JPS6131004B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for transporting containers. More specifically, it relates to a method of transporting two rows of containers into one row.

Generally, in the packaging and shipping process of products in the manufacturing process, empty containers such as carton boxes are supplied to store the products, seal them, and ship them.However, in the so-called mass production process where the product lot is large, the products are combined in the packaging process. Packing and shipping work is carried out in the form. On the other hand, if there are many product types and the lot is small, empty containers are often supplied not to the packaging process but to the final process of previous manufacturing and inspection.

In the latter case, however, attempts have been made to improve the efficiency of operations by storing the products in containers, then consolidating the entire day's production and sealing and shipping the products. For this reason, between the product storage process and the packaging process, in order to consolidate containers by type, a three-dimensional storage facility for temporary sorting and storage is installed, and containers are transported between the storage facility and the packaging process using trolleys. In many cases, a conveyance system is formed to In such a case, the product storage container on the trolley is dropped onto the conveyor by an appropriate method and temporarily stored in the rack of the storage facility. At the same time, empty containers are also temporarily stored in a storage facility from the box manufacturing process, etc., and empty containers corresponding to the types required in the storage process are supplied to the trolley via a conveyor as needed.

However, in order to make such a conveyance system more effective, two carts loaded with products of the same type are run in parallel, and containers are transported between the conveyor and the storage equipment in that state. It is preferable to enable giving and receiving.

On the other hand, it is desirable to be able to trace the product history necessary for the management of manufacturing order, quality, etc. of the products in the containers that are transported by carts from the product storage process. Originally,
Although follow-up surveys of products after inspections are completed should not be necessary, changes in product quality may require treatment of already packaged products, so the above consideration is also a necessary condition. To meet this condition, there is a method of attaching labels with serial numbers, but in the case of high-mix, low-volume production, attaching different labels to each product not only reduces work efficiency, but also makes the difference between the label and the product. Since there is a risk of causing a serious mistake such as a mismatch, in the case of high-mix low-volume production, it is safe to group the products by type as much as possible and then concentrate on labeling and sealing. Therefore, it becomes necessary to transport and store the containers containing the products transported by carts so that the process can be traced back and investigated.

The method of the present invention uses a combination of cart transportation with a high degree of freedom and conveyor transportation with a high transportation capacity as described above in the manufacturing process of high-mix, small-lot production, and also allows container transportation that allows easy tracking of container history. In this method, a group of containers sent out in two rows in the direction of travel from a first container storage area is
Count the number of pieces at the transfer position, rearrange them in a line, transfer them onto a conveyor, and after conveying them by the conveyor, count at the first transfer position at a second transfer position reached by the conveyor. At the signal, return to the original two-row state and move to the second row.
When storing the containers in the container storage area, rearranging the containers from two rows to one row at the first transfer position, transporting them by a conveyor, and rearranging the containers from one row to two rows at the second transfer position, the container group is moved. The gist of this is to do it without losing your ranking.

An embodiment according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an apparatus for carrying out the method of the present invention, which includes a supply station 1 and a discharge station 2, which are installed parallel to each other at appropriate intervals, rack equipment 3, and a box manufacturing process (not shown). ), it is comprised of a supply conveyor 4 which passes through a rack facility 3 to a supply station 1, and a discharge conveyor 5 which runs from a discharge station 2 to a sealing process (not shown) via a rack facility 3. Furthermore, between the supply station 1 and the discharge station 2, 7 groups of carts whose positions are regulated by guides 6, 6 can be introduced and positioned in two rows in parallel and also in two rows connected vertically. It is configured.

