Article transfer device

Abstract

To provide an article transfer device capable of maintaining the processing capacity of a transfer mechanism at a constant capacity regardless of the article supply capacity from upstream.SOLUTION: An article transfer device 1 includes: an input conveyor 12; an alignment conveyor 21; and an article transfer section 30. The input conveyor 12 transfers bags G in a first direction X1. The alignment conveyor 21 transfers multiple bags G sent from the input conveyor 12 in a second direction Y while arranging the bags G in a predetermined state to form an article group. The article transfer section 30 transfers the article group to a container 51. Multiple article groups are formed on the alignment conveyor 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an article transfer device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, article transfer devices that collect multiple articles and transfer them to a specified location have become widespread. For example, in the device described in Patent Document 1 (JP Patent Publication 2017-154781 A), articles transported in one direction by a transport conveyor are gripped by a first transport mechanism and transferred onto a stacking conveyor, forming an article group and transported in the same direction. The article group is then packed into a box by a second transport mechanism. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] However, in the above-mentioned device, the first transfer mechanism is required to grasp the articles and arrange them on the accumulation conveyor, and when articles are continuously transported from upstream, even if the processing capacity of the first transfer mechanism is increased, it may not be able to keep up with the article supply capacity from upstream.

[0004] Therefore, there is a demand for an article transfer device that can maintain the processing capacity of the transport mechanism at a constant capacity regardless of the article supply capacity from upstream. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An article transfer device according to a first aspect includes a first conveyor, a second conveyor, and a transfer mechanism. The first conveyor transfers articles in a first direction. The second conveyor transfers a plurality of articles sent from the first conveyor in a second direction while arranging the articles in a predetermined state to form an article group. The transfer mechanism transfers the article group to a predetermined position. A plurality of article groups are formed on the second conveyor.

[0006] In this article transfer device, even if articles are continuously supplied from the first conveyor, the time it takes for the second conveyor to align the articles gives the transfer mechanism some time, so the transfer mechanism is not overwhelmed with the transfer of articles. In addition, because a group of aligned articles is temporarily stored on the second conveyor, it is also possible to avoid a situation where the supplies of articles to the transfer mechanism are not in time.

[0007] In addition, compared to conventional devices, the second conveyor arranges multiple items sent from the first conveyor in a predetermined state to form a group of items, eliminating the need for the conventional action of "grasping the items one by one and arranging them on the conveyor," thereby increasing processing capacity.

[0008] An article transfer device according to a second aspect is the article transfer device according to the first aspect, wherein the transfer mechanism collectively grasps a plurality of articles that make up a group of articles and transfers them to a predetermined position.

[0009] This article transfer device does not require the conventional "action of grasping articles one by one and arranging them on a conveyor," and instead has a transfer mechanism that transfers multiple articles in a group formed by the second conveyor together, which reduces the number of transfers required by the transfer mechanism and increases processing capacity.

[0010] An article transfer device according to a third aspect is the article transfer device according to the first or second aspect, in which a first article group and a second article group are formed on the second conveyor. The first article group is transferred first by the transfer mechanism. The second article group is transferred by the transfer mechanism after the first article group has been transferred.

[0011] In this article transfer device, the next group of articles to be transferred is temporarily stored on the second conveyor, so that the group of articles can be supplied to the transfer mechanism at stable intervals.

[0012] An article transfer device according to a fourth aspect is the article transfer device according to the third aspect, wherein a gap is formed along the second direction between the first article group and the second article group.

[0013] In this article transfer device, when the transfer mechanism transfers the first group of articles, the articles of the second group of articles are prevented from being caught in the transfer mechanism.

[0014] An article transfer device of a fifth aspect is an article transfer device of any one of the first aspect to the fourth aspect, in which the second conveyor transports an article a predetermined distance in the second direction each time it receives an article sent from the first conveyor, thereby arranging multiple articles in a predetermined state.

[0015] In this article transfer device, the multiple articles are arranged in a group of articles with "a portion of the succeeding article contacting the upper surface of the second conveyor and the remaining portion leaning against the preceding article and inclining." Therefore, when transferring, the transfer mechanism can grasp the multiple articles that make up the group of articles together and transfer them to a predetermined position.

[0016] An article transfer device of a sixth aspect is the article transfer device of any one of the first to fifth aspects, further comprising a control unit that controls the operation of the first conveyor and the second conveyor. A tip end of the first conveyor in the first direction expands and contracts parallel to the first direction. When an article is transferred from a first position on the first conveyor to the second conveyor, the control unit changes the tip end of the first conveyor to a state in which it is contracted upstream in the first direction from the first position.

