JPH10235589A - Article holding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an article holding device capable of transferring many article cases on a pallet or the like so as to be arranged crosswide and efficiently in terms of floor space, and further these is less in a fear of any damage to these cases and articles being stored in them. SOLUTION: This device is provided with an article holding part 2 being composed of installing an engaged member 5 having one side wall part C1 of an article case engaged with a machine frame 1 to be free of both vertical and horizontal directions upwards from the outside, and a contact member 6 contacting with another side wall part C2 of the article case being opposed to the one side wall part, where the engaged member is engaged, from the outside at a higher position than the position on which the engaged member is engagedly acts, and thereby the article case is suspended and gripped.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an article gripping device in which an article holding portion for hanging and holding an article case is provided on a machine frame movable vertically and horizontally.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an article gripping device, a container C having an open upper part, which is an example of an article case, is conventionally mounted on a machine frame 01 which can be moved vertically and horizontally as shown in FIG. There is provided an article gripping part 03 which is suspended and gripped by a pair of left and right locking members 02, and these locking members 02 are moved by the expansion and contraction operation of the air cylinder 06 so that the container C
Are provided so as to be movable between a locking position in which the flange portion 05 provided on the opposed side wall portion 04 is upwardly locked and an unlocking position in which the locking portion is laterally separated from the side wall portion. .

[0003]

According to the above-mentioned prior art, when a container C suspended and gripped is transferred onto a pallet P, the container C is placed on the pallet P and then a pair of locking members is set. 02 must be moved to the unlocking position where the side wall portion 04 is laterally separated from the side wall portion 04, and the locking member 02 is locked to each of the side wall portions 04 of the container C facing each other. In order to transfer a large number of containers C vertically and horizontally on the pallet P, it is necessary to secure a space enough to be moved to the release position.
There is a disadvantage that a large gap 07 is formed between the containers C and the containers C cannot be efficiently transferred in terms of space. In order to solve this drawback, for example, by moving the locking member 02 to the unlocking position at a high position where the container Cb transferred on the pallet P does not interfere with the container Cb, It is conceivable to drop it near the side and transfer it efficiently in terms of space, but in this case, the impact at the time of dropping may damage the container C and the articles stored in the container C.

Further, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-30023, a holding portion for hanging and holding one side wall portion of a container in a cantilever posture is provided, and one side portion of the container is held by the holding portion of the container. It is conceivable that the side wall portion is positioned on the side where the transferred container does not exist, placed near the side of the transferred container, and then the grip on one side wall portion is released. However, in this case, in order to hold one side wall portion of the container and suspend it in a cantilevered posture, as the container stores a large number of articles and the weight becomes heavy,
There is a disadvantage that one side wall of the container is easily damaged.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and can efficiently transfer a large number of article cases on a pallet or the like vertically and horizontally in a space-efficient manner. An object of the present invention is to provide an article gripping device that is less likely to be damaged.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, the article gripping device prevents the article case from falling off from the article gripping portion by a locking member that locks one side wall of the article case upward from the outside. The falling of the article case locked by the locking member due to its own weight as a fulcrum is locked to the other side wall portion facing the one side wall portion locked by the locking member. Because it is regulated by a contact member that contacts from the outside at a position higher than the position, the article case can be grasped from both left and right sides with the locking member and the contact member without difficulty, and the grasped article case can be palletized. When placing the product on the side of the article, the locking of one side wall by the locking member is released, or the contacting member is moved above the other side wall to release the contact, and then the entire article gripping portion is released. Release the grip by moving it away from the side of the side wall. Can. Accordingly, a large number of article cases can be arranged vertically and horizontally close to each other on a pallet or the like, and can be efficiently transferred in space. Moreover, there is little possibility that the article cases and the articles stored in the article cases will be damaged.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the article gripping device, wherein the locking member has a locking position where it locks the one side wall of the article case and a locking release position where the locking member moves away from the one side wall. Since the switching operation is configured to be freely performed, the gripping of the article case can be easily released by the switching operation of the locking member.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, since the locking member is configured to lock the bottom of the article case, the locking member is configured to lock the upper portion of the article case. It is possible to stabilize the gripping posture so that the fluctuation is small. The article gripping device according to claim 4 is provided with a pressing member that elastically presses an upper edge portion of a rectangular parallelepiped article case having an opened upper portion downward, so that the gripped article case is moved. The vertical movement of the article case is suppressed, and the locking of the locking member is released along with the vertical movement of the article case to prevent the article case from dropping or the article from falling from the upper opening of the article case. be able to.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in order to hold a plurality of article cases in a line in a horizontal direction, a plurality of article holding portions corresponding to each of the article cases are provided on the machine frame. Therefore, a plurality of article cases can be grasped at the same time to efficiently transfer the article cases, and a plurality of article case groups arranged in a line can be connected to each other by locking members provided in each article grasping portion. Since the members are arranged so as to be located on the same side, a plurality of article cases can be simultaneously arranged vertically and horizontally close to a pallet or the like so that space can be efficiently transferred.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the article gripping device, wherein the outer peripheral wall of the plurality of article case groups arranged in a line is formed between the wall on which the locking member operates and the wall on which the contacting member operates. Is provided with an auxiliary contacting member that comes into contact with the wall portion located on the outside, so that the gripped article case can be prevented from shifting in the horizontal direction and can be accurately transferred to a desired position. .

