JPH05112388A - Positioning of partition, container and partition - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a highly precise positioning of partition. CONSTITUTION:Positioning of a partition 14 comprises of steps. One is that a container positioning reference part 13a which is provided in a flange part 13 at a bottom part of an outer wall of a container 5 is made to meet a stopper 19 provided at a prescribed place on a transfer passage 18 so that the container 5 is duly positioned on the transfer passage 18. The other is that a groove 16 formed in a lower part of the partition 14 is engaged with a projection 7 formed on a bottom inside the container 5 in the corner on a nearer side to the container positioning reference part 13a.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a container for packing and carrying toner cartridges and the like, a partition plate for the container, and a method for positioning the partition plate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a large number of toner cartridges are packed in a container, for example, the following procedure is performed.

That is, a container in which a large number of small spaces are formed by partition plates is placed on a conveyor belt and conveyed, and a stopper is brought into contact with the bottom of the outer wall of the container at a predetermined location to stop the container. After that, a plurality of toner cartridges are loaded into each small space formed by the partition plate by a robot or the like.

Therefore, if the partition plate is misaligned, the toner cartridge cannot be fitted properly.

Therefore, conventionally, a method as shown in FIG. 5 has been known as a method of positioning the partition plate. That is, FIG. 5A is a plan view of the container with the partition plate inserted, and FIG. 5B is a partial vertical cross-sectional view when the partition plate is about to be inserted. Container 1 as shown
Groove 3 for positioning each partition plate 2 above the inside
Are provided at predetermined intervals. On the other hand, on the upper part of the partition plate 2, convex portions 4 having a shape corresponding to the groove 3 are formed. Then, after the partition plates 2 are combined with each other, the partition plates 2 are aligned in the container 1 while fitting the protrusions 4 into the grooves 3.

Further, the positioning method as shown in FIG.
This is a method of positioning the partition plate 2 by making the outer dimensions of the partition plate 2 after assembly as equal as possible to the internal dimensions of the container 1. FIG. 6A is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 6B is a partial sectional view thereof.

[0007]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, the container 1
In the case of performing the positioning by the stopper on the conveyor belt, the positioning is performed by bringing the stopper into contact with the reference portion of the bottom of the outer wall of the container 1. However, in the positioning method shown in FIG. Since the groove 3 for positioning 2 is formed in the upper portion of the container 1, the reference portion at the bottom of the outer wall and the groove 3 are far apart. Therefore, the positional accuracy of the groove 3 has to be poor. Further, since the container 1 is manufactured by the injection molding method, the positional accuracy has to be worse.

Further, in the positioning method shown in FIG. 6, since the dimensional accuracy of the container 1 is poor, it is necessary to provide the partition plate 2 with a slight allowance and to design it small. Therefore, there is no choice but to form a gap between the partition plate 2 and the inner wall of the container 1, which causes rattling and poor positioning accuracy.

An object of the present invention is to provide a partitioning plate positioning method, a container, and a partitioning plate with high accuracy in consideration of such poor positioning accuracy of the conventional partitioning plate.

[0010]

According to the present invention, a container stop reference portion provided at a predetermined position on a transport path is aligned with a container stop reference portion provided at a predetermined position on a bottom of an outer wall of a container. By doing so, the container is positioned on the transport path, and the groove or the groove formed in the lower portion of the partition plate is formed in the protrusion or groove formed at the bottom of the container near the container positioning reference. The partition plate positioning method is characterized in that the partition plate is positioned by fitting the protrusions.

Further, according to the present invention, there are provided a container positioning reference portion provided at a predetermined position on the bottom portion of the outer wall of the container, which is aligned with a container stop reference portion provided at a predetermined location on the transport path, and a bottom portion inside the container. And a protrusion or a groove formed in a corner near the container positioning reference portion.

Further, the present invention is a partition plate having a groove portion or a protrusion portion at a lower portion to be fitted into the protrusion portion or the groove portion of the container.

[0013]

In the present invention, the container positioning reference portion provided at a predetermined position on the bottom of the outer wall of the container is used as a method for positioning the container in the conveying path. On the other hand, the positioning of the partition plate inside the container is performed by means of the projections or grooves formed at the bottom of the container and near the container positioning reference portion. Therefore, since the distance between the container positioning reference portion and the protrusion or groove is very short, the positional accuracy of the partition plate with respect to the transport path is remarkably good.

[0014]

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

FIG. 1 (a) is a plan view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 (b) is an AA of the container.
It is a line sectional view. On the bottom portion 11 inside the container 5, ridges 7 and 8 are formed in parallel with the left side wall 9 and the lower side wall 10 in the plane of FIG. This ridge 7, 8
Are connected at the lower left corner and form an L shape as a whole. The material of the container 5 is plastic, which is manufactured by injection molding. Further, legs 12 are formed on the lower surface of the bottom 11, and the collar 1 is horizontally extended.
3 is formed.

FIG. 2A is a plan view of the partition plate assembly 17 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2B is a side view of the partition plate assembly 17. It is assembled by fitting five partition plates 14 in the vertical direction and nine partition plates 15 in the horizontal direction into the notch portions (not shown) in which the notches are formed. Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, a groove portion 16 is formed in the lower left portion of each lateral partition plate 14. Although not shown, similar groove portions are also formed in the lower portion of each of the vertical partition plates 15 on the lower side in FIG.

The partition plates 14 and 15 are made of plastic, but the punching method is used, so that the precision is high.

