JP7453860B2 - transfer device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a transfer device for transferring objects to a different transfer device.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-525176 discloses a linear conveyance device using a linear motor as a device for conveying articles. This linear conveyance device includes a stator of a linear motor in which an electromagnet is arranged, and a conveyance member provided with a permanent magnet. The electromagnet and permanent magnet form a linear motor system. The conveying member has a holder or a corresponding holder, and the product is conveyed by sandwiching the product between the holder and the corresponding holder arranged in the conveying direction and moving the conveying member.

Special table 2015-525176 publication

When a linear conveyance device is used to convey an article in a manufacturing process, depending on the previous process, the article may be conveyed to the linear conveyance device using a belt conveyor. When an article is transferred from a belt conveyor to a linear conveyance device, the conveyance operation must be stopped for the transfer, and a quick transfer may be difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a transfer device that quickly and reliably transfers conveyance of an imported object to a different conveyance means.

In order to achieve the above object, the transfer device of the present invention includes an input conveyor for conveying a substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped object, a conveyance rail at least partially disposed along the input conveyor, and a transfer device disposed on the conveyance rail. and a transport linear motor mechanism that independently moves the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle. The first transport shuttle includes a first transport support section that supports a corner of the transport rail side at a front end of the bottom surface of the object to be transported in the transport direction, at least a part of the front surface of the object to be transported in the transport direction, and and a first conveyance engaging portion that engages with a portion of both side surfaces of the front surface. The second transport shuttle includes a second transport support part that supports a corner of the transport rail side at a rear end of the bottom surface of the object to be transported in the transport direction, and at least a part of the rear surface of the object to be transported in the transport direction. and a second conveyance engaging portion that engages with a portion of both side surfaces of the rear surface.

With such a configuration, it is possible to smoothly transfer the conveyed object carried in by the carry-in conveyor to the first conveyance shuttle and the second conveyance shuttle. Furthermore, since the first conveyance support section and the second conveyance support section support the bottom surface of the conveyed object, it is not necessary to press the side surface of the conveyed object. Therefore, the object to be transported is less likely to be compressed, and problems such as deformation or damage of the object to be transported can be suppressed.

In the above configuration, the first transport engagement portion is disposed above or below the second transport engagement portion in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the first transport engagement portion has a first transport upper arm and a first transport lower arm disposed above and below, and the second transport engagement portion has a second transport upper arm and a second transport lower arm disposed above and below, and the first transport upper arm and the first transport lower arm are disposed above or below the second transport upper arm and the second transport lower arm, respectively. By configuring in this way, a diagonal space can be formed on the opposite side of the transport rail of the transported object. This makes it easy to attach a sticker such as a straw, for example.

In the above configuration, the carry-in conveyor is a top chain conveyor, and the upper surface of the first conveyance support part, the upper surface of the second conveyance support part, and the upper surface of the carry-in conveyor are flush with each other. With this configuration, the bottom surface of the object to be conveyed is temporarily supported by the carry-in conveyor, the first conveyance support section, and the second conveyance support section. Thereby, the conveyed object can be smoothly moved from the carry-in conveyor to the upper surfaces of the first conveyance support section and the second conveyance support section.

In the above configuration, the apparatus further includes a moving section that moves the object to be transported by the loading conveyor toward the transport rail. By providing the moving part, the object to be transported can be reliably held by the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle.

In the above configuration, the moving section may include a pusher that presses at least a surface of the object being conveyed by the carry-in conveyor on a side opposite to the conveyance rail. The pusher may be configured to push the rear surface of the object to be transported at the same time as the surface opposite to the transport rail. By using such a pusher, the transferred objects can be transferred smoothly and reliably while the carry-in conveyor, the first transport shuttle, and the second transport shuttle are moving.

In the above configuration, a surface of the first transport engaging part that engages with the front surface of the object to be transported and a surface of the second transport engaging part that engages with the rear surface of the object to be transported are separated from the transport rail. get closer to each other. With this configuration, the object to be transported can be firmly held even when moving along a curved transport rail.

The transfer device of the present invention allows the transport of transported objects to be transferred quickly and reliably to a different transport means.

FIG. 2 is a schematic layout diagram of a transport and packaging device. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the transport and packaging device. FIG. 7 is a plan view of a state in which the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle holding objects to be transported are moving along a linear transport rail. FIG. 4 is a view of the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle shown in FIG. 3 viewed from the outside. FIG. 3 is a diagram of the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle viewed from the rear side in the transport direction. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a state in which the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle holding objects to be transported are moving along a curved transport rail. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the operation of the pusher before transfer. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state in which an object to be transported is moved between a first transport shuttle and a second transport shuttle. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing objects to be transported held by the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the first delivery shuttle and the second delivery shuttle holding objects to be transported while moving along a linear delivery rail. FIG. 11 is a view of the first delivery shuttle and the second delivery shuttle shown in FIG. 10 viewed from the outside. 13 is a view of the first delivery shuttle and the second delivery shuttle as seen from the rear side in the conveying direction. FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the first delivery shuttle and the second delivery shuttle holding objects to be transported while moving along a linear delivery rail. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state in which two objects to be transported are being transported side by side in the transport direction. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the first delivery shuttle and the second delivery shuttle holding three objects to be transported lined up in the transport direction while moving along a linear delivery rail. FIG. 16 is a view of the first delivery shuttle and the second delivery shuttle shown in FIG. 15 viewed from the outside. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the first delivery shuttle and the second delivery shuttle holding three objects to be transported lined up in the transport direction while moving along a linear delivery rail. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the first delivery shuttle and the second delivery shuttle holding four objects to be transported lined up in the transport direction while moving along a linear delivery rail. FIG. 19 is a view of the first delivery shuttle and the second delivery shuttle shown in FIG. 18 viewed from the outside. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the first delivery shuttle and the second delivery shuttle holding four objects to be transported lined up in the transport direction while moving along a curved delivery rail. FIG. 3 is a view of the first transport shuttle, the second transport shuttle, the first delivery shuttle, and the second delivery shuttle as seen from the rear in the transport direction. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state in which the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle move while holding an object to be transported; FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a state in which the second delivery shuttle holds the rear part of the object in the transport direction. FIG. 7 is a plan view of a state in which the objects to be transported held by the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle are held by the first delivery shuttle and the second delivery shuttle. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state in which objects to be transported are held by the first delivery shuttle and the second delivery shuttle. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a state in which the first delivery shuttle and the second delivery shuttle holding objects to be transported are moving along a first curved section. It is a top view of the main part of a holding device. FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view showing a first delivery shuttle and a second delivery shuttle when delivering an object to a transfer conveyor. FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view of the first delivery shuttle and the second delivery shuttle in the first proximity area. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state in which objects to be transported are accumulated. FIG. 7 is a plan view of a state in which four objects to be conveyed are held on the transfer conveyor in a second holding state. FIG. 4 is a front view of a state in which four objects to be transported are held. FIG. 3 is a front view of the packaging device. FIG. 2 is a front view of a multi-joint arm robot. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the sheet supply unit viewed from the rear in the box conveyance direction. It is a schematic diagram showing the state before operation of the pushing device which pushes an article. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which an article is pushed into a folded sheet by a pushing device. It is a schematic diagram showing a box sealing device. It is a figure which shows the state where the bending tool of a box sealing device was brought into contact with the top plate part. It is a figure which shows the state in which the top plate part was bent in the sealing device. It is a figure which shows the sealing device and storage box immediately after the sealing is completed.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<Transport and packaging device 100>
FIG. 1 is a schematic layout diagram of the transport and packaging device 100. The transport and packaging device 100 is disposed at a post-process of a filling device (not shown) that fills articles with contents. As shown in FIG. 1, the transport and packaging device 100 transports a substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped article (also referred to as a transported object) Pc whose interior is filled with a liquid content, and places it in a storage box Bx suitable for transporting to the outside. boxed in. Then, the storage box Bx containing a predetermined number of transported objects Pc is sealed and transported outside.

The transport and packaging device 100 includes a transfer device 200, a delivery device 300, a transfer device 400, a packaging device 500, and a control section 600 (see FIG. 2). The transfer device 200 transfers the transported object Pc carried out from the filling device (not shown) to the transportation and packaging device 100.

<Control unit 600>
Here, details of the control section 600 will be explained. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the transportation and packaging device 100. As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 600 includes a processing circuit 601 and a storage circuit 602. The processing circuit 601 is a circuit that processes various information, and includes arithmetic circuits such as a CPU and an MPU. Further, the processing circuit 601 controls the control targets included in the transfer device 200, the delivery device 300, the transfer device 400, and the packaging device 500 based on the processing results.

The storage circuit 602 is a circuit that includes or is connected to a semiconductor memory such as a ROM or a RAM, a portable memory such as a flash memory, and a storage medium such as a hard disk. Various programs such as a control program or a processing program may be stored in the storage circuit 602, and the program corresponding to the process may be called as needed and the program may be operated in the processing circuit 601 to perform the process. . Elements connected to the control unit 600 and their control will be explained when each element is explained.

<Transfer device 200>
Next, details of each part of the transfer device 200 will be explained with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a state in which the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 holding the object to be transported Pc are moving along the linear transport rail 20s. FIG. 4 is a diagram of the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 shown in FIG. 3 viewed from the outside. FIG. 5 is a diagram of the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 viewed from the rear side in the transport direction Tr.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5, the transfer device 200 includes a carry-in section 1, a conveyance loop section 2, a first conveyance shuttle 31, and a second conveyance shuttle 32. In the following description, in a portion formed in a loop shape, the direction facing the outside of the portion surrounded by the loop may be simply referred to as "outward."

<Carry-in section 1>
As shown in FIG. 1, the carry-in section 1 includes a carry-in conveyor 11, a pair of nip rollers 12, and a pusher 13 (see FIG. 7). The carry-in conveyor 11 is a conveyor that transports a substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped object Pc filled with objects by a filling device (not shown). The object Pc is moved along the input conveyor 11 by moving the upper surface with the object Pc placed on the upper surface of the input conveyor 11.

Here, as the carry-in conveyor 11, a general conveyor such as a belt conveyor or a top chain conveyor can be used. In the transfer device 200 of the present embodiment, when the conveyed object Pc is conveyed by the carry-in conveyor 11, slipping of the conveyed object Pc against the upper surface of the carry-in conveyor 11 is suppressed during normal conveyance, and during transfer etc. There is a request to let it slide as appropriate. In order to satisfy such requirements, the static friction coefficient and dynamic friction coefficient between the transported object Pc and the carry-in conveyor 11 (top surface) need to be appropriate values.

As a result of intensive research, the inventor of the present invention has found that it is preferable to use a top chain conveyor as the carry-in conveyor 11 in order to optimize the above-mentioned coefficient of friction. Therefore, in the transfer device 200 of this embodiment, a top chain conveyor is used as the carry-in conveyor 11. In the following description, the movement of the transported object Pc will be referred to as transport, and the moving direction of the transported object Pc will be described as the transport direction Tr.

The front side of the carry-in conveyor 11 in the conveyance direction Tr has a transfer conveyor section 111 that is close to a first straight section 201 (described later) of the conveyance loop section 2 and extends parallel to the first straight section 201 . The conveyed objects conveyed by the carry-in conveyor 11 are held by the first conveyance shuttle 31 and the second conveyance shuttle 32 that move along the conveyance loop section 2 in the transfer conveyor section 111 . Thereby, the transported object Pc is transferred from the carry-in section 1 to the transport loop section 2. Details of the transfer of the transported object Pc will be described later.

The carry-in conveyor 11 has a conveyor motor 112 (see FIG. 2). The conveyor motor 112 is connected to the control unit 600 and is a power source that drives the carry-in conveyor 11 according to instructions from the control unit 600.

A pair of nip rollers 12 are arranged above the carry-in conveyor 11. The transfer conveyor section 111 of the carry-in conveyor 11 is arranged ahead of the pair of nip rollers 12 in the conveyance direction Tr. The pair of nip rollers 12 are rotatable around central axes that extend vertically, and the central axes of each nip roller 12 are arranged in parallel. The pair of nip rollers 12 come into contact with a surface of the object Pc that intersects with the transport direction Tr, hold the object Pc, and restrict movement.

That is, the nip roller 12 adjusts the conveyance interval of the conveyed objects Pc conveyed by the carry-in conveyor 11.

The pair of nip rollers 12 are rotated by a roller motor 121 (see FIG. 2). The roller motor 121 may be provided for each nip roller 12, or the driving force of one roller motor 121 may be transmitted to each nip roller 12 using a mechanism for transmitting driving force. As shown in FIG. 2, the roller motor 121 is connected to a control section 600. Roller motor 121 is driven based on instructions from control section 600.

Note that the surface of the nip roller 12 is formed of a material that increases friction with the surface of the transported object Pc. Therefore. By controlling the operation of the pair of nip rollers 12, the control unit 600 can send out the conveyed objects Pc conveyed by the carry-in conveyor 11 one by one toward the transfer conveyor unit 111 at a predetermined timing. be.

The pusher 13 (see FIG. 7) is arranged above the transfer conveyor section 111 of the carry-in conveyor 11. The pusher 13 is a moving unit that moves the transported object Pc, which is moving on the carry-in conveyor 11, toward the transport rail 20. Details of the pusher 13 will be described later.

<Transport loop section 2>
The transport loop section 2 includes a transport rail 20, a transport linear motor mechanism 24 (see FIGS. 5 and 21), a straw pasting section 26, and a defective product removal section 27. The transport loop portion 2 is formed into a loop shape by connecting both ends. The transport loop section 2 includes a first straight part 201 and a second straight part 202 formed by a straight transport rail 20s, and a first curved part 203 and a second curved part formed by a curved transport rail 20t, respectively. 204 (see FIG. 1). The linear conveyance rail 20s and the curved conveyance rail 20t have the same configuration except for the presence or absence of curvature. Hereinafter, when distinction is necessary, they will be displayed separately, and when distinction is not necessary, they will be described as conveyance rails 20.

<Transport rail 20>
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the transport rail 20 includes a main rail 21, a grooved rail 22, and a flat rail 23. The main rail 21 is a cylindrical body with a rectangular cross section cut along a plane perpendicular to the transport direction Tr. The cross-sectional shape of the main rail 21 is such that the vertical direction is the longitudinal direction. Inside the main rail 21, a coil 241, which will be described later, of the transport linear motor mechanism 24 is arranged. The main rail 21 is formed of a material through which the magnetic force from the coil 241 is transmitted when the coil 241 is excited. Examples of such materials include, but are not limited to, certain stainless steels, aluminum, and alloys thereof.

The grooved rail 22 is fixed to the top of the main rail 21. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a gap 25 is formed between the main rail 21 and the grooved rail 22. The gap 25 has a shape into which convex portions 301 of the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32, which will be described later, fit. Thereby, the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 are guided so as to be movable in the direction along the transport rail 20.

Note that the main rail 21 and the grooved rail 22 may be fixed by welding, screwing, or the like, but are not limited thereto. The main rail 21 and the grooved rail 22 may be integrally formed. The grooved rail 22 has a concave groove 221 that is recessed from the outer surface in a direction intersecting the transport direction Tr. The groove portion 221 is formed over the entire circumference of the conveyance loop portion 2 . The grooved rail 22 has two grooves 221. The two groove portions 221 are arranged vertically side by side. Note that upper rollers 33 of the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32, which will be described later, are fitted into the two grooves 221. The upper roller 33 of the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 moves along the groove 221.

The plane rail 23 is fixed to the lower part of the main rail 21. Note that the main rail 21 and the flat rail 23 can be fixed by welding, screwing, or the like, but are not limited thereto. The main rail 21 and the planar rail 23 may be integrally formed. The planar rail 23 has a shape in which the outside of a cross section cut along a plane intersecting the transport direction Tr runs along a vertical line (see FIG. 4, etc.). Note that lower rollers 34 of the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32, which will be described later, come into contact with the outer surface of the planar rail 23. The lower roller 34 rotates while contacting the outer surface of the planar rail 23.

