WO2019026451A1

WO2019026451A1 - Transport device

Info

Publication number: WO2019026451A1
Application number: PCT/JP2018/023325
Authority: WO
Inventors: 秀樹高柳; 誠利根川; 雄司小堀
Original assignee: ソニー株式会社
Priority date: 2017-08-01
Filing date: 2018-06-19
Publication date: 2019-02-07
Also published as: JP7400469B2; JPWO2019026451A1

Abstract

A transport device according to one embodiment of the present technique has a first chute, a holding mechanism, a lifter, and a controller. The first chute has a transport surface sloping downward in a transport direction and transports in an aligned manner a plurality of workpieces along the transport surface. The holding mechanism has a stopper which is provided in a first region on the transport surface and which stops a first workpiece having arrived in the first region. The lifter has: a support section provided in a second region on the transport surface and supporting the bottom of a second workpiece located upstream of the first workpiece; and a drive section for lifting and lowering the support section relative to the transport surface. The controller is configured so as to be capable of outputting to the drive section a first control signal which lifts the support section to move the front end of the bottom of the second workpiece upward from the transport surface.

Description

Transport device

The present technology relates to a transport apparatus that automatically transports a workpiece containing an article.

Conventionally, as a transfer device for transferring a work, as described in, for example, Patent Document 1, a transfer device having a transfer chute for transferring a work which has been sorted and delivered is slid in a chute having an inclination and known. It is done.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-250224

When a plurality of workpieces are transported in a row, the conventional transport apparatus is empty because the workpieces which are most downstream in the transport direction are emptied and taken out smoothly. It is necessary to form a gap between the work that has become and the work adjacent to this work.

However, in order to form the gap as described above, it is necessary to provide a plurality of stoppers in the transport device, and there is a problem that the device configuration becomes complicated. In addition, the shape of the work may have to be changed in accordance with the configuration of the stopper, and there is also a problem that the cost of changing the shape of the work is increased.

In view of the circumstances as described above, it is an object of the present technology to provide a transport apparatus whose apparatus configuration is simplified and cost can be reduced.

In order to achieve the above object, a transport apparatus according to an embodiment of the present technology includes a first chute, a holding mechanism, a lifter, and a controller.
The first chute has a conveyance surface which inclines downward in the conveyance direction, and aligns and conveys a plurality of works along the conveyance surface.
The holding mechanism is provided in a first area on the transport surface, and has a stopper that stops the first workpiece reaching the first area.
The lifter is provided in a second region on the transfer surface, and supports a bottom portion of a second work located upstream of the first work, and the support portion with respect to the transfer surface And a drive unit for moving up and down.
The controller is configured to be able to output, to the drive unit, a first control signal that raises the support portion and causes the bottom front end of the second workpiece to rise above the transport surface.

According to this configuration, the first work and the second work can be separated without changing the shape of the work, and it is not necessary to adopt the work whose shape is devised. Therefore, a commercially available work can be used as it is, and the cost can be reduced because the shape of the work is changed.

Further, according to the above configuration, the first work and the second work are separated only by lifting up the lifter. Therefore, in order to separate the first work and the second work, for example, a plurality of stopper mechanisms are not required, and it is sufficient to have only one stopper. This makes it possible to reduce the number of parts when configuring the transport apparatus, and to simplify the apparatus configuration. Therefore, according to the present technology, it is possible to provide a transport apparatus capable of simplifying the apparatus configuration and reducing costs.

It further comprises a first detection unit for detecting the presence or absence of the first work in the first area,
The controller may generate the first control signal when the first detection unit detects the first work.
Thereby, the second work can be lifted up automatically.

It further comprises a second detection unit for detecting the presence or absence of the second work in the second area,
When the first detection unit does not detect the first work and the second detection unit detects the second work, the controller causes a second control signal to lower the support portion. You may output to the said drive part.
Thereby, the second work lifted up by the lifter can automatically reach the first area on the transport surface.

