JP7452111B2 - Conveyance device and conveyance system - 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 transfer means such as a suction means that transfers the article from a supply container in which the article is stored to a carry-out container, and a conveyor that conveys the carry-out container in which the article is housed by the transfer means. It is equipped with

Here, when there are multiple types of articles to be conveyed to the carrying-out container, it is conceivable to configure a conveyance system in which a conveyance device is installed for each of the articles.

For example, if there are three types of articles, article A, article B, and article C, three conveyance devices, conveyance device A, conveyance device B, and conveyance device C, are provided according to the three types of articles. A conveyance system that can be used is considered. Specifically, the transport device A stores only the article A, the transport device B stores only the article B, and the transport device C stores only the article C in a container for carrying out. In such a conveyance system, by arranging the conveyors of each of the conveyance devices A to C as a series of conveyors, it is possible to selectively store any of the articles A to C in the carrying out containers conveyed by the conveyors. It becomes possible to do so.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-181869

In the above-mentioned conveyance system, when conveyance device A, conveyance device B, and conveyance device C are installed in order in the conveyance direction, there are cases where the upstream conveyance device A and conveyance device B become full of articles in the containers for conveyance. In this case, the full container for carrying out is carried by the carrying apparatus B and the carrying apparatus C which are downstream from the carrying apparatus A and the carrying apparatus B, and the article cannot be transferred and stored during such carrying. In other words, there is a problem in that the operating rate of the conveyance device B and the conveyance device C installed on the downstream side in the conveyance direction in the conveyance system decreases.

The present invention has been made in view of this point, and provides a conveying device and a conveying device that can suppress a decrease in the operating rate of a conveying device on the downstream side in the conveying direction when a plurality of conveying devices are provided to constitute a conveying line. One of the purposes is to provide a system.

A conveyance device according to one aspect of the present invention is a conveyance device that transfers an article contained in a source container and stores it in a discharge container, and includes a discharge container conveying section that conveys the discharge container in a predetermined conveyance direction; a transfer unit capable of transferring the article from the original container to the output container transported by the transfer unit; a destination conveyance path, a sorting destination lifting section for raising and lowering the sorting destination conveyance path, an input position conveyance path for conveying the output containers to the sorting destination conveyance path, and a loading position conveyance section above the sorting destination conveyance path. The present invention is characterized by comprising a carry-out container moving section that moves the carry-out container placed on the road.

A conveyance system according to one aspect of the present invention is a conveyance system including a plurality of the above-mentioned conveyance devices, and is characterized in that the unloading container conveyance units in the plurality of conveyance devices are arranged in line on the same conveyance line. do.

According to the present invention, a plurality of carry-out containers can be stacked vertically in the carry-out container moving section. As a result, even if a transport line is formed by providing multiple transport devices, and the transport container on the upstream side becomes full of goods, the goods will not be stored on top of the full transport container. Empty shipping containers can be stacked. Since articles can be transferred to such stacked empty delivery containers by a conveying device on the downstream side, interruptions in the transfer of articles by the conveying device can be reduced, and a decrease in the operating rate can be suppressed.

Furthermore, the present invention allows a plurality of delivery containers containing a predetermined quantity and type of articles to be stacked and collected after passing through the conveyance system. Thereby, it is also possible to save labor and shorten the time in the downstream processes of the conveyance line, such as the delivery of unloading containers.

It is a top view of the conveyance device concerning an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a left side view of FIG. 1 with some components omitted. FIG. 2 is a right side view of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a left side view with a part of the configuration of the conveyance system according to the embodiment omitted. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of conveyance operation in a 1st conveyance device. It is an explanatory view of conveyance operation in a 1st conveyance device. It is an explanatory view of conveyance operation in a 1st conveyance device. It is an explanatory view of conveyance operation in a 1st conveyance device. It is an explanatory view of conveyance operation in a 1st conveyance device. It is an explanatory view of conveyance operation in a 1st conveyance device. It is an explanatory view of conveyance operation in a 1st conveyance device. It is an explanatory view of conveyance operation in a 1st conveyance device. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of conveyance operation in a 2nd conveyance device. It is an explanatory view of conveyance operation in a 2nd conveyance device. It is an explanatory view of conveyance operation in a 2nd conveyance device. It is an explanatory view of conveyance operation in a 2nd conveyance device.

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.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a conveying device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a left side view of FIG. 1 with some components omitted. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the conveyance device 1 includes a step-breaking section 2 into which the product number T1 as the original container is carried in stacked in multiple stages, and a step-breaking section 2 where the product number T1 supplied from the step-breaking section 2 is transported. It includes a product number conveyance section (unloading container conveyance section) 3 that conveys from right to left. The transport device 1 also includes a shipping container transport section 4 (former container transport section, see also FIG. 3) that transports a shipping container T2 serving as an unloading container from the rear to the front, and a shipping container transport section 4 (former container transport section, see also FIG. 3) that can hold and transport the article W. It includes a transfer section 5 and a detection section 6 for detecting the article W. Furthermore, the conveyance device 1 includes a shipping number supply section 7 on the left side of the product number number transportation section 3.

