Transfer device

Abstract

To provide a transfer device that can be made thin.SOLUTION: A transfer device 1 comprises a first conveyance unit 3, a second conveyance unit 5, and an elevating unit 7. The elevating unit 7 comprises lift arm parts (first to fourth lift arm parts 53, 55, 53', 55') rotationally moving within a predetermined angle range with a rotation axis as a center via driving by an actuator with respect to first pillar parts (15, 16, 15', 16') and second pillar parts (39, 40, 39', 40'). The first pillar parts are rotatably supported by first support parts (first protrusion parts 53A, 55A, 53A', 55A'), respectively; and the second pillar parts are rotatably supported by second support parts (second protrusion parts 53B, 55B, 53B', 55B'), respectively. When the lift arm parts are each rotated in a normal direction and the first support parts are located above the respective second support parts, and when the first conveyance unit 3 is rotated in a reverse direction and the second support parts are located above the first support parts, the second conveyance unit 5 is capable of conveying an article to be conveyed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transfer device. [Background technology]

[0002] In product assembly lines and product delivery sites, conveyor lines made up of belt conveyors, roller conveyors, etc. are used to transport objects. Many conveyor lines are equipped with a transfer device for transferring objects from one conveyor line to another (for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

[0003] A conventional transfer device includes a first conveying unit that conveys the object in a first conveying direction, a second conveying unit that conveys the object in a second conveying direction that intersects the first conveying direction, and a lifting unit that raises and lowers the second conveying unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-26378 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2017-30949 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the transfer devices of Patent Documents 1 and 2, since the transfer device has a lifting unit in addition to the transport unit, the thickness dimension is larger than other parts of the conveyor line. Moreover, since the lifting unit lifts and lowers only the second transport unit by a large amount while supporting the load of the second transport unit, there is a limit to how small the actuator can be, and there is a problem that it is difficult to make the transfer device thinner.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a transfer device which reduces the output required for an actuator, suppresses the amount of lifting and lowering of a transport unit, and enables a thinner device to be manufactured. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the transfer device of the present invention comprises a first conveying unit having a first frame body having a plurality of first pillar portions extending from a bottom and a first conveying section supported by the first frame body and conveying the conveyed object in a first conveying direction, a second frame body having a plurality of second pillar portions extending from a bottom and a second conveying section supported by the second frame body and conveying the conveyed object in a second conveying direction intersecting the first conveying direction, and a lifting unit for lifting and lowering the first conveying unit and the second conveying unit. The lifting unit is driven by an actuator to rotate within a predetermined angular range around a rotation axis, and has a lift arm section that extends in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis and has one end and the other end formed at positions on either side of the rotation axis for the first pillar sections and the second pillar sections, the first pillar section is rotatably supported by a first support section provided at the one end of the lift arm section, and the second pillar section is rotatably supported by a second support section provided at the other end of the lift arm section, and when the lift arm section rotates in the forward direction so that the first support section is positioned above the second support section, the first transport unit is capable of transporting the transported object, and when the lift arm section rotates in the reverse direction so that the second support section is positioned above the first support section, the second transport unit is capable of transporting the transported object. Effect of the Invention

[0008] As a result, the transfer device of the present invention can reduce the output required for the actuator, and can also reduce the amount of lifting and lowering of the transport unit, thereby making it possible to reduce the thickness. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of a conveyor line equipped with a transfer device. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4A] 4 is a view of an A-type roller unit as seen in the direction of an arrow AR1 shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 4B] 4 is a view of a roller unit part of type B as seen from the direction of an arrow AR1 shown in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] 3 is a partially see-through view of the transfer device as seen from the direction of the arrow AR2 shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lifting unit from the opposite side. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a detailed view showing an installation state of the electric cylinder. [Figure 10A] FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of a first lift arm portion in a state in which the first transport unit, the second transport unit, and the lifting unit are combined. [Figure 10B] FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a first lift arm portion in a state in which the first transport unit, the second transport unit, and the lifting unit are combined. [Figure 11A] FIG. 13 is an enlarged front view of a second lift arm portion in a state in which the first transport unit, the second transport unit, and the lifting unit are combined. [Figure 11B] FIG. 13 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of a second lift arm section in a state in which the first transport unit, the second transport unit, and the lifting unit are combined. [Figure 12A] FIG. 4 is a front view of the transfer device in which the electric cylinder is in an extended state. [Figure 12B] FIG. 4 is a front view of the transfer device in which the electric cylinder is in a contracted state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a transfer device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing an example of a conveyor line CL equipped with a transfer device 1.

