JP7458867B2 - Detachment device and method - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a separating device that can space a plurality of articles, such as containers filled with beverages, that are closely fed together at a predetermined pitch.

For example, multiple containers filled with beverages that are continuously supplied in close contact with each other are grouped into groups of a predetermined number of containers and transported to a subsequent process. For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a grouping device that forms groups by inserting members called fingers between containers. In the grouping devices disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, adjacent groups are spaced apart, but adjacent containers that make up a group are in close contact with each other.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-292265 JP 2005-239226 A

In addition to grouping articles to be conveyed continuously and in close contact with each other, there are processes in which they are conveyed, for example, one by one at intervals and at the required constant pitch to the subsequent downstream process. A device that performs this process is called a disconnection device.
In view of the above, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an apparatus and method that can perform grouping in addition to separation using members called fingers.

The separating device according to the present disclosure includes a conveyance path in which an article is conveyed along a conveyance direction from upstream to downstream, and a plurality of first fingers that lock the article are moved along one edge of the conveyance path. It includes a first drive section and a second drive section that moves a plurality of second fingers that lock the article along the other edge of the conveyance path.
The first drive section accelerates the plurality of first fingers when moving within a predetermined range of the transport path, and the second drive section accelerates the plurality of second fingers when moving within a predetermined range of the transport path. let

In the separating method according to the present disclosure, for a plurality of articles that are conveyed through a conveyance path in close contact from upstream to downstream, intervals are provided one by one, or intervals are provided in units of a plurality of articles.
The separation according to the present disclosure involves locking the article with a plurality of first fingers that move along one edge of the conveyance path, and locking the article with a plurality of second fingers that move along the other edge of the conveyance path. This is done by locking.
In the separating method according to the present disclosure, the plurality of first fingers and the plurality of second fingers accelerate when moving in a predetermined range of the conveyance path.

According to the present disclosure, by accelerating multiple first fingers and multiple second fingers when moving within a specified range of the transport path, it is possible to perform separation and grouping using members called fingers.

FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the basic operation of the separation device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a plan view (PV) showing a schematic configuration of a separating device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a bottom view (BV) showing a schematic configuration of a separation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a separation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, taken in the direction indicated by the IV arrow in FIG. 2; 5 is a diagram showing an example of a cutting operation using the cutting device shown in FIGS. 2 to 4. FIG. 5A to 5C are diagrams showing another example of the separation operation using the separation device shown in FIGS. 2 to 4. 5 is a diagram showing still another example of a cutting operation using the cutting device shown in FIGS. 2 to 4. FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing how grouping is performed using the separation device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, a cutting device 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The separating device 1 can perform a grouping operation in addition to being able to perform a separating operation using fingers.
Further, even if the dimensions of the articles to be transported change, the cutting device 1 does not need to perform operations such as changing the shape by changing the number of fingers that are substantially involved in cutting or grouping. This operation is called a variable number of fingers operation.

[Explanation of basic operations]
First, the basic operation of the separating device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The separating device 1 in Fig. 1 shows only the minimum elements necessary for the description, such as a conveying path 3 made of a conveyor device and a number of fingers F, F1, F2, etc. In the separating device 1, a number of articles 100 are continuously supplied from the upstream (U) along the conveying path 3 with adjacent articles in close contact with each other, and are conveyed downstream (D) at a fixed pitch P1. The separating operation progresses from the top to the bottom in Fig. 1.

In the separating device 1, the conveyance path 3 is driven by an electric motor (not shown) to travel at a constant speed along the conveyance direction indicated by the white arrow. As shown in FIG. 1, the article 100 conveyed on the conveyance path 3 is initially conveyed at a constant speed V1 expressed by the following equation (1), and then accelerated as expressed by the speed V3. The material is transported downstream (D) through an acceleration region where the material is transported at a constant speed V2 and a constant speed region where the material is transported at a constant speed V2. Adjacent articles 100A and 100B are in close contact with each other in the area where the articles are transported at a constant speed V1. In the area where the articles 100A and 100B are conveyed while accelerating at a speed V3, the articles 100A and 100B that are in close contact with each other are separated, and when they reach the area where they are conveyed at a constant speed V2, there is a downstream (D A constant pitch P1 required in the step ) is provided.
V1=D×BPM… (1)
D: Dimension of the article 100 in the transport direction BPM: Number of articles processed per unit time in the next process

Here, the speed V3 is defined by the following equation (2), and the speed V2 is defined by the equation (3) as an example. Further, the speeds V1, V2, and V3 have the relationship expressed by the following equation (4).
V3=V1+α×t… (2)
α: Acceleration of finger F, t: Elapsed time V2=P×BPM... (3)
P: Pitch between articles 100 and 100 V1≦V3≦V2... (4)

Note that the conveyance path 3 may be configured integrally or may be configured as a separate body. When the conveyance path 3 is integrally configured, the conveyance path 3 may be moved at the fastest speed V2. In addition, when the conveyance path 3 is configured as a separate body, for example, the area where the articles 100A and 100B are in close contact with each other, the area where the articles are conveyed while accelerating, and the area where the articles are conveyed at a constant pitch P1 may be different. It can be configured with a conveyor device. The conveyor device corresponding to the former type may move at a speed V1, and the conveyor device belonging to the latter type may move at a speed V2.

