JP7409078B2 - Conveyance device - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a conveyance device, and particularly to a conveyance device that conveys articles while storing them in containers.

2. Description of the Related Art A conveying apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, has been proposed as an apparatus for transferring an article contained in a predetermined container, storing it in another container, and conveying the other container. The conveyance device of Patent Document 1 includes a lifter that lifts a supply container containing articles, and a conveyor that conveys the discharge container.

Further, the conveyance device of Patent Document 1 includes a transfer means between the lifter and the conveyor. The transfer means includes a conveyor provided between the lifter and the conveyor, a suction means provided on the lifter side of the conveyor to adsorb the articles in the supply container, and a suction means provided on the conveyor side of the conveyor to adsorb the articles on the conveyor. It is equipped with suction means for suctioning articles. In such a conveyance device, the latter suction means of the conveyance means attracts and holds the articles on the conveyor. Then, the suction-held article is moved to above the carry-out container on the transport conveyor, and then the latter suction means and the article are lowered to store the article in the carry-out container.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-181869

As in Patent Document 1, in a container for carrying out which accommodates a plurality of articles side by side on the bottom, the container is large depending on the planar size of the articles, and may be molded from a resin material. In addition to being prone to molding errors, such shipping containers also tend to deform from the specified size due to repeated washing and drying steps for reuse or exposure to direct sunlight. For this reason, even if the carrying out container is positioned by moving and stopping on the carrying out conveyor, it is difficult to maintain the positioning with high accuracy. As a result, when transferring and storing items, the items may come into contact with the side walls of the shipping container, resulting in transfer defects such as items that cannot be stored, items that are stored at an angle, or items that are damaged during transportation. The problem is that it becomes easier.

The present invention has been made in view of this point, and one of its objects is to provide a conveyance device that can stably and efficiently transfer articles to a carry-out container.

A conveyance device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a conveyance path for conveying a carry-out container molded from a resin material and containing a plurality of articles lined up on the bottom thereof, and an article from outside into the carry-out container conveyed on the conveyance path. a transfer unit that transfers and accommodates the article, the transfer path includes a positioning unit that positions the carry-out container at a position where the transfer unit transfers the article, and the positioning unit , a transport direction positioning part that positions the carrying out container in the transport direction in which the transport path extends, and a width direction positioning part that positions the transport container in the width direction of the transport path, the width direction positioning part , a width direction reference part provided on one side in the width direction of the transport path and in contact with the carrying out container, and a pressing part pressing the carrying out container against the width direction reference part, the carrying direction positioning part , a stopper that is displaced between a position in contact with and a non-contact position with the front end side of the carrying direction of the carrying out container; and a stopper rotating in a direction to press the rear end side of the carrying direction of the carrying out container forward in the carrying direction. The invention is characterized in that it is equipped with a rotating body that can be rotated .

According to the present invention, while positioning the carrying-out container in the carrying direction by the carrying-direction positioning part, positioning in the width direction can be performed by pressing the carrying-out container against the width-direction reference part by the pressing part of the width-direction positioning part. . In addition, by providing a pressing part that can be moved in the width direction of the conveyance path, the distance from the width direction reference part can be adjusted. The carrying out container can be stably transported between the reference part and the pressing part. Therefore, for example, even if shape errors or deformation are likely to occur due to the size of the unloading container or the molding of the resin material, the unloading container can be positioned in two directions, transport and width directions. positioning accuracy can be improved. As a result, it is possible to prevent transfer defects such as the article coming into contact with the side wall of the carry-out container while the article is being transferred by the transfer section, and it is possible to transfer the article so that it is stably and satisfactorily accommodated.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the basic configuration of a conveying device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a right side view of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a front view of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a left side view of FIG. 1 with the stepped part omitted. FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a plan view schematically showing a shipping counter conveyance section including a width direction positioning section. FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing a product number transport section including a product number positioning section. It is an explanatory view of the positioning procedure of the shipping number. FIG. 7 is a plan view similar to FIG. 6 illustrating a widthwise positioning section according to a modification.

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 component in the following embodiments is only an example, and can be changed to any orientation.

In the following, first, the basic configuration of the conveyance device of the embodiment will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, and then the characteristic configuration of the conveyance device will be explained. However, this does not preclude the basic configuration described below from becoming a characteristic configuration of the present invention. Note that in FIGS. 1 to 5, illustrations of the characteristic configuration of the transport device are omitted.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the basic configuration of a conveying device according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the conveyance device 1 includes a step-breaking section 2 into which product numbers T1 as original containers are carried in stacked in multiple stages, and product numbers T1 supplied from the step-breaking section 2 from right to left. It is equipped with a product number and weight conveyance section 3 that conveys the product number in the direction. Further, the conveying device 1 includes a shipping bar conveying unit 4 for transporting a shipping bar T2 serving as an unloading container from the rear to the front, a transfer unit 5 capable of holding and transferring the article W, and a transport unit 5 for detecting the article W. Detection unit 6 is provided.

Although not particularly limited, in the present embodiment, the article W to be transported is a container containing cooked food such as a boxed lunch or a side dish, and has flexibility that can be deformed by a user's grip or the like. shall be taken as a thing. An example of such a container is a thin resin molded product. In addition, in the product number T1 carried into the tier disassembly section 2, articles W are stored in two stacks at three positions, one on top of the other.