The first linear section 201 and the second linear section 202 have the same length and include linear conveyor rails 20s arranged in parallel in a plan view. In each of the first straight portion 201 and the second straight portion 202, the groove portion 221 of the grooved rail 22 is arranged outward.

The first curved section 203 and the second curved section 204 include a curved conveyance rail 20t (see FIGS. 1 and 6). The front end of the first straight section 201 in the transport direction Tr is connected to the rear end of the second straight section 202 in the transport direction Tr. Further, the second curved section 204 connects the front end of the second straight section 202 in the transport direction Tr and the rear end of the first straight section 201 in the transport direction Tr. As described above, the transport loop section 2 is formed into a loop shape by sequentially connecting the first straight section 201, the first curved section 203, the second straight section 202, and the second curved section 204.

In addition, in the conveyance loop part 2 in this embodiment, the 1st curved part 203 and the 2nd curved part 204 are circular arc shapes which have the same radius of curvature. Note that the first curved portion 203 and the second curved portion 204 may be partially curved or partially straight. Further, the curved portion is not limited to a circular arc shape, but may be a so-called clothoid curve shape. Moreover, curved shapes other than these may be used.

As shown in FIG. 1, the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 move in a clockwise direction in plan view along the transport rail 20. A rear part of the first linear section 201 in the conveyance direction Tr is arranged parallel to and close to the transfer conveyor section 111 of the carry-in conveyor 11 . The conveyed object Pc conveyed on the transfer conveyor section 111 is moved toward the first linear section 201 by the pusher 13 and is held by the first conveyance shuttle 31 and the second conveyance shuttle 32. Thereby, the conveyed object Pc is transferred from conveyance by the carry-in conveyor 11 to conveyance by the first conveyance shuttle 31 and the second conveyance shuttle 32. Note that details of the transfer operation of the transported object Pc will be described later.

In the transfer device 200, the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 that have moved along the second curved section 204 move to the rear of the first straight section 201 in the transport direction Tr. In the transport loop section 2, the second curved section 204 can be used as a standby area where the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 wait before the transfer operation of the next transported object Pc is performed. In the standby area, the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 may be stopped or may be moving at a lower speed than during transport.

<Transport linear motor mechanism 24>
In the transport loop portion 2, a plurality of first transport shuttles 31 and the same number of second transport shuttles 32 as the first transport shuttles 31 are arranged alternately along the transport direction Tr. The transport linear motor mechanism 24 can independently drive each first transport shuttle 31 and each second transport shuttle 32.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the conveyance linear motor mechanism 24 includes a plurality of coils 241, a magnet 242, and a linear driver 243. The plurality of coils 241 are arranged in a loop shape inside the conveyance rail 20 arranged in a loop shape.

The magnet 242 is a permanent magnet and is arranged in the main body portion 30 of the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32. As shown in FIG. 5, the magnet 242 is placed inside the main body 30. The magnet 242 is arranged so that it can apply magnetic force to the coil 241. A linear motor is formed by the magnet 242 arranged in the main body part 30 and the plurality of coils 241 arranged inside the transport rail 20.

A linear driver 243 is connected to each coil 241. The linear driver 243 is connected to a power supply circuit (not shown). The linear driver 243 is a circuit that controls the power supplied to the coils 241, and includes circuits such as an arithmetic processing circuit and a power supply circuit that adjusts the voltage and current supplied to each coil 241. The linear driver 243 supplies appropriate current to each coil 241 based on instructions from the control unit 600.

The control unit 600 controls the linear driver 243 to change the coil 241 to which power is supplied, and also changes the power to be supplied. Thereby, the control unit 600 independently controls the movement of the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32. Note that the control unit 600 can also control the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 synchronously.

The first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 are moved along the transport rail 20 by the transport linear motor mechanism 24 . For example, the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 can move while maintaining the state in which the transported object Pc is held.

<Straw pasting part 26>
The straw attaching unit 26 attaches a straw Th (see FIGS. 3 to 5, etc.) to the opposite surface of the conveyance rail 20 of the conveyed object Pc held by the first conveyance shuttle 31 and the second conveyance shuttle 32. . The straw Th is housed in a resin bag and is attached to the transported object Pc.

The straw pasting part 26 is connected to a first transport engaging part 36 (described later) of the first transport shuttle 31 and a second transport engaging part (described later) of the second transport shuttle 32 on the surface opposite to the transport rail 20 of the transported object Pc. Attach the straw Th to the part where 38 was avoided. The straw Th may be attached using, for example, hot melt or adhesive, but may be attached using other methods.

Depending on the transported object Pc, the straw Th may not be attached. In this case, the straw sticking part 26 may be omitted. Also, when attaching a long object other than the straw Th to the conveyed object Pc, the straw attaching section 26 may be used to attach it.

<Defective product exclusion section 27>
The conveyed object Pc is completed by pasting the straw Th at the straw pasting section 26. In the transfer device 200, the appearance of the conveyed object Pc moving along the conveyance loop section 2, for example, the attachment state of the bottom surface, top surface, etc., is inspected by an unillustrated inspection section. The test results from the testing section are then sent to the control section 600. The processing circuit 601 of the control unit 600 determines whether the product is good or defective based on the inspection results.

The defective product removal unit 27 discharges the transported object Pc determined to be a defective product to the outside of the transport route. The defective product removal section 27 is arranged in front of the first linear section 201 of the transportation loop section 2 in the transportation direction Tr. The defective product removal section 27 includes a removal conveyor 271 arranged below the transport rail 20. The removal conveyor 271 is arranged so as to be able to transport toward the outside of the transport route. Then, the defective items held by the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 are placed on the lower removal conveyor 271, and the removal conveyor 271 is driven. Discharge the transported items to the outside of the transport route.

Although details will be described later, when the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 hold the transported object Pc, the first transport support section 35 and the second transport support section 37 support the bottom surface of the transported object Pc. ing. Therefore, by increasing the distance between the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 in the transport direction Tr, it is possible to drop the held object Pc downward. Note that although the defective product removal section 27 according to the present embodiment uses the removal conveyor 271 arranged below the transport rail 20, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a mechanism having the same configuration as the pusher 13 and pushing defective objects to the outside of the transport route may be adopted. In this case, the relative distance between the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 may be widened, and the object to be transported may be pushed after the holding is released.

The processing circuit 601 of the control unit 600 controls the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 to remove the transported object when the transported object determined to be a defective product is transported to the upper part of the defective product removal section 27. is placed on the rejection conveyor 271. At the same time, the processing circuit 601 drives the removal conveyor 271 to remove defective objects to the outside of the transport route.

<First transport shuttle 31 and second transport shuttle 32>
Next, the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 that move along the transport rail 20 of the transport loop section 2 will be described. The first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 are arranged on the outer surface of the transport rail 20 and are movable along the transport rail 20. The first transport shuttle 31 holds the front part of the object Pc in the transport direction Tr. The second transport shuttle 32 holds the rear portion of the object Pc in the transport direction Tr. That is, the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 hold the transported object Pc in the front and rear directions in the transport direction Tr. The first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 transport the transport loop part 2 along the transport rail 20 while holding the transported object Pc.

In the transfer device 200, the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 include a main body 30, an upper roller 33, and a lower roller 34 having a common configuration. Note that, as long as the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 are movable along the transport rail 20, they may each have a main body, an upper roller, and a lower roller of different configurations.

First, common parts of the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 will be explained. A magnet 242 of the transport linear motor mechanism 24 is arranged in the main body 30 . The main body portion 30 is arranged outward from the transport rail 20 and facing the transport rail 20 . Note that the magnet 242 is housed inside the main body 30 and faces the coil 241 arranged on the main rail 21 in a direction intersecting the transport direction Tr.

The main body portion 30 has a convex portion 301 that protrudes toward the transport rail 20. The convex portion 301 fits into the gap 25 formed between the main rail 21 and the grooved rail 22 of the transport rail 20 (see FIG. 5). By fitting the convex portion 301 into the gap 25, displacement of the main body portion 30 from the conveyance rail 20 is suppressed.

Two upper rollers 33 are arranged in the main body part 30. The two upper rollers 33 are rotatably supported by the upper roller support section 302 of the main body section 30. To explain in detail, the upper roller 33 is arranged to be rotatable around a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the transport direction Tr and parallel to the outer surface of the transport rail 20. The two upper rollers 33 are spaced apart in the transport direction Tr and are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction. In the main body part 30 in this embodiment, the upper roller 33 (see FIG. 4) on the front side in the transport direction Tr is arranged on the lower side.

The outer peripheral surface of the upper roller 33 has a roller protrusion 331 that protrudes radially outward toward the center in the axial direction. The roller protrusion 331 fits into the groove 221 of the grooved rail 22. The upper roller 33 rotates while being fitted into the groove 221. Thereby, when the main body 30 moves along the conveyance rail 20, displacement of the main body 30 in the vertical direction is suppressed.

Two lower rollers 34 are arranged in the main body part 30. The two lower rollers 34 are rotatably supported by the lower roller support portion 303 of the main body portion 30. To explain in detail, the lower roller 34 is arranged rotatably around a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the transport direction Tr and parallel to the outer surface of the transport rail 20. The lower roller 34 has a cylindrical shape, and the outer peripheral surface of the lower roller 34 contacts the outer surface of the planar rail 23. The two lower rollers 34 are spaced apart in the transport direction Tr and are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction. In the main body part 30 in this embodiment, the lower roller 34 (see FIG. 4) on the front side in the transport direction Tr is arranged on the upper side.

The main body part 30 is attracted to the outer surface of the conveyance rail 20 by the magnetic force of the magnet 242 arranged inside. Note that the transport rail 20 may be provided with an attraction part made of metal such as iron that attracts the magnet, or may be attracted by the magnetic force between an iron core provided in the coil 241 and the magnet 242. Further, the main body portion 30 is movable along the conveyance rail 20 and may be attached to the conveyance rail 20 using a hook or the like so as not to easily fall off from the conveyance rail 20.

When the upper roller 33 and the lower roller 34 come into contact with the conveyance rail 20, the main body portion 30 is arranged at a constant distance from the outer surface of the conveyance rail 20. When the main body 30 moves along the transport rail 20, the upper roller 33 and the lower roller 34 rotate while contacting the transport rail 20. That is, the main body part 30 is supported by the upper roller 33 and the lower roller 34 on the upper and lower sides. Therefore, the main body section 30 moves along the transport rail 20 while maintaining a constant angle with respect to the transport rail 20.

The first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 have a common main body 30, an upper roller 33, and a lower roller 34. The upper roller 33 and lower roller 34 arranged in the transport direction Tr are vertically shifted. Therefore, even when the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 approach each other in the transport direction Tr, the upper rollers 33 or the lower rollers 34 are unlikely to interfere with each other. Therefore, the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 can be arranged close to each other back and forth in the transport direction Tr, and can be moved in a close state.

Next, the characteristic parts of the first transport shuttle 31 will be explained. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the first transport shuttle 31 includes a first transport support part 35 and a first transport engagement part 36, which are attached to the main body part 30. The first conveyance support portion 35 and the first conveyance engagement portion 36 extend outward from the main body portion 30 . It is screwed into a plurality of screw holes Sc1 (see FIG. 4) arranged vertically on the outer surface of the main body part 30.

The first conveyance support section 35 is arranged below the first conveyance engagement section 36 . The first conveyance support section 35 includes a support section attachment section 350 and a support plate section 351. The support portion attachment portion 350 is a plate-shaped member, and is fixed to the screw hole Sc1 of the main body portion 30 with a screw. The support plate portion 351 has a flat plate shape orthogonal to the support portion attachment portion 350. By fixing the support portion attachment portion 350 to the main body portion 30, the support plate portion 351 protrudes outward from the main body portion 30. The upper surface of the support plate portion 351 is a horizontal surface.

In plan view, a rear corner 352 of the outer end of the support plate portion 351 in the conveyance direction Tr extends further rearward in the conveyance direction Tr than an arm body 361 of the first conveyance engaging portion 36, which will be described later. Further, the corner portion 352 extends further outward than a presser portion 363 of the first conveyance engaging portion 36, which will be described later. The length from the rear edge of the arm main body 361 in the transport direction Tr to the rear end of the corner portion 352 in the transport direction Tr is shorter than half the length of the transported object Pc in the transport direction Tr. Further, the length from the outer end of the presser portion 363 to the outer end of the corner portion 352 is shorter than half the length of the transported object Pc in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction Tr.

As a result, the corner Pc1 on the transport rail 20 side is placed on the upper surface of the corner 352 at the front of the transported object Pc in the transport direction Tr. That is, the rear corner 352 of the outer end of the support plate part 351 in the transport direction Tr supports the corner Pc1 on the transport rail 20 side from below at the front end of the bottom surface of the object Pc in the transport direction Tr.

The first conveyance engaging portion 36 has a first conveyance upper arm 36U and a first conveyance lower arm 36L. The first upper transport arm 36U and the first lower transport arm 36L are arranged in different positions in the vertical direction in the main body 30, but have the same shape. Here, substantially the same parts of the first upper transport arm 36U and the first lower transport arm 36L are given the same reference numerals. Further, the explanation will be given with reference to the first upper transport arm 36U as a representative example.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the first upper transport arm 36U includes an arm attachment portion 360, an arm main body 361, a claw portion 362, a holding portion 363, and a contact surface 364. The arm attachment portion 360 is a plate-shaped member, and is fixed to the screw hole Sc1 of the main body portion 30 with a screw. The arm main body 361 has a flat plate shape orthogonal to the arm attachment portion 360. In plan view, the arm main body 361 extends rearward in the transport direction Tr as it goes outward.

The claw portion 362 extends rearward in the transport direction Tr from the outer end of the arm body 361. The holding portion 363 extends rearward in the transport direction Tr from the end of the arm body 361 on the side closer to the transport rail 20. The rear end of the presser part 363 in the transport direction Tr is located further back in the transport direction Tr than the rear end of the claw part 362 in the transport direction Tr. The contact surface 364 is a rear surface of a portion of the arm body 361 between the claw portion 362 and the presser portion 363 in the conveying direction Tr. The contact surface 364 goes toward the rear in the transport direction Tr as it goes outward.

Next, the characteristic parts of the second transport shuttle 32 will be explained. The second transport shuttle 32 includes a second transport support part 37 and a second transport engagement part 38 attached to the main body part 30 . The second transport support section 37 has the same configuration as the first transport support section 35 . Therefore, the correspondence between the reference numerals of each part of the second transport support part 37 and the reference numerals of each part of the first transport support part 35 will be explained, and a detailed explanation of the same parts will be omitted. Similarly, the second conveyance engaging section 38 has the same configuration as the first conveying engaging section 36. Therefore, the correspondence between the reference numerals of each part of the second transport engaging part 38 and the reference numerals of each part of the first transport engaging part 36 will be explained, and a detailed explanation of the same parts will be omitted.

The second conveyance support section 37 is arranged below the second conveyance engagement section 38 . The second conveyance support section 37 has a support section attachment section 370 and a support plate section 371. The support part attachment part 370 has the same configuration as the support part attachment part 350. Further, the support plate portion 371 has the same configuration as the support plate portion 351. The upper surface of the support plate portion 371 is a horizontal surface.