It is preferable that α (acceleration of the finger F) in the above-described equation (2) be set to a value that does not exceed the coefficient of friction between the article 100 and the conveyance path 3. If the acceleration α exceeds the friction coefficient between the article 100 and the conveyance path 3, the article 100 will not be able to follow the acceleration of the finger F, and the locked state by the finger F will collapse, and the finger F and the article 100 will be separated, resulting in This is because there is a possibility that separation at a constant pitch P1 may not be realized. Since the coefficient of friction varies depending on conditions, α is preferably set to the minimum value of this variation range or less, and by doing so, stable separation at pitch P1 is realized.

The plurality of fingers F, F1, and F2 are fixed to an endless belt (not shown), and this endless belt is moved along an annular path by a drive source (not shown). and move. The plurality of fingers F, F1, F2 can each move independently and with acceleration on both edges of the conveyance path 3 shown in FIG. This is one of the elements that realizes the transition of speeds V1, V2, and V3.

As shown in the upper part of FIG. 1, adjacent articles 100A and 100B are in close contact with each other in a region where the articles are transported at a constant speed V1. Note that the article 100 is written as articles 100A, 100B, etc. when distinction is necessary, but when distinction is not necessary, it is written as article 100. The same applies to finger F.
The first finger F1 and the second finger F2, which each move at a speed V1 (<V2), respectively lock the articles 100A and 100B on the downstream (D) side, and the movement of the articles 100A and 100B is restrained, resulting in a close contact. The state is maintained.

As shown in the middle part of FIG. 1, when transitioning from the close contact state to the acceleration region, the first finger F1 and the second finger F2 contact the articles 100A and 100B, respectively, and restrain their movement while speeding up according to equation (1). Move with V3. Here, the leading first finger F1 is accelerated before the trailing second finger F2. In this way, since the plurality of first fingers F1 and the plurality of second fingers F2 are accelerated in sequence, a gap is provided between the article 100A and the article 100B. When the end of the acceleration region is reached, the distance between the articles 100A and 100B becomes a constant pitch P1.

As shown in the lower part of FIG. 1, the articles 100A and 100B that have left the acceleration region are no longer restrained by the first finger F1 and the second finger F2, so they move along the conveyance path 3 at a speed while maintaining the constant pitch P1. Transported by V2. The speed V2 is as shown in the above-mentioned equation (3), is the speed required in the downstream process, and is the traveling speed of the conveyance path 3.

[Variable number of fingers operation]
In the above explanation, the basic operation of disconnection has been explained.Next, the configuration of the disconnection device 2 that can perform variable operation of the number of fingers will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4. Thereafter, the operation of varying the number of fingers will be explained with reference to FIGS. 5, 6, and 7.

[Configuration of disconnection device 2: See Figures 2 to 4]
The separating device 2 includes a first drive unit 5 and a second drive unit 7 that are arranged to face each other in line-symmetrical positions with the conveyance path 3 in between. The first drive unit 5 and the second drive unit 7 are each independently driven, and in addition to the basic operation of separating the plurality of articles 100 that are continuously conveyed on the conveyance path 3, the first drive unit 5 and the second drive unit 7 perform variable operation of the number of fingers. It can be performed.

[First drive unit 5: see FIGS. 2 to 4]
The first drive unit 5 includes first pulleys 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 provided at positions corresponding to the vertices of the triangle, and a first rotating electric machine 31 that rotationally drives each of the first pulleys 11 to 16. , 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36.
The first pulleys 11 to 13 are arranged above the vertical direction V, and the first pulleys 14 to 16 are arranged below the vertical direction V. The first pulley 11 and the first pulley 14, the first pulley 12 and the first pulley 15, and the first pulley 13 and the first pulley 16 are arranged coaxially at intervals in the vertical direction V.
The first rotating electric machines 31 to 33 are arranged above the corresponding first pulleys 11 to 13 in the vertical direction V, and the first rotating electric machines 34 to 36 are arranged in the vertical direction V of the corresponding first pulleys 14 to 16, respectively. is placed below. The first pulleys 11 to 16 are rotated independently by the first rotating electric machines 31 to 36, respectively. In this way, by arranging the first pulleys 11 to 13 and the first pulleys 14 to 16, and the first rotating electric machines 31 to 33 and the first rotating electric machines 34 to 36 at intervals in the vertical direction V, the first drive The space occupied by the portion 5 in the planar direction can be saved.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first drive unit 5 includes a first drive belt 50A that is looped around the first pulleys 11, 12, and 13, and a first drive belt 50A that is looped around the first pulleys 14, 15, and 16. A first drive belt 50B. The first drive belt 50A and the first drive belt 50B are folded back at three points on the first pulleys 11 to 16 to form a circulation path. The first drive belts 50A, 50B run in the direction indicated by the lost line arrow.

