movement guide rails 52 are arranged in parallel, and a distribution means 54 is provided for each movement guide rail 52, and at the same time, the electromagnet 56 of the distribution means 54 is supplied with power. The timing of this power supply is the same as described above.

  The numbers of the detection plates 60 may be displayed on the surfaces of the slats 18, the shoes 20, and the detection plates 60. The operator can recognize the position of the shoe 20 on each slat 18 and the number of the moving shoe 20.

  In addition, the present invention can be carried out in a mode in which various improvements, modifications, and changes are added based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the gist thereof.

10: Article sorting equipment 12a: Drive sprocket (rotary drive device)
12b: driven sprocket 14: endless chains 16, 16x, 16y, 16z: articles 18, 18a, 18b, 18c: slats (article support)
20: Shoe (article side pusher)
32: Placement surface 42: Rotating shaft 44: Guide roller (rotating body)
46: Branch guide section 50: Straight traveling guide rail 52: Moving guide rail 54: Sorting means 56: Electromagnet 58: Permanent magnet 60: Detection plate (detected body)
62: Detection device 64: Light emitting means 66: Light receiving means 90: Confirmation device

Claims (4)

A rotary drive device;
An endless chain that circulates along the conveyance path of the article by the rotation driving device;
A plurality of article supports attached to the endless chain and having a belt-like article placement surface;
A frame for supporting the article support;
An article lateral pusher attached to the article support and capable of pushing the article by moving along the article support;
Provided the movement path of the subject Detai, a detection device for detecting the passage of the body to be detected,
A rectilinear guide rail for causing the article lateral pusher to travel straight along the transport direction;
A movement guide rail for moving the article lateral pusher along the article support;
Means for distributing the article laterally pressing body to either a straight guide rail or a moving guide rail;
A confirmation device provided on the downstream side in the conveying direction with respect to the movement guide rail, for confirming that the article laterally pushing body has moved along the article support;
With
The object to be detected is provided at the end of the article support, and one article support is provided with the object to be detected at both ends, and the other article support is provided with the object to be detected at one end or the other end. And
In the other article support, the other end or one end without the detected body is provided with a side roller guided by the frame,
An article sorting facility in which an article support provided with a detection object at one end and an article support provided with a detection object at the other end are alternately arranged in the conveyance direction of the article. The article laterally pressed body is:
A rotating body that is provided on the opposite side of the mounting surface of the article support and moves along a straight guide rail or a moving guide rail;
A shaft of a rotating body to which the rotating body is attached;
With
The article sorting equipment according to claim 1, wherein the confirmation device detects that the article lateral pressing body has moved along the article support by detecting passage of the rotating body or the shaft of the rotating body. A detection device for detecting the article support;
According to the timing at which the detection device detects the article support and the timing at which the confirmation device detects the passage of the rotating body or the shaft of the rotating body, the article laterally pressing body is one end or the other end of the article support in each article support. Means for determining which part of the
The equipment for sorting articles according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: Means for measuring the size of the article,
4. The article sorting equipment according to claim 3, wherein the sorting means selects a linear guide rail and a moving guide rail to sort the article laterally-pressed body from the position of the article laterally-pressed body and the size of the article.

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