In this embodiment, the product number T1 and the shipping number T2 are formed in the same form, and are provided in a shape that includes a bottom wall (bottom portion) and a peripheral wall and has an open top. Further, in the present embodiment, in the conveying device 1, the product number weight T1 and the shipping number weight T2 are formed into a generally rectangular shape having a short side and a long side when viewed from above, and each of the product number weights T1 and T2 has a short side. The sides are arranged parallel to the front-rear direction, and the long sides are arranged parallel to the left-right direction. Each of the weights T1 and T2 is set to a size that can accommodate articles W lined up in multiple rows in the left-right and front-back directions on the bottom wall. It is said that

2 is a right side view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a front view of FIG. 1. The step-breaking section 2 is surrounded by a casing (not shown), and a loading door (not shown) is provided on the right side of the casing (on the near side in the paper of FIG. 2). As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in addition to FIG. 1, the step separating section 2 includes a rising separation mechanism 21 in which product number T1 is stacked in multiple stages, and a rising separation mechanism 21 disposed below the rising separation mechanism 21. The set trolley 22 and conveyor 23 are provided. The setting cart 22 runs on the floor (not shown), and the conveyor 23 is arranged at a position slightly above the floor. Heavy T1 is conveyed onto the conveyor 23. Note that a pusher (not shown) may be installed on the left side of the conveyor 23 to push the setting trolley 22 to the right side after the product number T1 has been transferred to the lifting separation mechanism 21.

The lifting separation mechanism 21 holds all the product numbers T1 stacked in multiple stages on the setting cart 22 and then places them on the conveyor 23. The ascending separation mechanism 21 is configured to be able to separate the product numbers T1 stacked on the conveyor 23 one by one from the lowest product number T1 and supply them to the product number conveyance unit 3. In addition, in each drawing, the rising separation mechanism 21 is illustrated in a simplified manner, and detailed illustrations and explanations of the configuration are omitted.

The product number conveyance unit 3 includes a product number conveyor (former container conveyance path) 31 on which the product number T1 is placed and extends in the left-right direction, and the product number conveyor 31 and the unstage section 2. and a lifter transport mechanism 32 provided between the two. The product number conveyor 31 is supported at a height position a predetermined distance from the floor by a casing or frame (not shown). The product number conveyor 31 is driven to convey the product number T1 in the right-to-left direction, which is the extending direction, and this direction is set as the transport direction of the product number conveyor 31.

The conveyance direction of the product number conveyor 31 is set parallel to the extending direction of the long side of the product number T1. In other words, the width (front-to-back width) of the product number conveyor 31 is formed to be slightly larger than the short side length of the product number T1, and the conveyance direction of the product number conveyor 31 and the extending direction of the long side of the product number T1 The product number T1 is placed and transported so that the product number T1 is aligned.

The right end side of the product number conveyor 31 is the sorting source position 31A. The sorting source position 31A is the position of the product number T1 with the code "31A" written in parentheses among the product numbers T1 illustrated in each drawing. The product number weight conveyor 31 is configured to stop driving when the product number T1 is conveyed to the sorting source position 31A, and to position the product number T1 at the sorting source position 31A by a product number positioning section 37, which will be described later. .

The lifter conveyance mechanism 32 includes a lifter conveyor 34 on which the product number T1 is placed, a cylinder 35 that raises and lowers the lifter conveyor 34, and a connecting body that connects the tip of the rod 35a in the cylinder 35 with the lifter conveyor 34. It is equipped with 36. The lifter conveyance mechanism 32 moves the lifter conveyor 34 up and down by driving the cylinder 35 . The upper limit position of the lifter conveyor 34 during such raising and lowering is the same height as the product number conveyor 31, and the lower limit position (indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIGS. be done. Therefore, the product number T1 can be conveyed to the left from the conveyor 23 of the step-breaking section 2 to the lifter conveyor 34 at the lower limit position. After such conveyance, the lifter conveyor 34 and the product number weight T1 are raised to the upper limit position, and the product number weight T1 can be conveyed leftward from the lifter conveyor 34 to the product number conveyor 31.

Note that the product number T1 conveyed to the left end side, which is the downstream side of the product number conveyor 31, is collected by a collection mechanism or an operator (not shown).

FIG. 4 is a left side view of FIG. 1 with the stepped portion omitted. In addition to FIGS. 1 and 2, as shown in FIG. 4, the shipping number conveyor 4 has a shipping number conveyor (conveyance path) on which a shipping number T2 is placed and which extends in a predetermined direction. ) 41. In this embodiment, the shipping guard conveyor 41 has a structure divided into three parts in the extending direction. In addition, the shipping number conveyor 41 is located at a height a predetermined distance from the floor by a housing or frame (not shown), and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 in addition to FIG. It is arranged below the conveyor 31. In other words, the product number conveyor 31 is three-dimensionally arranged above the shipping number conveyor 41.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of FIG. 1. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the shipping weight conveyor 41 is driven to convey the shipping weight T2 in the extending direction from the back to the front. Set in the transport direction. Further, the extending direction and conveying direction of the shipping number conveyor 41 and the extending direction and conveying direction of the product number conveyor 31 are arranged to be different from each other so as to intersect with each other in substantially orthogonal directions when viewed from above. Moreover, since the product number conveyor 31 and the shipping number conveyor 41 are three-dimensionally arranged at different heights, they are arranged at positions where they intersect three-dimensionally.