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. A plurality of articles W are accommodated in the product number T1 carried into the tiering section 2, and may be accommodated in multiple tiers stacked one above the other in the same location.

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 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.

FIG. 4 is a right side 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 of the paper in FIG. 4). As shown in FIG. 4 in addition to FIG. 2, the tier separating section 2 includes an ascending separation mechanism 21 in which product number T1 is stacked in multiple tiers, and a set disposed below the ascending separation mechanism 21. It is equipped with a trolley 22 and a conveyor 23. 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.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the product number transport section 3 includes a sorting source transport path 31 and a receiving position transport path 32, in which the product number T1 is disposed at the upper part. The sorting source conveyance path 31 and the receiving position conveying path 32 are provided side by side in the left-right direction, with the sorting source conveying path 31 being located on the right side and the receiving position conveying path 32 being located on the left side. The sorting source conveyance path 31 and the receiving position conveyance path 32 are constituted by a conveyor or the like that conveys the product number weight T1 in the left-right direction, and the direction from right to left is set as the conveyance direction in the product number weight conveyance section 3. . This conveyance direction is set parallel to the extending direction of the long side of the product number T1. In other words, the product number T1 is placed and transported so that the transport direction of the product number transport unit 3 and the direction in which the long sides of the product number T1 extend are aligned.

The sorting source conveyance path 31 and the receiving position conveyance path 32 stop driving when the product number T1 is conveyed (arranged), and clamp the product number T1 with clamps (not shown) to transfer the product number T1. Provided to be positionable. Further, the receiving position transport path 32 is configured to be able to transport the product number T1 also in a direction opposite to the transport direction of the product number transport unit 3, that is, in a direction from left to right.

The sorting source conveyance path 31 is supported at a height position a predetermined distance above an input position conveyance path 41, which will be described later, by a casing or a frame (not shown). The product number weight conveying section 3 further includes a receiving position elevating section 33 that raises and lowers the receiving position conveying path 32. The receiving position elevating section 33 is configured using, for example, leg members that are connected to each other so that the relative angle can be changed, and a drive mechanism (not shown) that drives the leg members. However, the receiving position elevating section 33 may be changed to any elevating mechanism as long as it is capable of elevating the receiving position transport path 32 and positioning it at a predetermined vertical position. The receiving position elevating unit 33 is provided so as to be able to move up and down the receiving position transport path 32 to a position at the same height as the sorting source transport path 31 and a position lower than the height position (described specifically later).

In the product number weight conveyance unit 3, the position of the product number T1 positioned on the sorting source conveyance path 31 is set as the sorting source position 31A. Specifically, 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.

As shown in FIG. 2, the shipping number supply section 7 provided on the left side of the receiving position conveyance path 32 is equipped with an ascending separation mechanism 71 and a conveyor having the same configuration as the ascending separation mechanism 21 and the conveyor 23 of the tier separating section 2. It is equipped with 73. The conveyor 73 of the shipping number supply unit 7 is provided at the same height as the sorting source conveyance path 31 and the receiving position conveyance path 32 in the state shown in FIG. Above the conveyor 73 in the shipping rack supply unit 7, a plurality of empty shipping racks T2 in which no articles W (see FIG. 1) are stored are arranged in a stacked manner. The ascending separation mechanism 71 separates the shipping number T2 stacked in multiple stages from the lowest shipping number T2 one by one and supplies it to the conveyor 73. It is configured to be able to supply. Note that the lifting separation mechanism 71 is also shown in a simplified manner in each drawing, and detailed illustrations and explanations of the configuration will be omitted.

The product number weight conveyance section 3 further includes a lifter conveyance mechanism 34 provided between the sorting source conveyance path 31 and the step separating section 2. The lifter conveyance mechanism 34 includes a lifter conveyor 36 on which the product number T1 is placed, a cylinder 37 that raises and lowers the lifter conveyor 36, and a connecting body that connects the tip of the rod 37a in the cylinder 37 and the lifter conveyor 36. It is equipped with 38. The lifter conveyance mechanism 34 moves the lifter conveyor 36 up and down by driving the cylinder 37 . The upper limit position of the lifter conveyor 36 during such raising and lowering is the same height as the sorting source conveyance path 31, and the lower limit position (indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2) is the same height as the conveyor 23 of the tier separating section 2. . Therefore, the product number weight T1 can be conveyed leftward from the conveyor 23 of the step-breaking section 2 to the lifter conveyor 36 at the lower limit position. After such conveyance, the lifter conveyor 36 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 36 to the sorting source conveyance path 31.

As shown in FIG. 3, the shipping number conveyance section 4 includes an input position conveyance path 41, a sort destination conveyance path 42, and a buffer position conveyance path 43 that are arranged in a straight line extending from the rear to the front. Each of the transport paths 41 to 43 is constituted by a conveyor or the like that transports the shipping number T2 in a direction from the rear to the front, and this direction is set as the transport direction in the shipping number transport section 4. Each of the conveyance paths 41 to 43 is provided so that the shipping weight T2 can be positioned by stopping the driving while the shipping weight T2 is being conveyed (arranged) and sandwiching the shipping weight T2 with clamps (not shown). .

