JPH0667420U - Transport guide - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To make it possible to change the conveying path for changing the direction of conveyed articles according to the size and shape of the articles. [Structure] Three support frames 1 in which eight guide bars 2 made of a flexible material are arranged at predetermined intervals
The guide bar 2 forms a conveyance path for the article. An air cylinder 3 is provided on the upper wall of each support frame 1.
Is fixed, and the guide bar 2 on the upper wall side of each support frame 1 of each guide bar 2 is supported by the rod 3 a of each air cylinder 3. By adjusting the protrusion amount of the rod 3a of each air cylinder 3 according to the height of the conveyed article, the height of the conveyance path formed by each guide bar 8 matches the height of the conveyed article. It becomes a thing.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a transport guide in which a transport path for guiding a material to be transported such as a can or a pack while changing its direction is formed by a plurality of guide bars.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 A transport guide for guiding an article to be transported in a predetermined direction is often used in a production process of a factory that manufactures products. In many cases, the orientation of an article remains the same when it is transported, but there are many cases where the orientation of the article is changed while it is being transported. For example, in the manufacturing process of canned beer, the process of printing the manufacturing date of canned beer is so. This is because the manufacturing date of canned beer is printed on the bottom surface of the beer can, so the printing process of the manufacturing date requires that the bottom surface of the beer can be directed upward or sideways.

FIG. 8 shows a conventional conveyance guide used in such a case in the manufacturing process of canned beer. This conveyance guide is for changing the direction of the beer can by 90 ° while conveying the can, and a plurality of guide bars 52 made of stainless steel pipe or the like bent along the conveyance route of the beer can be arranged at predetermined intervals. The structure is such that it is fixed and supported by the plurality of support frames 51 arranged. The space formed inside each guide bar 52 serves as a transport path for beer cans. The size of the transport path in the height direction and the width direction varies depending on the orientation of the beer cans transported in the transport path. The size is so large that it does not rattle. If there is too much rattling with the beer can being transported, the beer can collapses when the orientation of the beer changes and collides with the guide bar 52 with a large impact, which causes the beer in the can. This may cause unnecessary bubbles and damage the beer can.

On the other hand, there are a plurality of types of beer cans having different contents (sizes), and a plurality of types of canned beers having different sizes are produced even in the process of manufacturing a can beer. However, since the above-mentioned transport guide can transport only one type of beer can, the same number of types of transport guides as the types of beer cans are prepared.

[0005]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, with the conventional transport guide, only one type of canned beer can be transported, as described above, so when transporting different types of beer cans due to changes in the manufacturing line, the transport guide is changed each time. It was Therefore, there was a problem that the preparation work was time consuming when the manufacturing line was switched, and the whole work was complicated. In addition, since multiple types of transport guides had to be prepared, there was also the problem of having to secure a storage location for unused transport guides.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a conveyance guide capable of changing the conveyance path for changing the direction of the conveyed article according to the size and shape of the article.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to achieve the above object, the transport guide of the present invention comprises a plurality of support frames arranged at predetermined intervals and a transport path for guiding an article to be transported while changing the direction of the article. In a conveyance guide having a plurality of guide bars supported by each of the support frames and extending along the conveyance direction of the article, each of the guide bars is made of a member having flexibility, and each of the support frames includes: Each of the guide bars is provided with a moving means for supporting at least one of the guide bars and moving the guide bar by a predetermined amount in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the article.

[0008]

[Action]

 In the transport guide of the present invention configured as described above, the guide bar supported by the moving means provided on each support frame is arranged in the transport direction of the article according to the size and shape of the article to be transported. A predetermined amount is moved in the orthogonal direction. As a result, the size of the conveyance path formed by each guide bar in the height direction and the width direction matches the size and shape of the article, and the article is smoothly conveyed. Further, since each guide bar is made of a flexible member, the guide bar can be easily moved even when the guide bars are twisted so that the orientation of the article before and after the transportation is changed.

[0009]

【Example】

 Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the transport guide of the present invention. This transport guide is a transport guide used to guide the transport of beer cans during the manufacturing process of beer cans. As shown in FIG. 1, eight guide bars 2 made of flexible members are used. Is supported by three support frames arranged at a predetermined interval (40 to 50 cm interval).