The ends of the supply station 1 and the supply conveyor 4 are connected so that their conveying directions are perpendicular to each other, and the supply conveyor 4 at the connection part is provided with a fixed stopper 8 and a stopper 9 that can be raised and lowered by means such as an air cylinder. The empty containers 10 conveyed on the supply conveyor 4 are stopped one by one at appropriate intervals. Furthermore, a pusher 1 operated by an air cylinder is located outside the supply conveyor 4.
1 is provided so that the empty container 10 stopped by the stoppers 8 and 9 is transferred to the supply station 1 by pressure. As a result of such a configuration, the supply station 1 transports the empty containers 10 on the conveyor in a form separated from each other left and right, and then passes the empty containers 10 to the fixed stopper 1.
2, 12 and a stopper 1 that can be raised and lowered by appropriate means.
3 and 13, so that the stopping positions and relative positions of the 7 groups of trolleys are matched, and the empty containers are accumulated into 4 groups of 10 empty containers arranged in 2 columns and 2 rows, respectively. In addition, Pushya 1
Photoelectric switches 14, 14 for detecting the presence or absence of empty containers 10 are installed near both stoppers 8, 9 of the first part. It is used for motion control.

The discharge station 2 is constituted by a so-called accumulator conveyor, and is in a relative positional relationship with a group of 15 containers for storing products on a group of carts 7 which are stopped at a fixed position between the discharge station 2 and the supply station 1. On the downstream side of the discharge station 2, stoppers A16, 16 and stoppers B17, 17 are provided, respectively, and are used to temporarily stop the 15 groups of containers transferred from the 7 groups of carts in the state of 4 groups. Further, photoelectric switches 18 and 19 are provided upstream of each stopper 16 and 17, respectively, to detect the container 15 and control the operation of the drive mechanism based thereon. Immediately after the discharge station 2, that is, the stopper A16,
Immediately after the conveyor 16, a conveyor 20 is provided which is set at a higher speed than the container conveyance speed of the discharge station 2, and conveys the containers 15 while keeping them separated to the left and right. Note that the conveyor 20 is the discharge conveyor 5.
It is connected in a perpendicular manner. Further, the connecting portion is provided with vertically moving orthogonal converters 21, 21 for changing the conveying direction of the container 15, and at the same time, a photoelectric switch 2 is installed.
2 and 22 are provided to detect the presence or absence of containers 15 on the orthogonal converters 21 and 21, count them, and control their operation.

In addition, after the 7 groups of carts have stopped at the fixed position in 2 rows and 2 rows, the 15 groups of containers on the cart 7 are moved to the discharge station 2.
The mechanism for transferring the 10 groups of empty containers on the supply station 1 onto the trolley 7 is based on Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 51-117, in which the containers 10 and 15 are transferred by pressure for each 7 units of the trolley.
Since a known method disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 129656 and the like is adopted, a description of specific examples will be omitted.

Next, the rack equipment 3 has a known configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 55-29883, etc., and has containers 10 and 1.
A rack 23 for storing 5, and containers 10, 15 installed in the rack are stored at storage stations 24, 24.
and unloading stations 25, 25, containers 10, 1
5 to loading/unloading stations 24, 25 and rack 23
The loading/unloading stations 24, 25 for empty containers 10 are connected to the supply conveyor 4 leading from the box manufacturing process, etc., and the loading/unloading stations 24, 25 for product storage containers 15 are for sealing boxes. It is connected to the discharge conveyor 5 leading to the process.

The rack 23 is configured to store the containers 10, 15 in exactly the same manner as the arrangement in which the containers 10, 15 are loaded on the trolley 7, with one row corresponding to one truck and two rows corresponding to two trucks being stored as one unit.