In addition, the shipping number transport unit 4 includes a loading position lifting unit 44 that raises and lowers the loading position transport path 41, a sorting destination lifting unit 45 that lifts and lowers the sorting destination transport path 42, and a buffer position lifting unit 45 that lifts and lowers the buffer position transport path 43. It further includes an elevating section 46. The loading position elevating section 44, the sorting destination elevating section 45, and the buffer position elevating section 46 can also be configured in the same manner as the receiving position elevating section 33, and can also be configured to move up and down the conveyance paths 41 to 43 to be lifted and lowered, and to Any lifting mechanism can be used as long as it can be positioned vertically.

The input position conveyance path 41 conveys the shipping number T2 to the sorting destination conveyance path 42, and the sorting destination conveyance path 42 conveys the shipping number T2 to the buffer position conveyance path 43. Therefore, in the transport direction of the shipping number transport section 4, the loading position transport path 41 is provided upstream of the sorting destination transport path 42, and the buffer position transport path 43 is provided downstream of the sorting destination transport path 42. When transporting the shipping weight T2 by driving each of the transport paths 41 to 43 of the shipping weight transport unit 4, the height of the shipping weight T2 is increased by driving each of the lifting units 44 to 46 in the transport paths 41 to 43 through which the shipping weight T2 passes. The position is aligned.

The shipping stacking unit 4 is a shipping stacking unit (unloading container moving unit, unloading container stacking unit) 47 (FIGS. 1 and (not shown in 2). Although illustration and explanation of the specific configuration are omitted, the shipping number stacking section 47 includes a holding part that can hold the shipping number T2 by sandwiching it from the left and right directions, and a moving mechanism that moves the holding part in the front and back direction. An example of a configuration having the following can be exemplified. Therefore, the shipping number stacking unit 47 moves the shipping number T2 in the transport direction (forward direction) of the shipping number transporting unit 4, separately from driving the loading position transport path 41 and the sorting destination transport path 42. Can be done.

The shipping number stacking section 47 can stack the shipping number T2 vertically on the sorting destination conveyance path 42. Such stacking is performed by driving the sorting destination elevating section 45 with the shipping number T2 arranged on the sorting destination conveyance path 42 positioned in advance, so that the sorting destination conveyance path 42 moves from the loading position conveyance path 41 to the shipping number T2. Place it so that it is slightly lower than the height of. In this state, the shipping number stacking unit 47 holds the shipping number T2 placed on the input position transport path 41 and moves it onto the shipping number T2 placed on the sorting destination transport path 42. Thereafter, the sorting destination elevating section 45 is driven, and the lower part of the shipping bar T2 held by the shipping bar stacking section 47 is placed in contact with the upper part of the shipping bar T2 arranged on the sorting destination conveyance path 42. do. Then, by releasing the holding of the shipping number T2 by the shipping number stacking section 47, the stacking of the shipping number T2 on the sorting destination conveyance path 42 is completed.

The shipping number T2 moved and placed in the shipping number stacking section 47 and the shipping number T2 on which the shipping number T2 is placed may be a single number or may be stacked in multiple stages. For example, if one stage (one body) of shipping number T2 is arranged on the sorting destination transport path 42 and two stages of shipping number T2 are arranged on the input position transport path 41, the shipping number of the two stages is The weight T2 is held in the shipping number stacking section 47. Then, it is placed on the shipping number T2 arranged on the sorting destination conveyance path 42, and three stages of the shipping number T2 can be stacked on the sorting destination conveyance path 42.

In addition, in FIGS. 2 and 3, the number of stacks of shipping number T2 arranged is shown as one stage in the input position transport path 41, two stages in the sorting destination transport path 42, and three stages in the buffer position transport path 43. However, this is just one example. The number of stacks of the shipping number T2 on each conveyance path 41 to 43 is determined by stacking the goods W in the shipping number stacking section 47 based on the transportation plan of the article W, the transportation plan of the shipping number T2, etc. Ru. In this embodiment, the height position of input position transport path 41 in FIG. 3 is the upper limit position in each transport path 41 to 43, and the height position of buffer position transport path 43 is the lower limit position in each transport path 41 to 43. Become. Therefore, in each of the transport paths 41 to 43, the initial position before the transport of the article W and the transport of the shipping number T2 is set to the upper limit position.

The loading position conveyance path 41 is arranged below (directly below) the sorting source conveyance path 31 in the product number conveyance section 3 . In other words, the sorting source conveyance path 31 is arranged three-dimensionally above the shipping control conveyance section 4 . The extending direction and conveying direction of the shipping bag carrying unit 4 and the extending direction and conveying direction of the product bag carrying unit 3 are arranged to be different from each other so as to intersect with each other in a direction that is approximately orthogonal to each other when viewed from above. Moreover, since the product number carrying unit 3 and the shipping number carrying unit 4 are three-dimensionally arranged at different heights, they are arranged at positions that three-dimensionally intersect with each other.