As shown in FIG. 4, the first drive belt 50A is divided into first belt elements 51, 52, and 53, and the first drive belt 50B is divided into first belt elements 54, 55, and 56. The first belt elements 51, 52, 53 run independently, and the first belt elements 54, 55, 56 also run independently. This independent running will be described in detail later. The first rotating electric machines 31 to 36 are constituted by servo motors, for example, and can position the first belt elements 51 to 56 with high precision, and can arbitrarily change the running speed within the range of their capabilities. The same applies to the second rotating electric machines 41 to 46 of the second drive unit 7.

[Second drive unit 7: see FIGS. 2 to 4]
The second drive unit 7 includes second pulleys 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 provided at positions corresponding to the vertices of the triangle, and a second rotating electric machine 41 that rotationally drives each of the second pulleys 21 to 26. , 42, 43, 44, 45, 46.
The second pulleys 21 to 23 are arranged above the vertical direction V, and the second pulleys 24 to 26 are arranged below the vertical direction V. The second pulley 21 and the second pulley 24, the second pulley 22 and the second pulley 25, and the second pulley 23 and the second pulley 26 are arranged coaxially at intervals in the vertical direction V.
The second rotating electrical machines 41 to 43 are arranged above the corresponding second pulleys 21 to 23 in the vertical direction V, and the second rotating electrical machines 44 to 46 are arranged above the corresponding second pulleys 24 to 26 in the vertical direction V. It is placed below the . The second pulleys 21 to 26 are rotated independently by the second rotating electric machines 41 to 46, respectively.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the second drive unit 7 includes a second drive belt 60A that is looped around the second pulleys 21, 22, and 23, and a second drive belt 60A that is looped around the second pulleys 24, 25, and 26. A second drive belt 60B. The second drive belt 60A and the second drive belt 60B are folded back at three points on the second pulleys 21 to 26 to form a circulation path. The second drive belts 60A, 60B run in the direction indicated by the lost line arrow.

As shown in FIG. 4, the second drive belt 60A is divided into first belt elements 61, 62, and 63, and the second drive belt 60B is divided into second belt elements 64, 65, and 66. The second belt elements 61, 62, 63 run independently, and the second belt elements 64, 65, 66 also run independently. This independent running will be described in detail later.

[Finger F: see Figures 2 to 4]
Three fingers F are attached to each of the first belt elements 51-56 of the first drive unit 5 and the second belt elements 64-66 of the second drive unit 7. That is, 18 first fingers F1 are attached to the first drive unit 5, and 18 second fingers F2 are attached to the second drive unit 7. When it is necessary to distinguish between the fingers F, they are indicated by adding a number, such as finger F1, but when no distinction is required, they are simply indicated as finger F.
The following describes the attachment state of the fingers F, taking as examples the first fingers F11A, F11B, F11C attached to the first belt element 51 of the first drive unit 5 and the second fingers F25A, F25B, F25C attached to the second belt element 64 of the second drive unit 7. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the first fingers F11A, F11B, F11C and the second fingers F25A, F25B, F25C are shown by solid lines, and the other fingers F are shown by dashed lines, to distinguish between them.

As shown in FIG. 2, first fingers F11A, F11B, and F11C are attached to the first belt element 51. The first fingers F11A, F11B, and F11C are plate-shaped members that protrude outward from the first belt element 51, and their tip portions are latched to the article 100 conveyed on the conveyance path 3, so that Transport of the article 100 is restricted. The first fingers F11A, F11B, and F11C are attached to positions that divide the total length of the first belt element 51 into three equal parts. As for the first fingers F11A, F11B, and F11C, for example, the first finger F11A moves along the edge of the conveyance path 3 and exits from the conveyance path 3. Then, the subsequent first finger F11B enters the conveyance path 3 and moves while retaining the article 100. Subsequently, when the first finger F11B exits the conveyance path 3, the subsequent first finger F11C enters the conveyance path 3 and moves while retaining the article 100. The total length of the first belt element 51 and the spacing between the first fingers F11A, F11B, F11C are determined so that the three first fingers F11A, F11B, F11C can sequentially enter the conveyance path 3 and process the article 100. ing.

