JPH053275Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] a. Industrial application field The present invention relates to an article sorting device that sorts articles placed on an article conveying plate and conveyed in a predetermined direction according to weight, size, etc. be.

b. Prior Art FIGS. 11 to 13 show a sorting mechanism in a conventional article sorting device of this type, in which 1 is an article conveying plate on which articles to be conveyed are placed; 1 is a sorting pin suspended from the lower surface of the article conveying plate 1; 3 is a guide rail for moving the sorting pin 2 to the center; 4 is a sorting pin that is rotated by an output signal from an article discrimination device (not shown) that discriminates the type of article; A dynamically controlled sorting gate, 5 a guide for guiding the sorting pins 2 whose direction has been changed by the sorting gate 4 to a guide rail 6, and 7 a base for these members.

A conventional article sorting device having a sorting mechanism with such a configuration operates as follows.

First, the article conveying plate 1 is moved to the arrow A in FIG.
As the sorting pin 2 is moved in the direction, the sorting pin 2 engages with the guide rail 3, is guided toward the center, and is led to the sorting gate 4. At this time, the type of article on the article conveying plate 1 is discriminated by an article discriminating device (not shown) based on the weight, size, etc., and the sorting gate 4 is rotationally controlled in accordance with the discrimination result. That is, when the straight forward signal is output from the article discriminating device, the sorting gate 4 is oriented parallel to the traveling direction A of the article conveying plate 1 as shown in FIG. Moves straight ahead without changing direction. Further, the article conveying plate 1 on which an article of a different type is placed is, for example, on the left side (see FIG. 12) with respect to the traveling direction A of the article conveying plate 1, based on the output signal from the article discriminating device. directed towards,
The article transport plate 1 is redirected to the left. For an article conveying plate 1 on which another type of article is placed, the sorting gate 4 is directed to the right, and the article conveying plate 1 is therefore redirected to the right.

In this way, the article conveyance plate 1 is selectively moved in three directions: straight forward, leftward, and rightward according to the rotating position of the sorting gate 4. The placed articles are sorted into three types.

c Problems to be solved by the invention However, in the conventional article sorting device as described above, when the article conveying plate 1 is moved at high speed in order to improve the efficiency of sorting work, the article conveying plate 1 moving at high speed is sorted. When the pin 2 passes through the front end 5a of the guide 5, there is a possibility that the pin 2 will collide with the front end 5a. That is, when the axis of the sorting pin 2 and the front end 5a of the guide 5 coincide with each other as shown in FIG. 13 during the rotation of the sorting gate 4, the sorting pin 2 cannot escape in any direction. However, there was a major problem in that these two components collided violently with each other, causing damage to the device.

In the past, in order to solve the above-mentioned inconvenience, a leaf spring was attached to the front end 5a of the guide 5,
Alternatively, the front end 5a of the guide 5 is shaped like a wedge (knife shape)
It has been proposed that the sorting pin 2 has a parabolic cross-sectional shape. However, in either case, although the probability (possibility) of a collision between the front end 5a of the guide 5 and the sorting pin 2 becomes smaller, the collision cannot be completely avoided, and therefore the device may be damaged due to the collision. The reality is that the possibility always exists.

The present invention was devised in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to enable the sorting pin to be guided smoothly and effortlessly without causing damage to related members even if a collision as described above occurs. An object of the present invention is to provide an article sorting device having the above structure.

d. Means for solving the problems In order to solve the problems mentioned above, in this invention,
A pair of endless chains arranged opposite to each other and configured to be rotationally driven in the same direction, and a pair of endless chains configured to be slidably interlocked with the endless chain in a direction orthogonal to the driving direction of the pair of endless chains. a plurality of article conveyance plates each having a sorting pin fixed to the lower surface thereof, and a sorting means for engaging with the sorting pin and sliding the article conveyance plate in a selected direction; In the article sorting device, each of the article sorting apparatuses includes a guide member for guiding the sorting pin of the article conveying plate slid in the selected direction to a predetermined position. A sloped portion is formed to approach the lower surface of the article conveying plate as it goes in the traveling direction, and the upper edge of the sloped portion is wedge-shaped, and the sloped portion of the guide member is provided at the lower end of the sorting pin. An inclined surface corresponding to this is formed.

1 to 1 for one embodiment of the present invention.
This will be explained in detail with reference to FIG.

