Holding conveyor device and method for operating the same

Abstract

To provide a holding conveyor device capable of cleaning a downstream conveyor without removing or moving a holding conveyor.SOLUTION: This holding conveyor device comprises: a pair of holding conveyor units that hold opposing parts of an article to be conveyed; a pair of supports that support the holding conveyor units; a holding interval adjustment mechanism for adjusting a holding interval of the article in a short direction of the holding conveyor units; and a conveyor that conveys the article fed by the holding conveyor units. Each of the supports includes a first support part supported on a frame, a second support part that moves together with each of the holding conveyor units with a vertical direction set as a moving direction, and a movement mechanism for moving the second support part with respect to the first support part. The movement mechanism is configured to form a space between the holding conveyor units and the conveyor by moving the second support part upward with respect to the first support part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present application relates to a clamping conveyor device that clamps and conveys an object from a lateral direction, and a method of operating the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, inspections such as weight measurement are performed on PET bottles and paper cartons containing beverages after filling them with the contents. As a weighing device for measuring the weight of PET bottles and paper cartons, there is a weighing device that measures the weight while transporting the objects from upstream to downstream on a weighing conveyor. PET bottles, paper cartons, and the like are collectively called "transported objects." Since the weighing device measures the weight of the objects while transporting them, it is necessary to transport each of the objects to the weighing device. For this reason, a clamping conveyor device is used to transport each of the objects to the weighing device at a predetermined interval. The clamping conveyor device clamps the objects with a conveyor belt and transports the objects to a downstream transport conveyor in sequence at a predetermined speed to keep the objects at a predetermined interval.

[0003] An example of this type of prior art is a belt-type conveying device that clamps an object to be conveyed and conveys it downstream (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Fig. 10 is a front view showing the main components of this conveying device 100, in which a clamping width adjustment mechanism 103 is provided on a support member 102 that is provided downward from the top of a stand 101, and a pair of clamping conveyors 110 are provided facing downward on this clamping width adjustment mechanism 103. An object to be conveyed 300 is clamped from the left and right by belts 111 of the clamping conveyors 110, and conveyed to a conveyor 120 in the downstream direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-315114 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, in the case of a conveying device that conveys food-related objects, the clamping conveyor 110 and the conveyor 120 below may need to be cleaned, for example, when the object 300 is changed or after the end of work for the day. Cleaning is also required when liquid leaks onto the conveyor 120.

[0006] However, in the configuration of the above-mentioned prior art document, when cleaning the lower conveyor 120, cleaning is not possible unless the pinch conveyor 110 arranged above is removed or the pinch interval is widened. When the pinch conveyor 110 is removed, it is necessary to assemble the pinch conveyor 110 after cleaning the conveyor 120, and then reset the pinch interval W of the belt 111 so that the conveyed object 300 can be properly pinched. When the pinch interval of the pinch conveyor 110 is widened, it is also necessary to reset the pinch interval W of the belt 111 so that the conveyed object 300 can be properly pinched after cleaning.

[0007] The clamping interval W needs to be adjusted so that the weight of the transported object 300 can be supported while maintaining the shape of the transported object 300, and readjustment requires a lot of time and effort. Therefore, cleaning the conveyor 120 requires a lot of time and effort.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT APPLICATION An object of the present application is to provide a pinch conveyor apparatus and an operating method thereof that enable cleaning of the conveyor below without removing the pinch conveyor or changing the pinch interval. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A pinch conveyor device according to one aspect of the present application includes a pair of pinch conveyor units that pinch opposing portions of a conveyed object, a pair of support parts that support the pair of pinch conveyor units, a pinch interval adjustment mechanism that adjusts the pinch interval of the conveyed object in the short direction by the pair of pinch conveyor units, and a conveyor that conveys the conveyed object sent by the pair of pinch conveyor units, and the pair of support parts each have a first support part supported by a stand, a second support part that moves vertically together with each of the pair of pinch conveyor units, and a moving mechanism that moves the second support part relative to the first support part, and the moving mechanism is configured to move the second support part upward relative to the first support part to form a space between the pair of pinch conveyor units and the conveyor. In this specification and the claims, "movement" includes movement in which the entirety moves up and down and rotation in which a part moves up and down around a fulcrum.