As shown in FIG. 3, second fingers F25A, F25B, and F25C are attached to the second belt element 64. The second fingers F25A, F25B, and F25C are plate-shaped members that protrude outward from the second belt element 64, and their tip portions are latched to the article 100 being conveyed on the conveyance path 3, so that Transport of the article 100 is restricted. The second fingers F25A, F25B, and F25C are attached to positions that divide the total length of the second belt element 64 into three equal parts. The second fingers F25A, F25B, and F25C repeatedly enter and exit the conveyance path 3 in order, just as the first fingers F11A, F11B, and F11C do. The total length of the second belt element 64 and the equal spacing of the second fingers F25A, F25B, F25C are determined so that the three second fingers F25A, F25B, F25C can sequentially enter the conveyance path 3 and process the article 100. It is being

Here, the first fingers F11A, F11B, F11C and the second fingers F25A, F25B, F25C have been described for the first belt element 51 and the second belt element 64, but the other first belt elements 52 to 56, the second drive Three fingers F are also attached to the belts 61 to 63, 65, and 66 at equal intervals. Therefore, the first drive section 5 includes a total of 18 fingers F, and the second drive section 7 also includes a total of 18 fingers F.

[Independent movement of drive belt: see Figure 4]
Next, with reference to FIG. 4, a configuration example in which the first belt elements 51 to 56 and the second belt elements 64 to 66 can run independently will be described. Here again, the first belt element 51 of the first drive section 5 and the second belt element 64 of the second drive section 7 are taken as an example.

The first pulley 11 on which the first belt element 51 belonging to the first drive section 5 is wound is attached to the first output shaft 31A of the first rotating electric machine 31. The first pulley 11 is divided into six first pulley elements 11A, 11B, 11C, 11D, 11E, and 11F in the axial direction C of the first output shaft 31A. The division here is into 6 equal parts. Among them, only the two first pulley elements 11A, 11D are fixed to the first output shaft 31A, for example by interposing a key and a keyway. The remaining four first pulley elements 11B, 11C, 11E, and 11F are provided to idle relative to the first output shaft 31A by interposing, for example, a radial bearing. That is, when the first rotating electric machine 31 rotates, the first pulley elements 11A and 11D follow this rotation and are rotationally driven, but the first pulley elements 11B, 11C, 11E, and 11F idle.

A first belt element 51, 51 divided into two is wrapped around the first pulley element 11A, 11D, and three first fingers F11A, F11B, F11C are attached to the first belt element 51, 51. It is attached. Therefore, when the first rotating electrical machine 31 rotates, the first fingers F11A, F11B, and F11C move. The three first fingers F11A, F11B, F11C are attached to the first belt elements 51, 51 at a distance from the first belt elements 52, 53 to such an extent that they do not slide on the other first belt elements 52, 53.

The first pulleys 12 and 13, on which the first drive belt 50A is wound together with the first pulley 11, are also divided into six first pulley elements like the first pulley 11. Additionally, there are provided elements that rotate and drive in accordance with the rotation of the corresponding first rotary motors 32 and 33, and elements that idle. The first belt elements 51, 51 are wound around idle rotating pulley elements in the first pulleys 12, 13.

The second pulley 25 on which the second belt element 64 belonging to the second drive unit 7 is wound is attached to the second output shaft 45A of the second rotating electric machine 45. The second pulley 25 is equally divided into six second pulley elements 25A, 25B, 25C, 26D, 26E, and 26F in the axial direction C of the second output shaft 45A. Among them, only the two second pulley elements 25A, 25D are fixed to the second output shaft 45A. The remaining four second pulley elements 25B, 25C, 25E, and 25F are arranged to idle relative to the second output shaft 45A. That is, when the second rotating electric machine 45 rotates, the second pulley elements 25A, 25D follow this rotation and are driven to rotate, but the second pulley elements 25B, 25C, 25E, 25F idle.

A second belt element 64, 64 divided into two is wrapped around the second pulley elements 25A, 25D, and three second fingers F25A, F25B, F25C are attached to the second belt element 64, 64. It is attached. Therefore, when the second rotating electrical machine 45 rotates, the second fingers F25A, F25B, and F25C move. The three second fingers F25A, F25B, F25C are attached to the first belt elements 51, 51 at a distance from the second belt elements 65, 66 to such an extent that they do not slide on other second belt elements 65, 66.

The first pulleys 24 and 26, on which the second drive belt 60B is wound together with the second pulley 25, are also divided into six second pulley elements similarly to the second pulley 25. Additionally, there are provided elements that rotate and drive in accordance with the rotation of the corresponding second rotary electric motors 44 and 46, and elements that idle. The second belt elements 51, 51 are wound around idle rotating pulley elements at the second pulleys 24, 26.