[0011] 1, the conveyor line CL includes a first belt conveyor BC1 and a second belt conveyor BC2 that convey objects in a first conveying direction D1, a third belt conveyor BC3 that conveys objects in a second conveying direction D2 intersecting the first conveying direction D1, and a transfer device 1. The transfer device 1 is disposed between the first belt conveyor BC1 and the second belt conveyor BC2, and transfers objects conveyed on the first belt conveyor BC1 in the first conveying direction D1 to the third belt conveyor BC3 as necessary, so that the objects can be conveyed in the second conveying direction D2.

[0012] <Transfer device> FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the transfer device 1, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the transfer device 1. FIG. 4A is a view of the roller unit part 19A of type A seen from the direction of the arrow AR1 shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 4B is a view of the roller unit part 19B of type B seen from the same direction. FIG. 5 is a view of the transfer device 1 seen from the direction of the arrow AR2 shown in FIG. 2, with a part being seen through. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the front-rear direction (length direction) L, the left-right direction (width direction) W, and the up-down direction (height direction) H are defined for the transfer device 1. In addition, the front-rear direction (length direction) L is parallel to the first conveying direction D1 shown in FIG. 1, and the left-right direction (width direction) W is parallel to the second conveying direction D2 shown in FIG. 1.

[0013] 2 and 3, the transfer device 1 includes a first transport unit 3, a second transport unit 5, and a lifting unit 7. The transfer device 1 of this embodiment has a rectangular shape with a length direction L of about 90 [cm] and a width direction W of about 90 [cm].

[0014] [First transport unit] The first transport unit 3 is a roller conveyor device in which a plurality of roller rows (roller unit portions 19) are arranged in parallel, and has a first frame body 9 and a first transport section 11.

[0015] The first frame body 9 is a rectangular frame body, and a plurality of (four in this embodiment) first pillar portions 15, 16, 15', 16' extending from the bottom are provided at the corners 13, 14, 13', 14'. The first pillar portions 15, 16, 15', 16' are respectively formed with first fitting grooves 17, 18, 17', 18' that open downward.

[0016] The first conveying section 11 is made up of a plurality of roller unit sections 19 (ten in this embodiment) and a driving section .

[0017] Each roller unit portion 19 has a pair of plate-shaped support plates 23, 23' and a plurality of rollers 25. The support plates 23, 23' are disposed opposite each other in the width direction W and are fixed to the first frame body 9. Each of the plurality of rollers 25 is cylindrical and has a rotation axis extending in the width direction W. The rotation axis passes through an axis hole formed in the support plates 23, 23', and the rollers are sandwiched in a state in which they can rotate about the rotation axis to form a roller row. The plurality of rollers 25 are installed with the same height position, and the tops of the rollers 25 form a first imaginary transfer plane IT1 shown in Figures 4A and 4B.

[0018] In this embodiment, the roller unit section 19 has two types, an A type (see FIG. 4A) and a B type (see FIG. 4B) in which the rollers are arranged at different positions in the front-rear direction L. In the first conveying section 11, the A type and the B type are alternately arranged in the width direction, so that the rollers 25 are arranged in a staggered pattern, and the contact surface with the conveyed object is wider than when a single type of roller unit section is arranged. In FIG. 3, FIG. 4A, and FIG. 4B, the A type roller unit section is marked with the symbol 19A, and the B type roller unit section is marked with the symbol 19B.

[0019] The driving unit 21 is made up of a motor roller 27, a driven roller 28, a plurality of idler pulleys 29, and a belt 31 (not shown in FIG. 3; see FIGS. 4A and 4B).