In plan view, a corner portion 372 at the outer end of the support plate portion 371 on the front side in the conveyance direction Tr extends further forward in the conveyance direction Tr than an arm body 381 of the second conveyance engaging portion 38, which will be described later. Furthermore, the corner portion 372 extends further outward than a presser portion 383, which will be described later, of the second conveyance engaging portion 38. The length from the front edge of the arm body 381 in the transport direction Tr to the front end of the corner 372 in the transport direction Tr is shorter than half the length of the transported object Pc in the transport direction Tr. Further, the length from the outer end of the presser portion 383 to the outer end of the corner portion 372 is shorter than half the length of the transported object Pc in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction Tr.

As a result, the corner Pc2 on the transport rail 20 side is placed on the upper surface of the corner 372 at the rear end of the transported object Pc in the transport direction Tr. That is, the front corner 372 of the outer end of the support plate part 371 in the transport direction Tr supports the corner Pc2 on the transport rail 20 side from below at the rear end of the bottom surface of the object Pc in the transport direction Tr.

The second transport engaging portion 38 includes a second upper transport arm 38U and a second lower transport arm 38L. The second upper transport arm 38U corresponds to the first upper transport arm 36U, and the second lower transport arm 38L corresponds to the first lower transport arm 36L.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the second upper transport arm 38U and the second lower transport arm 38L have an arm mounting part 380 corresponding to the arm mounting part 360, an arm main body 381 corresponding to the arm main body 361, and a claw. It has a claw part 382 corresponding to the part 362, a holding part 383 corresponding to the holding part 363, and a contact surface 384 corresponding to the contact surface 364. In plan view, the arm main body 381 extends forward in the transport direction Tr as it goes outward.

The claw portion 382 extends forward in the transport direction Tr from the outer end of the arm body 381. The holding part 383 extends forward in the transport direction Tr from the end of the arm body 381 on the side closer to the transport rail 20. The front end of the holding part 383 in the transport direction Tr is located further forward in the transport direction Tr than the front end of the claw part 382 in the transport direction Tr. The contact surface 384 is the front surface of the portion of the arm body 381 between the claw portion 382 and the presser portion 383 in the conveying direction Tr. The contact surface 384 faces forward in the transport direction Tr as it goes outward.

Next, the holding of the transported object Pc by the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 will be explained. The control unit 600 is capable of changing the relative positions of the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 while being attached to the transport rail 20 .

First, the holding of the transported object Pc by the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 when arranged on the linear transport rail 20s will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the first transport shuttle 31 holds the front part of the object Pc in the transport direction Tr, and the second transport shuttle 32 holds the rear part of the object Pc in the transport direction Tr.

The contact surface 364 and the contact surface 384 face each other in the transport direction Tr. The contact surfaces 364 and 384 are inclined toward each other toward the outside.

The claw portion 362 of the first conveyance engaging portion 36 engages with a part of the front end of the surface of the object Pc opposite to the conveyance rail 20. At the same time, the presser portion 363 engages with a portion of the front end of the surface of the conveyed object Pc on the conveyance rail 20 side. The contact surface 364 contacts a part of the front surface of the object to be transported Pc in the transport direction Tr. To explain in detail, the outer edge of the contact surface 364 comes into contact with the outer edge of the front surface of the transported object Pc in the transport direction Tr. As the contact surface 364 approaches the presser portion 363 side, it moves away from the front surface of the conveyed object Pc in the conveyance direction Tr. Note that a gap is formed on the contact surface 364 on the holding portion 363 side.

Similarly, the claw portion 382 of the second conveyance engaging portion 38 engages with a part of the front end of the surface of the object Pc opposite to the conveyance rail 20. At the same time, the holding portion 383 engages with a part of the rear end of the surface of the conveyance rail 20 side of the conveyed object Pc. The contact surface 384 contacts a part of the rear surface of the object Pc in the transport direction Tr. To explain in detail, the outer edge of the contact surface 384 contacts the outer edge of the rear surface of the object Pc in the conveyance direction Tr. As the contact surface 364 approaches the holding portion 383 side, it separates from the rear surface of the conveyed object Pc in the conveyance direction Tr. Note that a gap is formed on the contact surface 384 on the holding portion 383 side.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 attached to the transport rail 20, the vertical position of the first transport upper arm 36U is the same as that of the second transport upper arm 38U. This is between the arm 38L and the arm 38L. Further, the vertical position of the first lower transport arm 36L is lower than the second lower transport arm 38L.

As shown in FIG. 4, by arranging each arm of the first conveyance engaging part 36 below each arm of the second conveying engaging part 38, , a space is formed from the front upper part to the rear lower part in the transport direction Tr. Therefore, even if the claw part 362 of the first transport engaging part 36 and the claw part 382 of the second transport engaging part 38 engage with the surface of the transported object Pc on the opposite side to the transport rail 20, the straw The sticking part 26 can easily stick the straw Th to the surface of the transported object Pc on the side opposite to the transport rail 20.

In a state where the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 hold the transported object Pc, the corner Pc1 on the transport rail 20 side of the front end of the bottom surface of the transported object Pc in the transport direction Tr is connected to the support plate portion 351. It is supported by the rear corner 352 of the outer end of the transport direction Tr. Further, a corner Pc2 of the bottom surface of the object Pc on the transport rail 20 side at the rear end in the transport direction Tr is supported by the front corner 372 of the outer end of the support plate part 371 in the transport direction Tr.

Note that, although it is preferable that the upper surface of the support plate section 351 and the upper surface of the support plate section 371 be flush with each other, the present invention is not limited thereto. The transported object Pc may be tilted in the transport direction Tr by vertically shifting.

Here, the bottom surface of the object to be transported Pc is supported by the front and rear corners Pc1 and Pc2 of the portion close to the transport rail 20. Therefore, a force may be applied to the upper part of the transported object Pc in a direction that causes it to fall outward. However, the claw portion 362 of the first conveyance engaging portion 36 engages with a part of the front end of the surface of the object Pc opposite to the conveyance rail 20, and the claw portion 382 of the second conveyance engaging portion 38 engages with a portion of the front end of the surface of the object Pc opposite to the conveyance rail 20. Since it is configured to engage with a part of the rear end of the surface of the conveyed object Pc opposite to the conveyance rail 20, falling of the conveyed object Pc is suppressed.

Further, a part of the front surface of the object Pc in the transport direction Tr contacts the contact surface 364, and a part of the rear surface of the object Pc in the transport direction Tr contacts the contact surface 384. Thereby, movement of the transported object Pc in the transport direction Tr can be suppressed when the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 start or stop moving.

As described above, when the first conveyance shuttle 31 and the second conveyance shuttle 32 hold the conveyed object Pc, the downward movement of the conveyed object Pc is caused by portion 352) and the second conveyance support portion 37 (the corner portion 372 of the support plate portion 371). Therefore, the first conveyance engaging portion 36 and the second conveyance engaging portion 38 only need to contact or engage with the side surface of the conveyed object Pc. Therefore, the first conveyance engaging portion 36 and the second conveyance engaging portion 38 do not need to strongly press the object to be conveyed Pc.

As described above, by using the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32, the front and rear of the transported object Pc in the transport direction Tr can be reliably and safely held, even if the transported object Pc is soft and easily damaged, such as a paper container containing liquid inside.

When transporting the object Pc in the transport loop section 2, the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 holding the object Pc pass through the first curved section 203. A case in which the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 holding the transported object Pc move along a curved portion will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 6 is a plan view of a state in which the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 holding the transported object Pc are moving along the curved transport rail 20t.

In the first transport shuttle 31, the angle of the arm body 361 with respect to the transport direction Tr is fixed. Furthermore, in the second transport shuttle 32, the angle of the arm body 381 with respect to the transport direction Tr is fixed. Therefore, when the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 are on the curved transport rail 20t, the control unit 600 controls the distance between the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 in the direction along the transport rail 20t. is controlled so that it is shorter than the distance when moving along a straight section.

By controlling in this way, the distance in the transport direction Tr between the outer ends of the arm main body 361 and the arm main body 381 is shortened, and the claw parts 362 and 382 are connected to the transport rail 20s of the transported object Pc. It can engage a portion of the front end and a portion of the rear end of the opposite surface. Therefore, the object to be transported Pc can be firmly held by the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 that move along the curved transport rail 20t.

In addition, since the claw portion 362 and the claw portion 382 are configured to engage with a part of the surface of the transported object Pc on the opposite side to the transport rail 20t, the problem occurs when moving along the curved transport rail 20t. Centrifugal force can be received by the claws 362 and 382. Thereby, even when the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 move along the curved transport rail 20t, it is possible to suppress the transported object Pc from jumping out or falling.

<Transfer of transported object Pc>
In the transfer device 200, the conveyed object Pc is transferred from conveyance by the carry-in conveyor 11 to conveyance along the conveyance loop portion 2 while being held by the first conveyance shuttle 31 and the second conveyance shuttle 32. Refer to and explain. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the operation of the pusher 13 before transfer. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a state in which the transported object Pc has moved between the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the object Pc held by the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32. Note that the carry-in conveyor 11 and pusher 13 are also illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9.

As shown in FIG. 1, a transfer conveyor section 111 that approaches the first straight section 201 of the conveyance loop section 2 and extends parallel to the first straight section 201 is formed at the front of the carry-in conveyor 11 in the conveyance direction Tr. . The conveyed object Pc placed on the transfer conveyor section 111 and conveyed is pushed by the pusher 13 and moves toward the conveyance rail 20 side.

Here, details of the pusher 13 will be explained. As shown in FIG. 7 , the pusher 13 has an L-shape in plan view, and includes a first pushing portion 131 and a second pushing portion 132 . The first pushing part 131 extends along the transport direction Tr of the transported object Pc, that is, along the transfer conveyor part 111. The second pushing part 132 extends toward the transport rail 20 from behind the first pushing part 131 in the transport direction Tr.

The pusher 13 is moved in a circular motion by a pusher motor 133 (see FIG. 2). Pusher motor 133 is connected to control section 600 and operates based on instructions from control section 600. In the following description, when the control unit 600 controls the pusher motor 133, it may be explained that the control unit 600 controls the pusher 13.

The pusher 13 moves along a circular orbit Cr1. Note that the angles of the first pushing part 131 and the second pushing part 132 of the pusher 13 with respect to the transport direction Tr are constant regardless of the position on the circular orbit Cr1.

As shown in FIG. 7, a portion of the circular orbit Cr1 overlaps above the transfer conveyor section 111. The pusher 13 then moves counterclockwise along the circular orbit Cr1. That is, when the pusher 13 is above the transfer conveyor section 111, it moves in the same direction as the conveyance direction Tr. Moreover, the pusher 13 overlaps the upper part of the transfer conveyor part 111, approaches the conveyance rail 20s, comes closest to it, and then separates from the conveyance rail 20s.

By moving the pusher 13 in this manner, it pushes the conveyed object Pc that is disposed above the transfer conveyor section 111 and is moving in the conveyance direction Tr. That is, when the pusher 13 moves in the transport direction Tr and approaches the transport rail 20s, the first pushing part 131 pushes the surface of the transported object Pc on the opposite side to the transport rail 20, and the second pushing part 132 Push the rear surface of the object Pc in the transport direction Tr.

The second pushing part 132 of the pusher 13 may be omitted if the configuration is such that the transported object Pc can be moved toward the transport rail 20s while moving on the transfer conveyor section 111. Further, in this embodiment, the pusher 13 is cited as an example of the moving part, but for example, a conveyor having a pushing part that can push the conveyed object Pc and extending in a direction intersecting the transfer conveyor part 111, etc. A wide variety of mechanisms that can move the transported object Pc can be employed.

The pusher 13 moves the transported object Pc toward the transport rail 20s by pushing the rear surface of the transported object Pc moving along the transfer conveyor section 111 in the transport direction Tr and the surface opposite to the transport rail 20s. . In order for the second pushing part 132 of the pusher 13 to reliably press the rear surface of the transported object Pc in the transport direction Tr, the control section 600 controls the speed along the transport direction Tr when the pusher 13 pushes the transported object Pc. The component is controlled to be greater than the moving speed of the conveyed object Pc moving on the transfer conveyor section 111.

As described above, the objects to be transported Pc are transported one by one by the pair of nip rollers 12 at a predetermined interval. The control unit 600 synchronizes and controls the pair of nip rollers 12 and pusher 13. To explain in detail, the pusher 13 is driven at a timing that allows it to come into contact with the conveyed object Pc sent out by the pair of nip rollers 12.

At this time, the control unit 600 controls the first transport shuttle 31 and the 2 transport shuttle 32 is controlled.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the surface of the conveyed object Pc conveyed on the transfer conveyor section 111 opposite to the conveyance rail 20s is brought into contact with the first pushing part 131 of the pusher 13, and the rear side of the conveyance direction Tr is brought into contact. and the second pushing part 132 of the pusher 13 are brought into contact with each other. The linear driver 243 of the transport linear motor mechanism 24 is driven synchronously by the control section 600.

The control unit 600 moves the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 at a speed synchronized with the speed of the pusher 13 in the transport direction Tr. When the pusher 13 moves the object Pc, the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 move with no or almost no relative speed to the object Pc in the transport direction Tr. At this time, the control unit 600 transports the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 while maintaining the distance between the claws 362 and 382 longer than the length of the transported object Pc in the transport direction Tr. It is moved in the direction Tr.

As the pusher 13 moves along the circular orbit Cr1, the transported object Pc moves relative to the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction Tr.

When the pusher 13 moves further and comes closest to the transport rail 20s, the front part of the surface of the object Pc on the side closer to the transport rail 20s comes into contact with the presser part 363, as shown in FIG. Thereby, the transported object Pc is positioned with respect to the first transport shuttle 31 in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction Tr. At this time, the contact surface 364 contacts a part of the front surface of the conveyed object Pc in the conveyance direction Tr, and a part of the front end of the surface of the conveyed object Pc opposite to the conveyance rail 20s in the conveyance direction Tr is in contact with a part of the front surface of the conveyed object Pc in the conveyance direction Tr. 362.

Furthermore, the corner Pc1 of the front end of the bottom surface of the transported object Pc on the transport rail 20s side in the transport direction Tr is the upper surface of the rear corner 352 of the outer end of the support plate part 351 of the first transport support part 35 in the transport direction Tr. Supported by Thereby, the transported object Pc is held by the first transport shuttle 31 on the front side in the transport direction Tr.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the first conveyance shuttle 31 is located on the first straight section 201, the upper surface of the corner 352 of the support plate section 351 of the first conveyance support section 35 is flush with the upper surface of the carry-in conveyor 11. are arranged so that With this configuration, the corner Pc1 of the conveyed object Pc pushed by the pusher 13 is smoothly moved from the upper surface of the carry-in conveyor 11 to the upper surface of the rear corner 352 of the outer end of the support plate section 351 in the conveying direction Tr. You can move to.

Note that it is only necessary that the corner Pc1 of the transported object Pc can be smoothly moved from the upper surface of the carry-in conveyor 11 to the upper surface of the rear corner 352 of the outer end of the support plate section 351 in the transport direction Tr. For example, the upper surface of the corner 352 of the support plate section 351 of the first conveyance support section 35 is lower than the upper surface of the carry-in conveyor 11 to the extent that the posture of the conveyed object Pc does not collapse when the conveyed object Pc moves. You can.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the front side of the transported object Pc in the transport direction Tr is held by the first transport shuttle 31, the second transport support part 37 and the second transport engagement part 38 of the second transport shuttle 32 are , located behind the rear end of the transported object Pc in the transport direction Tr. By positioning the second transport shuttle 32 in this manner, the transported object Pc can be smoothly moved between the first transport engaging part 36 and the second transport engaging part 38.

After this, the control unit 600 accelerates the second transport shuttle 32. The rear part of the surface of the object Pc closer to the transport rail 20s comes into contact with the presser part 383. Thereby, the transported object Pc is positioned with respect to the second transport shuttle 32 in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction Tr. At this time, the contact surface 384 contacts a part of the rear surface of the transported object Pc in the transport direction Tr, and a part of the rear end of the surface of the transported object Pc opposite to the transport rail 20s in the transport direction Tr, It engages with the claw portion 382.