The holding mechanism may further include a discharge unit that discharges the first work from the first chute.

It may further comprise a second chute disposed below the first chute and transporting the first work discharged by the discharge unit.

The support portion may have a non-slip portion provided on a contact surface with the second work.

According to this configuration, the second workpiece lifted by the lifter is more firmly positioned on the transport surface of the first chute. As a result, the second workpiece lifted by the lifter can be more effectively suppressed from coming into contact with the first workpiece by being pressed by the adjacent second workpiece.

As described above, according to the present technology, it is possible to provide a transport apparatus capable of simplifying the apparatus configuration and reducing costs. Note that the above effects are not necessarily limited, and, along with the above effects, or in place of the above effects, any of the effects shown in the present specification or other effects that can be grasped from the present specification May be played.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view schematically showing a configuration of a transfer device according to a first embodiment of the present technology. It is a flowchart which shows the process to conveyance / delivery of the workpiece | work by the said conveying apparatus. It is a schematic diagram which briefly shows the conveying apparatus in one process among the said processes. It is a schematic diagram which briefly shows the conveying apparatus in one process among the said processes. It is a schematic diagram which briefly shows the conveying apparatus in one process among the said processes. It is a schematic diagram which briefly shows the conveying apparatus in one process among the said processes. It is a schematic diagram which briefly shows the conveying apparatus in one process among the said processes. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structural example of the conventional conveying apparatus in a simplification. It is a flow chart which shows a process to conveyance / delivery of a work by a conveyance device concerning a 2nd embodiment of this art. It is a schematic diagram which shows simply the process which the conveyance apparatus which concerns on the said embodiment conveys a workpiece | work.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present technology will be described with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment
FIG. 1 is a schematic view schematically showing the configuration of a transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present technology. In the drawings, the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis indicate three axis directions orthogonal to each other. Further, in the present embodiment, the X and Y axis directions correspond to the horizontal direction, and the Z axis direction corresponds to the vertical direction, which is common to all the drawings in this specification.

[Configuration of transport device]
The transport apparatus 100 includes a first chute 10, a holding mechanism 20, a lifter 30, and a controller 40, as shown in FIG.

(1st shoot)
As shown in FIG. 1, the first chute 10 is an inclined table (transport lane) having a first end 11 and a second end 12 and having the X-axis direction as a longitudinal direction. The first end 11 is integrally connected to a holding mechanism 20 (stopper 21) described later, and the second end 12 is positioned vertically above the first end 11. Thus, when an arbitrary work W is placed on the first chute 10, the work W is transported from the second end 12 side toward the stopper 21 by its own weight (see FIG. 3).

Although a stored item is typically stored in the workpiece W input to the transfer device 100 of the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a container in which the stored item is not stored may be used. The workpiece W is not particularly limited as long as the workpiece W can be transported on the transport surface 13. For example, a rectangular tray made of a dumper (a plastic cardboard) or the like is employed.

Further, the first chute 10 has a conveyance surface 13 which is inclined downward in the conveyance direction from the second end 12 side toward the stopper 21. That is, the first chute 10 of the present embodiment is configured to be able to transport the plurality of works W from the second end 12 side toward the stopper 21 along the transport surface 13.

As shown in FIG. 1, the transport surface 13 is located upstream of the first region 13a on the side of the stopper 21 (holding mechanism 20) and the transport direction of the workpiece W than the first region 13a, and lifters 30 described later are provided. And a second region 13b. The conveyance surface 13 is configured of, for example, a plurality of rails supporting a part of the bottom surface of the work W, but is not limited thereto, and may be configured of a flat plate supporting the entire bottom surface of the work W. Guide walls (not shown) that prevent the workpiece W from falling off may be provided on both sides of the transport surface 13.

The width of the first chute 10 in the Y-axis direction is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of suppressing an increase in size of the transport apparatus 100 more than necessary, it is approximately the same as the width of the work W placed on the transport surface 13 preferable. As a result, when a plurality of works W are placed on the conveyance surface 13, the first chute 10 aligns and conveys the works W from the second end 12 side toward the stopper 21.

