TWI787738B - Transporting device and transporting method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention realizes a conveying device for transferring articles from an upstream conveyor to a downstream conveyor in a state of being fully dispersed along the width direction while avoiding excessive pressure on articles such as containers or the overturning of the articles through a simple structure. Transport method. The conveying device of the present invention includes: a first conveyor; and a supply unit that moves articles arranged in a plurality of rows in a third direction inclined relative to the first direction and the second direction, and supplies the articles to the first conveyor. The supply unit includes an alignment guide for guiding the articles arranged in a plurality of rows in the third direction. The line-up guide is formed in a straight line or substantially straight line between the lower span and at least two ends in a plan view, and multiple rows of articles are guided by the same line-up guide.

Description

Transporting device and transporting method

The disclosure relates to a device and method for conveying containers and other items.

The production line for manufacturing beverage products in containers is equipped with a storage conveyor (accumulation conveyor) capable of storing multiple containers between the upstream device for filling the container with product liquid and the downstream device such as the inspection device.

The width of the storage conveyor is sufficiently wide compared to the width of the supply conveyor that supplies containers to the storage conveyor. The container is transferred from the supply conveyor to the storage conveyor perpendicular to the supply conveyor, and a plurality of containers are stored in a state where the containers are dispersed across the entire width direction of the storage conveyor. In this way, it is possible to cope with the capability difference between the upstream device and the downstream device, and even if one of the upstream device and the downstream device is stopped, the other can be continued to operate.

In order to distribute and supply containers to a storage conveyor along the width direction, as shown in Patent Document 1, there is known a pressing guide that pushes downstream a group of containers conveyed in a dense state by a supply conveyor. Or, as shown in patent document 2, the some partition guide which partitions a container into several rows is known. The rows of containers aligned by the partitioning guides are guided to the downstream conveyor at the width-divided position.

The conveying device described in Fig. 1 of Patent Document 1 has: a supply conveyor (4), which is provided with a guide (20A) and a pushing guide (20B); The machines (4) are orthogonal; the second conveyor (18B), the third conveyor (8) and the storage conveyor (10) are sequentially connected in series relative to the first conveyor (18A).

The push guide (20B) has a weir that is curved in a convex direction relative to the group of containers, so as to hinder the movement of a part of the group of containers conveyed in a specific direction by the supply conveyor (4) and make them stagnate. The same pushing guide is also described in Fig. 4 of Patent Document 3.

As containers are transferred from the supply conveyor to the downstream conveyor, the number of rows of containers increases. According to the relationship between the number of rows of containers and the conveying speed under a specific capacity, the speed of the storage conveyor when storing containers is set to be lower than the speed of the supply conveyor. If dense containers are pushed by the push guide, the containers expand on the supply conveyor and are pushed out to the storage conveyor. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Document]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-069744 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2015-202913 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 4-037122

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

By pushing the dense containers with a specific linear pressure applied by the pushing guide, it is intended to avoid excessive pressure on the containers on the supply conveyor. Also, since the configuration of the container is easily biased due to the convex weir of the push guide, for example, the container is easily pushed and overturned by other containers in the gap on the back side of the weir.

In Patent Document 1, the speed of the most upstream supply conveyor (4) among the supply conveyor (4), the first to third conveyors (18A, 18B, 8) and the storage conveyor (10) is faster. More specifically, among the parallel-connected conveyors (4A, 4B) constituting the supply conveyor (4), the conveyor (4B) that transfers containers to the first conveyor (18A) has the fastest speed. That is, when the container is transferred from the supply conveyor (4) to the first conveyor (18A), relatively large linear pressure is applied to the container, and the push guide (20B) is used, whereby the container is placed on the supply conveyor (18A). 4) Expand and push out to the first conveyor (18A). According to the structure of Patent Document 1, since the resistance of the pushing guide (20B) to the moving container is relatively large, it is difficult to prevent deformation of the thin-walled container due to pressure.

On the other hand, according to the configuration of Patent Document 2 using the partition guide, the pressure applied to the container can be suppressed by partitioning the container into a plurality of rows. However, since it is necessary to distribute the containers in multiple rows upstream of the compartmental guides, a container distributing mechanism is required. In addition, a plurality of compartmental guides are separately supported on the conveyor structure and a single guide is supported on the conveyor. The situation of the machine becomes more complicated than that, so the device cost increases.

Based on the above, the purpose of this disclosure is to achieve a state of being fully dispersed along the width direction from the upstream conveyor to the downstream conveyor through a simple structure while avoiding excessive pressure on the container or other items or the overturning of the item The conveying device and conveying method of the transferred goods. [Technical means to solve the problem]

The conveying device disclosed herein includes: a first conveyor that conveys articles along a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction; and a supply unit that forms a boundary along the first direction on the upstream side of the first conveyor, The articles arranged in a plurality of rows are moved in a third direction inclined relative to the first direction and the second direction, and the articles are supplied to the first conveyor. The supply unit includes an alignment guide for guiding the articles arranged in a plurality of rows in the third direction. The line-up guide is formed in a straight line or substantially straight line between the lower span and at least two ends in a plan view, and multiple rows of articles are guided by the same line-up guide.

