Article carrying device

Abstract

To provide an article carrying device capable of adjusting a support interval of an article according to the size of the article.SOLUTION: In an article carrying device, a pair of support members 25 and 26 for holding a sandwich 11 as an article are arranged on a support body 24 arranged on a carrying conveyor G at a predetermined interval. The pair of support members 25 and 26 to be energized in the mutually expanding direction by a first compression spring are supported by the support body 24 in such a manner as to be allowed to be moved in the approaching direction by one-way locking means. The one-way locking means regulates the movement with locking in the direction of expanding a distance between the pair of support members 25 and 26. The sandwich 11 fed between the pair of support members 25 and 26 by a receiving part 21 is held by the pair of support members 25 and 26 moved in the approaching direction by interval adjusting means 32. When the locking of the one-way locking means is released by release means 33 in a state where the pair of support members 25 and 26 holding the sandwich 11 are positioned in a carry-out part 22, the pair of support members 25 and 26 are separated from each other by the first compression spring to release the sandwich 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an article transport device that transports an article while supporting the front and rear of the article with support members. [Background technology]

[0002] As an example of an apparatus for supporting and transporting an article by a support member, a transfer apparatus capable of transferring an article made of a sandwich while supporting the front and rear of the article is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The transfer apparatus of Patent Document 1 is configured to transfer a sandwich wrapped in film to the downstream side while clamping the sandwich in the thickness direction by a clamping means using the biasing force of a spring, and to perform various processes such as folding and forming the open end of the film during the transfer, and then release the clamped state of the clamping means when the sandwich reaches the discharge position and discharge the sandwich outside the system.

[0003] Furthermore, as a device for changing the front-rear distance between attachments that support the front and rear of an article in accordance with the size of the article, an automatic conveying pitch adjustment device has been proposed, as disclosed in Patent Document 2. The device disclosed in Patent Document 2 is configured to simultaneously change the front-rear distance between the first attachment and the second attachment that are alternately positioned in the article conveying direction by generating a phase difference between a pulley on which a first endless belt having a plurality of first attachments arranged thereon is stretched, and a pulley on which a second endless belt having a plurality of second attachments arranged thereon. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 2707201 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 6-16210 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Even if the ingredients sandwiched between the bread slices are the same, the thickness of the bread slices varies in the overlapping direction, and the thickness of the sandwiches varies greatly depending on the type of ingredients. For this reason, when the transfer device disclosed in Patent Document 1 holds and transfers a sandwich with a different type of ingredient, the spring force changes depending on the difference in thickness. Therefore, when a relatively thin sandwich is held and transferred to a discharge position, the sandwich may be displaced due to the processing operation by the various processing means to the discharge position or the movement during transfer, and the various processing means may not be able to process the sandwich properly. In addition, in the device disclosed in Patent Document 2, the interval between the multiple attachments cannot be changed to an appropriate interval due to the elongation of the endless belt caused by deterioration over time, and the attachment may be pressed against the article, deforming the article, or a gap may be generated between the article and the attachment, making it impossible to transport the article in an appropriate support state.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an article transport device capable of adjusting the support interval of articles in accordance with the size of the articles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The invention according to claim 1 of the present application is as follows: A conveyor that supports articles (11) on supports (24) arranged at predetermined intervals and transports them from a receiving section (21) to a discharge section (22), a pair of support members (25, 26) disposed at the front and rear of the article (11) supported by the support body (24) to support the article (11); a shaft (27, 28) disposed on the support (24), disposed so as to be movable integrally with at least one of the support members (25, 26), and supported on the support (24) so ​​as to be slidable back and forth in the conveying direction; one-way locking means (29, 30) for locking the sliding of the shafts (27, 28) relative to the support (24) so ​​that the support members (25, 26) are permitted to move in a direction toward each other and are restricted from moving in a direction away from each other; an elastic member (31) that biases the support members (25, 26) in directions separating them from each other relative to the support body (24); a space adjustment means (32) for pushing the support members (25, 26) in the receiving section (21) so as to narrow the space between them, thereby moving the pair of support members (25, 26) to a support space corresponding to the article (11); and an operating means (33) for releasing the lock of the shafts (27, 28) by the one-way locking means (29, 30) so that the distance between the support members (25, 26) is increased in the discharge section (22), The actuating means (33) unlocks the shafts (27, 28), so that when the support body (24) reaches the discharge section (22), the elastic member (31) causes the support members (25, 26) to move away from each other, thereby releasing the support for the article (11). According to the invention of claim 1, the interval between the support members that support and transport an article from the front to the back can be set to an interval corresponding to the front-to-back dimension of the article, so that it is possible to prevent the support state of the article from shifting or the transport posture from being disturbed while the article supported by the support is transported to the discharge section of the conveyor. In particular, there is no problem of the article being displaced during processing by various processing means during transport on the conveyor, causing an impediment to the processing operation. In addition, since the interval adjustment operation of each support member is performed for each support arranged at a predetermined interval on the conveyor, the interval between the front and rear support members does not change due to the stretching of the conveyor cord, etc., and the interval between each support member can be kept constant.