The conveyance system of the work W of the first chute 10 is not particularly limited, and a roller conveyance system in which the work W is conveyed by a plurality of rotatable conveyor rollers, and a slide in which the work W is conveyed by sliding on the conveyance surface 13 A transport scheme may be employed. In this case, the transport surface 13 is preferably made of, for example, a material having a low frictional force with respect to the workpiece W such as aluminum.

Furthermore, in the transport apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the inclination angle A1 of the first chute 10 from the X-axis direction is typically fixed at a predetermined value, but the invention is not limited thereto. It may be configured to be arbitrarily adjustable as long as it can be transported from the portion 12 to the stopper 21.

(Retention mechanism)
The holding mechanism 20 has a stopper 21 and a discharge unit (not shown). The holding mechanism 20 is configured to be able to hold the workpiece W in contact with the stopper 21 in the first area 13a.

The stopper 21 is a plate-like member connected to the first end 11 of the first chute 10 in the first area 13 a on the conveyance surface 13. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the first chute 10 and a second chute 50 described later are integrally connected in the vicinity of the Z-axis direction central portion of the stopper 21.

As a result, as shown in the figure, in the transport apparatus 100, both end portions in the Z-axis direction of the stopper 21 project in the Z-axis direction more than the transport surfaces 13 and 53. Therefore, the stopper 21 of the present embodiment has a function of stopping the work W which has been conveyed from the second end 12 side and reached the first area 13a in the first area 13a.

In the present embodiment, the work W that has reached the first area 13a on the transport surface 13 is taken as a first work W1, and the work W located in the second area 13b is taken as a second work W2. This is also synonymous in the following description.

The shape and size of the stopper 21 can be appropriately determined according to the specification and application of the transfer apparatus 100, and can be plate-like as shown in FIG. 1 as long as the first work W1 having reached the first area 13a can be stopped. It is not limited to the shape.

The discharge unit can be, for example, an open / close mechanism provided in the first area 13 a on the transport surface 13 of the first chute 10. In this case, when the open / close mechanism is in the open state, a path from the first chute 10 to the second chute 50 is formed. As a result, the first work W1 in the first area 13a drops by its own weight and is discharged (discharged) from the first chute 10.

Alternatively, the discharge unit may be an elevator-type lifting device configured similarly to the lifter 30 described later. In this case, the first workpiece W1 in the first area 13a is carried out of the first chute 10 by the elevating device.

(Lifter)
The lifter 30 is provided upstream of the first area 13 a in the transport direction of the workpiece W, and is movable in the Z-axis direction as shown in FIG. 1. The lifter 30 has the support part 31 and the drive part 32, as shown to the same figure.

The support portion 31 is provided in the second area 13 b on the transport surface 13, and is configured to be able to support the bottom portion of the second workpiece W 2 located in the second area 13 b. The shape of the contact surface 31a of the support portion 31 in contact with the second workpiece W2 is typically a flat shape, but is not limited thereto. For example, the shape may be any shape such as a curved shape. The number of support portions 31 may be singular or plural. For example, the support portion 31 is installed between a plurality of rails constituting the transport rail 13 or at a plurality of locations adjacent to each of the plurality of rails.

Moreover, the non-slip part 33 may be provided in the contact surface 31a which contacts the 2nd workpiece | work W2 in 2nd area | region 13 b in the support part 31 of this embodiment. The non-slip portion 33 is made of a material whose friction with the second workpiece W2 is high, and is made of, for example, an elastic material such as synthetic rubber. Or the support part 31 may be the structure by which the contact surface 31a was surface-processed so that the frictional force with 2nd workpiece | work W2 may become large.

The drive unit 32 is connected to the support unit 31 and configured to be movable in the Z-axis direction based on an output of the controller 40 described later. Specifically, the drive unit 32 is configured to raise and lower the support unit 31 in the Z-axis direction with respect to the transport surface 13 based on the first and second control signals output from the controller 40. The first and second control signals will be described later.