As the support frame 1, for example, one manufactured by bending or joining a stainless plate having a plate thickness of 6 mm and a width of 30 mm is used. The support members 4 are screwed to the inner surface of the bottom wall of each support frame 1, and three support members 4 are similarly provided on the inner surfaces of both side walls of each support frame 1 facing each other. Are fixed with screws. As shown in FIG. 2, each support member 4 is integrally provided with a cylindrical portion 4a at its tip end so that its axial direction is parallel to the conveying direction of the beer can. Then, each guide bar 2 is a hollow tubular member having a notch in the longitudinal direction thereof, and the columnar portion 4a of the support member 4 is fitted into the hollow portion of the guide bar 2 so that the guide bar 2 is formed. It is fixed to the support member 4.

On the other hand, an air cylinder 3 as a moving means is fixed to the upper wall of each support frame 1. Each of the air cylinders 3 is provided with a rod 3a that penetrates through a through hole (not shown) formed in the upper wall of the support frame 1 and can expand and contract in the vertical direction in the drawing. 2 are integrally provided with a member similar to the cylindrical portion 4a shown in FIG. 2, and the guide bar 2 is fixed by fitting the guide bar 2 into the member.

When fixing each guide bar 2, the guide bar 2 is connected so that the support members 4 corresponding to the same position among the support members 4 of the support frame 1 are connected and the rods 3a are connected. Fix it. As a result, the guide bars 2 are arranged parallel to each other, and the space formed inside each guide bar 2 along the extending direction of each guide bar 2 serves as a beer can carrying path. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the interval between the guide bars 2 facing each other is set so that the length of each support member 4 is slightly larger than the width and height of the beer cans 5 transported in the transport path. In addition, the protruding amount of the rod 3a is adjusted, and rattling of the beer can 5 in the conveyance path in the left-right direction and the vertical direction in the drawing is restricted.

When this transport guide is installed in a process in which the orientation of the beer can 5 must be changed during transport, such as the process of printing the manufacturing date on the bottom of the beer can 5, As shown in Fig. 4, install the support frames 1 at both ends by twisting the transport guides so that they match the orientation of the beer can 5 before transportation (see Fig. 3) and the orientation of the beer can 5 after transportation. Let FIG. 4 shows an example in which the orientation of the beer can 5 is changed by 90 ° during transportation. Each of the guide bars 2 has a hollow cylindrical shape having a notch in the longitudinal direction, and has flexibility as a material, and the transport guide can be easily twisted. The material for the guide bar 2 is preferably a material having flexibility and strength that does not warp even when the beer can 5 is transported, and physical properties such as abrasion resistance and a low friction coefficient. In this embodiment, a high molecular weight is used. I am using polyethylene.

When the beer cans 5'to be transported are switched after the transport guides are installed and beer cans 5'having different heights (see FIG. 5) must be transported, the transport guide is set to the one shown in FIG. The position of the guide bar 2 supported by the rod 3a is adjusted by adjusting the protruding amount of the rod 3a of each air cylinder 3 according to the height of the beer can 5'to be transported in the state of being installed as shown in FIG. Can be adjusted. At this time, the guide bar 2 is moved in a twisted state, but since the guide bar 2 is made of a flexible member, its movement is easy. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when conveying a beer can 5 ′ having a smaller height than that shown in FIG. Control rattling. As a result, the beer can 5'is transported smoothly, and even if the orientation of the beer can 5'changes during transportation, the beer can 5'is not impacted, and the beer bubbles in the beer can 5'are generated. And the occurrence of external damage to the beer can 5'is prevented.

As described above, one of the guide bars 2 that controls the rattling of the beer can being conveyed in the height direction can be moved by the air cylinder 3 so that one guide bar 2 can be conveyed. Guides can carry two different heights of beer cans. As a result, the preparation for switching the beer cans only needs to be performed by setting the protrusion amount of the rod 3a of each air cylinder 3, and the complexity of the work is eliminated.