The conveyance direction of the shipping bar conveyor 41 is set parallel to the direction in which the short side of the shipping bar T2 extends. In other words, the width (left and right width) of the shipping bar conveyor 41 is formed to be slightly different from the long side length of the shipping bar T2, and the width (left and right width) of the shipping bar conveyor 41 is formed to be slightly different from the long side length of the shipping bar T2. The shipping number T2 is placed and transported so that the extending directions of the sides are aligned. The product number T1 conveyed by the product number conveyor 31 and the shipping number T2 conveyed by the shipping number conveyor 41 are the same when viewed from above (see FIG. 5).

Here, the above-mentioned sorting source position 31A of the product number conveyor 31 is a position where the product number conveyor 31 intersects with the shipping number conveyor 41. In addition, in the shipping control conveyor 41, a position adjacent to the front of the sorting source position 31A in the conveying direction is a sorting destination position 41A, and a position adjacent to the sorting destination position 41A at a predetermined distance rearward in the conveying direction. is set as a standby position 41B (see FIGS. 1 and 4). Of the shipping number T2 shown in each drawing, the sorting destination position 41A is the shipping number T2 position with the code "41A" written in parentheses, and the waiting position 41B is the position of the shipping number T2 with the code "41B" written in parentheses. This is the position of shipping number T2. The shipping weight conveyor 41 stops driving when the shipping weight T2 is conveyed to the sorting destination position 41A, and also moves the shipping weight T2 to the sorting destination position 41A by a width direction positioning section 42 and a conveying direction positioning section 43, which will be described later. Provided to be positionable.

In addition, at the front end side which is the upstream side of the shipping barge conveyor 41, the shipping barge T2 is supplied by a supply mechanism or an operator (not shown), and at the rear end side which is the downstream side, the shipping barge T2 is supplied by a collecting mechanism or a worker (not shown). The shipping number T2 is collected by. Further, the shipping guard conveyor 41 may be extended in the conveying direction, and another conveying device 1 may be provided in parallel.

In this embodiment, two transfer units 5 are provided, and although not shown, they are supported by a base installed on the floor. The two transfer units 5 are disposed on both the left and right sides of the sorting destination position 41A on the shipping number conveyor 41 and near the front of the product number conveyor 31. Therefore, the two transfer units 5 are arranged at positions close to both the sorting destination position 41A and the sorting source position 31A.

The transfer section 5 includes a holding section 51 that holds the article W from above, and a moving mechanism 52 that moves the holding section 51 in three orthogonal axes directions and in a rotational direction. The holding section 51 can adopt various configurations as long as it can hold the article W, and examples thereof include a mechanism that sucks the upper surface of the article W, a mechanism that grips the article W by sandwiching it, and the like. The moving mechanism 52 is composed of a six-axis articulated robot having an arm connected to a plurality of links, but may also be a mechanism combining a cylinder, a direct-acting motor, a linear motor, a feed screw structure, etc.

The transfer section 5 is provided to be able to transfer the article W by holding the article W in the holding section 51 and then driving the moving mechanism 52 . Specifically, from the product number T1, which is transported by the product number conveyor 31 and located at the sorting source position 31A, to the shipping number T2, which is transported by the shipping number conveyor 41 and located at the sorting destination position 41A. The article W can be transferred and stored (see thick line arrow in FIG. 4). Here, the product number T1 is assumed to be external when viewed from the shipping number T2. Therefore, the transfer unit 5 can transfer the articles W at the position where the product number conveyor 31 and the shipping number conveyor 41 three-dimensionally intersect (the sorting source position 31A) and around it (the sorting destination position 41A). can.

The detection unit 6 includes a housing state detection unit 61 and a holding state detection unit 62, each of which is configured by an imaging means such as a camera. The accommodation state detection unit 61 is supported above the sorting source position 31A by a casing or a frame (not shown). The accommodation state detection unit 61 images the article W accommodated in the product number T1 of the sorting source position 31A, and outputs image data for acquiring the number of articles W accommodated and the accommodation position.

The holding state detection unit 62 is also supported by an unillustrated casing or frame. The holding state detection unit 62 is arranged between the sorting source position 31A and the sorting destination position 41A in the front-back direction (see FIG. 5), and is also arranged between the sorting source position 31A and the sorting destination position 41A in the vertical direction. (see Figure 4). The holding state detection unit 62 images the articles W passing between the sorting source position 31A and the sorting destination position 41A during transfer by the transfer unit 5 from below, and acquires the orientation and posture of the articles W. Output imaging data.

Next, the characteristic configuration of the conveyance device according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 is a plan view schematically illustrating a shipping counter conveyance section including a width direction positioning section. Although not shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, as shown in FIG. 6, the shipping bar conveyor 4 includes a widthwise positioning part 42 provided above the shipping bar conveyor 41. As shown in FIG. In the shipping bar conveyor 4, the width direction is a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction (front-back direction), which is the extending direction of the shipping bar conveyor 41, when viewed from above, and the width direction is the same direction as the left-right direction. It is said that

The width direction positioning section 42 is provided so as to be able to position the shipping weight T2 being transported in the left-right direction at the sorting destination position 41A on the shipping weight conveyor 41. The width direction positioning section 42 includes a width direction reference section 42a provided on the right side (one side in the width direction) of the sorting destination position 41A, and a width direction reference section 42a provided on the left side (the other side in the width direction) of the sorting destination position 41A. It includes a pressing portion 42b and a guide portion 42c that are provided to face each other.