For example, a cylinder type drive mechanism is adopted as the drive unit 32 in the present embodiment. In this case, the drive unit 32 is typically an air cylinder type drive mechanism, but is not limited to this, and any form such as a dry cylinder type, a gas cylinder type, an oil cylinder type, etc. may be used.

(controller)
The controller 40 is disposed outside the transport apparatus 100 as shown in FIG. The controller 40 includes, for example, a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory, and a sequencer such as a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and controls each part of the transport apparatus 100. Thus, the overall operation of the transfer apparatus 100 is controlled.

Specifically, the controller 40 generates control signals for controlling the discharge operation of the discharge unit and the elevation operation of the lifter 30 (drive unit 32), and sends these control signals to the drive unit 32 and the holding mechanism 20. It is configured to be able to output.

As shown in FIG. 1, the conveyance device 100 according to the present embodiment is configured to further include the second chute 50, the first detection unit 60, the second detection unit 70, and the third detection unit 80. Good.

(2nd shoot)
The second chute 50 is disposed vertically lower than the first chute 10 and has a third end 51 and a fourth end 52, as shown in FIG. The second chute 50 is an inclined table (transport lane) whose longitudinal direction is the X-axis direction.

The third end 51 is integrally connected to the stopper 21, and the fourth end 52 is positioned vertically lower than the third end 51. Thus, when the work W discharged from the first chute 10 by the discharge unit is placed, the work W is transported from the third end 51 side toward the fourth end 52 by its own weight. Become.

Further, the second chute 50 has a conveyance surface 53 which is inclined downward in the conveyance direction from the third end 51 side to the fourth end 52. That is, the second chute 50 of the present embodiment is configured to be able to transport the plurality of works W from the third end 51 side toward the fourth end 52 along the transport surface 53.

The width of the second chute 50 in the Y-axis direction is not particularly limited, but is preferably about the same as the work W placed on the transport surface 53 from the viewpoint of suppressing an increase in size of the transport device 100 more than necessary. Thus, when the plurality of works W are placed on the conveyance surface 53, the second chute 50 aligns and conveys the works W from the third end 51 side to the fourth end 52. Become.

The conveyance system of the work W of the second chute 50 is not particularly limited, and a roller conveyance system in which the work W is conveyed by a plurality of rotatable conveyor rollers, and a slide in which the work W is conveyed by sliding on the conveyance surface 53 A transport scheme may be employed. In this case, the transport surface 53 is preferably made of a material having a low frictional force with respect to the workpiece W, such as aluminum.

In addition, in the transport apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the inclination angle A2 of the second chute 50 from the X-axis direction is typically fixed to a predetermined value, but the invention is not limited thereto. It may be configured to be arbitrarily adjustable as long as it can be transported from the portion 51 to the fourth end 52.

Furthermore, although the second chute 50 of the present embodiment is typically configured the same as the first chute 10, the present invention is not limited thereto, and even if the chute (tilt base) is a type different from the first chute 10 Good.

(First detection unit)
The first detection unit 60 is connected to the controller 40 wirelessly or by wire, and is provided in a first area 13 a on the transport surface 13 of the first chute 10. The first detection unit 60 is configured to be capable of detecting the presence or absence of the first work W1 in the first area 13a and whether or not there is a stored item in the first work W1, and sends the controller 40 a detection signal based on the detection result. Output.

As the first detection unit 60 in the present embodiment, for example, a reflective or transmissive photosensor is employed. When the transmission type photosensor is adopted for the first detection unit 60, the photosensor is constituted by a pair of light receiving elements and light emitting elements, and these are opposed to each other in the Y axis direction via the first work W1. Configured

(Second detector)
The second detection unit 70 is connected to the controller 40 wirelessly or by wire, and is provided in the second region 13 b on the transport surface 13 of the first chute 10. The second detection unit 70 is configured to be capable of detecting the presence or absence of the second workpiece W2 in the second area 13b, and outputs a detection signal based on the detection result to the controller 40.