Further, a corner Pc2 of the bottom surface of the object to be transported Pc on the transport rail 20s side at the rear end in the transport direction Tr is a corner part 372 of the outer end of the support plate part 371 of the second transport support part 37 in the transport direction Tr. Supported on top.

When the second conveyance shuttle 32 is located on the first linear section 201, the upper surface of the corner 372 of the support plate section 371 of the second conveyance support section 37 is arranged to be flush with the upper surface of the carry-in conveyor 11. . With this configuration, the upper surface of the front corner 372 of the outer end of the support plate section 371 in the transport direction Tr can smoothly move to the corner Pc2 of the bottom surface of the object to be transported Pc. Note that it is only necessary that the corner portion Pc2 of the transported object Pc can be smoothly moved from the upper surface of the carry-in conveyor 11 to the upper surface of the corner portion 372 at the outer end of the support plate portion 371 on the front side in the conveyance direction Tr. For example, the upper surface of the corner 372 of the support plate section 371 of the second conveyance support section 37 is set lower than the upper surface of the carry-in conveyor 11 to the extent that the posture of the conveyed object Pc does not collapse when the conveyed object Pc moves. You can.

As described above, the object to be transported Pc is held on the rear side in the transport direction Tr by the second transport shuttle 32. That is, the transported object Pc is held by the first transport shuttle 31 on the front side in the transport direction Tr, and by the second transport shuttle 32 on the rear side.

As shown in FIG. 9, the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 holding the transported object Pc move along the transport rail 20s in the first linear section 201 of the transport loop section 2. As shown in FIG. On the other hand, the pusher 13 moves along a circular orbit Cr1. Therefore, as the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 move, the pusher 13 moves in a direction away from the transport rail 20s, that is, the object to be transported Pc.

The control unit 600 makes the moving speed of the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32, which hold the transported object Pc, faster than the moving speed of the pusher 13 in the transport direction Tr. This suppresses the transported objects Pc held by the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 from being pushed by the pusher 13 more than necessary. Therefore, problems such as deformation and damage of the transported object Pc can be suppressed.

Note that the first pushing part 131 of the pusher 13 is connected to the first transport upper arm 36U and the first transport lower arm 36L of the first transport engaging part 36, and the second transport upper arm 38U and the second transport arm 38U of the second transport engaging part 38. 2 is arranged in a shape and position that does not interfere with the lower transport arm 38L. Further, the second pushing part 132 of the pusher 13 is arranged in a shape and position so as not to interfere with the second upper transport arm 38U and the second lower transport arm 38L of the second transport engaging part 38.

As described above, in the transfer device 200 according to the present embodiment, the conveyed object Pc carried in by the carry-in conveyor 11 is held and conveyed by the first conveyance shuttle 31 and the second conveyance shuttle, which are held and conveyed from the front and back in the conveyance direction Tr. 32.

The transfer conveyor section 111 is formed to extend halfway down the first straight section 201 of the conveyance loop section 2 . Therefore, when the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 move forward in the transport direction Tr from the end of the transfer conveyor section 111, the bottom surface of the held object Pc is separated from the top surface of the carry-in conveyor 11. They are separated and supported by the corner 352 of the first transport support section 35 and the corner 372 of the second transport support section 37 .

The transported object Pc held by the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 is restricted from moving both forward and backward in the transport direction Tr and in directions perpendicular to the transport direction Tr. Therefore, it is possible to perform the process on the transported object Pc, here the straw pasting process by the straw pasting section 26, while transporting the transported object Pc. Thereby, the time required from manufacturing to shipping of the transported object Pc can be shortened.

In addition, since the first conveyance shuttle 31 and the second conveyance shuttle 32 carry out the conveyance while holding the conveyed object Pc in a state in which movement is restricted, the conveyance speed is increased compared to the case of conveyance using a belt conveyor or the like, for example. is possible. Furthermore, since the claw portions 362 and 382 engage with the outside, it is possible to suppress overturning and movement due to centrifugal force when transporting along the curved transport rail 20t. Therefore, the radius of curvature of the curved portion can be made smaller than in a configuration in which conveyance is performed using only a belt conveyor. Therefore, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in the layout of the transport and packaging device 100, and it is also possible to make the layout smaller than in a configuration in which transport is performed only by a belt conveyor.

<Delivery device 300>
Next, the delivery device 300 will be explained. As shown in FIG. 1, in the transporting and packaging device 100, the delivery device 300 is disposed downstream of the transfer device 200. The delivery device 300 shares a part of the transportation loop section 2 (here, the second linear section 202), the first transportation shuttle 31, and the second transportation shuttle 32 with the transfer device 200.

In the delivery device 300, the transferred object Pc is received from the first transfer shuttle 31 and second transfer shuttle 32 that move in the transfer loop section 2 to the first transfer shuttle 51 and second transfer shuttle 52 that move in the transfer loop section 4. passed on. The object Pc transferred to the first transfer shuttle 51 and the second transfer shuttle 52 moves along the transfer loop section 4 and is transferred to the next processing section, here, the transfer device 400.

As shown in FIG. 1, the delivery device 300 includes a transport loop part 2, a first transport shuttle 31, a second transport shuttle 32, a delivery loop part 4, a first delivery shuttle 51, and a second delivery shuttle 52. and has. The delivery device 300 is also controlled by the control unit 600. Details of the delivery device 300 will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that details of the transport loop portion 2, the first transport shuttle 31, and the second transport shuttle 32, which are common parts with the transfer device 200, are omitted.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 holding the object Pc while moving along the linear delivery rail 40s. FIG. 11 is a diagram of the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 shown in FIG. 10 viewed from the outside. FIG. 12 is a diagram of the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 viewed from the rear side in the transport direction Tr. FIG. 13 is a plan view of the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 holding the object Pc while moving along the linear delivery rail 40s.

<Delivery loop section 4>
The delivery loop portion 4 includes a delivery rail 40 and a delivery linear motor mechanism 44 (see FIGS. 12 and 21). The delivery loop portion 4 is formed into a loop shape by connecting both ends. The delivery loop part 4 includes a first straight part 401 and a second straight part 402 formed by a straight delivery rail 40s, and a first curved part 403 and a second curved part formed by a curved delivery rail 40t, respectively. 404 (see FIG. 1). The linear delivery rail 40s and the curved delivery rail 40t have the same configuration except for the presence or absence of curvature. Hereinafter, when a distinction is necessary, it will be displayed separately, and when a distinction is not necessary, it will be described as the delivery rail 40.

<Delivery rail 40>
As shown in FIG. 12, the delivery rail 40 includes a main rail 41, a grooved rail 42, and a flat rail 43. The delivery rail 40 has substantially the same configuration as the transport rail 20. Therefore, the correspondence between each part of the delivery rail 40 and each part of the transport rail 20 will be explained, and detailed explanation will be omitted. The main rail 41 of the delivery rail 40 corresponds to the main rail 21 of the transport rail 20. The grooved rail 42 of the delivery rail 40 corresponds to the grooved rail 22 of the transport rail 20. Further, the groove portion 421 of the grooved rail 42 corresponds to the groove portion 221 of the grooved rail 22. The gap 45 of the delivery rail 40 corresponds to the gap 25 of the transport rail 20.

The delivery loop portion 4 is formed into a loop shape by sequentially connecting a first straight portion 401, a first curved portion 403, a second straight portion 402, and a second curved portion 404.

As shown in FIG. 1, the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 move in a counterclockwise direction in plan view along the delivery rail 40. As shown in FIG. 1, in the delivery loop portion 4, a portion of the first straight portion 401 in the front direction in the conveyance direction Tr and a portion of the second straight portion 202 of the conveyance loop portion 2 in the rear direction in the conveyance direction Tr are connected to each other. They are arranged close to each other and in parallel.

As shown in FIG. 24, which will be described later, the outer surface of the delivery rail 40s of the first linear section 401 of the transfer loop section 4 and the outer surface of the transfer rail 20s of the second linear section 202 of the transfer loop section 2. are placed facing each other. A portion of the first straight section 201 of the transport loop section 2 that faces the first straight section 401 of the delivery loop section 4 is the transport straight section 205 .

Furthermore, the portion of the first straight section 401 of the delivery loop section 4 that faces the first straight section 201 of the transport loop section 2 is the delivery straight section 405 . As shown in FIG. 24, the conveyance linear section 205 and the delivery linear section 405 transfer the object Pc held by the first transfer shuttle 31 and the second transfer shuttle 32 to the first transfer shuttle 51 and the second transfer shuttle 52. However, it is placed at a distance that can be maintained.

Further, behind the first straight section 401 of the delivery loop section 4 in the transport direction Tr is a storage straight section 406 (see FIG. 1) that stores the transported object in the storage box Bx. A portion of the first linear section 401 between the accommodation linear section 406 and the delivery linear section 405 is a standby section where the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 wait.

<Delivery linear motor mechanism 44>
In the delivery loop portion 4, a plurality of first delivery shuttles 51 and the same number of second delivery shuttles 52 as the first delivery shuttles 51 are arranged alternately along the transport direction Tr. The delivery linear motor mechanism 44 (see FIGS. 12 and 21) is capable of independently driving each first delivery shuttle 51 and each second delivery shuttle 52.

The delivery linear motor mechanism 44 has the same configuration as the transport linear motor mechanism 24. That is, the delivery linear motor mechanism 44 has a coil 441, a magnet 442, and a linear driver 443 that correspond to the coil 241, magnet 242, and linear driver 243 of the transport linear motor mechanism 24. Linear driver 443 supplies appropriate current to each coil 441 based on instructions from control unit 600.

<First delivery shuttle 51 and second delivery shuttle 52>
Next, the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 that move along the delivery rail 40 of the delivery loop section 4 will be described. The first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 are arranged on the outer surface of the delivery rail 40 and are movable along the delivery rail 40 .

In the delivery device 300, the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 include a main body 50, an upper roller 53, and a lower roller 54 having a common configuration. Note that as long as the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 are movable along the conveyance rail 20, they may each have a main body, an upper roller, and a lower roller of different configurations.

First, common parts of the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 will be explained. The main body portion 50 corresponds to the main body portions 30 of the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 and has the same configuration. Therefore, detailed description of the main body portion 50 will be omitted. The main body section 50 has a convex section 501, an upper roller support section 502, and a lower roller support section 503 that correspond to the convex section 301, upper roller support section 302, and lower roller support section 303 of the main body section 30, respectively.

A magnet 442 of the delivery linear motor mechanism 44 is arranged in the main body 50 . Note that the magnet 442 is housed inside the main body 50 and faces the coil 441 arranged on the main rail 41 in a direction intersecting the transport direction Tr.

Further, in the main body portion 50, two upper rollers 53 and two lower rollers 54 are arranged apart from each other in the transport direction Tr and at different positions in the vertical direction. In the two upper rollers 53 of this embodiment, the front upper roller 53 (see FIG. 11) in the transport direction Tr is arranged on the upper side. Further, among the two lower rollers 54, the lower roller 54 on the front side in the transport direction Tr (see FIG. 11) is arranged on the lower side.

Next, the characteristic parts of the first delivery shuttle 51 will be explained. The first delivery shuttle 51 includes a first delivery support part 55 and a first delivery engagement part 56 attached to the main body part 50 . The first delivery support part 55 and the first delivery engagement part 56 extend outward from the main body part 50. It is screwed into a plurality of screw holes Sc2 (see FIG. 11) arranged vertically on the outer surface of the main body part 50.

The first delivery support part 55 is arranged below the first delivery engagement part 56. The first delivery support section 55 has a support section attachment section 550 and a support plate section 551. The support portion attachment portion 550 is fixed to the screw hole Sc2 of the main body portion 50 with a screw. The support plate portion 551 has a flat plate shape orthogonal to the support portion attachment portion 550. By fixing the support portion attachment portion 550 to the main body portion 50, the support plate portion 551 protrudes outward from the main body portion 50. The upper surface of the support plate portion 551 is a horizontal surface.

The support plate section 551 has a first rear support section 552 and a first front support section 553. The first rear support portion 552 extends rearward in the conveyance direction Tr from an arm main body 561 (described later) of the first delivery engagement portion 56 in a plan view. The length of the first rear support portion 552 from the arm body 561 to the rear end in the transport direction Tr is shorter than the length of the transported object Pc in the transport direction Tr.

The first front support portion 553 extends forward in the transport direction Tr from the arm body 561 in plan view. The length of the first front support portion 553 from the arm body 561 to the front end in the transport direction Tr is longer than the length of the object to be transported Pc in the transport direction Tr.

The first delivery engaging portion 56 has a first delivery upper arm 56U and a first delivery lower arm 56L. The first upper delivery arm 56U and the first lower delivery arm 56L are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction in the main body 50, but have the same shape. Here, substantially the same parts of the first upper delivery arm 56U and the first lower delivery arm 56L are given the same reference numerals. Further, the description will be given with reference to the first delivery upper arm 56U as a representative example.

As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the first delivery upper arm 56U includes an arm attachment portion 560, an arm main body 561, a rear claw portion 562, a front claw portion 563, a rear presser portion 564, and a front presser portion. 565, a rear contact surface 566, and a front contact surface 567. The arm attachment portion 560 is a plate-shaped member, and is fixed to the screw hole Sc2 of the main body portion 50 with a screw. The arm main body 561 has a flat plate shape orthogonal to the arm attachment portion 560. In plan view, the arm main body 561 is disposed to be shifted rearward in the transport direction Tr of the main body portion 50.

The rear claw portion 562 extends rearward in the transport direction Tr from the outer end of the arm body 561. The front claw portion 563 extends forward in the transport direction Tr from the outer end of the arm body 561. Note that the length of the front claw portion 563 in the conveyance direction Tr is longer than the length of the rear claw portion 562 in the conveyance direction Tr.

The rear presser portion 564 extends rearward in the transport direction Tr from the end of the arm body 561 on the side closer to the delivery rail 40. The front holding portion 565 extends forward in the transport direction Tr from the end of the arm body 561 on the side closer to the delivery rail 40. Note that the length of the front presser section 565 in the conveyance direction Tr is longer than the length of the rear presser section 564 in the conveyance direction Tr.

The rear contact surface 566 is the rear surface of the portion of the arm body 561 between the rear claw portion 562 and the rear presser portion 564 in the conveyance direction Tr. The rear contact surface 566 extends rearward in the transport direction Tr as it goes outward. Further, the front contact surface 567 is the front surface of the portion of the arm body 561 between the front claw portion 563 and the front holding portion 565 in the conveyance direction Tr. The front contact surface 567 extends forward in the transport direction Tr as it goes outward. In plan view, the angle of the rear contact surface 566 with respect to the conveyance direction Tr is larger than the angle of the front contact surface 567 with respect to the conveyance direction Tr. That is, the rear contact surface 566 extends at an angle closer to orthogonal to the conveyance direction Tr than the front contact surface 567.

Next, the characteristic parts of the second delivery shuttle 52 will be explained. The second delivery shuttle 52 has a second delivery support part 57 and a second delivery engagement part 58 attached to the main body part 50. The second delivery support part 57 and the second delivery engagement part 58 extend outward from the main body part 50. That is, it is screwed into a plurality of screw holes Sc2 (see FIG. 11) arranged vertically on the outer surface of the main body part 50.

The second delivery support section 57 is arranged below the second delivery engagement section 58 . The second delivery support section 57 includes a support section attachment section 570 and a support plate section 571. The support portion attachment portion 570 is fixed to the screw hole Sc2 of the main body portion 50 with a screw. The support plate portion 571 has a flat plate shape orthogonal to the support portion attachment portion 570. By fixing the support portion attachment portion 570 to the main body portion 50, the support plate portion 571 protrudes outward from the main body portion 50. The upper surface of the support plate portion 571 is a horizontal surface.