[0017] In this article transfer device, when an article is transferred from the first conveyor to the second conveyor, the first conveyor that supported the bottom surface of the article is contracted and removed, so the article lands on the second conveyor without tilting, maintaining the same posture as when it was transferred. As a result, the article is prevented from becoming distorted.

[0018] An article transfer device according to a seventh aspect is the article transfer device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the first conveyor and the second conveyor are arranged such that the first direction and the second direction intersect with each other.

[0019] In this article transfer device, the first conveyor and the second conveyor are disposed so that their respective transport directions intersect with each other, so that it is possible to prevent the transport directions from becoming long in the same direction. (In particular, when the first and second conveyors are arranged so that their transport directions are perpendicular to each other and the goods are bagged products, by transporting the bag with its long side aligned with the transport direction of the first conveyor, the bag's short side will be aligned with the transport direction of the second conveyor when it transfers to the second conveyor, allowing multiple bags to be stacked closely together and improving transport efficiency.)

[0020] An article transfer device according to an eighth aspect is the article transfer device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, in which the first conveyor and the second conveyor are arranged so that the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other. When an article is transferred from the first conveyor to the second conveyor, a plane including the lengthwise and widthwise directions of the article is inclined with respect to the transport surface of the second conveyor with the first direction as an axis of rotation, and the transport surface of the first conveyor is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane so that the posture of the article when transferred from the first conveyor to the second conveyor is such that the part that lands on the article already placed on the second conveyor is upward and the part that lands directly on the second conveyor is downward.

[0021] In this article transfer device, the posture of an article when it is transferred from the first conveyor to the second conveyor is inclined so that the part that lands on the article already placed on the second conveyor is upward and the part that lands directly on the second conveyor is downward, so the article lands on the second conveyor before or at the same time as the previously placed article. And, because the frictional force between the second conveyor and the article exceeds the frictional force between the articles, slippage between the articles is prevented and posture disturbance is suppressed.

[0022] An article transfer device of a ninth aspect is an article transfer device of any one of the first aspect to the eighth aspect, further comprising an attitude change unit that changes the attitude of the article during transport on the first conveyor to a predetermined attitude by contacting the article.

[0023] In this article transfer device, articles are carried onto the first conveyor in one of the following positions: a position in which the long side direction is parallel to the conveying direction, a position in which the long side direction is crossed, or a position in which the short side direction is parallel to the conveying direction. By providing the article transfer device with a position changing unit, the position of the article can be changed to a predetermined position regardless of the position of the article when it was carried onto the first conveyor. As a result, the operation of arranging multiple articles in a predetermined state on the second conveyor to form an article group becomes easier.

[0024] The article transfer device of a tenth aspect is the article transfer device of the seventh aspect, further comprising a third conveyor. The third conveyor is disposed in a substantially vertical position along a side of the second conveyor that is located further downstream in the conveying direction of the first conveyor so as to face the terminal end of the first conveyor. The conveying surface of the third conveyor advances in the same direction as the second conveyor in synchronization with the second conveyor.

[0025] In this article transfer device, if there is a wall on the right side of the second conveyor, it is possible to prevent the articles sent from the first conveyor from jumping over the right side of the second conveyor. However, since the conveying surface of the second conveyor is moving in the second direction, there is a risk that the articles will rotate around the part where they touch the wall. Therefore, by blocking the articles with the conveying surface of the third conveyor instead of the wall, the conveying surface of the third conveyor is also moving in the same direction as the second conveyor in synchronization with the second conveyor, so that the articles are prevented from rotating around the part where they touch the conveying surface of the third conveyor.

[0026] An article transfer device of an eleventh aspect is the article transfer device of any one of the first to tenth aspects, wherein the transfer mechanism includes a robot that suction-holds the group of articles formed by the second conveyor.

[0027] An article transfer system according to a twelfth aspect includes a plurality of article transfer devices according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, and a moving device that moves a predetermined position. Each of the plurality of article transfer devices transports a group of articles to the moving predetermined position. Goods transfer system. Effect of the Invention