[0020] In this embodiment, two motor rollers 27 are provided, one for each of the five roller unit portions 19. In the following, the motor rollers 27 (27') are collectively described, with the reference numeral 27 (27'). The motor rollers 27 (27') are arranged with their rotation shafts extending in the width direction W aligned in a straight line, and are fixed to the first frame body 9 in a state rotatable about the rotation shafts. The motor roller 27 (27') is supplied with power and rotates in a rotation direction R1 shown in Figs. 4A and 4B.

[0021] One driven roller 28 is provided for each roller unit portion 19, and is provided at a position farthest from the motor roller 27 (27') in the front-rear direction L. Like the rollers 25, the driven roller 28 and the idler pulleys 29 are each cylindrical with a rotation shaft extending in the width direction W, and are sandwiched in a state where they can rotate about the rotation shaft by passing the rotation shaft through an axis hole formed in the support plates 23, 23'. One belt 31 is provided for each roller unit portion 19, and is wound around the motor roller 27 (27'), the driven roller 28, and the idler pulley 29.

[0022] The idler pulleys 29 adjust the tension of the belt 31 and press the belt 31 against the rollers 25 to transmit the rotation of the motor roller 27 (27') to the rollers 25. As a result, the idler pulleys 29 rotate in the same rotation direction R1 as the motor roller 27 (27'), but the rollers 25 rotate in a rotation direction R2 that is the opposite direction to the rotation direction R1. As a result, the object transported by the first transport section 11 is transported in the first transport direction D1.

[0023] [Second transport unit] The second transport unit 5 is a long roller conveyor device in which a plurality of long rollers are arranged in parallel, and includes a second frame body 33 and a second transport section .

[0024] The second frame body 33 is a rectangular frame body, and a plurality of (four in this embodiment) second pillar portions 39, 40, 39', 40' extending from the bottom are provided at the corners 37, 38, 37', 38'. The second pillar portions 39, 40, 39', 40' are each formed with a second fitting groove 41, 42, 41', 42' that opens downward.

[0025] The second conveying section 35 is composed of a long motor roller 43, a plurality of long rollers 45 (ten in this embodiment), and a ribbed belt 47.

[0026] The long motor roller 43 has a rotating shaft extending in the length direction L, is a long cylindrical shape longer than the rollers 25, and is disposed at the center in the width direction W of the second frame body 33. The long motor roller 43 is clamped in a state where it can rotate around the rotating shaft, with the rotating shaft passing through an axial hole formed in the second frame body 33.

[0027] Like the long motor roller 43, the long roller 45 has a rotating shaft extending in the length direction L, is a long cylindrical shape with the same length dimension as the long motor roller 43, and is arranged five on each side in the width direction W, sandwiching the long motor roller 43. The long rollers 45 have a rotating shaft held in a fitting groove formed in the second frame body 33, and are held in a state in which they can rotate around the rotating shaft.

[0028] The long motor roller 43 and the long roller 45 are installed at the same height, and the tops of the long motor roller 43 and the long roller 45 form a second imaginary transport plane IT2 shown in FIG.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 5, the long motor roller 43 and the long roller 45 are spaced apart so that they are located between the two roller unit parts 19 (roller unit parts 19A, 19B) when the first conveying unit 3 and the second conveying unit 5 are combined.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 3, the ribbed belt 47 is wound around one end 43A of the long motor roller 43 and one end 45A of the long roller 45. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 5, when the long motor roller 43 is powered and rotates in a rotation direction R3, the long roller 45 rotates in the same rotation direction R3. As a result, the object to be conveyed by the second conveying section 35 is conveyed in the second conveying direction D2.

[0031] [Lifting unit] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the lifting unit 7, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the lifting unit 7 from the opposite side.

[0032] The lifting unit 7 is a base for the first transport unit 3 and the second transport unit 5, and is a unit that lifts and lowers the first transport unit 3 and the second transport unit 5. The lifting unit 7 is made up of a third frame body 49, a pair of rotating shafts 51, 51', a lift arm unit (first to fourth lift arm units 53, 55, 53', 55'), and a shaft rotation mechanism 57.

[0033] The third frame body 49 is a rectangular frame body having a support portion 59 extending in the width direction W in the center portion in the length direction L.