The conveying method disclosed in the present disclosure includes: a first step of conveying the articles arranged in a plurality of rows along a third direction inclined relative to the first direction and the second direction, toward a second direction perpendicular to the first direction The upstream side movement of the first conveyor; and the second step of transferring the article to the first conveyor from the supply part that moves the article in the third direction beyond the boundary between the supply part and the first conveyor in the first direction . In the first step, the articles are arranged in plural rows along the third direction by means of the same alignment guide formed in a straight line or substantially straight line between at least two ends in a top view, and in the second step, according to The positional relationship between the articles arranged in plural rows in the third direction and the border, on the border, the articles distributed with gaps in the first direction are transferred to the first conveyor. [Effect of Invention]

According to the conveying device and conveying method of the present disclosure, it is possible to avoid excessive pressure on the articles due to the use of pushing guides or partition guides, or to overturn the articles due to the deviation of the arrangement of the articles, and on the other hand, based on the arrangement of the guides Expanding the items along the first direction with respect to the arrangement of the items in the triangular area formed by the boundary. By doing so, the line pressure can be reduced, and the articles can be transferred to the downstream conveyor in a fully dispersed state along the width direction.

Also, as a guide for changing the arrangement direction of multiple rows of articles, it is sufficient to provide a single line guide with a straight line and a simple shape, so the structure is changed compared with the case of using a push guide or a plurality of partition guides. Keep it simple.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the attached drawings. 〔The overall structure of the conveying device〕 The conveying device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is provided with: a storage upstream conveyor 13, which is equivalent to the upstream part of the storage conveyor device 3 that can store the container 2 that has been processed by a device such as sterilization or filling not shown in the figure; and a supply part 11. And the intermediate conveyor 12, etc. supply the container 2 to the storage upstream conveyor 13. The overall illustration of the storage conveyor device 3 is omitted. The container 2 is, for example, a can or a bottle, and is conveyed by the conveying device 1 in a standing state on the conveyor. The shape of the container 2 is not limited. The cross-sectional shape of the container 2 is not limited to a circular shape, and may be, for example, a rectangular shape.

The supply unit 11 includes: a supply conveyor 110 that conveys the containers 2 in the first direction D1 ; and an alignment guide 22 that guides the containers 2 arranged on the supply conveyor 110 to the intermediate conveyor 12 . The intermediate conveyor 12 and the storage upstream conveyor 13 convey the container 2 along the second direction D2 perpendicular to the first direction D1 in plan view of the conveying device 1 . The direction inclined with respect to both of the 1st direction D1 and the 2nd direction D2 is called 3rd direction D3 in planar view of the conveyance apparatus 1. The supply conveyor 110 moves the container 2 in the third direction D3 and supplies the container 2 to the intermediate conveyor 12 .

The container 2 conveyed to the alignment guide 22 in a plurality of rows (p rows) along the first direction D1 by the supply unit 11 is transferred in a state where the alignment direction is switched to the third direction D3 by the alignment guide 22 To the intermediate conveyor 12, and then by transfer from the intermediate conveyor 12 to the storage upstream conveyor 13, it is stored on the storage upstream conveyor 13 in a dense state of r rows.

〔Supply Department〕 The supply conveyor 110 ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) is arranged in parallel to the first direction D1, and conveys the container 2 along the first direction D1. As the supply conveyor 110, well-known conveyor apparatuses, such as a chain conveyor and a belt conveyor, can be used. The same applies to the intermediate conveyor 12 and the storage upstream conveyor 13 . The supply conveyor 110 may also be composed of a plurality of conveyors connected in series.

The supply conveyor 110 of this embodiment is not shown in detail, but it corresponds to a chain conveyer including a chain 110A arranged parallel to the first direction D1, a sprocket for engaging the chain 110A, and a motor for driving the chain. machine. The intermediate conveyor 12 and the storage upstream conveyor 13 of this embodiment also correspond to a chain conveyor. The upstream side of the chain 110A of the supply conveyor 110 with respect to the chain 12A of the intermediate conveyor 12 forms a boundary B1 along the first direction D1.

In each of the conveyors 110, 12, 13, the chain is driven at a specific speed by a motor. In this specification, the speed of the conveyor (transfer speed) corresponds to the speed at which the chain is driven.

A specific line pressure is applied to the group of containers on the supply conveyor 110 as needed. The linear pressure means the pressure at which the containers 2 are pushed against each other in the conveying direction.

No or almost no line pressure may be applied to the container group on the supply conveyor 110 .

The supply conveyor 110 is provided with upstream guide parts 211 and 212 parallel to the first direction D1 and an alignment guide 22 connected to the downstream side of the upstream guide part 211 . The upstream guide parts 211 and 212 guide the group of containers arranged on the supply conveyor 110 from both sides in the second direction D2 to the first direction D1. Among the upstream guide parts 211 and 212 , the guide part 211 farther in the second direction D2 from the boundary B1 is smoothly continuous with the starting point 22A of the alignment guide 22 . The other upstream guide part 212 extends substantially along the first direction D1 to a position on the boundary B1 corresponding to the starting point 22A of the alignment guide 22 .

The alignment guide 22 is formed linearly in plan view of the conveyance device 1 . Strictly speaking, the alignment guide 22 is formed linearly across and between at least both end portions ( 22A, 22B) along the third direction D3 . No portion protruding from the container 2 is formed in the alignment guide 22 . The portion corresponding to the starting point 22A of the alignment guide 22 may also be curved so as to be smoothly connected to the upstream guide portion 211 . Similarly, the portion corresponding to the end point 22B of the alignment guide 22 may also be curved so as to be smoothly connected to the downstream guide portion ( 231 ).

The alignment guide 22 is inclined with respect to the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 such that the end point 22B on the downstream side is closer to the boundary B1 than the starting point 22A on the upstream side. End point 22B is located at or near boundary B1. The alignment guide 22 forms an angle θ ₁ (acute angle) with respect to the boundary B1. θ ₁ is less than 90° and is, for example, 10 to 30°.