[0010]

FIG. 1 shows an article transfer apparatus B provided with an article gripping apparatus A according to the present invention. The article gripping apparatus A is moved vertically and horizontally by the article transfer apparatus B. It is configured such that a resin container C as an example of an article case conveyed by the conveyor D can be vertically and horizontally arranged on a pallet P set at a predetermined position and transferred to a plurality of stages. The conveyor D is provided so as to intermittently transport a large number of containers C side by side in the transport direction.

The article transfer device B has a revolving frame B2 pivotally supported about a vertical axis α1 with respect to a base frame B1, and a swinging axis about a horizontal axis φ1 above the revolving frame B2. A first arm B3 movably pivoted,
A second arm B4 pivotally supported at the tip of the first arm B3 around the horizontal axis φ2, and a pivotally pivotally supported at the tip of the second arm B4 around the horizontal axis φ3. A support B5 is provided, and the article gripping device A is hung at the lower end of the support B5 so as to be rotatable around a vertical axis α2. The support B
Reference numeral 5 is provided such that the vertical axis α2 is held substantially vertically and the attitude of the article gripping device A can be maintained substantially horizontal regardless of the swing of the first arm B3 and the second arm B4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the container C includes a pair of long side walls C1 and C2 along the long side and a pair of short sides C3 and C4 along the short side. An upper flange C6, which is integrally formed along the outer periphery of C5 and is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape having an open upper portion, for reinforcing an upper edge of each of the side walls C1 to C4, and a lower portion for reinforcing a lower portion near the bottom wall C5. Tsuba C7
And an intermediate flange C8 that reinforces an intermediate position between the upper flange C6 and the lower flange C7 are provided in a series of annular shapes along the circumferential direction, and a long side wall portion C1 is provided between the flanges C6 to C8. C
A rib C9 is provided to reinforce the reinforcing member 2 in the vertical direction.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the article gripping device A is mounted on a rectangular cylindrical aluminum alloy machine frame 1 suspended on a support B5 and movable vertically and horizontally. Two article grippers 2 for hanging and holding C are arranged side by side, and two adjacent containers C (Ca) conveyed by the conveyor D are gripped separately by the article grippers 2. At the same time on the pallet P.