[0028] In the article transfer device of the present disclosure, even if articles are continuously supplied from the first conveyor, the time it takes for the alignment conveyor to align the articles gives the transfer mechanism some time, so the transfer mechanism is not overwhelmed with the transfer of articles. In addition, because an article group consisting of a plurality of aligned articles is accumulated on the second conveyor, the situation in which the articles cannot be supplied to the transfer mechanism in time is also avoided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration of an article transfer device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a control block diagram of the article transfer device. [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view of an article transfer device showing the carry-in conveyor from the aligning conveyor side with the contact surface of the carry-in conveyor being instantly removed from the bag. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a front view of the posture of a bag G when it falls from the carry-in conveyor when the contact surface between the carry-in conveyor and the bag is instantly removed. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6A] 1 is a schematic side view of an article transfer section that holds a plurality of bags together. [Figure 6B] 1 is a schematic side view of an article transfer section transferring multiple bags to a container; [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an article transfer device according to a modified example. [Figure 8A] 11 is a plan view showing the change in the position of a bag when the bag enters an input conveyor with its short side parallel to a first direction. FIG. [Figure 8B] 11 is a plan view showing the change in the posture of a bag G when the bag enters an input conveyor with its long side parallel to a first direction. FIG. [Figure 9A] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the posture of the bag after it lands on the alignment conveyor. [Figure 9B] 9B is a plan view showing the posture of the bag after it lands on the alignment conveyor when only a wall 123 is provided instead of the anti-rotation conveyor of FIG. 9A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] (1) Configuration of the article transfer device 1 Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the article transfer device 1. In Fig. 1, a weighing device, a bag making and packaging machine, etc. (not shown) are arranged in the upstream process in the flow of bags G of the article transfer device 1. Only bags G that have passed weight, sealability, foreign matter inclusion inspection, etc. in the upstream process are supplied to the article transfer device 1.

[0031] The article transfer device 1 is composed of an article conveying section 10, an article alignment section 20, and an article transfer section 30. The article conveying section 10 receives bags G and transfers them to the article alignment section 20. The article alignment section 20 aligns the bags G supplied from the article conveying section 10. The article transfer section 30 transfers the multiple articles aligned in the article alignment section 20 together to a container 51.

[0032] (1-1) Item conveying section 10 The article transport section 10 has an article introduction conveyor 11 and a carry-in conveyor 12. The article introduction conveyor 11 receives bags G that have passed inspections for weight, sealability, and foreign matter contamination, and guides them to the carry-in conveyor 12.

[0033] The carry-in conveyor 12 conveys the bags G conveyed from the article introduction conveyor 11 to the article alignment section 20.

[0034] (1-2) Article alignment section 20 The article alignment section 20 has an alignment conveyor 21 and a carry-out conveyor 22. Each time the alignment conveyor 21 receives one bag G, it conveys the bag G a fixed distance toward the carry-out conveyor 22.

[0035] Therefore, the bag G approaches the discharge conveyor 22 a certain distance from the position where it fell. Meanwhile, a part of the bag G that falls later lands on the sorting conveyor 21, and the remaining part leans against the previous bag G and tilts. Therefore, the bags G on the sorting conveyor 21 are lined up so that adjacent bags partially overlap each other.

[0036] After the last bag G in the row lands on the alignment conveyor 21, the alignment conveyor 21 and the carry-out conveyor 22 start operating simultaneously, and the alignment conveyor 21 and the carry-out conveyor 22 perform transport operations in the same direction. The N bags G aligned in a row on the alignment conveyor 21 move to the carry-out conveyor 22 as one article group, and the article group already on the carry-out conveyor 22 continues on the carry-out conveyor 22.

[0037] (1-3) Goods transfer department 30 The article transfer unit 30 is a parallel link robot having three sets of links. The article transfer unit 30 lifts up the group of articles in bags G that have been transported on the discharge conveyor 22, and moves horizontally toward above the container 51. When the article transfer unit 30 reaches above the container, it transfers the group of articles into the container 51.

[0038] (1-4) Control unit 40 Fig. 2 is a control block diagram of the article transfer device 1. In Fig. 2, a control unit 40 controls the operation of each driving part of the article transport unit 10, the article alignment unit 20 and the article transport unit 30 of the article transfer device 1. The control unit 40 includes a CPU 41, a ROM 42 connected to the CPU 41, and a RAM 43.

[0039] (2) Coordination between the carry-in conveyor 12 and the alignment conveyor 21 The carry-in conveyor 12 and the aligning conveyor 21 are arranged so that their conveying directions are perpendicular to each other. Each time the aligning conveyor 21 receives a bag G, it conveys the bag G a fixed distance toward the carry-out conveyor 22, so that part of the bag G lands on the aligning conveyor 21 and the remaining part leans against the previous bag G and tilts, forming a line in which adjacent bags partially overlap each other.

[0040] Furthermore, if a bag G falls in a horizontal position, the following bag G will fall directly onto the top surface of the waiting bag G, which may cause the bag G to bounce in a direction different from the intended position. To prevent this, in this embodiment, measures are taken to ensure that the bag G assumes a position suitable for landing on the sorting conveyor 21.