[0008] The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that both of the pair of support members (25, 26) are supported by the one-way locking means (29, 30) so that movement thereof is restricted relative to the support body (24). According to the invention as defined in claim 2, the pair of support members can be moved from both sides to the middle position in the front-to-rear dimension of the article, and positioned at the support position for the article.

[0009] In the invention according to claim 3, the distance adjustment means (32) includes pushing members (44, 44) arranged on linear sliders (43, 43) and movable toward and away from each other, and the pushing members (44, 44) control the operation of the linear sliders (43, 43) so that the mutual distance between the pair of support members (25, 26) becomes a preset support distance for the article (11). According to the invention of claim 3, by setting the amount of movement of the pushing member of the linear slider in advance, the spacing between the support members can be set to an appropriate position to accommodate multiple articles with different front-to-rear dimensions, and the articles supported by the support members can be transported stably.

[0010] The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that it has a holder (35, 36) that supports the shaft (27, 28), and one of the support members (25, 26) is arranged in the holder (35, 36) so as to be movable toward and away from the other support member (25, 26) by being biased by an elastic member (38). According to the invention of claim 4, even weak items such as sandwiches, in which the thickness of each slice of bread varies in the overlapping direction even if the bread is of the same variety, can be supported with the biasing force of the elastic member, and the items can be transported in a well-supported state on their way to the discharge section.

[0011] The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that the discharge section (22) is provided with a removal means (53) for removing the article (11) supported by the support members (25, 26). According to the invention as defined in claim 5, the article supported by the supporting member can be removed by the removal means in the discharge section and processed in the next step.

[0012] In the invention of claim 6, the one-way locking means (29, 30) is configured to be capable of releasing the lock of the shafts (27, 28) by sliding a locking member (39), through which the shafts (27, 28) are inserted, along the shafts (27, 28), and the operating means (33) is characterized in that it includes a release member (48, 57) capable of sliding the locking member (39) to release the lock, and a drive means (50) for operating the release member (48). According to the invention as defined in claim 6, the one-way locking means can be unlocked with a simple structure.

[0013] The invention of claim 7 is characterized in that a sandwich (11) as an article wrapped in packaging material (14) is sent between the pair of support members (25, 26) in the receiving section (21) of the conveyor (G) with the overlapping direction of the sandwich (11) being vertical, and the pushing members (44, 44) narrow the spacing between the support members (25, 26) until the spacing corresponds to the overlapping dimension of the sandwich (11) and allows the sandwich (11) to be supported by being sandwiched between the upper and lower portions. According to the invention of claim 7, in correspondence with the overlap dimensions of the sandwich, which have different overlap thicknesses for each type, the sandwich, with the overlap direction facing up and down, is clamped in the receiving section by a support interval set in advance by the support members, and the sandwich can be transported smoothly to the discharge section in this clamped state.

[0014] In the invention according to claim 8, the overlapping direction of a triangular sandwich (11) as an article wrapped in a packaging material (14) is sandwiched between the support members (25, 26) in the receiving section (21), and when folding the packaging material (14), the cut surface of the sandwich (11) is placed on the support (24) and conveyed to the conveying section (22), The removal means (53) includes a pusher (54) operated by a drive means (55), The sandwich (11), which is a packaged product formed by folding the packaging material (14) on the transport path of the conveyor (G) from the receiving section (21) to the discharge section (22), is configured so that, at the discharge section (22) where the overlapping direction faces the up-down direction, the one-way locking means (29, 30) releases the lock of the shafts (27, 28) and the support members (25, 26) are spaced apart from each other, and the sandwich (11) is removed from the support body (24) by pushing the cut surface of the sandwich (11) facing the upstream transport direction with the pusher (54) at a timing after the mutual spacing between the support members (25, 26) has expanded. According to the invention of claim 8, the sandwich packages that are transported to the discharge section and have their overlapping direction facing up and down are pushed out of the support body by a pusher, so that the sandwiches can be sent out smoothly to the next process without losing their shape. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, the support members that support the article from the front and rear can be spaced apart to match the front-to-rear dimension of the article, allowing the article to be supported and transported between the support members from the receiving section to the unloading section. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view showing the article transport device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing the article transport device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a distance adjusting means and a support body. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a support body. [Diagram 5] 13 is a schematic side view showing a state in which the support members are spaced apart by the space adjusting means to clamp a sandwich. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2(a) is a schematic side view showing the release means, and FIG. 2(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the one-way lock means. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Next, preferred embodiments of an article transport apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. EXAMPLES