[0010] With this configuration, the pair of support parts of the pair of pinching conveyor units have a first support part supported by the stand and a second support part that moves together with the pinching conveyor units, and the second support part can be moved relative to the first support part by the moving mechanism. By moving the pinching conveyor unit upward integrally with the second support part, a space can be formed above the transport conveyor. By forming a space above the transport conveyor, the transport conveyor can be easily cleaned without disassembling the pinching conveyor units.

[0011] In addition, the pair of support parts may be arranged at a position opposite the clamping surface in the width direction of the pair of clamping conveyor units, the moving mechanism may have a bending member having a rotation axis along the conveying direction of the transported object in the opposite direction to the clamping surface between the first support part and the second support part, and the second support part may be configured to move by rotating around the rotation axis of the bending member.

[0012] With this configuration, the second support part can be rotated around the rotation axis of the bending member relative to the first support part to move the pinching conveyor unit. The pair of pinching conveyor units can move the directions of their pinching surfaces upward or downward relative to each other.

[0013] In addition, the second support portion may have a guide plate arranged along the first support portion so as to be perpendicular to the rotation axis, and a guide groove provided in the guide plate, and the first support portion may have a fixing member that engages with the guide groove and fixes the guide plate to the first support portion.

[0014] With this configuration, when the second support part is moved relative to the first support part, the guide groove of the guide plate can be moved along the fixing member, allowing for stable movement. After the second support part has moved, the guide plate can be fixed to the first support part by the fixing member, allowing the second support part to maintain its moved state.

[0015] In addition, the moving mechanism may be configured to return the clamping gap between the pair of clamping conveyor units to its original state by moving the second support portion downward to return it to its original state.

[0016] With this configuration, when the second support portion is moved downward to return it to its original position, the clamping gap between the pair of clamping conveyor units returns to its original state, making it easy to set the clamping gap.

[0017] The clamping gap adjustment mechanism may also include a pair of support blocks each supporting the first support portion, an adjustment shaft for moving the pair of support blocks in a direction narrowing the clamping gap or in a direction widening the clamping gap, and a handle for rotating the adjustment shaft.

[0018] With this configuration, the clamping gap adjustment mechanism supports each of the first support parts with a pair of support blocks, and by rotating the adjustment shaft with the handle to change the gap between the support blocks, the clamping gap of the object being transported by the conveyor belt can be easily adjusted.

[0019] Further, each of the pair of clamping conveyor units may include a base member supported by the support portion, a drive roller and a driven roller whose rotating shafts are supported on the base member, a conveyor belt stretched between the drive roller and the driven roller, and a drive motor for rotating the drive roller, and the driven roller may be provided with an axis adjustment mechanism for adjusting the axis distance between the driven roller and the drive roller between the base member in the longitudinal direction of the pair of clamping conveyor units, and the axis adjustment mechanism may include guide portions provided on the base member for guiding both ends of the rotating shaft of the driven roller in a direction in which the axis distance with the drive roller changes, and adjustment members provided on both ends of the rotating shaft for changing the position of the rotating shaft relative to the base member along the guide portions.

[0020] With this configuration, the nip conveyor unit can adjust the tension of the conveyor belt stretched between the drive roller and driven roller by adjusting the axis distance between the driven roller and the drive roller using the axis distance adjustment mechanism between the driven roller and the base member.

[0021] A method for operating a clamping conveyor device according to one embodiment of the present application is a method for operating a clamping conveyor device described in any of the above, and includes the steps of moving the second support part upward relative to the first support part by the moving mechanism, moving the second support part upward relative to the first support part to form a space between the pair of clamping conveyor units and the transport conveyor, and moving the second support part downward to return it to its original position.