The conveyance direction of the shipping block conveyor 4 is set parallel to the direction in which the short side of the shipping block T2 extends. In other words, the shipping weight T2 is placed and conveyed so that the transport direction of the shipping weight conveying section 4 and the direction in which the short side of the shipping weight T2 extends are aligned. The product number T1 transported by the product number transport unit 3 and the shipping number T2 transported by the shipping number transport unit 4 have the same orientation when viewed from above.

Here, the above-mentioned sorting source position 31A of the product number transport unit 3 is a position where the product number transport unit 3 intersects with the shipping number transport unit 4, and is above the loading position transport path 41. In addition, in the shipping bar transport unit 4, the position of the shipping bar T2 positioned on the sorting destination conveyance path 42 is the sorting destination position 42A, and the sorting destination position 42A is the front side in the conveying direction with respect to the sorting source position 31A. It will be located next to . The sorting destination position 42A is the position of the shipping number T2, which is indicated by the symbol "42A" in parentheses, among the shipping numbers T2 illustrated in each drawing.

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 left and right sides of the sorting destination position 42A in the shipping number transport unit 4, and in the vicinity of the front of the product number transport unit 3. Therefore, the two transfer units 5 are arranged at positions close to both the sorting destination position 42A 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 transported by the product number transport unit 3 and located at the sorting source position 31A, to the shipping number T1 transported by the shipping number transport unit 4 and located at the sorting destination position 42A. The article W can be transferred to T2 (see the thick arrow in FIG. 3). Therefore, the transfer section 5 transfers the articles W at the position where the product number transport section 3 and the shipping number transport section 4 three-dimensionally intersect (the sorting source position 31A) and around it (the sorting destination position 42A). be able to.

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 42A in the front-back direction (see FIG. 5), and is also arranged between the sorting source position 31A and the sorting destination position 42A in the vertical direction. (see Figure 4). The holding state detection unit 62 images the article W passing between the sorting source position 31A and the sorting destination position 42A during transfer by the transfer unit 5 from below, and acquires the held position and orientation of the article W. Outputs imaging data for

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the conveyance system according to the embodiment. In FIG. 5, illustration of some components such as the tier separating section 2 and the shipping weight supplying section 7 is omitted. As shown in FIG. 5, the transport system 100 includes three transport devices 1. The three conveyance devices 1 are arranged in a line in the front-rear direction, which is the conveyance direction of the shipping number T2, and here, from the rear to the front, the first conveyance device 1A, the second conveyance device 1B, and the 3 transport devices 1C are arranged in this order.

The shipping number transport units 4 of the three transport devices 1A to 1C are arranged side by side on the same transport line L. The direction from the rear to the front of the conveyance line L is an extension direction, which is the conveyance direction. Therefore, in the transport system 100, the shipping number T2 transported from the first transport device 1A is the same as the shipping number T2 transported through the second transport device 1B and the third transport device 1C, and the shipping number T2 transported from the second transport device 1B. The heavy T2 is transported through the third transport device 1C. Between the forward and backward adjacent conveying devices 1 on the conveying line L, the buffer position conveying path 43 of the upstream conveying device 1 and the input position conveying path 41 of the downstream conveying device 1 are connected. .

The transport system 100 includes a control device 110. The control device 110 is constituted by a computer or the like including a central processing unit (CPU) and storage devices such as RAM and ROM, and controls the entire transport system 100.

The control device 110 controls the steps in each of the conveying devices 1A to 1C, such as the step separating section 2, product number conveying section 3, shipping number conveying section 4, transfer section 5, Controls the driving of the shipping number supply unit 7. Under transport control by the control device 110, the articles W are transferred to the shipping number T2, stacked at the shipping number T2, and transported at the shipping number T2 according to the transport plan stored in the storage device. Further, the control device 110 controls to adjust the transfer operation of the article W in the transfer section 5 based on the detection result by the detection section 6.

Note that the control device 110 is not limited to a configuration in which one unit is provided in the transport system 100, and various modifications such as a configuration in which it is provided in each of the transport devices 1A to 1C are possible. Furthermore, in FIG. 5, lines connecting the control device 110 and each component that inputs and outputs signals and the like between the connection device 110 and the like are omitted.

Next, the transport operation in the first transport device 1A of this embodiment will be explained with reference to FIGS. 6 to 13. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of the transport operation in the first transport device. 7 to 13 are explanatory diagrams of the transport operation of the first transport device.

Note that the storage device of the control device 110 (see FIG. 5) stores in advance a transport plan prepared for each customer, and the drives and operations of each component are controlled based on the transport plan. The transport plan includes the number of articles W in the shipping number T2 to be carried out from the first transporting device 1A, their storage positions, and the number of stacks in the shipping number T2. Not only when the shipping number T2 is stacked vertically in multiple stacks in a state that allows unloading from the first conveying device 1A, but also when the shipping number T2 is not stacked but becomes one product (the number of stacks is 1) in some cases. In the following explanation, the shipping number T2 in a state that allows such unloading will be referred to as a "group" of the shipping number T2 regardless of the number of stacks, and the same applies to the second transport device 1B and the third transport device 1C. shall be. The group with the shipping number T2 is not multiple in the transport direction, but is single.