Two storage stations 2 for containers 10 and 15
Numerals 4 and 24 have exactly the same configuration, and, like the storage unit of rack 23, two sets of units 2 are used to handle containers 10 and 15 for two carts in two rows for each cart.
7 and 27 are arranged in parallel and connected orthogonally to the supply conveyor 4 or the discharge conveyor 5. On the downstream side of both conveyors 4, 5 connected to the units 27, 27, there are provided stoppers 28, 28 which can be raised and lowered by means such as an air cylinder, and two containers 10, 15 are placed facing the units 27, 27, respectively. I'm trying to get it to stop. In addition, each stopper 28,
Photoelectric switches 29, 29 are provided in section 28 to detect and count the presence or absence of containers 10, 15, and to control the operation of stoppers 28, 28, etc. Furthermore, a pusher 30 is provided on the outside of both conveyors 4 and 5, and is configured to be movable back and forth using an air cylinder.
As a result, at the receiving stations 24, 24, the containers 1 transported on both conveyors 4, 5 are
After the containers 10 and 15 are stopped one by one with the stoppers 28 and 28, the pusher 30 simultaneously presses and stores the containers 10 and 152 into the respective units 27 and 27, respectively.

The units 27, 27 of the warehousing station 24 have a shelf structure that supports the containers 10, 15 at both ends in the width direction.
It is configured so that the containers 10 and 15 on top of the container 7 can be scooped out.

Next, the two unloading stations 25, 25 have exactly the same mechanism, and are composed of two sets of units 32, 32 like the receiving stations 24, 24, and each unit 32 has both ends of the containers 10, 15 in the width direction. The crane 26 is equipped with supporting conveyors 33, 33.
The structure is such that the forks 31 and 31 do not interfere with the unloading work of the containers 10 and 15.

Further at the outlet of the unit 32 and at the supply conveyor 4
Or the conveyor 33, 3 is used for the discharge conveyor 5 section.
Orthogonal converters 34, 34 are provided in a form connected to 3,
The container conveyance speed is set slightly faster than that of the conveyors 33, 33, so that the containers 10, 15 on the conveyors 33, 33 are successively separated from the one located at the top, and Photoelectric switch 3 for detecting containers 10 and 15
5 and the containers 10, 15 on the orthogonal converters 34, 34 are provided.
It is used for counting 0 and 15 and controlling the operation of the drive mechanism. As a result, the exit station 25, 25
Now, the containers 10 and 1 placed on the conveyors 33 and 33 in the units 32 and 32 by the crane 26 are
In the 5th row, the containers 10, 15 of each unit 32, 32 are sequentially transported by the conveyors 33, 33 intermittently, separated by the orthogonal converters 34, 34, and transferred to the supply/discharge conveyors 4, 5. It is carried out onto supply/discharge conveyors 4 and 5.

As explained above, in rack equipment 3,
Empty containers 10 or product storage containers 15 transported by the supply conveyor 4 or the discharge conveyor 5 are arranged in two rows on the units 27, 27 of the receiving station 24, and then transferred to the forks 31, 3 of the crane 26.
1 and stored in a rack 23 for storage. On the other hand, the empty containers 10 to be delivered or the containers 15 for storing products are placed on the units 32, 32 of the delivery station 25 by the crane 26, and then transferred back to the supply conveyor 4 or the discharge conveyor 5 by the action of the orthogonal converters 34, 34. be made to join.

Incidentally, the empty containers 10 and product storage containers 15 on the supply conveyor 4 and the discharge conveyor 5 can be conveyed to the next process by passing through the rack equipment 3 as necessary.

The apparatus for carrying out the method of the present invention has the above-mentioned configuration, and its embodiment will be described below.

In the figure, empty containers 10 supplied from a box manufacturing process (not shown) are conveyed to a warehousing station 24 via a supply conveyor 4. First, the leading empty container 10 is stopped at the position of the stopper 28 on the downstream side, and after the position is confirmed by the photoelectric switch 29 of that part, the stopper 28 on the upstream side is also raised to stop the following empty containers 10. At the same time, after confirming the position using the photoelectric switch 29, the pusher 30 is operated to press and transfer the two empty containers 10 to the two units 27, 27 at the same time. Thereafter, this operation is repeated to line up the empty containers 10 in two rows at the receiving station 24, and when the predetermined number of empty containers 10 have been lined up by counting with the photoelectric switches 29, 29, the crane 2
6, it is temporarily stored in a predetermined rack 23.