[0018] 1 and 2, the article transport device is composed of a transport conveyor (conveyor) G arranged downstream of a wrapping mechanism 10 that wraps triangular sandwiches in film, and sandwiches (articles) 11 wrapped by the wrapping mechanism 10 are clamped (supported) from the overlapping direction of the bread and transported downstream. The wrapping mechanism 10 is equipped with a supply conveyor 12 that clamps and transports the unwrapped sandwiches 11a from above and below, a spreading means 15 that spreads a strip-shaped film (packaging material) 14 pulled out from a film roll (supply source) 13 so that it extends in the vertical direction intersecting the transport direction downstream of the supply conveyor 12, a sealing means 16 that is arranged downstream of the film spreading section by the spreading means 15 and seals and cuts the film 14, and a delivery conveyor 17 composed of a lower conveyor 17a and an upper conveyor 17b that feed the wrapped sandwiches 11 to the article transport device. In the body-wrapping packaging mechanism 10, the sandwich 11a is supplied by the supply conveyor 12 toward the film stretching section with the overlap direction being up and down, from the bottom side (the side facing downstream on the conveyor) which will be the cutting surface when the triangular sandwich is manufactured, and the strip-shaped film 14 which is pulled out together with the sandwich 11a which has passed through the film stretching section is sealed and cut by sealing means 16 upstream of the sandwich 11a in the conveying direction, thereby obtaining the body-wrapped sandwich 11.

[0019] The sealing means 16 includes a pair of sealing bodies 18a, 18b facing each other above and below across the article conveying path of the delivery conveyor 17, and is configured to sandwich the film 14 and seal and cut it in the width direction intersecting the conveying direction by bringing the pair of sealing bodies 18a, 18b close to each other. The lower conveyor 17a includes a plurality of (three in this embodiment) endless belts 19 arranged in parallel in the width direction as shown in Fig. 2, and conveys the sandwich 11 on the three endless belts 19. The lower conveyor 17a is configured as a shuttle conveyor in which the conveying start ends of the three endless belts 19 move forward and backward along the conveying direction relative to the conveying end portion of the supply conveyor 12, following the approaching and separating movement of the pair of sealing bodies 18a, 18b. That is, when the pair of sealing bodies 18a, 18b approach each other, the opposing ends of the lower conveyor 17a and the supply conveyor 12 move apart to allow the pair of sealing bodies 18a, 18b to pass through to the clamping position where the pair of sealing bodies 18a, 18b clamp the film 14, and when the pair of sealing bodies 18a, 18b move apart, the opposing ends of the lower conveyor 17a and the supply conveyor 12 move closer to each other to allow unhindered transport of the sandwich 11 downstream. The delivery conveyor 17 also sends the wrapped sandwich 11 from the bottom side to an article receiving section 21 of the article transport device, which will be described later, by intermittent running that is controlled to stop when the sealing bodies 18a, 18b clamp the film in relation to the sealing action of the sealing bodies 18a, 18b. The lower conveyor 17a is arranged so that the downstream end of the central endless belt 19 is located upstream of the downstream ends of the endless belts 19, 19 on both sides, and a receiving table 20 is provided downstream of the central endless belt 19 on which the central portion of the sandwich 11 transported by the delivery conveyor 17 is placed. The receiving table 20 is also formed with a notch 20a that allows a pair of support members 25, 26, which will be described later, for holding the sandwich 11 therebetween to pass through.

[0020] 1, 2 and 3, the transport conveyor G is provided with supports 24 arranged at predetermined intervals on an endless belt 23 with teeth that runs intermittently by a drive means, and which individually hold the sandwiches 11 and transport them from an article receiving section 21 to an article discharge section 22. A pair of support members 25, 26 that are arranged at the front and rear of the support members 24 in the transport direction of the transport conveyor G and can hold the sandwiches 11 are arranged on the support members 24. A distance adjustment means 32 is provided corresponding to the receiving section 21 of the transport conveyor G, which moves the pair of support members 25, 26 in a direction toward each other to narrow the distance between the pair of support members 25, 26 from a distance wider than the overlapping thickness of the sandwiches 11 to a distance that can hold the sandwiches 11. Corresponding to the discharge section 22 of the transport conveyor G, there is provided an unlocking means (operating means) 33 for unlocking a pair of support members 25, 26 which are locked so as to clamp the sandwich 11 and restrict its movement in the spreading direction.

