JP7481945B2 - Item conveying device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a conveying device for conveying items.

JP2015-525176A discloses a linear conveying device using a linear motor as a device for conveying objects. This linear conveying device has a linear motor stator in which an electromagnet is arranged, and a conveying member provided with a permanent magnet. The electromagnet and the permanent magnet form a linear motor system. The conveying member has a holder or a corresponding holder, and the holder and the corresponding holder lined up in the conveying direction sandwich a product, and the conveying member is moved to convey the product.

JP 2015-525176 A

With this type of conveying device, for example, when removing an item being conveyed for a sampling test, the conveying operation must be stopped, which can cause delays in conveying and can increase the time required for processing.

The present invention aims to provide a conveying device that can remove an item being conveyed without stopping the conveyance.

In order to achieve the above object, the conveying device of the present invention has a conveying rail extending along a conveying path along which an article is conveyed, a sub-conveying rail at least a part of which is arranged in parallel with the conveying rail and the conveying path and formed in a loop shape, a plurality of first conveying shuttles and a plurality of second conveying shuttles arranged on the conveying rail and capable of conveying the article held from the front and rear of the conveying direction along the conveying path, a plurality of first sub-conveying shuttles and a plurality of second sub-conveying shuttles arranged on a surface of the sub-conveying rail facing the conveying rail and capable of moving the article held from the front and rear of the conveying direction along the sub-conveying rail, a conveying linear motor mechanism for independently moving the first conveying shuttle and the second conveying shuttle, and a sub-conveying linear motor mechanism for independently moving the first sub-conveying shuttle and the second sub-conveying shuttle, and the article can be transferred from a state held by the first conveying shuttle and the second conveying shuttle to a state held by the first sub-conveying shuttle and the second sub-conveying shuttle, or vice versa.

With this configuration, the item can be handed over to the first and second sub-conveyor shuttles moving on the sub-conveyor rails without stopping the transport of the item. This allows the item to be removed or inserted without stopping the transport of the item.

In the above configuration, the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle can hold the item while the first sub-transport shuttle and the second sub-transport shuttle can also hold the item, and the item is handed over after being held simultaneously.

In the above configuration, the conveying rail has a straight conveying section that extends in a straight line, the sub-conveying rail has a straight conveying section that extends in a straight line opposite the straight conveying section across the conveying path, and the first conveying shuttle and the second conveying shuttle are on the straight conveying section, and the item is handed over when the first sub-conveying shuttle and the second sub-conveying shuttle are on the straight conveying section.

In the above configuration, the first sub-transport shuttle and the second sub-transport shuttle receive the items from the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle, and then move around the sub-transport rail, and then transfer the items to the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle.

In the above configuration, the article transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, when the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle are stopped in an emergency, the article held by the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle is transferred to the first sub-transport shuttle and the second sub-transport shuttle.

The conveying device of the present invention allows items to be removed or inserted while the conveying operation is in progress.

FIG. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the transport device. 2 is a plan view of a first transport shuttle and a second transport shuttle moving on a first linear transport rail; FIG. FIG. 4 is a view of the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle shown in FIG. 3 as seen from the outside. 4 is a diagram of the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle shown in FIG. 3 as viewed from the rear side in the transport direction. 1 is a plan view of a state in which a first transport shuttle and a second transport shuttle holding articles are moving along a first curved transport rail. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which an article is being transferred using the transfer device. FIG. FIG. FIG. 13 is a plan view of a transfer device according to a modified example. 1 is a plan view showing a state in which the first and second collection shuttles of the present invention are holding collected articles. FIG. 12 is a view of the first and second collection shuttles shown in FIG. 11 as seen from the outside. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the first accumulation shuttle and the second accumulation shuttle shown in FIG. 11 as viewed from the rear side in the conveying direction. 11 is an enlarged plan view of the second conveying section when articles are being accumulated; FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the first transport unit and the sub transport unit. 13 is a plan view showing a state in which an object is held simultaneously by the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle, and the first sub-transport shuttle and the second sub-transport shuttle. FIG. FIG. 16 is a rear view of the article shown in FIG. 13 is a plan view showing the state after the article has been moved to the sub-conveyor section. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for acquiring item position information by a control unit. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of return control.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the direction in which the item Pc is transported is defined as the transport direction Tr, and the "upstream side in the transport direction" and the "downstream side in the transport direction" are defined along the transport direction Tr. When describing the item Pc or other components themselves, the "downstream side in the transport direction" is defined as the "front side in the transport direction" and the "upstream side in the transport direction" is defined as the "rear side in the transport direction". For example, the surface of the item Pc facing the downstream side in the transport direction is described as the "downstream surface in the transport direction" or the "front surface in the transport direction", and the surface facing the upstream side in the transport direction is described as the "upstream surface in the transport direction" or the "rear surface in the transport direction". In addition, the radially outward side from the center of the loop of the loop-shaped rail is described as the outside, and the radially inward side is described as the inside.

<Conveying device A>
Fig. 1 is a schematic layout diagram of the conveying device A. Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram of the conveying device A. The conveying device A is disposed in a process downstream of a filling device (not shown) that fills articles with contents. As shown in Fig. 1, the conveying device A conveys an approximately rectangular parallelepiped article Pc filled with a liquid content therein, packs it into a storage box Bx, and carries it outside.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the conveying device A has an input section 100, a first conveying section 200, a second conveying section 300, a transfer device 400, a packing section 500, a control section 600 (see Figure 2), and a sub-conveying section 700. In the conveying device A, items Pc discharged from a filling device (not shown) are brought in via the input section 100.

After the items Pc are subjected to a predetermined process in the first conveying section 200, they are sent to the second conveying section 300. The items Pc conveyed to the second conveying section 300 are stacked in groups of several, then packed into storage boxes Bx in the boxing section 500 and transported to the outside. Here, stacking refers to the act of gathering several items Pc in the conveying direction Tr by bringing adjacent items Pc into contact with each other in the conveying direction Tr, or the state of doing so. Each part of the conveying device A will be described in detail below.

<Control Unit 600>
First, the control unit 600 that controls the conveying device A in an integrated manner will be described in detail. As shown in Fig. 2, the control unit 600 has a processing circuit 601 and a memory circuit 602. The processing circuit 601 is a circuit that processes various information, and has arithmetic circuits such as a CPU and an MPU. The processing circuit 601 also controls control targets included in the first conveying unit 200, the second conveying unit 300, the transfer device 400, the packing unit 500, and the sub-conveying unit 700 based on the processing results.

The memory circuit 602 is a circuit that includes or is connected to semiconductor memory such as ROM and RAM, portable memory such as flash memory, and storage media such as a hard disk. Various programs such as control programs or processing programs may be stored in the memory circuit 602, and the program corresponding to the processing may be called up as necessary and run by the processing circuit 601 to perform the processing. The elements connected to the control unit 600 and their control will be explained when explaining each element.

<Carry-in section 100>
As shown in Fig. 1, in the conveying device A, the items Pc are carried in through a carry-in section 100. The carry-in section 100 has a carry-in conveyor 11 and a pair of nip rollers 12. The carry-in conveyor 11 is a conveyor that carries the items Pc that have been filled with contents by a filling device (not shown). The carry-in conveyor 11 carries the items Pc with the items Pc placed on the upper surface.

In the loading section 100 of this embodiment, it is desired to prevent slippage of the item Pc on the top surface of the loading conveyor 11 during normal transport, and to allow it to slide appropriately when transferring to the transfer device 400. To meet this requirement, the static and dynamic friction coefficients between the item Pc and the loading conveyor 11 (top surface) must be appropriate values.

As a result of extensive research, the inventors of the present invention have found that in order to optimize the static and dynamic friction coefficients described above, it is preferable to use a top chain conveyor as the loading conveyor 11. Therefore, in the loading section 100 of this embodiment, a top chain conveyor is used as the loading conveyor 11.

As shown in FIG. 1, the downstream end of the loading conveyor 11 in the transport direction Tr is connected to a second curved transport rail 214 (described later) of the first transport section 200 via a transfer device 400. The loading conveyor 11 has a conveyor motor 111 (see FIG. 2). The conveyor motor 111 is connected to the control section 600 and is a power source that drives the loading conveyor 11 according to instructions from the control section 600.

The pair of nip rollers 12 are disposed above the carry-in conveyor 11. The pair of nip rollers 12 are rotatable around a central axis extending vertically, and the central axes of the nip rollers 12 are disposed parallel to each other. The pair of nip rollers 12 contact a surface that intersects with the conveying direction Tr of the item Pc. The surface of the nip roller 12 is formed of a material that has high friction with the surface of the item Pc. Therefore, the conveyance of the item Pc is controlled by the rotation of the pair of nip rollers 12. In other words, the conveying interval of the item Pc conveyed by the carry-in conveyor 11 is adjusted by the operation of the nip rollers 12.

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

<First conveying section 200>
Next, details of the first transport section 200 will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 moving on the first linear transport rail 211. Fig. 4 is a view of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 shown in Fig. 3 as seen from the outside. Fig. 5 is a view of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 shown in Fig. 3 as seen from the rear side in the transport direction.

As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the first conveying section 200 has a conveying rail 21, a first conveying shuttle 22, a second conveying shuttle 23, and a conveying linear motor mechanism 24. In addition, a straw attachment section 25 and a defective product removal section 26 are arranged near the first conveying path Tc1. The straw attachment section 25 and the defective product removal section 26 are examples of processing sections that process the items Pc. Note that the processing sections are not limited to these.

The conveying rail 21 is formed into a loop by connecting both ends. The conveying rail 21 has a first straight conveying rail 211 and a second straight conveying rail 212, which are straight, and a first curved conveying rail 213 and a second curved conveying rail 214, which are curved (see FIG. 1).

As shown in FIG. 1, the first conveying section 200 has a first conveying path Tc1 along which items Pc are conveyed from the transfer device 400 to the transfer section 37 of the second conveying section 300. The first conveying path Tc1 has a straight portion and curved portions connected to the upstream and downstream sides of the straight portion in the conveying direction. In addition, in the first conveying section 200, a return path Tb is formed that is disposed outside the loop of the conveying rail 21 and connects the downstream end and upstream end of the first conveying path Tc1 in the conveying direction Tr.

The conveying rail 21 is divided into a main conveying area 21m extending along the first conveying path Tc1 and a return area 21n extending along the return path Tb. The main conveying area 21m is formed by a part of the downstream side in the conveying direction of the second curved conveying rail 214, the first straight conveying rail 211, and a part of the upstream side in the conveying direction of the first curved conveying rail 213. The return area 21n is formed by a part of the downstream side in the conveying direction of the first curved conveying rail 213, the second straight conveying rail 212, and a part of the upstream side in the conveying direction of the second curved conveying rail 214.

The first straight conveying rail 211 and the second straight conveying rail 212 and the curved first curved conveying rail 213 and the second curved conveying rail 214 have the same configuration except for the difference in whether they are straight or curved. In the following, they will be distinguished when necessary, and will be described as conveying rail 21 when no distinction is necessary.

<Conveyor rail 21>
As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the transport rail 21 has a main rail portion 215, a grooved rail portion 216, and a flat rail portion 217. The main rail portion 215 is a cylinder having a rectangular cross section cut along a plane perpendicular to the transport direction Tr. A coil 241 (described later) of the transport linear motor mechanism 24 is disposed inside the main rail portion 215. The main rail portion 215 is formed of a material through which the magnetic force from the coil 241 can pass. Examples of such materials include, but are not limited to, some stainless steels, aluminum and alloys thereof.

The grooved rail portion 216 is disposed on top of the main rail portion 215. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, a gap 218 is formed between the main rail portion 215 and the grooved rail portion 216. The gap 218 is shaped to fit the convex portions 229 (described later) of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23. This allows the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 to be guided movably in a direction along the transport rail 21.

The grooved rail portion 216 has a groove portion 219 that is recessed from the outer surface in a direction intersecting the transport direction Tr. The groove portion 219 is formed around the entire circumference of the transport rail 21. The grooved rail portion 216 has two groove portions 219. The two groove portions 219 are arranged next to each other above and below.

The flat rail portion 217 is disposed below the main rail portion 215. The flat rail portion 217 has a cross section cut along a plane intersecting the transport direction Tr such that the outer side of the cross section follows a vertical line (see FIG. 5, etc.).

The first straight conveying rail 211, the first curved conveying rail 213, the second straight conveying rail 212 and the second curved conveying rail 214 are connected in order in a clockwise direction in a plan view. This forms the conveying rail 21 in a loop shape.