In the flowchart of FIG. 6, in step ST01, as shown in FIG. Transport and position the weight T2. In step ST02, the loading position conveyance path 41 is raised and lowered by driving the loading position elevating section 44, and the loading position conveyance path 41 is positioned at the upper limit position.

In step ST03, as shown in FIG. 8, the receiving position conveying path 32 is lowered by driving the receiving position elevating section 33, and the receiving position conveying path 32 is aligned and positioned at the height of the input position conveying path 41. do. In step ST04, the shipping number T2 placed on the receiving position transporting path 32 is transported (supplied) to the input position transporting path 41 by driving the receiving position transporting path 32. Then, the receiving position lifting section 33 is driven to raise the receiving position conveying path 32 and return it to the state shown in FIG. 7 in which the receiving position conveying path 32 is positioned at the height position of the sorting source conveying path 31.

In step ST05, the shipping number supply unit 7 cuts out an empty shipping number T2 onto the conveyor 73, and the shipping number T2 is put on standby.

In step ST06, as shown in FIG. 9, the shipping number T2 conveyed to the input position conveyance path 41 in step ST04 is conveyed by driving the input position conveyance path 41 and the sorting destination conveyance path 42, and The shipping number T2 is positioned on 42. In other words, the shipping number T2 is placed on standby at the sorting destination position 42A on the sorting destination conveyance path 42.

In step ST07, the product number T1 is conveyed to the sorting source conveyance path 31 during the operations of steps ST01 to ST06. As shown in FIG. 10, in this conveyance, first, in the stage disassembly section 2, the lifting separation mechanism 21 separates the product one by one starting from the lowest product number T1, and then the lifter conveyance mechanism of the product number conveyance section 3 34, the product number T1 is raised to the height position of the sorting source conveyance path 31. Thereafter, the product number T1 is transported to the sorting source position 31A by driving the sorting source conveyance path 31, and then placed in a positioned state. In other words, the product number T1 is placed on standby at the sorting source position 31A on the sorting source conveyance path 31.

In step ST08, the article W is transferred from the product number T1 to the shipping number T2 based on the transport plan. In this transfer, as shown in FIG. 3, 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 bold line arrow in FIG. 3, 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 42A and store it. During this transfer, the article W being transferred is imaged from below by the holding state detection unit 62, and the position and orientation of the article W being held is corrected by controlling the drive of the moving mechanism 52 according to the imaging 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.

In the operation of step ST08, as soon as the article W in the product number T1 is exhausted and becomes empty, the process proceeds to step ST09. Step ST09 is a diagram in which the empty product number T1 on the sorting source transport path 31 is transported by the driving of the sorting source transport path 31 and the receiving position transport path 32, and the empty product number T1 is positioned on the receiving position transport path 32. Set it to state 7. The empty product number T1 is used as the shipping number T2. In step ST09, at the same time as the operation of the product number T1, the operation of step ST07 is also performed, and the product number T1 is transported and positioned to the sorting source position 31A (sorting source conveyance path 31) (see FIG. 10).

Further, in the operation of step ST08, if the shipping number T2 is full of articles W or reaches the planned number of articles W according to the transport plan, the process proceeds to step ST10. In step ST10, as shown in FIG. 11, the sorting destination conveyance path 42 is lowered by driving the sorting destination lifting section 45. Then, the sort destination conveyance path 42 is positioned at a position lower than the input position conveyance path 41 according to the height of the shipping number T2.

At step ST10, at the same time as the destination conveyance path 42 descends, if there is no shipping number T2 on the receiving position conveyance path 32, an empty shipping number T2 waiting on the conveyor 73 of the shipping number supply section 7 is received. It is supplied onto the position transport path 32 and positioned (see FIG. 7). If the shipping number T2 is on the receiving position transport path 32, that positioning state is maintained. Thereafter, the operations of steps ST03 and ST04 are performed to transport the shipping number T2 to the loading position transport path 41.

In step ST11, as shown in FIG. 12, the empty shipping number T2 transported to the loading position transport path 41 in step ST10 is held by the shipping number stacking unit 47, and then shipped to the destination transport path 42. Move to top of Banju T2. Then, by releasing the holding of the shipping number T2 by the shipping number stacking unit 47, the shipping number T2 is stacked in two stages on the sorting destination transport path 42. In the state of FIG. 12, the highest shipping number T2 is placed at the same height as the shipping number T2 at the unstacked sorting destination position 42A (sorting destination conveyance path 42) in FIG.

In step ST12, it is determined whether the number of stacks of the shipping number T2 arranged on the sorting destination transport path 42 and the number of articles W to be transferred at all shipping numbers T2 have reached the transport plan. If the transport plan has not been reached (step ST12: No), the process returns to step ST08, and if the transport plan has been reached (step ST12: Yes), the group with shipping number T2 has been completed on the destination transport path 42. Then, the process proceeds to step ST13.

