JPS6056732A - Product conveying apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To convey products in an arranged state by sequentially drawing out and transferring stacked trays to a product entrance and exit portion with a working apparatus disposed on a product loading and unloading portion to position the tray easily and with good accuracy and continuously feed same. CONSTITUTION:Working apparatus 10 including a mount portion 4 and a tray operating machine disposed on an apparatus body 3 are provided at work portions, and the apparatus 10 and 10 are connected by a stack 1 of trays 2. The stack 1 of trays 2 loaded on a truck 22 is transferred onto a holder 21 of the apparatus 10, and elevated with the holder 21 at a very small space by a regulator 7, so that the respective trays 2, 2 are engaged and supported by corresponding engaging means 8, 8 to release the trays 2 from mutual engagement for a stack. Subsequently, the tray 2 supported on the engaging means 8 is freely laterally moved in such a manner as to draw out from an arbitrary step portion of the mount portion 4 and push same in by a put in-and-out machine 5.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a product conveying device that stores arbitrary products in trays in various factories and conveys and connects them between various manufacturing and processing lines.

In order to automate the manufacturing and processing of small products in various factories, etc., it is necessary to transport the products between the various manufacturing and processing lines in an automatically organized and regulated state.

This conveyance system generally stores small products in trays, which are flat containers, and conveys them.1 These trays are supplied to the product loading and unloading sections of each manufacturing and processing department using an automated system such as a conveyor. However, automated systems such as conveyors have the disadvantage that the equipment is large and cannot be easily installed, and it is also difficult to supply each tray to the product loading/unloading area with accurate positioning. There was a drawback. Moreover, in order to sort and transport the large number of trays that have been loaded and unloaded with the products, automatic product transport cannot be achieved unless the large conveyor system is used.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and in product transportation using trays, a large number of trays are stored in an i-layer within the main body of the device, and the trays can be taken out and taken out from any laminated layer within the main body. By installing a working device that can do this in the product loading/unloading section of a manufacturing/processing department for various products, it is possible to easily and continuously supply trays to the product loading/unloading section with a simple device. , each tray can be fed with precise positioning to the product loading and unloading section, and each tray that has been loaded and unloaded with products continues to maintain its stacked state, so that it can be used for the next conveyance operation. To provide a product conveying device that can perform the following in an organized manner.

Embodiments of the present invention shown in the drawings will be described in detail below. 1st
The figure is an overall conceptual diagram of the device of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the present invention is a working unit 50A that manufactures or processes arbitrary products in various factories.

50B, a working device 10 comprising a mounting part 4 and a tray operating device is installed in the device main body 3, and these working devices 10 and 10 are connected by a laminated body 1 of 1/-2. This laminate 1 has a large number of trays 2.2 stacked in the vertical direction and is removably attached to the attachment part 4 of the working device 10, and when attached, products are taken in and out of each tray 2 by a work robot 40, At this time, the stacked body 1 is operated by an operating machine to take out and take out each of the stacked trays 2, 2 from an arbitrary step, and the work robot 40,
It is constructed such that products are always loaded and unloaded at a predetermined position on a tray 2 pulled out from an arbitrary stepped portion of the eight-layer structure 1.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tray stack. The laminate 1 in the embodiment is formed by stacking eight trays 2, but the number of stacked trays can be arbitrarily selected in proportion to the size of the working device 10. Each tray 2 has each working section 50A as the laminate 1.
, 50B are conveyed and connected. Each stack 1 is transported by an arbitrary trolley 22. At least one working section 50A is sufficient, and this working section 51 may be connected to a general working section or a subcontracted factory outside the same factory using the laminate I.

The above-described tray 2 is formed as a flat rectangular container with an open top surface, and has a stepped portion 15 on the bottom surface so that the stepped portion 15 fits into the lower tray 2 and the stacked layers are misaligned. I want it to be strong and strong. Above step part 1
Instead of 5, protrusions or the like may be provided at the corners of the bottom surface or on the top surfaces of the four peripheral walls, or the bottom surface may be made flat if necessary. Further, on both sides of each tray 2, there are recesses 16 for receiving the tray 2 with a locking tool which will be described later.
16 is provided. Note that the external shape and depth of the above tray can be freely selected, and any general container or commercially available plastic container can be used. A mold 17 having a product fitting part 18 as shown in FIG. Further, the mold 17 and the tray 2 themselves can be integrally molded with any material.

Next, a description will be given of the working device 10, which includes the device main body 3, the tray mounting section 4, and the tray operating device.

The above-mentioned working device 10 is installed near a working section 50 in various factories, etc., and as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the device body 3 has a rectangular box shape as a whole. A tray mounting section 4 consisting of a space in which the tray stack 1 is housed and a pedestal 21 provided on the bottom thereof is provided within this box-like device main body 3, and a tray mounting section 4 is provided facing the mounting section 4. The above device body 3
A tray operating machine is installed in the tray.