In the first conveying section 200 in this embodiment, the first curved conveying rail 213 and the second curved conveying rail 214 are arc-shaped with the same radius of curvature, but are not limited to this. For example, the first curved conveying rail 213 and the second curved conveying rail 214 may be curved by combining curves with multiple radii of curvature, or may be partially straight. Furthermore, the curved portion is not limited to being arc-shaped, and may be a so-called clothoid curve. Alternatively, other curved shapes may be used.

<First Transport Shuttle 22 and Second Transport Shuttle 23>
As shown in Fig. 1, the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 move in a clockwise direction in a plan view along the transport rail 21. Also, as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 are disposed on the outer surface of the transport rail 21 and are movable along the transport rail 21. The first transport shuttle 22 holds the front part of the item Pc in the transport direction Tr. The second transport shuttle 23 holds the rear part of the item Pc in the transport direction Tr.

The first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 move along the first transport path Tc1 while holding the item Pc, thereby transporting the item Pc in the transport direction Tr. In other words, the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 are an example of a transport shuttle that holds the item Pc. Note that the transport shuttle may be configured to hold the item Pc from the bottom, for example.

In the first transport section 200, the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 have a common configuration of a main body 220, two upper rollers 223, two lower rollers 224, and a convex portion 229. Note that, as long as the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 are capable of moving along the transport rail 21, they may each have a main body, upper rollers, and lower rollers of different configurations.

The common parts of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 will now be described. A magnet 242 (described later) of the transport linear motor mechanism 24 is arranged in the main body 220. The main body 220 is arranged facing the transport rail 21, outward of the transport rail 21. The magnet 242 is housed inside the main body 220 and faces the coil 241 arranged in the main rail section 215 in a direction intersecting the transport direction Tr.

The main body 220 has a protrusion 229 that protrudes toward the transport rail 21. The protrusion 229 fits into a gap 218 formed between the main rail portion 215 and the grooved rail portion 216 of the transport rail 21 (see FIG. 5). The protrusion 229 fits into the gap 218, thereby preventing the main body 220 from shifting from the transport rail 21.

The two upper rollers 223 are rotatably supported on the upper part of the main body 220. The outer circumferential surfaces of the upper rollers 223 fit into the grooves 219 of the grooved rail section 216. The two lower rollers 224 are rotatably supported on the lower part of the main body 220. The outer circumferential surfaces of the lower rollers 224 contact the outer surface of the flat rail section 217.

The main body 220 is attracted to the outer surface of the transport rail 21 by the magnetic force of the magnet 242 arranged inside. The transport rail 21 may be provided with an attraction part made of a metal such as iron that attracts the magnet, or the main body 220 may be attracted by the magnetic force between the magnet 242 and an iron core provided in the coil 241. The main body 220 is movable along the transport rail 21, and may be attached to the transport rail 21 using a hook or the like so that it does not easily fall off the transport rail 21.

Next, the characteristic parts of the first transport shuttle 22 will be described. As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the first transport shuttle 22 has a first transport support part 221 and two first transport engagement parts 222 attached to the main body part 220. The first transport support part 221 is disposed below the first transport engagement part 222. The first transport support part 221 is fixed to the main body part 220 by screwing. The first transport support part 221 protrudes outward from the main body part 220. The upper surface of the first transport support part 221 is a horizontal plane.

The first transport support portion 221 has a corner portion 225 at the rear of the outer end in the transport direction Tr in a plan view. The corner portion 225 extends rearward in the transport direction Tr beyond the arm body portion 226 (described later) of the first transport engagement portion 222. Furthermore, the corner portion 225 extends outward beyond the pressing portion 228 (described later) of the first transport engagement portion 222 (see FIG. 3).

The two first transport engagement parts 222 are attached to the main body part 220 at a distance from each other in the vertical direction. The two first transport engagement parts 222 are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction on the main body part 220, but have the same shape. As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the first transport engagement part 222 has an arm main body part 226, a claw part 227, and a pressing part 228. The first transport engagement part 222 is fixed to the main body part 220 by screws. The arm main body part 226 is a flat plate that is perpendicular to the main body part 220.

The claw portion 227 extends rearward in the transport direction Tr from the outer end of the arm body portion 226. The pressing portion 228 extends rearward in the transport direction Tr from the end of the arm body portion 226 closer to the transport rail 21.

The characteristic parts of the second transport shuttle 23 will now be described. As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the second transport shuttle 23 has a second transport support part 231 and two second transport engagement parts 232 attached to the main body part 220. The second transport support part 231 is disposed below the second transport engagement part 232. The second transport support part 231 is fixed to the main body part 220 by screwing. The second transport support part 231 protrudes outward from the main body part 220. The upper surface of the second transport support part 231 is a horizontal plane.

The second transport support portion 231 has a corner portion 235 at the front of the outer end in the transport direction Tr in a plan view. The corner portion 235 extends rearward in the transport direction Tr further than an arm main body portion 236 of the second transport engagement portion 232, which will be described later. Furthermore, the corner portion 235 extends outward further than a pressing portion 238 of the second transport engagement portion 232, which will be described later (see FIG. 3). The two second transport engagement portions 232 are attached to the main body portion 220 at a distance from each other in the vertical direction. The second transport engagement portions 232 correspond to the first transport engagement portions 222.

As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the second transport engagement portion 232 has an arm body portion 236 corresponding to the arm body portion 226, a claw portion 237 corresponding to the claw portion 227, and a pressing portion 238 corresponding to the pressing portion 228. The claw portion 227 extends forward in the transport direction Tr from the outer end of the arm body portion 236. The pressing portion 238 extends forward in the transport direction Tr from the end of the arm body portion 236 closer to the transport rail 21.

In addition, in the case where a guide portion for guiding the transport of the item Pc is provided on the first transport path Tc1 in the first transport section 200, the first transport support portion 221 and the claw portion 227 of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport support portion 231 and the claw portion 237 of the second transport shuttle 23 may be omitted.

Next, we will explain how the first and second transport shuttles 22 and 23 hold the item Pc. The control unit 600 can change the relative positions of the first and second transport shuttles 22 and 23 when they are attached to the transport rail 21.

First, we will explain how the first and second transport shuttles 22 and 23 hold the item Pc when they are placed on the linear first straight transport rail 211. The same applies when they are placed on the second straight transport rail 212. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the first transport shuttle 22 holds the front of the item Pc in the transport direction Tr, and the second transport shuttle 23 holds the rear of the item Pc in the transport direction Tr.

The claw portion 227 of the first transport engagement portion 222 engages with a portion of the front end of the surface of the item Pc opposite the transport rail 21. At the same time, the pressing portion 228 engages with a portion of the front end of the surface of the item Pc facing the transport rail 21. The arm main body portion 226 comes into contact with a portion of the front surface of the item Pc in the transport direction Tr.

Similarly, the claw portion 237 of the second transport engagement portion 232 engages with a portion of the rear end of the surface of the item Pc opposite the transport rail 21. At the same time, the pressing portion 238 engages with a portion of the rear end of the surface of the item Pc facing the transport rail 21. The arm main body portion 236 comes into contact with a portion of the rear surface of the item Pc in the transport direction Tr.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, in the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 attached to the transport rail 21, the vertical position of the arm body 226 of the first transport engagement part 222 is between the arm body parts 236 of the two second transport engagement parts 232. For example, the vertical position of the arm body part 226 of the lower first transport engagement part 222 is lower than the arm body part 236 of the lower second transport engagement part 232, and the vertical position of the arm body part 226 of the upper first transport engagement part 222 is lower than the arm body part 236 of the upper second transport engagement part 232.

As shown in FIG. 4, by arranging each arm body 226 of the first transport engagement part 222 below each arm body 236 of the second transport engagement part 232, a space is formed on the surface of the item Pc opposite the transport rail 21 from the upper front side to the lower rear side in the transport direction Tr. Therefore, even if the claw portion 227 of the first transport engagement part 222 and the claw portion 227 of the second transport engagement part 232 engage with the surface of the item Pc opposite the transport rail 21, an area to which a straw Th can be affixed is formed on the surface of the item Pc opposite the transport rail 21.

It is preferable that the upper surface of the first transport support portion 221 and the upper surface of the second transport support portion 231 are flush with each other, but this is not limited thereto. They may be shifted up and down so that the item Pc is tilted in the transport direction Tr.

When the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 are holding an item Pc, the corners 225 of the first conveying support portion 221 and the corners 235 of the second conveying support portion 231 support the front and rear corners of the inside bottom surface of the item Pc in the conveying direction Tr.

The bottom surface of the item Pc is supported at the front and rear corners close to the conveyor rail 21. Therefore, a force may act on the top of the item Pc in a direction that causes it to tip outward. However, the claw portion 227 of the first conveyor engagement portion 222 is configured to engage with a portion of the front end of the surface of the item Pc opposite the conveyor rail 21, and the claw portion 237 of the second conveyor engagement portion 232 is configured to engage with a portion of the rear end of the surface of the item Pc opposite the conveyor rail 21, thereby preventing the item Pc from tipping over.

In addition, a portion of the front surface of the item Pc in the conveying direction Tr contacts the arm main body portion 226, and a portion of the rear surface of the item Pc in the conveying direction Tr contacts the arm main body portion 236. This makes it possible to suppress movement of the item Pc in the conveying direction Tr when the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 start or stop moving.

As described above, when an item Pc is held by the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23, the downward movement of the item Pc is supported by the first transport support portion 221 (corner portion 225) and the second transport support portion 231 (corner portion 235). Therefore, the first transport engagement portion 222 and the second transport engagement portion 232 only need to come into contact with, i.e., engage with, the side of the item Pc. Therefore, the first transport engagement portion 222 and the second transport engagement portion 232 do not need to press the item Pc strongly.

As described above, by using the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23, the front and rear of the item Pc in the conveying direction Tr can be securely and safely held, even if the item Pc is soft and easily damaged, such as a paper container containing liquid inside.

In the first conveying section 200, the first conveying path Tc1 along which the item Pc is conveyed has a curved portion. The first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 holding the item Pc move along the curved portion of the first conveying path Tc1, i.e., the first curved conveying rail 213 or the second curved conveying rail 214.

The following description will be given with reference to the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 which move along the first curved transport rail 213. Figure 6 is a plan view of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 holding the item Pc as they move along the first curved transport rail 213.

In the first transport shuttle 22, the angle of the arm body 226 with respect to the transport direction Tr is fixed. In the second transport shuttle 23, the angle of the arm body 236 with respect to the transport direction Tr is fixed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, when the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 are on the first curved transport rail 213, the control unit 600 controls the distance between the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 in the direction along the first curved transport rail 213 to be shorter than the distance when they move along the first straight transport rail 211.

By controlling in this manner, the distance in the conveying direction Tr between the outer ends of the arm main body portion 226 and the arm main body portion 236 is shortened, and the claw portion 227 and the claw portion 237 can engage with a part of the front end and a part of the rear end of the surface of the item Pc opposite the first curved conveying rail 213. Therefore, the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 moving along the first curved conveying rail 213 can firmly hold the item Pc.

In addition, because the claw portions 227 and 237 are configured to engage with a portion of the surface of the item Pc opposite the first curved conveying rail 213, the centrifugal force generated when the item Pc moves along the first curved conveying rail 213 can be received by the claw portions 227 and 237. This makes it possible to prevent the item Pc from flying out or falling even when the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 move along the first curved conveying rail 213.

<Transport Linear Motor Mechanism 24>
A plurality of first transport shuttles 22 and the same number of second transport shuttles 23 as the first transport shuttles 22 are arranged alternately along the transport direction Tr on the transport rail 21. The transport linear motor mechanism 24 is capable of driving each of the first transport shuttles 22 and each of the second transport shuttles 23 independently.

As shown in Figures 2 and 5, the conveying linear motor mechanism 24 has multiple coils 241, a magnet 242, and a linear driver 243 (see Figure 2). The multiple coils 241 are arranged in a loop inside the conveying rail 21, which is arranged in a loop.

The magnets 242 are permanent magnets and are arranged in the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23. As shown in FIG. 5, the magnets 242 are arranged inside the main body 220. The magnets 242 are arranged so that they can mutually apply magnetic force to the coils 241. The magnets 242 arranged in the main body 220 and the multiple coils 241 arranged inside the transport rail 21 form a linear motor.