First, FIGS. 1 and 2 show an article sorting device 10 of this example. In these figures, 1
1 is a base, 12a and 12b are a pair of side plates mounted parallel to each other on the base 11, and a pair of rotating shafts 13 are installed between these side plates 12a and 12b.
a and 13b are rotatably attached. One rotating shaft 13a is rotationally driven by a drive mechanism consisting of a motor 14, pulleys 15a and 15b, and a belt 16. Further, sprockets 17a, 17b and 18a, 18b are fixed to both ends of the rotating shafts 13a, 13b, respectively.
A pair of endless chains 1 at 7b and 18a, 18b
9a and 19b are engaged. As a result, the pair of endless chains 19a and 19b are arranged opposite to each other, and are driven to rotate at the same speed along the direction of arrow A in FIGS. 1 and 2. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the other rotating shaft 13b has a pair of disc-shaped guides 20a, 2.
0b is attached.

The pair of endless chains 19a and 19b include:
A mounting pin 22a facing inward as shown in FIG.
22b are provided at a constant pitch, and holes 24 at both ends of the parallel bar 23 are fitted into these mounting pins 22a, 22b. As a result, a large number of parallel bars 2 are provided between the pair of endless chains 19a and 19b.
3 are arranged in parallel, and an article conveying plate 25 is slidably disposed between two mutually adjacent parallel bars 23. The article conveying plate 25 is formed into a longitudinal shape, and has side grooves 26a and 26b extending in the longitudinal direction and having a substantially U-shaped cross section formed on both sides thereof. Each is fitted. Therefore, the article conveying plate 25 is moved along the parallel bar 23 by the guiding action between the side grooves 26a, 26b and the parallel bar 23.
In the figure, in the direction of arrow B (endless chains 19a, 1
It is configured to be able to slide in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction A of 9b.

Furthermore, two sorting pins 28a, 28b are vertically fixed to the lower surface of the article conveying plate 25 near both ends thereof, and these sorting pins 28a,
A mechanism for guiding each of the conveyors 28b in a predetermined direction is provided inside the endless conveyor 29, which consists of the endless chains 19a, 19b, the parallel bars 23, and the article conveying plate 25. That is, as shown in Figure 2,
Above the interior of the endless conveyor 29 is the guide 2.
Guide plates 30a, 3 are connected to 0a, 20b.
0b are arranged, and these guide plates 30
A pair of guide members 31a, 31b are arranged at positions apart from a, 30b on the downstream side in the traveling direction A of the endless chains 19a, 19b. Note that the guide members 31a and 31b are connected to the endless chain 19.
guide rails 32a, 32b arranged so as to widen toward the downstream side in the traveling direction A of the guide rails 32a, 32b;
Front end guides 33a, 33b are attached to extend on the front end of the upstream side in the traveling direction A of 2b.
It is composed of. And endless conveyor 2
Collection rails 34a and 34b are disposed inside and below the container 9.

As clearly shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the above-mentioned front end guides 33a and 33b are formed by notching the upper corner of a rectangular plate-like member to form a sloped part 36, and wedge the upper edge 36a of this sloped part 36. Shape (knife-like)
It is formed by molding. Note that the inclined portion 3
6 is arranged at the front end of the guide members 31a, 31b, and is formed so as to approach the lower surface of the article conveying plate 25 as it goes in the traveling direction A of the article conveying plate 25, and is formed on the wedge-shaped upper edge 36a. The surface 37 is provided on the inside (on the side of the surfaces facing each other).

On the other hand, corresponding to the inclined portion 36, the lower ends of the aforementioned sorting pins 28a and 28b are notched to form an inclined surface 39 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Note that the inclined surfaces 39 of the sorting pins 28a and 28b
The degree of inclination is the same as, or steeper than, the inclination of the inclined portions 36 of the front end guides 33a, 33b.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 8, the guide plates 30a, 30b and the guide members 31a, 3
1b, a sorting gate 40 having an L-shaped cross section is provided in the area between
a, 40b are mounted rotatably around support shafts 41a, 41b, and these sorting gates 40
a, 40b are configured to be rotated by drive mechanisms 45a, 45b consisting of drive devices 42a, 42b, joints 43a, 43b, and connecting rods 44a, 44b.

Next, the operation of the article sorting device having such a configuration will be described.