As shown in FIG. 4, the stacked body 1 of the tray 2 is normally placed on a trolley 22, but this platform! 22 and is moved and placed on the pedestal 21 of the working device 10. On the other hand, the laminate 1 may be moved and placed on the pedestal 21 together with the cart 22, or may be transported by an automatic machine such as a fork without using the cart 22.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the tray mounting section 4 has a space in which the stacked body 1 of the tray 2 is detachably mounted, and this space is open at the front. Laminate 1
Attach by sliding it towards the front.

The laminated body 1 is placed on a pedestal 21 in the mounting section 4, and is moved up and down by a minute interval together with the pedestal 2 by an adjustment machine 7, which will be described later.

The operating device for the tray 2 provided in the apparatus main body 3 basically comprises a tray 2 loading/unloading device 5, an elevator 6, and an adjusting device 7. The adjuster 7 in the above embodiment is constructed by combining a push-up machine with a locking tool 8 as an auxiliary tool. The locking tool 8 has claws protruding inwardly from both side walls of the device main body 3 so as to be freely retractable, and can support each tray 2 by inserting the claws into the recesses 16 on both sides of each tray 2. Become. The tray operating machines described above each operate according to commands from the control section 3o.

The adjuster 7 slightly pushes up the stack 1 of the trays 2, and each tray 2, 2 is locked and supported by the corresponding locking tool 8.8. That is, each locking tool 8,8 is
having an interval in the vertical direction that is equal to or greater than the height of one tray,
Therefore, when each tray 2 is supported, each tray 2 is in a state in which the mutual engagement and stacking of the trays 2 is released. However, in this state, the tray 2 at any step can be freely pulled out laterally. On the other hand, it is not necessary to provide locking devices 8 for all trays 2; for example, only the trays 2 to be taken out and the upper trays 2 are supported by the locking devices 8, and the lower trays are supported by the locking devices 8. If the tray 2 is lowered downward by the adjuster 7, the tray 2 at a specific step can be freely taken out. Adjustment machine 7 as above
By using the locking tool 8 as an auxiliary tool, the vertical position of each tray can be freely adjusted and a specific tray can be easily taken out. - Next, the loading/unloading machine 5 constituting the tray handling machine moves the tray 2 into one
The tray 2, which is constructed by providing a piece-shaped metal fitting on a cylinder with a stroke that allows for individual horizontal feeding, and is supported by the above-mentioned locking tool 8, can be moved to any stage of the mounting section 4, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. It moves horizontally by freely pulling it out from the section and pushing it in one at a time.

To take out the tray 2, place the tray 2 on the top surface of the elevator 6.
It is done by placing the . The elevator 6 is configured with a folding arm provided on the lower surface of the base 9, and moves up and down adjacent to the mounting section 4 between its upper and lower portions. In the embodiment, the base 9 is designed to accommodate two trays 2 in a non-contact manner.

The elevator 6 with the tray 2 placed on the base 9 is located at the product entrance/exit section 1
4, and transfer the tray 2 to the product entrance/exit section 14 using the cross-feeding tool 12Vc. At the product entrance/exit section 14, the tray 2 is loaded and unloaded with products by a work robot 40.

The lateral feeder 12 is constituted by a cylinder mechanism substantially similar to the loading/unloading machine 5. However, the loading/unloading machine 5 is configured to have a lifting function to move up and down according to the vertical position of each tray 2, 2.

Since the base 9 of the elevator 6 can accommodate two trays 2, as shown in FIG.
By interlockingly lowering one tray and moving it to one of the trays 2f, which was previously stored, to the product entrance/exit section 14, the work robot 40 is prevented from waiting for work, and the work is done quickly. There is. The elevator 6 then descends to store the worked tray 2 in a specific space, stores the next tray 2, and ascends again to the product entrance/exit section 14 as described above.

In addition, in addition to the stacked body 1 of trays 2, one spare tray 2 is stored in the apparatus main body 3 in the above embodiment, so that all the trays 2 (8 in the embodiment) of the stacked body 1 are stored.
- To improve C1 work efficiency by making it possible to replace the laminate l from the mounting section 4 when the product loading and unloading work of the cycle is finished and the spare tray 2 is carrying out the product loading and unloading work. That's how it is.

Next, the operation of the above-mentioned working device 10 will be explained.

First, a working device 10 installed in a specific working section 50 is made to transport a stacked body 1 in which trays 2.2 for loading and unloading products are stacked, and the stacked body 1 is pushed into the mounting section 4. Installing. Next, each operating section operates as follows based on commands from the control section 30. That is, with respect to the stacked body 1 of trays 2 mounted on the mounting section 4, the adjuster 7 and the locking tool 8 lock and support each tray 2 to the corresponding locking tool 8 so that each tray 2 can be taken out laterally. Alternatively, only a specific tray 2 can be supported on the locking tool 8 so that it can be taken out.