The 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 a calculation processing circuit and a power supply circuit that adjusts the voltage and current supplied to each coil 241. The linear driver 243 supplies an appropriate current to each coil 241. The linear driver 243 receives information on the operation of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 (including information on the moving speed, timing, etc.) from the control unit 600, and supplies power to the appropriate coil 241 based on that information. In addition, the linear driver 243 sends excitation coil information Im, which is information on the coils 241 that have supplied power to the linear driver 243, to the control unit 600.

<Straw attachment part 25>
The straw attachment unit 25 is disposed close to a straight portion of the first transport path Tc1. The straw attachment unit 25 attaches a straw Th (see, for example, FIGS. 3 to 5) to the surface of the article Pc held by the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23, opposite the transport rail 21. The straw Th is attached to the surface of the article Pc opposite the transport rail 21 while being stored in a resin bag. The straw Th can be attached using, for example, hot melt, adhesive, or the like, but may be attached by other methods.

Depending on the item Pc, a straw Th may not be attached. In this case, the straw attachment section 25 may be omitted. Also, when attaching a long object other than a straw Th to the item Pc, the straw attachment section 25 may be used to attach it.

<Defective Product Rejection Unit 26>
The object Pc is completed by attaching a straw Th in the straw attachment unit 25. In the first transport unit 200, the appearance of the object Pc transported along the first transport path Tc1, for example, the attachment state of the bottom surface, top surface, etc. is inspected by an inspection unit (not shown). The inspection results from the inspection unit are then sent to the control unit 600. The processing circuit 601 of the control unit 600 judges whether the item is good or bad based on the inspection results.

The defective product removal section 26 ejects items Pc that are determined to be defective to the outside of the conveying route. The defective product removal section 26 is arranged downstream of the conveying direction Tr of the first straight conveying rail 211 of the conveying rail 21. The defective product removal section 26 is equipped with a removal conveyor 261 arranged below the conveying rail 21. The removal conveyor 261 is arranged so that it can be conveyed toward the outside of the conveying route. Then, the defective items held by the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 are placed on the lower removal conveyor 261, and the removal conveyor 261 is driven to eject the defective items to the outside of the conveying route.

In this embodiment, the defective product removal section 26 uses a removal conveyor 261 arranged below the transport rail 21, but is not limited to this. For example, a mechanism for pushing defective items outside the transport route may be employed. In this case, too, a configuration can be used in which the relative distance between the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 is widened, and the items are pushed after the hold is released.

The first conveying section 200 has the configuration shown above.

<Transfer Device 400>
The transfer device 400 will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which an article Pc is being transferred at the transfer device 400. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the transfer device 400. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the transfer device 400.

The transfer device 400 receives the item Pc transported on the carry-in conveyor 11, transports the item Pc along the transfer path Ta1, and then transfers the item Pc to the first transport section 200. The transfer device 400 receives the item Pc in a receiving area Ar1 at the upstream end of the transfer path Ta1 in the transport direction Tr, and transfers the item Pc to the first transport section 200 in a transferring area Ar2 at the downstream end of the transfer path Ta1 in the transport direction Tr (see Figures 7, 9, etc.). Note that in the transfer device 400, the receiving area Ar1 and the transferring area Ar2 are always constant regardless of the item Pc.

As shown in Figures 7 to 9, the transfer device 400 moves the item Pc along an arc-shaped transfer path Ta1 centered on the central axis C1. As shown in Figures 7, 9, etc., the upstream end of the transfer path Ta1 of the transfer device 400 in the conveying direction is connected to the downstream end of the conveying direction Tr of the loading conveyor 11. To explain further, the conveying direction Tr of the loading conveyor 11 overlaps with the tangent direction at the upstream end of the transfer path Ta1 in the conveying direction Tr. By configuring in this way, it is possible to transfer the item Pc placed on the upper surface of the loading conveyor 11 to the transfer path Ta1 while suppressing the force applied to the item Pc.

The transfer device 400 has four pushers 41, four holding members 42, a moving mechanism 43, and a guide section 44.

<Pusher 41>
The pusher 41 pushes the article Pc in the conveying direction Tr along the transfer path Ta1. The pusher 41 is movable along a circumferential movement path Ta2 that is centered on a central axis C1 and partially coincides with the transfer path Ta1. All four pushers 41 have the same shape. The pusher 41 is L-shaped in a plan view, and has a first pushing portion 411 and a second pushing portion 412.

The first pushing portion 411 extends along the conveying direction Tr of the moving path Ta2 (see FIG. 9), i.e., in the tangent direction of a circle centered on the central axis C1. All of the first pushing portions 411 are arranged to form the same angle with respect to the central axis C1. The first pushing portions 411 support the inner surface of the item Pc moving within the transfer path Ta1 in a direction intersecting the conveying direction Tr. The first pushing portions 411 come into contact with the item Pc, thereby suppressing changes in the posture of the item moving along the transfer path Ta1 with respect to the central axis C1.

The second pushing section 412 is integral with the first pushing section 411 and extends radially outward from the rear of the first pushing section 411 in the transport direction Tr relative to the central axis C1. The second pushing section 412 may be a separate member that is fixed to the first pushing section 411. The second pushing section 412 contacts the rear surface of the item Pc transported in the transport direction Tr on the transfer route Ta1. In other words, the item Pc transported on the transfer route Ta1 is mainly pushed in the transport direction Tr by the second pushing section 412.

For example, if the item Pc can be stably transported through the transfer route Ta1 by being guided by the guide unit 44, the first pushing unit 411 may be omitted. In other words, the pusher 41 can be configured to push at least the rear surface of the item Pc in the transport direction Tr.

<Holding member 42>
Each of the four holding members 42 has an annular shape centered on a central axis C1 and is arranged rotatably along the central axis C1. Each of the four holding members 42 is rotatable about the central axis C1 and is arranged stacked one above the other along the central axis C1. The holding member 42 has an attachment portion 420 and an internal gear 421.

The mounting portion 420 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the holding member 42. The pusher 41 is attached to the mounting portion 420. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the mounting portions 420 other than the mounting portion 420 of the second-highest holding member 42 extend in the direction of the central axis C1. The tip portions in the C1 axis direction overlap with the outer peripheral surface of the second-highest holding member 42 in the radial direction.

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the pushers 41 are attached to the mounting parts 420 at portions that radially overlap with the second-stage retaining member 42. To explain further, each pusher 41 is attached to each mounting part 420 so that the first pushing part 411 and the second pushing part 412 are positioned at the same position relative to the central axis C1 in the circumferential and radial directions. By being attached in this manner, the movement paths Ta2 of each pusher 41 are aligned.

The transfer device 400 of this embodiment has four pushers 41 and four holding members 42, but is not limited to this. The number of pushers 41 may be set according to the frequency with which the transported items Pc are transferred, the rotation speed of the pushers 41, etc. If the number of pushers 41 increases, the outer diameter of the holding members 42 must be increased, and the transfer device 400 becomes larger. For this reason, it is preferable that the number of pushers 41 is the minimum required according to the number of items Pc, or a few more than that. In addition, the number of holding members 42 is the same as the number of pushers 41 and is determined by the number of pushers 41.

The internal gear 421 is disposed on the peripheral surface that does not have the annular retaining member 42. The internal gear 421 is connected to the movement mechanism 43, and the driving force from the movement mechanism 43 is transmitted to the internal gear 421.

<Moving mechanism 43>
The moving mechanism 43 has four drive motors 431 (see FIGS. 2 and 7), four drive shafts 432 (see FIGS. 8 and 9), and four pinion gears 433 (see FIG. 9). The number of drive motors 431, drive shafts 432, and pinion gears 433 is the same as the number of holding members 42, i.e., pushers 41.

As shown in FIG. 8, each of the four drive shafts 432 extends along the central axis C1, and the lower end is disposed inside the holding member 42. The four drive shafts 432 are disposed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction around the central axis C1.

The four pinion gears 433 are attached to the lower ends of different drive shafts 432. The pinion gears 433 can be fixed to the drive shafts 432 by, for example, but not limited to, press fitting, welding, screwing, etc. A wide variety of fixing methods can be used to firmly fix the pinion gears 433 to the drive shafts 432.

The four pinion gears 433 are arranged at different positions along the central axis C1. Each pinion gear 433 meshes with an internal gear 421 of a different holding member 42.

The upper ends of the four drive shafts 432 in the direction of the central axis C1 are connected to different drive motors 431. The four drive motors 431 each supply a driving force that rotates a different drive shaft 432. In other words, the four pinion gears 433 are each connected to a different drive motor 431 via a different drive shaft 432. As shown in FIG. 7, the drive motor 431 is attached to a lid portion 45 that is disposed above the holding member 42 in the direction along the central axis C1. The lid portion 45 also serves to prevent foreign matter from entering the inside of the holding member 42.

When the drive motor 431 rotates, the drive shaft 432 and the pinion gear 433 rotate. Then, the holding member 42 having the internal gear 421 with which the pinion gear 433 meshes rotates. In other words, the four holding members 42 are each rotated by an independent dedicated drive motor 431. The drive motors 431 are each connected to the control unit 600 (see FIG. 2) and are driven independently based on instructions from the control unit 600. As a result, since the holding members 42 can each rotate independently, the pushers 41 can also each move independently along a circumferential movement path Ta2 centered on the central axis C1.

The moving mechanism 43 of this embodiment employs an internal gear and a pinion gear arranged on the inner surface of the holding member, but is not limited to this. For example, a wide variety of configurations can be employed that allow the holding members to operate independently, such as a configuration in which a holding member is fixed to each of multiple hollow shafts arranged on a concentric axis and each hollow shaft is rotated independently.

A part of the moving path Ta2 overlaps with the transfer path Ta1. In other words, the pusher 41 always passes through the transfer path Ta1 when making one revolution around the moving path Ta2. The pusher 41 comes into contact with the item Pc in the receiving area Ar1 and pushes the item Pc so that the item Pc is transported within the transfer path Ta1. The timing of the pusher 41 and the item Pc will be described later.

<Guide portion 44>
The guide unit 44 guides the item Pc moving along the transfer path Ta1. The guide unit 44 has a bottom guide 441 and a side guide 442. As shown in Figs. 7 to 9, the bottom guide 441 has a constant width in the radial direction centered on the central axis C1 and extends along the transfer path Ta1. In the transfer device 400, the item Pc moves from the top of the carry-in conveyor 11 to the upper surface of the bottom guide. That is, in the transfer device 400, the bottom guide 441 supports the bottom surface of the item Pc moving in the transfer path Ta1.

The upstream side of the bottom guide 441 in the conveying direction of the transfer path Ta1 is close to the carry-in conveyor 11. The bottom guide 441 is positioned with a gap large enough to prevent the item Pc from getting caught when it moves from the carry-in conveyor 11. By forming the gap as narrow as described above, the item Pc can be prevented from losing its balance or falling over when it moves from the carry-in conveyor 11 onto the bottom guide 441. The top surface of the bottom guide 441 may be lower than the top surface of the carry-in conveyor 11 to the extent that the item Pc does not lose its balance when it moves.

The side guide 442 is band-shaped with a constant width in the direction of the central axis C1. When viewed in the direction of the central axis C1, the side guide 442 is arc-shaped extending along the radial outer edge of the transfer path Ta1. The side guide 442 contacts at least a portion of the radial outer side of the item Pc moving along the transfer path Ta1. As a result, when the item Pc moves along the arc-shaped transfer path Ta1, the side guide 442 contacts a portion of the side of the item Pc to suppress radial outward movement of the item Pc due to centrifugal force.

In the first conveying path Tc1 of the first conveying section 200 described below, the item Pc is conveyed while being held at the front and rear in the conveying direction by the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 described below. In the transfer device 400, the item Pc conveyed within the transfer path Ta1 is handed over to the first conveying section 200 in the transfer area Ar2 (see Figures 7 and 9). In other words, in the transfer device 400, the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 hold the item Pc being conveyed on the transfer path Ta1 when passing through a part of the transfer path Ta1.

To explain further, when the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 hold an item Pc in the receiving area Ar1, the bottom surface of the item Pc is supported by the first transport support portion 221 (described later) of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport support portion 231 (described later) of the second transport shuttle 23. Therefore, the top surface of the bottom guide 441 is flush with the top surfaces of the first transport support portion 221 and the second transport support portion 231 and is positioned in a position that does not interfere with them.