First, when the rotating shaft 13a is rotationally driven by the motor 14, the sprockets 17a, 17b and 18
Endless chains 19a, 19 engaged with a, 18b
In turn, the endless conveyor 29 rotates. Then, as the endless conveyor 29 rotates, the article conveying plate 25 is transferred to the left end of the endless conveyor 29, and the sorting pins 28a, 2 on the lower surface of the article conveying plate 25
8b is transported in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1 while being guided by the guide 20 and guide plates 30a and 30b. At this time, the type of the article placed on the article conveying plate 25 is determined by an article discriminating device (not shown) based on, for example, the weight. Here, if it is determined that the weight of the article is normal, the sorting gates 40a and 40b are held in the retracted position as shown in FIG. 8 based on a predetermined control signal from the article discriminating device. , a pair of sorting pins 28a, 28b
are sorting gates 40a, 40b and guide member 31
a, 31b, and moves within the area between them without engaging them. Therefore, the article conveying plate 25 and the articles placed on its upper surface are moved straight along the first course without changing the direction, and at the right end (downstream end) of the endless conveyor 29, there is an unillustrated part. It is delivered to a conveyor and transported.

Also, if the item is lighter than normal weight,
Based on the control signal from the article discrimination device, one sorting gate 40b is moved to the support shaft 41b by the drive device 42b.
It is rotated in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 9 around . Note that the other sorting gate 40a is held at the retracted position without being rotated. Therefore, due to the rotation of the sorting gate 40b, this sorting gate 40
b enters the movement path of the sorting pin 28b,
Sorting pin 2 moving straight along guide plate 30b
8b engages with the sorting gate 40b as shown in FIG. 9, and as a result, the sorting pin 28b and thus the article conveying plate 25 are pressed and moved in the direction of arrow _B1 . Then,
The sorting pin 28a of the article conveying plate 25 that has been moved in the direction of arrow _B1 is moved to the sorting gate 40a in the retracted position.
and the front end guide 33a.
3a (see FIG. 10), and thereafter moves along the second course while being sequentially guided in _{the two} directions of arrow B by the front end guide 33a and the guide rail 32a. The articles guided in a predetermined direction in this manner are transferred to another conveyor (not shown) at the right end of the endless conveyor 29 and conveyed.

Additionally, if the item is heavier than normal,
Only the sorting gate 40a is rotated, and the sorting pin 28
a is engaged with the sorting gate 40a and moved under pressure, so the article conveying plate 25 is moved in the opposite direction to the arrow _B1 direction and changed direction, and then moved along the third course by the guide member 31b. be moved.

As described above, the articles placed on the article conveying plate 25 are sorted into three types according to their weights.

According to the article sorting device of this example, there is a slight possibility that the sorting pins 28a, 28b will collide with the tips of the front end guides 33a, 33b during the rotation of the sorting gates 40a, 40b. However, in the case of this example, even if such a collision were to occur, there is no risk of causing any inconvenience such as damage to the device. That is, the sorting pin 28
Considering the case where the selection pins 28a, 28b collide with the front end guides 33a, 33b, the selection pins 28a, 28b
The lower end is the inclined portion 36 of the front end guides 33a, 33b.
The sorting pin 28
a, 28b will receive an upward component force. On the other hand, the article conveying plate 25 has its side grooves 26a, 2
As shown in FIG. 4, the product is held by the two parallel bars 23 fitted to the parts 6b with slight wobble, so that no upward force is applied to the article conveying plate 25 via the sorting pins 28a and 28b. When it acts, it can escape upwards, albeit in a small amount. Therefore, due to the escape action described above, excessive force is not applied to the article conveying plate 25 and the sorting pins 28a, 28b in the event of a collision, and the impact force at the time of the collision is effectively absorbed. It happens.

Further, as soon as the inclined surfaces 39 of the sorting pins 28a, 28b collide with the upper edge 36a and begin to slide up, the front end guide 33a,
33b, the collision condition is resolved. That is, since the front end guides 33a and 33b are arranged at a certain angle with respect to the traveling direction A of the sorting pins 28a and 28b, the sorting pins 2
8a, 28b slide up by a very small distance on the upper edge 36a (also at this time, no excessive force is applied to the sorting pins 28a, 28b and the front end guides 33a, 33b due to the escape action as described above). ,
The tips of the sorting pins 28a and 28b are the front end guide 33
a, 33b immediately comes off inward from the upper edge 36a. Moreover, an inclined surface 3 is provided on the outside of the upper edge 36a.
7, the sorting pins 28a, 28b smoothly slide down inside the front end guides 33a, 33b immediately after the collision, and are guided along the first course (straight course).