[0021] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the support body 24 has a receiving surface 34 on which the bottom surface of the sandwich 11 is placed and supported, disposed on the upper part of the fixed members 24a, 24a spaced apart in the conveying direction, and is configured so that the receiving surface 34 faces upstream at the receiving section 21 of the conveying conveyor G, and the bottom surface of the sandwich 11 sent in by the delivery conveyor 17 is supported by the receiving surface 34.

[0022] As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the first shaft 27 and the second shaft 28 are supported on the fixed member 24a of the support 24 so as to be slidable back and forth in the conveying direction, while being parallel to and spaced apart from each other in the width direction. The shaft end of the first shaft 27 is supported by the first holder 35 and extends to the other side of the fixed member 24a, and the other shaft end of the first shaft 27 is inserted into the second holder 36 and supported movably. The shaft end of the second shaft 28 is supported by the second holder 36 and extends to the other side of the fixed member 24a, and the other shaft end of the second shaft 28 is inserted into the first holder 35 and supported movably. A stopper member 37 for the corresponding second holder 36 or first holder 35 is provided on the other shaft ends of the first shaft 27 and the second shaft 28. The first support member 25, which can come into contact with one side surface of the sandwich 11 in the overlapping direction (in this embodiment, the end surface on the front side in the conveying direction), is supported by the first holder 35 so as to be movable parallel to the moving direction of the first shaft 27, and a second compression spring 38 is disposed between the first support member 25 and the first holder 35 as an elastic member that biases the first support member 25 in a direction away from the first holder 35. The second support member 26, which can come into contact with the other end surface of the sandwich 11 in the overlapping direction (in this embodiment, the end surface on the rear side in the conveying direction), is supported by the second holder 36 so as to be movable parallel to the moving direction of the second shaft 28, and a second compression spring 38 is disposed between the second support member 26 and the second holder 36 as an elastic member that biases the second support member 26 in a direction away from the second holder 36. A pair of support members 25, 26 facing each other at the front and rear in the conveying direction are configured to receive the sandwich 11 between the support members 25, 26 and then approach each other, so that the sandwich 11 can be elastically held in place by the biasing force of the second compression springs 38, 38.In addition, first compression springs 31 are elastically interposed between the support 24 and the first holder 35 on the first shaft 27, and between the support 24 and the second holder 36, and first compression springs 31 are elastically interposed between the support 24 and the second holder 36 on the second shaft 28, and between the support 24 and the first holder 35, and these multiple first compression springs 31 urge the pair of support members 25, 26 in a direction away from each other.

[0023] 6, the first and second shafts 27, 28 are supported via one-way locking means 29, 30 capable of restricting movement in one axial direction relative to the support body 24. Since the first one-way locking means 29 supporting the first shaft 27 and the second one-way locking means 30 supporting the second shaft 28 have the same configuration, the first one-way locking means 29 will be described, and the same members of the second one-way locking means 30 will be given the same reference numerals and detailed description will be omitted. As the one-way locking means 29, 30, for example, a Quick Clamper (registered trademark) manufactured by THK Corporation can be used. 6(b), the first one-way locking means 29 includes a cylindrical member 40 disposed and fixed to one fixed member 24a of the support 24, a cylindrical locking member 39 supported inside the cylindrical member 40 so as to be slidable in the axial direction and through which the first shaft 27 is inserted so as to be slidable in the axial direction, a plurality of rolling elements 39a supported movably integrally with the locking member 39 and arranged spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and a spring 58 for urging the locking member 39 in the axial direction. A tapered surface 40a is formed on the inner circumference of the cylindrical member 40, the diameter of which decreases as it moves in the direction in which the first support member 25 moves away from the second support member 26 (in the case of the second one-way locking means 30, the direction in which the second support member 26 moves away from the first support member 25), and the spring 58 urges the locking member 39 in the direction in which the rolling elements 39 move toward the diameter-reducing side of the tapered surface 40a. The first one-way locking means 29 positions the locking member 39 at a locking position where the rolling body 39 faces the reduced diameter side of the tapered surface 40a, so that the rolling body 39 is pressed by the tapered surface 40a in a direction that bites into the surface of the first shaft 27, restricting movement of the first shaft 27 in a direction in which the first support member 25 moves away from the second support member 26 relative to the support body 24, and positions the locking member 39 at a release position where the rolling body 39 faces the larger diameter side of the tapered surface 40a, allowing movement of the first shaft 27 in both axial directions relative to the support body 24.