On the other hand, when taking out the empty containers 10 from the rack 23 according to the requirements of the next process, the necessary empty containers 10 are carried out from the predetermined rack 23 by the crane 26 to the unloading station 25, and the empty container 10 is placed at the top of the exit side of each unit 32, 32. The containers 10 are sequentially counted by photoelectric switches 36, 36, and transferred to the supply conveyor 4 by the action of the orthogonal converters 34, 34, and delivered to the supply station 1.

At the junction with the supply station 1 at the 4 ends of the supply conveyor, the leading empty container 10 is placed at the stopper 9 during retraction.
, and is stopped by the fixed stopper 8 and detected by the photoelectric switch 14 . As a result, the stopper 9 rises to stop the next empty container 10, and at the same time, after confirming the position with the photoelectric switch 14 of the corresponding part, the pusher 11 is actuated and the next empty container 10 is stopped.
Empty containers 10 are transferred to the supply station 1 at the same time. Thereafter, the empty container 10 passes through the retracted stoppers 13, 13 position while remaining separated to the left and right, and is conveyed to the fixed stopper 12, 12 position. Thereafter, the 10 groups of empty containers supplied from the rack equipment 3 while being counted in conveyance units by the crane 26 are transferred to the supply station 1 while counting and confirming the number with the photoelectric switches 14, 14, and the conveyance operation is repeated. As a result, the empty container 10 is
They are arranged in two rows upstream from the warehouse and in exactly the same arrangement as on the delivery station 25. Furthermore, after the empty containers 10 at the end of this array are counted and confirmed by the photoelectric switches 14, 14 and passed through the photoelectric switches of the stoppers 13, 13, the stoppers 13, 13 are raised to count and confirm the counting of the empty containers 10 in the next group of 10 empty containers. Complete array preparation. Thereafter, by the same conveyance work, the stoppers 13 and 1 are
The arrangement of the new 10 groups of empty containers in two rows at position 3 is completed.

On the other hand, the trolley 7 is loaded with product storage containers 15 from the product storage process and returns, and is stopped at a fixed position between the supply station 1 and the discharge station 2 in a configuration of four conditioners in two rows and two rows. Thereafter, by a container pressing mechanism (not shown), the containers 1 on the two front and rear carts 7, 7 on the discharge station 2 side are first pressed in units of carts 7.
5 to the back position on the discharge station 2, press the containers 15 on the remaining 7 rows of trolleys, transfer them to the discharge station 2 via the unloaded trolleys 7 and 7, and then Complete unloading of all containers 15 on 7. Furthermore, the 10 groups of empty containers on the supply station 1 are each transferred onto the 7 groups of trolleys by the same pressing operation. That is, before the transfer work, there were 15 groups of product storage containers on 7 groups of carts and 10 groups of empty containers on the supply station 1 in 4 groups of 2 columns and 2 rows, but during the transfer process, As a result, the transfer operation is completed with 15 groups of containers on the discharge station 2 and 10 groups of empty containers on the 7 groups of trolleys in 4 groups of 2 columns and 2 rows. Incidentally, this transfer work may be performed for four groups of containers at once.

Thereafter, the 7 groups of carts loaded with empty containers 10 start to the product storage process, and on the discharge station 2, the pressed and transferred containers are conveyed downstream, with stoppers A16, 16, B17,
17, it is temporarily stopped.

Next, the two rows of containers 1 at the stopper A16, 16 position
The 5th group is transported to the rack facility 3. That is, when the stoppers A16, 16 are lowered to release the restraint on the group of containers 15, the two containers 15, 15 located at the front are separated from the following group of containers by the conveyor 20 and conveyed downstream. At this time, since there is a gap between the first container and the next container, this is detected by the photoelectric switch 18 and the stoppers A16, 16 are raised to prevent the group of containers 15 from following.