In FIG. 4, the other first pulleys 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and the second pulleys 21, 22, 23, 24, 26 are also configured to be divided into six equal parts in the axial direction C. As a result, the following are examples of the correspondence between the pulleys as driving sources and the driven belt elements in the first drive unit 5 and the second drive unit 7.

First drive section 5
First pulley 11 (first rotating electric machine 31)
The first belt element 51 runs, and the first belt elements 52 and 53 run idle. The first pulley 12 (first rotating electric machine 32)
The first belt element 52 runs, and the first belt elements 53 and 51 run idle. The first pulley 13 (first rotating electric machine 33)
The first belt element 53 runs, and the first belt elements 51 and 52 run idle. The first pulley 14 (first rotating electric machine 34)
The first belt element 54 runs, and the first belt elements 55 and 56 run idle. The first pulley 15 (first rotating electric machine 35)
The first belt element 55 runs, and the first belt elements 56 and 54 run idle. The first pulley 16 (first rotating electric machine 36)
The first belt element 56 runs, and the first belt elements 54 and 55 run idle.

Second drive section 7
Second pulley 21 (second rotating electric machine 41)
The second belt element 61 runs, and the second belt elements 62 and 63 run idle. The second pulley 22 (second rotating electric machine 42)
The second belt element 62 runs, and the second belt elements 63 and 61 run idle. The second pulley 23 (second rotating electric machine 43)
The second belt element 63 runs, and the second belt elements 61 and 62 run idle. The second pulley 24 (second rotating electric machine 44)
The second belt element 64 runs, and the second belt elements 65 and 66 run idle. The second pulley 25 (second rotating electric machine 45)
The second belt element 65 runs, and the second belt elements 66 and 64 run idle. The second pulley 26 (second rotating electric machine 46)
The second belt element 66 runs, and the second belt elements 64 and 65 run idle.

As described above, since the first belt elements 51 to 56 are moved independently in the first drive section 5, the first fingers F1, which are attached to each of the three first fingers F1, are moved independently in units of three. Further, since the second belt elements 64 to 66 are moved independently in the second drive unit 7, the second fingers F2, which are attached to each of the three second fingers F2, are moved independently in units of three.

Furthermore, each of the first drive section 5 and the second drive section 7 has a configuration in which a plurality of belt elements can be run by a single pulley. Therefore, in addition to being able to reduce the number of steel members, the separating device 2 can also significantly reduce the installation space.

[Operation of disconnection device 2: see FIGS. 5, 6 and 7]
Next, the operation of separating the article 100 by the separating device 2 having the above configuration will be explained. Here, an example will be described in which the dimensions of the articles 100 to be processed increase in the order of FIGS. Can be separated. This decoupling is achieved based on the variable number of fingers operation mentioned above.

5, which shows a small-sized article 100S, the first fingers F11 to F16 and the second fingers F21 to F26 engage with each of the articles 100S while separating the articles 100. This corresponds to the basic operation described above, in which the first fingers F11 to F16 and the second fingers F21 to F26 move alternately along the conveying path 3.
5 shows that the first finger F11A and the first finger F11B are attached to the same first belt element 51, and both of them may be referred to as the first finger F11. The same applies to the second finger F21A and the second finger F21B.

Here, in the separating device 2, six first fingers F11, F12, F13, F14, F15, F16 belonging to the first drive section 5 move on the conveyance path 3, and six first fingers belonging to the second drive section 7 The second fingers F21, F22, F23, F24, F25, and F26 move on the conveyance path 3. That is, when performing a cutting operation, in the cutting device 2, a fixed number of 12 fingers F, including the first drive section 5 and the second drive section 7, move along the conveyance path 3. When separating small-sized articles 100S, the twelve fingers F can be moved in different phases so as to lock each article 100S. This is because the number of small-sized articles 100S corresponds to the number of articles riding on the conveyance path 3.

However, the number of medium-sized and large-sized items 100M and 100L placed on the conveying path 3 is smaller than that of small-sized items 100S. Therefore, if all 12 fingers F are moved at different phases as shown in FIG. 5, one of the fingers F will interfere with the item 100. In this way, when separating small-sized items 100S, the number of fingers F matches the number of items 100S, but when separating medium-sized and large-sized items 100M and 100L, surplus fingers F are generated. Therefore, the separating device 2 operates to change the number of fingers. This function is based on the fact that the first belt elements 51 to 56 and the second belt elements 64 to 66 that support the fingers F can move independently and the distance between adjacent fingers F can be changed.

