Conveying device

Abstract

The transport device includes: a transport unit having a transport surface for transporting an article; the posture changing part is arranged on one side part of the conveying part and is configured to be capable of switching an advancing and retreating position between a first state in which the posture changing part advances towards the other side part of the conveying part and a second state in which the posture changing part retreats from the first state towards the one side part. The posture changing part can change at least one of the position and the posture of the article through interference with the conveyed article; a detection unit that is provided on the upstream side of the orientation changing unit in the conveying direction of the article, and that detects at least one of the position and orientation of the article in a direction intersecting the conveying direction; and a control unit that controls the advance / retreat position of the posture changing unit between the first state and the second state. The control unit determines whether or not to cause the article to interfere with the posture changing unit on the basis of at least one of the position and posture detected by the detection unit, and controls the advance / retreat position of the posture changing unit in accordance with the determination result.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a conveying device. Background Technology

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a conveying device comprising: a conveyor having a horizontal conveying surface; a posture switching member capable of switching between a first state in which it protrudes in a manner interfering with a portion of the direction of travel of the conveyed object moving on the horizontal conveying surface, or a second state in which it disengages from the conveying track of the conveyed object; a guiding member that guides the conveyed object along the direction of travel at a position upstream of the posture switching member in the direction of travel; and a control unit that controls the switching action of the first state and the second state of the posture switching member.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-39993 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] In the aforementioned existing conveying device, the posture switching component is protruded in a first state and interferes with the conveyed item (article) supplied from the upstream device, thereby causing it to rotate in a manner that changes the orientation of the conveyed item. However, the conveying state of the conveyed item supplied from the upstream device is at various angles relative to the conveying direction, or at various positions in directions intersecting the conveying direction, which may lead to deviations. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the control of the posture of the conveyed item.

[0008] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a conveying device that can more appropriately control the posture of the conveyed items according to the conveying state of the items.

[0009] Technical solutions for solving technical problems

[0010] (1) A conveying device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a conveying section having a conveying surface for conveying an article; a posture changing section provided on one side of the conveying section and configured to switch between a first state of advancing toward the other side of the conveying section and a second state of retreating toward one side from the first state, the posture changing section being able to change at least one of the position and posture of the article by interfering with the article being conveyed; a detection section provided on the upstream side of the posture changing section in the conveying direction of the article, detecting at least one of the position and posture of the article along a direction intersecting the conveying direction; and a control section controlling the advance and retreat position of the posture changing section between the first state and the second state, the control section determining whether the article interferes with the posture changing section based on at least one of the position and posture detected by the detection section, and controlling the advance and retreat position of the posture changing section according to the determination result.

[0011] In a conveying apparatus according to one aspect of this disclosure, a detection unit detects at least one of the position and orientation of an article along a direction intersecting the conveying direction. Based on the position and orientation detected by the detection unit, a control unit determines whether the article will interfere with an orientation change unit, and controls the forward and backward position of the orientation change unit according to the determination result. Thus, by considering at least one of the position and orientation of the article along a direction intersecting the conveying direction when controlling the forward and backward position of the orientation change unit, the control unit can more appropriately control the forward and backward position of the orientation change unit according to the conveying state of the article, for example, compared to a structure that does not consider the position and orientation of the article. Therefore, according to a conveying apparatus according to one aspect of this disclosure, the orientation of the conveyed article can be more appropriately controlled according to the conveying state of the article.

[0012] (2) Alternatively, in (1) above, the shape of the item, when viewed from above, is approximately rectangular with a long side and a short side. When the control unit predicts that the short side of the item will interfere with the posture change unit in the first forward / backward position, it controls the forward / backward position of the posture change unit to achieve the second forward / backward position. In this case, by preventing the short side of the item from interfering with the posture change unit in the first forward / backward position, it is possible to suppress the item from rotating in a manner where the long side of the item intersects more significantly with the conveying direction.

[0013] (3) Alternatively, in (1) or (2) above, the shape of the item, when viewed from above, is approximately rectangular with a long side and a short side. When the long side of the item is detected by the detection unit to be approximately parallel to the conveying direction, the control unit controls the forward / backward position of the posture changing unit to achieve the second forward / backward position. In this case, for example, by preventing the item from interfering with the posture changing unit in the second forward / backward position, it is possible to maintain the posture where the long side of the item is approximately parallel to the conveying direction.

[0014] (4) Alternatively, in (2) above, the conveying device includes an ejection device for removing the article from the conveying section. When the control unit predicts that the short side of the article will interfere with the posture change section in the second state (advance / retreat position), it controls the ejection device to remove the article from the conveying section. In this case, by removing the article from the conveying section, interference between the short side of the article and the posture change section in the second state (advance / retreat position) can be suppressed, and the rotation of the article in a manner that crosses the conveying direction more significantly with respect to the long side direction can be suppressed.

