Transport device

Abstract

To provide a transport device for single row alignment having a simpler constitution and capable of suppressing energy consumption.SOLUTION: A transport device 1 according to the present invention comprises: a conveying path 10 for conveying articles in a conveying direction from upstream to downstream; a pair of single-row aligned guides 20A, 20B spaced apart in a width direction intersecting the conveying direction and extending in the conveying direction; and an alignment guide 31 located between the pair of single-row aligned guides at a predetermined position in the conveying direction on the conveying path. The single-row aligned guide includes a bridge position in which the distance is narrowed from upstream to downstream and the two articles are parallel in the width direction along the path. The alignment guide aligns the two articles on the upstream side of the bridge position so that the positions of the two articles in the conveyance direction are shifted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a conveying device that can move articles, such as beverage containers, from multiple rows to a single row while conveying them. [Background technology]

[0002] A plurality of cylindrical beverage containers, for example, are conveyed from upstream to downstream on a conveyor between a pair of unifying guides. During conveyance, the containers are changed from a state of multiple rows to a state of a single row as the interval between the pair of unifying guides narrows. In a conveyance path including a pair of unifying guides, there is a bridge position where only two containers are arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction. When two containers are sandwiched between the pair of unifying guides at the bridge position, a so-called bridge occurs, where the containers obstruct each other's path. This bridge is likely to occur in the early stage of conveyance when the leading article reaches the bridge position.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a conveying device that can stably convey containers without bridging even when the container pressing force is small. The conveying device in Patent Document 1 includes a pair of unaligned guides for unaligning multiple containers conveyed by a conveying means into a single row, and a large roller having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameters of the other rollers is rotatably supported and disposed at a bridge position between the pair of unaligned guides. In the conveying device of Patent Document 1, the large roller arranged at the bridge position has a larger outer diameter than the other rollers (small rollers), so the circumferential surface of the large roller protrudes further inwardly into the pair of guides than the circumferential surfaces of the other small rollers. As a result, two containers cannot be arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction at the previous bridge position. In addition, of the two containers that are about to be arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction at the previous bridge position, a container that comes into contact with the large roller can easily move from the previous bridge position to the front or rear in the conveying direction by being pressed by a small force by an adjacent container, because the large roller is rotatable. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Utility model registration No. 2518245 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the conveying device of Patent Document 1, the large roller and the small roller are rotatably supported by a roller guide, and this roller guide reciprocates forward and backward in the conveying direction while conveying the container. Therefore, Patent Document 1 requires not only a drive source for reciprocating the roller guide, but also energy such as electricity for driving the drive source. In view of the above, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a conveying device for single-row conveyance that has a simpler configuration and can reduce energy consumption. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The conveying device according to the present disclosure is a conveying path for conveying an article in a conveying direction from upstream to downstream; a pair of single row guides provided at an interval in a width direction intersecting the conveying direction and extending along the conveying direction; and an alignment guide provided between the pair of single row guides at a predetermined position in the conveying direction on the conveying path. The single row guide in the present disclosure is The spacing narrows from upstream to downstream, and along the way there is a bridge position where two articles are side by side in the width direction. In addition, the alignment guide according to the present disclosure is A guide surface is provided on the upstream side of the bridge position to align the two articles so that their positions in the conveying direction are offset. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The alignment guide of the present disclosure can block the downstream transport of the article on the upstream side of the bridge position. Therefore, when the alignment guide is moved to the second position, a parallel state in which no bridge is formed on the article is generated, and the article can pass through the bridge position without bridging. The present disclosure has a simple configuration in which the alignment guide is provided, and only energy is required to move the alignment guide from the first position to the second position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the conveying device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 5A to 5C are side views showing the operation of an alignment guide in the transport device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which an article is transported by the transport device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 2 is a plan view of the conveying device according to the first embodiment, showing a state in which a plurality of articles pass through a bridge position. FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a plan view showing how two rows of containers are combined into a single row in the conveying device according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a control procedure in the transport device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a conveying device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a control procedure in a conveying device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating modified examples of the alignment guide. [Figure 10] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating modified examples of the alignment guide. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing how the alignment guide aligns two articles as it moves downstream. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [First embodiment] The conveying device 1 according to the first embodiment is a device capable of unifying the articles C conveyed in multiple rows into a single row in the process of conveying the articles C in a conveying direction (TD) from upstream (US) to downstream (DS). The conveying device 1 can prevent bridges from occurring among the articles C conveyed while being guided by a pair of unifying guides 20A, 20B extending along the conveying direction (TD) with a simple configuration of an alignment mechanism 30 and with little energy consumption. The article C has a cylindrical shape, and is exemplified by a can container for containing a beverage.

