JP7401060B2 - Conveyance device and method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a conveyance device and a conveyance method, and particularly to a conveyance device and a conveyance method used for conveying articles between a plurality of containers.

2. Description of the Related Art In logistics lines such as factories and distribution centers, articles to be transported are sorted using transport containers with open tops, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. In such sorting, a source container that stores a large number of items is placed on the upstream side of the transport, and a worker stores the required number of items from this source container into a destination container according to specific sorting instructions. ing. In Patent Document 1, containers at the destination are transferred to a work position for sorting by an appropriate transport mechanism before sorting, and after sorting is completed, they are further transported from the work position to the downstream side of transport. There is.

From the viewpoint of speeding up and increasing the efficiency of logistics, it is possible to automate the transportation of goods from the source container to the destination container by using a transportation means equipped with a robot or the like instead of a worker. Conceivable. In the case of automation in this manner, in view of the above-mentioned viewpoint, it is conceivable that the container at the transport source can also be automatically replaced by an appropriate transport mechanism.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-242122

However, when the source container is automatically replaced as described above, it takes time to discharge the empty container and then set a new container containing a large number of articles in a predetermined position. During this time, the transportation of the goods to the destination by the transportation means is interrupted, and there remains room for improvement in speeding up and increasing the efficiency of logistics.

The present invention has been made in view of this point, and aims to suppress the time required to transport an article to a second container, which is a destination, from increasing due to the time it takes to replace a first container, which is a source. One of the purposes is to provide a conveyance device and a conveyance method that can perform the following operations.

A conveyance device according to one aspect of the present invention is a conveyance device that conveys a part of a plurality of articles housed in a first container to a second container, and the first container includes a plurality of articles. a temporary placement section that is accommodated in rows in a matrix along a thickness direction and a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction, and on which articles accommodated in the first container are temporarily placed; a first transfer section capable of transferring an article from the first container to the temporary placement section; and a second transfer section capable of transferring the article from the temporary placement section to the second container; The temporary holding section includes a receiving section on which the article transferred from the first container by the first transfer section is placed, and a receiving section on which the article transferred to the second container by the second transfer section is placed. The first transfer section includes a transfer section on which the article is placed, and a third transfer section capable of transferring the article from the receiving section to the transfer section, and the first transfer section is configured to transfer the article in the thickness direction in the first container. The third transfer section is provided so as to be able to transfer the articles in a row in a perpendicular direction to the receiving section, and the third transfer section is configured to carry out at least part of the process of conveying the articles from the receiving section to the delivery section, The articles can be transferred in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction, the articles can be arranged on the transfer section in the thickness direction , and the receiving section is arranged at one end of the first container in the thickness direction. The delivery section is installed at a position along one end of the first container in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction .

According to such a configuration, since the temporary storage section is provided as described above, even after the first container becomes empty, the article can be transferred from the temporary storage section to the second container and stored therein. I can do it. Therefore, even if the first container is not present, it is possible to continue transporting the goods to the second container, and it is possible to continue transporting the goods to the second container even when the first container is not present. can be shortened or eliminated. Moreover, since the temporary storage section is equipped with the third transfer section and can transfer the article, the third transfer section can transfer the article to the second container by utilizing the time that the article is placed on the temporary placement section. The arrangement of articles can be adjusted and arranged at positions suitable for transferring the articles to. In other words, the empty first container can be replaced with a new first container containing the article by using the time for arranging the articles in the temporary storage section, thereby speeding up the transportation of the article. Efficiency can be achieved.

Further, a transport method according to one aspect of the present invention is a transport method in which a part of a plurality of articles housed in the first container is transported to the second container using the transport device, the transport method comprising: After transferring the articles in one container in a row in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction to the receiving section of the temporary placement section, from the receiving section to the transfer section of the temporary placement section. Transferring the articles in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction to align the articles on the transfer section in the thickness direction , and then transferring the articles from the transfer section to the second container. shall be.