[0041] (2-1) Inclination of the loading conveyor 12 The conveying surface of the carry-in conveyor 12 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. Specifically, the posture of the bag G when it is transferred from the carry-in conveyor 12 to the aligning conveyor 21 is inclined so that the part that lands on the bag G already placed on the aligning conveyor 21 is upward, and the part that lands directly on the aligning conveyor 21 is downward.

[0042] Therefore, the bags G land on the aligning conveyor 21 before or at the same time as they come into contact with the previously placed bags G. Then, since the frictional force between the aligning conveyor 21 and the bags G exceeds the frictional force between the bags G themselves, slippage between the bags G is prevented and disturbance of the posture is suppressed.

[0043] A support conveyor 13 is provided at the lower end of the inclined direction of the carry-in conveyor 12 to support the bags G to prevent them from falling off and to guide the bags G in the conveying direction. The conveying surface of the support conveyor 13 and the conveying surface of the carry-in conveyor 12 are perpendicular to each other.

[0044] Bags G moving on the upper side of the inclined direction of the conveying surface of the carry-in conveyor 12 are subjected to a component force of gravity along the inclined direction, so they slide down toward the support conveyor 13 while moving, and then move along the support conveyor 13. The conveying surface of the support conveyor 13 moves along the traveling direction of the conveying surface of the carry-in conveyor 12 so as not to interfere with the conveyance of the bags G.

[0045] (2-2) Expansion and contraction of the tip of the loading conveyor 12 In this embodiment, when the bag G reaches the tip of the carry-in conveyor 12, the contact surface between the carry-in conveyor 12 and the bag G is instantly removed, so that the dropped posture of the bag G is maintained in the posture at the time of transportation.

[0046] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the article transfer device 1, as viewed from the aligning conveyor 21 side of the carry-in conveyor 12, with the contact surface of the carry-in conveyor 12 with the bags G instantly removed.

[0047] FIG. 4 is a front view of the position of the bag G when it falls from the carry-in conveyor 12 when the contact surface between the carry-in conveyor 12 and the bag G is instantly removed.

[0048] 3 and 4, when a bag G is transported downstream of the carry-in conveyor 12 and a position sensor 15 detects that the leading end of the bag G has reached the leading end of the carry-in conveyor 12, the leading end roller R1 of the carry-in conveyor 12 moves a distance D1 in a direction X2 opposite to the transport direction (first direction X1). At this time, the middle roller R2 of the carry-in conveyor 12 also moves a distance D1 in the direction X2 in conjunction with the bag G, thereby absorbing the slack in the conveyor belt when the leading end roller R1 moves in the direction X2.

[0049] Since the leading end of the carry-in conveyor 12 momentarily moves upstream of the bag G, the bag G suddenly loses the resistance from the conveying surface of the carry-in conveyor 12, but maintains the position at the time of conveyance due to inertia.

[0050] Therefore, the landing posture on the sorting conveyor 21 is likely to be the same as when the product leaves the carry-in conveyor 12, and disturbance of the posture when the product lands is suppressed.

[0051] (3) Details of the article transfer unit 30 Fig. 5 is a front view of the article transfer unit 30. In Fig. 5, the article transfer unit 30 includes a base 32, three servo motors 33a, 33b, and 33c, parallel link arms 34a, 34b, and 34c, and a suction holder 38. The article transfer unit 30 is a robot constituted by these components.

[0052] (3-1) Base 32 As shown in Fig. 5, the base 32 is located above the discharge conveyor 22 or the container 51 (see Fig. 3). The base 32 holds three servo motors 33a, 33b, and 33c below it at equal intervals.

[0053] (3-2) Parallel link arms 34a, 34b, 34c The upper ends of the parallel link arms 34a, 34b, and 34c are connected to the output shafts of the servo motors 33a, 33b, and 33c, respectively, and the lower ends are connected to the suction holder 38. The parallel link arms 34a, 34b, and 34c extend from the output shafts of the servo motors 33a, 33b, and 33c, respectively, to the suction holder 38.

[0054] When the article transfer unit 30 is operating, the amount of rotation and the direction of rotation of each output shaft of each servo motor 33a, 33b, 33c are appropriately controlled, and the lower ends of each parallel link arm 34a, 34b, 34c move horizontally and vertically, and the suction holder 38 moves to any position within a fixed three-dimensional space.