Each of the article gripping portions 2 includes a base plate 3 fixed to the machine frame 1 by a bracket 3a, and a base plate 3
The base plate 3 is supported on one side in the front-rear direction on the lower surface side.
A slide plate 4 slidable in the front-rear direction along the lower surface of the slide plate, and fixed to the lower surface side of the slide plate 4,
Two right and left locking members 5 for locking one long side wall portion C1 of the container C (Ca) upward from the outside, and a base plate 3
The locking member 5 is fixed to the other side in the front-rear direction on the lower surface side.
A contact member 6 that contacts the other long side wall portion C2 opposite to the long side wall portion C1 on which the lock is made, and a switch mounting plate 7 fixed to the lower surface of the base plate 3 with a spacer 7a interposed therebetween. And two front and rear pressing members 8 which are vertically movably held by the switch mounting plate 7 and elastically press the upper edge portion of the container C (Ca) downward.
A switching device 9 which can be switched between a locking position where the container C (Ca) is locked to the long side wall portion C1 and an unlock position where the container C (Ca) is moved away from the long side wall portion C1. It is configured.

The slide plate 4 has two left and right slide rails 4a fixed to the upper surface thereof held by two front and rear guides 4b fixed to the left and right sides of the lower surface of the base plate 3 so as to be slidable in the front and rear direction. The air cylinder 9a fixed to the lower surface of the base plate 3 is connected to the slide plate 4, and the locking member 3 is switched between the locking position and the unlocking position by the expansion and contraction operation of the air cylinder 9a. Device 9
Is configured. The two locking members 5 are connected to each other by a connecting shaft member 5a, and a locking piece 5b provided at a lower end thereof.
Is locked below the lower flange C7, which is the bottom of the container C (Ca), and the one long side wall C1 is locked upward from the outside.

The contact member 6 is formed by fixing a wide plate material bent in a downward L-shape to the base plate 3 and forming a series on the outer peripheral edge of the upper flange C6 and the intermediate flange C8 in the other long side wall portion C2. To the long side wall C2,
It is configured to contact at a position higher than the position where the locking member 5 works.

As shown in FIG. 6, each of the pressing members 8 is inserted and held in a through-hole formed in the switch mounting plate 7 so as to be able to move up and down in a state in which the pressing member 8 does not come off. A compression coil spring 8b is mounted between the base plate 3 and one short side wall portion C3 of the container C (Ca).
Is configured to elastically press the upper edge portion. On the upper surface of the switch mounting plate 7, two upper and lower proximity switches S 1, S
2, a dog 8c for turning on and off the proximity switches S1 and S2 is provided above the pressing member 8, and the proximity switch S1 and S2 are moved by the dog 8c with the vertical movement of the pressing member 8. Container C (Ca, Cb) of article gripping section 2 based on ON / OFF state
Is configured to be able to detect the vertical position with respect to.

Then, for the two containers C arranged in a line on the conveyor D, the two article grippers 2 corresponding to each of the containers C are connected to the locking members 5 of each article gripper 2. The container and the contact members 6 are arranged so as to be located on the same side, and the two containers C are arranged in a line in the horizontal direction so that they can be gripped. Direction end portions are outer peripheral walls of the two containers C held by the article gripping portions 2, one long side wall portion C 1 on which the locking member 5 acts and the contact member 6.
On the side of the short side wall portion C4 located between the other long side wall portion C2 on which the upper surface acts and the outer peripheral edge of the upper flange C6 and the intermediate flange C8, a plate-shaped auxiliary contact is made from the outside. The member 10 is attached.

Next, referring to FIGS. 7 to 9, a transfer operation of simultaneously holding two containers Ca on the conveyor D by the article holding device A and transferring the containers Ca on the pallet P at the same time will be described. A case will be described in which the container is transferred to a position where the right and left containers (hereinafter, referred to as transferred containers) Cb already transferred on the pallet P are back-to-back.

As shown in FIG. 7, when each of the locking members 5 provided on the two article gripping portions 2 is switched to the unlocked position by the extension operation of the air cylinder 9a, the two The container Ca is moved downward so that the container Ca enters the space surrounded by the contact member 6 and the auxiliary contact member 10 provided in the article gripping section 2 as shown in FIG. , Each of the upper and lower proximity switches S1 and S2 is ON
Until operated, each of the pressing members 8 is pressed against the upper edge of the corresponding container Ca.