[0024] 1, 2 and 3, the receiving section 21 provided at the upstream end of the transport conveyor G is configured so that the support 24 is positioned in a state in which the pair of support members 25, 26 are spaced apart in the vertical direction by intermittently stopping the endless belt 23, and a distance adjustment means 32 for adjusting the distance between the pair of support members 25, 26 in the support 24 is provided in the receiving section 21. The distance adjustment means 32 includes a linear slide mechanism 41 disposed on one side of the receiving section 21 and extending in the vertical direction, a servo motor 42 for driving the linear slide mechanism 41, linear sliders 43, 43 that move toward and away from each other by being driven by the linear slide mechanism 41, and a pressing member 44 provided on each linear slider 43 and having a contact piece for pressing the upper surface side of the first holder 35 and the lower surface side of the second holder 36 of the support 24 positioned in the receiving section 21. The pair of pushing members 44, 44 are moved to a standby position separated from each other so as not to interfere with the first and second holders 35, 36 when the support body 24 is sent to the receiving section 21, and to a set position where the upper and lower holders 35, 36 are narrowed by approaching each other. The standby positions and set positions corresponding to the overlapping dimensions set for each type of sandwich 11 are input and set as numerical data in a control section (not shown) of the article conveying device, and the control section drives and controls the servo motor 42 to move the pair of pushing members 44, 44 from the standby position to the set closed position, thereby pushing and moving the first and second holders 35, 36 so as to adjust the distance between the pair of support members 25, 26 to a distance corresponding to the overlapping dimension of the sandwich 11.

[0025] Between the receiving section 21 and the discharge section 22, the sandwich 11 held by the pair of support members 25, 26 is placed on the receiving surface 34 of the support body 24 with the bottom surface facing downward and conveyed along a conveying path along which various processing devices are disposed for folding the extensions extending laterally from the sandwich 11a of the film 14 around which the sandwich 11 is wrapped to form a cylindrical shape, so that the folding process of the film 14 is performed while the sandwich 11 is conveyed along the conveying path. Then, in the discharge section 22, the sandwich 11 after the film 14 has been folded is turned so that the support members 25, 26 of the support body 24 are turned upside down with respect to the receiving section 21, the overlapping direction of the sandwich 11 is turned upside down, and the bottom surface faces the upstream side of the conveying conveyor G.

[0026] 2 and 6, when the support body 24, which has reached the discharge section 22 of the transport conveyor G with the sandwich 11 held between the support members 25, 26, is released from the lock of the one-way locking means 29, 30 by the release means 33. The release means 33 includes a first release mechanism 45 and a second release mechanism 46 which release the lock between the first one-way locking means 29 and the second one-way locking means 30. Since both release mechanisms 45, 46 have the same configuration, only the first release mechanism 45 will be described, and the same members of the second release mechanism 46 will be designated by the same reference numerals and will not be described in detail. The first release mechanism 45 includes a lever (release member) 48 supported on a support shaft 47 disposed intersecting the axial direction of the first shaft 27 between the fixed members 24a, 24a on which the first shaft 27 is supported, and one end of the lever 48 abuts against the lock member 39 of the first one-way locking means 29 and engages with a groove 57a of a slide piece (release member) 57 that pushes the lock member 39 so as to sink into the cylindrical member 40, while the other end of the lever 48 protrudes outward from the fixed members 24a, 24a. The first release mechanism 45 also includes an operating means 51 including an action piece 49 that abuts against the other end of the lever 48 to operate the lever 48, and a driving means 50 such as an air cylinder that moves the action piece 49 back and forth toward the other end of the lever 48. The actuating means 51 is configured to move back and forth between a retracted position where the action piece 49 is separated from the other end of the lever 48 of the support body 24 that has reached the discharge section 22, and an actuated position where the action piece 49 abuts against the other end of the lever 48, and is configured so that the action piece 49 that has moved to the actuated position engages with the other end of the lever 48 to rotate the lever 48, thereby moving the locking member 39 from the locked position to the released position. Then, when the first one-way locking means 29 is released from the lock, the first support member 25 together with the first shaft 27 is biased by the first compression spring 31 and moved in a direction away from the second support member 26.