[0034] The rotating shaft portion 51 has a first rotating axis AX1 extending parallel to the support portion 59, and is fixed to the third frame body 49 in a state where it can rotate about the first rotating axis AX1. The rotating shaft portion 51' has a second rotating axis AX2 extending parallel to the first rotating axis AX1, and is fixed to the third frame body 49 in a state where it can rotate about the second rotating axis AX2. The rotating shaft portion 51 and the rotating shaft portion 51' are connected by a link mechanism to form a pair and are configured to rotate simultaneously.

[0035] The lift arm section has first to fourth lift arm sections 53, 55, 53', and 55'. The first lift arm section 53 is fixed by inserting an end 51a of the rotating shaft section 51 into a through hole formed in the center, and rotates around the first rotating axis AX1 together with the rotation of the rotating shaft section 51. The first lift arm section 53 has one end 53a and the other end 53b at positions sandwiching the first rotating axis AX1. The first lift arm section 53 also has one surface 53α facing the inside of the third frame body 49 and the other surface 53β opposite to the one surface 53α. The one end 53a of the first lift arm section 53, which is also the one surface 53α, is provided with a first protruding section 53A extending parallel to the first rotating axis AX1 as a first support section. Further, a second protruding portion 53B extending parallel to the first rotation axis AX1 is provided as a second support portion on the other end portion 53b of the first lift arm portion 53, that is, the other surface 53β.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 9, the dimensional distance LE1 between the first rotating axis AX1 and the central axis of the first protruding portion 53A, and the dimensional distance LE2 between the first rotating axis AX1 and the central axis of the second protruding portion 53B are set to 26.5 mm.

[0037] The third lift arm portion 53' has a similar configuration to the first lift arm portion 53, and therefore the reference numerals of the first lift arm portion 53 in Figs. 6 and 7 are marked with "", and a description thereof will be omitted.

[0038] The second lift arm portion 55 is fixed by inserting the end 51b of the rotating shaft portion 51 into a through hole formed in the center, and rotates around the first rotating axis AX1 together with the rotation of the rotating shaft portion 51. The second lift arm portion 55 has one end 55a and the other end 55b at positions sandwiching the first rotating axis AX1. The second lift arm portion 55 also has one surface 55α facing the inside of the third frame body 49 and the other surface 55β opposite to the one surface 55α. The one end 55a of the second lift arm portion 55, which is the one surface 55α, is provided with a first protrusion 55A extending parallel to the first rotating axis AX1 as a first support portion. The other end 55b of the second lift arm portion 55, which is the other surface 55β, is provided with a second protrusion 55B extending parallel to the first rotating axis AX1 as a second support portion.

[0039] Since the fourth lift arm portion 55' has a similar configuration to the second lift arm portion 55, the reference numeral of the second lift arm portion 55 in Figs. 6 and 7 is followed by "", and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0040] FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the shaft rotation mechanism 57, and FIG. 9 is a detailed view showing the installation state of the electric cylinder.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 8, the shaft rotation mechanism 57 includes an electric cylinder (actuator) 61, and first to third link portions 63, 65, and 67 (conversion mechanism).

[0042] The electric cylinder 61 has a housing 69 and an output rod 71, and is controlled by a control unit (not shown) to move the output rod 71 back and forth in the direction of the output axis OA, thereby extending and contracting according to the stroke of the output rod 71. The state indicated by the solid line in Fig. 9 is the contracted state of the electric cylinder 61, and the state indicated by the dashed line is the extended state of the electric cylinder 61. In this embodiment, the weight of the transported object lifted by the first transport unit 3 and the second transport unit 5 is set to 40 kg of transported object + 10 kg (margin for unbalanced load), and the electric cylinder 61 used has a thrust of 30 kg.

[0043] The housing 69 holds an output rod 71, and one end 69a is fixed to the support portion 59. One end 71a of the output rod 71 is held so as to be movable forward and backward relative to the housing, and the other end 71b is fixed to the first link portion 63 so as to be rotatable.