Each of the upper and lower proximity switches S1 and S2 is O
N operation, as shown in FIG.
The respective locking members 5 are switched to the locking positions by the contraction operation of a, and the locking pieces 5b enter the lower side of the lower flange C7. The flange C6 and the intermediate flange C8 are moved so as to contact the contact member 6. If only the upper proximity switch S1 is turned ON while the lower proximity switch S2 is OFF, it is determined that the lower proximity switch S2 has failed, and the article gripping device A is moved downward. It is configured to stop and display the abnormality of the proximity switch S2.

Next, when the article gripping device A is moved upward, the pressing member 8 is moved downward by the urging force of the compression coil spring 8b, and as shown in FIGS. C7 is locked to the lower side, and it is detected that the two containers Ca are gripped by each of the article grippers 2 by turning ON only the lower proximity switch S2, and these containers Ca are detected. The displacement of Ca in the left-right direction is regulated by the auxiliary contact member 10.

Then, in a state where each of the locking members 5 is located on the side where the transferred container Cb does not exist, the article gripping device A is moved down to the back-to-back position with the transferred container Cb, and the container Ca is moved. When it is further lowered while in contact with the pallet P, as shown in FIG. 9, when the upper proximity switch S1 is turned ON and both the upper and lower proximity switches S1 and S2 are turned ON, as shown in FIG. As shown by the imaginary line therein, each of the locking members 5 is switched to the unlocked position by the extension operation of the air cylinder 9a, and the locking pieces 5b
Is pulled out from the lower side of the lower flange C7 and the article gripping device A is moved upward in this state, the pressing member 8 is moved downward by the urging force of the compression coil spring 8b, and as shown in FIG. The switches S1 and S2 are both turned OFF, and the two containers Ca are transferred near the back-to-back position of the transferred container Cb.

[Other Embodiments] The article case gripped by the article gripping device according to the present invention may be a carton, a cardboard box, or the like, or may be a foldable container that can be folded and stored small when not in use. 2. The article gripping device according to the present invention is configured such that the contact member is moved upward with respect to the machine frame so that the contact with the other side wall portion can be released. The locking member may be configured to be movable in the horizontal direction so that the locking member can be switched between a locking position and a locking release position. 3. The locking member may be provided so as to lock upward near the upper portion of the one side wall portion.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of an article transfer device.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a container.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the article gripping device.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the article gripping device.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the article gripping device.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a main part of the article gripping device.

FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory view of the article gripping device.

FIG. 8 is an operation explanatory view of the article gripping device.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the article gripping device.

FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing a conventional article gripping device.

[Description of Signs] 1 Machine frame 2 Article gripping part 5 Locking member 6 Contact member 8 Pressing member 10 Auxiliary contact member C Article case C1 One side wall part C2 Other side wall part C4 Wall part

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An article gripping device in which an article gripper for suspending and gripping an article case is provided on a machine frame movable vertically and horizontally, wherein the article gripper is provided on the article case. The locking member locks the locking member that locks the one side wall portion upward from the outside and the other side wall portion of the article case facing the one side wall portion that locks the locking member. An article gripping device configured to include a contact member that contacts from the outside at a position higher than the position. 2. The locking member is operable to switch between a locking position for locking one side wall of the article case and an unlocking position moved to a side away from the one side wall. 2. The article gripping device according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The article gripping device according to claim 1, wherein the locking member is configured to lock a bottom portion of the article case. 4. The article case has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open top, and a pressing member for elastically pressing an upper edge of the article case downward is provided.
The article gripping device according to any one of the preceding claims. 5. A plurality of article gripping portions respectively corresponding to each of the article cases are provided on the machine frame so that a plurality of the article cases are arranged in a line in a horizontal direction and are held in a line. 5. The plurality of article case groups, wherein the locking members and the contact members provided in each of the article gripping portions are disposed so as to be located on the same side. 6. The article gripping device according to any one of the preceding claims. 6. An outer peripheral wall of the plurality of article case groups arranged in a line, the wall being located between a wall on which the locking member operates and a wall on which the contact member operates. 6. The article gripping device according to claim 5, wherein an auxiliary contact member is provided for contacting the outside of the member.