[0010] [Overall configuration of the conveying device 1: see Figure 1] The conveying device 1 includes a conveying path 10 that conveys the article C in a conveying direction (TD) from upstream (US) to downstream (DS), and a pair of unifying guides 20A, 20B that are spaced apart in a width direction (WD) that intersects with the conveying direction (TD) and extend along the conveying direction (TD). In addition, the conveying device 1 includes an alignment mechanism 30 that is provided between the pair of unifying guides 20A, 20B at a predetermined position in the conveying direction (TD) on the conveying path 10. The alignment mechanism 30 performs a predetermined operation to prevent the article C from bridging. The conveying device 1 also includes a controller 100 for controlling the operation. Each element of the conveying device 1 will be described below in order.

[0011] [Transport path 10: Figure 1] The conveying path 10 is composed of a conveyor device, and includes, as an example, a first conveyor 11, a second conveyor 13, and a third conveyor 15 adjacent to each other in the width direction (WD). Each of the first conveyor 11, the second conveyor 13, and the third conveyor 15 includes a driving source 12 such as a rotating electric machine, a driving pulley 14 that can be rotated by the driving source 12, a driven pulley 16 that forms a pair with the driving pulley 14, and an endless conveyor belt 18 that is wound around the driving pulley 14 and the driven pulley 16. When the driving sources 12 of the first conveyor 11, the second conveyor 13, and the third conveyor 15 are rotated, the articles C placed on the conveyor belt 18 are conveyed from the upstream (US) to the downstream (DS). Each of the first conveyor 11, the second conveyor 13, and the third conveyor 15 conveys the articles C at the same speed. Furthermore, the article C is transferred from the first conveyor 11 to the second conveyor 13, and then from the second conveyor 13 to the third conveyor 15, while being transported from the upstream (US) to the downstream (DS). Other devices for processing the articles C are provided upstream (US) and downstream (DS) of the conveying path 10.

[0012] [Single-row guides 20A, 20B: Figure 1] The pair of unifying guides 20A, 20B guide the articles C so as to unify the multiple rows of articles C conveyed along the conveying path 10 into a single row. Each of the unifying guides 20A, 20B is made of a plate material having flat surfaces on both sides and made of, for example, a metal material, and has a height, for example, equal to or shorter than the height of the articles C. The pair of unifying guides 20A, 20B are fixed so that their positions relative to the conveying path 10 and their mutual positions do not change.

[0013] The pair of unifying guides 20A, 20B are arranged such that the distance between them narrows from the upstream (US) to the downstream (DS), and both are inclined at a small angle to the conveying direction (TD). In this embodiment, even with this degree of inclination, the unifying guides 20A, 20B are aligned with the conveying direction (TD). The distance between the unifying guides 20A, 20B at the most upstream (US) is D1, the distance between the unifying guides 20A, 20B at the most downstream (DS) is D2, and the diameter of the article C is Dc. Then, the unifying guides 20A, 20B are configured so that the following formula (1) is satisfied. In addition, between the upstream (US) and downstream (DS), there is a point where the distance Db between the unifying guides 20A, 20B satisfies the following formula (2), which is the bridge position BP. When the articles C are arranged in parallel at the bridge position BP, a bridge is generated. The alignment mechanism 30 can block the flow of the articles C before this bridge position BP, that is, upstream (US).