In the first transport path Tc1, the item Pc is held in the front and rear of the transport direction Tr by the first transport engagement portion 222 of the first transport shuttle 22, which will be described later, and the second transport engagement portion 232 of the second transport shuttle 23, which will be described later. Therefore, the position of the side guide 442 in the direction along the central axis C1 is arranged at a position that does not interfere with the first transport support portion 221, the first transport engagement portion 222, the second transport support portion 231, and the second transport engagement portion 232.

As described above, when the item Pc is transported within the transfer route Ta1, it is pushed by the pusher 41. Therefore, the positions of the four holding members 42 in the direction along the central axis C1 are determined so that the pusher 41 does not interfere with the first transport support portion 221 and the first transport engagement portion 222, and the second transport support portion 231 and the second engagement support portion 232 (see FIG. 7).

<Operation of the transfer device 400>
The item Pc brought in by the input conveyor 11 is transferred to the first conveying section 200 via the transfer device 400.

The items Pc placed on the carry-in conveyor 11 and transported are stopped at one point on the carry-in conveyor 11 by a pair of nip rollers 12. The items Pc are then sent out one by one at a predetermined interval in the transport direction of the carry-in conveyor 11 by the pair of nip rollers 12. In the carry-in section 100, the items Pc are sent out at a certain interval by the operation of the pair of nip rollers 12. However, the transport interval of the items Pc may vary due to variations in the coefficient of friction of the surface of each nip roller 12, the number of rotations, etc.

The control unit 600 controls the drive motor 431 so that the pusher 41 can start pushing the item Pc when the item Pc placed on the input conveyor 11 and transported reaches the receiving area Ar1.

To explain further, part of the movement path Ta2 overlaps with the transfer path Ta1. In other words, the pusher 41 always passes through the transfer path Ta1 when making one revolution around the movement path Ta2. The control unit 600 controls the drive motor 431 to match the timing at which the pusher 41 reaches the transfer path Ta1 with the position of the item Pc on the carry-in conveyor 11. This ensures that the pusher 41 moving along the transfer path Ta1 can push the item Pc on the carry-in conveyor 11.

This configuration allows the pusher 41 to reliably push the item Pc even if the transport interval of the item Pc is shifted or not constant. By moving the pusher 41 in accordance with the timing of the transport of the item Pc, it is possible to prevent a pusher 41 that is not pushing an item Pc (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as an empty pusher) from passing through the transfer route Ta1.

In the transfer device 400 of this embodiment, the pushers are held by an annular holding member, but this is not limited to this. For example, the pushers may be fixed to the radial outer ends of holding members extending radially from the central axis C1, and the holding members may each independently rotate about the central axis C1. A wide variety of configurations can be adopted in which the pushers 41 can each independently move along the movement path Ta2.

In the transfer device 400, the speed of the pusher 41 can be changed, and the conveying speed of the item Pc conveyed within the transfer path Ta1 can be freely changed within a certain range. If the intervals between the items brought in from the input conveyor 11 vary, it is possible to adjust the conveying speed of the item Pc within the transfer path Ta1 to allow the item Pc to transfer to the first conveying section 200 at a constant interval.

For example, on the transfer route Ta1, if the gap between the item Pc being transported previously is long, the control unit 600 controls the drive motor 431 to accelerate the pusher 41 to close the gap. Conversely, if the gap is narrow, the control unit 600 controls the drive motor 431 to decelerate the pusher 41 to increase the gap. In this way, the item Pc can be transported to the transfer area Ar2 at regular intervals, and the items can be transferred to the first transport unit 200 at regular intervals.

This makes it possible to suppress sudden changes in speed of the mechanism for transporting the item Pc in the first transport section 200, in this case the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23. This makes it possible to suppress heat generation in the transport linear motor mechanism 24 and to suppress deterioration of the first transport section 200.

A sensor (not shown) for detecting the position of the item Pc may be provided downstream of the nip roller 12 at a position close to the input conveyor 11, and the drive motor 431 may be operated based on the state of the item Pc detected by the sensor to accurately bring the pusher 41 into contact with the item Pc. In this way, it is possible to further improve the accuracy of the transfer of items in the transfer device 400.

Figure 10 is a plan view of a modified transfer device 400a. The transfer device 400a shown in Figure 10 has a different configuration for the pusher 41a, but otherwise has the same configuration as the transfer device 400 shown in Figures 7 to 9. Therefore, the same reference numerals are used for the parts of the transfer device 400a that are essentially the same as those of the transfer device 400, and detailed descriptions of the same parts are omitted.

As shown in FIG. 10, the pusher 41a of the transfer device 400a has an extending second pushing portion 412 and a side support portion 413 that extends forward in the conveying direction Tr from the radially outer end of the second pushing portion 412.

When the second pushing portion 412 of the pusher 41a comes into contact with the rear surface of the item Pc in the conveying direction Tr, the side holding portion 413 comes into contact with the radially outer surface of the item Pc. As a result, the centrifugal force of the item Pc is received by the side holding portion 413. Therefore, in the transfer device 400a, the side guide 442 of the guide portion 44 can be omitted. The radially inner surface of the side holding portion 413 is inclined. By forming it in this manner, it is possible to reliably come into contact with the outer surface of the item Pc without placing a burden on the item Pc.

<Second conveying section 300>
Next, the second conveying section 300 arranged after the first conveying section 200 will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 11 is a plan view showing a state in which the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33 according to the present invention hold accumulated articles Pc4. Fig. 12 is a view of the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33 shown in Fig. 11 as seen from the outside. Fig. 13 is a view of the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33 shown in Fig. 11 as seen from the rear side in the conveying direction. The upstream of the second conveying path Tc2 of the second conveying section 300 in the conveying direction Tr is a stacking device.

As shown in FIG. 1, the second conveying section 300 is disposed adjacent to the downstream end of the first conveying path Tc1 of the first conveying section 200 in the conveying direction Tr. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 11 to 13, the second conveying section 300 has an accumulation rail 31, a first accumulation shuttle 32, a second accumulation shuttle 33, an accumulation linear motor mechanism 34, an accumulation conveying section 35, a guide section 36, and a transfer section 37.

The accumulation rail 31 and accumulation linear motor mechanism 34 have substantially the same configuration as the transport rail 21 and accumulation linear motor mechanism 34 of the first transport section 200. Therefore, each part of the accumulation rail 31 and accumulation linear motor mechanism 34 is compared with the corresponding parts of the transport rail 21 and transport linear motor mechanism 24, and detailed explanations are omitted.

<Second transport path Tc2>
As shown in Fig. 1, the second transport section 300 has a second transport path Tc2 along which the items Pc are transported. The second transport path Tc2 is linear. An accumulation transport section 35 is disposed at the upstream end of the second transport path Tc2 in the transport direction Tr. A guide section 36 is also disposed on the second transport path Tc2.

<Collecting rail 31>
1, the accumulation rail 31 has a first straight accumulation rail 311, a second straight accumulation rail 312, a first curved accumulation rail 313, and a second curved accumulation rail 314 corresponding to the first straight conveying rail 211, the second straight conveying rail 212, the first curved conveying rail 213, and the second curved conveying rail 214, respectively. The first straight accumulation rail 311 extends along the second conveying path Tc2. Hereinafter, the two will be distinguished when necessary, and will be described as accumulation rail 31 when no distinction is necessary.

As shown in FIG. 13, the accumulation rail 31 has a main rail portion 315, a grooved rail portion 316, and a flat rail portion 317 that correspond to the main rail portion 215, the grooved rail portion 216, and the flat rail portion 217, respectively. A gap 318 is formed between the main rail portion 315 and the grooved rail portion 316. The gap 318 corresponds to the gap 218. In addition, a groove portion 319 is formed on the outer surface of the grooved rail portion 316. The groove portion 319 corresponds to the groove portion 219.

<Integrated Linear Motor Mechanism 34>
2 and 13, the accumulation linear motor mechanism 34 has a coil 341, a magnet 342, and a linear driver 343 (see FIG. 2) corresponding to the coil 241, the magnet 242, and the linear driver 243 of the transport linear motor mechanism 24. As shown in FIG. 2, the linear driver 343 is connected to the control unit 600, and supplies an appropriate current to each coil 341 based on an instruction from the control unit 600. As shown in FIG. 13, the coil 341 is disposed within the main rail portion 315 of the accumulation rail 31. The magnet 342 is disposed in the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33.

<First accumulation shuttle 32 and second accumulation shuttle 33>
As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33 are disposed on the outer surface of the accumulation rail 31 and are movable along the accumulation rail 31 .

In the second conveying section 300, the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33 have a main body section 320, an upper roller 323, a lower roller 324, and a convex section 329, which have a common configuration. The main body section 320 corresponds to the main body section 220 of the first conveying shuttle 22. The upper roller 323 and the lower roller 324 correspond to the upper roller 223 and the lower roller 224 of the first conveying shuttle 22. The convex section 329 corresponds to the convex section 229. Therefore, detailed explanations of the main body section 320, the upper roller 323, the lower roller 324, and the convex section 329 will be omitted. The magnet 342 of the accumulation linear motor mechanism 34 is arranged in the main body section 320.

The first accumulation shuttle 32 is attached to the main body 320 and has two first accumulation engagement parts 321 extending outward from the main body 320. The two first accumulation engagement parts 321 are arranged vertically apart on the main body 320 (see Figures 12 and 13).

As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the first accumulation engagement portion 321 has a second accumulation contact surface 325. The second accumulation contact surface 325 is the rear surface in the conveying direction Tr. The second accumulation contact surface 325 extends in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction Tr. Note that the second accumulation contact surface 325 is not limited to being perpendicular to the conveying direction Tr, and may form an angle other than 90° with respect to the conveying direction Tr.

The second accumulation shuttle 33 is attached to the main body 320 and has two second accumulation engagement parts 331 extending outward from the main body 320. The two second accumulation engagement parts 331 are spaced apart vertically on the main body 320 (see Figures 12 and 13).

As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the second accumulation engagement portion 331 has a second accumulation contact surface 335. The second accumulation contact surface 335 is the front surface in the conveying direction Tr. The second accumulation contact surface 335 extends in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction Tr. Note that the second accumulation contact surface 335 is not limited to being perpendicular to the conveying direction Tr, and may form an angle other than 90° with respect to the conveying direction Tr.

When the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33 are aligned in the conveying direction Tr, the second accumulation contact surface 325 of the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation contact surface 335 of the second accumulation shuttle 33 face each other in the conveying direction Tr.

The first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33 hold the four items Pc in the conveying direction Tr, in which adjacent items Pc are in contact with each other (hereinafter referred to as accumulated), from the front and back of the conveying direction Tr. That is, the second conveying section 300 accumulates the four items Pc, and then moves them in the conveying direction Tr while supporting the front and rear ends of the accumulated four items Pc in the conveying direction Tr.

In the second conveying section 300, the first accumulation shuttle 32 supports the most downstream item Pc in the conveying direction Tr from the downstream side of the accumulated four items Pc in the conveying direction Tr. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the first accumulation contact surface 325 of the first accumulation engagement portion 321 of the first accumulation shuttle 32 contacts the downstream surface of the most downstream item Pc in the conveying direction Tr.

In the second conveying section 300, the second accumulation shuttle 33 supports the most upstream item Pc in the conveying direction Tr from the upstream side of the accumulated four items Pc in the conveying direction Tr. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the second accumulation contact surface 335 of the second accumulation engagement portion 331 of the second accumulation shuttle 33 contacts the upstream surface of the most downstream item Pc in the conveying direction Tr.

The first accumulation engagement portion 321 and the second accumulation engagement portion 331 may be provided with a claw portion such as the claw portion 227 of the first transport engagement portion 222 and the claw portion 237 of the second transport engagement portion 232.

<Collection and conveyance section 35>
Next, the stacking/conveying section 35 will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 14 is an enlarged plan view of the second conveying section 300 in a state in which the articles Pc are being stacked.

As shown in FIG. 14, multiple items Pc are accumulated at the top of the accumulation conveying section 35. The accumulation conveying section 35 is arranged along the second conveying path Tc2 at the upstream end of the second conveying path Tc2 in the conveying direction Tr. The accumulation conveying section 35 conveys the items Pc in the conveying direction Tr with the items Pc placed on the top. In the second conveying section 300, a top chain conveyor is used for the accumulation conveying section 35, but this is not limited to this and any conveying mechanism that can move the items Pc placed on the top in the conveying direction Tr can be widely used.