Between the alignment guide 22 on the supply conveyor 110 and the boundary B1, a triangular area R2 (hereinafter referred to as triangular area R2) is formed. The group of containers arranged in the region R1 between the upstream guide parts 211 and 212 is guided by the alignment guide 22, thereby sliding on the supply conveyor 110, and changing the arrangement direction from the first direction D1 to the third direction D3 , arranged in the triangular region R2.

In either of the regions R1 and R2, the partition material for partitioning a plurality of rows of the container 2 from each other is not arranged. The plurality of rows of container groups are guided by the same alignment guide 22, and are generally arranged in a substantially triangular shape along the shape of the triangular region R2.

Even if the containers 2 are not densely packed in the area R1 between the upstream guide parts 211 and 212, when there is a gap between the containers 2, the container 2 can be assembled into a dense state by the action of the alignment guide 22, and Arranged roughly in a triangular shape. In the area R1 between the upstream guide parts 211, 212, the containers 2 can be densely packed in a zigzag shape or irregularly, or not densely, and it is also allowed, for example, due to interference, etc., in the area R1, the container group exists in the container group and the container 2, for example 1 to several equivalent gaps (refer to Figure 8).

Alignment guide 22 can also be under the limitation that obtains the effect that makes plural row container group arrange in substantially triangular shape, the alignment guide 22-1 shown in Fig. 7 (a) or the alignment guide shown in Fig. 7 (b) The piece 22-2 is generally bent between the starting point 22A and the end point 22B, or the straight line guide 22-3 shown in Figure 7(c) or the straight line guide 22-4 shown in Figure 7(d) is generally bent at the starting point Bend between 22A and end point 22B. Such alignment guides are formed substantially linearly.

Furthermore, an alignment guide 22-5 of a modified example is shown in FIG. 8 . The alignment guide 22-5 is provided with a linear alignment action portion 22D for aligning the containers 2 on the side adjacent to the boundary B1. Like the alignment guide 22-5, on the side adjacent to the boundary B1, as long as it straddles the range of the first direction D1 in which the containers 2 are distributed on the boundary B1, it is equipped to align the containers 2 near the boundary B1 and on the boundary B1. For the alignment action part 22D, the upstream region 22E of the alignment action part 22D can be bent relative to the alignment action part 22D, and the alignment action part 22D and the area 22E can also be non-linear as a whole. In addition, it can also be said that only the region of the alignment action portion 22D corresponds to the alignment guide. In this case, the alignment action part 22D which is an alignment guide is connected to the upstream guide part 211 via the guide area 22E.

Regarding the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and any of the variations shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, in the triangular region R2, the containers 2 form a plurality of rows along the alignment guides 22 and are arranged in a row. 3rd direction D3. Since the moving direction of the container 2 is bent relative to the first direction D1 by the alignment guide 22, and the containers 2 are arranged along the third direction D3, the boundary B1 is relative to the row of the container 2 along the third direction D3 (shown in FIG. 2 ). A1, etc.) tilt. According to the positional relationship between the container rows such as A1 and the boundary B1, compared with the distance L1 between the container rows in the regions R1 and R2, the distance L2 between the container rows in the boundary B1 in the first direction D1 is larger. Therefore, the containers 2 are distributed with gaps in the first direction D1, and are transferred from the supply conveyor 11 to the intermediate conveyor 12 beyond the boundary B1. Here, the smaller the angle _θ1 formed by the alignment guide 22 relative to the boundary B1, the wider the distribution of the containers 2 in the first direction D1.

Referring to FIG. 4( a ), the basic route of the container 2 transferred from the supply unit 11 to the intermediate conveyor 12 (first conveyor) will be described. In the example shown in FIG. 4(a), for each row of containers 2 on the supply unit 11, the position or angle of the alignment guide 22 is set so that the plane center of the containers 2 is located on the boundary B1. In addition, the containers 2 are closely arranged in zigzag shape near the boundary B1 and on the boundary B1. In addition, it is not necessary to arrange all the containers 2 on the supply part 11 in a zigzag pattern. For example, it is sufficient to arrange the containers 2 near the border B1 and on the border B1 with a dotted pattern in FIG. 4(a). Also, even if the plane center of the container 2 deviates from the boundary B1, the behavior of the container 2 described below is similar.

In the above example, Fig. 5(a) shows the basic approach of the container 2 with dot chain lines. A one-dot chain line shows the locus of the planar center of the container 2 . As shown in FIG. 5( a ), each row of containers 2 is arranged at equal intervals on any one of the supply unit 11 and the intermediate conveyor 12 . If the pitch P1 on the supply part 11 is equal, the pitch P2 on the intermediate conveyor 12 is also equal. In fact, as shown in Figure 5(b), due to the inertia of the container 2 moving at a speed _v0 along the third direction D3 and the friction between the intermediate conveyor 12 and the container 2, the container 2 exceeding the boundary B1 follows the following two steps: The situation of approach β shown by the chain line. This route β is displaced in the first direction D1 by the amount indicated by the arrow relative to the basic route α shown by the chain line. The amount by which the route β exceeds the route α in the first direction D1, and the trajectory of the route β turning from the third direction D3 to the second direction D2 is determined by the speed v ₀ , the friction force with the intermediate conveyor 12 and the container 2, and because of The friction force of the container 2 has individual differences and uneven interference. In addition, when the friction force between the container 2 and the intermediate conveyor 12 is greater than the standard friction force between the container 2 and the chain conveyor, there may be a part of the bottom of the container 2 before the plane center of the container 2 reaches the boundary B1. When the boundary B1 is exceeded, the path of the container 2 turns to the second direction D2 (see FIG. 6B ).

