JP7216280B2 - Article conveying device - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an article conveying apparatus provided with a rake having a plurality of article engaging portions for engaging articles, and more particularly, to an article conveying apparatus that straightly conveys articles engaged with the article engaging portions of the rake along the conveying direction. The present invention relates to an article conveying device capable of intermittently conveying an article on the top.

Conventionally, as an article conveying apparatus, a rake having a plurality of article engaging portions for engaging articles, and a rake moving means for reciprocating the rake in the article conveying direction and in a lateral direction crossing the conveying direction. is known (Patent Document 1).
The rake moving means moves the rake in the lateral direction to engage the article engaging portion with the article, and then move the article along the conveying direction while engaging the article engaging portion with the article. It is designed to be transported and moved. After the article is advanced by the feeding movement, the rake is moved in the lateral direction to separate the article engaging portion from the article, and then, in this state, the rake can be returned and moved in the direction opposite to the conveying direction. It's like
Therefore, by repeating such an operation, the articles engaged with the article engaging portion can be intermittently sequentially conveyed on a straight line along the conveying direction.

Japanese Patent No. 6320686

The rake moving means in the above Patent Document 1 is intended to be used for aseptic filling so as to reduce the mechanism that is a source of dust generation. It is a configuration, and further reduction of dust has been desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of such circumstances, the present invention provides an article conveying apparatus capable of further reducing dust generation by using a linear motor as a rake moving means.

The invention of claim 1 comprises a rake having a plurality of article engaging portions for engaging articles, and a rake moving means for reciprocating the rake in the article conveying direction and in a lateral direction intersecting the conveying direction. and the rake moving means reciprocates the rake in the horizontal direction to engage or disengage the article engaging portion with the article, and in a state in which the article engaging portion is engaged with the article. The article engaged with the article engaging portion is conveyed by sending the article along the conveying direction or by returning the article engaging portion from the article and moving it back in a direction opposite to the conveying direction. In an article conveying device that intermittently conveys on a straight line along a direction,
The rake moving means includes an electromagnetic coil arranged linearly along the transport direction, a first carrier and a second carrier provided to move forward and backward along the electromagnetic coil, the first carrier and the second carrier. and a reciprocating mechanism provided in conjunction with the rake and moving the rake forward and backward in the lateral direction by expanding or contracting the gap between the first carrier and the second carrier; and the first carrier and the second carrier. and a control device that supplies current to the electromagnetic coil and controls the movement of each carrier,
The control device expands or contracts the space between the first carrier and the second carrier to actuate the reciprocating mechanism to reciprocate the rake in the lateral direction, and the first carrier and the second carrier. Each carrier is reciprocally moved along the electromagnetic coils while maintaining a predetermined interval, thereby reciprocating the rake in the conveying direction.

According to the above configuration, by expanding or contracting the space between the first carrier and the second carrier, the reciprocating mechanism can be operated to reciprocate the rake in the lateral direction, and the first carrier and the second carrier can be reciprocated. By reciprocating each carrier along the electromagnetic coil while maintaining a predetermined distance from the carrier, the rake can be reciprocated in the transport direction.
Therefore, since the movable parts consist only of the first carrier, the second carrier and the reciprocating mechanism, the structure of the rake moving means can be simplified as compared with the conventional device, thereby reducing dust generation as much as possible. It becomes possible to

The top view which shows the Example of this invention. FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of a main part for explaining the operation of the present invention; Sectional drawing which follows the III-III line of FIG.

The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments. In FIG. 1, an empty container 1 as an article is continuously conveyed rightward in FIG. When it is engaged with 3, it is spread by the screw 3 to a predetermined distance.
The conveying conveyor 2A is provided to a position beyond the terminal end of the timing screw 3 by a predetermined amount, and a support plate 2B for supporting the bottom of the container 1 is provided from the tip of the conveying conveyor 2A. The side guide 2a is omitted at the position where the timing screw 3 is provided.
The container 1 spread at a predetermined interval by the timing screw 3 is continuously conveyed on the support plate 2B in the right direction in FIG. When the preceding continuous nine containers 1 are engaged with the screw 3 and the most advanced container 1 reaches the tip of the timing screw 3, the rotation of the timing screw 3 is stopped and the transportation of the containers 1 is stopped. It's like

When the rotation of the timing screw 3 is stopped and the transport of the container 1 is stopped, the rectangular rake 4 is moved in the horizontal direction Y intersecting the transport direction X of the container 1 by the rake moving means 5 which will be described in detail later. As a result, semicircular article engaging portions 4a formed on the side surface of the rake 4 at equal intervals are moved forward, and the nine containers 1 engaged with the timing screw 3 and the timing screw 3 are positioned in the conveying direction. It comes to be engaged with a plurality of containers 1 which have been transported forward and which have already been placed on the support plate 2B and stopped.
That is, as shown in FIG. 2A, among the article engaging portions 4a provided on the rake 4, the nine article engaging portions 4a on the rearmost side in the conveying direction are engaged with the timing screw 3 and stopped. At the same time, the plurality of article engaging portions 4a on the forward side in the conveying direction are stopped on the support plate 2B. becomes engaged with each of the
Needless to say, the rake 4 is provided at a position where it does not interfere with the side guide 2a.

