JPH10257828A - Pot tray filling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To take out a plurality of seedling pot trays from a carrier supply tray stand excellently by a tray takeout hand. SOLUTION: This pot tray filling device is provided with the tray stand 8 for supplying a plurality of seedling pot trays 7, a case conveyor 2 for aligning, containing and carrying the supplied trays 7 to a pot case 3 and a tray takeout hand 6 by which the trays 7 of the tray stand 8 are stuck to a sucking body 49 by vacuum sucking force so as to align and contain them to the takeout pot case 3. The tray stand 8 is inclined downward in a takeout direction and the pot trays 7 on the tray stand 8 are carried and supplied by the vibration supply activation of the tray stand 8.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pot tray filling apparatus for loading a pot tray used for growing germinated seedlings to a predetermined size into a pot case.

[0002]

Conventionally, small flower pot-shaped pot trays made of vinyl chloride or the like are placed in a pot case and arranged vertically and horizontally, and a plurality of pot trays are placed in the pot case to collapse the pot tray. Although prevention and simplification of soiling and transplanting work were attempted, the work of putting the pot tray into the pot case was performed manually, which caused problems such as labor saving and improvement of workability, etc. there were. Therefore, there is a means for sucking the pot tray on the tray base to a suction body such as a suction nozzle with a vacuum suction force and automatically filling the take-out pot case. The pot tray on the tray base is, for example, a pair of substantially horizontal vibrations. It was placed on a pipe, and the pot tray was moved to the feed end by the vibrating feed action of the vibrating pipe, and was adsorbed on the suction body. However, when the pot tray is moved by a substantially horizontal vibrating pipe, it is necessary to vibrate at an amplitude larger than necessary.

[0003]

Accordingly, the present invention provides a tray base for supplying a plurality of pot trays for raising seedlings, a case conveyor for aligning and storing the supplied trays in a pot case and transporting the trays. A tray take-out hand for adsorbing the tray to the adsorbent with a vacuum suction force and aligning and storing the tray in the take-out pot case, inclining the tray base downward with respect to the take-out direction, and causing the tray base to vibrate and feed the tray base by vibrating action. It conveys and supplies the upper pot tray, and minimizes the amplitude of the vibration of the tray base, reduces the vibration generated in the machine to the maximum, and improves the work.

Further, a pair of left and right tray guides for moving and guiding the pot tray in the tray take-out direction are provided on the tray base, and the tray guides are provided on the tray base so as to be movable in accordance with the shape of the pot tray. The front and rear positions and the width between the guides formed as a pair of left and right guides can be easily moved and adjusted to easily cope with a case where the shape of the pot tray is changed.

[0005] Further, the upper end of the tray guide of the tray base take-out section for guiding the left and right side walls of the pot tray having a substantially circular cross section is positioned above the height of the radial center of the pot tray, and the adsorbent is placed in the pot tray. The tray guide regulates the movement of the tray even when taking it out by sucking it inside the
The pot tray is always held at an appropriate position to enable reliable suction and extraction by the adsorbent.

Further, the width between the pair of tray guides on the left and right of the tray take-out portion is formed to be narrower than the maximum diameter of the pot tray, and the width between the guides is reduced from the narrow portion toward the take-out end of the guide. Formed sequentially wide to prevent inconveniences such as the dropping of the pot tray from the tray table due to the vibration feed action of the tray table, and the removal member such as the adsorbent and the removal hand catching on the tray guide when removing the pot tray. This is to prevent such inconveniences.

