Conveyor

Abstract

To enable a proper conveyance control even over a sticky article.SOLUTION: A conveyance device 1 according to one embodiment has a trough 11 that receives an article from outside and conveys the article in a conveyance direction from upstream to downstream and a drive unit 20 that drives the trough. The trough has a plurality of projection parts 92 on a surface 91 for conveying the article, and an opening 91A directed from the surface to the back surface 93 is formed at a downstream end part 92E of a plurality of projection parts.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a conveying device having a trough that receives an object from the outside and conveys the object in a conveying direction from upstream to downstream has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-23386 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when transporting sticky objects with conventional troughs, there is a problem in that the objects do not move easily even when vibration is applied, making transport control difficult.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a conveying device that enables appropriate conveyance control even for sticky articles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A conveying device according to one embodiment includes a trough that receives an item from the outside and conveys the item in a conveying direction from upstream to downstream, and a drive unit that drives the trough, wherein the trough has a plurality of protrusions on its surface along which the item is conveyed, and openings are formed at the downstream ends of the plurality of protrusions, extending from the surface to the back surface.

[0007] A conveying device according to one embodiment comprises a trough that receives items from the outside and conveys the items in a conveying direction from upstream to downstream, and a drive unit that drives the trough, wherein the trough has a first sliding surface having a plurality of openings, and a second sliding surface that blocks part of the openings and is positioned more inward on the trough than the first sliding surface, and wherein the second sliding surface is formed continuously with the first sliding surface on the upstream side, left side, and right side of the openings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a conveying device that enables appropriate conveyance control even for sticky articles. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a conveying device 1 according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of the trough 11 of the transport device 1 according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a part of a surface 91 for conveying articles in the trough 11 of the conveying device 1 according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a view of the trough 11 of the transport device 1 according to one embodiment, viewed from the rear surface 92 side. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an example of the trough 11 of the transport device 1 according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an arrangement pattern of a plurality of protrusions 92 on a surface 91 that conveys an article in the trough 11 of the conveying device 1 according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an arrangement pattern of a plurality of protrusions 92 on a surface 91 that conveys an article in the trough 11 of the conveying device 1 according to one embodiment. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of an arrangement pattern of a plurality of protrusions 92 on a surface 91 that conveys an article in the trough 11 of the conveying device 1 according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description of the drawings, identical or similar parts are designated by identical or similar reference numerals. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic, and the dimensional ratios and the like may differ from those of the actual parts. Therefore, specific dimensions and the like should be determined with reference to the following description. Furthermore, parts in the drawings may have different dimensional relationships and ratios. In this specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant description, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0011] (First embodiment) A transport device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0012] In this embodiment, the conveying device 1 is described as a weighing device configured to measure the mass value of an item using a Roberval mechanism, but the present invention is not limited to such a case.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment includes a dispersing table 10 , a trough 11 , a pool hopper 12 , a weighing hopper 13 , a collecting and discharging chute 15 , and a drive unit 20 .

[0014] The dispersing table 10 disperses the articles (objects to be weighed) dropping from a supplying device (not shown) toward the trough 11.

[0015] For example, the dispersion table 10 in this embodiment is configured so that, by applying vibrations by a vibration mechanism (not shown), the articles are dispersed in the circumferential direction while being transported radially outward. Note that the dispersion table 10 is not limited to this configuration, and may have a mechanism that transports articles toward the trough 11 by rotating around a rotation axis C that extends in the vertical direction. In other words, any configuration may be used as long as it has the function of transporting such articles toward the trough 11.

[0016] For example, such an article may be a soft, sticky food such as raw chicken, but the article is not limited to this. Specifically, the article may be any article, such as fruit such as prunes, or sugar-coated candy.

[0017] The trough 11 receives articles from the outside and transports the articles in a transport direction from upstream to downstream. In this embodiment, the trough 11 is configured to supply articles supplied from the dispersion table 10 to pool hoppers 12 provided corresponding to the respective downstream sides. The drive unit 20 drives the trough 11.

[0018] Pool hoppers 12 temporarily store the articles supplied from trough 11. Gates 12a are provided at the bottom of pool hoppers 12, and by opening and closing gates 12a, the articles to be weighed stored in pool hoppers 12 are discharged into weighing hoppers 13 provided below gates 12a.

[0019] The weighing hoppers 13 temporarily store the articles discharged by the pool hoppers 12. Gates (not shown) are provided below the weighing hoppers 13, and by opening and closing the gates, the articles stored in the weighing hoppers 13 are discharged into a collecting and discharging chute 15 located below the gates.