When all the article engaging portions 4a of the rake 4 are engaged with the respective containers 1, the respective containers 1 are moved by the timing screws 3 and the respective article engaging portions 4a or by the side guides 2a and the respective article engaging portions 4a. be positioned.
A filling zone A (FIG. 1) is provided at the central position in the longitudinal direction of the rake 4. In the filling zone A, although not shown, nine continuous nozzles of a filling device are provided. Each nozzle of the filling device is arranged so as to be directly above each positioned container 1, and when the container 1 is positioned, each nozzle is lowered all at once to stop the nine nozzles in the filling zone A. It is inserted into the container 1, whereby each container 1 is filled with the filling liquid.
When the filling of the filling liquid into each container 1 is completed and each nozzle is lifted, as shown in FIG. are moved along the conveying direction X while keeping the engaged state. At the same time, the operation of the timing screw 3 is started, and new empty containers 1 are successively carried in behind the rake 4 .

When the rake 4 advances the containers 1 engaged with the article engaging portions 4a by a distance corresponding to nine containers, nine empty containers 1 are newly carried in behind the rake 4. Advancement of the rake 4 and rotation of the timing screw 3 are stopped.
In this state, the rake 4 is retracted along the horizontal direction Y by the rake moving means 5, as shown in FIG.
When each article engaging portion 4a is separated from each container 1, the rake 4 is subsequently moved back in the direction opposite to the conveying direction X by the rake moving means 5, and is further returned to its original position. 2(a), the nine article engaging portions 4a formed behind the rake 4 in the conveying direction are attached to the newly supplied nine containers 1. As it engages, each article engaging portion 4a provided forwardly thereof is advanced and comes to engage with each of the plurality of containers 1 stopped on the support plate 2B.
After that, the above-described operation is repeated, and nine containers 1 are successively and intermittently conveyed, and the nine containers 1 are filled with the filling liquid during that time. The article 1 engaged with the article engaging portion 4a on the tip side of the rake 4 is sent out from the support plate 2B onto the conveyer 2C (see FIG. 1), and is sent downstream by the conveyer 2C. be transported.
The article conveying device 7 and the filling device having the above-described construction are provided in an aseptic chamber (not shown) so that aseptic filling can be performed.

Next, the structure of the rake moving means 5 will be described. The rake moving means 5 utilizes a conventionally known linear motor, and includes an electromagnetic coil 11 linearly arranged along the conveying direction X and the electromagnetic coil 11. 11, a first carrier 12A and a second carrier 12B are provided so as to be movable forward and backward.
Two sets of the first carrier 12A and the second carrier 12B are provided at both ends of the rake 4, and a reciprocating mechanism 13 is provided in conjunction with each set of the first carrier 12A, the second carrier 12B and the rake 4. There is. The configuration of this reciprocating mechanism 13 will be described later.
A permanent magnet 14 is provided on each of the first carrier 12A and the second carrier 12B, and each carrier 12A, 12B is activated by supplying a current to the electromagnetic coil 11 by a control device 15 provided outside the sterile room. movement can be controlled.

The reciprocating mechanism 13 can advance and retract the rake 4 in the horizontal direction Y by expanding or reducing the distance between the first carrier 12A and the second carrier 12B. A parallel link mechanism is used.
Specifically, each reciprocating mechanism 13 includes a first link 18 that pivotally connects the right or left end of the rake 4 and each first carrier 12A, and each first link 18 and a second link 19 that pivotally connects the second carrier 12B to each second carrier 12B.
The reciprocating mechanism 13 and the carriers 12A and 12B are arranged in the same arrangement, and the first carrier 12A, the first link 18 and the rake 4 constitute a parallel crank mechanism.
In the illustrated embodiment, the tip of the first link 18 is pivotally connected to the tip of a bracket 20 projecting from each end of the rake 4 toward the electromagnetic coil 11, but the bracket 20 is omitted. Alternatively, the tip of the first link 18 may be connected directly to the rake 4 so as to be swingable.