[0015] (5) Alternatively, in (1) above, the shape of the item, when viewed from above, is approximately rectangular with a long side and a short side. The posture changing unit can switch its forward / backward position to a third state in which it moves forward toward the other side of the conveyor with a different forward amount than in the first state. When the control unit predicts that the short side of the item interferes with the posture changing unit in the first state's forward / backward position, and predicts that the long side of the item interferes with the posture changing unit in the third state's forward / backward position, it controls the forward / backward position of the posture changing unit to achieve the third state's forward / backward position. In this case, by causing the long side of the item to interfere with the posture changing unit in the third state's forward / backward position, the long side of the item can be rotated along the conveying direction.

[0016] (6) Alternatively, in any of (1) to (5) above, the posture changing unit has: an interference member including a first surface along the conveying direction and a second surface along a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction; and an actuator for switching the position of the interference member along a direction intersecting the conveying direction. In this case, by driving the actuator to move the interference member, the forward and backward position of the posture changing unit can be controlled.

[0017] The effects of the invention

[0018] According to this disclosure, the posture of the transported items can be more appropriately controlled based on the transport status of the items. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an article receiving system that includes the conveying device involved in the embodiment.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the structure of an item containment system.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the structure of an item containment device.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic perspective view showing the structure of the item containment device.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional view of the container for receiving items being moved into the conveyor, viewed from the side of the conveyor.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic top view of the conveying device involved in the embodiment.

[0025] Figure 7 Figure (a) is an example of the detection results from the detection department.

[0026] Figure 7 (b) is a diagram showing other examples of the detection results from the detection department.

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic top view illustrating a first control example for explaining the forward and backward positions of the posture change unit.

[0028] Figure 9 This is a schematic top view illustrating a second control example for explaining the forward and backward positions of the posture change unit.

[0029] Figure 10 This is a schematic top view illustrating a third control example for explaining the forward and backward positions of the posture change unit.

[0030] Figure 11 This is a schematic top view illustrating the fourth control example of the forward and backward position of the posture change unit.

[0031] Figure 12 This is a schematic top view illustrating the fifth control example of the forward and backward position of the posture change unit. Detailed Implementation

[0032] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that in the description of the drawings, the same or equivalent elements are labeled with the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0033] like Figure 1As shown, the item storage system 100 includes, for example, multiple item storage devices 1. These multiple item storage devices 1 are arranged in a row. In the item storage system 100, for example, different types of items are stored in boxes B within each item storage device 1. In this embodiment, the items are bags G sealed with contents. The box B is, for example, corrugated cardboard.

[0034] like Figure 2 As shown, the item containment system 100 includes a comprehensive controller 110. The comprehensive controller 110 controls the entire item containment system 100. The comprehensive controller 110 can be configured as a computer having a processor, main storage, auxiliary storage, communication control unit, input device, and output device. The comprehensive controller 110 can be configured as a single computer or multiple computers. For example, the comprehensive controller 110 is configured to communicate with multiple item containment devices 1 via wired or wireless means, and generate action signals to control the operation of the item containment devices 1.

[0035] In the upstream process of the conveying path of bag G in the article receiving device 1, a metering device (not shown) and a bag making and packaging machine are installed. Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 As shown, the item storage device 1 includes an item conveying unit 10, an item arranging unit 20, a storage mechanism 30, a box conveying unit 40, a leveling mechanism 50, and a control unit 60.

[0036] The article conveying unit 10 receives bags G from the upstream process equipment and conveys the bags G to the article arranging unit 20. The article conveying unit 10 includes a posture control conveyor 11 and a transfer conveyor 12. The transfer conveyor 12 conveys the bags G from the posture control conveyor 11 to the article arranging unit 20. The posture control conveyor 11 and the control unit 60 constitute part of the conveying device 70 according to the embodiment. Details regarding the conveying device 70 will be described below.

[0037] The conveying surface of the feed conveyor 12 is inclined relative to the horizontal plane. A support conveyor 13 is provided at the lower end of the feed conveyor 12 in the inclined direction. This support conveyor 13 supports the bag G to prevent it from falling off and guides the bag G in the conveying direction. The bag G, moving on the upper side of the conveying surface of the feed conveyor 12 in the inclined direction, slides down towards the support conveyor 13 while moving due to the component of gravity along the inclined direction, and then moves along the support conveyor 13. The conveying surface of the support conveyor 13 moves along the travel direction of the conveying surface of the feed conveyor 12.