[0055] (3-3) Suction holder 38 The suction holder 38 has a plurality of suction pads 38a on its lower part. Each suction pad 38a is connected to a suction tube 36 extending from a vacuum pump or a vacuum blower (not shown), and switches between a suction-holding state and a suction-released state of the bags G. The suction pads 38a can suction and release the group of articles by suctioning and releasing the group of articles.

[0056] 5, suction holder 38 grabs bags G1, G2, and G3 on discharge conveyor 22, and parallel link arms 34a, 34b, and 34c lift suction holder 38 and move it horizontally, releasing suction by suction holder 38 above container 51. As a result, bags G1, G2, and G3 are released from suction holder 38 and transferred into the container.

[0057] While the first group of articles, consisting of bags G1, G2, and G3, is being transferred, the next second group of articles, consisting of bags G4, G5, and G6, is already waiting on the alignment conveyor 21. A gap is secured between the first and second groups of articles in the conveying direction, so that when the article transfer section 30 transfers the first group of articles, bags G4, G5, and G6 of the second group of articles are prevented from being adsorbed by the suction holder 38.

[0058] (4) Operation of the article transfer device 1 Here, the operation will be described assuming that bags G1, G2 and G3 that have passed inspection are introduced from the upstream side onto the article introduction conveyor 11, and are supplied to the carry-in conveyor 12 in order.

[0059] The carry-in conveyor 12 transports the bag G1 supplied from the article introduction conveyor 11 toward the alignment conveyor 21. When the leading end of the bag G1 reaches the leading end of the carry-in conveyor 12, the leading end of the carry-in conveyor 12 instantaneously moves a distance D1 in a direction X2 opposite to the first direction X1, as shown in FIG.

[0060] Bag G1 lands on the aligning conveyor 21 while maintaining the posture it had immediately before it was removed from contact with the carry-in conveyor 12. When there is no preceding bag on the aligning conveyor 21, bag G1 becomes the head of the line on the aligning conveyor 21. For ease of explanation, bag G1 will be described as the head of the line.

[0061] When the sorting conveyor 21 receives the bag G1, it transports the bag G1 a certain distance toward the discharge conveyor 22 and waits to receive the following bag G2.

[0062] Next, when the leading end of bag G2 reaches the leading end of carry-in conveyor 12, the contact surface with carry-in conveyor 12 is instantly removed and bag G2 lands on the sorting conveyor 21 while maintaining the same posture.

[0063] The carry-in conveyor 12 is inclined so that the part that lands on the bag G1 already placed on the aligning conveyor 21 is at the top and the part that lands directly on the aligning conveyor 21 is at the bottom, so that the bag G2 falls while maintaining its inclined posture, with a part of it landing on the bag G1 and the remaining part landing on the aligning conveyor 21.

[0064] When the aligning conveyor 21 receives the bag G2, it conveys the bags G1 and G2 a certain distance toward the discharge conveyor 22 and waits to receive the following bag G3.

[0065] Then, when the leading edge of bag G3 reaches the leading edge of carry-in conveyor 12, the contact surface with carry-in conveyor 12 is instantly removed and, maintaining the same posture at that time, lands on the aligning conveyor 21. Part of bag G3 lands on bag G2, and the remaining part lands on the aligning conveyor 21. Figure 3 shows G3 immediately after the contact surface with carry-in conveyor 12 is instantly removed.

[0066] Bags G1, G2, and G3 on the aligning conveyor 21 form a row in which adjacent bags partially overlap. When the row of bags G1, G2, and G3 is completed, the aligning conveyor 21 transports the row as one group of articles toward the carry-out conveyor 22. At this time, the carry-out conveyor 22 also operates in the same direction, so the group of articles on the aligning conveyor 21 moves onto the carry-out conveyor 22. If there is a preceding group of articles on the carry-out conveyor 22, that group of articles moves further downstream.

[0067] Fig. 6A is a schematic side view of the article transfer section 30 that collectively holds a plurality of bags G. Fig. 6B is a schematic side view of the article transfer section 30 that transfers a plurality of bags G to a container 51.

[0068] 6A and 6B, the suction holder 38 of the article transfer section 30 collectively picks up a number of bags G of an article group moving on the discharge conveyor 22, transfers them to the container 51, and places them inside the container 51. The container 51 is moved to the next position by the container conveyor 52 every time a group of articles is dropped into it.

[0069] The article transfer device 1 repeats the above-mentioned operations to pack the necessary bags G into the container 51. In the article transfer device 1, the alignment conveyor 21 of the article alignment section 20 supplies an article group in which multiple bags G are aligned to the output conveyor 22, so that the suction holder 38 of the article transport section 30 can transfer multiple bags G of the article group to the container 51 all at once.