[0014] D1>D2>Dc…Equation (1), Db=2×Dc…Equation (2)

[0015] [Alignment mechanism 30: see Figures 1, 2, and 3] The alignment mechanism 30 can either block the downstream transport of the article C conveyed from the upstream (US) or allow the downstream transport of the article C. By blocking the downstream transport of the article C, the alignment mechanism 30 aligns the articles C1 and C2 at the front so that they can pass without bridging at the bridge position BP. The alignment mechanism 30 includes an alignment guide 31 against which the article C directly abuts, a drive source 33 that raises and lowers the alignment guide 31, a connecting member 35 that connects the alignment guide 31 and the drive source 33, and a support 37 that supports the drive source 33.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, the alignment guide 31 can be reciprocated by the drive source 33 between a first position P1 where the alignment guide 31 blocks the transport of the article C downstream (DS) and a second position P2 where the article C is allowed to be transported downstream (DS). The alignment guide 31 at the first position P1 is disposed between the pair of unifying guides 20A, 20B and at a position spaced a small distance from the transport path 10. Therefore, the alignment guide 31 at the first position P1 prevents the article C from passing between the pair of unifying guides 20A, 20B. The alignment guide 31 at the second position P2 is disposed at a position that is out of the gap between the pair of unifying guides 20A, 20B and is higher than the height of the article C from the transport path 10. Therefore, the article C is transported on the transport path 10 between the pair of unifying guides 20A, 20B and below the alignment guide 31 toward the downstream (DS). The alignment guide 31 is movable back and forth in the vertical direction (V), but its position in the conveying direction (TD) is fixed. In other words, the alignment guide 31 aligns two articles (C) so that their positions in the conveying direction (TD) are shifted from each other at a fixed position in the conveying direction (TD).

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the alignment guide 31 is a hexahedron having the following six faces: The six faces include a front face 31A, a rear face 31B paired with the front face 31A, an upper face 31C and a lower face 31D connecting the front face 31A and the rear face 31B, and a first side face 31E and a second side face 31F connecting the front face 31A and the rear face 31B. The six faces are named on the assumption that they are viewed from the upstream (US) to the downstream (DS). In other words, when the alignment guide 31 is placed in the correct position of the conveying path 10, the orientation of each face is as follows. In other words, the front face 31A faces the upstream (US), the rear face 31B faces the downstream (DS), the upper face 31C faces the sky, the lower face 31D faces the ground, the first side face 31E faces the guide 20A, and the second side face 31F faces the guide 20B. The dimension of the alignment guide 31 in the width direction (WD) is set to an extent that it can be inserted and removed between the single-row guides 20A and 20B.

[0018] When the alignment guide 31 is in the first position P1, the leading items C1, C2 of the group of items CG, which is a collection of the conveyed items C, hit the front face 31A and their conveyance is stopped. The conveyance of the group of items CG following the leading items C1, C2 is also stopped, so the group of items CG is blocked by the front face 31A. At this time, the leading items C1, C2 and the following group of items CG are pressed against the front face 31A with a predetermined pressure, as the conveying operation of the conveying path 10 continues. By being pressed against the front face 31A, the two leading items C1, C2 are aligned in the state required to pass through the bridge position BP.

[0019] The alignment state required to pass through the bridge position BP (hereinafter simply referred to as the "alignment state") will now be described with reference to FIG. 3, particularly the partially enlarged view. As described above, the bridge position BP is a position where two parallel articles C cannot move downstream (DS) and a bridge may occur, and is a position that satisfies the above-mentioned Dn = 2·Dc (equation (2)). The bridge occurs because the distance between guide 20A and guide 20B downstream of the bridge position BP becomes narrower. In addition, parallel with respect to articles C means that the positions of the two articles C in the conveying direction (TD) are the same. When two articles C are parallel, the dimension of the two articles C in the width direction W is maximum at 2·Dc. However, if the positions of the two articles C in the conveying direction (TD) are misaligned, as shown in the partially enlarged view of FIG. 3, the dimension Dx of the two articles C1 and C2 at the front in the width direction W becomes smaller than 2·Dc as shown in the following equation (3). Therefore, when the two leading articles C1, C2 are transported downstream (DS) while being aligned but out of position in the transport direction (TD), they can pass through the bridge position BP between the unifying guides 20A, 20B. Dx<2·Dc…Formula (3)

[0020] The front surface 31A has a first guide surface 32A and a second guide surface 32B that support the two articles C, respectively, to form an aligned state for the two articles C. In the width direction W, the first guide surface 32A is disposed on the guide 20A side, and the second guide surface 32B is disposed on the guide 20B side. In addition, in the conveying direction (TD), the first guide surface 32A is located on the downstream (DS) side, and the second guide surface 32B is located on the upstream (US) side, relatively. In the two leading articles C1 and C2 conveyed in two rows, the article C1 on the guide 20A side abuts against the first guide surface 32A, and the article C2 on the guide 20B side abuts against the second guide surface 32B, and conveyance is stopped. The article C1 supported by the first guide surface 32A and the article C2 supported by the second guide surface 32B are aligned in a state in which their positions in the conveying direction (TD) are shifted.