[0038] like Figure 4 as well as Figure 5As shown, bag G is conveyed downstream of the infeed conveyor 12. When the front end of bag G reaches the front end of the infeed conveyor 12, bag G lands on the arranging conveyor 21 in a landing posture that maintains the posture it had when leaving the infeed conveyor 12. The item arranging section 20 arranges the bags G supplied from the item conveying section 10. In the item arranging section 20, a portion of the bags G that fall later lands on the arranging conveyor 21, while the remaining portion leans against the bags G in front and tilts. In the item arranging section 20, after the last bag G in the column lands on the arranging conveyor 21, the arranging conveyor 21 and the outfeed conveyor 22 start operating simultaneously. The N bags G arranged in a column move as an item group to the outfeed conveyor 22, and the item group already on the outfeed conveyor 22 continues to move on the outfeed conveyor 22.

[0039] The containment mechanism 30 contains (transfers) multiple bags G arranged in the item arrangement section 20 into the box B. The containment mechanism 30 is a parallel linkage robot with 3 sets of linkages.

[0040] The box conveyor 40 is a belt conveyor that transports boxes B. When the bag G is received into the box B by the receiving mechanism 30, the box conveyor 40 transports the box B.

[0041] The leveling mechanism 50 presses down on the bag G housed in the box B to flatten it. The leveling mechanism 50 is located upstream or downstream of the box conveying section 40 in the conveying direction relative to the housing mechanism 30.

[0042] The control unit 60 controls the operation of the item containing device 1. The control unit 60 is a computer or circuit composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read-Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The ROM stores programs for controlling the item containing device 1. The control unit 60 can also communicate with the integrated controller 110.

[0043] The control unit 60 controls the operation of the item conveying unit 10, the item arranging unit 20, the receiving mechanism 30, the box conveying unit 40, the leveling mechanism 50, and the conveying device 70. The control unit 60 controls each part (mechanism) based on the production information sent from the integrated controller 110.

[0044] The structure of the conveying device 70 will be described in more detail. The conveying device 70 is a device for conveying the bag G while controlling the posture of the bag G, so that the posture of the bag G supplied from the upstream process becomes the prescribed posture in the downstream process.

[0045] like Figure 6As shown, as an example, the conveying device 70 includes a posture control conveyor 11 (conveyor section), an item guide conveyor 14, a turntable 15 (posture change section), a linear sensor 18 (detection section), an air nozzle (removal device) 19, and a control section 60. It should be noted that the posture control conveyor 11, the item guide conveyor 14, the turntable 15, the linear sensor 18, and the air nozzle may also be included in the item conveying section 10.

[0046] The posture control conveyor 11 is a conveyor installed upstream of the loading conveyor 12 of the article receiving device 1. The posture control conveyor 11 causes the belt to travel in a predetermined conveying direction D1, forming the conveying surface 11a of the conveying bag G. The posture control conveyor 11 has a predetermined width in the intersecting direction D2, which intersects (or is orthogonal to) the conveying direction D1. When the posture control conveyor 11 is moving forward in the conveying direction D1, it has a side portion 11b on the left side along the intersecting direction D2 and another side portion 11c on the right side along the intersecting direction D2. In the following description, the direction moving forward in the conveying direction D1 is referred to as "forward", the left side along the intersecting direction D2 is referred to as "left", and the right side along the intersecting direction D2 is referred to as "right".

[0047] The item import conveyor 14 is a conveyor positioned upstream of the posture control conveyor 11 in the conveying direction D1. The item import conveyor 14 is connected to the posture control conveyor 11 with a predetermined gap in the conveying direction D1. The item import conveyor 14 has, for example, the same width as the posture control conveyor 11 in the cross direction D2. The item import conveyor 14 can also be configured such that its two ends in the cross direction D2 are aligned with the two ends in the cross direction D2 of the posture control conveyor 11.

[0048] The article conveyor 14 receives bags G that have passed weight, sealing, and foreign matter contamination checks from the upstream process in the bag G's transport path. For example, a distributor (not shown) may be provided on the upstream side of the article conveyor 14. The distributor is a device that, while conveying multiple bags G that have passed weight, sealing, and foreign matter contamination checks, separates the bags G from each other and supplies them to the downstream process one by one at predetermined intervals. Known devices can be used as the distributor.

[0049] In both the attitude control conveyor 11 and the article feeding conveyor 14, a conveying reference line 11d can be set. The conveying reference line 11d is an imaginary straight line that serves as a reference for the position of the bag G supplied from the distributor in the intersecting direction D2. For example, the conveying reference line 11d is set to a position with a predetermined margin by setting it from the other side 11c of the attitude control conveyor 11.