The path of each container 2 on the intermediate conveyor 12 may be uneven in the first direction D1 due to individual differences or interference. In addition, when the unevenness of friction or interference affects the timing of the transfer of each container 2, it may also temporarily occur that the containers 2 are not arranged at equal intervals in the second direction D2 during the flow of the containers 2, and the containers 2 are in the second direction. D2 The situation of approaching and touching.

As shown in Figure 4(a), if the container 2 is closely arranged in a zigzag shape near the boundary B1 between the supply part 11 and the intermediate conveyor 12, and the plane center of the container 2 passes through the boundary B1, then the following formula (1 ) represents the angle θ ₁ of the alignment guide 22 .

[number 1]

R: The distance between adjacent containers 2 in a zigzag shape (equal to the diameter of container 2) L: The set distance between rows of containers 2 transferred from the supply part 11 to the intermediate conveyor 12

若藉由圖4(c)，顯示行間之距離L、與三角形T2之邊t之關係，則

As shown in Fig. 4(a), two right-angled triangles T1 and T2 that can share side t are set. For the convenience of drawing, the triangles T1 and T2 are displayed separately. If the relationship between the diameter R of the container 2 and the side t of the triangle T1 is shown by Fig. 4(b), then based on the zigzag arrangement of the container 2,

If the relationship between the distance L between the rows and the side t of the triangle T2 is shown by Fig. 4(c), then

According to (2) and (3), since Rcos30°=Lsinθ ₁ , the above formula (1) is derived.

It is not necessary to arrange all the containers 2 shown in FIG. 4( a ) in a zigzag pattern, for example, it is only necessary to arrange the containers 2 near the boundary B1 of the dotted pattern in a zigzag pattern. Even if the positions of the containers 2 deviate from the strict zigzag arrangement, if the containers 2 are in close contact with each other, the containers 2 are also arranged in a substantially zigzag shape, so θ ₁ in this case approximates the formula (1).

〔Intermediate conveyor〕 As shown in FIG. 1 , the intermediate conveyor 12 (first conveyor) conveys the container 2 transferred from the supply unit 11 in the second direction D2 and transfers it to the storage upstream conveyor 13 . The containers 2 introduced from the triangular region R2 beyond the boundary B1 to the intermediate conveyor 12 are distributed along the width direction (the first direction D1 ) on the intermediate conveyor 12 . The intermediate conveyor 12 is provided with a sufficient width for arranging the containers 2 distributed along the first direction D1. The intermediate conveyor 12 of this embodiment is provided with the same width as the storage upstream conveyor 13, but it is not limited thereto. The intermediate conveyor 12 may also consist of a plurality of conveyors connected in series.

On the intermediate conveyor 12, when the container 2 is transferred to the storage upstream conveyor 13, the distribution range of the container 2 is further expanded in the width direction, and the storage container 2 is stored in r rows on the storage upstream conveyor 13, so the container remains 2 The space where the container 2 is not arranged and can move along the first direction D1.

If the speed at which the container 2 moves along the third direction D3 by the supply conveyor 110 and the alignment guide 22 is set as v ₀ , and the speed of the first conveyor 12 is set as v ₁ , then these speeds can be set as For example v ₀ <v ₁ . In the case of v ₀ <v ₁ , the moving speed of the container 2 increases with the transfer from the supply part 11 to the intermediate conveyor 12, thereby giving the container 2 the gap G1 (Fig. 1) in the second direction D2 between. Since the gap G1 exists, the container 2 is not pressurized in the second direction D2. When the intermediate conveyor 12 is composed of multiple conveyors, in order to prevent the container 2 from falling due to the change of the conveying speed, the speed of each conveyor can be set in such a way that the moving speed of the container 2 changes gradually.

When the containers 2 are densely packed in the area R1, the speed _v0 is the same as the moving speed of the containers 2 in the area R1 along the first direction D1. Furthermore, when there is no slippage between the container 2 and the chain 110A in the region R1, v ₀ also coincides with the driving speed of the chain 110A of the supply conveyor 110 . When there is a gap between the containers 2 in the region R1, v ₀ is slower than the moving speed of the containers 2 in the first direction D1 in the region R1.

In Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, because v ₀ < v ₁ , there is an example in which the number of rows of containers 2 does not change before and after transfer from the supply conveyor 11 to the intermediate conveyor 12, but by the relationship between v ₀ and v ₁ Relationships are not limited to this. The relationship between the speeds of the supply unit 11 and the intermediate conveyor 12 may also be v ₀ ≧v ₁ . When the supply unit 11 and the intermediate conveyor 12 are at the same speed, for example, as shown in FIG. 6A , the containers 2 approach and connect in the second direction D2 on the intermediate conveyor 12 . Also, when the speed v1 of the intermediate conveyor 12 is relatively slow compared to the speed _{v0 of} the supply part 11, the number of rows of the containers 2 on the intermediate conveyor 12 is relatively low due to the contact between the containers 2 on the intermediate conveyor 12. The number of rows of containers 2 in the supply section 11 increases. The relationship between the speeds of the supply unit 11 and the intermediate conveyor 12 can also be switched to v ₀ ≧v ₁ and v ₀ <v ₁ as needed.

It also allows the containers 2 to stagnate and expand in the first direction D1 when the speed v ₁ is relatively slow compared to the speed v ₀ , whereby the number of rows of containers 2 on the intermediate conveyor 12 increases. However, with the transfer to the storage upstream conveyor ₁₃ driven by v2 at _a lower speed than v1, there is no space (gap) for the distribution range of the container 2 to expand in the width direction from the middle conveyor 12. In the limit of loss, the speed v1 of the intermediate conveyor ₁₂ can be set lower.