[0070] Therefore, even if bags G are continuously supplied from the article conveying section 10, the time it takes for the article alignment section 20 to align the bags G gives the article transfer section 30 some time, thereby avoiding a situation in which the article transfer section 30 is overwhelmed with the transfer of bags G. In addition, because the group of aligned bags G is temporarily stored on the alignment conveyor 21 and the carry-out conveyor 22, a situation in which the group of articles cannot be supplied to the article transfer section 30 in time is also avoided.

[0071] (5) Variations Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modified article transfer device 1. In Fig. 7, the article transfer device 1 has a configuration in which two conveyors 14 and 23 having different functions are added to the article transfer device 1 shown in Fig. 1.

[0072] The configuration other than these two conveyors 14, 23 is similar to that of the article transfer device 1 in FIG. 1, so the same names and symbols are given and the description thereof is omitted.

[0073] The conveyor 14 changes the position of the bags G in the article transport section 10. Hereinafter, the conveyor 14 will be referred to as the position changing conveyor 14. The conveyor 23 prevents the bags G from rotating in the article alignment section 20. Hereinafter, the conveyor 23 will be referred to as the rotation prevention conveyor 23.

[0074] (5-1) Posture changing conveyor 14 The position changing conveyor 14 is disposed on the carry-in conveyor 12. The conveying surface of the position changing conveyor 14 and the conveying surface of the carry-in conveyor 12 are perpendicular to each other. The position changing conveyor 14 faces the support conveyor 13 disposed on the conveying surface of the carry-in conveyor 12.

[0075] However, when the conveying surface of the carry-in conveyor 12 is viewed as the front, the downstream end of the attitude changing conveyor 14 in the conveying direction is located closer to the support conveyor 13 than the upstream end.

[0076] Fig. 8A is a plan view showing the change in posture of the bag G when it enters the carry-in conveyor 12 with its short side parallel to the first direction X1. In Fig. 8A, when the bag G comes into contact with the posture changing conveyor 14, the bag G rotates counterclockwise around the contact point, and the bag G changes its posture so that its long side faces diagonally downward along the posture changing conveyor 14. The bag G then comes into contact with the support conveyor 13, changes its posture so that its long side is aligned with the support conveyor 13, and heads toward the alignment conveyor 21.

[0077] 8B is a plan view showing the change in posture of the bag G when the bag G enters the carry-in conveyor 12 with its long side parallel to the first direction X1. In FIG. 8B, when the bag G comes into contact with the posture changing conveyor 14, the bag G rotates counterclockwise around the contact point, and the bag G changes its posture so that its short side faces diagonally downward along the posture changing conveyor 14.

[0078] Because the moment acting on the long side of bag G is greater than the moment acting on the short side of bag G, bag G cannot move forward with its short side aligned along position changing conveyor 14. Therefore, bag G rotates further and changes its position so that its long side faces diagonally downward along position changing conveyor 14. Bag G then hits support conveyor 13, changes its position so that its long side is aligned along support conveyor 13, and heads toward alignment conveyor 21.

[0079] (5-2) Anti-rotation conveyor 23 As shown in Figures 7, 8A and 8B, the anti-rotation conveyor 23 is arranged in a substantially vertical position along the side of the aligning conveyor 21 that is further downstream (the side farther from the end of the import conveyor 12) in the conveying direction (first direction X1) of the import conveyor 12, so as to face the end of the import conveyor 12.

[0080] Also, as shown in Figure 4, the bag G, which has lost the resistance force from the loading conveyor 12, is given a speed component in the first direction X1, and therefore falls while approaching one of the two sides of the alignment conveyor 21 that is farthest from the end of the loading conveyor 12.

[0081] 9A is a plan view showing the posture of bag G after it lands on alignment conveyor 21. In FIG. 9A, when bag G lands on alignment conveyor 21, its short side hits anti-rotation conveyor 23, and the bag G lands so that the short side is substantially along the transport surface of anti-rotation conveyor 23.

[0082] The conveying surface of the anti-rotation conveyor 23 advances in synchronization with the aligning conveyor 21 in the second direction Y, which is the conveying direction of the aligning conveyor 21, at the same speed as the conveying surface of the aligning conveyor 21. Therefore, the short sides in contact with the conveying surface of the anti-rotation conveyor 23 and the short sides not in contact with it advance at the same speed, preventing the bags G from rotating.