[0050] exist Figures 6-12 In the diagram, bags G10 to G18 are shown as examples of bags G, differing in at least one of their positions and orientations. The shape of each bag G, for example, when viewed from above, is a roughly rectangular shape with long and short sides. Ideally, the bags G supplied from the distributor are, as... Figure 6 Like bag G10, with its long side aligned with the conveying direction D1, it is desirable for the long side of bag G10 to coincide with the conveying reference line 11d. However, generally, the bag G supplied from the distributor is in a state where at least one of its position and orientation differs from the ideal state of bag G10. By controlling the orientation of such bag G, at least the long side of bag G is adjusted to be aligned with the conveying direction D1, and bag G is supplied to the loading conveyor 12 of the article receiving device 1, thereby stabilizing the accumulation and transfer of bag G within the article receiving device 1.

[0051] The turntable 15 is a mechanism configured to change at least one of the position and orientation of the conveyed bag G. The turntable 15 is disposed on one side 11b of the orientation control conveyor 11. The turntable 15 has, for example, an interference member 16 and an actuator 17.

[0052] The interference member 16 is a component used to interfere with the conveyed bag G. The interference member 16 can, for example, be an L-shaped plate component viewed from above. The interference member 16 includes a first surface 16a along the conveying direction D1 and a second surface 16b along the intersecting direction D2. The length of the first surface 16a along the conveying direction D1 and the length of the second surface 16b along the intersecting direction D2 can be lengths corresponding to the dimensions of the attitude control conveyor 11, the dimensions of the bag G, and the movable range of the interference member 16, as described later.

[0053] Actuator 17 is a mechanism for switching the position of interference member 16 along the intersecting direction D2. Actuator 17 has, for example, a cylinder 17b, which is configured to extend and retract rod 17a along a telescoping direction D3 parallel to the intersecting direction D2. The front end of rod 17a is mounted on the first surface 16a of interference member 16. Cylinder 17b is mounted on the frame of article receiving device 1, etc., via servo motor 17c. Servo motor 17c supports cylinder 17b in a manner that allows it to move along a moving direction D4 parallel to the intersecting direction D2.

[0054] In actuator 17, firstly, with rod 17a extended, the forward / reverse position P1 of the first surface 16a of interference member 16 is adjusted. This is done assuming the short side on the right side coincides with the transport reference line 11d. Figure 6When the double-dotted line is drawn, the servo motor 17c is used to move the cylinder 17b and adjust the forward and backward position P1 so that the position of the bag G11 along the cross direction D2 is 1 / 3 to 1 / 2 of the distance from the short side of the left side of the bag G11.

[0055] The control unit 60 controls the position of the turntable 15 between a first state of advancing toward the other side 11c of the posture control conveyor 11 and a second state of retreating from the first state toward one side 11b. The control unit 60 controls the position of the turntable 15, for example, by extending or retracting the rod 17a of the cylinder 17b.

[0056] After adjusting the aforementioned forward / backward position P1, with the position of the servo motor 17c fixed, the control unit 60 extends and retracts the rod 17a of the cylinder 17b, thereby adjusting the position of the first surface 16a of the interference member 16 to any one of, for example, forward / backward position P1, forward / backward position P2, and forward / backward position P3. Forward / backward positions P1, P2, and P3 correspond to the first, second, and third states of the turntable 15, respectively. Thus, the turntable 15 is configured to switch between the first state, the second state, and the third state, where it advances towards the other side 11c of the posture control conveyor 11 with a different forward amount than in the first state.

[0057] Linear sensor 18 is positioned upstream of turntable 15 in the conveying direction D1 of bag G, detecting at least one of the position and orientation of bag G along the intersecting direction D2. The position of bag G along the intersecting direction D2 is, for example, the position of the four corners of bag G to the left of the intersecting direction D2, based on the conveying reference line 11d. The orientation of bag G is the orientation of bag G as viewed from above on both the orientation control conveyor 11 and the item guide conveyor 14.

[0058] Linear sensor 18, for example, is positioned in the conveying direction D1 between the posture control conveyor 11 and the article guide conveyor 14, and includes a plurality of light-emitting elements disposed above the space through which the bag G passes on the conveying surface 11a, and a plurality of light-receiving sensors disposed below the space. The plurality of light-emitting elements and the plurality of light-receiving sensors are arranged at predetermined intervals along the intersecting direction D2. Light is emitted downward from each of the plurality of light-emitting elements above. The plurality of light-receiving sensors below receive the emitted light.