Intermediate guide parts 231 and 232 are provided on both sides in the width direction of the intermediate conveyor 12 . In order to prevent the containers 2 from flying out to the outside of the conveyor due to the collision of the containers 2 with each other, it is preferable that the alignment guide 22 is continuous with the middle guide part 231, and the upstream guide part 212 is continuous with the middle guide part 232, but not Limited to this. Also, in order to prevent the container 2 from being bitten or damaged, it is preferable that the guide part is continuous in a smooth shape.

The intermediate guide parts 231, 232 may be formed in appropriate shapes. According to the example shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the intermediate guide part 231 has: a part 231A, which extends from the end point 22B of the alignment guide part 22 to the downstream of the conveying direction of the supply conveyor 110 along the boundary B1; and part 231B, which It is bent relative to the portion 231A and extends in the second direction D2. Moreover, the intermediate guide part 232 has the part 232A which inclines with respect to the boundary B1 from the terminal point 212B of the upstream guide part 212, and the part 232B which extends along the 2nd direction D2.

The upstream guide part 211, the alignment guide 22, the intermediate guide part 231, and the guide part 241 of the storage conveyor device 3 are sequentially continuous. These guide parts 211, 22, 231, 241 may be constituted by a single member, or may be appropriately divided into two or more members. On the other hand, the upstream guide part 212, the intermediate guide part 232, and the guide part 242 of the storage conveyor device 3 are sequentially continuous. The guide parts 212, 232, and 242 may also be composed of a single member, or may be appropriately divided into two or more members.

〔Storage upstream conveyor〕 The storage upstream conveyor 13 (second conveyor) corresponds to the upstream portion of the storage conveyor device 3 as described above. The storage upstream conveyor 13 is connected in series with respect to the intermediate conveyor 12, and stores the containers 2 in a dense state. On the boundary B2 between the intermediate conveyor 12 and the storage upstream conveyor 13, a transfer plate (not shown) is arranged as necessary.

The containers 2 arranged in p rows in the first direction D1 in the region R1 on the supply conveyor 110 pass through the triangular region R2 and the intermediate conveyor 12, and are arranged in r rows that are more than p rows on the storage upstream conveyor 13 2 Direction D2. The storage upstream conveyor 13 is provided with a sufficient width for arranging densely arranged r rows of containers 2 .

If the speed of the intermediate conveyor 12 is v ₁ , and the speed of the storage upstream conveyor 13 is v ₂ , then v ₁ >v ₂ . That is, the containers 2 are decelerated as they are transferred from the intermediate conveyor 12 to the storage upstream conveyor 13 . Based on v ₁ >v ₂ , the number of rows of containers 2 increases according to the relationship between the number of rows of containers 2 and the conveying speed under a specific conveying capacity. In addition, v ₂ is set so that the containers 2 are stored in a dense state on the upstream conveyor 13 . Therefore, along with the transfer to the storage upstream conveyor 13, the distribution range of the containers 2 expands in the first direction D1, and the containers 2 span and store substantially the entirety of the width direction on the storage upstream conveyor 13 in a dense state.

In order to prevent the container 2 from falling over due to the speed change when transferring to the storage upstream conveyor 13, the speed of each conveyor can be set in such a way that the moving speed of the container 2 is gradually changed by using a plurality of conveyors connected in series.

〔Storage conveyor device〕 The storage conveyor device 3 includes a plurality of conveyors connected in series, such as a storage upstream conveyor 13 and a storage downstream conveyor 14 , and is configured to transport and store a plurality of containers 2 . Appropriate speed is given to each of the plurality of conveyors constituting the storage conveyor device 3 . In addition, other conveyors constituting the storage conveyor device 3 may be interposed between the storage upstream conveyor 13 and the storage downstream conveyor 14 .

By storing a plurality of containers 2 due to the storage conveyor device 3 , the ability to absorb upstream and downstream of the production line is poor, and production can be continued even if a part of the production line is stopped. By having such an accumulating function, the storage conveyor device 3 is called an accumulation conveyor. According to the capacity of the upstream device and the downstream device, etc., the storage conveyor device 3 is provided with an appropriate width and length to ensure the necessary storage capacity.

The storage conveyor device 3 receives and stores the containers 2 from the upstream when both the upstream device and the downstream device are in constant operation, and discharges a necessary amount of containers 2 downstream. In order to store the containers 2 on the storage conveyor device 3 as unbiasedly and evenly as possible, it is preferable that the containers 2 are dispersed across the entire width direction (the first direction D1) of the storage conveyor device 3 .

〔Function and effect of conveying device〕 The container 2 that is transported to the supply conveyor 110 from the upstream device such as filling or sterilization through the conveying mechanism not shown is as shown in Figure 1, and the container 2 arranged in p rows is moved along the 3rd upstream side of the intermediate conveyor 12. The first step S1 of moving in the direction D3, the second step S2 of transferring the container 2 from the supply part 11 beyond the boundary B1 to the intermediate conveyor 12, and transferring the container 2 from the intermediate conveyor 12 beyond the boundary B2 to the storage upstream conveyor 13 The third step S3 of transfer is to store on the storage upstream conveyor 13 in a state of overall distribution in the span and width direction (first direction D1).

In the first step S1, the moving direction of the container group is bent relative to the first direction D1 by aligning the guide 22, thereby arranging the containers 2 in a plurality of rows in the triangular region R2 along the third direction D3. In this way, by expanding the distance between the container rows in the first direction D1 on the boundary B1 inclined relative to the third direction D3 to L2, each container 2 will be evenly distributed in the width direction beyond the boundary B1 to the intermediate conveyor 12 Transfer (second step S2).