[0020] The collecting and discharging chute 15 collects the articles discharged from the multiple weighing hoppers 13 and drops them downward.

[0021] An example of the trough 11 of the transport device 1 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the trough 11 has a plurality of protrusions 92 on a surface 91 that transports articles. That is, the surface 91 of the trough 11 that transports articles is subjected to a shuttering process. The shuttering process may be a louvering process. The surface 91 on which the shuttering process is formed is structured so that when the surface 91 is viewed from the front, the other side of the trough 11 cannot be seen, but by shifting the viewpoint, the other side of the trough 11 can be seen.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, an opening 91A extending from the front surface 91 toward the back surface 93 is formed at an end 92E on the downstream side of each of the plurality of protrusions 92.

[0024] In other words, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the trough 11 has a first sliding surface 91 having a plurality of openings 91A, and a second sliding surface 92 that blocks part of the openings 91A and is positioned at a position I inside the trough 11 relative to the first sliding surface 91.

[0025] The second sliding surface 92 is formed continuously with the first sliding surface 91 on the upstream side U, left side L and right side R of the opening 91A.

[0026] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the second running surface 92 has a left planar surface 92L, a right planar surface 92R, and an upper planar surface 92U.

[0027] Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the left side plane 92L is formed so as to rise from the first sliding surface 91 toward the inside I on the left side L of the opening 91A.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 3, the right plane 92R is formed to rise from the first sliding surface 91 toward the inside I on the right side R of the opening 91A.

[0029] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper flat surface 92U is formed so as to connect the left flat surface 92L and the right flat surface 92R.

[0030] On the surface 91 that transports the items in the trough 11, as shown in Figure 4, the items slide from the upper side U to the lower side D along the upper plane 92U of the first sliding surface 91 and the second sliding surface 92 due to a driving force from the driving unit 20, etc.

[0031] According to this configuration, a protrusion (second sliding surface) 92 is provided on the surface 91 that transports the articles in the trough 11, thereby reducing the contact area between the highly sticky articles and the surface 91, reducing adhesion of the articles to the surface 91, and enabling appropriate transport control.

[0032] Furthermore, even when a highly sticky article comes into contact with surface 91, air flows in through opening 91A. This allows an air layer to be formed between surface 91 and the article, and air pressure is applied even when the surface 91 is placed in contact with the article. This reduces the adhesion of the article to surface 91.

[0033] Furthermore, the end 92E restricts the movement of the article in the rearward direction, so that the article is smoothly transported downstream.

[0034] As shown in Figure 2, the density D1 at which the protrusions 92 are formed in a first region A near the downstream end 11E of the trough 11 may be configured to be smaller than the density D2 at which the protrusions 92 are formed in a second region B located upstream of the region A near the downstream end 11E of the trough 11.

[0035] Here, the distance between the protruding portions 92 in the first region A may be set longer than the distance between the protruding portions 92 in the second region B, so that the density D1 is set smaller than the density D2.

[0036] Alternatively, the density D1 may be configured to be smaller than the density D2 by providing a region in part of the first region A where the protrusions 92 are not present (region C1 in the example of FIG. 2).

[0037] According to this configuration, the conveyance speed on the surface 91 of the trough 11 is reduced by intentionally reducing the conveyance of the articles in the area A near the downstream end 11E of the trough 11, thereby preventing the articles from flowing too far. As a result, the articles slow down at the tip of the trough 11, reducing the chance of the articles accidentally falling into the pool hopper 12.

[0038] For example, when conveying elastic items such as meat, the contact area increases due to deformation of the items in region A near downstream end 11E of trough 11, reducing the conveying speed.

[0039] In addition, the height H (see Figure 4) of the protrusion 92 formed in the first region A of the trough 11 may be configured to be lower than the height H of the protrusion 92 formed in the second region B of the trough 11.

[0040] With this configuration, when a highly sticky object comes into contact with the surface 91 in the first area A, the amount of air flowing in through the opening 91A can be reduced. As a result, the layer of air formed between the surface 91 and the object becomes thinner. As a result, compared to the second area B, the object remains attached to the surface 91, the conveying speed of the object can be reduced, and the object can be prevented from flowing too fast. As a result, the unintentional dropping of the object into the pool hopper 12 can be reduced.

[0041] 2, the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment may have standing portions 21 that stand up from the surface 91 at both ends of the trough 11 in the width direction W that intersects with the conveying direction MD. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the standing portions 21 may have a plurality of protrusions 22 on a surface 23 on the inside in the width direction W.