[0083] For example, assume that, as shown in Figure 9B, only wall 123 is placed in place of anti-rotation conveyor 23. In this case, frictional resistance between the short side in contact with wall 123 and wall 123 hinders the progress of that short side, so the short side not in contact with wall 123 progresses faster. As a result, bags G rotate around the point of contact between the short side in contact with wall 123 and wall 123, disrupting the alignment of bags G.

[0084] Therefore, the anti-rotation conveyor 23 not only guides the short sides of the bags G along the second direction Y, but also prevents the bags G from rotating.

[0085] (6) Features (6-1) The article transfer device 1 includes an input conveyor 12, an alignment conveyor 21, and an article transfer section 30. The input conveyor 12 transfers bags G in a first direction X1. The alignment conveyor 21 transfers multiple bags G sent from the input conveyor 12 in a second direction Y while arranging the bags G in a predetermined state to form an article group. The article transfer section 30 transfers the article group to a container 51. Multiple article groups are formed on the alignment conveyor 21.

[0086] In the article transfer device 1, even when bags G are continuously supplied from the carry-in conveyor 12, the time it takes for the aligning conveyor 21 to align the bags G gives the article transfer section 30 some time, thereby avoiding a situation in which the article transfer section 30 is overwhelmed with the transfer of bags G. In addition, because an article group consisting of a plurality of aligned bags G is temporarily stored on the aligning conveyor 21, a situation in which bags G cannot be supplied to the article transfer section 30 in time is also avoided.

[0087] (6-2) The article transfer section 30 collectively picks up multiple bags G that make up a group of articles and transfers them to the container 51. Therefore, there is no need to "grasp the articles one by one and arrange them on the conveyor" as in the conventional method, and the article transfer section 30 collectively transfers multiple bags G of the group of articles formed by the alignment conveyor 21, so the number of transfers by the article transfer section 30 is reduced and processing capacity is high.

[0088] (6-3) A first article group consisting of bags G1, G2, and G3, and a second article group consisting of bags G4, G5, and G6 are formed on the alignment conveyor 21. The first article group is transferred first by the article transfer section 30. The second article group is transferred by the article transfer section 30 after the first article group has been transferred.

[0089] In the article transfer device 1, the next group of articles to be transferred is temporarily stored on the aligning conveyor 21, so that the group of articles can be supplied to the article transfer section 30 side at stable intervals.

[0090] (6-4) A gap is formed along the second direction Y between the first and second groups of items, thereby preventing bags G4, bag 5 and bag G6 of the second group of items from being adsorbed to the suction holder 38 when the item transfer section 30 transfers the first group of items.

[0091] (6-5) The sorting conveyor 21 conveys each bag G sent from the carry-in conveyor 12 by a predetermined distance in the second direction Y. The multiple bags G are lined up in a state where "a portion of the succeeding bag G contacts the conveying surface of the sorting conveyor 21 and the remaining portion leans against the preceding bag G and is inclined," forming an article group. Therefore, during transfer, the article transfer section 30 can collectively adsorb the multiple bags G that make up the article group and transfer them to the container 51.

[0092] (6-6) When the bag G is transferred from the tip of the carry-in conveyor 12 to the aligning conveyor 21, the control unit 40 changes the tip of the carry-in conveyor 12 to a contracted state in the direction X2 opposite to the first direction X1, so that the carry-in conveyor 12 supporting the underside of the bag G contracts and is removed, and the bag G lands on the aligning conveyor 21 without tilting, maintaining the posture it had at the time of the transfer. As a result, disturbance of posture is suppressed.

[0093] (6-7) Since the carry-in conveyor 12 and the aligning conveyor 21 are arranged so that their respective conveying directions intersect with each other, it is possible to prevent the conveying directions from becoming long in the same direction.

[0094] (6-8) The carry-in conveyor 12 and the aligning conveyor 21 are arranged so that their respective conveying directions are perpendicular to each other. The conveying surface of the carry-in conveyor 12 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, and the posture of the bag G when it is transferred from the carry-in conveyor 12 to the aligning conveyor 21 is inclined so that the part that lands on the bag G already placed on the aligning conveyor 21 is upward and the part that lands directly on the aligning conveyor 21 is downward. The bag G lands on the aligning conveyor 21 before or at the same time as the bag G that was previously placed. Since the frictional force between the aligning conveyor 21 and the bag G exceeds the frictional force between the bags G, slippage between the bags G is prevented and posture disturbance is suppressed.

[0095] (6-9) The posture changing conveyor 14 can change the posture of the bag G to a predetermined posture regardless of the posture of the bag G at the time of entering the carry-in conveyor 12. As a result, the aligning conveyor 21 can easily perform the operation of arranging a plurality of bags G in a "line where adjacent bags partially overlap each other" to form a group of articles.