<Guide portion 36>
1 and 14, the guide unit 36 is disposed along the second transport path Tc2. The guide unit 36 has a bottom guide 361 and a side guide 362. The bottom guide 361 contacts and supports the bottom surface of the item Pc transported along the second transport path Tc2. The bottom guide 361 is disposed on the second transport path Tc2 downstream of the stacking and transporting unit 35 in the transport direction Tr.

On the upstream side of the conveying direction Tr of the second conveying path Tc2, the item Pc is conveyed by the accumulation conveying section 35. The item Pc conveyed by the accumulation conveying section 35 moves from the downstream end of the accumulation conveying section 35 in the conveying direction Tr to the top of the bottom guide 361. At this time, the bottom guide 361 is close to the downstream end of the accumulation conveying section 35 in the conveying direction Tr, and its upper surface is set at the same height as the upper surface of the accumulation conveying section 35 to prevent the item Pc from falling over or tilting.

The height of the upper surface of the bottom guide 361 may be lower than the upper surface of the accumulation and conveying section 35 to the extent that the item Pc does not tip over or tilt. In addition, if the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33 can support the bottom surface of the item Pc, the bottom guide 361 may be omitted.

The side guides 362 contact both sides of the side of the item Pc that faces in a direction intersecting the conveying direction Tr in the second conveying path Tc2, and guide the side of the item Pc moving in the conveying direction Tr. The side guides 362 are arranged parallel to each other, sandwiching the item Pc in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction Tr.

As a result, the items Pc are transported in the transport direction Tr with their front and rear faces always maintaining a constant angle with respect to the transport direction Tr. In the vertical direction, the side guides 362 are positioned offset in the vertical direction from the first accumulation engagement portion 321 of the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation engagement portion 331 of the second accumulation shuttle 33. Note that in the guide portion 36, there are three side guides 362 on each side of the items Pc, but this is not limited to this. Also, the number of side guides 362 arranged on the inside of the loop of the accumulation rail 31 and the number of side guides 362 on the outside may or may not be the same.

As described above, when an item Pc is held by the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33, the downward movement of the item Pc is supported by the bottom guide 361. Therefore, the first accumulation engagement portion 321 and the second accumulation engagement portion 331 only need to come into contact with the side of the item Pc. Therefore, the first accumulation engagement portion 321 and the second accumulation engagement portion 331 do not need to press strongly against the accumulated item Pc4.

Therefore, by using the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33, the front and rear of the accumulated item Pc4 in the conveying direction Tr can be securely and safely held, even if the item Pc is soft and easily damaged, such as a paper container containing a liquid inside.

<Transshipment section 37>
14, the transfer unit 37 moves the article Pc from the first transport path Tc1 to the second transport path Tc2. The transfer unit 37 has six pushers 371, a holding member 372, a drive motor 373 (see FIG. 2), and a guide unit 374. The six pushers 371 have the same configuration as the pusher 41 of the transfer device 400. In other words, the pusher 371 is L-shaped in a plan view, and has a first pusher 375 corresponding to the first pusher 411 and a second pusher 376 corresponding to the second pusher 412.

In the transfer section 37, six pushers 371 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer circumferential surface of a cylindrical holding member 372. The holding member 372 is rotatable about the central axis C2. When the holding member 372 rotates, the pushers 371 rotate about the central axis C2. The drive motor 373 is connected to the control unit 600, and rotates the holding member 372 according to instructions from the control unit 600. In the transfer section 37, the item Pc is pushed by the pushers 371 and transported along the circular transfer transport path Td.

As shown in FIG. 14, the downstream end of the first transport path Tc1 in the transport direction Tr overlaps with the upstream end of the transfer transport path Td in the transport direction Tr. The overlapping portion of the downstream end of the first transport path Tc1 in the transport direction Tr and the upstream end of the transfer transport path Td in the transport direction Tr is defined as the transfer start area As1. The downstream end of the transfer transport path Td in the transport direction overlaps with the upstream end of the second transport path Tc2 in the transport direction Tr. The overlapping portion of the downstream end of the transfer transport path Td in the transport direction Tr and the upstream end of the second transport path Tc2 in the transport direction Tr is defined as the transfer end area As2.

The control unit 600 operates the drive motor 373 so that the pusher 371 comes into contact with the item Pc when the item Pc held by the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 reaches the transfer start area As1. Then, when the item Pc reaches the transfer start area As1, the control unit 600 sends an instruction to the conveying linear motor mechanism 24 to control the first conveying shuttle 22 to move away from the item Pc to the downstream side in the conveying direction Tr. It also controls the second conveying shuttle 23 to move away from the item Pc to the upstream side in the conveying direction Tr.

By the control unit 600 controlling in this manner, the item Pc is pushed by the pusher 371 and transported along the transfer transport path Td. Then, after being transported along the transfer transport path Td and reaching the transfer end area As2, the item Pc is transported by the accumulation transport unit 35, leaves the pusher 371, and is transferred to the second transport path Tc2.

In the first conveying section 200, the items Pc are held and conveyed by the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23, which are each independently movable. Therefore, the items Pc can be conveyed at regular intervals, i.e., at equal intervals, until they reach the transfer section 37, and conveyed to the transfer section 37 at regular intervals. This makes it possible to push the items Pc being conveyed at regular intervals, even if the pushers 371 are arranged at equal intervals circumferentially on the holding member 372.

In this embodiment, the transfer unit 37 is configured to include six pushers 371, but is not limited to this and may include more or less than six. The transfer unit 37 may also have a configuration in which multiple pushers 41 can operate individually and independently, similar to the transfer device 400. In this way, even if the intervals between the transport of items Pc transported within the first transport path Tc1 vary, the items Pc can be stably transferred to the second transport path Tc2.

The guide section 374 has the same configuration as the guide section 44. That is, the guide section 374 has a bottom guide 377 corresponding to the bottom guide 441, and a side guide 378 corresponding to the side guide 442. The bottom guide 377 holds the bottom of the item Pc transported along the transfer transport path Td, and the side guide 378 guides the centrifugal force. The bottom guide 377 is connected to the accumulation transport section 35.

The upper surface of the bottom guide 377 is flush with the upper surface of the accumulation and conveying section 35. This prevents the item Pc from falling over or tilting when the item Pc moves from the bottom guide 377 to the accumulation and conveying section 35. Note that if the item Pc does not fall over or tilt, the upper surface of the bottom guide 377 may be higher than the upper surface of the accumulation and conveying section 35.

The side guide 378 also connects to the side guide 362 of the guide section 36. This allows the items Pc transported in the transfer section 37 to be smoothly transferred to the second transport section 300. In the vertical direction, the side guide 378 is disposed at a position that does not interfere with the first stacking engagement section 321 and the second stacking engagement section 331.

As will be described in detail later, the first conveying section 200 may perform return control to move the first conveying shaft 22 and the second conveying shaft 23 to the return region 21n while holding the item Pc on the first conveying shaft 22 and the second conveying shaft 23. When performing return control, the side guide 378 of the guide section 374 may get in the way.

Therefore, in the guide section 374, the top surface of the bottom guide 377 is arranged to be lower than the top surface of the first transport support section 221 of the first transport shuttle 22 and the top surface of the second transport support section 231 of the second transport shuttle 23. And, in the portion where the first transport path Tc1 and the transfer transport path Td overlap, the side guide 378 is also arranged in an area lower than the top surface of the first transport support section 221 of the first transport shuttle 22 and the top surface of the second transport support section 231 of the second transport shuttle 23. As a result, when the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 pass through the transfer start area As1, the first transport support section 221 and the second transport support section 231 do not interfere with the side guide 378.

By arranging in this manner, for example, when the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 separate from the front and rear of the item Pc in the transfer start area As1, the item Pc falls from the first transport support portion 221 and the second transport support portion 231 onto the upper surface of the bottom guide 377. By being placed on the upper surface of the bottom guide 377, the item Pc is guided by the side guide 378 on its outer surface in the transfer transport path Td. As a result, the item Pc is pushed by the pusher 371 and guided by the guide portion 374 to be transported within the transfer transport path Td.

In addition, when the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 continue to hold the item Pc in the transfer start area As1, the bottom surface of the item Pc is supported by the first conveying support portion 221 and the second conveying support portion 231. Therefore, the item Pc held by the first conveying support portion 221 and the second conveying support portion 231 does not come into contact with the side guide 378, and is moved to the return path Tb while being held by the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23.

By configuring the bottom guide 377 and side guide 378 of the guide section 374 as described above, it becomes possible to selectively transport the item Pc to either the return path Tb or the transshipment path Td. Note that the configuration of the guide section 374 is one example, and other configurations may also be used.

<Regarding the accumulation of items Pc>
At the upstream end of the second conveying path Tc2 in the conveying direction Tr, the items Pc are stacked in the conveying direction Tr. In the conveying device A, four items Pc are stacked. Note that the number of items Pc to be stacked is not limited to four. The number of items Pc to be stacked depends on the number of items packed in the boxing section 500, which is arranged downstream in the conveying direction Tr of the stacking and conveying section 35, the shape of the box, etc. In the conveying device A of this embodiment, it is also possible to change the number of items Pc to be stacked. For example, the number of items Pc to be stacked may be three, four, or more.

The procedure for accumulating items Pc on the second transport path Tc2 will be described. The first accumulation shuttle 32 is stopped at a predetermined position Ps1. This causes the first accumulation engagement portion 321 of the first accumulation shuttle 32 to stop at the predetermined position Ps1 above the accumulation transport portion 35. At this time, the second accumulation shuttle 33 is placed on standby upstream of the second transport path Tc2 in the transport direction, in a position that does not interfere with the transport of items Pc. When waiting, the second accumulation shuttle 33 may be stopped or moving at a low speed. Note that the portion of the accumulation rail 31 other than the portion along the second transport path Tc2 is the standby area where the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33 wait.

When the first accumulation engaging portion 321 stops on the accumulation conveying portion 35, the item Pc being conveyed on the accumulation conveying portion 35 comes into contact with it. As a result, the movement of the item Pc is restricted by the first accumulation engaging portion 321, that is, the item Pc is stopped. The first accumulation engaging portion 321 may move the upper portion of the accumulation conveying portion 35 at a speed slower than the conveying speed of the item Pc by the accumulation conveying portion 35. Even in this case, the item Pc being conveyed by the accumulation conveying portion 35 comes into contact with the first accumulation engaging portion 321 moving at a slow speed. As a result, the movement of the item Pc can be restricted by the first accumulation engaging portion 321. The first accumulation shuttle 32 may continue to move in a decelerated state, or may be stopped after reaching a predetermined position Ps1.

When the movement of the item Pc is restricted by the first accumulation engagement portion 321, the bottom surface of the item Pc is biased in the conveying direction Tr by the accumulation conveying portion 35. As the item Pc is guided in the conveying direction Tr by the side guide 362, movement of the item Pc in a direction intersecting the conveying direction Tr is suppressed.

Then, the items Pc supplied from the transfer section 37 come into contact with the items Pc stopped by the first accumulation engagement section 321 and are accumulated on the accumulation and transport section 35. Then, after a predetermined number of items Pc (here, four) have been accumulated, the second accumulation shuttle 33 is moved from the waiting area from the upstream side in the transport direction Tr. At this time, the second accumulation shuttle 33 is driven so that the second accumulation engagement section 331 is positioned downstream of the item Pc to be transported next to the item Pc most upstream in the transport direction Tr of the accumulated items Pc4.

Then, the second accumulation engagement portion 331 is brought into contact with the upstream side of the conveying direction Tr of the accumulated four items Pc. As a result, the accumulated four items Pc are held from the upstream and downstream sides of the conveying direction Tr by the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33.

Items Pc4 accumulated in the upstream portion of the second transport path Tc2 in the transport direction Tr are held at their front and rear ends in the transport direction Tr by the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33 and transported in the transport direction Tr within the second transport path Tc2. At this time, the accumulated items Pc4 move from the top of the accumulation transport section 35 to the top of the bottom guide 361. In other words, when the accumulated items Pc4 move downstream in the transport direction Tr from the accumulation transport section 35, their sides are guided by the side guide 362 and their bottom is guided by the bottom guide 361.

<Box packing section 500>
1, a boxing unit 500 that packs items Pc into storage boxes Bx is disposed downstream of the accumulation and conveying unit 35 on the second conveying path Tc2 in the conveying direction Tr. The boxing unit 500 packs items Pc into storage boxes Bx formed by folding sheets Sh such as cardboard, and conveys them to the outside.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the boxing section 500, the stacked four items Pc are packed as a block into a folded sheet Sh in sequence. The boxing section 500 has a box conveying section 51, a first boxing section 52, a second boxing section 53, a sealing section 54, and an inspection section 55.