The width direction reference portion 42a is provided at a position where it can come into contact with the right side outer peripheral surface at the shipping number T2 of the sorting destination position 41A. The width direction reference portion 42a includes a straight portion 42a1 extending parallel to the front-rear direction, and a diagonal portion 42a2 that is connected to the rear end of the straight portion 42a1 and tilts toward the rear and to the right. The width direction reference portion 42a comes into contact with the right outer circumferential surface of the shipping number T2 at the sorting destination position 41A, so that the horizontal position of the shipping number T2 coincides with the horizontal position at the reference position. Here, the "reference position" is the position where the shipping counter T2 should be placed in order to normally and consistently hold and transfer the article W when the transfer unit 5 transfers the article W to the shipping counter T2. shall be.

The pressing portion 42b includes a cylinder 42b1 and a pressing body 42b2 provided at the tip of the rod of the cylinder 42b1. The pressing part 42b is provided so that the pressing body 42b2 can be moved in the left-right direction by driving the cylinder 42b1, and by this movement, the shipping number T2 at the sorting destination position 41A can be pressed against the width direction reference part 42a.

Here, the width direction positioning part 42 includes a movement amount detection part 42d that detects the movement amount in the left and right direction of the pressing body 42b2 in the pressing part 42b. The operation amount detection section 42d may be, for example, a sensor that detects the amount of movement of the rod of the cylinder 42b1, or a sensor that measures the separation distance from the pressing section 42b.

The guide portion 42c is provided in a shape that is horizontally inverted from the width direction reference portion 42a. Further, the guide portion 42c is arranged such that the width of separation in the left-right direction from the width direction reference portion 42a is larger than the left-right dimension of the shipping number T2 by a predetermined percentage. As a result, even if a deformation or a dimensional error occurs in the shipping number T2, the shipping number T2 conveyed on the shipping number conveyor 41 can be adjusted to the sorting destination position 41A between the guide portion 42c and the width direction reference portion 42a. It can be arranged to fit within. At this time, the slanted portion 42a2 of the width direction reference portion 42a and the rear end side of the guide portion 42c correct the left and right position of the shipping weight T2 conveyed by the shipping weight conveyor 41 so that the shipping weight T2 is accommodated in the sorting destination position 41A. We can guide you as follows.

In FIG. 6, the guide portion 42c is illustrated to intersect with the rod of the cylinder 42b1, but these are provided in a positional relationship that makes them non-contact. Specifically, the rod of the cylinder 42b1 is arranged so as to be vertically spaced apart from the guide portion 42c or to pass through a hole (not shown) formed in the guide portion 42c.

The shipping bar conveyance section 4 further includes conveyance direction positioning sections 43 above the shipping bar conveyor 41 and on both sides of the width direction positioning section 42 . The transport direction positioning section 43 is provided so as to be able to position the shipping weight T2 to be transported to the sorting destination position 41A on the shipping weight conveyor 41 in the front-back direction.

The conveyance direction positioning section 43 includes a stopper 43a provided in front of the sorting destination position 41A, and a rotating body 43b provided behind the sorting destination position 41A.

The stoppers 43a are provided at two locations on the left and right sides of the shipping guard conveyor 41. The stopper 43a is constituted by a strip having one end as its center of rotation, and extends in the direction of the arrow in FIG. It is provided so that it can be rotated. Specifically, due to rotational displacement, the stopper 43a contacts the front end side of the shipping number T2 at the sorting destination position 41A when disposed along the left-right direction, and when disposed along the front-back direction (Fig. 8F), and is arranged so as not to come into contact with the shipping number T2 at the sorting destination position 41A. When the stopper 43a comes into contact with the front end side of the shipping bar T2, forward movement (transportation) of the shipping bar T2 from the sorting destination position 41A is restricted.

The rotary body 43b is also provided in two places on the left and right sides of the shipping counter conveyor 41, and is constituted by a piece-like body with one end as the center of rotation. Further, the rotating body 43b is provided so as to be rotatably displaceable in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 6 between a position where it contacts the rear end side of the shipping number T2 of the sorting destination position 41A and a position where it does not come into contact. The rotating body 43b rotates in a direction to press forward the rear end side of the shipping number T2 at the sorting destination position 41A, while rotating in the opposite direction so as to come out of contact with the shipping number T2 at the sorting destination position 41A. will be placed in Therefore, by restricting the forward movement of the shipping weight T2 with the stopper 43a and pressing the shipping weight T2 forward with the rotating body 43b, the shipping weight T2 can be sandwiched from the front and rear directions and positioned in the transport direction. I can do it.

The conveyance direction positioning section 43 includes an angle detection section 43c that detects the rotation angle of the rotating body 43b. When the rotating body 43b is rotated by a rotary cylinder, the angle detection unit 43c may be configured to detect the rotation angle using the output thereof, or may be a sensor that measures the rotation angle around the rotation axis of the rotating body 43b. I can give an example.