[0021] As described above, the first guide surface 32A and the second guide surface 32B on the front surface 31A are misaligned in the conveying direction (TD) to form a step, and the misaligned first guide surface 32A and the misaligned second guide surface 32B each receive the two leading articles C1 and C2. In this way, the articles C1 and C2 are aligned in a misaligned state in the conveying direction (TD). In the example described here, the articles C1, C2, and C3 at the front preferably form an equilateral triangle in plan view. However, what should be prioritized in this disclosure is that the articles C1 and C2 are misaligned in the conveying direction (TD), and the articles C1, C2, and C3 may form a triangle other than an equilateral triangle. In addition, as a preferred embodiment, the first guide surface 32A and the second guide surface 32B have an arcuate shape in plan view in order to match the outer peripheral shape and dimensions of the cylindrical object C. However, as described below, the guide surfaces according to the present disclosure are not limited to arcuate surfaces.

[0022] [Item C in a single row: see Figures 4 and 5] Next, the state of single-line conveyance in the conveying device 1 will be described. As shown in Fig. 4, a group of articles CG is transported from the upstream (US) to the downstream (DS). On the upstream (US) side, the distance between the unifying guides 20A, 20B is wide, so the group of articles CG is transported in three rows, but as the distance between the unifying guides 20A, 20B gradually narrows, the group of articles CG is transported in two rows (STEP 1). When the leading articles C1 and C2 reach the front surface 31A of the alignment guide 31, they abut against the first guide surface 32A and the second guide surface 32B, respectively, causing the articles C1 and C2 to be aligned and out of position in the conveying direction (TD) (STEP 2). When combined with the trailing article C3, the articles C1 and C2 form a triangle in a plan view.

[0023] When the articles C1, C2 are aligned, the alignment guide 31 is moved from between the unifying guides 20A, 20B to the second position P2 (STEP 3). Note that in STEPs 3 and 4 of FIG. When the alignment guide 31 moves to the second position P2, the group of articles CG including the articles C1, C2, and C3 is transported downstream (DS) (STEP 4). When the articles are transported beyond the bridge position BP, the relative positional relationship between the articles C1, C2, and C3 changes. The following description will be given with reference to FIG. 5. Note that, for ease of understanding, FIG. 5 only shows the articles C1, C2, and C3.

[0024] After the alignment guide 31 moves to the second position P2, the articles C1, C2, and C3 pass through the bridge position BP (STEPs 5 and 6). As the distance between the unifying guides 20A and 20B narrows toward the downstream (DS), the articles C1 and C3 are loaded from the guide 20A toward the guide 20B, and the article C2 is loaded from the guide 20B toward the guide 20A. Therefore, the article C2 gets between the articles C1 and C3 (STEP 7), and when it is transported further downstream (DS), the articles C1, C2, and C3 are arranged in a single row, that is, unified. The group of articles CG following the article C3 is similarly unified into a single row. Note that there is also a pattern in which the arrangement of items C1, C2, and C3 is the opposite of that shown in FIG. 4, and an example of this opposite pattern is shown in FIG.

[0025] [Controller 100: Figure 1] The conveying device 1 includes a controller 100 that controls the operation of the driving source 12 in the conveying path 10 and the driving source 33 in the alignment mechanism 30. The controller 100 is composed of a computer device, and includes a storage unit that stores information required to control the operation of the driving source 12 and the driving source 33, a transmitting / receiving unit that sends instructions to the driving source 12 and the driving source 33 based on this information, or receives necessary information, etc.

[0026] The conveying device 1 includes a first sensor 101 as an element that sends necessary information to the controller 100. The first sensor 101 detects whether or not the articles C1 and C2 at the front of the group of articles CG have reached the alignment guide 31. Information about the detection is sent to the controller 100, and the controller 100 controls the operation of the drive source 33 based on the received detection information to move the alignment guide 31 from the first position P1 to the second position P2, or from the second position P2 to the first position P1. The type of the first sensor 101 according to this embodiment is arbitrary, and various sensors such as a reflective photoelectric sensor, a proximity sensor, a laser distance sensor, etc. Also, a sensor that detects the load caused by the objects C1 and C2 contacting the alignment guide 31 can be used. Furthermore, a camera that captures an image of the vicinity of the alignment guide 31 can also be applied to the first sensor 101. These sensors also apply to the second sensor 102.