The support plate portion 571 has a second front support portion 572 and a second rear support portion 573. The second front support portion 572 extends forward in the conveyance direction Tr from an arm body 581 (described later) of the second delivery engagement portion 58 in plan view. The length of the second front support portion 572 from the arm body 581 to the front end in the transport direction Tr is shorter than the length of the object to be transported Pc in the transport direction Tr.

The second rear support portion 573 extends rearward in the transport direction Tr from the arm body 581 in plan view. The length of the second rear support portion 573 from the arm body 581 to the rear end in the transport direction Tr is longer than the length of the object to be transported Pc in the transport direction Tr.

The second delivery engaging portion 58 includes a second upper delivery arm 58U and a second lower delivery arm 58L. The second upper delivery arm 58U and the second lower delivery arm 58L are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction in the main body 50, but have the same shape. Here, substantially the same parts of the second upper delivery arm 58U and the second lower delivery arm 58L are given the same reference numerals. Further, the description will be given with reference to the second delivery upper arm 58U as a representative example.

As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the second delivery upper arm 58U includes an arm attachment portion 580, an arm main body 581, a front claw portion 582, a rear claw portion 583, a front holding portion 584, and a rear holding portion. 585, a front contact surface 586, and a rear contact surface 587. The arm attachment portion 580 is a plate-shaped member, and is fixed to the screw hole Sc2 of the main body portion 50 with a screw. The arm main body 581 has a flat plate shape orthogonal to the arm attachment portion 580. In plan view, the arm main body 581 is disposed shifted forward in the transport direction Tr of the main body portion 50.

The front claw portion 582 extends forward in the transport direction Tr from the outer end of the arm body 581. The rear claw portion 583 extends rearward in the transport direction Tr from the outer end of the arm body 581. Note that the length of the rear claw portion 583 in the conveyance direction Tr is longer than the length of the front claw portion 582 in the conveyance direction Tr.

The front presser portion 584 extends forward in the transport direction Tr from the end of the arm body 581 on the side closer to the delivery rail 40. The rear presser portion 585 extends rearward in the transport direction Tr from the end of the arm body 581 on the side closer to the delivery rail 40. Note that the length of the rear presser portion 585 in the conveyance direction Tr is longer than the length of the front presser portion 584 in the conveyance direction Tr.

The front contact surface 586 is the front surface of the portion of the arm body 581 between the front claw portion 582 and the front holding portion 584 in the conveyance direction Tr. The front contact surface 586 extends forward in the transport direction Tr as it goes outward. Further, the rear contact surface 587 is a rear surface of a portion of the arm body 581 between the rear claw portion 583 and the rear presser portion 585 in the conveyance direction Tr. The rear contact surface 587 extends rearward in the transport direction Tr as it goes outward. In plan view, the angle of the front contact surface 586 with respect to the conveyance direction Tr is larger than the angle of the rear contact surface 587 with respect to the conveyance direction Tr. That is, the front contact surface 586 extends at an angle closer to orthogonal to the conveying direction Tr than the rear contact surface 587.

<First holding state St1>
Next, the holding of the transported object Pc by the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 will be explained. First, the holding of the transported object Pc by the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 when disposed on the linear delivery rail 40s will be described. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the first delivery shuttle 51 holds the front part of the object Pc in the transport direction Tr, and the second delivery shuttle 52 holds the rear part of the object Pc in the transport direction Tr.

The control unit 600 is capable of changing the relative positions of the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 while being attached to the transport rail 40 .

The rear claw portion 562 of the first delivery engaging portion 56 engages with a portion of the front end of the surface of the object Pc opposite to the delivery rail 40. Similarly, the rear holding portion 564 engages with a part of the front end of the surface of the conveyed object Pc on the delivery rail 40 side. The outer end of the rear contact surface 566 contacts the outer end of the front surface of the object Pc in the transport direction Tr. Note that a gap is formed on the rear presser portion 564 side of the rear contact surface 566.

Similarly, the front claw portion 582 of the second delivery engaging portion 58 engages with a portion of the rear end of the surface of the object Pc opposite to the delivery rail 40. Similarly, the front presser portion 584 engages with a portion of the rear end of the surface of the conveyed object Pc on the delivery rail 40 side. The outer end of the front contact surface 586 contacts the outer end of the rear surface of the object Pc in the transport direction Tr. Note that a gap is formed on the front presser portion 584 side of the front contact surface 586.

In a state where the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 are holding the object Pc, the corner Pc1 on the delivery rail 40 side of the front end in the transport direction Tr of the bottom surface of the object Pc is connected to the support plate portion 551. It is supported by the first rear support part 552 of. Further, a corner Pc2 of the bottom surface of the object Pc on the delivery rail 40 side at the rear end in the transport direction Tr is supported by the second front support part 572 of the support plate part 571.

As shown in FIG. 13, the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 in the first holding state St1 holding the transported object Pc are movable along the curved delivery rail 40t. The control unit 600 makes the distance in the direction along the delivery rail 40t of the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 on the curved delivery rail 40t shorter than when they are on the straight delivery rail 40s. Control.

By controlling in this way, the distance in the transport direction Tr of the distance between the outer ends of the arm main body 561 and the arm main body 581 is shortened, and the rear claw part 562 and the front claw part 582 are connected to the transfer rail of the transported object Pc. It can engage with a portion of the front end and a portion of the rear end of the surface opposite to 40t. Therefore, the transported object Pc can be firmly held by the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 that move along the curved delivery rail 40t.

Further, since the rear claw portion 562 and the front claw portion 582 are configured to engage with a part of the surface of the conveyed object Pc on the opposite side to the delivery rail 40t, when moving along the curved delivery rail 40t, The generated centrifugal force can be received by the rear claw portion 562 and the front claw portion 582. Thereby, even when the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 move along the curved delivery rail 40t, it is possible to suppress the transported object Pc from jumping out or falling.

As described above, the state in which one object to be transported Pc is held with the first delivery shuttle 51 disposed at the front in the transport direction Tr and the second delivery shuttle 52 at the rear in the transport direction Tr is referred to as the first holding state. Let it be St1. In other words, the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 hold one object Pc in the first holding state St1.

As shown in FIG. 10, by arranging the first delivery shuttle 51 at the front and the second delivery shuttle 52 at the rear in the transport direction Tr, one object to be transported Pc is held. FIG. 14 is a plan view showing a state in which two objects Pc lined up in the transport direction Tr are being transported.

As shown in FIG. 14, the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 in the first holding state St1 can also hold two transported objects Pc lined up in the transport direction Tr. Although the front side in the transport direction Tr is distinguished as the transported object Pca, and the rear side is the transported object Pcb, they have the same configuration.

A corner Pca1 of the front end of the bottom surface of the object Pca on the side closer to the delivery rail 40 in the transport direction Tr is supported by the first rear support portion 552 of the first delivery shuttle 51. Similarly, the corner Pcb2 of the bottom surface of the object Pcb on the side closer to the delivery rail 40 at the rear end in the transport direction Tr is supported by the second front support portion 572 of the second delivery shuttle 52. At this time, a force is applied to the transported object Pca so that the upper part falls backward in the transport direction Tr, and a force is applied to the transported object Pcb so that the upper part falls forward in the transport direction Tr. However, since the object Pca and the object Pcb are placed in contact with each other in the front and back, the forces acting on each object cancel each other out, so that the object Pca and the object Pcb are stably held.

As described above, the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 hold two transported objects Pc lined up in the transport direction Tr in the first holding state St1.

<Second holding state St2>
Next, the holding of three objects Pc lined up in the transport direction Tr by the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 15 shows a state in which the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 holding three transported objects Pca, Pcb, and Pcc lined up in the transport direction Tr are moving along the linear delivery rail 40s. FIG. FIG. 16 is a diagram of the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 shown in FIG. 15 viewed from the outside. FIG. 17 shows a state in which the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 holding three transported objects Pca, Pcb, and Pcc lined up in the transport direction Tr are moving along a linear delivery rail 40s. FIG.

In the following explanation, the transported objects Pc lined up in the transport direction Tr will be explained as follows: the frontmost object in the transport direction Tr is the transported object Pca, the rearmost object is the transported object Pcb, and the center is the transported object Pcc. do.

First, a description will be given of how the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 hold the three objects Pca, Pcb, and Pcc when they are arranged on the linear delivery rail 40s. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the first transfer shuttle 51 transfers the rearmost object Pcb in the transfer direction Tr to the rearmost object Pcb in the transfer direction Tr, and the second transfer shuttle 52 transfers the frontmost object Pcb in the transfer direction Tr The front part of Pca in the transport direction Tr is held respectively.

The front claw portion 563 of the first delivery engaging portion 56 engages with a part of the rear end of the rearmost object Pcb on the side opposite to the delivery rail 40. Similarly, the front presser portion 565 engages with a part of the rear end of the surface of the rearmost transported object Pcb on the delivery rail 40 side. The outer end of the front contact surface 567 contacts the outer end of the rear surface of the rearmost object Pcb in the transport direction Tr. A gap is formed on the front presser portion 565 side of the front contact surface 567.

Similarly, the rear claw part 583 of the second delivery engaging part 58 engages with a part of the front end of the surface opposite to the delivery rail 40 of the forwardmost transported object Pca in the transport direction Tr. Further, the rear presser portion 585 engages with a part of the front end of the surface of the transfer rail 40 side of the forwardmost transported object Pca in the transport direction Tr. The outer end of the front contact surface 586 contacts the outer end of the front surface in the transport direction Tr of the forwardmost transported object Pca in the transport direction Tr. A gap is formed on the rear presser portion 585 side of the rear contact surface 587.

In a state where the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 hold the transported object Pc, both corners Pcb1, Pcb2 of the bottom surface of the rearmost transported object Pcb on the delivery rail 40 side in the transport direction Tr and A rear corner Pcc2 of the bottom surface of the central object to be transported Pcc on the delivery rail 40 side in the transport direction Tr is supported by the first front support part 553 of the support plate part 551. Further, both corners Pca1 and Pca2 of the bottom surface of the forwardmost transported object Pca in the transport direction Tr on the delivery rail 40 side, and the rear corner of the bottom surface of the central transported object Pcc on the delivery rail 40 side in the transport direction Tr. Pcc1 is supported by the second rear support portion 573 of the support plate portion 571.

As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the first delivery shuttle 51 is held from the front in the transport direction Tr, and the second delivery shuttle 52 is held from the rear in the transport direction Tr, holding three objects Pca, Pcb, and Pcc. is set to the second holding state St2. When the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 are in the second holding state St2, they can hold three objects arranged in line in the transport direction Tr.

As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 in the second holding state St2 hold three transported objects Pca, Pcb, and Pcc lined up in the transport direction Tr.

The front portion of the most forward conveyed object Pca in the conveyance direction Tr is engaged with the second delivery engaging portion 58 of the second delivery shuttle 52 . Further, the bottom surface of the object to be transported Pca is supported by the second delivery support section 57 of the second delivery shuttle 52.

The rear end of the most rear transported object Pcb in the transport direction Tr is engaged with the first delivery engaging portion 56 of the first delivery shuttle 51 . Further, the bottom surface of the object to be transported Pcb is supported by the first delivery support section 55 of the first delivery shuttle 51.

The bottom surface of the object Pcc at the center in the transport direction Tr is supported by the first delivery support section 55 of the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery support section 57 of the second delivery shuttle 52. Further, the front surface of the transported object Pcc in the transport direction Tr is held by friction with the rear surface of the transported object Pca, and the rear surface is held by friction with the front surface of the transported object Pcb.

Thereby, the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 in the second holding state St2 can hold the three objects Pca, Pcb, and Pcc.

Further, as shown in FIG. 17, the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 in the second holding state St2 holding the three objects Pca, Pcb, and Pcc move along the curved delivery rail 40t. It is possible to move. The control unit 600 makes the distance in the direction along the delivery rail 40t of the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 on the curved delivery rail 40t shorter than when they are on the straight delivery rail 40s. Control.

By controlling in this manner, the distance in the transport direction Tr between the outer ends of the arm main body 561 and the arm main body 581 can be shortened. As a result, the front claw part 563 grips a part of the rear end of the conveyance direction Tr of the object Pcb on the opposite side to the delivery rail 40t, and the rear claw part 583 grips a part of the rear end of the conveyance direction Tr of the object Pca on the opposite side to the delivery rail 40t. Can engage part of the front edge of the surface.

By controlling in this manner, the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 perform curved delivery while holding the three objects Pca, Pcb, and Pcc in the second holding state St2. It is movable along the rail 40t. Note that the force in the direction intersecting the conveyance direction Tr of the conveyed object Pcc at the center of the conveyance direction Tr is received by the frictional force between the conveyed object Pca and the conveyed object Pcb. Therefore, the control unit 600 changes the transport speed of the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 in the second holding state St2 holding the three objects Pca, Pcb, and Pcc to the central object Pcc. Set so that the acting centrifugal force does not exceed the above-mentioned frictional force.

<Holding 4 objects>
Next, the holding of the four transported objects Pc lined up in the transport direction Tr by the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 18 shows the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 holding four objects Pca, Pcb, Pcd, and Pce lined up in the transport direction Tr, moving along the linear delivery rail 40s. FIG. FIG. 19 is a diagram of the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 shown in FIG. 18 viewed from the outside. FIG. 20 shows the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 holding four objects Pca, Pcb, Pcd, and Pce lined up in the transport direction Tr, moving along the curved delivery rail 40t. FIG.

Hereinafter, the transported objects Pc lined up in the transport direction Tr will be described as follows: the frontmost transported object Pca in the transport direction Tr, the rearmost transported object Pcb, and the transported object Pc adjacent to the rear side of the transported object Pca, as necessary. The following description will be made assuming that the object to be transported is Pcd, and the object adjacent to the front side of the object to be transported Pcb is the object to be transported Pce.

As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the first delivery shuttle 51 carries the rearmost object Pcb in the transport direction Tr, and the second delivery shuttle 52 carries the most forward object Pcb in the transport direction Tr. Each of the front parts of the object Pca in the transport direction Tr is held. Note that the holding of the object to be transported Pcb by the first delivery shuttle 51 and the holding of the object to be transported Pca by the second delivery shuttle 52 are the same as in the case of three objects, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

In a state where the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 are holding the object Pc, both corners Pcb1 and Pcb2 of the bottom surface of the object Pcb on the delivery rail 40 side and the bottom surface of the object Pce are A rear corner Pce2 of the transfer rail 40 side in the transport direction Tr is supported by the first front support portion 553 of the support plate portion 551. Further, both corner portions Pca1 and Pca2 of the bottom surface of the conveyed object Pca on the delivery rail 40 side and corner portion Pcd1 of the bottom surface of the conveyed object Pcd on the transfer rail 40 side in the forward direction Tr are the second corner of the support plate portion 571. It is supported by a rear support section 573.

The front side of the bottom surface of the object to be transported Pcd is supported by the second rear support section 573, and the rear side of the bottom surface of the object to be transported Pce is supported by the first front support section 553. Therefore, a force that causes the upper part of the object to be transported Pcd to tilt rearward in the transport direction Tr acts on the transported object Pcd. Further, a force that causes the upper part of the object to be transported Pce to tilt forward in the transport direction Tr acts on the object to be transported Pce. The conveyed object Pcd and the conveyed object Pce cancel each other out by receiving forces acting on each other. Therefore, the transported object Pcd and the transported object Pce are mutually supported in the transport direction Tr. In addition, due to the configuration in which the transported objects Pcd and the transported objects Pcd are arranged side by side, the frictional force between the transported objects Pca and the transported objects Pcd and the frictional force between the transported objects Pcb and the transported objects Pce are used to move the objects outward. Movement is restricted.