[0007] Further, a vertical movement restricting member for preventing the pot tray from dropping from the take-out portion is provided above and below the tray take-out portion of the tray base, so that the pot tray falls from the tray base except when the tray is taken out. In this way, it is possible to reliably prevent inconveniences such as performing the operation of removing the pot tray.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall side view, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same. An endless flat belt type case conveyor (2) is laid horizontally on a machine base (1), and the case conveyor (2) is driven by an electric conveyor motor. When driven, a synthetic resin pot case (3) is placed on the case conveyor (2) and moved, and a base frame (4) to be erected on the machine base (1) is erected above the middle of the case conveyor (2). And a tray removal hand (6) for attaching a pot claw (5);
A tray base (8) for mounting a plurality of stacked pot trays (7) in a multi-row form is mounted on the machine base (1), and four take-out hands (6) ... arranged side by side in the horizontal direction. , Out of the pot trays (7) on the tray stand (8), take out the four pot trays (7) in the front row, and insert the four pot trays (3) on the conveyor (2) into the four lateral recesses of the pot case (3). The four loading trays (7) are loaded, and one loading operation is completed. The loading tray (7) is placed in each of the recesses of the pot case (3) in which five recessed portions in the vertical direction are formed into four recessed portions in the horizontal direction. ... are automatically loaded.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 8, four sets of two tray guides (9) are formed in parallel in the left-right width direction of the tray base (8), and the pot case (3) moving direction. A tray guide (9) having a cross section U is provided at a downward angle (α), and a pair of tray guides (9) in a posture where the pot tray (7) is opened in the direction of removal by the pot claws (5).
(9) While being supported between them, the tips of the left and right outer walls (9a) and (9a) of each set of tray guides (9) and (9) are bent into a V-shape to form the left and right outer walls (9a) and (9a). ) Is formed in the extraction gate (10) which is narrower than that between the other parts,
The flat wedge-shaped and frictional side wall gate members (11) are fixed to the front ends of the left and right outer walls (9a) and (9a), and the width between the left and right of the gate members (11) and (11) is set to the width of the pot tray (7). It is formed smaller than the left and right width that is the maximum diameter.
Then, the members (11) and (11) are formed so as to be sequentially wider from the narrow portions of the left and right gate members (11) and (11) toward the take-out end of the gate members (11) and (11). Inconveniences such as the removal hand (6) getting caught in the tip of (11) are prevented.

A pair of left and right tray guides (9) and (9) each having a U-shaped cross section are provided on inner wall (9b) facing each other.
The height dimension (H1) of (9b) is changed to the outside wall (9a) (9).
(H1) <(H2), which is smaller than the height dimension (H2) of a), supports the pot tray (7) at the upper end of the inner walls (9b) and (9b), and positions the takeout gate (10). The upper ends of the outer walls (9a) and (9a) of the
b) is formed at a position higher than the center of the maximum radius of the tray (7) supported by the tray (7), and the upper end surface of the inner side walls (9b) and (9b) and the inner side surfaces of the outer side walls (9a) and (9a) form the tray (7). ) Is configured to be guided well.

Further, upper and lower tray regulating members (12) and (13) for preventing the tray (7) from slipping and falling are provided above and below the take-out gate (10). On the horizontal shaft (15) supported by the frame (4), the base end of the flat plate-shaped upper tray regulating member (12) can be adjusted to the left and right via an adjustment bolt (16) so that the center of the shaft (15) can be adjusted. The tip of the regulating member (12) is brought into contact with the upper part of the front surface of the frontmost pot tray (7) from above by its own weight, and the lower tray regulating member (9) is attached to the outer surface of the inner wall (9b). The lower end of the tray (7) abuts on the hook (13a) on the upper end of the regulating member (13) which is fixed to the base end of (13) via the bolt (17) and protrudes from the front end of the inner wall (9b). After stopping, the gate member (11 Resistor and the upper and lower portions of the tray regulating member (11) (12) tray by regulation (13) (7)
Of the tray (7) in the front row while waiting for the next tray (7) to be satisfactorily performed while preventing the tray (7) from falling forward.