In step ST13, as shown in FIG. 13, the buffer position conveyance path 43 is raised and lowered by driving the buffer position elevating section 46, and the buffer position conveyance path 43 is brought into a state of being aligned with the height position of the destination conveyance path 42. . Thereafter, by driving the sorting destination conveying path 42 and the buffer position conveying path 43, the group with the shipping number T2 in the sorting destination conveying path 42 is conveyed onto the buffer position conveying path 43 and positioned.

Thereafter, in the sorting destination conveyance path 42 from which the group with the shipping number T2 was taken out, in order to complete the next group with the shipping number T2, the articles W are transferred to the shipping number T2 in the same manner as described above. Stacking is performed. In the meantime, the group with the shipping number T2 on the buffer position transport path 43 is transported to the input position transport path 41 of the second transport device 1B on the downstream side.

Next, the transport operation of the second transport device 1B adjacent to the downstream side of the first transport device 1A will be described with reference to FIG. 14. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the flow of the transport operation in the second transport device. In the flowchart of FIG. 14, in step ST21, as shown in FIG. 15, the heights of the loading position conveyance path 41 and the sorting destination conveyance path 42 in the second conveyance device 1B are adjusted. Specifically, the input position elevating section 44 and the sorting destination elevating section 45 are driven in the second transport device 1B to move up and down the respective transport paths 41 and 42. By this lifting and lowering, the respective transport paths 41 and 42 are aligned and positioned at the height position of the buffer position transport path 43 in the first transport device 1A. Here, a case will be described as an example in which a group with a shipping number T2 of two stages is transported from the buffer position transport path 43 in the first transport device 1A.

In step ST22, during the operation in step ST21, the same operation as in step ST01 is performed, and the shipping number T2 is conveyed and positioned onto the receiving position conveyance path 32 (see FIG. 7). A detailed explanation of the operation of step ST22 will be omitted.

In step ST23, during the operations in steps ST21 and ST22, the same operation as in step ST07 is performed to convey the product number T1 to the sorting source conveyance path 31 (see FIG. 10). A detailed explanation of the operation of step ST23 will be omitted.

In step ST24, during the operations of steps ST22 and ST23, as shown in FIG. 16, the shipping number T2 is conveyed onto the sorting destination conveyance path 42. Specifically, the buffer position conveyance path 43 of the first conveyance device 1A is driven, and the input position conveyance path 41 and the sorting destination conveyance path 42 are driven. By this drive, the group with the shipping number T2 to be carried out from the first conveyance device 1A is positioned on the sorting destination conveyance path 42 via the input position conveyance path 41.

In step ST25, the articles W are transferred and stacked to the shipping number T2 based on the conveyance plan by performing the same operations as in steps ST08 to ST13 above. Then, as shown in FIG. 17, the group with shipping number T2 is completed on the second transport device 1B, and is transported onto the buffer position transport path 43 and positioned. Here, a case is illustrated in which a group of three stages with a shipping number T2 is transported. A detailed explanation of the operation of step ST25 will be omitted.

The transport operation of the third transport device 1C adjacent to the downstream side of the second transport device 1B is also similar to that of the second transport device 1B. Note that the second transport device 1B and the third transport device 1C may have completed the transport plan for the entire transport system 100 in the group with shipping number T2 to be transported. In that case, the group with the shipping number T2 is simply transported to the downstream side in the transport direction by each shipping number transport section 4.

Next, the transport method of the transport system 100 according to the present embodiment will be described using a specific example of a transport plan. There are three types of articles A to C to be delivered to stores, and article A is transferred to a shipping counter using a first conveyor 1A, article B a second conveyor 1B, and article C a third conveyor 1C. It shall be. Furthermore, the maximum number of articles A to C that can be accommodated in each product number and shipping number is six, and the maximum number of stacks in a shipping number group is three.

Table 1 below is a list of the number of items A to C delivered to each store. For example, in order to deliver 8 items A, 16 items B, and 10 items C to store 1, it is necessary to store them in the shipping number. From the total number of items, the quantity of the shipping number and the number of groups of the shipping number can be determined as a transport plan, and are listed together in Table 1.

From the quantity of the shipping number and the number of groups of the shipping number, a plan for storing articles A to C in each shipping number can be created. The capacity plan for Store 1 is shown in Table 2 below.

According to the storage plan in Table 2, 6 articles A are stored in the first shipping number (1) in the first transport device 1A, and an empty shipping number (2) is placed on top of the shipping number (1). ) are stacked. In this state, the shipping block group of the first transport device 1A is completed with two articles A stored in the shipping block (2). This group of shipping numbers is transported to the second transport device 1B, and the highest shipping number (2) stores four articles A, and an empty shipping number (2) is placed above the shipping number (2). 3) Stack up.

In this state, with six articles A stored in the shipping rack (3), each of the three shipping racks, which is the maximum number of stacks, is full, and the transport system 100 including the second transport device 1B is The shipping number group is completed. The group with such shipping number is transported and passed through the third transport device 1C, and is supplied to the subsequent process of the transport system 100.