[0027] [Operation procedure of the transport device 1: see Figure 6] Next, an example of the procedure of the operation of the conveying device 1 when converting multiple rows of groups of items CG into a single row of items C will be described. This operation refers to the operation performed when the conveying device 1 processes a new group of items CG after processing the previous group of items CG. In the previous processing, the alignment guide 31 moves to the second position P2 and waits at the second position P2 for processing the next group of items CG. The following operation is controlled by instructions from the controller 100.

[0028] When a new process is performed by the conveying device 1, the alignment guide 31 of the alignment mechanism 30 is moved from the second position P2 to the first position P1 (FIG. 6, S101). This completes the preparations for bringing the articles C1 and C2 into the required alignment state, so the driving source 12 is driven to start the conveying operations of the first conveyor 11, the second conveyor 13, and the third conveyor 15 of the conveying path 10 (FIG. 6, S103). Note that, although an example has been shown here in which the alignment guide 31 is moved to the first position P1 and then the driving of the conveying path 10 is started, the order in which the two operations start may be reversed or may start simultaneously.

[0029] After the conveying operation of the conveying path 10 is started, it is determined whether the first sensor 41 detects the container C or not (FIG. 6, S105). Detection information of the article C by the first sensor 41 is sent to the controller 100. When the controller 100 acquires the detection information of the article C by the first sensor 41, it instructs the drive source 33 to move the alignment guide 31 to the second position P2 (FIG. 6, S107). The drive source 33 moves the alignment guide 31 to the second position P2 based on the support. This causes the group of articles CG, in which the articles C1 and C2 have been aligned as required, to be transported downstream (DS), and single-line alignment is achieved. When the single-row processing of the group of items CG including all of the items C is completed, the controller 100 sends an instruction to the drive source 12 to stop the operation of the first conveyor 11, the second conveyor 13 and the third conveyor 15 that make up the conveying path 10 (Figure 6 S109).

[0030] [Effects of the conveying device 1] According to the conveying device 1, when the leading articles C1, C2 abut against the alignment guide 31, the articles C1, C2 form a favorable alignment state, allowing the articles C1, C2 and the following group of articles CG to pass through the bridge position BP. Moreover, according to the conveying device 1, it is sufficient to move the alignment guide 31 after the articles C1, C2 abut against the alignment guide 31, so the bridge is created with a simple configuration and consumes less energy. In particular, according to the conveying device 1, it is sufficient to raise and lower the alignment guide 31, so the configuration is simpler and consumes less energy.

[0031] According to the conveying device 1, the first guide surface 32A and the second support surface 32B of the alignment guide 31 against which the article C (C1, C2) abuts are configured as arc surfaces that match the outer peripheral shape and dimensions of the cylindrical article C. Therefore, according to the alignment guide 31, the desired state of misalignment can be reproduced with high accuracy.

[0032] [Second embodiment: see Figs. 7 and 8] Next, a conveying device 2 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The conveying device 2 includes a second sensor 102 on the upstream (US) side. The conveying device 2 moves the alignment guide 31 from the first position P1 to the second position P2 based on the detection result of the article C by the second sensor 102 in addition to the first sensor 101.

[0033] The second sensor 102 is provided at a position away from the alignment guide 31 on the upstream (US) side, and detects when the articles C accumulate up to this upstream (US) position. This ensures that the articles C in the group of articles CG that has reached this position are stacked at a high density, and allows for stable single-row processing. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, as a control procedure, after the second sensor 102 detects the article C, the first sensor 101 detects the article C (S104 and S105 in FIG. 8).