Next, the operation of fitting the partition plate assembly 17 into such a container 5 will be described.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the same container 5 as that shown in FIG. 1B, showing how the partition plate assembly 17 indicated by the alternate long and short dash line is fitted therein from the direction shown by the arrow. .. That is, the grooves 16 at the bottom of the lateral partition plate 14 are fitted into the ridges 7 at the left corners of the bottom 11 inside the container 5 (see FIG. 4).
As a result, the lateral partition plate 14 can be positioned in the lateral direction. Similarly, with respect to the vertical partition plate 15, the groove portion at the lower part thereof has a bottom portion 11 inside the container 5.
By being fitted into the ridge 8 at the lower corner of the
It is possible to position the vertical partition plate 15 in the vertical direction. Further, the positioning of the intervals between the partition plates 14 and between the partition plates 15 is determined by the combination of each other as described above, so that the precision is high because it is punching.

In this way, the positional accuracy of the partition plates 14 and 15 with respect to the container 5 in the container 5 becomes high.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, such a container 5 is adapted to be stopped at a predetermined reference position on a roller conveyor 18 as a conveying path. That is, a stopper 19 which is a vertically movable container stop reference portion is arranged at a predetermined position on the roller conveyor 18. And the container 5 that has been transported
Is the stopper 1 at the portion 13a (container positioning reference portion) of the flange 13 of the container 5 close to the protrusion 7.
By abutting on 9, it is stopped and positioned.

Therefore, the positioning of the container 5 itself with respect to the roller conveyor 18 is realized by the stopper 19 and the part 13a of the collar portion.

Positioning of the partition plates 14 and 15 with respect to the container 5 is performed by the ridges 7 and 8 and the groove 16 which are located near the part 13a of the flange portion. As a result, the positioning of the partition plates 14 and 15 with respect to the stopper 19 is accurately determined. Since the position control of the arm of the robot for packing the toner cartridge and the like is based on the position of the stopper 19, the robot can pack the toner cartridge into the partition plates 14 and 15 with high accuracy.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is not necessary to match the outer dimension of the partition plate with the inner dimension of the container.
Greater freedom. In addition, the protrusion reduces the rattling of the partition plate. Further, since the pitch dimension between the partition plates can be freely set, the degree of freedom of the work to be stored inside is large.

In this embodiment, the ridges 7 and 8 are provided on the container 5 side and the groove 16 is provided on the partition plates 14 and 15 to perform the alignment. A groove may be provided on the side and a protrusion may be provided on the side of the partition plates 14 and 15 to perform the alignment.

Further, although the container positioning reference portion is present in the collar portion in the above-mentioned embodiment, it may of course be provided in an appropriate place on the bottom portion of the outer wall of the container other than that. In that case, the protrusions and grooves inside the container are naturally provided at the corners on the side closer to the container positioning reference part. Any method may be used for positioning the container, such as hitting with a stopper or inserting into a reference hole with a rocket pin. However, it goes without saying that the positioning reference portion of the container and the positioning reference portion of the partition plate in the container are brought as close as possible, and a highly accurate manufacturing tolerance is provided in the distance dimension.

[0027]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, a container stop reference portion provided at a predetermined position on the transport path and a container positioning reference portion provided at a predetermined position on the bottom of the outer wall of the container are provided. By aligning and stopping the container, the container is positioned on the transport path, and at the bottom of the container, at the protrusion or groove formed at the corner near the container positioning reference part, at the bottom of the partition plate. Since the formed groove or protrusion is fitted, the partition plate can be aligned with high accuracy.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1A is a plan view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

FIG. 2A is a plan view of a partition plate according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2B is a side view of the partition plate.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view in which the partition plate is inserted into the container in the same example.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a state where the partition plate is inserted into the container in the same Example.

FIG. 5A is a plan view of a conventional partition plate inserted into a container, and FIG. 5B is a partial sectional view of the same state.

FIG. 6A is a plan view of another conventional partition plate inserted into a container, and FIG. 6B is a partial cross-sectional view of the same state.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 5 Containers 2, 14, 15, 17 Partition Plates 7, 8 Projections 11 Bottom 13 Collar 13a Container 18 Roller Conveyor 19 Stopper

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A container stop reference portion provided at a predetermined location on the transport path is aligned with a container positioning reference portion provided at a predetermined location on the bottom of the outer wall of the container to stop the container, thereby stopping the container. In the bottom of the inside of the container for positioning the container, the protrusion or groove formed in the corner near the container positioning reference portion, the groove or protrusion formed at the bottom of the partition plate. The partition plate positioning method, characterized in that the partition plate is positioned by fitting together. 2. The protrusions formed at the corners of the bottom of the inside of the container form protrusions that are continuous from end to end, or the groove portions are groove portions that are continuous from end to end. The partition plate positioning method according to claim 1, wherein the partition plate positioning method is performed. 3. A container positioning reference portion provided at a predetermined position on the bottom portion of the outer wall of the container, which is aligned with a container stop reference portion provided at a predetermined position on the transport path, and a bottom portion inside the container, The container used in the partition plate positioning method according to claim 1, further comprising a protrusion or a groove formed in a corner near the container positioning reference portion. 4. The protrusion formed at the corner of the bottom of the container is a ridge extending from the end to the end, or the groove includes a groove extending from the end to the end. The partition plate positioning method according to claim 3, wherein the partition plate positioning method is performed. 5. A partition plate having a groove portion or a protrusion portion fitted to the protrusion portion or the groove portion of the container according to claim 3 at a lower portion.