[0044] An output rod 71 is fixed to one end 63a of the first link portion 63. The other end 63b has a through hole formed in it through which the rotating shaft portion 51 is inserted, and the first link portion 63 rotates integrally with the rotating shaft portion 51. As shown in Fig. 9, a dimension distance LE3 between the first rotating shaft AX1 and the rotation center axis of the one end 63a of the first link portion 63 is set to 58 mm.

[0045] Similar to the first link portion 63, the second link portion 65 has a through hole formed in the other end 65b through which the rotary shaft portion 51' is inserted, and rotates integrally with the rotary shaft portion 51'.

[0046] The third link portion 67 has one end 67a connected to one end 63a of the first link portion 63 and the other end 67b connected to one end 65a of the second link portion 65, connecting one end 63a of the first link portion 63 to one end 65a of the second link portion 65, and transmits the movement of the first link portion 63 to the second link portion 65.

[0047] These constitute a conversion mechanism that converts the linear motion of the electric cylinder 61 into the rotational motion of the rotating shaft portion 51, and the first lift arm portion 53 and the second lift arm portion 55 rotate within a predetermined angle range around the first rotating axis AX1. At the same time, the rotating shaft portion 51' also rotates, and the third lift arm portion 53' and the fourth lift arm portion 55' rotate within a predetermined angle range around the second rotating axis AX2.

[0048] That is, taking the first lift arm section 53 as an example, when the electric cylinder 61 changes from a contracted state to an extended state, as shown in Fig. 9, the first lift arm section 53 rotates in the forward direction, and the first protrusion 53A is positioned above the second protrusion 53B. Conversely, when the electric cylinder 61 changes from an extended state to a contracted state, the first lift arm section 53 rotates in the reverse direction, and the second protrusion 53B is positioned above the first protrusion 53A. The same is true for the second lift arm section 55, the third lift arm section 53', and the fourth lift arm section 55'.

[0049] 9, the housing 69 of the electric cylinder 61 is installed so that the output shaft OA is inclined at a predetermined angle θ (15° in this embodiment) with respect to the installation surface S1 of the electric cylinder (surface extending parallel to the first conveying direction D1). This is because, in this embodiment, the link arm ratio required for the electric cylinder 61 to rotate the rotating shaft portion 51 is LE1 (LE2):LE3 = 26.5:58 or more, and this is done in consideration of the link arm ratio, the reduction in the height dimension of the shaft rotating mechanism 57, the load on one end a of the electric cylinder 61, etc.

[0050] <Assembly of the transfer device> Next, the assembly of the transfer device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 10A to FIG. 11B. FIG. 10A is an enlarged front view of the first lift arm section 53 in a state where the first transport unit 3, the second transport unit 5, and the lift unit 7 are combined, and FIG. 10B is an enlarged plan view (schematic view of only parts necessary for explanation). The third lift arm section 53' has the same configuration as the first lift arm section 53, and therefore the reference numerals are written in parentheses in FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B. FIG. 11A is an enlarged front view of the second lift arm section 55 in a state where the first transport unit 3, the second transport unit 5, and the lift unit 7 are combined, and FIG. 11B is an enlarged plan view (schematic view of only parts necessary for explanation). The fourth lift arm section 53' has the same configuration as the second lift arm section 55, and therefore the reference numerals are written in parentheses in FIG. 11A and FIG. 11B.

[0051] When assembling the transfer device 1, first, the first transport unit 3 is installed on the lifting unit 7. Specifically, the first transport unit 3 has a structure in which it is dropped from the top surface, and the first transport unit 3 is lowered from above and installed on the lifting unit 7 as shown in FIG. 3. At this time, the first fitting groove 17 is fitted into the first protrusion 53A of the first lift arm part 53, the first fitting groove 18 is fitted into the first protrusion 55A of the second lift arm part 55, the first fitting groove 17' is fitted into the first protrusion 53A' of the third lift arm part 53', and the first fitting groove 18' is fitted into the first protrusion 55A' of the fourth lift arm part 55'. In this way, the first transport unit 3 is installed on the lifting unit 7 without screwing or the like.