[0042] 3 and 4, an opening 21A facing from the front surface 23 to the back surface 24 may be formed at the downstream end 22E of the plurality of protruding portions 22 of the standing portion 21.

[0043] In other words, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the trough 11 has a first sliding surface 23 having a plurality of openings 21A, and a second sliding surface 22 that blocks part of the openings 21A and is positioned at a position I inside the trough 11 relative to the first sliding surface 23.

[0044] The second sliding surface 22 is formed continuously with the first sliding surface 23 on the upstream side U, left side L and right side R of the opening 21A.

[0045] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the second running surface 22 has a left plane 22L, a right plane 22R, and an upper plane 22U.

[0046] Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the left side plane 22L is formed so as to rise from the first sliding surface 23 toward the inside I on the left side L of the opening 21A.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 3, the right plane 22R is formed to rise from the first sliding surface 23 toward the inside I on the right side R of the opening 21A.

[0048] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper flat surface 22U is formed so as to connect the left flat surface 22L and the right flat surface 22R.

[0049] According to this configuration, by providing the protrusion 22 also on the upright portion 21 that contacts the side surface of the article, the conveying speed of the article can be controlled more reliably.

[0050] 5, the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment may have a reinforcing member 51 on the rear surface 93 side in the first region A near the downstream end 11E of the trough 11. As shown in FIG. 2, a region C1 on the front surface facing the region on the rear surface 93 where the reinforcing member 51 is provided may be configured so as not to have a protrusion 92.

[0051] 5, the reinforcing member 51 may extend to the rear surface 24 of the standing portion 21. In this case, as shown in FIG. 2, the protrusion 92 may not be provided in an area C2 on the front surface that faces the area of ​​the rear surface 24 where the reinforcing member 51 is provided.

[0052] According to this configuration, the strength of the trough 11 can be increased, and the density D1 can be made smaller than the density D2.

[0053] Here, the reinforcing member 51 provided on the back surface 93 side in the first region A and the reinforcing member 51 provided on the back surface 24 side of the standing portion 21 may be integral with each other or may be formed from separate members.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 5, the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment may have an attachment portion 31 and a joint portion.

[0055] 6, the mounting portion 31 is configured by a member that extends in the conveying direction MD and has a U-shaped cross section that is open at the top. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the mounting portion 31 is attached to an area of ​​the trough 11 where no protrusion 92 is provided.

[0056] The joint 32 is attached to the attachment part 31 and is detachable from the main body of the conveying device 1. For example, as shown in Fig. 6, the joint 32 is attached to the lower surface 31D of the attachment part 31. Also, as shown in Fig. 5, the joint 32 has a circular shape corresponding to the attachment part (not shown) of the main body of the conveying device 1.

[0057] According to this configuration, the mounting portion 31 is attached to an area of ​​the trough 11 where the protrusion 92 is not provided, so that the trough 11 can be attached to the main body of the conveying device 1 without affecting the positioning of the protrusion 92 on the trough 11.

[0058] As shown in Fig. 6, the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment may have a rib 41 that is bent toward the rear surface 93 at the downstream end 11E of the trough 11. Note that, as shown in Fig. 6, the rib 41 may extend to the downstream end of the standing portion 21. With this configuration, the strength of the trough 11 can be further increased.

[0059] In the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment, the plurality of protrusions 92 may be arranged on the surface 91 along the conveying direction MD, as shown in FIGS.

[0060] For example, as shown in Fig. 7, the plurality of protrusions 92 may be arranged in a plurality of rows parallel to the conveying direction MD on the surface 91. In the example of Fig. 7, the number of rows formed by the arrangement of the protrusions 92 is two, but the number may be three or more.

[0061] Furthermore, in the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment, the number of protrusions 92 arranged along the width direction W may vary depending on the position in the conveying direction MD, as shown in Fig. 8. In the example of Fig. 8, along the conveying direction MD, there are a mixture of positions where the number of protrusions 92 arranged along the width direction W is one and positions where the number of protrusions 92 arranged along the width direction W is two, but the number of protrusions 92 arranged along the width direction W is not limited to this number and may be any number.

[0062] Furthermore, in the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 9, the number of protrusions 92 arranged along the width direction W may be the same regardless of the position in the conveying direction MD. Here, as shown in Fig. 9, the positions of the protrusions 92 in the width direction W may differ depending on the position in the conveying direction MD. In the example of Fig. 9, a case is given in which the number of protrusions 92 arranged along the width direction W is two, but the present invention is not limited to this case and is also applicable to a case in which the number of protrusions 92 arranged along the width direction W is three or more.