[0034] [Modifications: see Figures 9, 10, and 11] Although the first and second embodiments have been described, it is possible to select the configurations given in these embodiments or to change them to other configurations as appropriate. [Modifications of the alignment guide 31: see Figures 9 and 10] For example, in the alignment guide 31 described above, the first guide surface 32A and the second support surface 32B each form an arcuate surface, and the first guide surface 32A and the second support surface 32B form a step in the width direction (W), but the present disclosure includes other forms. As one example, as shown in the upper part of Fig. 9, the front surface 31A of the alignment guide 31 can be an inclined surface inclined with respect to the conveying direction (TD). When the articles C1 and C2 abut against the front surface 31A made of this inclined surface, the articles C1 and C2 can be aligned by shifting their positions in the conveying direction (TD). The two contact points CP1, CP2 between the front surface 31A and the article C1 and the article C2 are misaligned in the transport direction (TD). This positional relationship also applies to the other alignment guides 31 of this embodiment. Furthermore, if the contact points CP1, CP2 are connected, they will be inclined with respect to the transport direction (TD). This also applies to the other alignment guides 31 of this embodiment.

[0035] Next, the alignment guide 31 described above has an integrated form including the first guide surface 32A and the second support surface 32B, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, as shown in the lower part of Fig. 9, the first alignment guide 31A including the first guide surface 32A and the second alignment guide 31B including the second guide surface 32B can be configured as separate bodies.

[0036] [Alignment guide 31 retreats] Furthermore, the alignment guide 31 described above reciprocates in the vertical direction (V), that is, rises and falls, but as shown in Fig. 10, the alignment guide 31 can also be retracted to a second position P2 by rotating the alignment guide 31 around a fulcrum shaft 39 within a predetermined angle range. The alignment guide 31 retracted to the second position is returned to the first position P1 by rotating a predetermined angle in the opposite direction to the retraction. A rotating electric machine is used as the driving source 33 at this time.

[0037] As described above, the alignment guide 31 in the present disclosure can be made swingable, and thus can move back and forth between the first position P1 and the second position P2. Here, when the alignment guide 31 retreats, the alignment guide 31 may receive a load in the rotational direction from the articles C1, C2, etc., and the alignment guide 31 can move to the second position P2 without being hindered in the retreating operation.

[0038] [Alignment of Articles C1 and C2 by Retracting Movement of Alignment Guide 31] The alignment guide 31 described above shows an example of aligning the positions of two articles (C) in the conveyance direction (TD) so that they are displaced at a fixed position in the conveyance direction (TD). However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 11, the present disclosure can also align the positions of two articles (C) in the conveyance direction (TD) so that they are displaced while retracting toward the downstream (DS) in the conveyance direction (TD).

[0039] In FIG. 11, the alignment guide 31 waits for the leading articles C1 and C2 to be conveyed at the standby position P3 provided on the upstream (US) side (STEP A). When the articles C1 and C2 hit the alignment guide 31, the alignment guide 31 moves to the retracted position P4 on the downstream (DS) side (STEP B, C). If the retracting speed of the alignment guide 31 is V31 and the conveyance speed of the articles C1 and C2 by the conveyance path 10 is V10, then V31 < V10 holds. Therefore, the articles C1 and C2 that receive pressure from the subsequent article group CG are pressed against the first guide surface 32A and the second support surface 32B of the alignment guide 31, and thus are aligned so that their positions in the conveyance direction (TD) are displaced. When the alignment guide 31 has retracted to the retracted position P4, the alignment guide 31 is moved to the second position P2. Then, the articles C1 and C2 and the subsequent article group CG are conveyed toward the downstream (DS) and then are made into a single row (STEP D).

[0040] [Appendix] From the above disclosure, the following configurations can be understood. [1] A conveyance path (10) for conveying an article (C) in a conveyance direction (TD) from upstream to downstream, A pair of singulation guides (20A, 20B) provided at intervals in a width direction (WD) intersecting the conveyance direction (TD) and extending along the conveyance direction (TD), An alignment guide (31) provided between the pair of singulation guides (20A, 20B) at a predetermined position in the conveyance direction (TD) in the conveyance path (10), The singulation guides (20A, 20B) are The gap narrows from upstream to downstream, and includes a bridge position (BP) where two articles (C) are parallel to each other in the width direction (WD), The alignment guide (31) is A conveying device (1, 2) that aligns two articles (C) so that their positions in the conveying direction (TD) are offset upstream of the bridge position (BP).

[0041] [2] The alignment guide (31) is At a fixed position in the conveying direction (TD), two of the articles (C) are aligned so that their positions in the conveying direction (TD) are offset, or A conveying device (1, 2) [1] that aligns two of the articles (C) so that their positions in the conveying direction (TD) are offset while moving toward the downstream (DS) in the conveying direction (TD).