Thereafter, six articles B are stored in the shipping number (4) in the second transport device 1B, and the shipping number group of the second transport device 1B is completed. Such a group of shipping numbers is transported to the third conveying device 1C, and after stacking empty shipping numbers (5) on top of the shipping numbers (4), articles C are placed on the shipping numbers (5). Accommodates 6 pieces. Then, after further stacking an empty shipping rack (6) on top of the shipping rack (5), four articles C are stored in the shipping rack (6). As a result, a group of shipping numbers as the transport system 100 including the third transport device 1C is completed, and is supplied to the downstream process of the transport system 100.

In the above, groups of two shipping numbers were formed and supplied in order, but a transport plan may be adopted in which these groups are formed simultaneously. In other words, the storage and stacking of the article A in the shipping number (1) in the first transport device 1A and the storage and unloading of the article B in the shipping number (4) in the second transport device 1B are performed simultaneously. etc., it is possible to supply two groups of shipping numbers in a shorter time. In this case and in the case where groups of two shipping number weights are formed in sequence, the order of carrying out the groups is reversed, but this can be handled by adjustment in a post-process.

Here, the above embodiment will be compared with a system of a comparative example in which the structure of stacking shipping numbers is omitted. In addition, also in the comparative example, the same reference numerals are given to the configurations corresponding to the embodiments.

In this comparative example, the transfer of article B is interrupted while product number weight (1) passes through the second transport device 1B, and product number numbers (1) to (4) pass through the third transport device 1C. During this period, the transfer of article C is interrupted. In this respect, in the embodiment described above, the transfer of the articles C is only interrupted when the shipping group passes through the third conveyance device 1C once. As a result, the above-described embodiment can reduce interruptions in the transportation of articles, and can suppress a decrease in the operating rate.

Moreover, in the transport system 100 of the embodiment described above, it is possible to carry out the shipment in a group in which the shipping numbers are stacked in a plurality of stages, thereby saving labor and reducing the time required in the post-process.

Further, in the above embodiment, the sorting destination conveyance path 42 is made vertically movable, so even if the shipping number T2 is stacked, the sorting destination position 42A becomes the highest shipping number T2 of the sorting destination conveying path 42. The vertical position of the can be maintained at the same height. Thereby, regardless of whether or not the articles W are stacked with the shipping number T2, the height position at which the articles W are held by the transfer section 5 can be kept constant, and the burden of movement control on the transfer section 5 can be reduced.

Further, in the embodiment described above, by making the buffer position conveyance path 43 movable up and down, the height positions of the sorting destination conveyance path 42 and the buffer position conveyance path 43 that move up and down can be made equal. As a result, even if the sorting destination conveyance path 42 is moved up and down according to the stacking of the shipping weights T2 forming a group, the shipping weights T2 can be transported to the downstream conveyance device 1 without changing the height. .

In addition, even when the input position conveyance path 41 is made to be able to rise and fall, the height positions of the ascending and descending sorting destination conveyance path 42 and the input position conveyance path 41 are aligned, and the height of the shipping number T2 that forms the group is not changed. It can be transported to the sorting destination transport path 42.

Furthermore, since the shipping number T2 can be transported from the receiving position transport path 32 to the loading position transport path 41, the product number T1 that is empty after the article W is transferred can be used as the shipping number T2. . As a result, the amount of the shipping number T2 supplied from the shipping number supply unit 7 can be reduced, and the burden of preparing the shipping number T2 on the shipping number supplying unit 7 can be reduced.

Furthermore, since the product number weight conveyance unit 3 and the shipping number weight conveyance unit 4 intersect three-dimensionally, the sorting source position 31A is set at the intersection position, and the sorting destination position 42A is set next to the sorting source position 31A. be able to. Therefore, as seen from above as shown in FIG. 1, the sorting source position 31A and the sorting destination position 42A 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. 3), and it is possible to shorten the transfer time per article W. 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. . Moreover, the three-dimensional intersection of the respective transport units 3 and 4 allows the receiving position transport path 32 and the input position transport path 41 to be brought closer together, thereby shortening the time required to transport the empty shipping number T2 to the input position transport path 41. be able to.

In addition, since the product number conveyance unit 3 is disposed above the shipping number conveyance unit 4, as shown in FIG. The amount of downward movement can be made larger than the amount. Thereby, in the transfer unit 5, the transfer load applied to the moving mechanism 52, the power required for driving, etc. can be reduced.

In addition, the sorting source position 31A and the sorting destination position 42A are adjacent to each other in the front-rear direction, which is the transport direction of the shipping bar transport unit 4, and the short sides of both the bins T1 and T2 arranged at such positions 31A and 42A are The directions in top view are the same, with the exit direction being the front-rear direction. In this way, by transporting the article W with each of the weights T1 and T2 arranged in the direction in which the short side extends, the article W The maximum transfer distance can be shortened, and the transfer can also be stabilized by this.