In the above configuration, each carrier 12A, 12B is operated by the control device 15 while maintaining a constant interval between the first carrier 12A and the second carrier 12B, as shown in FIG. 2(b). By reciprocating along the electromagnetic coil 11, the rake 4 can be sent forward in the conveying direction X, or can be returned in the direction opposite to the conveying direction X.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2(c), when the control device 15 widens the gap between the first carrier 12A and the second carrier 12B of each pair, each first link 18 is rotated clockwise. Since the rake 4 can be rotated, the longitudinal direction of the rake 4 is kept parallel to the conveying direction X by the principle of the parallel link mechanism, and the rake 4 is moved backward in the lateral direction Y to move the article engaging portion 4a of the rake 4. can be separated from the container 1.

On the other hand, conversely, when the distance between the first carrier 12A and the second carrier 12B of each pair is reduced, each first link 18 can be rotated counterclockwise, so that the rake 4 can be rotated. The product engaging portion 4a of the rake 4 can be engaged with the container 1 by moving forward in the lateral direction Y. As shown in FIG.
Therefore, by controlling the current to the electromagnetic coil 11 by the control device 15, it is possible to cause the rake 4 to perform the above-described operation.

Although two sets of the first carrier 12A, the second carrier 12B and the reciprocating mechanism 13 are provided in the above embodiment, it can be simplified if the length of the rake 4 is short. Specifically, a parallel link mechanism is constructed by increasing the length of one first carrier 12A and providing two first links 18, 18 on it, and one first link 18 is provided with one second carrier 12A. The link 19 may be pivotably connected, and the second link 19 may be pivotally connected to one second carrier 12B.

In the above embodiment, a parallel link mechanism is used as the reciprocating mechanism 13, but it is not limited to this, and it is possible to use a cam mechanism, a rack and pinion mechanism, or the like. For example, when a cam mechanism is used, the first carrier 12A is provided with a rod that can move back and forth in the horizontal direction Y, and the rake 4 is connected to the tip of the rod, and the first carrier 12A is moved in the conveying direction X. A cam member that can move forward and backward is provided. A cam follower is provided at the end of the rod, and the cam follower is engaged with a cam groove formed obliquely with respect to the conveying direction X in the cam member. By connecting the cam member and the second carrier 12B with a push rod and moving the cam member forward and backward with respect to the first carrier 1A by the push rod, the rake 4 is moved through the cam groove, the cam follower and the rod. It can move back and forth in the horizontal direction Y.

When a rack and pinion mechanism is used, a pinion is rotatably provided on the first carrier 12A instead of the cam member, a rack is formed on the rod connected to the rake 4, and the rack is meshed with the pinion, Further, a rack may be formed on the push rod provided on the second carrier 12B and the rack may be meshed with the pinion. As a result, if the push rod provided on the second carrier 12B is moved back and forth to rotate the pinion, the rake 4 can be moved back and forth in the Y direction via the rod connected to the rake 4 .

1 container (article) 4 rake 4a article engaging portion 5 rake moving means 7 article conveying device 11 electromagnetic coil 12A first carrier 12B second carrier 13 reciprocating mechanism 14 permanent magnet 15 control device 18 first link 19 second link

Claims (2)

a rake having a plurality of article engaging portions that engage with articles; and a rake moving means for reciprocating the rake in an article conveying direction and in a lateral direction intersecting the conveying direction, wherein the rake movement The means reciprocates the rake in the lateral direction to engage or disengage the article engaging portion with the article, and feeds the article along the conveying direction while the article engaging portion is engaged with the article. or move the article engaging portion back in the direction opposite to the conveying direction in a state in which the article engaging portion is detached from the article, and the article engaged with the article engaging portion is moved on a straight line along the conveying direction. In an article conveying device that conveys intermittently,
The rake moving means includes an electromagnetic coil arranged linearly along the transport direction, a first carrier and a second carrier provided to move forward and backward along the electromagnetic coil, the first carrier and the second carrier. and a reciprocating mechanism provided in conjunction with the rake and moving the rake forward and backward in the lateral direction by expanding or contracting the gap between the first carrier and the second carrier; and the first carrier and the second carrier. and a control device that supplies current to the electromagnetic coil and controls the movement of each carrier,
The control device expands or contracts the space between the first carrier and the second carrier to actuate the reciprocating mechanism to reciprocate the rake in the lateral direction, and the first carrier and the second carrier. An article conveying apparatus, wherein each carrier is moved along an electromagnetic coil while maintaining a predetermined interval, thereby moving the rake in the conveying direction. The reciprocating mechanism includes a first link swingably connecting the rake and the first carrier, and a second link swingably connecting the first link and the second carrier. 2. An article conveying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that:

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