Therefore, the control unit 600 adjusts the transport speeds of the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 in the second holding state St2 holding the four objects Pca, Pcb, Pcd, and Pce to the objects Pcd, Pcd, and Pce. The setting is made so that the centrifugal force acting on Pce does not exceed the above-mentioned frictional force.

Thereby, the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 in the second holding state St2 can hold the four objects Pca, Pcb, Pcd, and Pce.

Further, as shown in FIG. 20, the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 in the second holding state St2 holding the four objects Pca, Pcb, Pcd, and Pce have a curved delivery rail 40t. can be moved along. The control unit 600 performs the same control as when holding three objects to be transported.

The first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 are movable along the curved delivery rail 40t while holding the four objects Pca, Pcb, Pcd, and Pce in the second holding state St2. be.

<Delivery of transported object Pc>
The transport and packaging device 100 executes a plurality of processes until the transported object Pc is stored in the storage box Bx. Due to the layout of the processing equipment and differences in the processing time of each processing equipment, for example, if all the processing equipment is placed on one conveyance path using a belt conveyor, linear motor mechanism, etc., the installation space will be severely restricted. Or the time required to complete the work may be longer. Therefore, in the transport and packaging device 100, the transfer device 300 is used to transfer the transported objects Pc, and the transport route is switched, thereby increasing the efficiency of installation space and processing. Hereinafter, switching of the transport route of the transported object Pc in the delivery device 300 will be explained with reference to the drawings. Here, the conveyance path is a conveyance path along the conveyance loop section 2 and a conveyance path along the delivery loop section 4.

FIG. 21 is a diagram of the first transport shuttle 31, the second transport shuttle 32, the first delivery shuttle 51, and the second delivery shuttle 52 viewed from the rear in the transport direction Tr. FIG. 22 is a plan view showing a state in which the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 are moving while holding the transported object Pc.

FIG. 23 is a plan view showing a state in which the second delivery shuttle 52 holds the rear part of the object Pc in the transport direction Tr. FIG. 24 is a plan view of a state in which the first transfer shuttle 51 and the second transfer shuttle 52 hold the object Pc held by the first transfer shuttle 31 and the second transfer shuttle 32.

FIG. 25 is a plan view showing a state in which the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 hold the object Pc. FIG. 26 is a plan view showing a state in which the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 holding the transported object Pc are moving along the first curved portion 403.

As shown in FIG. 21, the conveyance linear section 205 and the delivery linear section 405 are arranged parallel to each other and with their outer surfaces facing each other. The first conveyance engaging portion 36 of the first conveyance shuttle 31 and the second conveyance engaging portion 38 of the second conveyance shuttle 32 are located in the conveyance straight section 205, and the The first delivery engaging portion 56 and the second delivery engaging portion 58 of the second delivery shuttle 52 partially overlap.

As shown in FIG. 21, in the vertical direction, the first upper transport arm 36U and the first lower transport arm 36L are arranged below the first upper delivery arm 56U and the first lower delivery arm 56L, respectively. Further, in the vertical direction, the second upper transport arm 38U and the second lower transport arm 38L are arranged above the second upper delivery arm 58U and the second lower delivery arm 58L, respectively.

In this way, since the arms of each engaging portion are arranged vertically shifted, the transported object Pc held by the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 is transferred between the first transfer shuttle 51 and the second transport shuttle 32. When held by the second delivery shuttle 52, contact and interference between the first transport engaging portion 36 and the first delivery engaging portion 56 are suppressed, and the second transport engaging portion 38 and the second delivery engaging portion 58 are suppressed. contact with and interference with is suppressed.

Also, the upper surface of the first transport support part 35 of the first transport shuttle 31, the upper surface of the second transport support part 37 of the second transport shuttle 32, the upper surface of the first delivery support part 55 of the first delivery shuttle 51, and the upper surface of the second delivery support part 35 of the first delivery shuttle 31, The upper surface of the second transfer support section 57 of the shuttle 52 is flush with the upper surface. Therefore, by bringing the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 close to the transported object Pc held by the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32, the first delivery support part 55 and the The second delivery support section 57 can smoothly support the bottom surface of the transported object Pc.

In this embodiment, the first conveyance engaging part 36 and the second delivery engaging part 58, and the second conveying engaging part 38 and the first delivery engaging part 56 are also vertically shifted. Therefore, the first transfer shuttle 31 and the second transfer shuttle 32 do not come into contact with or interfere with the first transfer shuttle 51 and the second transfer shuttle 52, respectively. Therefore, for example, when performing an adjustment operation for starting operation at the start of work, when performing maintenance, etc., when the transported object Pc is not transferred, the control unit 600 controls the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32. , the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 can be independently controlled.

The conveyed object Pc is transferred while the first conveyance shuttle 31 and the second conveyance shuttle 32 are moving on the conveyance linear section 205. In FIG. 22, the transport direction Tr of the transported object Pc is from left to right.

As shown in FIG. 1 , in the conveyance loop section 2 , the boundary between the first curved section 203 and the second straight section 202 faces the intermediate section of the first straight section 401 of the delivery loop section 4 . Therefore, before the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 holding the object to be transported Pc move to the second linear section 202, the control unit 600 moves the first delivery shuttle 51 against the transport linear section 205. move to position.

As shown in FIG. 22, when the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 holding the object to be transported Pc enter the transport straight section 205, the control unit 600 controls the forward direction of the transport object Pc in the transport direction Tr. The first delivery shuttle 51 is controlled to be placed at the rear, and the second delivery shuttle 52 is placed at the rear. Note that in the present embodiment, the control unit 600 moves the first transfer shuttle 31 and the second transfer shuttle 32 at a constant speed, and moves the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second transfer shuttle 52 in the transfer direction Tr. At the same time, it is controlled to approach the transported object Pc. Note that the control by the control unit 600 is not limited to the above, and the first delivery shuttle 51 is placed behind the transported object Pc held by the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32, and the second delivery shuttle is 52 can be widely adopted.

Then, as shown in FIG. 23, the control unit 600 causes the second delivery shuttle 52 to approach the object to be transported Pc, and the second delivery shuttle 52 holds the rear part of the object to be transported Pc in the transport direction Tr. At this time, the control unit 600 may accelerate the second delivery shuttle 52 or may decelerate the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32. Alternatively, it may be both.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 24, the control unit 600 causes the first delivery shuttle 51 to approach the object Pc, and the first delivery shuttle 51 holds the front part of the object Pc in the transport direction Tr. At this time, the control unit 600 may decelerate the first delivery shuttle 51, or may accelerate the first transfer shuttle 31, the second transfer shuttle 32, and the second transfer shuttle 52. Moreover, both may be sufficient.

As shown in FIG. 25, the transported object Pc is held by the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32, and is also held by the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 in the first holding state St1. Ru. At this time, the control unit 600 may accelerate the first transport shuttle 31 or may decelerate the first delivery shuttle 51, the second delivery shuttle 52, and the second transport shuttle 32. Alternatively, it may be both.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 26, the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 in the first holding state St1 move to the first curved portion 403. As a result, the rear part of the transported object Pc in the transport direction Tr is separated from the second transport shuttle 32. At this time, the control unit 600 may decelerate the second transport shuttle 32 to forcibly separate the second transport shuttle 32 from the rear part of the transported object Pc in the transport direction Tr, or the first delivery shuttle 51 may The second delivery shuttle 52 may also be accelerated. Alternatively, it may be both.

As described above, in the delivery device 300, the transported object Pc held by the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 that move through the transport loop section 2 is transferred to the first transport shuttle that moves through the delivery loop section 4. 51 and a second transfer shuttle 52 .

Further, there are cases where the transported object Pc held by the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 is not delivered to the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the transported object Pc held by the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32 is connected to This is a case of delivering to conveyor Cc. The connecting conveyor Cc is connected to, for example, a shrink device (not shown). The connection conveyor Cc transports a plurality of objects, in this case three objects Pc, to the shrink device in a state where they are closely arranged.

In a shrinking device (not shown), a shrinking process is performed in which the objects to be transported Pc arranged side by side are entirely covered with, for example, a transparent resin film. In addition, in the transportation and packaging apparatus 100, a shrinking process is performed as necessary. Although the connection conveyor Cc has been shown as an example in which it is connected to a shrink device (not shown), the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be connected to a processing device that performs other processing such as printing processing and inspection processing.

By using the delivery device 300 in this way, the object to be transported Pc can be moved along different loops by changing hands. Thereby, the conveyance direction of the conveyed object Pc can be turned around multiple times. Thereby, the degree of freedom in the layout of the transportation and packaging device 100 can be increased. Furthermore, from this, the installation area of the transporting and packaging device 100 can be reduced, thereby realizing cost reduction of the transporting and packaging device 100.

<Handling device 400>
As shown in FIG. 1, in the transporting and packaging device 100, a transfer device 400 is disposed downstream of the delivery device 300. The transfer device 400 shares a part of the transfer loop portion 4 (here, the second linear portion 402), the first transfer shuttle 51, and the second transfer shuttle 52 with the transfer device 300.

In the transfer device 400, the first transfer shuttle 51 and the second transfer shuttle 52 that move through the transfer loop section 4 transfer the transferred objects Pc one by one to a predetermined number (hereinafter described as four). , held together. That is, the rehandling device 400 performs a rehandling process in order to collect the transported objects Pc, which are transported one by one, into a number suitable for storage in the storage box Bx.

FIG. 27 is a plan view of the main parts of the holding device 400. FIG. 28 is an enlarged plan view showing the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 when delivering the transported object Pc to the transfer conveyor 6. FIG. 29 is an enlarged front view of the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 in the first proximity area 407. FIG. 30 is a plan view showing a state in which transported objects Pc are accumulated. FIG. 31 is a plan view of the state in which four objects to be conveyed on the transfer conveyor 6 are held in the second holding state. FIG. 32 is a front view of a state in which four objects to be transported are held.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 27, the transfer device 400 includes a transfer loop section 4, a first transfer shuttle 51, a second transfer shuttle 52, and a transfer conveyor 6. The holding device 400 is also controlled by the control unit 600. Hereinafter, details of the holding device 400 will be explained with reference to the drawings. Note that the details of the delivery loop portion 4, the first delivery shuttle 51, and the second delivery shuttle 52, which are common parts with the delivery device 300, are omitted.

The transfer conveyor 6 of the transfer device 400 is arranged along the second straight section 402 of the delivery loop section 4 . The conveyance direction Tr of the conveyed object Pc by the transfer conveyor 6 is the same as the conveyance direction Tr of the conveyed object Pc in the second straight section 402 of the delivery loop section 4. In other words, the transport direction Tr in the transfer device 400 is from right to left as shown in FIG. 27 .

The transfer conveyor 6 is a top chain conveyor, and has a first proximal part 61, a second proximal part 62, and a separating part 63. In the transfer conveyor 6, the first proximal part 61, the separating part 63, and the second proximal part 62 are successively arranged in this order in the conveyance direction Tr. As shown in FIG. 2, the transfer conveyor 6 has a conveyor motor 60. Conveyor motor 60 is connected to control section 600. Conveyor motor 60 controls transfer conveyor 6 based on instructions from control section 600. Control of the transfer conveyor 6 includes, for example, starting, stopping, controlling the conveyance speed, etc., but is not limited thereto.

As shown in FIG. 27, the first proximal portion 61 is linear and arranged parallel to the second linear portion 402 of the delivery loop portion 4. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 27 and 28, the first proximity section 61 can receive the transported object Pc held by the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 that move on the second linear section 402. The delivery rail 40s is relatively close to the linear delivery rail 40s. The first proximal portion 61 and the delivery rail 40s of the second linear portion 402 facing the first proximal portion 61 constitute a first proximate region 407.

Furthermore, a curved portion 64 curved in a direction away from the linear delivery rail 40s is arranged in front of the first proximal portion 61 in the transport direction Tr. The separating portion 63 is arranged in front of the curved portion 64 in the conveying direction Tr. The spacing section 63 is linear and arranged parallel to the second linear section 402 of the delivery loop section 4 . As shown in FIG. 27, the separating section 63 is linear, for example, and the conveyed object Pc moves on the upper part of the separating section 63, and the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle move on the second linear section 402. 52 and are spaced apart, for example, substantially parallel to the second straight portion 402 of the delivery loop portion 4 so as not to contact with each other. The spacing portion 63 and the delivery rail 40s of the second straight portion 402 facing the spacing portion 63 constitute a spacing region 409.

A curved portion 65 that is curved in a direction approaching the linear delivery rail 40s is arranged in front of the separating portion 63 in the transport direction Tr. The second proximal portion 62 is arranged in front of the curved portion 65 in the transport direction Tr. The second proximal portion 62 is linear and arranged parallel to the second linear portion 402 of the delivery loop portion 4 . As shown in FIGS. 27 and 30, the second proximal portion 62 is linear enough to allow the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 moving on the second linear portion 402 to hold the transported object Pc. approach the delivery rail 40s. The first proximal portion 61 and the delivery rail 40s of the second linear portion 402 facing the first proximal portion 61 constitute a second proximate region 408.

Next, the transfer of objects to be transported in the transfer device 400 will be explained. In the delivery device 300, the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 receive one object Pc from the first transport shuttle 31 and the second transport shuttle 32.

As shown in FIGS. 27 and 28, the control unit 600 moves the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 holding one object Pc in the first holding state St1 to the first proximity area 407. Let it enter. At this time, the objects Pc held by the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 are located above the transfer conveyor 6. To explain in detail, in the first proximity area 407, the transfer conveyor 6 supports the first transfer support section 55 of the first transfer shuttle 51 holding the object Pc and the second transfer support section 57 of the second transfer shuttle 52. It is located at the bottom (see Figure 29).

In the first proximity area 407, the control unit 600 moves the first delivery shuttle 51 away from the object Pc toward the front in the transport direction Tr, and moves the second delivery shuttle 52 away from the object Pc toward the rear in the transport direction Tr. control. As a result, the objects Pc held by the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 fall onto the top of the transfer conveyor 6 (see FIG. 28).

For example, when the transported object Pc falls, the control section 600 controls the first delivery support section 55, the first delivery engaging section 56, the second delivery support section 57, and the second delivery engaging section 58 to move the transported object Pc. The first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 are controlled so as to maintain the posture of the object Pc by contacting the side surface of the object Pc. Thereby, the control unit 600 can control the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 so that the attitude of the transported object Pc with respect to the transfer conveyor 6 does not change. Note that if the attitude of the transported object Pc does not change, it may be simply dropped.

The control unit 600 sequentially controls the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 holding the object Pc that has reached the first proximity area 407 in the same manner as described above. As a result, all the transported objects Pc are sequentially placed on the transfer conveyor 6.

As shown in FIG. 27, the conveyed objects Pc sequentially placed on the transfer conveyor 6 in the first proximity area 407 are conveyed by the transfer conveyor 6. The control unit 600 moves the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52, which have released the object Pc, in the transport direction Tr in synchronization with the transport of the object Pc. Thereby, the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 can move in the delivery loop section 4 without interfering with the conveyed object Pc being conveyed by the transfer conveyor 6.

After the transported object Pc reaches the curved portion 64 and moves to a position where it does not interfere with the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52, the control unit 600 controls the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52. is accelerated and moved to the separation area 409. The control unit 600 causes the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 to wait in the separation area 409. Note that during the above-described standby, the control unit 600 may stop the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 in the separation area 409, or may move them slowly.

The control unit 600 stops the second delivery shuttle 52 located furthest in the transport direction Tr among the second delivery shuttles 52 waiting in the separation area 409 in the second proximity area 408 (see FIG. 30). As shown in FIGS. 30, 32, etc., when in the second proximity area 408, the first delivery support section 55 of the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery support section 57 of the second delivery shuttle 52 are connected to the transfer conveyor. It is arranged below the upper surface of 6.