According to the present invention, since the temporary placement section is provided and the article can be transported even in this temporary placement section, the time required to transfer the article to the second container becomes longer depending on the time it takes to replace the first container. This can be suppressed.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a conveyance device according to an embodiment. It is an explanatory view showing a product number weight and an extrusion part in a partially sectional view. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the conveying device as seen from a direction different from that of FIG. 1, with some configurations omitted. It is a schematic perspective view of the 2nd transfer part based on embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the second transfer unit according to the embodiment, cut along the ZX plane. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the steady rest mechanism taken along the YZ plane. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the second transfer section grips an article. FIG. 7 is an explanatory side view showing an example of a state in which the second transfer section grips an article. It is an explanatory view showing an example of a flow of conveyance to a shipping number. It is an explanatory view showing an example of a flow of conveyance to a shipping number. It is an explanatory view showing an example of a flow of conveyance to a shipping number. It is an explanatory view showing an example of a flow of conveyance to a shipping number. It is an explanatory view showing an example of a flow of conveyance to a shipping number. It is an explanatory view showing an example of a flow of conveyance to a shipping number. It is an explanatory view showing an example of a flow of conveyance to a shipping number. It is an explanatory view showing an example of a flow of conveyance to a shipping number. It is an explanatory view showing an example of a flow of conveyance to a shipping number. It is an explanatory view showing an example of a flow of conveyance to a shipping number. It is an explanatory view showing an example of a flow of conveyance to a shipping number. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the flow of transportation to a shipping number. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the flow of transportation to a shipping number. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the flow of transportation to a shipping number. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the flow of transportation to a shipping number. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the flow of transportation to a shipping number. It is an explanatory view showing an example of a state where rice balls are placed on the temporary placement part.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and can be implemented with appropriate modifications within the scope without changing the gist thereof. In the following figures, some configurations may be omitted for convenience of explanation. In addition, in the following description, unless otherwise specified, "top", "bottom", "left", "right", "front", and "back" are used with reference to the direction indicated by the arrow in each figure. However, the orientation of each structure in each embodiment below is only an example, and can be changed to any orientation.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a conveying device according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the transport device 1 is configured to transport rice balls (articles) W stored in a product number T1 serving as a first container to a shipping number T2 serving as a second container. In the transport device 1, the product number T1 and the shipping number T2 are supported and positioned at predetermined positions via a frame, a casing, a moving mechanism, etc. (not shown). In this embodiment, when the rice balls W are transported, the product number weight T1 and the shipping number T2 are arranged in the front-rear direction, and the product number weight T1 and the shipping number T2 are arranged so that the left and right positions of the product number T1 and the shipping number T2 are aligned.

Here, the rice ball W to be conveyed in this embodiment is a triangular rice ball packaged when viewed from the left and right, and is formed so that the sheet portion Wa protrudes from the top vertex. At the product number T1, the rice balls W are housed in rows in a matrix along two orthogonal directions: front and back and left and right (see FIG. 9). The thickness direction of each rice ball W accommodated in the product number T1 is oriented in the left-right direction, and the triangular side surface is oriented in the up-down direction.

The conveying device 1 includes a temporary holding section 2 on which the rice balls W stored in the product number T1 are temporarily placed, and a first holding section 2 that can transfer the rice balls W from the product number T1 to the temporary holding section 2. It includes a transfer section 3, a second transfer section 4 capable of transferring rice balls W from the temporary placement section 2 to the shipping number T2, and an extrusion section 5 disposed below the product number T1.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a part of the product number and extrusion section in cross section. As shown in FIG. 2, in the product number T1, a movable bottom plate B is arranged on the upper surface side of the bottom wall T1a. The movable bottom plate B is formed to have approximately the same planar shape as the bottom wall T1a, and is provided so as to be vertically displaceable inside the product number T1. On the upper surface of the movable bottom plate B, a rice ball W accommodated in a product number T1 is placed. Further, a plurality of openings T1b are formed in the bottom wall T1a of the product number T1. The opening T1b may be formed as a through hole in the thickness direction of the bottom wall T1a having a plate shape, or may be a space formed by making the bottom wall T1a into a mesh shape.

The extrusion section 5 includes a plurality of cylinders 5a extending in the vertical direction, and each cylinder 5a is supported via a frame, a casing, or the like. The cylinder 5a drives the rod 5b to displace it in the vertical direction, and the tip (upper end) side of the rod 5b is inserted into the opening T1b. Therefore, by moving the rod 5b upward by driving the cylinder 5a, the movable bottom plate B and the rice ball W placed thereon are raised to the upper end side of the product number T1, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. can do.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the conveyance device as seen from a direction different from that of FIG. 1, with some configurations omitted. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the temporary placement section 2 includes a receiving section 6 located along the right end side of the product number T1, and a delivery section 7 located along the front end side of the product number T1. , a receiving section 6 and a third transfer section 8 provided in the delivery section 7.

The receiving section 6 is constituted by a belt conveyor that extends in the front-back direction and transports the rice balls W in the same direction. The receiving part 6 is formed so that its horizontal width is slightly larger than the thickness of one rice ball W, and its front-to-back length is approximately the same as the front-to-back length of the product number T1. Therefore, on the upper surface of the receiving section 6, all the rice balls W (five in this embodiment) that are lined up in a row in the front-back direction with the product number T1 can be placed in that lined state. .