[0042] [3] The alignment guide (31) is When two articles (C) are aligned so that their positions in the conveying direction (TD) are shifted at a fixed position in the conveying direction (TD), the conveyor is capable of reciprocating between a first position (P1) that blocks downstream conveyance of the article (C) and a second position (P2) that allows downstream conveyance of the article (C); The alignment guide (31) is After blocking the item (C) at the first position (P1), the item (C) is moved to the second position (P2).

[0043] [4] a first sensor (101) capable of detecting that the alignment guide (31) is blocking an article (C); When the first sensor (101) detects that an article (C) has been blocked, it moves from the first position (P1) to the second position (P2), The conveying device (1, 2) described in [3], wherein the articles (C) pass through the bridge position (BP) and are conveyed in a single file downstream by the conveying path (10).

[0044] [5] In the alignment guide (31), A conveying device (1, 2) according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein a guide surface (31) that contacts two articles (C) arranged in a width direction (WD) is formed with a step in a conveying direction (TD).

[0045] [6] The guide surface (31) is A conveying device (1, 2) according to [5], comprising: a first guide surface (32A) consisting of an arcuate surface corresponding to one of two articles (C); and a second guide surface (32B) adjacent to the first guide surface (32A) in the width direction (WD) and consisting of an arcuate surface corresponding to the other of the two articles (C).

[0046] [7] The alignment guide (31) is By being movable up and down, it is possible to move back and forth between a first position (P1) and a second position (P2), or The transport device (1, 2) according to [2], which is swingable and thereby capable of reciprocating between a first position (P1) and a second position (P2). [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1,2 Conveyor device 10 Transport path 11 First conveyor 12 Power source 13 Second Conveyor 14 Drive pulley 15 Third Conveyor 16 Driven pulley 18 Conveyor Belt 20A, 20B Guide 30 Alignment mechanism 31 Alignment Guide 31A Front (guide surface) 31B Back 31C Top 31D bottom surface 31E 1st side 31F 1st side 32A First guide surface 32B Second guide surface 33 Power Source 35 Connected Equipment 100 Controller 101 First Sensor 102 Second Sensor BP Bridge Position C,C1,C2,C3 Goods CG goods group P1 1st position P2 2nd position TD Transport direction W Width direction V vertical direction H horizontal direction

Claims

1. a conveying path for conveying an article in a conveying direction from upstream to downstream; the pair of single row guides provided at an interval in a width direction intersecting the conveying direction and extending along the conveying direction; an alignment guide provided at a predetermined position in the conveying direction on the conveying path between the pair of single-row guides, The single row guide is the gap narrows from the upstream to the downstream, and includes a bridge position in the gap where two of the articles are arranged side by side in the width direction, The alignment guide is A conveying device comprising a guide surface that aligns the two articles so that their positions in the conveying direction are offset on the upstream side of the bridge position.

2. The alignment guide is At a fixed position in the conveying direction, the two articles are aligned so that their positions in the conveying direction are offset, or While moving toward the downstream side in the conveying direction, the two articles are aligned so that their positions in the conveying direction are shifted. The conveying device according to claim 1 .

3. The alignment guide is When two articles are aligned so that their positions in the conveying direction are shifted at a fixed position in the conveying direction, The conveyor is movable back and forth between a first position that blocks downstream conveyance of the article and a second position that allows downstream conveyance of the article; The alignment guide is and moving to the second position after blocking the article at the first position. The conveying device according to claim 2 .

4. a first sensor capable of detecting that the alignment guide is blocking the article; When the first sensor detects that the article has been blocked, the first sensor moves from the first position to the second position; the articles pass through the bridge position and are transported in a single file along the transport path toward the downstream side; The conveying device according to claim 3.

5. In the alignment guide, Two guide surfaces that come into contact with the two articles arranged in the width direction are formed to have a step in the conveying direction. The conveying device according to claim 1 .

6. The guide surface is a first guide surface formed of an arcuate surface corresponding to one of the two articles, and a second guide surface formed of an arcuate surface adjacent to the first guide surface in the width direction and corresponding to the other of the two articles, 6. The conveying device according to claim 5.

7. The alignment guide is The movable member may be moved up and down to move back and forth between the first position and the second position, or By being swingable, the movable member can reciprocate between the first position and the second position. The conveying device according to claim 2 .

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