[0059] The linear sensor 18 calculates at least one of the position and orientation of the bag G along the intersecting direction D2 using known computations, based on whether the bag G blocks the light from the linear sensor 18 and the time it takes for the bag G to pass through. For example, as Figure 7As shown in (a), in a two-dimensional plane with the conveying direction D1 and the crossing direction D2 as axes, the coordinates of the right front corner G12a, the left front corner G12b, the left rear corner G12c, and the right rear corner G12d of bag G12 are used as the position of bag G12 along the crossing direction D2 for detection.

[0060] Similarly, as Figure 7 As shown in (b), in a two-dimensional plane with the conveying direction D1 and the crossing direction D2 as axes, the coordinates of the right front corner G13a, the left front corner G13b, the left rear corner G13c, and the right rear corner G13d of bag G13 are used as the position of bag G13 along the crossing direction D2 for detection.

[0061] Air nozzle 19 is a removal device that removes bag G from the posture control conveyor 11. Air nozzle 19 is supplied with factory air, for example, and the presence or absence of air jetting from air nozzle 19 is controlled by control unit 60. Air nozzle 19 is located on one side 11b of posture control conveyor 11, positioned upstream of the conveying direction D1, closer to the turntable 15. Air nozzle 19 is positioned to jet air downstream of the conveying direction D1 relative to the cross direction D2. When air nozzle 19 jets air onto bag G on posture control conveyor 11, it blows bag G toward the other side 11c, removing it from posture control conveyor 11.

[0062] The control unit 60 predicts (determines) whether the bag G will interfere with the interference member 16 based on at least one of the position and posture detected by the linear sensor 18, and controls the forward and backward position of the interference member 16 according to the determination result. In this embodiment, the control unit 60 controls the forward and backward position of the interference member 16 such that the posture of the bag G is such that the long side of the bag G is oriented along the conveying direction D1.

[0063] In Figure 6 Taking bag G10 as an example, based on the coordinates of the four corners of bag G10 detected by linear sensor 18, the coordinate of the front left corner G10b of bag G10 is located closer to the conveying reference line 11d than the forward / backward position P1. The posture of bag G10 is such that the short side is in front of bag G10 in the conveying direction D1. In this state, since there is no need to change the posture of bag G10, bag G10 is directly conveyed to the end of posture control conveyor 11.

[0064] Next, refer to Figures 8-12 An example of the operation of the conveying device 70 will be explained.

[0065] like Figure 8As shown, bag G14 is conveyed from article guide conveyor 14 to posture control conveyor 11 with its long side tilted at an angle greater than a predetermined angle relative to the conveying direction D1. The predetermined angle is the angle formed by the long side relative to the conveying direction D1, tilted to the degree to which the posture of bag G is desired to be controlled. The predetermined angle can also be a preset parameter. The predetermined angle can also be stored in the control unit 60.

[0066] When bag G14 is being conveyed in this state, linear sensor 18 detects the position and orientation of bag G14. Based on the coordinates of the four corners of bag G14 detected by linear sensor 18, the coordinate of the left front corner G14b, located at the front of bag G14, is positioned closer to the conveying reference line 11d than in the forward / backward position P1, and the orientation of bag G14 is tilted to the right relative to the conveying direction D1. In this case, based on the position of the front corner G14b detected by linear sensor 18 and the orientation of bag G14, control unit 60 predicts that the long side of the left side of bag G14 will interfere with the interference member 16, which is in the first forward / backward position P1. Under this prediction, control unit 60 controls the forward / backward position of interference member 16, so that the first forward / backward position P1 is reached.

[0067] Specifically, the control unit 60 extends the rod 17a of the cylinder 17b, positioning the first surface 16a of the interference member 16 in the forward / reverse position P1. As a result, the long side of the left side of the bag G14 comes into angular contact with the first surface 16a and the second surface 16b of the interference member 16. The bag G14 rotates in the plane around the angle between the first surface 16a and the second surface 16b, correcting its posture by decreasing the angle between its long side and the conveying direction D1. The bag G14 is adjusted by the interference member 16 of the turntable 15 to a posture approximately parallel to the conveying direction D1 and is then conveyed to the end of the posture control conveyor 11.

[0068] like Figure 9 As shown, the long side of bag G15 is approximately parallel to the conveying direction D1. It is conveyed from the item import conveyor 14 to the posture control conveyor 11 while being a specified distance away from the conveying reference line 11d. The specified distance is the distance at which the coordinate of the left front corner G15b of bag G15 is located on the opposite side of the conveying reference line 11d, further away than the forward / backward position P1.