Here, the width direction positioning section 42 and the conveyance direction positioning section 43 constitute a positioning section, and the positioning section is located at the sorting destination position 41A of the shipping control conveyor 41 while the article W is being transferred in the transfer section 5. Position the shipping number T2.

Further, the shipping weight conveying unit 4 further includes a standby position positioning unit 44 that positions the shipping weight T2 to be transported at a standby position 41B on the shipping weight conveyor 41. The standby position positioning part 44 includes a standby position stopper 44a provided in front of the standby position 41B, and standby position guide parts 44b provided on both left and right sides of the standby position 41B.

The standby position stopper 44a has the same configuration as the above-described stopper 43a, except that the installation position is different, so a description thereof will be omitted here.

The standby position guide part 44b has the same configuration as the width direction reference part 42a and the guide part 42c described above, and can be arranged on both left and right sides of the standby position 41B. However, in this embodiment, the right side standby position guide part 44b is aligned with the width direction reference part 42a in the left-right direction, while the left side standby position guide part 44b is arranged slightly to the right of the guide part 42c. has been done. As a result, at the standby position 41B in the standby position positioning section 44, after reducing the allowable shift amount in the left and right direction in the shipping number T2, between the width direction reference section 42a and the guide section 42c at the sorting destination position 41A. Shipping weight T2 can be stably transported.

FIG. 7 is a plan view schematically showing a product number transport section including a product number positioning section. Although not shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, as shown in FIG. We are prepared. The product number weight positioning section 37 is provided to be able to position the product number T1 to be transported at the sorting source position 31A on the product number conveyor 31. The product number weight positioning section 37 has a similar structure to the above-described transport direction positioning section 43 and width direction positioning section 42 in which the pressing section 42b is omitted, and each structure of the product number weight positioning section 37 is will be explained below.

The product number weight positioning section 37 includes a pair of guide sections 37a provided on both front and rear sides of the sorting source position 31A, and a stopper 37b provided on the left side of the sorting source position 31A (front side in the conveying direction on the product numbering conveyor 31). and a rotating body 37c provided on the right side of the sorting source position 31A (on the rear side in the conveying direction of the product number conveyor 31).

Each guide portion 37a is formed in the same shape as the width direction reference portion 42a and the guide portion 42c, extends in the left-right direction, and has a separation width in the front-back direction that is slightly larger than the front-back dimension of the product number T1. It is arranged like this. Further, each guide portion 37a is provided in such a shape that a partial region on the right end side is inclined in a direction toward the right and away from each other.

The stopper 37b and the rotating body 37c have the same structure as the stopper 43a and the rotating body 43b of the conveyance direction positioning section 43, and are configured so that their respective positions and directions can be changed. The stopper 37b is provided at two locations, front and back of the product number conveyor 31, and rotates in the direction of the arrow in FIG. It is displaceably provided. When the stopper 37b comes into contact with the left end side of the product number T1, movement (transportation) of the product number T1 from the sorting source position 31A to the left is restricted.

The rotary body 37c is also provided at two locations before and after the product number conveyor 31, and is arranged in the direction of the arrow in FIG. It is provided so that it can be rotated. The rotary body 37c rotates in a direction that presses the right end side of the product number T1 at the sorting source position 31A to the left, while rotating in the opposite direction to come out of contact with the product number T1 at the sorting source position 31A. It is arranged like this. Therefore, by pressing the product number T1 leftward with the rotating body 37c while restricting the leftward movement of the product number T1 with the stopper 37b, the product number weight T1 is sandwiched from left and right and positioned in the transport direction. can do.

Further, the product number weight conveying section 3 further includes a lifter positioning section 38 that positions the product number T1 on the lifter conveyor 34. The lifter positioning section 38 includes a lifter stopper 38a provided on the front side of the lifter conveyor 34, and lifter guide sections 38b provided on both front and rear sides of the lifter conveyor 34.

The lifter stopper 38a has the same configuration as the above-described stopper 37b, except that the installation position is different. The lifter guide section 38b has the same configuration as the guide section 37a described above, and can be arranged on both the front and rear sides of the lifter conveyor 34.

Each structure explained using FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 is arranged at the illustrated position via a support member (not shown) constituted by a frame, a bracket, or the like.

Next, the operation of the transport device 1 of this embodiment will be explained. First, as shown in FIG. 3, in the step disassembly section 2, the lifting separation mechanism 21 separates the product number T1 from the lowest step one step at a time and conveys the product number T1 to the lifter conveyor 34. During this conveyance, as shown in FIG. 7, the product number T1 is arranged between the lifter guide parts 38b of the lifter positioning part 38, and the leftward movement of the product number T1 is restricted by the lifter stopper 38a. do.

Next, the lifter conveyor 34 and the product number T1 are raised to the height position of the product number conveyor 31 by the lifter conveyance mechanism 32 (see FIG. 3) of the product number conveyor 3. Thereafter, the lifter stopper 38a is rotationally displaced to be parallel to the left-right direction, and after the lifter stopper 38a is retracted from the left side of the product number T1, the lifter conveyor 34 and the product number conveyor 31 are driven to place the product number Transport T1 to the sorting source position 31A. At this time, the rotating body 37c is oriented parallel to the left-right direction and retreated from the passage area of the product number T1, allowing the product number T1 to be conveyed.