In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which only one air cylinder 3 is provided and the height direction of the conveying path formed by each guide bar 2 can be adjusted, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the supporting frame 1 Another air cylinder may be provided on the side wall, and the side guide bar 2 may be supported by the rod of the air cylinder so that the facing distance between the side guide bars 2 can be changed. This makes it possible to handle the transportation of articles having different widths as well as heights. Further, the number of guide bars 2 and the number and intervals of the support frames 1 are not limited to those described in the present embodiment, but can be increased or decreased as needed, and the articles to be transported can be added to beer cans. It is not limited.

Further, the moving means for moving the guide bar 2 is not limited to the air cylinder 3, and a screw mechanism or the like may be used. As a concrete mechanism thereof, for example, a rack and pinion mechanism as shown in FIG. 6 can be mentioned. The moving means shown in FIG. 6 includes a cylinder 13 that movably supports the guide bar 12 in the direction of the arrow in the figure, a gear box 15 that includes a rack 16 connected to a rod 13a of the cylinder 13, and a pinion gear 17 that meshes with the rack 16. The motor 18 for driving the pinion gear 17 of the gear box 15 is a main component. As a result, when the motor 18 is rotated, the rack 16 moves in the direction of the arrow in the drawing in accordance with the amount of rotation, and the guide bar 12 is moved. Therefore, the guide bar 12 can be moved by an arbitrary amount. As a result, it becomes possible to convey three or more types of articles having different sizes and shapes. The driving of the moving means is performed by driving the motor 18 until the guide bar 12 reaches the position corresponding to the size of the article. If the size or shape of the article to be conveyed is predetermined, the current position of the guide bar 12 is detected by computer control, and then the movement amount of the guide bar 12 is compared with the position to be newly set. Is determined and the motor 18 is driven. Then, the moving amount of the rack 16 or the rod 13a is checked, and if the rack 16 or the rod 13a is moved by a predetermined amount, it is determined that the set position has been reached, and the driving of the motor 18 is stopped. Alternatively, the operation time of the motor 18 corresponding to the movement amount of the guide bar 12 is preset as reference data, the movement amount to the set position relative to the current position is calculated, and the driving time of the motor 18 corresponding to the calculation result is calculated. May be set.

Further, as the guide bar support structure, as shown in FIG. 7, a semi-cylindrical gripping portion 24 a for gripping the guide bar 22 is integrally provided at the tip of each supporting member 24. A structure may be adopted in which the cylindrical guide bar 22 is gripped by the grip portion 24a.

[0020]

[Effect of device]

 Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects.

Each guide bar is formed of a flexible member, and each support frame is provided with a moving unit that supports at least one of the guide bars and moves the guide bar by a predetermined amount. The size in the height direction and the width direction of the conveyed path can be matched with the size and shape of the article to be conveyed. As a result, even if the size or shape of the article to be transported changes, it becomes possible to guide the transport of multiple types of articles with one transport guide, so that the task of exchanging the transport guide by switching the article to be transported is also possible. The complexity of work can be eliminated.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a transport guide of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of the support member shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the transport guide shown in FIG. 1 viewed from the direction of arrow A.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view when the transport guide shown in FIG. 1 is installed in a process in which the orientation of a beer can must be changed by 90 ° during transport.

5 is a partial cross-sectional view seen from the direction of arrow A when a beer can having a height smaller than that shown in FIG. 3 is transported in the transport guide shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another example of moving means of the transport guide shown in FIG.

7 is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of a support member, showing another example of the support structure of the guide bar of the transport guide shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an example of a conventional transport guide when the orientation of a beer can is changed by 90 ° during transport.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 11 Support frame 2, 12, 22 Guide bar 3 Air cylinder 3a, 13a Rod 4, 24 Support member 13 Cylinder 15 Gear box 16 Rack 17 Pinion gear 18 Motor 24a Grip part

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A support frame supported by each of the support frames to form a plurality of support frames arranged at predetermined intervals and a conveyance path for guiding an article to be conveyed while changing the direction of the article. In a conveyance guide having a plurality of guide bars extending along a conveyance direction of the article, each of the guide bars is made of a flexible member, and each of the support frames has at least one of the guide bars. A conveyance guide that is provided with a moving means that supports one of the articles and moves the article by a predetermined amount in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the article.