[0069] When bag G15 is being transported in this state, linear sensor 18 detects the position and orientation of bag G15. Based on the coordinates of the four corners of bag G15 detected by linear sensor 18, the coordinate of the front left corner G15b of bag G15 is located on the opposite side of the transport reference line 11d, which is closer to the front than the forward / backward position P1. In this case, based on the position of corner G15b of bag G15 detected by linear sensor 18, control unit 60 predicts that the short side of the front side of bag G15 will interfere with the interference member 16 when it is in the forward / backward position P1 of the first state. Under such prediction, control unit 60 controls the forward / backward position of interference member 16 to achieve the forward / backward position P2 of the second state.

[0070] Specifically, the control unit 60 retracts the rod 17a of the cylinder 17b, positioning the first surface 16a of the interference member 16 in the forward / reverse position P2. As a result, the short side of the front side of the bag G15 does not make angular contact with the first surface 16a and the second surface 16b of the interference member 16, and the bag G15 is conveyed to the end of the posture control conveyor 11 in a posture where the long side direction is approximately parallel to the conveying direction D1.

[0071] like Figure 10 As shown, bag G16 is conveyed from article guide conveyor 14 to posture control conveyor 11 with its long side inclined at an angle less than the aforementioned specified angle relative to the conveying direction D1. The inclined angle less than the aforementioned specified angle is an angle at which the posture control of bag G can be omitted.

[0072] When bag G16 is being transported in this state, the position and orientation of bag G16 are detected by linear sensor 18. Based on the coordinates of the four corners of bag G16 detected by linear sensor 18, the coordinate of the front left corner G16b of bag G16 is located on the opposite side of the transport reference line 11d, which is closer than the forward / backward position P1. In this case, based on the position of corner G16b of bag G16 detected by linear sensor 18 and the orientation of bag G16, control unit 60 predicts that the short side of the front side of bag G16 will interfere with the interference member 16 when it is in the forward / backward position P1 of the first state. Under such prediction, control unit 60 controls the forward / backward position of interference member 16 to achieve the forward / backward position P2 of the second state.

[0073] Specifically, the control unit 60 retracts the rod 17a of the cylinder 17b, positioning the first surface 16a of the interference member 16 in the forward / reverse position P2. As a result, the short side of the front side of the bag G16 does not make angular contact with the first surface 16a and the second surface 16b of the interference member 16, and the bag G16 is conveyed to the end of the posture control conveyor 11 with the long side tilted at an angle less than the aforementioned predetermined angle. It should be noted that even in the posture with the long side tilted at an angle less than the aforementioned predetermined angle, the long side can be adjusted to be aligned with the support conveyor 13 by using the downstream tilted loading conveyor 12 and the support conveyor 13.

[0074] like Figure 11 As shown, bag G17 is tilted at an angle greater than the specified angle relative to the conveying direction D1 along its long side, and is conveyed from item import conveyor 14 to posture control conveyor 11 while moving away from the conveying reference line 11d by a distance greater than the specified distance.

[0075] When bag G17 is conveyed in this state, linear sensor 18 detects the position and posture of bag G17. Based on the coordinates of the four corners of bag G17 detected by linear sensor 18, the coordinate of the front left corner G17b of bag G17 is not only located in the forward / backward position P1, but also in a position on the opposite side of the conveying reference line 11d, which is closer than the forward / backward position P2. In this case, based on the position of corner G17b of bag G17 detected by linear sensor 18 and the posture of bag G17, control unit 60 predicts that the short side of the front side of bag G17 will interfere with the interference member 16 when it is in the second state forward / backward position P2. In this case, when bag G17 is conveyed directly, bag G17 interferes with the interference member 16 in the second state forward / backward position P2 when it is maximally withdrawn to the side 11b. Due to the interference, the long side direction of bag G17 rotating in the plane may significantly intersect with the conveying direction D1.

[0076] Therefore, under such a predicted condition, the control unit 60 controls the air nozzle 19 to remove the bag G17 from the posture control conveyor 11. Specifically, the control unit 60 blows air from the air nozzle 19 toward the conveyed bag G17, blowing the bag G17 toward the other side 11c of the posture control conveyor 11 and removing it from the posture control conveyor 11. In this way, the bag G17 can be prevented from interfering with the interference member 16.

[0077] like Figure 12 As shown, bag G18 is tilted to the right relative to the conveying direction D1 at an angle greater than the aforementioned specified angle along its long side, and is in a state where it has moved away from the conveying reference line 11d by a specified distance (the distance is greater than the specified angle). Figure 10 The distance but less than Figure 11Under the condition of distance), the item is transported from the import conveyor 14 to the posture control conveyor 11.