[0063] Although the present invention has been described in detail using the above-described embodiments, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present invention can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the claims. Therefore, the description in this specification is intended to be illustrative and explanatory and does not have any limiting meaning on the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1...Transportation device 10...Dispersion table 11...Trough 12...Pool Hopper 13...Weighing hopper 15...Collective discharge chute 20...Drive unit 21...Standing part 21A, 91A…Aperture 22...Protruding part 23…Surface 24, 93...Back side 31...Mounting part 32…Joint part 41...Rib 51...Reinforcing member 91...Surface (first running surface) 92...Protrusion (second running surface)

Claims

1. a trough that receives an article from an external device and transports the article in a transport direction from upstream to downstream; a drive unit that drives the trough, the trough has a plurality of protrusions on a surface along which the article is conveyed; an opening extending from the front surface to the rear surface is formed at downstream ends of the plurality of protrusions; A conveying device, wherein the density at which the protrusions are formed in a first region near the downstream end of the trough is lower than the density at which the protrusions are formed in a second region located upstream of the region near the downstream end of the trough.

2. a trough that receives an article from an external device and transports the article in a transport direction from upstream to downstream; a drive unit that drives the trough, the trough has a plurality of protrusions on a surface along which the article is conveyed; an opening extending from the front surface to the rear surface is formed at downstream ends of the plurality of protrusions; A conveying device, wherein the height of the protrusion formed in a first region near the downstream end of the trough is lower than the height of the protrusion formed in a second region located upstream of the first region near the downstream end of the trough.

3. a trough that receives an article from an external device and transports the article in a transport direction from upstream to downstream; a drive unit that drives the trough, the trough has a plurality of protrusions on a surface along which the article is conveyed; an opening extending from the front surface to the rear surface is formed at downstream ends of the plurality of protrusions; The trough has upstanding portions that stand up from the surface at both ends in a width direction intersecting the conveying direction, The upright portion has a plurality of protrusions on an inner surface in the width direction, A conveying device in which openings facing from the front surface to the back surface are formed at downstream ends of the multiple protrusions of the upright portion.

4. a trough that receives an article from an external device and transports the article in a transport direction from upstream to downstream; a drive unit that drives the trough, the trough has a plurality of protrusions on a surface along which the article is conveyed; an opening extending from the front surface to the rear surface is formed at downstream ends of the plurality of protrusions; a reinforcing member on the rear surface side in the first region near the downstream end of the trough; A conveying device, wherein the protrusion is not provided in an area of ​​the front surface opposite to the area of ​​the back surface where the reinforcing member is provided.

5. A conveying device, a trough that receives an article from an external device and transports the article in a transport direction from upstream to downstream; a drive unit that drives the trough, the trough has a plurality of protrusions on a surface along which the article is conveyed; an opening extending from the front surface to the rear surface is formed at downstream ends of the plurality of protrusions; an attachment portion that is attached to an area of ​​the trough where the protrusion is not provided, extends in the conveying direction, and has a U-shaped cross section that is open at the top; a joint portion attached to the underside of the mounting portion and detachable from the main body of the conveying device.

6. The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a rib bent toward the rear surface at a downstream end of the trough.

7. 7. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of protrusions are arranged in a plurality of rows parallel to the conveying direction.

8. a trough that receives food from an external source and transports the food in a transport direction from upstream to downstream; a drive unit that drives the trough, The trough is a first running surface having a plurality of openings; a second running surface that closes the opening and is positioned more inward of the trough than the first running surface; The second sliding surface is formed continuously with the first sliding surface on the upstream side, left side, and right side of the opening, The second running surface is a left side plane rising from the first running surface toward the inside on the left side of the opening; a right plane rising from the first running surface toward the inside on the right side of the opening; an upper planar surface connecting the left planar surface and the right planar surface; A conveying device, wherein the left planar surface, the right planar surface, and the upper planar surface entirely cover the opening.

9. a trough that receives an article from an external device and transports the article in a transport direction from upstream to downstream; a drive unit that drives the trough, The trough is a first running surface having a plurality of openings; a second running surface that closes the opening and is positioned more inward of the trough than the first running surface; The second sliding surface is formed continuously with the first sliding surface on the upstream side, left side, and right side of the opening, The second running surface is a left side plane rising from the first running surface toward the inside on the left side of the opening; a right plane rising from the first running surface toward the inside on the right side of the opening; an upper planar surface connecting the left planar surface and the right planar surface; A combination weighing device, wherein the left plane, the right plane, and the upper plane cover the entire opening.

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