[0052] Next, the second transport unit 5 is installed. Specifically, the second transport unit 5 is also configured to be dropped from the top surface, and the second transport unit 5 is lowered from above onto the lift unit 7 on which the first transport unit 3 has already been installed, as shown in FIG. 3. At this time, the second fitting groove 41 is fitted into the second protrusion 53B of the first lift arm portion 53, the second fitting groove 42 is fitted into the second protrusion 55B of the second lift arm portion 55, the second fitting groove 41' is fitted into the second protrusion 53B' of the third lift arm portion 53', and the second fitting groove 42' is fitted into the second protrusion 55B' of the fourth lift arm portion 55'. As described above, the long motor roller 43 and the long roller 45 are disposed at an interval so as to be positioned between the two roller unit portions 19 (roller unit portions 19A and 19B), so that the first transport unit 3 and the second transport unit 5 can be installed without interference (see FIG. 5). In this manner, the second transport unit 5 is also installed on the lifting unit 7 without screws or the like, resulting in the state shown in FIG.

[0053] <Operation of the transfer device> Next, the operation of the transfer device 1 will be described with reference to Figures 12A and 12B. Figure 12A is a front view of the transfer device 1 with the electric cylinder 61 in an extended state, and Figure 12B is a front view of the transfer device 1 with the electric cylinder 61 in a contracted state. In Figures 12A and 12B, some members not necessary for the description have been removed so that the lifting and lowering of the first transport unit 3 and the second transport unit 5 can be seen. In the following description, the operation of the lift arm section will be described using the first lift arm section 53 as an example.

[0054] The initial state of the transfer device 1 is shown in FIG. 12A. In this state, the electric cylinder 61 of the transfer device 1 is in an extended state, and the first protrusion 53A of the first lift arm 53 is located above the second protrusion 53B. As a result, the first transport unit 3 is lifted above the second transport unit 5, and the first imaginary transport surface IT1 formed by the rollers 25 of the first transport unit 3 is located above the second imaginary transport surface IT2 formed by the long motor roller 43 and the long roller 45 of the second transport unit 5, and is located on the reference transport surface RS (in this embodiment, the second imaginary transport surface IT2 is located 10 mm below the reference transport surface). Therefore, the transported object on the transfer device 1 is transported in the first transport direction D1 by the first transport unit 3 (the rollers 25).

[0055] When the transfer device 1 receives a signal for changing the conveying direction, it contracts the electric cylinder 61, and is in the state shown in FIG. 12B. That is, by contracting the electric cylinder 61, the first lift arm portion 53 rotates within a predetermined angle range, the first protrusion 53A moves downward, and the second protrusion 53B moves upward, so that the second protrusion 53B is positioned above the first protrusion 53A. As a result, the second conveying unit 5 is lifted above the first conveying unit 3, and the second virtual conveying surface IT2 formed by the long motor roller 43 and the long roller 45 of the second conveying unit 5 is positioned above the first virtual conveying surface IT1 formed by the multiple rollers 25 of the first conveying unit 3, and is positioned on the reference conveying surface RS (in this embodiment, the first virtual conveying surface IT1 is positioned 10 mm below the reference conveying surface). Therefore, the object on the transfer device 1 is transported in the second transport direction D2 by the second transport unit 5 (the long motor roller 43 and the long roller 45).

[0056] Furthermore, when the transfer device 1 receives a signal for changing the conveying direction, it extends the electric cylinder 61 and returns to the state of FIG. 12A. That is, by extending the electric cylinder 61, the first lift arm portion 53 rotates within a predetermined angle range, the first protrusion 53A rises upward, and the second protrusion 53B falls downward, so that the first protrusion 53A is positioned above the second protrusion 53B. As a result, the first conveying unit 3 is lifted above the second conveying unit 5, and the first imaginary conveying surface IT1 formed by the multiple rollers 25 of the first conveying unit 3 is positioned above the second imaginary conveying surface IT2 formed by the long motor roller 43 and the long roller 45 of the second conveying unit 5, and is positioned on the reference conveying surface RS. Therefore, the conveyed object on the transfer device 1 is conveyed in the first conveying direction D1 by the first conveying unit 3 (multiple rollers 25).

[0057] <effect> The operation of the transfer device 1 will now be described.