Further, a tray base frame (18) is fixed to the machine base (1), a fixing frame (19) is fixed to the frame (18), and the front and rear leaf springs (20) and (20) are used. The movable frame (21) is attached to the fixed frame (19), the front and rear frames (22) and (23) are fixed to the movable frame (21), and the long holes (24) and the adjustment are made in the front and rear receiving frames (22) and (23). The tray guide (9) through bolts (25)
, And fixed so that the front and rear position can be adjusted freely, and an electric motor for vibration (26) is fixedly mounted on the machine base (1) side, and a vibrator shaft (28) is fixed to a fixed frame (19) via a bearing (27). ) Is rotatably supported, and the pulley (29)
(2) through the belt (31) and the motor (2).
The vibrator shaft (28) is connected to 6). The movable frame (21) is connected to the eccentric cam (32) of the vibrator shaft (28) by a leaf spring frame (33), and the shaft (2)
The cam (32) is oscillated by the rotation of 8), the tray guide (9) is oscillated in the front-rear direction, and the stacked plurality of pot trays (7).
0) and sequentially separated back and forth, taking out the frontmost pot tray (7), between the left and right side walls (9a) and (9a) of the take-out gate (10) and the upper and lower tray regulating members (1).
2) It is configured to feed between (13).

A pair of left and right tray guides (9) (9)
Corresponds to the height of the pot tray (7), the front and rear position can be adjusted by the adjusting bolt (25), and the size of the outer diameter of the pot tray (7) can be easily changed. By making the right and left positions of the tray (7) freely adjustable by the adjusting bolts (25), these adjustment operations can be further simplified.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a hand rotation shaft (35) is rotatably provided on the base frame (4) via a hand rotation motor (34), and the tray take-out hand (6) is provided. The mounting hand base (36) is connected to and supported by the rotating shaft (35). The moving direction of the tray (7) on the tray base (8) is opposite to the moving direction of the case conveyor (2). The left end of the rotating shaft (35) is connected to the rotating motor (34), and the hand stand (36) of the leftmost take-out hand (6) is connected.
Is fixed to the rotating shaft (35), and the hand rest (36) of the take-out hand (6) other than the leftmost is rotatably supported on the rotating shaft (35) and slidably in the left-right direction. An interlocking shaft (37) for rotation is fixed to the stand (36), and the take-out hand (6) other than the leftmost is slidably engaged with the interlocking shaft (37) in the left-right direction. And FIG.
As shown in the figure, a flexible pantograph link (3
8) is detachably connected to the front side of each hand base (36) via each pin (39), and the leftmost hand base (36) is connected.
A pneumatic or hydraulic hand left / right slide cylinder (40) is interposed between the left and right hand bases (36), and the width between the hands (36) is expanded by the expansion / contraction operation of the cylinder (40). And to reduce.

As shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, the take-out hand (6) is a pneumatic or hydraulic hand which is a drive mechanism for fixing the front end side of the cylinder body (41a) to the hand stand (36). A forward / backward moving cylinder (41), a cylinder base (42) for pot pawl fixed to the tip of the piston rod (41b) of the cylinder (41), and the cylinder base (4).
2) a pneumatic or hydraulic pot claw opening / closing cylinder (43) fixedly mounted on the front surface, and a mountain-shaped opening / closing cam (44) fixedly mounted at the tip of a piston rod (43a) of the opening / closing cylinder (43). Left and right pot claw made of an elastic plate, which is an elastic body, and has a substantially U-shaped base bent portion (5a) fixed to each of the left and right sides of the cylinder base (42) via adjustment bolts (45) so as to be able to adjust the interval width. (5) and an adjustment cam bolt (46) which is fixed substantially at the middle of the inside of the V-shaped outer plate extension (5b) of the left and right pot claws (5) and arranged close to the opening / closing cam (44).
And a suction device (4) fixed to the outside of the tip of the extension (5b).
7) is provided with an elastic suction cup (49), which is an adsorbent, which is connected through a suction hose (48) via a suction hose (48). When the tray (7) is taken out, the inside of the tray (7) in the front row of the tray guide (9) is provided. At the opposite position, the left and right pot claws (5)
With the two suction cups (49) arranged substantially horizontally, the cam (4)
When the tip of the left and right pot claws (5) is opened by bringing the 4) into contact with the cam bolt (46), the suction cup (49) is brought into contact with the inner wall surface of the tray (7) to move the tray (7) to the suction cup (49). )
It is constituted so that it may be adsorbed.