In FIG. 6 showing a medium-sized item 100M, as an example, the first finger F16 and the second finger F25 move while holding the same item 100M. In other words, the first finger F16 and the second finger F25 move in the same position, that is, in the same phase, in the conveying direction of the conveying path 3. The first fingers F11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and the second fingers F21, 22, 23, 24, 26, excluding the first finger F16 and the second finger F25, hold each of the items 100M. Note that the "held in the same position" does not necessarily mean that they are completely physically held in the same position, and one of the first finger F16 and the second finger F25 may be slightly separated from the item 100M.

As mentioned above, among the fixed number of fingers F, 12 in this case, on the conveyance path 3, one of the two fingers F16 and F25, which move in the same phase, can be separated. can be considered not to be involved in the operation of That is, a total of 11 fingers F are substantially involved in cutting off the medium-sized article 100M.

When cutting off the large-sized article 100L, the number of surplus fingers F is greater than when cutting off the medium-sized article 100M. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, as an example, in addition to the first finger F13 and the second finger F22 moving in the same phase, the first finger F16 and the second finger F26 also move in the same phase, Detachment takes place. In other words, there are a total of ten fingers F that are substantially involved in cutting off the large-sized article 100L.

As described above, in the cutting device 2, the number of fingers F that substantially participate in cutting can be changed to 10, 11, and 12. This change can be realized by adjusting the running speed of any one of the first belt elements 51 to 56 and the second belt elements 61 to 66 that support the fingers F.

[Effect of separation device 2]
Next, the effects produced by the separating device 2 will be explained.
In the separating device 2, the plurality of fingers F moving on the conveyance path 3 can independently and arbitrarily change the moving speed. Thereby, the articles 100 that are supplied in close contact with each other can be separated into even one piece at a constant pitch P1 and transported downstream. If one unit is separated, the load applied to the fingers F is small, so the load burden on each finger F can be small.

Furthermore, in the separating device 2, the fingers F can be considered to be stationary in relation to the article 100. Therefore, the portion of the article 100 that is locked by the finger F is less likely to be damaged. Furthermore, if a label is attached to the article 100, even if the finger F locks the label portion, there is almost no possibility that the label will be peeled off. This suggests that the separating device 2 can be applied regardless of whether it is before or after a device that applies labels.
For example, in a separating device using a screw, since the screw in contact with the article 100 rotates, the screw slides on the article 100, so it is easily damaged, and there is also a risk of peeling off the label when the screw slides on the label. be.

Furthermore, if the acceleration α shown in equation (2) is set to the minimum value of the variation range of the friction coefficient between the article 100 and the conveyance path 3 or less, stable separation at a constant pitch can be realized.

In addition to the above, it is possible to select the configurations mentioned in the above embodiments or to change them to other configurations as appropriate.
For example, in the above embodiment, the operation of separating the articles one by one has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. Can be separated. This separation of multiple units simultaneously realizes grouping. The articles 100A, 100A and the articles 100B, 100B separated into two units are conveyed downstream while maintaining a constant pitch P2.

Further, although the first drive section 5 and the second drive section 7 of the above embodiment have a triangular shape in plan view, the present disclosure is not limited to this. It is sufficient to have a straight line portion with a length corresponding to the conveyance path 3, and may have an oval or rectangular external shape in plan view, for example.

Further, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the fingers F are moved independently in units of three, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The fingers F may be moved independently in a plurality of units, for example, two units, or may be moved independently in units of four or more.

Further, in the above embodiment, the pulley is divided in the axial direction, and the pulley element driven by the pulley and the pulley element that idles with respect to the pulley are divided in the axial direction, and a drive belt is attached to each pulley element. By rotating the drive belts, independent movement of the plurality of drive belts is realized. However, in the present disclosure, the means for independently moving the plurality of drive belts is not limited to this, and for example, a linear motor can be used. That is, the finger F is supported by each of the plurality of movers moving on a circulating orbit. Since the plurality of movable elements in the linear motor can move independently, the basic operation related to separating the article 100 and the variable number-of-finger operation described in the above embodiment can be realized.

[Additional Notes]
The above-described detachment device and detachment method disclose the following.

(1) A conveyance path 3 along which the article 100 is conveyed along the conveyance direction from upstream U to downstream D, and a plurality of first fingers F1 that lock the article 100 along one edge of the conveyance path 3. It includes a first drive unit 5 that moves the article 100, and a second drive unit 7 that moves the plurality of second fingers F2 that lock the article 100 along the other edge of the conveyance path 3. The first drive section 5 accelerates the plurality of first fingers F1 when moving within a predetermined range of the transport path 3, and the second drive section 7 accelerates the plurality of first fingers F1 when moving within a predetermined range of the transport path 3. Accelerate the second finger F2.

(2) The first drive unit 5 and the second drive unit 7 alternately move the plurality of first fingers F1 and the plurality of second fingers F2 in the transport direction on the transport path 3.