A guide plate 6a extending in the front-rear direction is provided at a position adjacent to the right side of the receiving part 6. Further, a boundary plate 6b is erected on the left side of the receiving section 6 at a position spanning the product number T1. The rice balls W placed on the receiving section 6 are transferred in the front-rear direction while maintaining an upright state via the guide plate 6a and the boundary plate 6b. The front end side of the guide plate 6a extends to the front end side of the delivery section 7, and the rice balls W can be transferred to the delivery section 7 in front of the receiving section 6 by driving the receiving section 6.

The boundary plate 6b includes, on the product number T1 side, an inclined surface portion 6c (see FIGS. 9 and 11) that becomes higher as the distance from the upper end of the product number T1 increases. The function of the inclined surface portion 6c will be described later.

The delivery section 7 is constituted by a belt conveyor that extends in the left-right direction and transports the rice balls W in the same direction. The delivery part 7 is formed so that its front-to-back width is slightly larger than the front-to-back width of one rice ball W, and its lateral length is longer than the lateral length of the product number T1. Specifically, the delivery section 7 is provided in such a position and shape that its left end side is aligned with the left end of the product number T1, and its right end side overlaps the receiving section 6 front and back. The delivery section 7 can place a plurality of rice balls W (ten in this embodiment) lined up in a row in the left-right direction on its upper surface. A guide plate 7a extending in the left-right direction is provided at a position adjacent to the front side of the delivery section 7, and guides the transfer of the rice balls W on the delivery section 7 in the left-right direction.

An alignment section 7b is provided above the delivery section 7. The alignment section 7b includes a plurality of partition plates 7c and a rotating section 7d that supports each partition plate 7c individually and rotatably. The partition plate 7c is rotatable via the rotating portion 7d between a partition position (see FIG. 3) in which it is oriented generally in the front-back direction and a retracted position (see FIG. 12) in which it is oriented generally in the up-down direction. There is. The partition plate 7c is inserted between the rice balls W lined up left and right on the delivery section 7 at the partition position, so that the rice balls W can be arranged with constant intervals in the left and right direction. Further, the partition plate 7c is disposed in front of the rice balls W on the delivery section 7 in the retracted position, and the rice balls W on the delivery section 7 can be transferred in the left-right direction without contacting the partition plate 7c.

Here, in the temporary placement section 2, the rice balls W transferred forward at the receiving section 6 are transferred to the delivery section 7, and at the delivery section 7, the rice balls W are transferred to the left, which is the side opposite to the receiving section 6. be able to. The third transfer section 8 is configured by the configuration of the receiving section 6 and the transferring section 7 that transport the rice balls W from the receiving section 6 to the transferring section 7 . The third transfer section 8 also includes an alignment section 7b that aligns the rice balls W with constant intervals in the left-right direction. It should be noted that this does not prevent the third transfer section 8 from transferring the rice balls W to the rear at the receiving section 6 or from transferring the rice balls W to the right at the delivery section 7.

For example, the first transfer unit 3 may employ a feeding mechanism for linear movement such as a linear motor or a feed screw structure. The first transfer section 3 includes a rail section 3b that extends in the left-right direction and supports the slider 3a so as to be movable in the same direction, and a push-out member 3c provided on the slider 3a.

The extrusion member 3c is provided with an extrusion surface oriented in the front-rear and up-down directions, and is provided so as to be able to contact the left side surface of each rice ball W arranged in the front-rear direction on the movable bottom plate B. In the first transfer section 3, by bringing the extrusion surface of the extrusion member 3c into contact with the rice balls W on the left side of the movable bottom plate B and then moving the slider 3a to the right, all the rice balls W on the movable bottom plate B are moved to the right side. It can be shifted to As a result, the rice balls W arranged in one row in the front-rear direction on the right side of the movable bottom plate B are transferred onto the receiving part 6 in that state.

Here, the rice ball W transferred to the receiving section 6 passes through the boundary plate 6b, but at the time of this passage, the rice ball W is prevented from falling to the right by the inclined surface part 6c (see FIG. 11), and the rice ball W is prevented from falling to the right side. It can be transferred to the receiving section 6 while maintaining the upright state.