As shown in FIG. 5, each cylinder body (41
a) and a blower (50) or a hydraulic pump or the like are connected in series through forward and backward hoses (51) and (52), and are connected to the tray (7) on the tray base (8) in the direction of travel. The cylinder body (41
a) A manual closing valve (53) serving as a drive stop member is interposed in a forward hose (51) connecting between the valves, and the valve (53)
Thus, the operation of the rightmost hand (6) is stopped, and the take-out operation by only the left three hands (6) is enabled. Further, a piston rod (41b) is provided at the front and rear ends of the cylinder body (41a) adjacent to the rightmost left side.
A reed switch type hand forward / reverse end detection sensor (54) (55) for detecting the expansion / contraction end of the extraction hand (6) is provided to detect the end of the forward / backward movement of the extraction hand (6).

As shown in FIG. 14, detection sensors (56) and (57) for detecting the horizontal posture and the vertical downward posture of the hand (6) by the rotating motor (34), and the sensors (54) and (55). ) Is input to a controller (58), an electric conveyor motor (59) for driving the case conveyor (2), and a solenoid-operated on-off valve for suction provided on the suction hose (48) ( 60) and each cylinder (40) (41) (43);
The controller (58) is connected to each of the motors (36) and (34), the suction device (47), and the blower (50) so that the pot tray (6) can be removed from the pot case (3) by the take-out hand (6). It is configured to perform a series of automatic supply operations of 7).

If the tray guide (9) has a pot tray (7) as shown in FIG. 15, the left and right pot claws (5) (5) of the hand (9) as shown in FIG.
Moves forward in the closed state, and when the forward end is detected, the left and right pot claws (5) and (5) extend for a certain period of time to expand the width between the tips of the pot claws (5) and (5) as shown in FIG. At the same time, the tray (9) is attracted to the suction cup (49) by turning on the on-off valve (60), and the left and right pot claws (5) and (5) return to a closed state after a lapse of a predetermined time as shown in FIG. When
When the pot claws (5) and (5) are moved backward while narrowing the width between the tips while only the suction tray (9) is adsorbed to the suction cup (49), and when the backward end is detected, the slide cylinder (4) is used.
The hand (9) interval is reduced by the reduction operation of (0),
The interval between the pot claws (5) and (5) is made substantially equal to the interval between the four concave portions formed in the left and right directions of the pot case (3).

Then, as shown by a virtual line in FIG. 4, the hand (9) is rotated by approximately 90 degrees from a substantially horizontal posture to a substantially vertical downward posture by the rotational motor (34), and the downward case conveyor is rotated. (2) When the pot case (3) is located at the upper supply position, the left and right pot claws (5) and (5) of the hand (9) are advanced, and when the advanced end is detected, the concave portion of the pot case (3) is used. Left and right pot claw in formation (5)
(5) is opened for a certain period of time and left and right pot claws (5) (5)
The tray (9) is brought into close contact with the inner wall of the concave portion of the pot case (3) by increasing the width of the tip of the tray, and at the same time, the suction of the tray (9) by the suction cup (49) is released by turning off the on-off valve (60). Then, the left and right pot claws (5) and (5) are returned to the closed position and retracted from the pot case (3).

Thereafter, when detecting the rearward end of the hand (9), the width between the hands (9) is enlarged by the extension operation of the slide cylinder (40), and the distance between the hands (9) (9) is increased. The respective hands (9) are returned from the downward posture to the original horizontal posture by the rotation motor (34) while being substantially equal to the placement interval of the pot tray (7), and the pot case (2) on the case conveyor (2) is turned on. 3) is conveyed by one pitch, and the next pot case (3) is put on standby at the supply position.

[0021]

As is clear from the above embodiments, the present invention provides a tray base (8) for supplying a plurality of seedling pot trays (7) and a tray (7) for supplying the trays (7). ), The case conveyor (2) that is arranged and transported, and the tray (7) of the tray base (8) are adsorbed (4).
Pot case (3) taken out by suction with 9) vacuum suction
A tray take-out hand (6) arranged and stored in the tray, and the tray base (8) is inclined downward with respect to the take-out direction,
Since the pot tray (7) on the tray base (8) is transported and supplied by the vibration feeding action of the tray base (8), the amplitude of the vibration of the tray base (8) is suppressed to a minimum, and the power is generated in the machine. This operation can be improved by minimizing the vibration that occurs.