[0078] When bag G18 is being transported in this state, linear sensor 18 detects the position and posture of bag G18. Based on the coordinates of the four corners of bag G18 detected by linear sensor 18, the coordinate of the left front corner G18b, located at the front of bag G18, is on the opposite side of the transport reference line 11d, which is closer to the front of the transport reference line 11d than in the forward / backward position P1, and is also closer to the transport reference line 11d than in the forward / backward position P3. In this case, based on the position of the front corner G18b detected by linear sensor 18 and the posture of bag G18, control unit 60 predicts that the short side of the front side of bag G18 will interfere with the interference member 16 when it is in the forward / backward position P1 (first state), and predicts that the long side of the left side of bag G18 will interfere with the interference member 16 when it is in the forward / backward position P3 (third state). Under such predictions, control unit 60 controls the forward / backward position of interference member 16 to achieve the forward / backward position P3 (third state).

[0079] Specifically, the control unit 60 extends or retracts the rod 17a of the cylinder 17b, positioning the first surface 16a of the interference member 16 in the forward / reverse position P3. As a result, the long side of the left side of the bag G18 makes angular contact with the first surface 16a and the second surface 16b of the interference member 16. The bag G18 rotates in the plane around the angle between the first surface 16a and the second surface 16b, correcting its posture by decreasing the angle between its long side and the conveying direction D1. The bag G18 is adjusted by the interference member 16 of the turntable 15 to a posture approximately parallel to the conveying direction D1 and is then conveyed to the end of the posture control conveyor 11.

[0080] As explained above, in the conveying device 70, at least one of the position and orientation of the bag G along the intersecting direction D2, which intersects the conveying direction D1, is detected by the linear sensor 18. Based on at least one of the position and orientation detected by the linear sensor 18, the control unit 60 determines whether the bag G will interfere with the interference member 16, and controls the forward and backward position of the interference member 16 according to the determination result. In this way, the forward and backward position of the interference member 16 is controlled by considering at least one of the position and orientation of the bag G along the intersecting direction D2 as the conveying state of the bag G. Therefore, compared with a structure that does not consider the position and orientation of the bag G, the control unit 60 can control the forward and backward position of the interference member 16 more appropriately according to the conveying state of the bag G. Therefore, according to the conveying device 70, the orientation of the conveyed bag G can be controlled more appropriately according to the conveying state of the bag G.

[0081] In the conveying device 70, the bag G, viewed from above, is roughly rectangular with a long side and a short side. When the control unit 60 predicts that the short side of the bag G will interfere with the interference member 16 in the first forward / backward position P1, it controls the forward / backward position of the interference member 16 to achieve the second forward / backward position P2. Thus, by preventing the short side of the bag G from interfering with the interference member 16 in the first forward / backward position P1, rotation of the bag G in a manner that significantly intersects the long side direction with respect to the conveying direction D1 can be suppressed.

[0082] In the conveying device 70, the bag G, viewed from above, is approximately rectangular with a long side and a short side. When the long side of the bag G is detected by the linear sensor 18 to be approximately parallel to the conveying direction D1, the control unit 60 controls the forward and backward position of the interference member 16 to achieve a second forward and backward position P2. Thus, by preventing the bag G from interfering with the interference member 16 at, for example, the second forward and backward position P2, the posture of the long side of the bag G being approximately parallel to the conveying direction D1 can be maintained.

[0083] The conveying device 70 includes an air nozzle 19 for discharging the bag G from the posture control conveyor 11. When the control unit 60 anticipates interference between the short side of the bag G and the interference member 16 in the second forward / backward position P2, it controls the air nozzle 19 to discharge the bag G from the posture control conveyor 11. Therefore, by discharging the bag G from the posture control conveyor 11, interference between the short side of the bag G and the interference member 16 in the second forward / backward position P2 can be suppressed, and rotation of the bag G in a manner that significantly intersects the long side direction with respect to the conveying direction D1 can be suppressed.

[0084] In the conveying device 70, the bag G, viewed from above, is roughly rectangular with a long side and a short side. The interference member 16 can switch the forward / backward position to a third forward / backward position P3, which moves forward by a different amount towards the other side 11c of the posture control conveyor 11 than in the first forward / backward position P1. If it is predicted that the short side of the bag G will interfere with the interference member 16 in the first forward / backward position P1, and if it is predicted that the long side of the bag G will interfere with the interference member 16 in the third forward / backward position P3, the control unit 60 controls the forward / backward position of the interference member 16 to achieve the third forward / backward position P3. Thus, by causing the long side of the bag G to interfere with the interference member 16 in the third forward / backward position P3, the long side of the bag G can be rotated along the conveying direction D1.

[0085] In the conveying device 70, the turntable 15 has an interference member 16 and an actuator 17. The interference member 16 includes a first surface 16a along the conveying direction D1 and a second surface 16b along the intersecting direction D2. The actuator 17 switches the position of the interference member 16 along the intersecting direction D2. Thus, by driving the actuator 17 to move the interference member 16, the forward and backward position of the interference member 16 can be controlled.