[0058] The transfer device 1 includes the first transport unit 3, the second transport unit 5, and the lifting unit 7 as described above. The lifting unit 7 is driven by an actuator (electric cylinder 61) to rotate within a predetermined angle range around a rotation axis (first rotation axis AX1, second rotation axis AX2), and has lift arm sections (first to fourth lift arm sections 53, 55, 53', 55') that extend in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis and have one end and the other end formed at positions sandwiching the rotation axis, for a plurality of first pillar sections (15, 16, 15', 16') and second pillar sections (39, 40, 39', 40'). The first pillar section is provided at one end of the lift arm section. The second pillar portion is rotatably supported by a first support portion (first protrusions 53A, 55A, 53A', 55A') provided at the other end of the lift arm portion, and the second pillar portion is rotatably supported by a second support portion (second protrusions 53B, 55B, 53B', 55B') provided at the other end of the lift arm portion. When the lift arm portion rotates in the forward direction and the first support portion is positioned above the second support portion, the first conveying unit 3 becomes capable of conveying the conveyed object, and when the lift arm portion rotates in the reverse direction and the second support portion is positioned above the first support portion, the second conveying unit 5 becomes capable of conveying the conveyed object.

[0059] In this way, the load of the first transport unit 3 is applied to one end of the lift arm section (first to fourth lift arm sections 53, 55, 53', 55') with the rotation shaft sandwiched therebetween, and the load of the second transport unit 5 is applied to the other end. Therefore, the first transport unit 3 and the second transport unit 5 act as counterweights against each other, and the output required for the actuator of the lifting unit 7 can be reduced. In addition, the lift arm section (first to fourth lift arm sections 53, 55, 53', 55') rotates within a predetermined angle range, and raises and lowers the first transport unit 3 and the second transport unit 5 like a seesaw in which one is raised and the other is lowered, so that the amount of lifting and lowering of the first transport unit 3 and the second transport unit 5 can also be reduced. Therefore, the transfer device 1 can be made thinner.

[0060] The first support portion is a first protrusion portion (53A, 55A, 53A', 55A') extending parallel to the rotation axis, and the second support portion is a second protrusion portion (53B, 55B, 53B', 55B') extending parallel to the rotation axis. The first pillar portion (15, 16, 15', 16') may have a first fitting groove (17, 18, 17', 18') that fits into the first protrusion portion, and the second pillar portion (39, 40, 39', 40') may have a second fitting groove (41, 42, 41', 42') that fits into the second protrusion portion. In this way, the transfer device 1 can be assembled with a simple structure in which the first transport unit 3 and the second transport unit 5 are simply fitted into the lifting unit 7. In addition, the first transport unit 3 and the second transport unit 5 can be easily removed, making maintenance easy.

[0061] The first protrusion (53A, 55A, 53A', 55A') may be provided on one surface (53α, 55α, 53α', 55α') of the lift arm section, and the second protrusion (53B, 55B, 53B', 55B') may be provided on the other surface (53β, 55β, 53β', 55β') of the lift arm section opposite the surface on which the first protrusion is provided. In this way, the surface of the lift arm section to which the first transport unit 3 is attached and the surface of the lift arm section to which the second transport unit 5 is attached can be different. Therefore, when the first transport unit 3 and the second transport unit 5 are attached to the lifting unit 7, they can be attached without interfering with each other.

[0062] The actuator is an electric cylinder 61 that performs linear motion, and the lifting unit 7 may have a conversion mechanism (first to third link parts 63, 65, 67) that converts the linear motion of the electric cylinder 61 into the rotational motion of the lift arm part. In this way, the shaft rotation mechanism 57 including the actuator can be configured to be compact. In particular, the electric cylinder 61 may be installed at an inclination of 15° with respect to the installation surface S1 of the electric cylinder 61 that extends parallel to the first conveying direction D1. This angle is an appropriate angle taking into consideration the link arm ratio, suppressing the height dimension of the shaft rotation mechanism 57, the load on one end a of the electric cylinder 61, and the like. The actuator may be an air cylinder or the like.

[0063] The first conveying unit 3 may be a roller conveyor device in which a plurality of roller rows are arranged in parallel, and the second conveying unit 5 may be a long roller conveyor device in which a plurality of long rollers are arranged in parallel. With this configuration, it is possible to convey the conveyed object in a first conveying direction D1 and a second conveying direction D2 intersecting the first conveying direction D1.