After the product number T1 is conveyed to the sorting source position 31A, the product number T1 is positioned by the product number positioning section 37. In the product number weight positioning section 37, the product number T1 is arranged between the guide parts 37a, and the leftward movement of the product number T1 is restricted by the stopper 37b. Thereafter, the rotating body 37c is rotationally displaced to press the right end side of the product number T1 to the left, and the product number T1 is sandwiched between the rotating body 37c and the stopper 37b from the left and right directions. By this pinching, the product number T1 can be positioned in the transport direction.

On the other hand, in the shipping weight conveyor 4, the shipping weight conveyor 41 supplies the shipping weight T2, and as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8A, the shipping weight T2 transported to the standby position 41B is transferred to the standby position. The positioning section 44 performs positioning. In the standby position positioning part 44, the shipping weight T2 is arranged between the waiting position guide parts 44b, and the forward movement of the shipping weight T2 is restricted by the standby position stopper 44a. Thereby, before being conveyed to the sorting destination position 41A, it is possible to roughly align the position in the left and right direction at the shipping number T2 and put it in a standby state.

After positioning the shipping number T2 with the standby position positioning part 44, as shown in FIG. 8B, the standby position stopper 44a is rotated at a predetermined timing to face parallel to the front-rear direction, and the shipping number T2 is set to the shipping number. It is transported to the sorting destination position 41A on the heavy conveyor 41. At this time, the rotating body 43b of the conveyance direction positioning section 43 is oriented parallel to the front-rear direction, and the pressing body 42b2 of the pressing section 42b in the width direction positioning section 42 is arranged at a position that does not protrude from the guide section 42c. Therefore, the rotating body 43b and the pressing body 42b2 are retreated from the passage area of the shipping number T2, and transportation of the shipping number T2 from the standby position 41B to the sorting destination position 41A is permitted.

As shown in FIG. 8C, when the shipping number T2 is conveyed to the sorting destination position 41A, the shipping number T2 is placed between the width direction reference part 42a and the guide part 42c of the width direction positioning part 42, and is placed on the stopper 43a. to restrict the forward movement of the shipping number T2. Next, the pressing body 42b2 is moved to the right by driving the cylinder 42b1 of the pressing part 42b, and as shown in FIG. 8D, the shipping number T2 at the sorting destination position 41A is pressed against the width direction reference part 42a. As a result, while the right outer peripheral surface of the shipping weight T2 is brought into contact with the orthogonal part 42a1 of the width direction reference part 42a, the shipping weight T2 is sandwiched from the left and right between the pressing body 42b2 and the width direction reference part 42a, and the right side outer peripheral surface of the shipping weight T2 is held in the left and right direction ( Positioning can be performed in the width direction). Through this contact and positioning, the shipping number T2 can be set at the standard position in the left and right direction at the sorting destination position 41A.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 8E, the rotating body 43b is rotationally displaced to press the rear end side of the shipping weight T2 in the front direction, and the shipping weight T2 is sandwiched between the rotating body 43b and the stopper 43a from the front and rear directions. By this pinching, it is possible to position the shipping number T2 at the reference position in the front and back direction at the sorting destination position 41A, and in addition to positioning the reference position in the left and right direction in the width direction positioning section 42, it is possible to position the shipping number T2 in two orthogonal (intersecting) directions. The shipping number T2 can be positioned from.

Although each diagram in FIG. 8 has been described focusing on the transportation of one shipping guard T2, in the shipping guard conveying unit 4, as shown in FIG. be done. Therefore, the positioning and transportation of the shipping number T2 at the sorting destination position 41A and the positioning and transportation of the shipping number T2 at the standby position 41B are performed simultaneously.

After positioning the product number T1 and the shipping number T2 in this way, as shown in FIG. 1, the article W at the product number T1 is imaged by the accommodation state detection unit 61 at the sorting source position 31A. According to the imaging result, the moving mechanism 52 of the transfer section 5 is driven, and the holding section 51 holds the articles W within the product number T1 at the sorting source position 31A. After this holding, as shown by the thick line arrow in FIG. 4, the moving mechanism 52 is driven to move the article W held in the holding part 51 to the shipping number T2 at the sorting destination position 41A and store it therein. During this transfer, the article W being transferred is imaged from below by the holding state detection unit 62, and the direction and posture of the article W being held is corrected by controlling the driving of the moving mechanism 52 according to the image capturing result. Ru. As a result, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of defective transfer or accommodation of the articles W to the shipping number T2.

The transfer of the articles W to the shipping number T2 is repeated until the number of articles W to be accommodated reaches a predetermined required number. When the image pickup result of the accommodation state detection unit 61 shows that the article W with the product number weight T1 is gone and becomes empty, the product number conveyor 31 releases the positioning of the product number T1 at the sorting source position 31A and carries it out. A new product number T1 is conveyed to the sorting source position 31A and positioned. Furthermore, when the requested number of articles W is transferred to the shipping number T2 at the sorting destination position 41A, the positioning of the shipping number T2 at the sorting destination position 41A is released, and a new empty item waiting at the waiting position 41B is transported. The shipping number T2 is transported to the sorting destination position 41A and positioned.