Next, the specific configuration of the second transfer section 4 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8. Here, in the description of the second transfer unit 4, the description will be made based on the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction indicated by arrows in each figure, and the above-mentioned front and back direction is the X direction, the left and right direction is the Y direction, and the up and down direction is The direction is the Z direction.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the second transfer section according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the second transfer section according to the embodiment, cut along the ZX plane. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the second transfer unit 4 includes eight holding mechanisms 9, an upper fixing plate 4a and an intermediate fixing plate 4b arranged at predetermined intervals in the Z direction (vertical direction). and a lower fixing plate 4c. The second transfer section 4 is provided so as to be linearly movable in the front-rear direction via a moving means (not shown). As the moving means, a feeding mechanism for linear movement such as a linear motor or a feeding screw structure can be used.

The eight holding mechanisms 9 have approximately the same configuration and are arranged at equal intervals in the Y direction. The eight holding mechanisms 9 include a first grip part 10, a second grip part 20, a support body 30 for supporting these grip parts 10 and 20, and a drive mechanism (drive part) 40. ing. In this embodiment, the support body 30 is formed into a quadrangular prism shape with an axis directed in the up-down direction (Z direction). Further, the eight holding mechanisms 9 include an elevating cylinder 60 extending in the Z direction, and a steady rest mechanism 70 supported by the intermediate fixing plate 4b and the lower fixing plate 4c.

The lifting cylinders 60 of each holding mechanism 9 are connected to each other at the upper end side via the upper fixing plate 4a, and at the lower end side via the intermediate fixing plate 4b. Therefore, eight holding mechanisms 9 arranged in the Y direction are integrated with each other via the upper fixing plate 4a and the intermediate fixing plate 4b. The elevating cylinder 60 is provided with an output shaft that moves forward and backward in the Z direction, and this output shaft is connected to the support 30 so that the support 30 and the gripping parts 10 and 20 supported thereon are movable forward and backward in the Z direction. It will be done. The intermediate fixing plate 4b and the lower fixing plate 4c are formed into a rectangular shape in plan view, and are connected at each of the four corners via connecting rods 4d extending in the Z direction.

The first grip section 10 includes a pair of first grip bodies 11a and 11b arranged in the X direction. The pair of first grips 11a and 11b are swingably supported on the lower end side of the support 30. As a result, the lower ends of the first gripping bodies 11a and 11b are displaced in the direction toward and away from each other (approximately in the X direction), allowing them to be opened and closed, thereby allowing them to grip and release the rice ball W (not shown in FIG. 4). It is now possible to do so. 4 and 5 show the first grips 11a, 11b in an open state, and FIG. 7 shows the first grips 11a, 11b in a closed state.

The second gripping section 20 includes a pair of second gripping bodies 21a and 21b (one of the second gripping bodies 21b is not shown in FIG. 5) arranged in the Y direction. The second grips 21a, 21b are also swingably supported on the lower end side of the support 30, and the lower ends of the second grips 21a, 21b move toward and away from each other (approximately in the Y direction). It can be moved and opened/closed. The gripping position of the first gripping part 10 and the gripping position of the second gripping part 20 are different from each other in the Z direction (height position). Note that the second gripping section 20 is capable of gripping the conveyed object from the Y direction, but in this embodiment, a case will be described in which the first gripping section 10 grips and conveys the object, and the second gripping section 20 grips and conveys the object. The description of the case where the object to be transported is gripped and transported by the gripping section 20 will be simplified or omitted.

The drive mechanism 40 includes a cylindrical moving body 41 into which the support body 30 is inserted, and a drive source 42 attached to the moving body 41. The drive mechanism 40 moves the movable body 41 in the Z direction by the operation of the drive source 42, thereby opening and closing the first gripping part 10 and the second gripping part 20 (gripping drive).

As shown in FIG. 5, the steady rest mechanism 70 includes a pair of holding members 71 aligned in the X direction on both sides of the first gripping portion 10 in the X direction, and each holding member 71 is moved relative to each other in the Z direction (vertical direction). A movably supported guide member 76 is also provided. Here, the holding member 71 and guide member 76 located on the right side in FIG. 5 and the holding member 71 and guide member 76 located on the left side have the same structure.

The holding member 71 includes a shaft portion 72 formed in a columnar (round bar) shape extending in the Z direction (vertical direction), and a contact body that is attached to the lower end of the shaft portion 72 and forms a portion that contacts the rice ball W. 74. When the contact body 74 comes into contact with the sloped upper surface of the rice ball W that slopes like a mountain from the top apex, the hemispherical portion at the tip comes into contact in a roughly point-like manner.