[0064] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been specifically described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and it goes without saying that modifications are possible within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention.

[0065] For example, the numerical values ​​and numbers in the above example are merely examples, and it goes without saying that other numerical values ​​and numbers may be set.

[0066] In addition, in the above example, the first protrusion was used as the first support and the second protrusion was used as the second support, but it goes without saying that the first pillar portion and the second pillar portion may be rotatably supported on the link arm portion by screwing or the like.

[0067] Furthermore, for example, the first transport unit and the second transport unit in the above example may of course be configured differently. For example, the first transport unit is configured to rotate rollers using a belt, but the belt itself may be configured as the transport surface. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1 Transfer equipment 3 First conveying unit 5 Second conveying unit 7 Lifting unit 9 First frame body 11 First conveyor section 13,14,13´,14´ Corner 15,16,15´,16´ 1st pillar part 17,18,17´,18´ First fitting groove 19 Roller unit section 21 Drive unit 23,23´ Support plate 25 Coro 27,27´ Motor roller 29 Idler pulley 31 Belt 33 Second frame body 35 Second conveyor section 37,38,37´,38´ Corner 39,40,39´,40´ 2nd pillar part 41,42,41´,42´ Second fitting groove 43 Long motor roller 45 Long roller 47 Ribbed Belt 49 3rd frame body 51, 51' Pair of rotating shafts 53,55,53´,55´ Lift arm section 57 Axis Rotation Mechanism 59 Support part 61 Electric Cylinder 63, 65, 67 First to third link parts CL Conveyor Line BC1 First conveyor belt BC2 Second belt conveyor BC3 3rd belt conveyor

Claims

1. a first conveying unit including a first frame body having a plurality of first pillars extending from a bottom portion thereof, and a first conveying section supported by the first frame body and configured to convey an object in a first conveying direction; a second transport unit including a second frame body having a plurality of second pillars extending from a bottom portion thereof, and a second transport section supported by the second frame body and configured to transport the transported object in a second transport direction intersecting with the first transport direction; a lifting unit that lifts and lowers the first transport unit and the second transport unit, the lifting unit is driven by an actuator to rotate within a predetermined angle range around a rotation axis, and has a lift arm portion that extends in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis and has one end and the other end formed at positions on either side of the rotation axis, for the first pillar portions and the second pillar portions; The first pillar portion is rotatably supported by a first support portion provided at the one end of the lift arm portion, The second pillar portion is rotatably supported by a second support portion provided at the other end of the lift arm portion, When the lift arm portion rotates in a forward direction so that the first support portion is positioned above the second support portion, the first transport unit becomes capable of transporting the transported object, and when the lift arm portion rotates in a reverse direction so that the second support portion is positioned above the first support portion, the second transport unit becomes capable of transporting the transported object. A transfer device characterized by:

2. The first support portion is a first protrusion portion extending parallel to the rotation axis, The second support portion is a second protrusion portion extending parallel to the rotation axis, The first pillar portion has a first fitting groove formed therein to fit into the first protrusion portion, The second pillar portion has a second fitting groove formed therein, the second fitting groove fitting into the second protrusion portion.

2. The transfer device according to claim 1 .

3. The first protrusion is provided on one surface of the lift arm portion, The second protrusion is provided on the other surface of the lift arm portion opposite to the one surface on which the first protrusion is provided.

3. The transfer device according to claim 2.

4. The actuator is an electric cylinder that performs linear motion, The lifting unit has a conversion mechanism that converts the linear motion of the electric cylinder into a rotational motion of the lift arm portion.

4. The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer device is a movable member.

5. The electric cylinder is installed at an angle of 15° with respect to a surface on which the electric cylinder is installed that extends parallel to the first conveying direction.

5. The transfer device according to claim 4.

6. the first conveying unit is a roller conveyor device having a plurality of roller rows arranged in parallel; The second conveying unit is a long roller conveyor device in which a plurality of long rollers are arranged in parallel.

4. The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer device is a movable member.

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