(3) The first drive unit 5 and the second drive unit 7 move at least one first finger F1 and at least one second finger F2 at the same position in the conveyance direction on the conveyance path 3.

(4) The first drive section 5 and the second drive section 7 are arranged so that the number of the plurality of first fingers F1 and the number of the plurality of second fingers F2 moving on the conveyance path 3 are constant. Activate the second finger.

(5) The first drive section 5 and the second drive section 7 are capable of handling the plurality of articles 100 that are continuously supplied to the conveyance path 3 in close contact with one another, or in units of a plurality of articles. To provide a gap, the first finger F1 and the second finger F2 are moved.

(6) The first drive unit 5 is provided with first drive belts 50A, 50B in which at least two folds are formed in the horizontal direction H, and is provided at the folds of the first drive belts 50A, 50B, with an interval in the axial direction C. It includes a pair of first pulleys 11, 12... arranged apart from each other, and first rotating electric machines 31, 32... that rotate each of the pair of first pulleys 11, 12....
The second drive unit 7 is provided with second drive belts 60A, 60B in which at least two folds are formed in the horizontal direction H, and is provided at the folds of the second drive belts 60A, 60B, and is arranged at intervals in the axial direction C. A pair of second pulleys 21, 22, . . . , and a second rotating electrical machine 41, 42, .

(7) In the first drive unit 5, the first pulleys 11, 12... are divided into a plurality of first pulley elements 11A, 11B... in the axial direction C, and the first drive belts 50A, 50B are divided into a plurality of parts. It is divided into a plurality of first belt elements 51, 52, . . . corresponding to each of the first pulley elements.
In the second drive unit 7, the second pulleys 21, 22... are divided into a plurality of second pulley elements 25A, 25B... in the axial direction C, and the second drive belts 60A, 60B are divided into a plurality of second pulley elements 25A, 25B... It is divided into a plurality of second belt elements 61, 62, . . . corresponding to each of the second belt elements.

(8) In the first drive unit 5, a part of the plurality of first pulley elements 11A, 11B... rotates according to the rotational drive of the first rotating electric machine 31..., and the remaining part of the plurality of first pulley elements idles.
In the second drive unit 7, some of the plurality of second pulley elements 25A, 25B... rotate according to the rotational drive of the second rotating electric machine, and the remaining part of the plurality of second pulley elements idles.

(9) For the plurality of articles 100 that are conveyed along the conveyance direction along the conveyance path 3 in close contact from upstream U toward downstream D, intervals are provided one by one, or intervals are established in units of multiple articles. This is a separation method that is provided. The separation is performed by locking the article 100 with a plurality of first fingers F1 that move along one widthwise edge of the conveyance path 3, and by locking the article 100 with a plurality of first fingers F1 that move along the other widthwise edge of the conveyance path 3. This is done by locking the article 100 with the second finger F2. When moving within a predetermined range of the conveyance path 3, the plurality of first fingers F1 and the plurality of second fingers F2 accelerate.

(10) In the conveyance path 3, the plurality of first fingers and the plurality of second fingers alternately move in the conveyance direction.

(11) In the conveyance path 3, at least one first finger and at least one second finger move at the same position in the conveyance direction.

1, 2 Separation device 3 Conveyance path 5 First drive section 7 Second drive section 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 First pulley 11A, 11B, 11C, 11D, 11E, 11F First pulley element 21, 22 , 23, 24, 25, 26 Second pulley 25A, 25B, 25C, 25D, 25E, 25F Second pulley element 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 First rotating electric machine 31A First output shaft 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 Second rotating electric machine 45A Second output shaft 50A, 50B First drive belt 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56 First belt element 60A, 60B Second drive belt 61, 62, 63 , 64, 65, 66 Second belt element 100, 100A, 100B, 100L, 100M, 100S Article F Finger F1, F11, F11A, F11B, F11C First finger F12, F13, F14, F15, F16 First finger F2, F21, F21A, F22, F23, F24, F25, F26 Second finger F25A, F25B, F25C Second finger