Next, the sorting pins 28a and 28b of the article conveying plate 25 whose direction has been changed to the left or right as described above are moved to the guide member 3 near the right end of the endless conveyor 29.
Collection rails 34a, 34 away from 1a, 31b
Moving to step b, the collection rails 34a and 34b bring the collection rails 34a and 34b to the center side, and the central guide 20a and
Return to step 20b and repeat the same operations as described above.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and modifications and changes can be made based on the technical idea of the present invention.

For example, in the embodiment described above, the guide rails 32a, 32b and the front end guides 33a, 33b
The guide members 31a, 31b are configured with a slope portion 36 and a slope surface 37 on the front end guides 33a, 33b.
However, the guide rails 32a,
The guide member may be configured only by the guide rails 32b, and the above-mentioned inclined portions and inclined surfaces may be formed at the front end portions of these guide rails 32a and 32b. In addition, in the embodiment described above, the sorting gate 40a,
40b is arranged outside the movement path of the sorting pins 28a, 28b, but the sorting gates 40a, 4
0b may be arranged inside the movement path. Further, it is not necessarily necessary to provide two sorting pins and two sorting gates, and the present invention can also be applied to a case where one sorting pin and one sorting gate as shown in the conventional example are used. . Further, by increasing the number of guide members and sorting gates as necessary, it is easily possible to configure the apparatus to perform multi-stage classification of three or more types.

e Effects of the invention As described above, the present invention provides an inclined part at the front end of the guide member, and makes the upper edge of this inclined part wedge-shaped (knife-like). Since the lower end of the pin is formed with an inclined surface corresponding to the inclined portion of the guide member, it has the following advantages.

(1) The possibility (probability) of collision between the sorting pin and the front end of the guide member is reduced.

(2) Even if the sorting pins and the guide member collide, the relief action of the article conveyance plate will prevent excessive force from being applied to these two members, and the relief of the article conveyance plate will prevent both members from being subjected to slight displacement during the slight displacement. The collision is immediately canceled and the sorting pin slides down the wedge-shaped side surface of the guide member and is smoothly guided in a predetermined direction, thereby reliably preventing damage to the device.

(3) Therefore, the life of the device can be extended,
Moreover, articles can be transported stably, which is extremely useful.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 10 show an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the entire article sorting device, and FIG. 2 shows an endless chain, parallel bars, and article conveying plate in FIG. A plan view of the removed state; FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the attached state of the article conveyance plate;
4 is a sectional view taken along the - line in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of essential parts of the front end guide, FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the front end guide, and FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the - line in FIG. 8 and 9 are schematic plan views showing the moving states of the article conveying plate and the sorting pin, respectively;
0 is a sectional view taken along the line - in FIG. 9, FIGS. 11 to 13 are for explaining a conventional article sorting device, and FIGS. 11 and 12 are plan views showing the article conveyance mechanism, respectively. 13 are plan views showing the state in which the sorting pin collides with the tip of the guide. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Article conveyance device, 19a, 19b... Endless chain, 23... Parallel bar, 25... Article conveyance plate, 26a, 26b... Side groove, 28a, 28b...
...Selection pin, 31a, 31b...Guide member, 3
2a, 32b...Guide rail, 33a, 33b
...Front end guide, 36... Inclined portion, 36a... Upper edge, 37... Inclined surface, 39... Inclined surface, 40
a, 40b... Sorting gate.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] a pair of endless chains arranged opposite to each other and configured to be rotationally driven in the same direction;
a plurality of article conveying plates configured to be slidably interlocked with the endless chains in a direction orthogonal to the driving direction of the pair of endless chains, and each having a sorting pin fixed to the lower surface side; a sorting means for engaging a sorting pin to slide the article conveyance plate in a selected direction; and a sorting means for guiding the sorting pin of the article conveyance plate slid in the selected direction to a predetermined position. In the article sorting device, the guide member is provided with an inclined portion formed at a front end thereof so as to approach a lower surface of the article conveyance plate as it goes in the traveling direction of the article conveyance plate, and An article sorting device characterized in that the upper edge of the inclined portion is wedge-shaped, and the lower end of the sorting pin is formed with an inclined surface corresponding to the inclined portion of the guide member.