<Box conveying section 51>
The box conveying section 51 includes a box conveying rail 511, a plurality of box conveying shuttles 512, a box conveying linear motor mechanism 513 (see FIG. 2), and a guide rail 514. The box conveying rail 511 is formed in a loop shape by connecting straight rails arranged in parallel vertically and curved rails connecting both ends of the straight rails. The straight rails of the box conveying rail 511 extend along the box conveying direction Trb. The box conveying rail 511 has the same configuration as the conveying rail 21. Therefore, a detailed configuration of the box conveying rail 511 will be omitted.

The guide rails 514 are arranged along a straight rail located above the box transport rails 511. The guide rails 514 form a pair with the box transport rails 511 in between. In the box transport section 51, the upper surface of the guide rails 514 supports the sheet Sh and guides the movement of the sheet Sh in the box transport direction Trb.

<Box Transport Shuttle 512>
The box transport shuttle 512 is disposed on the box transport rail 511 and is movable along the box transport rail 511. The box transport shuttle 512 has a structure similar to that of the first accumulation shuttle 32. The box transport shuttle 512 has an arm portion that protrudes upward. The sheet Sh is folded along the arm portion by adjusting the interval between the box transport shuttles 512. The two box transport shuttles 512 are disposed side by side in the box transport direction Trb and hold both ends of the folded sheet Sh in the box transport direction Trb. The two box transport shuttles 512 transport the folded sheet Sh by moving in the box transport direction Trb.

<Box conveying linear motor mechanism 513>
The box transport linear motor mechanism 513 is capable of independently driving each box transport shuttle 512. The box transport linear motor mechanism 513 has a configuration similar to that of the transport linear motor mechanism 24. In other words, the box transport linear motor mechanism 513 forms a linear motor with a coil (not shown) arranged on the box transport rail 511 and a magnet (not shown) arranged on the box transport shuttle 512.

The box transport linear motor mechanism 513 also has a linear driver 515 (see FIG. 2). The linear driver 515 supplies appropriate current to each coil based on instructions from the control unit 600. By supplying current to the coils, a linear motor is formed by the coils and magnets, and the box transport shuttle 512 moves along the box transport rail 511.

<First boxing unit 52, second boxing unit 53, sealing unit 54, inspection unit 55>
The first boxing unit 52, the second boxing unit 53, the sealing unit 54 and the inspection unit 55 are arranged in this order along the second transport path Tc2. The four articles Pc accumulated on the second transport path Tc2 are transported to the first boxing unit 52 or the second boxing unit 53. The first boxing unit 52 and the second boxing unit 53 are essentially the same in configuration, except for their locations.

The accumulated items Pc4 are transported to the first boxing section 52 or the second boxing section 53 while being held by the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33. The transport of the accumulated items Pc4 is determined by the boxing operation in the first boxing section 52 and the second boxing section 53.

For example, when the first boxing section 52 and the second boxing section 53 simultaneously or substantially simultaneously pack the stacked items Pc4 in the boxing operation, the stacked items Pc4 are transported to the second boxing section 53 downstream in the conveying direction Tr, and then the items Pc are transported to the first boxing section 52. When the first boxing section 52 and the second boxing section 53 alternately pack the stacked items Pc4 in the boxing section where packing is performed, the stacked items Pc4 are transported. Furthermore, when the number of stacked items Pc packed in the first boxing section 52 differs from the number of stacked items Pc packed in the second boxing section 53, the respective stacked numbers and stacked items Pc4 are transported to the corresponding boxing sections. In the boxing section 500 of this embodiment, the same number of stacked items Pc4 are simultaneously packed in both the first boxing section 52 and the second boxing section 53.

In the first boxing section 52 and the second boxing section 53, for example, a pushing device (neither shown) having an articulated arm is arranged. The pushing device moves the side of all the accumulated articles Pc4 facing the first linear accumulation rail 311 in a direction away from the first linear accumulation rail 311, and stores them on top of the folded sheet Sh. After a predetermined number of accumulated articles Pc4 are stored in the folded sheet Sh in the first boxing section 52 and the second boxing section 53, they are sent to the sealing section 54 by the movement of the box conveying shuttle 512 by the box conveying linear motor mechanism 513.

In the first boxing section 52 and the second boxing section 53, the sheet Sh containing a predetermined number of items Pc is sent to the sealing section 54. In the sealing section 54, for example, a sealing device having a multi-joint arm robot (both not shown) having a multi-joint arm is arranged. The sealing device folds the unfolded parts of the sheet Sh containing the accumulated items Pc4, and fixes the folded parts by a fixing method such as gluing. In this way, a storage box Bx containing a predetermined number of items Pc and sealed is formed. Note that although gluing is given as a method for fixing the sheet Sh, this is not limited to this, and a wide variety of fixing methods can be adopted, such as a method using adhesive tape or a method using a stapler, that can provide the storage box Bx with a rigidity sufficient to prevent it from collapsing during transportation and to protect the items Pc inside.

Then, the box transport shuttle 512 is moved by the box transport linear motor mechanism 513, and the storage box Bx is sent to the inspection section 55 further downstream in the box transport direction Trb. The inspection section 55 has an appearance information acquisition section 551 (see FIG. 2) that acquires information on the appearance of the storage box Bx. The appearance information acquisition section 551 can be, for example, a configuration including an imaging element such as a camera, but is not limited to this.

The appearance information acquisition unit 551 is connected to the control unit 600 and sends appearance information of the storage box Bx to the control unit 600. Examples of appearance information include, but are not limited to, a captured image. Based on the appearance information, the control unit 600 checks whether the storage box Bx has sufficient rigidity as described above, and if it is determined that the storage box Bx has sufficient rigidity, it transports (ships) it to the outside, and if it is determined that the rigidity is insufficient, it removes it as a defective product. For example, if the appearance information includes a captured image, the control unit 600 can determine the adhesive state of the storage box Bx by image processing. It may also be determined by other methods.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the inspection section 55 of the packing section 500 judges whether the rigidity of the storage box Bx meets a predetermined standard, but is not limited to this. For example, the printing on the exterior of the storage box Bx, stickers attached to the exterior, etc. may be detected, and a good or bad product may be determined based on the design of the exterior of the storage box Bx, or based on the display state of the mandatory display content (presence or absence of display, display position, etc.).

<Sub-transport unit 700>
Fig. 15 is a plan view showing the first transport section 200 and the sub transport section 700. Fig. 16 is a plan view showing a state in which the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23, and the first sub transport shuttle 72 and the second sub transport shuttle 73 simultaneously hold an item Pc. Fig. 17 is a rear view of the item Pc shown in Fig. 15. Fig. 18 is a plan view showing the state after the item Pc has moved to the sub transport section 700. In the state shown in Fig. 15, the item Pc is held by the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23.

As shown in Figures 1, 15 to 18, etc., the sub-conveyor 700 is disposed adjacent to the first conveyor 200. The sub-conveyor 700 has a sub-conveyor rail 71, a first sub-conveyor shuttle 72, a second sub-conveyor shuttle 73, and a sub-conveyor linear motor mechanism 74 (see Figure 2).

The sub-transport rail 71 and the sub-transport linear motor mechanism 74 have substantially the same configuration as the transport rail 21 and the accumulation linear motor mechanism 34 of the first transport section 200. Therefore, each part of the accumulation rail 31 and the accumulation linear motor mechanism 34 is compared with the corresponding parts of the transport rail 21 and the transport linear motor mechanism 24, and detailed explanations are omitted.

<Sub-transport rail 71>
The auxiliary transport rail 71 has a first straight sub transport rail 711, a second straight sub transport rail 712, a first curved sub transport rail 713 and a second curved sub transport rail 714 corresponding to the first straight sub transport rail 211, the second straight sub transport rail 212, the first curved sub transport rail 213 and the second curved sub transport rail 214, respectively. The first straight sub transport rail 711, the first curved sub transport rail 713, the second straight sub transport rail 712 and the second curved sub transport rail 714 are connected in this order counterclockwise in a plan view to form a loop. The outer adjacent portion of the auxiliary transport rail 71 is the auxiliary transport path Tf.

As shown in FIG. 17, the sub-conveyor rail 71 has a main rail portion 715, a grooved rail portion 716, and a flat rail portion 717 that correspond to the main rail portion 215, the grooved rail portion 216, and the flat rail portion 217, respectively. A gap 718 is formed between the main rail portion 715 and the grooved rail portion 716. The gap 718 corresponds to the gap 718. In addition, a groove portion 719 is formed on the outer surface of the grooved rail portion 716. The groove portion 719 corresponds to the groove portion 719.

<Sub-transport linear motor mechanism 74>
2 and 17, the auxiliary transport linear motor mechanism 74 has a coil 741, a magnet 742, and a linear driver 743 corresponding to the coil 241, the magnet 242, and the linear driver 243. The linear driver 743 is connected to the control unit 600 (see FIG. 2), and supplies an appropriate current to each coil 741 based on an instruction from the control unit 600. The coil 741 is disposed within the main rail portion 715 of the accumulation rail 31. The magnet 742 is disposed in the first auxiliary transport shuttle 72 and the second auxiliary transport shuttle 73.

<First sub-transport shuttle 72 and second sub-transport shuttle 73>
15 to 18, the first sub-transport shuttle 72 and the second sub-transport shuttle 73 are disposed on the outer surface of the sub-transport rail 71 and are movable along the sub-transport rail 71. The first sub-transport shuttle 72 and the second sub-transport shuttle 73 have the same configuration as the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23. For the same parts of the first sub-transport shuttle 72 and the second sub-transport shuttle 73 as the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23, only the corresponding parts are shown and detailed descriptions are omitted.

As shown in FIG. 17, the first sub-transport shuttle 72 and the second sub-transport shuttle 73 have a common configuration of a main body 720, an upper roller 723, a lower roller 724, and a convex portion 729. The main body 720 corresponds to the main body 220 of the first transport shuttle 22. The upper roller 723 and the lower roller 724 correspond to the upper roller 223 and the lower roller 224 of the first transport shuttle 22. The convex portion 729 corresponds to the convex portion 229.

The first sub-transport shuttle 72 has a first sub-transport support portion 721 that corresponds to the first transport support portion 221 of the first transport shuttle 22, and two first sub-transport engagement portions 722 that correspond to the first transport engagement portion 222. The first sub-transport support portion 721 has a corner portion 725 that corresponds to the corner portion 225 of the first transport support portion 221.

The two first sub-transport engagement parts 722 have arm body parts 726, claw parts 727 and pressing parts 728 that correspond to the arm body parts 226, claw parts 227 and pressing parts 228 of the first transport engagement part 222.

The second sub-transport shuttle 73 has a second sub-transport support portion 731 that corresponds to the second transport support portion 231 of the second transport shuttle 23, and two second sub-transport engagement portions 732 that correspond to the second transport engagement portion 232. The second sub-transport support portion 731 has a corner portion 735 that corresponds to the corner portion 235 of the second transport support portion 231.

The two second sub-transport engagement parts 732 have arm body parts 736, claw parts 737 and pressing parts 738 that correspond to the arm body parts 236, claw parts 237 and pressing parts 238 of the second transport engagement part 232.

As shown in FIG. 15 etc., in the sub-conveyor section 700, the first straight sub-conveyor rail 711 is arranged parallel to and facing the first straight conveyor rail 211 across the first conveyor path Tc1 of the first conveyor section 200. The upstream side of the first straight conveyor rail 211 in the conveyor direction Tr is the conveyor straight section 210, and the portion of the first straight sub-conveyor rail 711 facing the conveyor straight section 210 is the sub-conveyor straight section 710.

In the conveying device A of this embodiment, the sub-conveying unit 700 is arranged close to the first conveying path Tc1 of the first conveying unit 200, but this is not limited to the above. It may be arranged close to a curved portion. In this case, it may be curved along the curved rail of the first conveying unit 200.

As shown in Figures 16 to 18, the first sub-conveyor shuttle 72 and the second sub-conveyor shuttle 73 support the bottom surface of the item Pc at the corner 725 of the first sub-conveyor support portion 721 and the corner 735 of the second sub-conveyor support portion 731. The pressing portion 728 engages with the front end in the conveying direction of the surface of the item Pc facing the main body portion 720, and the claw portion 727 engages with the front end in the conveying direction of the surface on the opposite side. The arm main body portion 736 also comes into contact with the front surface in the conveying direction. This causes the first sub-conveyor engagement portion 722 of the first sub-conveyor shuttle 72 to engage with the front portion in the conveying direction of the item Pc.