As the second detection unit 70 in the present embodiment, for example, a reflective or transmissive photosensor is employed. When a transmission type photo sensor is adopted for the second detection unit 70, the photo sensor is composed of a pair of light receiving elements and light emitting elements, and these are opposed to each other in the Y axis direction via the second work W2 Configured

Although the second detection unit 70 typically employs a sensor of the same type as the first detection unit 60, the present invention is not limited to this, and a sensor of a type different from the first detection unit 60 may be employed.

(Third detection unit)
The third detection unit 80 is connected to the controller 40 wirelessly or by wire, and is provided on the downstream side of the first and

second detection units

60 and 70 in the conveyance direction of the work W vertically above the second chute 50. The third detection unit 80 is configured to be capable of detecting the work W being conveyed along the conveyance surface 53 of the second chute 50, and outputs a detection signal based on the detection result to the controller 40.

As the third detection unit 80 of the present embodiment, typically, transmission sensors of the same type as the first and

second detection units

60 and 70 are employed, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Different types of sensors from the

units

60 and 70 may be employed.

[Working method]
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing steps up to conveyance / unloading of the work W by the conveyance device 100 of the present embodiment. 3 to 7 are schematic views schematically showing the transfer device 100 in each process. Hereinafter, the transfer process of the workpiece W by the transfer apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 7 as appropriate.

(Step S01: Work transfer)
Along the transport surface 13 of the first chute 10, a plurality of works W are aligned and transported from the second end 12 side. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, among the workpieces W, the workpiece W (first workpiece W <b> 1) that has reached the first area 13 a on the transport surface 13 abuts on the stopper 21.

(Step S02: work detection)
Next, the first detection unit 60 detects the first workpiece W1 that has reached the first area 13a on the transport surface 13, and outputs a detection signal based on the detection result to the controller 40. The controller 40 generates, based on the output of the first detection unit 60, a first control signal that raises the lifter 30 (drive unit 32) vertically upward. Then, the controller 40 outputs the first control signal to the drive unit 32.

(Step S03: lifter rise)
Pattern 1
In response to the output of the first control signal from the controller 40 to the drive unit 32, the lifter 30 (drive unit 32) ascends vertically upward. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the second workpiece W2 in contact with the support portion 31 is lifted out of the plurality of workpieces W in the second region 13b.

At this time, the bottom front end of the second workpiece W 2 in contact with the support portion 31 floats up from the transport surface 13, and the second workpiece W 2 is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the transport surface 13. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 4, the first work W1 in the first area 13a is separated from the second work W2 inclined with respect to the transport surface 13, and the first work W1 and the second work W2 are separated. A gap G is formed therebetween.

In particular, in the present embodiment, when the non-slip portion 33 is provided on the contact surface 31 a of the support portion 31, the second work W2 lifted by the lifter 30 is more firmly positioned on the transport surface 13. The transport of the second workpiece W2 located upstream of the second workpiece W2 in the transport direction is stopped.

Therefore, the second work W2 lifted by the lifter 30 can be more effectively suppressed from coming into contact with the first work W1 by being pressed by the adjacent second work W2.

Pattern 2
In the transport apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, even when there is only one work W on the transport surface 13, the controller 40 outputs the first control signal to the drive unit 32. Thus, the lifter 30 (drive unit 32) ascends vertically upward.

Thus, for example, even if a new work W is input to the first chute 10 while the first work W1 is being subjected to a predetermined process in the first area 13a, the process is performed in the first area 13a. The contact between the first work W1 and the work W newly introduced to the first chute 10 is suppressed. Therefore, damage and deformation of these works W and the stored items stored in the works W are suppressed.

(Step S04: Determination of Work Content)
Next, it is determined whether or not there is a storage item in the first work W1 in the first area 13a. Here, when the first detection unit 60 detects a storage item in the first work W1 (NO in S04), the lift of the lifter 30 (drive unit 32) is maintained, and in the first region 13a, for example, the first work An operation or the like for picking up a stored item in W1 is performed.