Here, as mentioned above, each weight T1 and T2 is an injection molded product made of resin material, and is subject to molding errors during injection molding, deformation due to repeated expansion and contraction due to heat cycle during hot water washing, and exposure to direct sunlight outdoors. There is a possibility that deformation etc. may occur due to this. For this reason, each weight T1 and T2 will have variations in external dimensions.

On the other hand, the conventional configuration for positioning the shipping weight T2 includes a pinching means for pinching the shipping weight T2 from the front and back direction, which is the conveying direction, and a guide part provided on both left and right sides of the shipping weight conveyor 41 and extending in the front and back direction. There is a configuration with

In such a conventional configuration, when a deformation occurs in which the shipping weight T2 becomes smaller, the shipping weight T2 can be conveyed and placed between the left and right guide parts. However, when the deformation of the shipping weight T2 becomes larger than the separation width of each guide part, the shipping weight T2 cannot be conveyed between each guide part due to contact between the guide part and the shipping weight T2.

In order to avoid such a situation, the separation width of each guide part is set in consideration of the maximum amount of deformation of the shipping weight T2, and the distance between each guide part is set regardless of the amount of deformation of the shipping weight T2. A configuration that allows transport is possible. However, in such a configuration, when the deformation of the shipping weight T2 becomes small, there is play between the shipping weight T2 and the guide portion in the left-right direction, and the positioning accuracy of the shipping weight T2 becomes low. For this reason, when transferring the article W to the shipping counter T2, the article W being transferred comes into contact with the upper end or inner surface of the side wall of the shipping counter T2, and the article W cannot be accommodated, or the article W may be stored at an angle. There is a problem in that the goods W may be damaged, resulting in defective transportation.

In contrast, according to the present embodiment, the shipping direction positioning section 43 can position the shipping number T2 in the front-rear direction, and the pressing body 42b2 can be operated to place the shipping number T2 on the width direction reference section 42a. It can also be pressed and positioned in the left and right directions. Therefore, when the deformation of the shipping weight T2 becomes small, the right outer peripheral surface of the shipping weight T2 can be brought into contact with the width direction reference portion 42a for positioning (see FIG. 8D). In addition, in order to cope with the case where the deformation of the shipping weight T2 increases, the width of the separation between the width direction reference part 42a and the guide part 42c is increased, and the pressing body 42b2 can be retracted to a position where it does not protrude from the guide part 42c. By adjusting the shipping number T2, it is possible to prevent the shipping number T2 from becoming untransportable. In this manner, in this embodiment, even if there are variations in the size of the deformation of the shipping number T2, it is possible to improve the positioning accuracy of the shipping number T2 at the reference position in the sorting destination position 41A. This makes it possible to prevent transport defects such as the article W coming into contact with the upper end or inner surface of the side wall of the shipping counter T2 during the transfer of storing the article W in the shipping counter T2, and to ensure that the article W is stored stably and well. It can be transported as shown.

Further, on the left side of the widthwise positioning section 42, a guide section 42c is provided in addition to the pressing section 42b. The guide portion 42c allows the shipping weight T2 to be smoothly guided to a position where it fits between the pressing portion 42b and the width direction reference portion 42a by being conveyed by the shipping weight conveyor 41.

Furthermore, in the transport direction positioning section 43, the stopper 43a and the rotary body 43b can be pinched from the front and back directions, so that the pressing position of the shipping weight T2 by the rotary body 43b can be changed in the front and rear directions by changing the rotation angle of the rotary body 43b. It can be changed. In other words, even if the external dimensions of the shipping weight T2 in the front-rear direction change, the rotating body 43b can push the shipping weight T2 forward, and it is possible to cope with the large and small deformation of the shipping weight T2.

Here, during positioning in the conveyance direction positioning section 43, it is possible to measure the external dimensions of the shipping number T2 in the front-rear direction based on the rotation angle of the rotating body 43b detected by the angle detection section 43c. Further, during positioning in the width direction positioning section 42, it is possible to measure the outer dimensions of the shipping number T2 in the left and right direction based on the amount of movement of the pressing body 42b2 detected by the movement amount detection section 42d. As a result, during the transfer of the article W in the transfer section 5, the driving of the moving mechanism 52 is controlled based on the external dimensions of the shipping number T2 measured together with the image pickup result of the holding state detection section 62 described above, and the direction of the article W is controlled. It is possible to correct the position, posture, and position. As a result, it is possible to better avoid the occurrence of defective transfer or accommodation of the articles W to the shipping number T2.

Furthermore, since the product number conveyor 31 and the shipping number conveyor 41 intersect three-dimensionally, the sorting source position 31A can be set at the intersection, and the sorting destination position 41A can be set next to the sorting source position 31A. can. Therefore, as seen from above, as shown in FIG. 5, the sorting source position 31A and the sorting destination position 41A can be brought close together, and the product number weight T1 and shipping number weight T2, which are the transfer destination and the transfer source of the article W, can be placed next to each other. . Thereby, it is possible to shorten the transfer distance of the article W by the transfer section 5 (see the bold line arrow in FIG. 4), and the transfer time per article W can be shortened. As a result, it is possible to improve the transfer efficiency, shorten the time for holding the article W in the transfer section 5, suppress acceleration of the article W during transfer, and stabilize the transfer. .