6A and 6B are cross-sectional views taken along the YZ plane of the steady rest mechanism, and are explanatory diagrams of the operation procedure. As shown in FIG. 6A, a screw 75 is provided at the upper end of the shaft-shaped portion 72. As shown in FIG. The head of the screw 75 is formed to have a larger diameter than the outer diameter of the shaft-like portion 72 . Therefore, the head of the screw 75 projects from the shaft-shaped portion 72 in the shape of a flange, and functions to prevent the guide member 76 from coming off. Note that the shaft-shaped portion 72 passes through a hole formed in the lower fixing plate 4c.

The guide member 76 has the shaft-shaped portion 72 inserted therein, and is fixed to the lower fixing plate 4c. The guide member 76 guides the vertical relative movement of the holding member 71 relative to the shaft portion 72 in the vertical direction. A hole through which the shaft-shaped portion 72 is inserted is formed in the upper surface of the guide member 76, and the inner diameter of this hole is set smaller than the outer diameter of the head of the screw 75. Therefore, the head of the screw 75 is placed on the upper surface of the guide member 76 by lowering the holding member 71 under its own weight without applying any external force, and the downward movement of the holding member 71 including the screw 75 is restricted.

Next, the operation when the holding mechanism 9 grips and releases the rice ball W will be described. Here, first, the operation of one holding mechanism 9 in the second transfer section 4 will be explained.

Before gripping the rice ball W, as shown in FIG. 5, the pressing member 71 is placed at the lower limit, and the contact body 74 is placed below each gripping part 10, 20. In this state, when carrying out the rice balls W from the delivery section 7 (see FIG. 1), the holding mechanism 9 in the second transfer section 4 is moved to a position a predetermined distance above the rice balls W via a moving means (not shown). Move to.

Next, the output shaft of the elevating cylinder 60 is advanced, and the first gripping part 10 is lowered until the seat part Wa of the rice ball W is located between the first gripping bodies 11a and 11b. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, after the sheet part Wa is pinched and gripped by the first gripping part 10, the output shaft of the elevating cylinder 60 is retracted, and the rice ball W gripped by the first gripping part 10 is Rising works. Then, the contact body 74 of the presser member 71 is placed in contact with the upper surface of the rice ball W in the middle of the rise. By further advancing the rise after this contact, the holding member 71 rises via the rice ball W, and the weight of the holding member 71 acts on the rice ball W to press the rice ball W downward.

When releasing the grip of the rice ball W by the holding mechanism 9 from the state shown in FIG. (see 1). Thereafter, the gripping is released by swinging the first gripping bodies 11a and 11b into an open state and releasing the gripping of the sheet portion Wa.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory side view showing an example of a state in which the second transfer section grips an article. In the second transfer section 4, a plurality of (eight in this embodiment) holding mechanisms 9 can independently hold rice balls W one by one (one body) at a time. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the rice ball W can be gripped by the four holding mechanisms 9 on one side in the Y direction in the manner described above. When gripping is performed by these four holding mechanisms 9, the lifting cylinders 60 of the other four holding mechanisms 9 are not driven, and the first gripping part 10 is in a standby state without moving up or down. Become. In this way, in the second transfer section 4, the rice balls W can be held in arbitrary positions and numbers of the eight holding mechanisms 9, and the rice balls W can be brought into a non-holding state. can.

Next, a method of transporting the rice balls W from the product number T1 to the shipping number T2 by the transport device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 24. Here, it is assumed that the rice balls W are stored in the product number T1 in a plurality of rows in the left and right and front and rear directions with the rice balls W standing upright and the thickness direction facing the left and right direction. Furthermore, in each figure, illustrations of configurations that are not explained may be omitted.

First, as shown in FIG. 9, the product number T1 is placed below the first transfer section 3 so that its outer periphery is along the L-shaped temporary placement section 2. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, the opening T1b in the bottom wall T1a of the product number T1 and the tip of the rod 5b of the extrusion section 5 are aligned. Then, the cylinder 5a is driven to move the rod 5b upward, thereby raising the movable bottom plate B and the rice balls W placed on the movable bottom plate B in alignment therewith. Thereafter, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2 and FIG. 10, the driving of the cylinder 5a is stopped and the cylinder 5a is positioned at a position where the movable bottom plate B is aligned with the upper end surface of the product number T1. At this time, the extrusion member 3c of the first transfer unit 3 is arranged along the left side surface of the rice balls W on the movable bottom plate B that are lined up in a row in the front-rear direction on the leftmost side.