A pair of left and right tray guides (9) for guiding the movement of the pot tray (7) in the tray removal direction are provided on the tray base (8), and the tray guides corresponding to the shape of the pot tray (7) are provided. Since (9) is provided on the tray base (8) so that the movement can be adjusted, it is possible to reliably prevent inconvenience such as the pot tray (7) falling from the tray base (8) other than when taking out the tray. As a result, it is possible to always take out the pot tray (7) accurately.

Further, the upper end of the tray guide (9) for guiding the left and right side walls of the pot tray (7) having a substantially circular cross section is positioned at the radial center height position of the pot tray (7). The tray guide (9) regulates the movement of the tray (7) even when the adsorbent (49) is adsorbed and taken out of the pot tray (7) because the adsorbent (49) is taken up from the pot tray (7). (7) can always be held at an appropriate position to enable the suction body (49) to reliably suction and take out the pot tray (7).

Further, the tray base (8) left and right take-out portions 1
The width between the pair of tray guides (9) is formed to be narrower than the maximum diameter of the pot tray (7), and the width between the guides (9) is reduced from the narrow portion toward the take-out end of the guide (9). Since the trays are formed so as to be sequentially wide, it is possible to prevent the pot tray (7) from falling down from the tray base (8) due to the vibration feeding action of the tray base (8), and to prevent the pot tray (7) from falling. ), It is possible to prevent inconveniences such as the removal member such as the adsorbent (49) and the removal hand (6) being caught on the tray guide (9).

Further, vertically movable members (12) and (13) for preventing the pot tray (7) from dropping from the take-out portion are provided at the upper and lower positions of the tray take-out portion of the tray stand (8). Therefore, when not taking out the pot tray (7)
Can reliably prevent inconvenience such as dropping below the tray base (8), and can always take out the pot tray (7) accurately.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall side view.

FIG. 2 is an overall plan view.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a tray guide unit.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a take-out hand unit.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of an extraction hand unit.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory rear view of the tray guide unit.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory plan view of a tray guide unit.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of a regulating member.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a pantograph link unit.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an operation of a take-out hand.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory plan view of a pot claw portion.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an open / closed state of a pot claw.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory view showing an open state of a pot claw.

FIG. 14 is a control circuit diagram.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart.

[Explanation of symbols]

 (2) Case conveyor (3) Pot case (6) Removal hand (7) Tray (8) Tray base (9) Tray guide (12) (13) Regulator (49) Suction cup (adsorbent)

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A tray table for supplying a plurality of pot trays for raising seedlings, a case conveyor for arranging and supplying the supplied trays in a pot case, and a tray of the tray table to a suction body by a vacuum suction force. A tray take-out hand for sucking and aligning and storing in a take-out pot case, wherein the tray base is tilted downward with respect to the take-out direction so that the tray base is conveyed and fed by vibrating feed action of the tray base. A pot tray filling device, characterized in that it is provided in a pot tray. 2. A tray base is provided with a pair of left and right tray guides for moving and guiding a pot tray in a tray take-out direction, and the tray guide is provided on the tray base so as to be movable and adjustable according to the shape of the pot tray. Claim 1.
A pot tray-filling device as described. 3. An upper end of a tray guide of a tray base take-out section for guiding left and right side walls of a pot tray having a substantially circular cross section,
2. The pot tray filling device according to claim 1, wherein the pot tray is positioned above a radial center height position of the pot tray. 4. The width between a pair of tray guides on the left and right of the tray take-out portion is formed to be narrower than the maximum diameter of the pot tray, and the width between the guides is sequentially increased from the narrow portion toward the take-out end of the guide. Pot tray characterized by being formed wide
Filling device. 5. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:
5. The pot tray filling device according to claim 4, further comprising a vertical movement restricting member for preventing the pot tray from dropping from the take-out portion.