By stopping the second delivery shuttle 52 in the second proximity area 408, the second delivery engaging portion 58 of the second delivery shuttle 52 is transported by the transfer conveyor 6 so that it is in the second holding state St2. Receives the transported object Pc. The conveyed objects Pc are sequentially conveyed by the transfer conveyor 6. The objects to be transported Pc are sequentially accumulated in the transport direction Tr by the second transfer engaging portion 58 (see FIG. 30).

Then, after the fourth conveyed object Pc accumulated by the second delivery engagement section 58 passes through the curved section 65, the control section 600 controls the first delivery shuttle 51 waiting in the separation area 409. The first delivery shuttle 51 located furthest forward in the transport direction Tr is moved in the transport direction Tr. The control unit 600 controls the first delivery engaging portion 56 of the first delivery shuttle 51 to the rear part in the transport direction Tr of the transported object Pcb which is the rearmost transport object Pcb of the four transport objects adjacent to the transport direction Tr. to engage. As a result, as shown in FIG. 31, the front and rear ends of the four objects Pca, Pcb, Pcd, and Pce are engaged with the second delivery engaging portion 58 and the first delivery engaging portion 56. be done.

As shown in FIG. 32, in the second proximity area 408, the first delivery support part 55 of the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery support part 57 of the second delivery shuttle 52 are located below the transfer conveyor 6. ing. Therefore, while in the second proximity area 408, the first delivery engaging part 56 and the second delivery engaging part 58 are in the second holding state, and the four objects Pca, Pcb, Pcd, Pce is supported from below by the transfer conveyor 6. Note that the control unit 600 moves the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 from the second straight section 402 to the second curved section 404 .

The first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 move along the curved delivery rail 40t. The curved delivery rail 40t is arranged so as to gradually move away from the transfer conveyor 6. Therefore, the four conveyed objects Pca, Pcb, Pcd, and Pce are pulled by the second delivery engagement section 58 and the first delivery engagement section 56, and are displaced from the transfer conveyor 6.

As a result, among the four objects Pca, Pcb, Pcd, and Pce, the bottom surfaces of the objects Pca and Pcd are supported by the second delivery support section 57, and the objects Pcb and Pce are supported by the second delivery support section 57. The bottom surfaces of are supported by the first delivery support portions 55, respectively. As a result, the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 hold the four objects Pca, Pcb, Pcd, and Pce in the second holding state St2.

The first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 holding the four objects to be transported Pca, Pcb, Pcd, and Pce move from the second curved part 404 to the storage straight part behind the first straight part 401 in the transport direction Tr. Move to 406. The accommodation straight section 406 is also a part of the packaging device 500 that is a downstream process of the transfer device 400.

Note that in the first proximity area 407, one set of the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 holding one object Pc is replaced with one set of the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 in the second proximity area 408. The first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 hold a plurality of objects (four in the above example) to be transported Pc. Therefore, there are pairs (three pairs in the above example) of the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 that do not hold the transported object Pc, but it is necessary to prevent these from staying in the separated area 409. , it may be flowed downstream from the second proximal region 408 as appropriate.

As described above, in the transfer device 400, it is possible to collectively rehold four transported objects Pc that are transported one by one by the combination of the same first delivery shuttle 51 and second delivery shuttle 52. becomes. Note that it is also possible to hold three pieces by a similar operation. Further, by stopping the first delivery shuttle 51 in the second proximity area 408, it is possible to hold and transport two objects in the first holding state St1.

Further, the downstream side of the connecting conveyor Cc in the conveying direction Tr may be connected to the upstream side of the transfer conveyor 6. In this case, the transfer conveyor 6 transports a plurality of shrinked objects. At this time, the transferred object Pc is not transferred from the first transfer shuttle 31 and the second transfer shuttle 32 to the first transfer shuttle 51 and the second transfer shuttle 52 in the transfer device 300 . Therefore, the control unit 600 does not perform the operation of transferring the object Pc from the first transfer shuttle 51 and the second transfer shuttle 52 to the transfer conveyor 6 in the first proximity area 407 . Then, the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 hold the plurality of shrinked objects to be transported in the second proximity area 408 and transport them to the accommodation straight section 406 .

By having the transfer device 400, it is possible to collect the transported objects Pc into a number suitable for accommodation in the storage box Bx while transporting them, and pack the transported objects Pc in the packed state into the packaging device 500. is possible. Thereby, the objects to be transported Pc can be packed in boxes easily and reliably.

Note that in the above description, a state in which one or two objects Pc are held in the first holding state St1 and three or four objects Pc in the second holding state St2 is shown. , but is not limited to this number. The shape of the first rear support part 552 of the support plate part 551, the shape of the second front support part 572 of the support plate part 571, the shape of the first front support part 553 of the support plate part 551, and the shape of the first rear support part 552 of the support plate part 571. By appropriately designing the shape of the second rear support portion 573, it is possible to freely set the number of transported objects Pc that can be held in the first holding state St1 and the second holding state St2. As a result, it becomes possible to hold a larger number of objects in the second holding state St2 than in the first holding state St1, regardless of the number of transported objects Pc, and flexible grouping can be realized.

<Boxing device 500>
FIG. 33 is a front view of the packaging device 500. In the transportation and packaging device 100, at the rear end of the article (also referred to as an article to be conveyed, but not limited to a "transported" article) Pc in the conveyance direction Tr, there is a boxer for packing the article Pc into a storage box Bx. A device 500 is placed. The packaging device 500 packs the articles Pc into a storage box Bx formed by folding a sheet 9 such as cardboard, and transports the goods to the outside.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 33, the packaging device 500 sequentially boxes the four articles Pc into a folded sheet 9 as one block. The packaging device 500 includes a part of the delivery loop section 4 (here, the storage linear section 406), a box conveyance loop section 7, a sheet supply section 81, a first packaging section 82, and a second packaging section. 83 and a sealing part 84.

<Box transport loop section 7>
As shown in FIG. 33, the box conveyance loop section 7 includes a box conveyance rail 70, a box conveyance linear motor mechanism 74 (see FIG. 35, etc. described later), and a box conveyance shuttle 76. The box conveyance loop portion 7 is formed into a loop shape by connecting both ends. The box conveyance loop section 7 includes a first straight section 701 and a second straight section 702 formed by a straight box conveyance rail 70s, and a first curved section 703 and a first curved section 703 formed by a curved box conveyance rail 70t, respectively. It includes a second curved portion 704 (see FIG. 33). The linear box transport rail 70s and the curved box transport rail 70t have the same configuration except for the presence or absence of curvature. Hereinafter, when distinction is necessary, it will be displayed separately, and when distinction is not necessary, it will be described as box conveyance rail 70.

<Box conveying rail 70>
The box conveying rail 70 has a main rail 71, a grooved rail 72, and a flat rail 73 (see FIG. 35 described later). The box conveying rail 70 has substantially the same configuration as the conveying rail 20. Therefore, the correspondence between each part of the delivery rail 40 and each part of the conveying rail 20 will be explained, and detailed explanation will be omitted. The main rail 71 of the box conveying rail 70 corresponds to the main rail 21 of the conveying rail 20. The grooved rail 72 of the box conveying rail 70 corresponds to the grooved rail 22 of the conveying rail 20.

Further, the groove portion 721 of the grooved rail 72 corresponds to the groove portion 221 of the grooved rail 22. The grooved rail 72 of the box transport rail 70 corresponds to the grooved rail 22 of the transport rail 20. Planar rail 73 corresponds to planar rail 23. The gap 75 of the box conveyance rail 70 corresponds to the gap 25 of the conveyance rail 20. In the box transport rail 70, the grooved rail 72 and the flat rail 73 are arranged adjacent to each other with the main rail 71 in between in a direction intersecting the box transport direction of the main rail 71.

The box conveyance loop section 7 is formed into a loop shape by sequentially connecting a first straight section 701, a first curved section 703, a second straight section 702, and a second curved section 704. As shown in FIG. 33, the first straight portion 701 and the second straight portion 702 are parallel to each other and arranged vertically. The first curved section 703 and the second curved section 704 are formed in a loop shape by connecting the first straight section 701 and the second straight section 702 which are arranged above and below.

The first straight section 701 of the box transport loop section 7 is arranged above the second straight section 702. Furthermore, in a plan view, the first linear section 701 is arranged outside the accommodation linear section 406 at the rear of the first linear section 401 of the delivery loop section 4 in the conveyance direction Tr.

A guide rail 705 arranged along the first straight section 701 is arranged in the box conveyance loop section 7 . The guide rails 705 are arranged parallel to the box transport rail 70s included in the first straight section 701, and are arranged in pairs with the box transport rail 70s interposed therebetween. In the box transport loop section 7, the sheet 9 is arranged on the upper surface of the guide rail 705, and supports the movement of the sheet 9.

<Box transport linear motor mechanism 74>
A plurality of box transport shuttles 76 are arranged in the box transport loop section 7 . The box transport linear motor mechanism 74 can drive each box transport shuttle 76 independently.

The box transport linear motor mechanism 74 has the same configuration as the transport linear motor mechanism 24. The box transport linear motor mechanism 74 includes a coil 741 arranged on the box transport rail 70, a magnet 742 arranged on the box transport shuttle 76 (see FIGS. 35 to 37), and a linear driver 743 (see FIG. 2). . Linear driver 743 supplies appropriate current to each coil based on instructions from control unit 600. By supplying current to the coil, the coil and magnet form a linear motor, and the box transport shuttle 76 moves along the box transport rail 70.

<Box transport shuttle 76>
The box transport shuttle 76 is disposed on the outer surface of the box transport rail 70 and is movable along the box transport rail 70 . The box transport shuttle 76 includes a main body 761, a sheet holding arm 762, two grooved rollers 763, and two flat rollers 764. A magnet 742 of the box conveyance linear motor mechanism 74 is arranged in the main body 761 . Note that the magnet 742 is housed inside the main body portion 761 and faces the coil 741 arranged on the box conveyance rail 70 in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction.

The two grooved rollers 763 are arranged apart from each other in the transport direction and shifted in a direction intersecting the box transport direction Tb. The grooved roller 763 fits into the groove 721 of the grooved rail 72 and rotates. The two flat rollers 764 are arranged apart from each other in the transport direction and shifted in a direction intersecting the box transport direction Tb. Flat roller 764 rotates in contact with flat rail 73. Note that in the box conveyance shuttle 76, the grooved roller 763 and the flat roller 764 are arranged at both ends in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction.

The sheet holding arm 762 projects from the main body portion 761 to the outside of the box conveyance loop portion 7 . The sheet holding arm 762 is rod-shaped and comes into contact with the sheet 9.

<Sheet 9>
Here, the sheet 9 constituting the storage box Bx will be explained with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 33, the seat 9 has a bottom plate part 91, a top plate part 92, a front plate part 93, and a rear plate part 94. The bottom plate portion 91 is a rectangular plate whose longitudinal direction is perpendicular to the box conveyance direction Tb. A front plate part 93 is connected to the front side of the bottom plate part 91, and a rear plate part 94 is connected to the rear side. Further, a lid portion 911 is connected to both sides of the bottom plate portion 91 that intersect with the box conveyance direction Tb. Note that the length of the short side of the bottom plate portion 91 is the same or approximately the same as the length of four articles Pc arranged side by side.

The front plate part 93 and the rear plate part 94 have the same size and shape. The front plate part 93 and the rear plate part 94 have a rectangular shape with a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the box conveyance direction Tb. A lid portion 931 and a lid portion 941 are connected to both sides of the front plate portion 93 and the rear plate portion 94 in a direction orthogonal to the box conveyance direction Tb. Note that the lengths of the short sides of the front plate part 93 and the rear plate part 94 are the same or approximately the same as the height of the article Pc.

The top plate part 92 is connected to the side of the front plate part 93 opposite to the side connected to the bottom plate part 91 . The top plate part 92 has the same size and shape as the bottom plate part 91. A lid part 921 is connected to both sides of the top plate part 92 in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction. Further, a fixing part 922 is connected to the side of the top plate part 92 opposite to the side connected to the front plate part 93. When the seat 9 is assembled to form the storage box Bx, the fixing portion 922 is fixed to the rear plate portion 94.

In addition, in the assembled state of the storage box Bx, the lid portion 911, the lid portion 921, the lid portion 931, and the lid portion 941 are attached to the bottom plate portion 91, the top plate portion 92, the front plate portion 93, and the rear plate portion 94, respectively. After being folded, it is glued and sealed.

<Sheet supply section 81, first packaging section 82, second packaging section 83, and sealing section 84>
A multi-joint arm robot 80 having a similar configuration is arranged in the sheet supply section 81, the first packaging section 82, the second packaging section 83, and the sealing section 84. Here, the articulated arm robot 80 will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 34 is a front view of the multi-joint arm robot 80. As shown in FIG. 34, the multi-joint arm robot 80 includes a main body 801, an upper arm 802, a lower arm 803, a working part 804, a first joint part 805, a second joint part 806, and a third joint part 805. It has a joint part 807.

Main body 801 is arranged at the upper end of multi-joint arm robot 80. The main body 801 is fixed to a frame (not shown) of the packaging device 500. The first joint portion 805 is arranged on the main body 801. The upper arm 802 is rotatably attached to the main body 801 via a first joint 805. The first joint portion 805 has an actuator (not shown) including a motor and the like. The upper arm 802 rotates around the central axis of the first joint portion 805 by the operation of the actuator. The tip of the upper arm 802 can reciprocate along a curved trajectory Tj1 shown in FIG. 34.

The lower arm 803 is rotatably attached to the tip of the upper arm 802 via a second joint 806. The second joint portion 806 has an actuator (not shown) including a motor and the like. The lower arm 803 rotates around the central axis of the second joint portion 806 by the operation of the actuator. By interlocking the first joint part 805 and the second joint part 806, the tip of the lower arm 803 can move within a range surrounded by a curved trajectory Tj2 shown in FIG. 34.

The working section 804 has a configuration corresponding to the operations in the sheet supplying section 81 , the first packaging section 82 , the second packaging section 83 , and the sealing section 84 . Note that tools corresponding to each work may be attached to the work unit 804. The working part 804 is rotatably attached to the tip of the lower arm 803 via a third joint part 807. By interlocking the first joint part 805, the second joint part 806, and the third joint part 807, the working part 804 can move while maintaining a constant posture regardless of the positions of the upper arm 802 and the lower arm 803. be. The configuration of the working section 804 in each section of the sheet supplying section 81, the first packaging section 82, the second packaging section 83, and the sealing section 84 will be described later.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 33, the sheet supply section 81, the first packaging section 82, the second packaging section 83, and the sealing section 84 are located close to the first linear section 701 of the box conveyance loop section 7. Placed. The sheet supply section 81, the first packaging section 82, the second packaging section 83, and the sealing section 84 are arranged in this order in the box conveyance direction Tb.

<Sheet supply section 81>
FIG. 35 is a schematic diagram of the sheet supply section 81 viewed from the rear in the box conveyance direction Tb. The sheet supply section 81 includes a sheet mounting table 811 and a sheet take-out device 812. The sheet mounting table 811 is arranged close to the box transport loop section 7 . A plurality of sheets 9 are stacked vertically on the upper part of the sheet mounting table 811. The sheet mounting table 811 is movable in the vertical direction, and is biased upward so that the uppermost sheet of the plurality of sheets 9 arranged at the top is placed at a fixed position in the vertical direction. has been done.