From this state, the pushing member 3c is moved to the right by driving the first transfer section 3. Then, as shown in FIG. 11, the push-out member 3c contacts the rice balls W on the left side of the movable bottom plate B and presses them to the right, and all the rice balls W on the movable bottom plate B move to the right side. As a result of this movement, among the rice balls W on the movable bottom plate B, the rice balls W lined up in a row in the front-rear direction on the rightmost side climb over the inclined surface portion 6c of the boundary plate 6b, and are then guided to the boundary plate 6b and the guide plate 6a. and is transferred to be placed on the receiving section 6.

The rice balls W on the receiving section 6 are transferred forward by the drive of the belt conveyor that constitutes the receiving section 6, as shown in FIG. As a result, the plurality of rice balls W on the receiving section 6 are transferred forward, and among the rice balls W, the frontmost rice ball W is placed on the right end side of the delivery section 7. In this way, before and after being placed on the delivery section 7, the rotating section 7d is driven in the alignment section 7b to rotate each partition plate 7c upward and move it to the retracted position. Note that among the plurality of partition plates 7c, only the leftmost partition plate 7c is maintained at the partition position to function as a stopper for restricting the rice balls W on the delivery section 7 from falling to the left.

The rice balls W placed on the right end side of the delivery section 7 are transferred to the left by the drive of the belt conveyor that constitutes the delivery section 7. When the rice ball W is moved leftward by the thickness due to this transfer, the rice ball W located behind the rice ball W is transferred from the receiving section 6 to the delivery section 7. By alternately repeating the forward transfer by the receiving section 6 and the leftward transfer by the delivery section 7, all the rice balls W placed on the receiving section 6 are removed, as shown in FIG. are placed side by side in the left-right direction on the delivery section 7.

After there are no more rice balls W on the receiving part 6, the driving of the first transfer part 3 is restarted, the pushing member 3c is moved to the right, and all the rice balls W on the movable bottom plate B are moved to the right. As a result, the rice ball W is placed on the receiving section 6 again, and the rice ball W is transferred to the delivery section 7 in the same manner as described above. Through this transfer, as shown in FIG. 14, after the rice balls W are transferred until they reach the left end side of the delivery section 7, the belt conveyors of the receiving section 6 and the delivery section 7 are stopped. At this time, on the delivery section 7, the maximum allowable number of rice balls W that can be placed (10 in this embodiment) are placed. Thereafter, the rotating section 7d is driven in the alignment section 7b, and each partition plate 7c is rotated downward and moved to the partitioning position, as shown in FIG. As a result, the partition plate 7c is inserted between the rice balls W adjacent to each other on the left and right, and the rice balls W are arranged on the delivery section 7 at equal intervals in the left and right direction.

After arranging the rice balls W on the delivery section 7, as shown in FIG. A predetermined number (in this embodiment, three from the left end side) of rice balls W lined up in a predetermined direction are held at a predetermined position. Then, the second transfer unit 4 holding the rice balls W is moved to a position above the shipping counter T2, and then, as shown in FIG. 16, the held rice balls W are placed on the shipping counter T2 and transferred. .

After transferring the rice balls W to the shipping counter T2, the rotating section 7d is driven in the alignment section 7b, and as shown in FIG. 17, each partition plate 7c is rotated upward except for the leftmost partition plate 7c. Move to evacuation position. Then, each belt conveyor of the receiving section 6 and the delivery section 7 is driven, and after transporting the rice ball W until it reaches the left end side of the delivery section 7 in the same manner as described above, each belt conveyor of the receiving section 6 and the delivery section 7 is driven. Stop. As a result, as shown in FIG. 18, additional rice balls W are placed on the delivery section 7 to replenish the three rice balls W that were previously transferred to the shipping counter T2. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 19, each partition plate 7c is rotated to the partition position, and the rice balls W are arranged at equal intervals in the left-right direction, and are placed in a standby state for transportation to the next shipping number T2.

Next, as shown in FIG. 20, a case where four rice balls W have been stored near the left end side of the shipping number T2, and three rice balls W are successively transported to the right side of the rice balls W. explain. From the state where the rice balls W are arranged and placed on the delivery section 7 (see FIG. 19), the second transfer section 4 is moved onto the delivery section 7, and the second transfer section 4 moves the rice balls W onto the delivery section 7. Hold the rice ball W. In this holding, the three rice balls W are held by the fifth to seventh holding mechanisms 9 from the left in the second transfer section 4. Then, the second transfer unit 4 holding the rice balls W is moved to a position above the shipping counter T2, and then, as shown in FIG. 21, the held rice balls W are placed on the shipping counter T2 and transferred. . As a result, the fifth to seventh rice balls W from the left disappear on the transfer section 7, and rice balls W remain on both the left and right sides of those rice balls W.