[0086] The embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, but this disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from its spirit.

[0087] In the above embodiment, the example of an item being a bag G was used, but the embodiment is not limited to this example. Any item that needs to be rotated in a plane on the posture control conveyor 11 to change its posture can have different shapes or types.

[0088] In the above embodiment, the conveying device 70 was described as part of the article receiving device 1, but it is not limited to this example. The conveying device 70 can also be used in combination with other devices.

[0089] In the above embodiment, the first surface 16a of the interference member 16 can be controlled to have three positions: advance / retreat position P1, advance / retreat position P2, and advance / retreat position P3, but it is not limited to this example. For example, advance / retreat position P3 is not necessary, and it can also be controlled to have two positions: advance / retreat position P1 and advance / retreat position P2. Alternatively, it can be controlled to have four or more advance / retreat positions.

[0090] In the above embodiment, the linear sensor 18 detects at least one of the position and orientation of the bag G along the intersecting direction D2 that intersects the conveying direction D1, but it is not limited to this example. For example, the control unit 60 may also have a calculation function as a detection unit. In this case, the signal indicating whether the linear sensor 18 is blocking light may be sent to the control unit 60, and the control unit 60 may calculate at least one of the position and orientation of the bag G. In addition, the detection unit is not limited to the linear sensor 18, and other sensors may be used.

[0091] In the above embodiment, a turntable 15 is exemplified as a posture changing unit, but it is not limited to this example. Interference components with curved shapes or rod-like shapes that are not L-shaped when viewed from above can also be used, and actuators other than cylinder 17b can also be used. It is not limited to the example of switching the forward and backward positions of the first and second states by reciprocating motion; rotational motion or the like can also be used.

[0092] In the above embodiment, in the example of bags G10 to G18, the control unit 60 predicts whether bags G10 to G18 will interfere with the interference member 16 based on the relative relationship between the short and long sides of the rectangle and the front left corner of the rectangle and the interference member 16, but is not limited to this example. The prediction (judgment) conditions can also be changed based on the shape of the item when viewed from above, the shape of the posture changing unit, etc. The control unit determines whether the item will interfere with the posture changing unit based on at least one of the position and posture detected by the detection unit, and controls the position of the posture changing unit based on the judgment result. At least some of the embodiments and variations described above can be arbitrarily combined.

Claims

1. A conveying device, comprising: The conveying section has a conveying surface for transporting items; An attitude change unit is provided on one side of the conveying unit and is configured to switch between a first state of advancing toward the other side of the conveying unit and a second state of exiting toward the side of the first state. The attitude change unit can change at least one of the position and attitude of the conveyed item by interfering with the conveyed item. The detection unit is located upstream of the posture change unit in the transport direction of the article, and detects at least one of the position and posture of the article in a direction intersecting the transport direction; as well as The control unit controls the forward and backward position of the posture changing unit between the first state and the second state. The control unit determines whether the item interferes with the posture changing unit based on at least one of the position and posture detected by the detection unit, and controls the forward and backward position of the posture changing unit according to the determination result.

2. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein, The object, when viewed from above, is roughly rectangular with a long side and a short side. When the control unit predicts that the short side of the item will interfere with the posture change unit when it is in the first state's forward / backward position, it controls the forward / backward position of the posture change unit to become the forward / backward position of the second state.

3. The conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The object, when viewed from above, is roughly rectangular with a long side and a short side. When the long side of the item is detected by the detection unit to be approximately parallel to the conveying direction, the control unit controls the forward and backward position of the posture changing unit to achieve the forward and backward position of the second state.

4. The conveying device according to claim 2, wherein, The conveying device includes a rejection device for removing the article from the conveying section. When the control unit predicts that the short side of the item will interfere with the posture change unit when it is in the second state of the forward / backward position, it controls the removal device to remove the item from the conveying unit.

5. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein, The object, when viewed from above, is roughly rectangular with a long side and a short side. The posture changing unit can switch the forward / backward position to a third state in which the unit moves forward by a different amount of forward motion towards the other side of the conveyor unit than in the first state. When the control unit predicts that the short side of the item interferes with the posture change unit when it is in the first state's forward / backward position, and predicts that the long side of the item interferes with the posture change unit when it is in the third state's forward / backward position, the control unit controls the forward / backward position of the posture change unit to become the forward / backward position of the third state.

6. The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The posture changing unit has: The interference component includes a first surface along the conveying direction and a second surface along a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction; as well as An actuator switches the position of the interference component along a direction intersecting the conveying direction.

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