There, an elevator 6 and an ejector 5 are placed in front of the tray 2 to be taken out.
moves, and the tray 2 is pulled out and placed on the elevator 6 by the loading/unloading machine 5. Next, the elevator 6 transports the tray 2 to the product entrance/exit section 14, and the work robot 40 transports the tray 2 to the product entrance/exit section 14.
loading and unloading of products. Finished tray 2
is similarly returned to the space step part of the loading section 4 by the elevator 6 and the loading/unloading machine 5, completing one cycle of product loading and unloading work.

This operation may be performed on all the trays 2 of the stacked body 1 in order, or it may be performed only on a specific tray 2.

Therefore, when loading and unloading products on all trays 2, the above operation is repeated for the number of trays 2 in the stacked body 1, and the products are attached to the mounting section 4) 1/-2 and all of 2. , loading and unloading of products. In other words, when eight empty box-like trays are installed, by taking out and putting in and taking out all the empty boxes in order, products are loaded into each to form an eight-tiered stacked state, while the tray loaded with products is stacked. The work is completed by stacking trays 2, 2, which have been made into empty boxes by unloading the products from each tray 2, on the laminate 1 of No. 2. After the above-mentioned work is completed, the laminate 1 is taken out from the mounting section 4, and then a new laminate 1 is mounted on the mounting section 4.

Note that the loading and unloading work of products can also be performed manually without using the work robot 40. In addition,
The elevator 6 and the adjuster 7 may be of any type as long as they have the function of substantially raising and lowering the tray 2, and may be constructed of, for example, a combination of a cylinder and a base, an air spring, or the like.

Next, FIGS. 6 and 7 show other embodiments.

In FIG. 6, the adjuster 7 and eight locking tools are sequentially locked and supported starting from the upper tray 2, so that the tray 2 can be taken out in conjunction with each other. In addition, the product entrance/exit section 14 is arranged so that the highest position of the elevator 6 also serves as the uppermost position of the elevator 6.
A work robot 40 carries out loading and unloading work of products on the top surface.

Next, in the embodiment shown in FIG.
The lower tray 2 of the lifted tray 2 is held by the loading/unloading machine 5, slightly lifted, and then transferred horizontally to the elevator 6. Note that if the tray 2 is not provided with the stepped portion 15, the loading/unloading device 5 only needs to have a horizontal sliding function.

Next, FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the locking device. The locking tool 20 in the same figure is composed of a spring and a wedge, and once it is locked in the recess 16 of the tray 2, when the next tray 2 rises from below, the locking tool 20 is automatically activated by the wedge action. It comes off from the upper tray 2, and the lower tray 2 is automatically received. However, according to the locking tool 20 of this example, the trays 2 can be sequentially received from below without issuing commands for releasing and receiving, thereby improving workability. Also,
As a locking tool, an angle member can be moved in and out of the recess, and as a locking mechanism, the bottom surface of the tray can be received, or the side surface of the tray can be crimped and clamped.
It is also possible to adopt a configuration that does not use the above four parts.

As described above, the product conveyance device of the present invention has a working device in which a laminated body of a large number of trays is removably attached, and is installed in the product loading/unloading section. By sequentially pulling out and transferring the trays to the product entrance/exit section, it is possible to easily continuously supply trays to the product loading/unloading section with a simple device, and each tray can be transferred to the product loading/unloading section by a working device. Trays can be fed with precise positioning because the trays are pulled out and transferred using an operating machine.Furthermore, the trays can be pulled out from any step, and after loading and unloading the products, trays can be fed with precise positioning. Because it is returned to the stepped part to maintain the laminated state,
This has the effect of allowing the next conveyance work to be carried out in an organized manner.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an overall conceptual diagram of the device of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a tray stack, Fig. 3 is a front view of the working device, Figs. 4 and 5 are side views of the working device, and Fig. 6 7 is a side view of another embodiment of the working device, and FIG. 8 is a diagram of another embodiment of the locking tool. 1...Tray L/-1li body 2...Tray 3...Device main body 4...Mounting section 5...Enter/exit machine 6...Elevator 7...Adjuster 8...Locking Tool 10...Work device 30...Control unit 40...Work robot 50...Work unit Applicant Motoda Electronics Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A product transport device characterized by having the following requirements for transporting products using a tray that stores arbitrary products. (a) A mounting section is provided on the main body of the device to removably mount a stacked body formed by stacking a plurality of trays. (b) The mounting section of the main body of the apparatus is equipped with sea bream trimmers at the upper and lower positions of each tray in the stack in order to take out the stacked trays from any step. (→ The main body of the apparatus is provided with an loading/unloading machine that takes out and takes in any desired tray of the stack, and an elevator that transfers the tray between the loading/unloading machine and the product entrance/exit section.