[0027] 1 and 2, in the discharge section 22, the one-way locking means 29, 30 are released by the releasing means 33, the gap between the pair of support members 25, 26 is widened, and a discharge table 52 on which the sandwich 11 released from the clamping by the support members 25, 26 is placed is provided in the discharge section 22. The discharge table 52 is provided with a notch 52a that allows the pair of support members 25, 26 to pass through, similar to the receiving table 20. In addition, the discharge section 22 is provided with a removal means 53 that removes the sandwich 11 from between the pair of support members 25, 26. The take-out means 53 includes plate-shaped pushers 54 arranged on both sides in the width direction of the transport path of the transport conveyor G, and driving means 55 such as an air cylinder for operating each pusher 54, and is configured to push the bottom surface of the sandwich 11, which is placed on the carry-out table 52 and extends to the left and right sides from the support members 25, 26, facing the upstream transport direction, outward from the support body 24 by the pushers 54, 54 operated by the driving means 55, 55, and push the sandwich 11 horizontally out from between the pair of support members 25, 26. In addition, an carry-out conveyor 56 is disposed downstream of the carry-out table 52, and the take-out means 53 pushes the sandwich 11 placed on the carry-out table 52 to the carry-out conveyor 56.

[0028] Next, the operation of the article transport device according to the embodiment will be described. 1 and 5(a), the support 24 positioned in the receiving section 21 by the intermittent stopping of the transport conveyor G waits for the reception of the sandwich 11 with a pair of support members 25, 26 spaced apart vertically by a distance greater than the overlap dimension of the sandwich 11 and with the lower second support member 26 positioned below the receiving table 20. The sandwich 11, which has been wrapped around the body with film 14 by the wrapping packaging mechanism 10 and is in a position where the overlapping direction faces up and down, has its center transferred by the delivery conveyor 17 to the receiving table 20 of the receiving section 21 and is sent to a position where the bottom surface abuts against the receiving surface 34 of the support 24, at which point the intermittent transport by the delivery conveyor 17 stops.

[0029] When the sandwich 11 is sent to the receiving section 21, the linear slide mechanism 41 of the distance adjustment means 32 causes the pair of pushing members 44, 44 to move closer to each other from the standby position, and the pushing members 44, 44 push the first and second holders 35, 36 in a direction toward each other. The one-way locking means 29, 30, which supports the shafts 27, 28 on which the holders 35, 36 are arranged, on the support body 24, supports the shafts 27, 28 in a direction allowing the pair of support members 25, 26 to move closer to each other, so that the first and second holders 35, 36 pushed by the pushing members 44, 44 are moved together with the shafts 27, 28 against the biasing force of the first compression spring 31 in a direction toward which the pair of support members 25, 26 approach each other. Then, when the pressing members 44, 44 of the spacing adjustment means 32 move to a set position where the spacing corresponds to the overlap dimension previously set and registered for each type of sandwich 11, the sandwich 11 is clamped from above and below by a pair of support members 25, 26 (see Figure 5(b)).

[0030] In the space adjustment means 32, when the pressing members 44, 44 move the holders 35, 36 to a set position against the urging force of the first compression spring 31 and then separate, the one-way locking means 29, 30 has the locking member 39 urged by the spring slide to the locked position to lock the shafts 27, 28, and the pair of support members 25, 26 do not return to the direction in which they widen from each other, and the pair of support members 25, 26 remain in the position to clamp the sandwich 11. In addition, since each support member 25, 26 is supported by the corresponding holder 35, 36 via the second compression spring 38, the sandwich 11 is elastically clamped by the pair of support members 25, 26.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1, the sandwich 11 held by the pair of support members 25, 26 of the support 24 is conveyed downstream from the receiving section 21 in a position where the apex of the triangle of the sandwich 11 faces upwards by the intermittent conveyance of the conveying conveyor G. During the conveyance of the sandwich 11 from the receiving section 21 to the carrying-out section 22, the film 14 that is wound around the body and opens on the left and right sides is folded and sealed. Then, the support 24 that has reached the carrying-out section 22 by the intermittent stop of the conveying conveyor G is turned upside down with respect to the receiving section 21, so that the sandwich 11 overlaps in the upside-down direction and the bottom surface faces the upstream side. The first support member 25 located on the lower side in the carrying-out section 22 is positioned above the carrying-out table 52.