Similarly, the pressing portion 738 engages with the front end of the surface of the item Pc facing the main body portion 720 in the conveying direction, and the claw portion 737 engages with the rear end of the opposite surface in the conveying direction. Also, the arm main body portion 736 comes into contact with the rear surface in the conveying direction. This causes the second sub-conveying engagement portion 732 of the second sub-conveying shuttle 73 to engage with the front of the item Pc in the conveying direction.

That is, the bottom surface of the item Pc is supported by the first sub-conveyor shuttle 72 and the second sub-conveyor shuttle 73 while the front and rear of the item Pc are held in the conveying direction Tr. As described above, by using the first sub-conveyor shuttle 72 and the second sub-conveyor shuttle 73, the front and rear of the item Pc in the conveying direction Tr can be held reliably and safely, even if the item Pc is soft and easily damaged, such as a paper container containing liquid inside.

<Regarding acquisition of location information of item Pc>
For example, in the first conveying section 200, when the item Pc is in the first conveying path Tc1, it is processed by processing sections such as the straw attachment section 25 and the defective item removal section 26. Therefore, the control section 600 needs to obtain the exact position of the item Pc on the first conveying path Tc1.

The control unit 600 acquires the positions of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 from the excitation coil information Im acquired from the linear driver 243 of the transport linear motor mechanism 24. Then, the position of the item Pc is acquired from the positions of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23. Details of the procedure by which the control unit 600 acquires the position of the item Pc are described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 19 is a flowchart showing the procedure by which the control unit 600 acquires the position information of the item Pc.

The control unit 600 acquires the excitation coil information Im from the linear driver 243 (step S101). The excitation coil information Im includes information on the power (voltage, current) supplied to the coil 241 and the position of the coil 241 on the conveyor rail 21.

As shown in FIG. 19, the control unit 600 checks whether the excited coil 241 is in the main transport area 21m from the acquired excitation coil information Im (step S102). If the excited coil 241 is not in the main transport area 21m (No in step S102), the current excitation coil information is discarded (step S109) and acquisition of another excitation coil information Im is resumed (return to step S101). If it is determined that the excited coil 241 is in the main transport area 21m (Yes in step S102), the control unit 600 checks whether the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 are holding an item Pc from the relative position of the currently excited coil 241 (step S103).

When the first and second transport shuttles 22 and 23 are holding an item Pc, the first and second transport shuttles 22 and 23 are spaced apart at a constant distance. Using this, the control unit 600 determines that the first and second transport shuttles 22 and 23 are holding an item Pc when, for example, the distance between the excited coils 241 is within a certain range. Note that the determination of whether or not an item Pc is being held is not limited to this. For example, if the first and second transport shuttles 22 and 23 are configured to always receive an item Pc from the transfer device 400, the process of determining whether or not an item is present (step S103) may be omitted.

If it is determined that the item Pc is not being held (No in step S103), the control unit 600 discards the acquired excitation coil information Im (step S109) and acquires another excitation coil information Im (return to step S101).

If it is determined that the item Pc is being held (Yes in step S103), the control unit 600 obtains the position of the item Pc on the first transport path Tc1 from the excitation coil information Im (step S104). The control unit 600 then controls the operation of the straw attachment unit 25 and the defective item removal unit 26 so that the item Pc is appropriately processed (step S105). In this way, the control unit 600 can accurately obtain the position of the item Pc and control the processing unit to appropriately process the item Pc.

Depending on the processing performed by the processing section, it may be necessary to slow down the conveying speed of the items Pc. If the conveying speed of the items Pc is slowed down, there is a risk that the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 will become congested in the first conveying path Tc1. Therefore, the control section 600 controls the conveying device A to adjust the number of items Pc in the first conveying path Tc1. In other words, the control section 600 obtains the number of items Pc in the first conveying path Tc1 from the positions of the multiple items Pc (step S106). Then, the control section 600 checks whether the number Nb of items Pc in the first conveying path Tc1 is greater than a predetermined number Nth (step S107).

If the number Nb is less than the number Nth (No in step S107), the control unit 600 determines that it is OK to put more items Pc into the first conveying path Tc1, and acquires another exciting coil information Im while continuing the current operation (return to step S101). If the number Nb is more than the number Nth (Yes in step S107), the control unit 600 controls the nip roller 12 to reduce the number of items Pc brought into the first conveying unit 200 (step S108). Thereafter, the current exciting coil information Im is discarded (step S109), and exciting coil information Im is acquired (return to step S101).

As described above, the control unit 600 can obtain the exact number of items Pc within a specified range by accurately obtaining the position of the items Pc from the excitation coil information Im, which is information about the excited coil 241. Furthermore, by obtaining the exact number of items Pc within a specified range, it is possible to prevent excessive supply of items Pc.

In the above example, the excitation coil information Im includes information on the power (voltage, current) supplied to the coil 241 and the position of the coil 241 on the transport rail 21, but is not limited to this. For example, if the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 use different power supply methods, the information may include information on whether the supplied current drives the first transport shuttle 22 or the second transport shuttle 23. It may also include other information for obtaining the position of the item Pc.

As described above, since the control unit 600 can accurately obtain the position of the item Pc from the excitation coil information Im, there is no need to provide a separate detection unit, such as an optical sensor, to confirm the position of the item Pc. This allows the configuration of the conveying device A to be simplified.

In the above description, the control unit 600 detects the position of the item Pc moving in the first conveying path Tc1 of the first conveying unit 200 from the excitation coil information Im, but this is not limited to this. In addition, the position and number of items Pc in the second conveying path Tc2 may be detected based on the excitation coil information Im from the linear driver 343 arranged in the second conveying unit 300. In the second conveying path Tc2, four items are accumulated and conveyed as accumulated item Pc4. Therefore, the control unit 600 obtains the position of the four accumulated items Pc4 from the excitation coil information Im.

The position and number of items Pc in the sub-conveying path Tf may also be detected based on excitation coil information Im from a linear driver 743 arranged in the sub-conveying section 700.

<Operation of the Sub-Transport Unit 700>
17, the first sub-transport engaging portion 722 of the first sub-transport shuttle 72 and the first transport engaging portion 222 of the first transport shuttle 22 are misaligned in the vertical direction. In addition, the second sub-transport engaging portion 732 of the second sub-transport shuttle 73 and the second transport engaging portion 232 of the second transport shuttle 23 are misaligned in the vertical direction.

Therefore, as shown in Figures 15 to 18, when the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 are in the straight transport section 210 and the first sub-transport shuttle 72 and the second sub-transport shuttle 73 are in the straight sub-transport section 710, the item Pc held by the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 can be held simultaneously by the first sub-transport shuttle 72 and the second sub-transport shuttle 73.

For example, as shown in FIG. 15, when the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 holding the item Pc are moving along the straight transport section 210, the first sub-transport shuttle 72 moving along the straight transport section 710 is caused to approach the item Pc from the downstream side of the transport direction Tr. Also, the second sub-transport shuttle 73 is caused to approach the item Pc from the upstream side of the transport direction Tr. As a result, as shown in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17, the first sub-transport shuttle 72 and the second sub-transport shuttle 73 simultaneously hold the item Pc held by the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23.

Then, as shown in FIG. 18, the first transport shuttle 22 is moved downstream in the transport direction Tr away from the item Pc. Also, the second transport shuttle 23 is moved upstream in the transport direction Tr away from the item Pc. In this way, the item Pc can be transferred from the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 to the first sub-transport shuttle 72 and the second sub-transport shuttle 73.

Conversely, when the first sub-conveyor shuttle 72 and the second sub-conveyor shuttle 73 holding the item Pc are moving along the sub-conveyor straight section 710, the first conveyor shuttle 22 arranged on the straight conveyor section 210 is caused to approach the item Pc from the downstream side of the conveyor direction Tr. Also, the second conveyor shuttle 23 is caused to approach the item Pc from the upstream side of the conveyor direction Tr, and the first conveyor shuttle 22 and the second conveyor shuttle 23 hold the item Pc.

Then, the first sub-conveyor shuttle 72 is moved downstream in the conveying direction Tr so as to move away from the item Pc. Also, the second sub-conveyor shuttle 73 is moved upstream in the conveying direction Tr so as to move away from the item Pc. In this way, the item Pc can be transferred from the first sub-conveyor shuttle 72 and the second sub-conveyor shuttle 73 to the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23.

It is preferable that the item Pc is transported at a constant or approximately constant speed while being transported along the first transport path Tc1. Therefore, when approaching the item Pc from the downstream side of the transport direction Tr, one method is to decelerate the first transport shuttle 22 or the first sub-transport shuttle 72. Also, when moving away from the item Pc to the downstream side of the transport direction Tr, one method is to accelerate the first transport shuttle 22 or the first sub-transport shuttle 72.

Furthermore, when approaching the item Pc from the upstream side in the conveying direction Tr, a method of accelerating the second conveying shuttle 23 or the second sub-conveying shuttle 73 can be mentioned. Also, when moving away from the item Pc to the upstream side in the conveying direction Tr, a method of decelerating the second conveying shuttle 23 or the second sub-conveying shuttle 73 can be mentioned.

By providing an auxiliary conveying section 700 with such a configuration, it is possible to send the items Pc to the auxiliary conveying section 700 without stopping the items Pc being conveyed within the first conveying section 200, and further while suppressing deceleration of the items Pc. It is also possible to send the items Pc to the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 without stopping the items Pc being conveyed within the first conveying section 200.

For example, when randomly conducting a sampling survey of items Pc being transported within the first transport section 200, the items Pc being transported can be sent to the sub-transport section 700 and extracted without slowing down or stopping the items Pc. Therefore, it is possible to conduct a sampling survey of the items Pc at any time while the items Pc are being transported.

The packing section 500 also has an inspection section 55. The inspection section 55 judges whether there is a defect in the box of the storage box Bx. For example, if the inspection section 55 judges that there is a defect in the storage box Bx, the storage box Bx is discharged to the outside from the conveying path. Even if there is a defect in the storage box Bx, the item Pc contained therein may not be a defective item.

In such a case, the storage box Bx that is determined to be defective is dismantled and the proper item Pc stored inside is removed. The item Pc removed from the storage box Bx can then be returned to the first conveying section 200 using the sub-conveying section 700.

For example, the item Pc removed from the storage box Bx is delivered to the first sub-conveyor shuttle 72 and the second sub-conveyor shuttle 73 that move on the second straight sub-conveyor rail 712 of the sub-conveyor section 700. Although not shown, a device for delivering the item Pc to the first sub-conveyor shuttle 72 and the second sub-conveyor shuttle 73 may be provided.

The item Pc is transported through the sub-transport path Tf of the sub-transport section 700 while being held by the first sub-transport shuttle 72 and the second sub-transport shuttle 73. Then, when the first sub-transport shuttle 72 and the second sub-transport shuttle 73 holding the item Pc reach the sub-transport straight section 710 of the first straight sub-transport rail 711, the item Pc they are holding is handed over to the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 moving on the transport rail 21 of the first transport section 200 in the above-mentioned manner. The control section 600 adjusts the loading section 100, the transfer device 400 and the transport linear motor mechanism 24 so that the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 not holding the item Pc are sent to the transport straight section 210 at a certain timing.

By doing this, it is not necessary to stop the movement of the items Pc in the first conveying section 200. This makes it possible to smoothly and easily return defect-free items Pc removed from the disassembled storage box Bx to the conveying device A while minimizing unnecessary stoppage time of the conveying device A.

After being packed, the items Pc have straws Th attached to them. On the other hand, when performing a sampling inspection, the items Pc before the straws Th are attached are sent to the sub-conveyor section 700.

As described above, the control unit 600 acquires the position of the item Pc from the excitation coil information. The position of the item Pc is also acquired by acquiring the position of the item Pc on the sub-conveying path Tf. Therefore, depending on the transport state of the item Pc until it is sent to the sub-conveying unit 700, information can be acquired as to whether or not a straw Th is attached to the item Pc returning from the sub-conveying path Tf to the first transporting path Tc1.

As a result, when the item Pc is returned from the sub-transport path Tf to the first transport path Tc1, if a straw Th is attached, the control unit 600 controls the straw attachment unit 25 not to operate. Conversely, if a straw Th is not attached to the item Pc, the control unit 600 controls the straw attachment unit 25 to operate. In other words, because the control unit 600 accurately recognizes the position of the item Pc, it is possible to prevent the problem of excessive attachment of straws Th.