Unlike the case of using a concave-convex push guide such as Patent Document 1, since the container 2 can be aligned along the third direction D3 by the linearly formed alignment guide 22, it is not easy to form such a problem in the triangular region R2. Larger clearance for container 2 to fall over. Even if there is a relatively large gap in the container group in the upstream region R1, in many cases, the gap is replaced with the container 2 when the container group is arranged in the triangular region R2. However, this gap is also allowed to exist in the container group arranged in the triangular region R2. Even if there is no container 2 in a part of the boundary B1, the containers 2 are transferred from the supply part 11 to the intermediate conveyor 12 in a state dispersed in the width direction beyond the boundary B1.

As each container 2 is transferred to the intermediate conveyor 12, subsequent containers 2 are added to the triangular area R2. Therefore, the arrangement of the containers 2 in the triangular region R2 can be kept constant, and the containers 2 can be stably supplied from the triangular region R2 to the intermediate conveyor 12 with a constant supply amount.

When the speed _{v0 of} the supply conveyor 110 is different from the speed v1 of the intermediate conveyor 12, the moving speed of the container ₂ changes according to v1 along with the transfer from the supply conveyor 110 to the intermediate conveyor 12. For example, if v ₀ <v ₁ , the gap G1 in the second direction D2 is provided between the containers 2 by the acceleration of the containers 2 .

In the third step S3, at a lower speed than the intermediate conveyor 12, the containers 2 are transferred from the intermediate conveyor 12 to the storage upstream conveyor 13 that stores the containers 2 in a dense state. In this way, the container 2 decelerates, and expands along the width direction at the end of the dense container group, and the number of rows increases, so the r rows of containers 2 are stored on the storage upstream conveyor 13 . In addition, in the example shown in FIG. 1, the containers 2 are densely packed also in the downstream part 12B of the intermediate conveyor 12, but it is not limited to this. The end of the dense group of containers can also be located on the storage upstream conveyor 13 .

Furthermore, the container 2 is conveyed from the storage upstream conveyor 13 to a downstream device such as an inspection device or a boxing device through a downstream conveyor such as a storage downstream conveyor 14 provided in the storage conveyor device 3 . Including the storage upstream conveyor 13 and the storage downstream conveyor 14, the distribution state of the containers 2 on each conveyor of the storage conveyor device 3 varies according to the operating conditions of each processing device in the production line.

According to the conveying device 1 of the present embodiment and the conveying method including steps S1 to S3, the containers 2 can be fully distributed in the width direction (first direction D1) from the upstream supply part 11 to the storage via the intermediate conveyor 12. Conveyor unit 3 feeds. That is, by using a single alignment guide 22 when transferring from the supply part 11 to the intermediate conveyor 12, and based on the geometric relationship between the containers 2 arranged along the alignment guide 22 and the boundary B1, the distribution range of the containers 2 is expanded, Then, based on the speed difference between v ₁ and v ₂ of the intermediate conveyor 12 and the storage upstream conveyor 13, the number of rows of containers 2 is increased and the distribution range is further expanded. As a result, the containers 2 can be uniformly distributed across the width direction of the storage conveyor device 3 without deviation in the width direction, so that the containers 2 can be efficiently stored on the storage conveyor device 3 .

As a typical example for distributing the containers 2 along the width direction from a certain conveyor to the orthogonal conveyor, the containers 2 are arranged along the storage conveyor by using a push guide to pressurize the containers 2 under the imparting line pressure. 3 in the width direction distribution, or by distributing the containers 2 in each row in advance, and using a plurality of partition guides to guide the containers 2 for each row, so that the containers 2 are distributed along the width direction of the storage conveyor device 3. Compared with the above-mentioned typical example, according to this embodiment, it is possible to avoid excessive pressure on the container 2 due to the use of the push guide or the partition guide, or to avoid the container 2 caused by the arrangement deviation of the container 2 around the guide. Overturning, when transferring from the supply part 11 to the intermediate conveyor 12, the container 2 is expanded in the first direction D1 even under the condition that no line pressure is applied, and then from the intermediate conveyor 12 to the storage upstream conveyor 13 The container 2 is also expanded in the first direction D1 during transfer. According to this embodiment, compared with the case where the container 2 is once expanded in the first direction D1 using the push guide, the linear pressure can be reduced.

Since the alignment guide 22 does not have a weir protruding toward the container 2 and is formed in a straight or substantially straight shape, the resistance applied to the moving container 2 is small. Therefore, even if the container 2 is thin-walled, deformation of the container 2 can be prevented, and the ability to cope with an increase in the conveying speed can be increased. In addition, since the alignment guide 22 is straight or substantially straight and simple in shape, it is easy to process, and it is sufficient to provide a single alignment guide 22 as a guide for changing the arrangement direction of the containers 2, so the supporting structure of the alignment guide 22 is simple. . Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the conveying device 1 can be reduced compared to the case of using the push guide or a plurality of partition guides.

From the above, the conveying device 1 and the conveying method that can smoothly distribute the container group in a wide range in the first direction D1 with low linear pressure can be realized despite a simple structure.