[0032] 6(a), when the support body 24 reaches the discharge section 22, the action pieces 49, 49 of the first and second release mechanisms 45, 46 of the release means 33 move from the retracted position to the actuated position, and the action pieces 49, 49 push the levers 48, 48 to rotate, thereby moving the lock members 39, 39 of the one-way lock means 29, 30 from the locked position to the released position. As a result, the movement restriction of the shafts 27, 28 on which the support members 25, 26 are disposed is released from the movement restriction against the support body 24, and the pair of support members 25, 26 biased by the first compression spring 31 move apart so as to spread apart from each other, releasing the sandwich 11. In the discharge section 22, after the sandwich 11 is released from the clamping of the support members 25, 26, it is transferred to the discharge table 52, and pushed by the pushers 54, 54 of the removal means 53 to the discharge conveyor 56 and discharged downstream.

[0033] In the article conveying device of the embodiment, the distance between the pair of support members 25, 26 that hold the sandwich 11 in the overlapping direction can be set to an appropriate distance by the distance adjustment means 32 in accordance with the overlapping dimension of the sandwich 11, so that the sandwich 11 held can be prevented from being displaced or its conveying posture disturbed due to the folding process of the film 14 or movement during conveyance while reaching the discharge section 22, and the film 14 can be properly folded. Also, since the distance between the pair of support members 25, 26 is adjusted for each of the supports 24 arranged at predetermined intervals in the conveying direction of the conveyor G, the distance between the pair of support members 25, 26 in each of the supports 24 does not change in accordance with the length of the endless belt 23, and the distance between the pair of support members 25, 26 in each of the supports 24 can be kept constant. In addition, since a pair of support members 25, 26 are attached to the holders 35, 36 while being biased by the second compression springs 38, 38, sandwiches 11 of the same type but with different individual overlap dimensions can be supported with the biasing force of the second compression springs 38, 38, and the sandwiches 11 can be transported in a well-supported state all the way to the discharge section 22.

[0034] In the article conveying device of the embodiment, the pair of support members 25, 26 that hold the sandwich 11 are each configured to move relative to the support body 24 to adjust the gap therebetween, so that the pair of support members 25, 26 can be moved evenly to hold the sandwich 11 in response to changes in the overlapping dimension of the sandwich 11. Also, the gap adjustment means 32 adjusts the gap between the pair of support members 25, 26 by moving the pressing members 44, 44 closer to each other using a linear slide mechanism 41 driven by a servo motor 42, so that the gap between the pair of support members 25, 26 can be appropriately set in accordance with the overlapping dimension of the sandwich 11, and the sandwich 11 can be stably supported and conveyed.

[0035] In the article transport device of the embodiment, lever 48 disposed on support 24 is operated by operating means 51 disposed in discharge section 22 to unlock one-way locking means 29, 30, so that the one-way locking means 29, 30 can be unlocked without increasing the size of support 24 or complicating the structure. Also, in discharge section 22, sandwiches 11 with overlapping directions facing up and down are pushed horizontally by pushing the bottom surfaces with pushers 54, 54, so that packaged sandwiches 11 can be successfully discharged toward discharge conveyor 56 without reducing the commercial value of the sandwiches.

[0036] (Example of change) The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the examples, and can be modified as follows, for example. Furthermore, the configurations described in the examples can be modified in various ways within the scope of the present invention, without being limited to the following modifications. (1) The article is not limited to being conveyed by a pair of support members 25, 26 that sandwich and convey the sandwich 11. The support members 25, 26 may be used as a device for supporting and conveying multiple or individual articles with a required gap between the front and rear of the articles. (2) A configuration can be adopted in which only one of the pair of support members 25, 26 is supported movably relative to the support body 24, and the distance between the one support member 25, 26 and the other support member 25, 26 fixed to the support body 24 is adjusted by moving the one support member 25, 26 closer to the other support member 25, 26 by the distance adjustment means 32. (3) In the embodiment, the sandwich (article) 11 is received and pushed out by the pair of support members 25, 26 positioned in a vertical relationship in the receiving section 21 and the discharge section 22, but it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the pair of support members 25, 26 are in a vertical relationship in only one of the receiving section 21 or the discharge section 22 and the other is in a horizontal position, or a configuration in which the pair of support members 25, 26 are arranged horizontally in an upright position in both the receiving section 21 and the discharge section 22. Then, for the interval adjustment means 32, the release means 33 (operation means 51), and the removal means 53, appropriate configurations may be adopted that correspond to the support mode of the articles by the pair of support members 25, 26 in the receiving section 21 and the discharge section 22, the number of articles supported between the pair of support members 25, 26, and various other embodiments. Furthermore, the support members 25, 26 may be configured to clamp or release the sandwich (article) 11 in the receiving section 21 or the discharging section 22, and a configuration can be adopted in which the spacing adjustment means 32 or the release means 33 (operating means 51) initiates an approaching or separating operation before the sandwich (article) 11 is positioned in the receiving section 21 or the discharging section 22, or the sandwich (article) 11 is transported to the discharging section 22 after being released. (4) The configuration in which the support members 25, 26 are biased against the holders 35, 36 by the second compression spring 38 is preferably used for articles of the same type but having different article sizes, and a configuration in which the compression spring 38 is used to bias the support members 25, 26 against the holders 35, 36 may be adopted depending on the properties of the articles. (5) The one-way locking means 29, 30 are provided with a locking function having a structure in which the tapered surface 40a presses the rolling element 39 in a direction that bites into the surface of the shaft 27, 28, thereby restricting the axial movement of the shaft 27, 28 in one direction. However, the one-way locking means 29, 30 may be configured in any other suitable manner. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 11 sandwich (item), 14 film (packaging material), 21 receiving section, 22 carrying out section 24 Support body, 25 First support member (support member), 26 Second support member (support member) 27 first shaft (shaft), 28 second shaft (shaft) 29 First one-way locking means (one-way locking means) 30 Second one-way locking means (one-way locking means) 31 first compression spring (elastic member), 32 gap adjustment means, 33 release means (operation means) 35 first holder (holder), 36 second holder (holder) 38 second compression spring (elastic member), 39 lock member, 43 linear slider 44 Pushing member, 48 Lever (release member), 53 Removal means, 54 Pusher 55 Driving means, 57 Slide piece (release member), G Transport conveyor (conveyor)