Claims (7)

a conveyance path along which the article is conveyed along the conveyance direction from upstream to downstream;
a first drive unit that moves a plurality of first fingers that lock the article along one edge of the conveyance path;
a second drive unit that moves a plurality of second fingers that lock the article along the other edge of the conveyance path;
The first drive section is
accelerating the plurality of first fingers when moving through an acceleration region of the conveyance path;
The second driving section
accelerating the plurality of second fingers when moving through the acceleration area of the conveyance path;
The moving speed of the first finger and the second finger in the first constant speed region upstream of the acceleration region is set to a constant V1,
V3 accelerating the moving speed of the first finger and the second finger in the acceleration region ;
Assuming that the conveyance speed of the article in a second constant speed area downstream of the acceleration area is constant V2,
A moving speed of the conveyance path across the first constant speed region, the acceleration region, and the second constant speed region is the V2,
V1 < V3 < V2 holds ,
The first drive section and the second drive section are
In the conveyance path,
moving at least one of the first fingers and at least one of the second fingers to coincident positions in the conveying direction;
Detachment device. The first drive section and the second drive section are
moving the first fingers and the second fingers so that the number of the plurality of first fingers and the number of the plurality of second fingers moving on the conveyance path are constant;
The separating device according to claim 1. The first drive section and the second drive section are
A plurality of the articles are continuously supplied to the conveyance path in close contact with each other,
moving the first finger and the second finger so as to provide intervals one by one or in units of a plurality of fingers;
The separating device according to claim 1 or claim 2 . The first driving unit is
a first drive belt having at least two turns in a horizontal direction H; a pair of first pulleys arranged at each turn of the first drive belt and spaced apart in an axial direction around which the first drive belt is wound; and a first rotating electric machine that rotates and drives each of the pair of first pulleys,
The second drive unit is
a second drive belt having at least two of the folds formed in a horizontal direction H; a pair of second pulleys arranged at intervals in an axial direction around which the second drive belt is wound, the pair of second pulleys being provided at each of the folds of the second drive belt; and a second rotating electric machine that rotates and drives each of the pair of second pulleys.
The disconnecting device according to claim 3 . a conveyance path along which the article is conveyed along the conveyance direction from upstream to downstream;
a first drive unit that moves a plurality of first fingers that lock the article along one edge of the conveyance path;
a second drive unit that moves a plurality of second fingers that lock the article along the other edge of the conveyance path;
The first drive section is
a first drive belt having at least two folds formed in the horizontal direction H; and a first drive belt provided at each fold of the first drive belt, arranged at intervals in an axial direction along which the first drive belt is wound. a pair of first pulleys, and a first rotating electric machine that rotationally drives each of the pair of first pulleys,
In the first driving section,
The first pulley is divided into a plurality of first pulley elements in the axial direction,
The first drive belt is divided into a plurality of first belt elements corresponding to each of the plurality of first pulley elements,
The second drive section is
a second drive belt having at least two folds formed in the horizontal direction H; and a second drive belt provided at each fold of the second drive belt arranged at intervals in an axial direction along which the second drive belt is wound. a second rotating electric machine that rotationally drives each of the pair of second pulleys,
In the second driving section,
The second pulley is divided into a plurality of second pulley elements in the axial direction,
The second drive belt is divided into a plurality of second belt elements corresponding to each of the plurality of second pulley elements,
The first drive section is
Accelerating the plurality of first fingers when moving in a predetermined range of the conveyance path,
The second drive section is
Accelerating the plurality of second fingers when moving in a predetermined range of the conveyance path,
The moving speed of the first finger and the second finger on the upstream side of the predetermined range is set to a constant V1,
V3 accelerating the moving speed of the first finger and the second finger in the predetermined range;
Assuming that the moving speed of the conveyance path is constant V2,
V1<V3<V2 holds,
The first drive section and the second drive section are
A plurality of the articles are continuously supplied to the conveyance path in close contact with each other,
A separating device that moves the first finger and the second finger so that they are spaced apart one by one or in units of a plurality of fingers . In the first driving section,
A part of the plurality of first pulley elements rotates according to the rotational drive of the first rotating electric machine, and the remaining part of the plurality of first pulley elements idles,
In the second driving section,
A part of the plurality of second pulley elements rotates according to the rotational drive of the second rotating electric machine, and the remaining part of the plurality of second pulley elements idles.
The separating device according to claim 5 . A separation method for separating a plurality of articles conveyed in a conveying direction on a conveying path in a state of being in close contact from upstream to downstream, the separation method comprising the steps of providing intervals between the articles one by one or providing intervals between the articles in units of a plurality of articles,
The separation is
The article is held by a plurality of first fingers that move along one edge of the conveying path;
by engaging the article with a plurality of second fingers that move along the other edge of the conveying path;
When moving through an acceleration region of the transport path, the first fingers and the second fingers accelerate,
The moving speed of the first finger and the second finger in a first constant speed region upstream of the acceleration region is set to a constant V1,
V3, which accelerates the moving speed of the first finger and the second finger in the acceleration region ;
If the conveying speed of the article in the second constant speed region downstream of the acceleration region is a constant V2,
a moving speed of the conveying path across the first constant speed region, the acceleration region, and the second constant speed region is V2 ;
V1 < V3 < V2 holds true ,
In the conveying path,
At least one of the first fingers and at least one of the second fingers move at positions that coincide in the conveying direction.
How to detach.

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