From this state, while maintaining the positions of the four rice balls W on the left end side on the delivery section 7, the rice balls W are placed on the delivery section 7 so as to be replenished. In this replenishment, first, as shown in FIG. 22, in the alignment section 7b, the partition plates 7c that sandwich the four rice balls W on the left end side on the delivery section 7 are maintained at the partition position, and the other partition plates 7c are moved upward. Rotate it to move it to the retracted position.

Thereafter, the belt conveyors of the receiving section 6 and the delivery section 7 are driven to transfer the three rice balls W located near the right end of the delivery section 7 to the left as shown in FIG. The rice balls W are sequentially transferred onto the delivery section 7. At this time, the four rice balls W on the left end side on the delivery section 7 are sandwiched between the partition plates 7c, so that movement to the left is restricted. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 24, each partition plate 7c is rotated to the partition position, and the rice balls W are arranged at equal intervals in the left-right direction, and are placed in a standby state for transportation to the next shipping number T2.

In this way, according to the embodiment, after a plurality of rice balls W are placed on the receiving section 6 and the delivery section 7 that constitute the temporary placing section 2, the rice balls W can be transported to the shipping counter T2. . Therefore, as shown in FIG. 25, even if the rice balls W stored in the product number T1 run out, a plurality of (15 in this embodiment) rice balls W are placed on the temporary placement section 2. can do. As a result, until the empty product number T1 is discharged from the state shown in FIG. It can be transported to shipping number T2 (see FIG. 1). By transporting in this way, it is possible to continue transporting the rice balls W to the shipping number T2 at the time of exchanging the product number T1, and it is possible to avoid an increase in the transport time due to such an exchange time. I can do it.

In addition, the temporary placement section 2 functions as a third transfer section 8, and the rice balls W arranged in a row in the receiving section 6 can be held in the second transfer section 4 at the delivery section 7 in the left-right direction. can be aligned. In particular, as shown in FIGS. 15, 19, and 24, before the second transfer section 4 transports the rice balls W on the delivery section 7, the rice balls W are moved left and right without creating any empty space on the delivery section 7. They can be lined up in the same direction. As a result, when the second transfer section 4 holds and transfers the rice balls W on the transfer section 7, all the holding mechanisms 9 of the second transfer section 4 can hold the rice balls W. The arrangement of the rice balls W can be made constant. As a result, it becomes possible to select whether or not to hold the rice balls W in all the holding mechanisms 9 of the second transfer section 4, and it is possible to simplify the drive control of the second transfer section 4 due to such selection. can.

In addition, since the first transfer section 3 transfers the rice balls W lined up in the front-rear direction with the product number T1 to the receiving section 6 in a lined state, processes such as rearranging the rice balls W at the receiving section 6 are not necessary. It is possible to maintain the lined state without having to do so.

Furthermore, the receiving section 6 is installed at a position along the right edge of the product number weight T1 according to the left-right width of the rice ball W, and the delivery section 7 is installed at a position along the front end of the product number weight T1 according to the front-to-back width of the rice ball W. Therefore, the installation space for the receiving section 6 and the delivery section 7 is prevented from increasing. In other words, by securing a small space on the right side and front side of the position where the product number weight T1 is set, the temporary loading section 2 including the receiving section 6 and the delivery section 7 can be installed, and the entire conveying device 1 This makes it possible to save space. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, at least a part of the process of transporting the rice balls W from the receiving section 6 to the delivery section 7 by the third transfer section 8 (in the receiving section 6 in the embodiment), the rice balls at the delivery section 7 are The rice balls W can be transported in a front-back direction different from the direction in which the rice balls W are lined up. Thereby, as in the embodiment, the third transfer section 8 can be made L-shaped in top view, allowing effective use of space, and miniaturization of the apparatus.

Further, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and may be variously changed, replaced, and modified without departing from the spirit of the technical idea of the present invention. Furthermore, if the technical idea of the present invention can be realized in a different manner due to advances in technology or other derived technologies, it may be implemented using that method. Accordingly, the claims cover all embodiments that may be included within the spirit of the invention.

In each of the embodiments described above, the rice ball W is used as the article to be gripped, but the article is not limited as long as it can be held by the holding mechanism 9. For example, in addition to rice balls packaged in non-triangular bags, other foods such as sandwiches, bread, and boxed lunches may be packaged, or they may be packaged in boxes or trays.

Furthermore, although a case has been described in which the first container and the second container are made of weights T1 and T2, the present invention is not limited to this, and various containers may be used depending on the items to be accommodated. Furthermore, the number of items (rice balls) that are lined up in two orthogonal directions can be arbitrary as long as a plurality of items are lined up in each of the two directions.