On the other hand, when the first detection unit 60 does not detect a storage item in the first work W1 (YES in S04), a detection signal based on the detection result is output to the controller 40. Then, the controller 40 generates a control signal for carrying out the first work W1 from the first chute 10 based on the output of the first detection unit 60, and outputs the control signal to the discharge unit.

(Step S05: First work unloading and transportation)
Pattern 1
In response to the control signal being output from the controller 40 to the discharge unit, the discharge unit discharges the first work W1 in which no stored item is stored from the first chute 10 to the second chute 50. The first work W1 carried out to the second chute 50 is conveyed from the third end 51 side toward the fourth end 52 along the conveyance surface 53 of the second chute 50, as shown in FIG. Ru.

At this time, the third detection unit 80 detects the workpiece W (first workpiece W1) conveyed on the conveyance surface 53 of the second chute 50, and outputs a detection signal based on the detection result to the controller 40. The controller 40 generates a control signal for returning the discharge unit to the home position (origin position) based on the output of the third detection unit 80, and outputs this control signal to the discharge unit. As a result, the discharge unit that has performed the operation of discharging the first work W1 in which no stored item is stored from the first chute 10 to the second chute 50 returns to the home position.

Subsequently, the second detection unit 70 detects the second workpiece W2 lifted by the lifter 30. At this time, the first work W1 in the first area 13a is not naturally detected by the first detection unit 60. Then, the second detection unit 70 outputs a detection signal based on the detection result to the controller 40.

The controller 40 generates a second control signal for lowering the lifter 30 (drive unit 32) vertically downward based on the output of the second detection unit 70. Then, the controller 40 outputs the second control signal to the drive unit 32. In the present embodiment, as the second control signal, a zero signal in which the first control signal disappears, or an electric signal (for example, different in polarity) may be employed instead of the first control signal.

Pattern 2
In the transport apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, when the workpiece W is carried out from the first chute 10 to the second chute 50 and there is no workpiece W on the transport surface 13, the controller 40 controls the first and

second detection units

60 and 70. The second control signal may be generated in response to not receiving the detection signal, and the second control signal is output to the drive unit 32.

(Step S06: lifter descent)
In response to the second control signal being output from the controller 40 to the drive unit 32, as shown in FIG. 7, the lifter 30 (drive unit 32) descends vertically downward. As a result, the second workpiece W2 in the second area 13b on the transport surface 13 is transported to the stopper 21 side together with the second workpiece W2 instructed by the support portion 31. Therefore, the second work W2 instructed by the support portion 31 reaches the first area 13a on the transport surface 13, and the second work W2 becomes the first work W1.

In the present embodiment, the processes of steps S02 to S07 are repeated until all the works W input to the transfer apparatus 100 are unloaded from the first chute 10 to the second chute 50 (NO in S07).

On the other hand, in the previous step S05, when all the workpieces W fed into the transport apparatus 100 are carried out from the first chute 10 to the second chute 50 and there is no workpiece W on the transport surface 13 (YES in S07), the controller 40 Then, the second control signal is output to the drive unit 32, whereby the lifter 30 (drive unit 32) descends vertically downward. As a result, the lifter 30 returns to the home position, and the transfer operation of the transfer apparatus 100 is completed.

[Effect]
Next, the operation of the transfer apparatus 100 of the present embodiment will be described in comparison with a conventional transfer apparatus. FIG. 8 is a schematic view schematically showing a configuration example of a conventional transfer device.

Conventionally, when transporting a work such as a box containing stored items to the line side by a chute rack, it is necessary to automatically carry out the work in the automatic rack, and to realize smooth work in and out A complicated mechanism was needed.