[0096] (6-10) The anti-rotation conveyor 23 is disposed in a substantially vertical position along one of the side surfaces of the aligning conveyor 21 that is downstream in the first direction X1 of the carry-in conveyor 12 and farther from the end of the carry-in conveyor 12 so as to face the end of the carry-in conveyor 12. The conveying surface of the anti-rotation conveyor 23 advances in the same direction as the second direction Y in synchronization with the aligning conveyor 21. This prevents the bags G from rotating around the portion of the conveying surface of the anti-rotation conveyor 23 that touches the conveying surface.

[0097] (6-11) The article transfer unit 30 is a robot that sucks and holds the group of articles formed by the alignment conveyor 21.

[0098] (7) Other embodiments In the above embodiment and modified example, a configuration in which one article transfer device 1 transfers a group of articles in bags G to a movable container 51 has been described.

[0099] However, this is not limited to this form, and it is also possible to construct an item transfer system in which multiple item transfer devices 1 are arranged in parallel, containers 51 are delivered to each item transfer device 1 by a container conveyor 52, and different groups of items are transferred from each item transfer device 1 into one container 51. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 1 Article transfer device 12 Intake conveyor (first conveyor) 14 Position change conveyor (position change section) 21 Alignment conveyor (second conveyor) 23 Anti-rotation conveyor (third conveyor) 30 Article transfer section (transfer mechanism) 40 Control section 51 Container (in place) 52 Container conveyor (moving device) X1 1st direction Y Second direction G bag G1, G2, G3 1st article group G4, G5, G6 2nd article group [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0101] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-154781 A

Claims

1. a first conveyor configured to convey articles in a first direction; a second conveyor that conveys the plurality of articles sent from the first conveyor in a second direction while arranging the articles in a predetermined state to form an article group; A transfer mechanism for transferring the group of articles to a predetermined position; Equipped with A plurality of groups of articles are formed on the second conveyor. Goods transfer equipment.

2. The transfer mechanism grasps the plurality of articles constituting the group of articles together and transfers them to the predetermined position. The article transfer device according to claim 1 .

3. On the second conveyor, the group of articles is A first group of articles that is transferred first by the transfer mechanism; a second group of articles that is transferred by the transfer mechanism after the first group of articles is transferred; is formed, 3. An article transfer device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A gap is formed between the first group of articles and the second group of articles along the second direction. The article transfer device according to claim 3.

5. the second conveyor conveys the article a predetermined distance in the second direction each time the second conveyor receives the article, thereby arranging the plurality of articles in the predetermined state.

3. An article transfer device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. A control unit for controlling the operation of the first conveyor and the second conveyor is further provided. A tip end of the first conveyor in the first direction extends and contracts in parallel with the first direction, the control unit changes the tip end of the first conveyor to a state in which the tip end is contracted upstream in the first direction from the first position when the article is transferred from the first position of the first conveyor to the second conveyor.

3. An article transfer device according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The first conveyor and the second conveyor are arranged such that the first direction and the second direction intersect with each other.

3. An article transfer device according to claim 1 or 2.

8. The first conveyor and the second conveyor are disposed so that the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other, When the article is transferred from the first conveyor to the second conveyor, a plane including the length and width of the article is inclined with respect to the transport surface of the second conveyor with the first direction as an axis of rotation, and the transport surface of the first conveyor is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane so that the posture of the article when transferred from the first conveyor to the second conveyor is such that the part that lands on the article already placed on the second conveyor is upward and the part that lands directly on the second conveyor is downward.

3. An article transfer device according to claim 1 or 2.

9. a position changing unit that changes a position of the object on the first conveyor to a predetermined position by contacting the object, 3. An article transfer device according to claim 1 or 2.

10. Further comprising a third conveyor; the third conveyor is disposed in a substantially vertical position along a side surface of the second conveyor that is located on a more downstream side in a transport direction of the first conveyor so as to face a terminal end of the first conveyor, The conveying surface of the third conveyor advances in the same direction as the second direction in synchronization with the second conveyor. The article transfer device according to claim 7.

11. the transfer mechanism includes a robot that adsorbs and holds the group of articles formed by the second conveyor, 3. An article transfer device according to claim 1 or 2.

12. A plurality of the article transfer devices according to claim 1 or 2; A moving device that moves the predetermined position; Equipped with Each of the plurality of article transfer devices transfers the group of articles to the moving predetermined position. Goods transfer system.

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