The sheet take-out device 812 has a multi-joint arm robot 80, and has a structure in which a suction section 813 is attached to a working section 804 of the multi-joint arm robot 80. The suction unit 813 has a space inside, and suctions the sheet 9 by suctioning air in the internal space. Each actuator of the first joint section 805 , second joint section 806 , and third joint section 807 of the sheet take-out device 812 is connected to the control section 600 and operates according to instructions from the control section 600 .

Sheet supply section 81 is controlled by control section 600. The sheet take-out device 812 brings the suction unit 813 into contact with the sheet 9 placed on the sheet mounting table 811 and lifts the sheet 9 . Then, by operating the upper arm 802 and the lower arm 803, the seat 9 is moved onto the guide rail 705.

Note that when the sheet take-out device 812 places the sheet 9 on the guide rail 705, the control section 600 controls the box conveyance shuttle 76 to be arranged before and after the bottom plate section 91 in the conveyance direction. At this time, the front plate part 93 and the rear plate part 94 come into contact with the box conveyance shuttle 76 arranged in front and behind. As a result, the front plate part 93 and the rear plate part 94 are bent by the box transport shuttle 76. In particular, the rear plate part 94 is held by the sheet holding arm 762 of the box conveyance shuttle 76, so that it stands vertically above the bottom plate part 91. In other words, the rear plate portion 94 of the sheet 9 is positioned in the conveyance direction by the box conveyance shuttle 76 arranged at the rear.

The control unit 600 moves the box transport shuttle 76 in the box transport direction Tb. Thereby, the folded sheet 9 is sent to the first boxing section 82 while being supported by the box transport shuttle 76.

<First packaging section 82 and second packaging section 83>
Next, the first packaging section 82 and the second packaging section 83 will be explained. The first packaging section 82 and the second packaging section 83 have substantially the same configuration, except for their locations. Therefore, the description will be made with reference to the first packaging section 82, and the correspondence between the second packaging section 83 and the first packaging section 82 will be explained.

FIG. 36 is a schematic diagram showing a state before operation of the pushing device 822 that pushes the article Pc. FIG. 37 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the article Pc is pushed into the folded sheet 9 by the pushing device 822.

As shown in FIGS. 33, 36, and 37, the first packaging section 82 includes a mounting table section 821 and a pushing device 822. The mounting table section 821 is arranged outside the accommodation linear section 406 of the delivery loop section 4 . The mounting table section 821 is arranged below the accommodation linear section 406 in the vertical direction. Further, the mounting table section 821 is arranged below the four articles Pc held by the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 and lined up in the transport direction.

The control unit 600 operates the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 to move the four articles Pc lined up in the transport direction to a position where they vertically overlap the mounting table part 821, and then stop them. Then, the control unit 600 moves the first delivery shuttle 51 and the second delivery shuttle 52 backward and forward in the transport direction from the four articles Pc. As a result, the four articles Pc lined up are placed on the placing table section 821.

The mounting table section 821 extends in a direction approaching the box conveyance loop section 7 and partially overlaps the sheet 9. The article Pc placed on the mounting table section 821 is pushed by the pushing device 822 and moved above the bottom plate section 91 of the sheet 9.

The pushing device 822 has a multi-joint arm robot 80, and has a structure in which a pushing plate 823 is attached to a working part 804 of the multi-joint arm robot 80. The push plate 823 has a flat plate shape that extends in the conveyance direction and up and down. The push plate 823 extends downward from the working part 804. Each actuator of the first joint section 805, second joint section 806, and third joint section 807 of the pushing device 822 is connected to the control section 600 and operates according to instructions from the control section 600.

As shown in FIG. 36, the pushing device 822 is operated to move the working part 804 along the trajectory Tj21 or Tj22. By moving along the trajectory Tj21, the pushing plate 823 moves the four articles Pc placed on the mounting table 821 toward the sheet 9. At this time, the article Pc is moved further outward than the outer end of the first delivery engaging portion 56 of the first delivery shuttle 51 . From this, it is possible to move the first delivery shuttle 51. Further, by moving the pushing device 822 along the trajectory Tj21, it is possible to push the article Pc already placed on the mounting table section 821 and accumulate the article Pc on the mounting table section 821.

A gate 824 may be provided on the mounting table section 821. The gate 824 remains closed until the sheet 9 is moved to the first packaging section 82, and opens when the sheet 9 is moved to the first packaging section 82. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the article Pc pushed forward from falling.

Further, the pushing device 822 can also move along the trajectory Tj22. By moving along the trajectory Tj21, the article Pc placed on the placing table section 821 and/or the article Pc accumulated on the placing table section 821 is bent and the sheet 9 conveyed by the box conveying shuttle 76 is folded. It is pushed into the bottom plate portion 91, in other words, it is housed (see FIG. 37). In the first packaging section 82 , the number of articles Pc to be accommodated (for example, 10 sets of four blocks) are accommodated in the bottom plate section 91 of the sheet 9 .

The second packaging section 83 includes a mounting table section 831 that corresponds to the mounting table section 821 and a pushing device 832 that corresponds to the pushing device 822 . The pushing device 832 has a pushing plate 833 that corresponds to the pushing plate 823 . It also has a gate 834 corresponding to the gate 824. In the second packaging section 83 as well, the transported articles Pc can be stored in the bottom plate section 91 of the sheet 9 in the same manner as in the first packaging section 82 .

After the number of articles Pc to be accommodated in the first packaging section 82 and the second packaging section 83 (for example, 10 sets of 4 pieces) are stored in the bottom plate section 91 of the sheet 9, the control section 600 The transport shuttle 76 is moved in the box transport direction Tb. Thereby, the sheet 9 containing the article Pc is sent to the sealing section 84.

<Sealing section 84>
The sealing section 84 will be explained. FIG. 38 is a schematic diagram showing the sealing device 841. FIG. 39 is a diagram showing a state in which the bending tool 843 of the box sealing device 841 is brought into contact with the top plate portion 92. FIG. 40 is a diagram showing a state in which the top plate portion 92 is bent by the sealing device 841. FIG. 41 is a diagram showing the sealing device 841 and the storage box Bx immediately after the sealing is completed.

As shown in FIG. 38, the sealing section 84 includes a sealing device 841 and a link section 842. The box sealing device 841 includes a multi-joint arm robot 80, and a bending tool 843 is attached to a working section 804 of the multi-joint arm robot 80. The box sealing device 841 is connected to the control unit 600, and the box sealing device 841 operates based on instructions from the control unit 600.

The bending tool 843 has a front hanging portion 844, a rear hanging portion 845, and a pair of side hanging portions 846. The front hanging portion 844 is arranged in front of the bending tool 843 in the conveyance direction. The rear hanging portion 845 is arranged at the rear of the bending tool 843 in the conveyance direction. The lower end portion of the rear hanging portion 845 is inclined so as to extend toward the rear side in the conveyance direction as it goes downward. A pair of side hanging parts 846 are arranged in a pair in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction.

When moving the sheet 9 containing articles Pc to the sealing section 84, the control section 600 causes the box conveyance shuttle 76, which is forward of the sheet 9 in the box conveyance direction Tb, to approach the bottom plate section 91 of the sheet 9. As a result, the front plate part 93 is pressed, and the front plate part 93 is perpendicular to the bottom plate part 91 (see FIG. 39).

The control unit 600 controls the sealing device 841 to bring the folding tool 843 closer to the sheet 9 and bring the rear hanging portion 845 into contact with the top plate portion 92. The control unit 600 then moves the folding tool 843 rearward relative to the sheet 9, folding the top plate portion 92 so as to cover the top of the stored items Pc (see FIG. 40). At this time, the control unit 600 may control only the sealing device 841, or may link the box conveying shuttle 76 and the sealing device 841.

After the top plate portion 92 is bent to a certain angle, the control unit 600 operates the sealing device 841 and presses the bending tool 843 above the article Pc. At this time, the lid portion 921 connected to the top plate portion 92 is pressed down by the side hanging portions 846. Further, the fixing portion 922 is bent in contact with the rear hanging portion 845. In addition, in the sealing part 84, the lid part 911 connected to the bottom plate part 91, the lid part 931 connected to the front plate part 93, and the lid part 941 of the rear plate part 94 are bent by bending the lid part 921 and the fixing part 922. be folded at the same time or before folding.

Then, the lid parts 911, 921, 931, and 941 are fixed in a state where the top plate part 92 is vertically parallel or substantially parallel to the bottom plate part 91 (see FIG. 41). Further, the fixing portion 922 is fixed to the rear plate portion 94. Note that these fixing methods include, but are not limited to, adhesion, tape fixing, hot sealing, and the like. For fixing the lids 911, 921, 931, and 941, the sealing device 841 may have a fixing function, or a fixing device may be provided separately.

As described above, the number of articles Pc to be accommodated is stored in the sealed storage box Bx. Then, the storage box Bx containing the article Pc is sent to the carry-out conveyor Oc arranged in parallel with the box transport loop section 7, and the storage box Bx is transported to the outside of the transport box packing device 100 on the carry-out conveyor Oc. It will be carried out.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto. Further, the embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention.

100 Conveying and packing device 200 Transfer device 300 Delivery device 400 Transfer device 500 Boxing device 600 Control section 601 Processing circuit 602 Memory circuit 1 Loading section 11 Loading conveyor 111 Transfer conveyor section 112 Conveyor motor 12 Nip roller 121 Roller motor 122 First Pressing part 13 Pusher 131 First pushing part 132 Second pushing part 133 Pusher motor 2 Transport loop part 201 First straight part 202 Second straight part 203 First curved part 204 Second curved part 205 Delivery straight part 20 Transport rail 21 Main Rail 22 Grooved rail 221 Groove portion 222 Second pressing portion 23 Plane rail 24 Conveyance linear motor mechanism 241 Coil 242 Magnet 243 Linear driver 25 Gap 26 Straw pasting portion 27 Defective product removal portion 271 Removal conveyor 30 Main body portion 301 Convex portion 302 Upper roller Support part 303 Lower roller support part 31 First conveyance shuttle 32 Second conveyance shuttle 33 Upper roller 331 Roller protrusion part 34 Lower roller 35 First conveyance support part 350 Support part attachment part 351 Support plate part 352 Corner part 36 First conveyance member Joint part 36L First transport lower arm 36U First transport upper arm 360 Arm attachment part 361 Arm body 362 Claw part 363 Holding part 364 Contact surface 37 Second transport support part 370 Support part attachment part 371 Support plate part 372 Corner part 38 2 conveyance engagement part 38L 2nd conveyance lower arm 38U 2nd conveyance upper arm 380 Arm attachment part 381 Arm body 382 Claw part 383 Presser part 384 Contact surface 4 Delivery loop part 401 1st straight part 402 2nd straight part 403 1st Curved section 404 Second curved section 405 Delivery linear section 406 Accommodation linear section 407 First proximal area 408 Second proximate area 409 Separation area 40 Delivery rail 41 Main rail 42 Grooved rail 421 Groove section 43 Planar rail 44 Delivery linear motor mechanism 441 Coil 442 Magnet 443 Linear driver 45 Gap 50 Main body portion 501 Convex portion 502 Upper roller support portion 503 Lower roller support portion 51 First delivery shuttle 52 Second delivery shuttle 53 Upper roller 54 Lower roller 55 First delivery support portion 550 Support portion attachment portion 551 Support plate part 552 First rear support part 553 First front support part 56 First delivery engaging part 56L First delivery lower arm 56U First delivery upper arm 560 Arm attachment part 561 Arm main body 562 Rear claw part 563 Front claw part 564 Rear presser portion 565 Front presser portion 566 Rear contact surface 567 Front contact surface 57 Second delivery support portion 570 Support portion attachment portion 571 Support plate portion 572 Second front support portion 573 Second rear support portion 58 Second delivery engagement portion 58L Second delivery lower arm 58U Second delivery upper arm 580 Arm attachment part 581 Arm body 582 Front claw part 583 Rear claw part 584 Front presser part 585 Rear presser part 586 Front contact surface 587 Rear contact surface 6 Replacement conveyor 60 Conveyor motor 61 First proximal part 62 Second proximal part 63 Separated part 64 Curved part 65 Curved part 7 Box transport loop part 701 First straight part 702 Second straight part 703 First curved part 704 Second curved part 705 Guide rail 70 Box transport Rail 71 Main rail 72 Grooved rail 721 Groove 73 Planar rail 74 Box transport linear motor mechanism 740 Main body 741 Linear driver 742 Magnet 75 Gap 76 Box transport shuttle 761 Main body 762 Sheet holding arm 763 Grooved roller 764 Flat roller 80 Multi-joint Arm robot 801 Main body 802 Upper arm 803 Lower arm 804 Working part 805 First joint part 806 Second joint part 807 Third joint part 81 Sheet supply part 811 Sheet mounting table 812 Sheet take-out device 813 Suction part 82 First packaging part 821 Placing table section 822 Pushing device 823 Pushing plate 83 Second boxing section 831 Placing table section 832 Pushing device 833 Pushing plate 84 Sealing section 841 Sealing device 842 Link section 843 Bending tool 844 Front hanging section 845 Rear hanging section 846 Side Hanging part 9 Seat 91 Bottom plate part 911 Lid part 92 Top plate part 921 Lid part 922 Fixing part 93 Front plate part 931 Lid part 94 Rear plate part 941 Lid part Bx Storage box Cc Connection conveyor Cr1 Circular track Oc Unloading conveyor Pc Conveyed thing (goods)
Pc1 Corner Pc2 Corner Pca Object to be transported Pcb Object to be transported Pcc Object to be transported Pcd Object to be transported Pce Object to be transported Sc1 Screw hole Sc2 Screw hole St1 First holding state St2 Second holding state Th Straw Tj1 Trajectory Tj2 Trajectory Tj21 Trajectory Tj22 trajectory

Claims (8)

An inlet conveyor that conveys the objects to be conveyed;
a conveyor rail at least partially disposed along the inlet conveyor;
a first transport shuttle and a second transport shuttle arranged on the transport rail and movable along the transport rail;
a transport linear motor mechanism that independently moves the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle;
The first transport shuttle is
a first conveyance support section that supports a corner on the conveyance rail side at a front end of the bottom surface of the conveyed object in the conveyance direction;
a first conveyance engaging portion that engages with at least a portion of the front surface of the conveyed object in the conveyance direction and a portion of both side surfaces of the front surface;
The second transport shuttle is
a second transport support part that supports a corner of the transport rail side at a rear end of the bottom surface of the object to be transported in the transport direction;
A transfer device comprising: a second conveyance engaging portion that engages with at least a portion of a rear surface of the object to be conveyed in a conveyance direction and a portion of both side surfaces of the rear surface. The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the first conveyance engaging portion is disposed above or below the second conveyance engaging portion in a vertical direction. The first conveyance engagement part has a first conveyance upper arm and a first conveyance lower arm arranged above and below,
The second conveyance engagement part has a second conveyance upper arm and a second conveyance lower arm arranged above and below,
The transfer device according to claim 2, wherein the first upper transport arm and the first lower transport arm are arranged above or below the second upper transport arm and the second lower transport arm, respectively. The carry-in conveyor is a top chain conveyor,
The transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the upper surface of the first conveyance support section, the upper surface of the second conveyance support section, and the upper surface of the carry-in conveyor are flush with each other. The transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a moving section that moves an object to be transported by the carry-in conveyor toward the transport rail. 6. The transfer device according to claim 5, wherein the moving section includes a pusher that presses at least a surface opposite to the conveyance rail of the conveyed object being conveyed by the carry-in conveyor. The transfer device according to claim 6, wherein the pusher pushes the rear surface of the conveyed object at the same time as the surface opposite to the conveyance rail. When the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle are arranged on the linear transport rail,
A surface of the first transport engaging portion that engages with a front surface of the object to be transported and a surface of the second transport engaging portion that engages with a rear surface of the object to be transported approach each other as they move away from the transport rail. The transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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