For example, when moving an empty work in which a large number of works are aligned in a row in the chute and the stored items are not stored, and moving a real-pieceed work in which the stored items are stored to a predetermined position, It was necessary to separate these work pieces and form a gap by stopping the conveyance of the empty work and the work containing real with the stopper in order to prevent the work from being difficult to move due to being caught on the work containing real. .

However, in the conventional transfer apparatus, as shown in FIG. 8, a two-step stopper mechanism is required to form a gap between the empty workpiece and the workpiece containing the actual workpiece. This increases the number of parts and complicates the apparatus configuration.

In addition, in the conventional transfer apparatus, as shown in FIG. 8, in order to allow the stopper to enter between the adjacent workpieces, it is necessary to provide the workpiece with projections for keeping the workpieces separated from each other. . As a result, the cost of changing the shape of the workpiece in accordance with the stopper mechanism is extra.

On the other hand, in the transfer apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the bottom front end of the second work W2 in contact with the support portion 31 floats up from the transfer surface 13 and the second work W2 The lifter 30 lifts the second workpiece W2 so that the second workpiece W2 is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the second workpiece W1.

As a result, the empty first work W1 can be separated from the actual second work W2 without changing the shape of the work W, and a work whose shape is devised like the conventional transport apparatus is adopted. There is no need. Therefore, a commercially available work can be used as it is, and the cost can be reduced because the shape of the work is changed.

In addition, in the transport apparatus 100, as shown in FIG. 4, the empty first work W1 and the actual second work W2 can be separated only by lifting up the lifter 30.

Therefore, the transport apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment does not require a plurality of stopper mechanisms to separate the empty first workpiece W1 from the actual second workpiece W2 as in the conventional transport apparatus, as shown in FIG. As shown, it is possible to adopt a configuration having only one stopper 21. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced when configuring the transport apparatus 100, and the apparatus configuration can be simplified.

Second Embodiment
Next, a method of transporting a work of the transport apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment of the present embodiment will be described. The transport apparatus 100 according to the present technology can execute the following steps in addition to the workpiece transport method described in the first embodiment. In addition, the description is abbreviate | omitted about the structure and step similar to 1st Embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing steps up to conveyance / unloading of the work W by the conveyance device 100 of the present embodiment. Hereinafter, the conveyance process of the workpiece W of the conveyance apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 9 as appropriate.

(Step S11: Work transfer)
FIG. 10 is a schematic view schematically showing the process of transporting the workpiece W by the transport apparatus 100 of the present embodiment. Along the transport surface 13 of the first chute 10, a plurality of works W are aligned and transported from the second end 12 side. Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the second workpiece W2 at the most downstream side in the transport direction of the workpieces W abuts on the lifter 30.

Here, the lifter 30 of this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the state in which the contact surface 31 a of the support portion 31 is positioned vertically above the transport surface 13 is the home position (initial position). That is, in the present embodiment, the work W is transported along the transport surface 13 after the lifter 30 is lifted in advance.

(Step S12: work detection)
Next, the second detection unit 70 detects the second workpiece W2 that has reached the lifter 30 (support unit 31) from the second end 12 side, and outputs a detection signal based on the detection result to the controller 40. The controller 40 generates a second control signal for lowering the lifter 30 (drive unit 32) vertically downward based on the output of the second detection unit 70. Then, the controller 40 outputs the second control signal to the drive unit 32.

(Step S13: lifter descent)
In response to the second control signal being output from the controller 40 to the drive unit 32, the lifter 30 (drive unit 32) descends vertically downward. As a result, the second workpiece W2 in the second area 13b on the transport surface 13 is transported to the stopper 21 side together with the second workpiece W2 instructed by the support portion 31.

Then, the second workpiece W2 instructed by the support portion 31 reaches the first area 13a on the transport surface 13 and abuts on the stopper 21 (see FIG. 3). Here, the work W that has reached the first area 13a once contacts the lifter 30 in the previous step S11.

As a result, the impact applied to the workpiece W reaching the first area 13a is lessened than the non-stop contact with the stopper 21 from the second end 12 side, and not only the workpiece W but also the workpiece W is accommodated. Deformation and breakage of stored items are effectively suppressed.