Furthermore, by preventing defective transfer of the article W to the shipping number T2 as described above, damage to the article W can be effectively prevented even if the article W has flexibility that is easily deformed by external force. I can do it.

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 the embodiment described above, the article W to be supported is a container for cooked food, but the article is not limited in any way as long as it can be transferred by the transfer section 5. For example, it may be other foods such as sandwiches, bread, or bento boxes, various electrical appliances, devices, or parts thereof, or items packed in boxes or trays other than bento containers. Furthermore, in the article W, the holding part 51 is not limited to the upper surface, but may be a side surface or an edge of the article W, an uneven portion formed from the bottom surface to the side surface, an inclined portion, a protruding portion, etc. .

Furthermore, although a case has been described in which the container weights T1 and T2 are used as the carry-out container and the original container, the present invention is not limited to this, and various containers can be used depending on the items to be accommodated. Moreover, the articles W accommodated in each of the weights T1 and T2 may be stacked vertically or may not be stacked.

Further, the maximum number of articles W held by the holding section 51 of the transfer section 5 may be changed to two or more.

Further, the product number conveyor 31 and the shipping number conveyor 41 are arranged in a vertical position opposite to the above embodiment, so that the product number conveyor 31 is disposed below the shipping number conveyor 41. You can. However, the above embodiment is advantageous in that the amount of upward movement of the article W can be smaller than the amount of downward movement of the article W when taking out the article W from the product number T1.

Further, the extending direction of the product numbering conveyor 31 and the shipping numbering conveyor 41 may be a curved direction, and the intersection angle when viewed from above may be changed to an angle other than 90°.

Further, the installation position of the transfer unit 5 is not limited to the floor surface, but may be placed on the ceiling or a housing (not shown), and the number of installation units of the transfer unit 5 is not limited to two, but may be one or three or more. Good too.

Further, the width direction positioning section 42 may be changed to a modified configuration shown in FIG. 9 . FIG. 9 is a plan view similar to FIG. 6 of a width direction positioning section according to a modification. In FIG. 9, the width direction positioning section 42 according to the modification has a configuration in which the guide section 42c of the above embodiment is provided at the tip of the rod of the cylinder 42b1. According to the configuration of the modified example, the pressing body 42b2 of the above embodiment can be omitted, and the configuration around the pressing portion 42b can be simplified.

Further, the orientation and the conveyance direction of the product number weight T1 and the shipping number T2 during transportation are not limited to those in the above embodiment, and the shipping number T2 is positioned as described above and the goods are transferred to the transfer section 5. Changes may be made as long as W can be transferred.

Furthermore, the structure for supplying the articles W is not limited to the product number transfer unit 3, and various configurations may be adopted as long as the articles W stored in the shipping number T2 can be sequentially transferred by the transfer unit 5. , the article W may be supplied by a conveyor or the like without using the product number T1.

1 Conveyance device 31 Product number conveyor (former container conveyance path)
41 Shipping control conveyor (conveyance path)
41A Sorting destination position 42 Width direction positioning section (positioning section)
42a Width direction reference part 42b Pressing part 42c Guide part 42d Operation amount detection part 43 Conveyance direction positioning part (positioning part)
43a Stopper 43b Rotating body 43c Angle detection section 5 Transfer section T1 Product number (original container)
T2 Shipping number (unloading container)
W Goods

Claims (6)

a conveyance path for conveying a carry-out container molded from a resin material and accommodating a plurality of articles lined up on the bottom;
A transfer device that transfers and stores articles from the outside into the delivery container that is transferred on the transfer path,
The conveyance path includes a positioning section that positions the carrying out container at a position where the transfer section transfers the article,
The positioning unit includes a transport direction positioning unit that positions the carrying out container in the transport direction in which the transport path extends, and a width direction positioning unit that positions the transport container in the width direction of the transport path,
The width direction positioning part is provided on one side of the conveyance path in the width direction, and includes a width direction reference part that comes into contact with the carrying out container, and a pressing part that presses the carrying out container against the width direction reference part ,
The conveyance direction positioning section includes a stopper that is displaced between a position in which it contacts the front end side of the conveyance direction of the carrying out container and a position in which it does not come into contact with the front end side in the conveyance direction;
A conveyance device comprising: a rotating body rotatable in a direction that presses a rear end side of the conveyance direction of the carry-out container forward in the conveyance direction . 1 . The widthwise positioning section includes a guide section that guides the carrying out container transported on the conveyance path to a position that fits between the widthwise reference section and the pressing section. The conveying device described in . 3. The conveyance device according to claim 2, wherein the pressing section includes the guide section, and moves the guide section in the width direction to press the carrying out container against the width direction reference section. 4. The conveyance device according to claim 1, wherein the conveyance direction positioning section includes an angle detection section that detects a rotation angle of the rotating body. 5. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the width direction positioning section includes a motion amount detection section that detects a motion amount of the pressing section in the width direction. Further comprising a former container conveyance path for conveying a former container containing articles to be transferred to the unloading container in the transfer section,
Claim 1 or 2, wherein the original container conveyance path extends in a direction different from the conveyance path and intersects three-dimensionally, and the transfer unit transfers the article at and around the intersecting position. The conveying device according to claim 5 .

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