[Modifications] As shown in FIG. ₃ , an array guide 22-6 forming an angle θ2 with respect to the boundary B1 may also be used. Since θ ₂ is greater than θ ₁ ( FIG. 2 ), the distribution range of the containers 2 along the first direction D1 is narrower compared with the case of using the alignment guide 22 . Therefore, the alignment guide 22-6 is suitable for storing the containers 2 on the storage conveyor device 3 in less than r rows.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the row of containers 2 can be equally positioned between the intermediate guide portions 231, 232, relative to the intermediate guide portions 231, 232, the alignment guides 22 can be arranged along the first direction D1 from the solid line. The position of , for example, moves to the position shown by a dotted chain line or a dotted line. FIG. 6B shows the path of the container 2 when the aligning guide 22 is moved in the direction of the arrow along the first direction D1 with dot chain lines. It is possible to adjust the position of the alignment guide 22 while confirming the deviation or unevenness of the approach of the container 2. At this time, the position of the alignment guides 22 can be adjusted in such a way that the entirety of the containers 2 distributed on the intermediate conveyor 12 are aligned with the centers of the intermediate guides 231, 232, or the containers 2 can be intentionally approached by the intermediate guides 231, 232. 232 to adjust the position of the alignment guide 22.

[Additional Notes] The conveying device and conveying method explained above are grasped as follows. (1) The conveying device 1 includes: a first conveyor 12 that conveys the article (2) along a second direction D2 that is perpendicular to the first direction D1; and a supply unit 11 that is upstream of the first conveyor 12 The side forms a boundary B1 along the first direction D1, so that the articles (2) arranged in a plurality of rows move along a third direction D3 inclined relative to the first direction and the second direction, and the first conveyor 12 is supplied with articles (2). ). The supply unit 11 includes an alignment guide 22 for guiding the articles (2) arranged in a plurality of rows in the third direction D3. The alignment guide 22 is formed in a straight line or substantially a straight line between the lower span and at least both ends 22A and 22B in plan view, and the same alignment guide 22 guides the plurality of rows of articles ( 2 ). (2) The conveying device 1 is provided with: the 2nd conveyor 13 which is connected in series with respect to the 1st conveyor 12, and stores the articles (2) in the dense state of articles (2). If the speed of the first conveyor 12 is v ₁ and the speed of the second conveyor 13 is v ₂ , then v ₁ >v ₂ . (3) If the speed at which the article (2) moves along the third direction D3 by the supply unit 11 is v ₀ , and the speed of the first conveyor 12 is v ₁ , then v ₀ <v ₁ . (4) If the speed at which the article (2) moves in the third direction D3 by the supply unit 11 is v ₀ , and the speed of the first conveyor 12 is v ₁ , then v ₀ ≧v ₁ . The above-mentioned (3) and the above-mentioned (4) can choose one to adopt, or can also switch between (3) and (4). (5) The supply part 11 includes: a supply conveyor 110, which conveys the article (2) along the first direction D1; and an alignment guide 22, which arranges the article (2) on the supply conveyor 110 along the third direction D3 guide. (6) The conveying method includes: a first step S1, which makes the articles (2) arranged in a plurality of rows move along the direction relative to the first direction D1 along the third direction D3 inclined relative to the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. The upstream side of the first conveyor 12 conveying the article (2) in the second orthogonal direction D2 moves; and the second step S2, which exceeds the supply section 11 from the supply section 11 that moves the article (2) along the third direction D3 and the boundary B1 of the first conveyor 12 along the first direction D1 to transfer the article (2) to the first conveyor 12 . In the first step S1, the articles (2) are arranged in plural along the third direction D3 by means of the same alignment guide 22 formed in a straight line or a substantially straight line between at least the two ends 22A, 22B in a plan view. Row. In the second step S2, according to the positional relationship between the articles (2) arranged in a plurality of rows along the third direction D3 and the boundary B1, on the boundary B1, the articles (2) distributed with a gap G1 in the first direction D1 are distributed. ) is transferred to the first conveyor 12. (7) The conveying method includes: a third step S3, which moves the article (2) from the first conveyor 12 to the second conveyor 13 that is connected in series with the first conveyor 12 and stores the article (2) in a dense state. load. In the third step S3, if the speed of the first conveyor 12 is set to v ₁ , and the speed of the second conveyor 13 is set to v ₂ , the articles are moved by increasing the number of rows based on v ₁ > v ₂ (2) The distribution range expands in the first direction D1. (8) Assuming that the speed of the article (2) moving along the third direction D3 by the supply unit 11 is v ₀ , and the speed of the first conveyor 12 is v ₁ , then based on v ₀ < v ₁ , the article (2) Distributed on the first conveyor 12 with a gap G1 in the second direction D2.

In addition to the above, the configurations listed in the above-mentioned embodiments may be selectively selected or appropriately changed to other configurations. The conveying device and conveying method disclosed in the present disclosure can be widely applied to articles other than containers besides beverage, food, and pharmaceutical containers.

1: Conveying device 2: Container (item) 3: Storage conveyor device 11: Supply section 12: Intermediate conveyor (1st conveyor) 12A: Chain 12B: Downstream section 13: Storage upstream conveyor (2nd conveyor) 14: storage downstream conveyor 22, 22-1~22-6: alignment guide 22A: starting point 22B: end point 22D: alignment action part 22E: area 110: supply conveyor 110A: chain 211: upstream guide part 212: upstream Guide part 212B: End point 231: Intermediate guide part 231A: Part 231B: Part 232: Intermediate guide part 232A: Part 232B: Part 241: Guide part 242: Guide part A1: Row B1: Border B2: Border D1 : 1st direction D2: 2nd direction D3: 3rd direction G1: Gap L: distance L1: distance L2: distance P1: distance P2: distance R: distance R1: area R2: triangle area S1: first step S2: second 2 step S3: 3rd step T1: right triangle T2: right triangle t: side v ₀ : speed v ₁ : speed v ₂ : speed θ: angle θ ₁ : angle θ ₂ : angle α: approach β: approach

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a conveying device and a group of containers which are objects to be conveyed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The arrangement of containers shown in the illustration is just an example. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the main part of Fig. 1 . The illustration of some containers in Fig. 1 is omitted. Fig. 3 is a top view showing a variation example of an array of guides. Figure 4(a)-(c) are schematic diagrams for geometrically explaining the angle of inclination of the array guides and the basic approach of the container. Fig. 5(a) is a schematic diagram showing the basic route of the container. (b) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the route of the container. Fig. 6A is a top view for explaining the position adjustment of the alignment guides. Fig. 6B is a schematic diagram showing the change of the position of the container's approach through the position adjustment of the alignment guides. Fig. 7(a)-(d) are schematic diagrams showing variations of the array guides. Fig. 8 is a top view showing other variations of the array guides.