As mentioned above, although embodiment of this technique was described, this technique is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, of course, a various change can be added.

For example, in the above embodiment, the lifter 30 in the transport device 100 is a lifting device that moves in the Z-axis direction, but is not limited to this, and is a flap-type sliding bottom plate or the like configured to be rotatable around the Y-axis It is also good.

Further, in the above embodiment, in the second region 13b on the transport surface 13, the second workpiece W2 on the most downstream side in the transport direction is lifted up by the lifter 30 among the plurality of second workpieces W2. The second work W2 located upstream of the second work W2 in the transport direction may be lifted up.

The present technology can also be configured as follows.

(1)
A first chute having a transport surface inclined downward in the transport direction and aligning and transporting a plurality of works along the transport surface;
A holding mechanism provided in a first area on the transport surface and having a stopper for stopping the first workpiece reaching the first area;
A support portion provided in a second area on the transfer surface and supporting a bottom portion of a second work located upstream of the first work, and a drive portion for moving the support portion up and down with respect to the transfer surface And a lifter having
A controller comprising: a controller configured to output a first control signal for raising the support portion to cause the bottom front end of the second workpiece to rise from the transport surface to the drive portion.
(2)
It is a conveying apparatus as described in said (1), Comprising:
It further comprises a first detection unit for detecting the presence or absence of the first work in the first area,
The controller generates the first control signal when the first detection unit detects the first work.
(3)
It is a conveyance apparatus as described in said (2), Comprising:
It further comprises a second detection unit for detecting the presence or absence of the second work in the second area,
When the first detection unit does not detect the first work and the second detection unit detects the second work, the controller causes a second control signal to lower the support portion. A transport device that outputs data to the drive unit.
(4)
It is a conveying apparatus as described in any one of said (1) to (3), Comprising:
The holding mechanism further includes a discharge unit that discharges the first work from the first chute.
(5)
It is a conveying apparatus as described in said (4), Comprising:
A transport apparatus further comprising: a second chute disposed below the first chute and transporting the first work discharged by the discharge unit.
(6)
It is a conveyance apparatus as described in any one of said (1) to (5), Comprising:
The above-mentioned support part has a non-slip part provided in a contact surface with the above-mentioned 2nd work.

100 ... transfer apparatus 10 ..

first chute

13, 53 ... conveying surface 13a ... first area 13b ... second area 20 ... holding mechanism 21 .... stopper 30 ... · Lifter 31 · · · Support portion 32 · · · Drive portion 33 · · · · Non-slip portion 40 · · · Controller 50 · · · Second shoot 60 · · · First detection portion 70 .... Second detection unit 80 ..... Third detection unit

Claims

A first chute having a transport surface which inclines downward in the transport direction and aligns and transports a plurality of works along the transport surface;
A holding mechanism provided in a first area on the transport surface and having a stopper for stopping a first workpiece reaching the first area;
A support portion provided in a second area on the transfer surface and supporting a bottom portion of a second work located upstream of the first work, and a drive portion for moving the support portion up and down with respect to the transfer surface And a lifter having
A controller comprising: a controller capable of outputting a first control signal for raising the support portion to cause the bottom front end of the second workpiece to rise from the transport surface to the drive portion.
The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
It further comprises a first detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the first work in the first area,
The controller generates the first control signal when the first detection unit detects the first work.
The transport apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
It further comprises a second detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the second work in the second area,
When the first detection unit does not detect the first work and the second detection unit detects the second work, the controller causes a second control signal to lower the support unit. A conveying device for outputting to the drive unit.
The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The holding mechanism further includes a discharge unit that discharges the first work from the first chute.
The transport apparatus according to claim 4, wherein
A transport apparatus further comprising a second chute disposed below the first chute and transporting the first work discharged by the discharge unit.
The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The carrier device includes a non-slip portion provided on a contact surface with the second work.