<Return control>
As shown in Fig. 1 and other figures, the straw attachment unit 25 attaches straws Th to the objects Pc transported along the first transport path Tc1. However, there are cases where the straw attachment unit 25 has a problem, such as running out of spare straws Th or becoming clogged with straws Th. In such cases, it is necessary to perform an inspection of the straw attachment unit 25 after an emergency stop of the processing by the processing unit.

In addition, if the number of defective products in a certain period of time reaches or exceeds a certain number in the defective product removal unit 26, it is determined that a malfunction has occurred upstream of the defective product removal unit 26 in the transport direction Tr, and it is necessary to bring the processing of each processing unit to an emergency stop and inspect each processing unit. Furthermore, even in configurations that include processing units other than these, there are cases in which the processing by the processing units is brought to an emergency stop.

In this way, when processing by the processing section is stopped, it is preferable to also stop the transport of items Pc in the transport device A (hereinafter referred to as an emergency stop). However, the device upstream of the transport device A (here, the filling device) may need to suppress malfunctions such as clogging of items Pc inside. Therefore, even if an emergency stop of the transport device A is desired, it may be difficult to immediately stop the filling device, and a certain number of items Pc may be supplied to the transport device A. In other words, even when an emergency stop of the transport device A is performed, a certain number of items Pc may be supplied to the loading section 100.

In order to prevent items Pc from overflowing or clogging the loading section 100, when the conveying device A is stopped in an emergency, a certain number of items Pc are conveyed from the loading section 100 to the first conveying section 200.

Here, the operation during an emergency stop will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing an example of return control. As shown in FIG. 20, the control unit 600 waits until the need to perform an emergency stop arises (repeated until Yes is obtained in step S201). An emergency stop is required, for example, when a malfunction related to the processing unit as described above occurs.

When an emergency stop is required (Yes in step S201), the control unit 600 stops the operation of the transfer unit 37 (step S202). Then, the control unit 600 continues the operation of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 (step S203). That is, the control unit 600 performs return control during the emergency stop. At this time, the pusher 371 of the transfer unit 37 is positioned away from the first transport path Tc1.

Then, the control unit 600 checks whether the loading unit 100 can be stopped (step S204). The control unit 600 checks whether a certain amount of time has passed since the emergency stop to check whether the loading unit 100 can be stopped. Note that the check whether the loading unit 100 can be stopped may be performed based on the number of items Pc that are loaded into the loading unit 100 after the emergency stop is performed.

Until the loading unit 100 can be stopped (while step S204 is No), the control unit 600 continues the operation of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 (step S203). Then, when the loading unit 100 can be stopped (if step S204 is Yes), the control unit 600 stops the loading unit 100 (step S205) and continues the operation of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 until a certain time has elapsed (step S206).

As a result, the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 holding the item Pc move to the return path Tb while still holding the item Pc, without transferring the item Pc to the transfer section 37. In other words, the control section 600 moves the item Pc that was not processed in the processing section into the return path Tb while still being held by the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23.

The control unit 600 controls the transport linear motor mechanism 24 to stop the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 (step S207). In this manner, the control unit 600 performs return control to operate the transport linear motor mechanism 24 so as to move the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 holding the item Pc to the return region 21n.

When the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 holding the item Pc move to the return region 21n, the control unit 600 controls the conveying linear motor mechanism 24 so that the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 stop in the return region 21n.

In this way, the control unit 600 performs return control during an emergency stop, thereby accepting items Pc from the filling device, which is the upper device of the conveying device A, and preventing items Pc from remaining on the first conveying path Tc1. As a result, during an emergency stop, items Pc do not get in the way when performing maintenance on the straw attachment unit 25, which is a processing unit located close to the first conveying path Tc1, or when performing maintenance on the conveying device A including the first conveying path Tc1 based on information from the defective product removal unit 26, which is also a processing unit.

When the emergency stop is released, the control unit 600 drives the transport linear motor mechanism 24 to move the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 in the return area 21n in the transport direction Tr. As a result, the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 holding the item Pc move to the main transport area 21m. As a result, the item Pc that had retreated to the return path Tb due to the emergency stop is sent back to the first transport path Tc1 again by the resumption of operation of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23, and is transported within the first transport path Tc1.

After a certain number of items Pc have been carried in from the loading section 100, the control section 600 preferably moves the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 as far downstream as possible in the transport direction Tr and stops them. By doing this, it is possible to quickly move the items Pc on the return path Tb to the first transport path Tc1 after the emergency stop is released.

In this way, the return path Tb required to return the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 of the first transport section 200 is used as an evacuation area for evacuating the items Pc in the event of an emergency stop. In other words, there is no need to provide a separate area for evacuating the items Pc within the transport path. This makes it possible to shorten the transport path for the items Pc in the transport device A, reduce the installation area of the transport device A, or increase the freedom of layout of the transport device A.

When the first conveying section 200 has a sub-conveying section 700, as in the conveying device A of this embodiment, at least a portion of the items Pc may be sent to the sub-conveying section 700 when an emergency stop as described above is performed. In this way, an area for evacuating the items Pc can be secured, making it possible to evacuate the items Pc more reliably.

In addition, due to reasons such as delays in processing in the processing section, more than the predetermined number of items Pc may be transported along the first transport path Tc1. In such cases, there is a risk that the processing of the items Pc may be delayed, and transport may be halted. In such cases, the control unit 600 may perform return control so as to send more than the predetermined number of items Pc to the return path Tb.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the item Pc is moved to the return path Tb based on the operation of the straw attachment unit 25 and the defective product removal unit 26, which are processing units arranged in the first conveying unit 200. However, this is not limited to this. For example, there are cases where the item Pc cannot be transferred from the first conveying unit 200 to the second conveying unit 300 due to a malfunction of the stacking device, boxing unit, etc. arranged upstream of the conveying direction Tr of the second conveying path Tc2 of the second conveying unit 300 arranged after the first conveying unit 200. In such cases, the first conveying unit 200 may perform return control to return the item Pc to the return path Tb. This allows the stacking and boxing processes to be stopped and the condition to be checked.

The conveying device A according to this embodiment has two conveying sections, the first conveying section 200 and the second conveying section 300, and the item Pc moves between the two conveying sections, but is not limited to this. More conveying sections may be provided depending on the number of processing sections that process the item Pc. In this case, a processing section may be provided for each conveying section. With this configuration, when a malfunction occurs in a processing section, the control section 600 can respond by performing partial return control in the conveying section that is provided with the processing section where the malfunction occurred. As a result, when a malfunction occurs in a processing section, the configuration moves the conveying shuttle holding the item to the return area of each conveying section, so it is possible to shorten the time it takes to return to normal operation.

In this embodiment, when performing return control, the pusher 371 of the transfer unit 37 is positioned at a position retreated from the first transport path Tc1, but this is not limited to this. The entire transfer unit 37 may be retreated. A wide variety of configurations can be adopted that do not interfere with the items Pc moving on the first transport path Tc1.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this content. Furthermore, various modifications can be made to the embodiment of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the invention.

100 Carry-in section 11 Carry-in conveyor 111 Conveyor motor 12 Nip roller 121 Roller motor 13 Pusher 200 First conveying section 21 Conveying rail 210 Straight conveying section 211 First straight conveying rail 212 Second straight conveying rail 213 First curved conveying rail 214 Second curved conveying rail 215 Main rail section 216 Grooved rail section 217 Flat rail section 218 Gap 219 Groove section 21m Main conveying area 21n Return area 22 First conveying shuttle 220 Main body section 221 First conveying support section 222 First conveying engagement section 223 Upper roller 224 Lower roller 225 Corner section 226 Arm main body section 227 Claw section 228 Pressing section 229 Convex section 23 Second conveying shuttle 220 Main body 231 Second transport support section 232 Second transport engagement section 235 Corner section 236 Arm main body 237 Claw section 238 Press section 24 Transport linear motor mechanism 241 Coil 242 Magnet 243 Linear driver 25 Straw attachment section 26 Defective product removal section 261 Removal conveyor 300 Second transport section 31 Accumulation rail 311 First straight accumulation rail 312 Second straight accumulation rail 313 First curved accumulation rail 314 Second curved accumulation rail 315 Main rail section 316 Grooved rail section 317 Flat rail section 318 Gap 319 Groove section 32 First accumulation shuttle 320 Main body 321 First accumulation engagement section 323 Upper roller 324 Lower roller 325 Second accumulation contact surface 329 Convex section 33 Second accumulation shuttle 320 Main body 331 Second accumulation engagement portion 335 First accumulation contact surface 34 Accumulation linear motor mechanism 341 Coil 342 Magnet 343 Linear driver 35 Accumulation transport portion 36 Guide portion 361 Bottom guide 362 Side guide 37 Transfer portion 371 Pusher 372 Holding member 373 Drive motor 374 Guide portion 375 First pushing portion 376 Second pushing portion 377 Bottom guide 378 Side guide 400 Transfer device 41 Pusher 411 First pushing portion 412 Second pushing portion 413 Side holding portion 42 Holding member 420 Mounting portion 421 Internal gear 43 Movement mechanism 431 Drive motor 432 Drive shaft 433 Pinion gear 44 Guide portion 441 Bottom guide 442 Side guide 45 Lid section 400a Transfer device 41a Pusher 500 Boxing section 51 Box conveying section 511 Box conveying rail 512 Box conveying shuttle 513 Box conveying linear motor mechanism 514 Guide rail 515 Linear driver 52 First boxing section 53 Second boxing section 54 Sealing section 55 Inspection section 551 Appearance information acquisition section 600 Control section 601 Processing circuit 602 Memory circuit 700 Sub-conveyor section 71 Sub-conveyor rail 710 Sub-conveyor straight section 711 First straight sub-conveyor rail 712 Second straight sub-conveyor rail 713 First curved sub-conveyor rail 714 Second curved sub-conveyor rail 715 Main rail section 716 Grooved rail section 717 Flat rail section 718 Gap 719 Groove section 72 First sub-conveyor shuttle 720 Main body 721 First sub-conveyor support part 722 First sub-conveyor engagement part 723 Upper roller 724 Lower roller 725 Corner part 726 Arm main body 727 Claw part 728 Pressing part 729 Convex part 73 Second sub-conveyor shuttle 731 Second sub-conveyor support part 732 Second sub-conveyor engagement part 735 Corner part 736 Arm main body 737 Claw part 738 Pressing part 74 Sub-conveyor linear motor mechanism 741 Coil 742 Magnet 743 Linear driver A Conveyor device Bx Storage box C1 Central axis C2 Central axis Im Excitation coil information Nb Number Nth Number Pc Article Sh Sheet Ta1 Transfer route Ta2 Movement route Tb Return route Tc1 First conveying path Tc2 Second conveying path Td Conveying path Tf Sub-conveying path Th Straw Tr Conveying direction Trb Box conveying direction

Claims (1)

A conveyor rail extending along a conveyance path along which an article is conveyed;
an auxiliary transport rail, at least a portion of which is arranged in parallel with the transport rail across the transport path and formed in a loop shape;
a plurality of first transport shuttles and a plurality of second transport shuttles that are arranged on the transport rail and are capable of transporting the article held from the front and rear in the transport direction along the transport path;
a plurality of first sub-conveyor shuttles and a plurality of second sub-conveyor shuttles that are arranged on a surface of the sub-conveyor rail facing the conveyor rail and that are capable of moving the article held from the front and rear in the conveying direction along the sub-conveyor rail;
a transport linear motor mechanism that moves the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle independently;
a sub-transport linear motor mechanism for independently moving the first sub-transport shuttle and the second sub-transport shuttle,
The conveying rail has a conveying straight portion extending linearly,
the auxiliary transport rail has an auxiliary transport straight section extending linearly opposite to the transport straight section across the transport path,
The first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle can transfer the articles held by them to the first sub transport shuttle and the second sub transport shuttle, and the first sub transport shuttle and the second sub transport shuttle can transfer the articles held by them to the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle,
the article is transferred when the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle are in the straight transport section and the first sub-transport shuttle and the second sub-transport shuttle are in the straight transport section;
the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle are capable of holding the article while the first sub-transport shuttle and the second sub-transport shuttle are also capable of holding the article;
The articles are held together and then delivered,
An article transport device in which the first sub-transport shuttle and the second sub-transport shuttle receive the article from the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle, and then rotate around the sub-transport rail, and then hand over the article to the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle .

Images