1: Conveying device

2: container (item)

3: Storage conveyor device

11:Supply Department

12: Intermediate conveyor (1st conveyor)

12A: chain

12B: Downstream

13: Storage upstream conveyor (2nd conveyor)

14: Storage downstream conveyor

22: The whole column guide

22A: Starting point

22B: End point

110: Supply conveyor

110A: chain

211: Upstream guide part

212: Upstream guide part

212B: End point

231: Intermediate guide part

231A: Section

231B: part

232: Intermediate guide part

232A: part

232B: part

241:Guide Department

242:Guide Department

B1: Boundary

B2: Boundary

D1: 1st direction

D2: 2nd direction

D3: 3rd direction

G1: Gap

L1: Spacing

L2: Spacing

R1: Region

R2: Triangular area

S1: Step 1

S2: Step 2

S3: Step 3

v ₀ : speed

v ₁ : speed

v ₂ : speed

θ ₁ : angle

Claims (10)

A conveying device comprising: a first conveyor conveying articles along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and a supply section formed upstream of the first conveyor along the first direction. The border moves the above-mentioned articles arranged in plural rows along a third direction inclined relative to the above-mentioned first direction and the above-mentioned second direction, and supplies the above-mentioned articles to the above-mentioned first conveyor; An alignment guide that guides and arranges the above-mentioned articles along the third direction; the alignment guide is formed in a straight line or substantially a straight line between the lower span and at least two ends in a plan view, and is guided and arranged by the same alignment guide The above-mentioned articles arranged in the above-mentioned plural rows; according to the positional relationship between the above-mentioned articles arranged in plural rows along the above-mentioned third direction and the above-mentioned border, on the above-mentioned border, the above-mentioned articles distributed in a state with gaps in the above-mentioned first direction are transferred To the above-mentioned 1st conveyor. Such as the conveying device of claim 1, it has: a second conveyor, which is connected in series with respect to the above-mentioned first conveyor, and stores the above-mentioned articles in a state where the above-mentioned articles are dense; and if the speed of the above-mentioned first conveyor is set to v ₁ , assuming that the speed of the above-mentioned second conveyor is v ₂ , then v ₁ >v ₂ . The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein if the speed at which the above-mentioned article moves in the third direction through the above-mentioned supply unit is v ₀ , and the speed of the first conveyor is v ₁ , then v ₀ <v ₁ . The conveying device according to claim 2, wherein if the speed at which the article moves in the third direction through the supply unit is v ₀ , and the speed of the first conveyor is v ₁ , then v ₀ <v ₁ . The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein if the speed at which the article moves in the third direction through the supply unit is v ₀ , and the speed of the first conveyor is v ₁ , then v ₀ ≧ v ₁ . The conveying device according to claim 2, wherein if the speed at which the article moves in the third direction through the supply unit is v ₀ , and the speed of the first conveyor is v ₁ , then v ₀ ≧ v ₁ . The conveying device according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the above-mentioned supply part includes: a supply conveyor that conveys the above-mentioned article along the above-mentioned first direction; and the above-mentioned alignment guide that will be arranged on the above-mentioned supply conveyor. The article is guided in the third direction. A conveying method comprising: a first step of directing articles arranged in a plurality of rows along the second direction perpendicular to the first direction along a third direction inclined relative to the first direction and the second direction Transport the above items the upstream side of the first conveyor; and the second step, which moves from the supply part that moves the above-mentioned articles along the above-mentioned third direction to the above-mentioned first direction beyond the boundary between the above-mentioned supply part and the above-mentioned first conveyor along the above-mentioned first direction 1. The above-mentioned articles are transferred by the conveyor; and in the above-mentioned first step, the above-mentioned articles are arranged in the above-mentioned third direction by the same alignment guide formed in a straight line or a substantially straight line between at least two ends in a top view. Plural rows; in the above-mentioned second step, according to the positional relationship between the above-mentioned objects arranged in plural rows along the above-mentioned third direction and the above-mentioned boundary, on the above-mentioned boundary, the above-mentioned objects distributed in a state with gaps in the above-mentioned first direction are moved Loaded to the above-mentioned first conveyor. The conveying method according to claim 8, which includes: a third step of transferring the above-mentioned articles from the above-mentioned first conveyor to the second conveyor connected in series with the above-mentioned first conveyor and storing the above-mentioned articles in a dense state; And in the third step above, if the speed of the first conveyor is set as v ₁ and the speed of the _second conveyor is set as v ₂ , the above _- mentioned The distribution range of the articles expands along the above-mentioned first direction. The conveying method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein if the speed at which the above-mentioned article moves in the third direction through the above-mentioned supply unit is v ₀ , and the speed of the first conveyor is v ₁ , then based on v ₀ <v ₁ , the above-mentioned articles are distributed on the above-mentioned first conveyor with gaps in the above-mentioned second direction.

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