Claims

1. A conveyor that supports articles on supports arranged at predetermined intervals and transports them from a receiving section to a carrying-out section, A pair of support members are disposed in front of and behind an article to be supported by the support, and support the article; a shaft that is disposed on the support body, disposed so as to be movable integrally with at least one of the support members, and supported on the support body so as to be slidable back and forth in the conveying direction; a one-way locking means for locking the sliding of the shaft relative to the support member so that the support members are permitted to move in a direction toward each other and are restricted from moving in a direction away from each other; an elastic member that biases the support member in a direction away from the support body; a space adjustment means for adjusting the space between the support members in the receiving section so as to narrow the space between the support members and move the pair of support members to a support space corresponding to the articles; and an operating means for releasing the lock of the shaft by the one-way locking means so that the mutual interval of the support members is expanded in the discharge section, By releasing the lock of the shaft with the operating means, when the support member reaches the discharge section, the elastic member causes the support member to move away from the other member, thereby releasing the support of the article. An article transport device comprising:

2. 2. An article transport device according to claim 1, wherein the pair of support members are supported such that movement of both of the support members is restricted by the one-way locking means relative to the supporting body.

3. 3. The article transport device according to claim 2, wherein the gap adjustment means includes a pushing member arranged on a linear slider and movable toward and away from each other, and the pushing member controls the operation of the linear slider so that the mutual gap between the pair of support members becomes a preset article support gap.

4. 2. An article transport device according to claim 1, further comprising a holder for supporting said shaft, said shaft being movable toward and away from one of said support members by means of an elastic member biasing said one support member against the other support member.

5. 2. An article transport apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a removal means for removing the article supported by the support member at the discharge section.

6. 2. The article transport device according to claim 1, wherein the one-way locking means is configured to be capable of unlocking the shaft by sliding a locking member through which the shaft is inserted along the shaft, and the operating means includes a release member capable of releasing the lock by sliding the locking member, and a drive means for operating the release member.

7. The article transport device of claim 3, characterized in that a sandwich, as an article wrapped in packaging material, is fed between the pair of support members in the receiving section of the conveyor with the sandwich overlapping from above and below, and the pushing member narrows the spacing between the support members until it becomes a spacing that corresponds to the overlapping dimensions of the sandwich and allows the sandwich to be supported by being clamped from above and below.

8. An article conveying device that sandwiches both sides of an overlapping direction of a triangular sandwich as an article wrapped in a packaging material between the support members in the receiving section, and conveys the sandwich to the conveying section by placing a cut surface of the sandwich on the support when folding the packaging material, The ejection means comprises a pusher actuated by a drive means; The article transport device of claim 5, characterized in that the sandwich, which is formed by folding the packaging material on the transport path of the conveyor from the receiving section to the discharge section and which becomes a packaged product, is removed from the support body by pushing the cut surface of the sandwich facing upstream in the transport direction with the pusher at a timing after the shaft lock by the one-way locking means is released and the spacing between the support members has expanded, in the discharge section where the overlapping direction faces up and down.

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