In addition, by shortening the transfer distance as described above, even if the article W has flexibility that is easily deformed by external force, stable transfer can be achieved satisfactorily.

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.

In addition, the product number carrying unit 3 and the shipping number carrying unit 4 are arranged in a vertical position opposite to the above embodiment, with the product number carrying unit 3 being disposed below the shipping number carrying unit 4. It is also possible to do so. 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 number weight conveyance section 3 and the shipping number weight conveyance section 4 may be a curved direction, and the intersection angle when viewed from above may be changed to an angle other than 90 degrees.

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 buffer position conveyance path 43 is not limited to the configuration in which it is installed downstream (front side) of the destination conveyance path 42, but may be installed upstream (rear side) of the input position conveyance path 41. With this arrangement as well, in the conveyance system 100 in which a plurality of conveyance devices 1 are arranged in parallel, the sorting destination conveyance path 42 is arranged upstream of the buffer position conveyance path 43, and the input position conveyance path is disposed downstream of the buffer position conveyance path 43. 41 can be arranged. Further, the buffer position transport path 43 may be configured by extending the length of the input position transport path 41 in the transport direction so that two or more shipping weights T2 can be placed side by side in the transport direction.

Further, in the above embodiment, the number of transport devices 1 in the transport system 100 is three, but it may be two, four or more.

1 Conveyance device 3 Product number conveyance section (former container conveyance section)
31 Sorting source conveyance path 31A Sorting source position 32 Acceptance position conveyance path 33 Acceptance position elevating section 4 Shipping guard conveyance section (unloading container conveyance section)
41 Loading position conveyance path 42 Sorting destination conveying path 42A Sorting destination position 43 Buffer position conveying path 44 Loading position elevating section 45 Sorting destination elevating section 46 Buffer position elevating section 47 Shipping number multiple stacking section (unloading container moving section, unloading container stage Sakube)
5 Transfer section 100 Transfer system T1 Product number (original container)
T2 Shipping number (unloading container)
L Conveyance line W Goods

Claims (9)

In a conveyance device that transfers articles stored in a source container and stores them in an output container,
an unloading container transport unit that transports the unloading container in a predetermined transport direction;
a transfer unit capable of transferring the article from the original container to the carry-out container transported by the carry-out container transfer unit;
The unloading container transport section includes a sorting destination transport path in which the unloading containers to which the articles are transferred in the transport section are arranged;
a sorting destination elevating section that raises and lowers the sorting destination conveyance path;
an input position conveyance path for conveying the output container to the sorting destination conveyance path;
A conveyance device characterized by comprising: a carry-out container moving section above the sorting destination conveyance path for moving the carry-out container disposed in the loading position conveyance path. The unloading container conveyance section includes a buffer position conveyance path provided on at least one of the downstream side of the sort destination conveyance path and the upstream side of the input position conveyance path in the conveyance direction;
The conveying device according to claim 1, further comprising a buffer position elevating section that raises and lowers the buffer position conveying path. 3. The conveyance device according to claim 1, wherein the unloading container conveyance section includes an input position elevating section that raises and lowers the input position conveyance path. further comprising an original container transport unit that transports the original container,
The original container transport unit includes a sort source transport path in which the original containers to which the articles are transferred in the transfer unit are arranged,
2. The sorting source conveyance path is disposed at a position above and intersecting with the output container conveyance section, and the transfer section transfers the articles at and around the intersecting position. The conveying device according to claim 3. The original container transport unit includes a receiving position transport path where the original containers that have become empty due to the lack of articles on the sorting source transport path are arranged;
further comprising a receiving position elevating section that raises and lowers the receiving position conveyance path,
With the receiving position lifting section aligning the height position of the receiving position transport path to the height position of the loading position transport path, the empty original container placed in the receiving position transport path is used as the unloading container. The conveyance device according to claim 4, wherein the conveyance device can be supplied to the input position conveyance path. 6. The conveying device according to claim 5, further comprising an unloading container supply unit that supplies the unloading container to the receiving position conveying path in a state where the unloading container is not on the receiving position conveying path. A position where the original container transport section intersects with the unloading container transport section is defined as a sorting source position, a position adjacent to the sorting source position in the transport direction of the unloading container transport section is defined as a sorting destination position, and 6. The conveyance device according to claim 4, wherein the transfer unit transfers the article from the source container at the destination position to the delivery container at the destination position. further comprising a control device that controls each configuration of the transport device,
When the number of articles accommodated in the carry-out container disposed on the sorting destination conveyance path reaches a scheduled number due to transfer by the transfer section, the control device causes the sorting destination to be transported by driving the sorting destination elevating section. While the transport path is lowered according to the height of the unloading container, the unloading container transported to the loading position transport path is moved by the unloading container moving unit above the unloading container placed on the sorting destination transport path. 8. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the conveying device performs a control of moving and stacking. A conveyance system comprising a plurality of conveyance devices according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
A conveyance system characterized in that the unloading container conveyance units in a plurality of the conveyance devices are arranged side by side on the same conveyance line.

Images