In addition, although the movable bottom plate B was provided to transfer the rice balls W from the product number T1 to the receiving section 6, instead of this, the side wall of the product number T1 along the receiving section 6 is movable to open and close. It may be configured to do so. In this case, by setting the height of the temporary placement part 2 according to the height of the bottom wall T1a of the product number T1 and opening the side wall of the product number T1, the rice ball W can be placed in the same manner as in the above embodiment. can be transferred to the receiving section 6.

Further, the holding mechanism 9 in the second transfer section 4 may be configured to hold the rice ball W as described above, or may be a suction pad that holds the outer peripheral surface of the rice ball W by suction. The suction pad communicates with a negative pressure generator to generate negative pressure, and vacuum suctions the outer surface of the rice ball W, thereby making it possible to hold the article.

Further, the first transfer section 3 can be modified in various ways, such as being provided with a holding mechanism 9 like the second transfer section 4, as long as the rice balls W can be transferred to the receiving section 6.

In addition, as the third transfer section 8, the receiving section 6 and the delivery section 7 were used as belt conveyors, but as long as the rice balls W can be transferred from the receiving section 6 to the delivery section 7, changes such as a configuration using rollers etc. You may.

Further, the area in which the temporary placement section 2 is arranged is not limited to the illustrated configuration example, and various changes can be made. For example, a belt conveyor constituting a receiving section may be added along the rear end of the product number T1, and the rice balls W aligned left and right may be transferred from the product number T1 to the receiving section. In this case, by making it possible to transfer the rice balls W from the added receiving section to the receiving section 6 along the right edge of the product number T1, the rice balls W can be transferred from the receiving section 6 to the delivery section 7 in the same way as in the above embodiment. In addition, the number of rice balls W placed on the temporary placement section 2 can be increased.

Further, as shown in FIG. 20, a case has been described in which the rice balls W are transferred to the left on the transfer section 7 after being transferred by the second transfer section 4, but the present invention is not limited to this. If it is desired to place the rice ball W in the empty space created by the transfer, the rice ball W on the left side of the empty space may be controlled to move to the right.

Further, the moving direction of the second transfer section 4 is not limited to the linear direction, which is the front-rear direction, and may be changed. For example, the trajectory for moving the second transfer unit 4 may be in a direction along an arc when viewed from above, and in this case, the weights T1 and T2 are not arranged one behind the other in the same direction, for example, as shown in FIG. With respect to the position, the position of the shipping number T2 may be shifted to the left or right, or the direction may be changed. Furthermore, the second transfer unit 4 may be moved in the left-right direction.

1 Transport device 2 Temporary placement section 3 First transfer section 4 Second transfer section 6 Receiving section 7 Delivery section 8 Third transfer section T1 Product number (first container)
T2 Shipping number (second container)
W Onigiri (goods)

Claims (3)

A conveyance device that conveys a part of a plurality of articles contained in a first container to a second container,
A plurality of articles are housed in the first container in rows in a matrix along a thickness direction and a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction,
a temporary placement section on which the articles housed in the first container are temporarily placed;
a first transfer section capable of transferring articles from the first container to the temporary holding section;
a second transfer section capable of transferring the article from the temporary holding section to the second container;
The temporary placement section includes a receiving section on which the article transferred from the first container by the first transfer section is placed;
a delivery section on which articles to be transferred to the second container by the second transfer section are placed;
a third transfer section capable of transferring the article from the receiving section to the delivery section;
The first transfer section is provided so as to be able to transfer the articles to the receiving section in a state in which they are lined up in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction in the first container,
The third transfer section is capable of transferring the article in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction during at least a part of the process of conveying the article from the receiving section to the delivery section, and is configured to transfer the article onto the transfer section. Can be aligned in the thickness direction ,
The receiving section is installed at a position along one end of the first container in the thickness direction, and the delivery section is installed at a position along one end of the first container in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction. A conveying device characterized by: The conveyance device according to claim 1, wherein the second transfer section is capable of holding and transferring a plurality of articles lined up in the thickness direction at the transfer section. A transport method for transporting some of the plurality of articles stored in the first container to the second container using the transport device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:
After transferring the articles in the first container in a row in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction to the receiving section of the temporary mounting section, the articles are transferred from the receiving section to the receiving section of the temporary mounting section. Transferring the articles to a transfer section in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction , arranging the articles on the transfer section in the thickness direction , and then transferring the articles from the transfer section to the second container. A transportation method characterized by:

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