The two separated containers 15, 15 directly reach the orthogonal converter 21, 21, and the photoelectric switch 2
2 and 22, and are then transferred onto the discharge conveyor 5 and conveyed in a line toward the storage station 24 of the rack equipment 3.

On the other hand, from the photoelectric switch 22, 22 position, the container 1 is
After confirming that 5 and 15 have started, stopper A1.
6 and 16 are lowered to start cutting out the 15 groups of containers, and the same operations as the previous time are repeated to complete the conveyance of the 15 groups of containers restrained by the stoppers A 16 and 16. After that, the container 1 is placed in the stopper A16, 16 part.
After the photoelectric switch 18 detects that the container 5 has run out, the stoppers B17, 17 are lowered to move all the groups of 15 containers in two rows to the stoppers A16, 16 position. Thereafter, in cooperation with the warehousing station 24, the container cutting operation is performed again in the same manner as the previous time. Incoming station 24 on discharge conveyor 5
When the container 15 reaches the position, it is stopped at the same position by the two-piece stopper 28, 28 in the same way as in the storage operation of the empty container 10, and the pusher 30 is compared with the counting result by the photoelectric switch 29, 29 by the photoelectric switch 29, 29. Thus, they are arranged in two rows on the units 27, 27. At this time, as is clear from the transportation method, the arrangement state of the containers 15 is exactly the same as the container arrangement on the discharge station 2, more precisely, on the trolley 7, and the history of each container, that is, the product from the product storage process. is saved.

Thereafter, the containers 15 are temporarily stored in the rack 23 while being arranged in two rows by the two sets of forks 31, 31 of the crane 26, and upon request, they pass through the unloading station 25 again and join the discharge conveyor 5, where they are sealed. Transported to the box process.

Through the series of operations detailed above, containers 10 and 15
transportation and storage are repeated.

As described in detail above, the present invention involves transporting a group of containers arranged in two rows on a station or shelf, which is a first container accumulation site, in one row while carrying out counting control, and then aligning them again in two rows to transfer the containers to the second container. Because they are stored on shelves or stations at the collection site, even if the number of containers that make up a container group changes, it is possible to accurately manage each group.Also, because containers are transported in a single line, the transportation equipment can be reduced to light equipment. Moreover, since the containers before and after transportation are arranged in the same manner, the history of the containers, that is, the product, can be preserved, and there are advantages such as the ability to refer back to the history as needed for quality reasons and other reasons.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an apparatus for carrying out the method of the invention. 1... Supply station, 2... Discharge station, 3... Rack equipment, 4... Supply conveyor, 5... Discharge conveyor, 6... Guide, 7... Dolly, 8... Fixed stopper, 9... Stopper, 10... Empty container, 11... Pusher. , 12... fixed stopper, 13... stopper,
14...Photoelectric switch, 15...Empty container, 16...Stopper A, 17...Stopper B, 18...Photoelectric switch,
19...Photoelectric switch, 20...Conveyor, 21...Orthogonal converter, 22...Photoelectric switch, 23...Rack,
24... Incoming station, 25... Outgoing station, 26... Crane, 27... Unit, 28... Stopper, 29... Photoelectric switch, 30... Pusher,
31...Fork, 32...Unit, 33...Conveyor, 34...Orthogonal converter, 35...Photoelectric switch, 3
6...Photoelectric switch.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A group of containers sent out in two rows in the direction of travel from the first container collection site were counted at the first transfer position, rearranged into a single row, transferred onto a conveyor, and transported by the conveyor. After that, at a second transfer position where the conveyor reaches, the containers are returned to the original two-row state again in accordance with the count signal at the first transfer position and stored in the second container accumulation area, and the containers are stored in the second container storage area. Rearrangement of containers from two rows to one row, conveyed by conveyor, second row
A method for transporting containers, characterized in that the rearrangement from one row to two rows at a transfer position is carried out without changing the running order of a group of containers.