[0022] With this configuration, by using the movement mechanism to move the second support part upward relative to the first support part, a space can be formed between the pair of pinching conveyor units and the transport conveyor, and the transport conveyor can be cleaned in this space. After cleaning, by moving the second support part downward to return it to its original position, the clamping gap between the pair of pinching conveyor units can be returned to its original state, and adjustment of the clamping gap can be omitted or only fine adjustment can be made. Effect of the Invention

[0023] According to the pinch conveyor device of the present application, it is possible to clean the lower conveyor without removing the pinch conveyor or changing the pinch interval. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a first pinch-conveyor device according to a first embodiment of the present application. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which the nipping conveyor unit shown in FIG. 1 has been moved upward. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the pinch-conveyor unit shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing a driven roller portion of the nip-conveyor device shown in FIG. [Figure 6] 6(A) to 6(C) are schematic front views showing other examples of the movement mechanism that moves the second support portion upward relative to the first support portion. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an example of a weighing system including the pinch conveyor device shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a side view of the weighing system shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a pinch-conveyor unit in a second pinch-conveyor device according to a second embodiment of the present application, taken along the same cross section as FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic front view of a conventional belt-type conveying device as viewed from the left side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] The following embodiment is a clamping conveyor device 1, 3 according to an embodiment of the present application. The following embodiment will be described taking the clamping conveyor devices 1, 3 provided in a weighing system 2 as an example. The concepts of "upstream" and "downstream" directions in this specification and claims correspond to the concepts of the left direction, which is the carry-in side of the transported object 300, as "upstream" and the right direction, which is the carry-out side of the transported object 300, as shown in FIG. 8, in the weighing system 2.

[0026] In the front view of Fig. 1, the clamping interval W in the width direction of the transported object 300 is the short side direction (left-right direction) of the pinch conveyor device 1 according to one embodiment of the present application, and in Fig. 2, the direction in which the transported object 300 is transported from the upstream side, which is the carry-in side, to the downstream side, which is the carry-out side, is the longitudinal direction of the pinch conveyor device 1. Moreover, the up-down direction in Fig. 2 coincides with the vertical direction.

[0027] <First clamping conveyor device> As shown in FIG. 1, the first pinch conveyor device 1 according to the first embodiment includes a pair of pinch conveyor units 10 that pinch a transported object 300 with a conveyor belt 14. The pair of pinch conveyor units 10 are provided with a pair of support parts 11 that support the respective units at positions opposite to the pinch surface of the transported object 300. The pair of support parts 11 are supported by a pair of support blocks 51 provided in a pinch gap adjustment mechanism 50. The pinch gap adjustment mechanism 50 has an adjustment shaft 52 that moves each of the support blocks 51 in a direction that narrows the pinch gap W or in a direction that widens the pinch gap W, and a handle 53 that rotates the adjustment shaft 52. The support block 51 moves in the left-right direction (width direction) of the figure along a guide shaft 54 ​​provided in a stand 75. The clamping gap adjustment mechanism 50 has a female thread portion 51a that screws into a male thread portion 52a provided on the adjustment shaft 52, and by rotating the adjustment shaft 52 with a handle 53, the pair of support parts 11 are moved in a direction in which the clamping gap W narrows or in the opposite direction in which the clamping gap W widens. The clamping gap adjustment mechanism 50 sets an initial width as the clamping gap W according to the transported object 300. By rotating the handle 53, the clamping gap adjustment mechanism 50 moves the pair of support blocks 51 in opposite directions in the width direction to adjust the clamping gap W between the pair of clamping conveyor units 10.

[0028] The clamping gap adjustment mechanism 50 can, for example, provide female threads 51a in mutually opposite directions on the pair of support parts 11 and provide male threads 52a in mutually opposite directions corresponding to the adjustment shaft 52, so that the pair of support blocks 51 can be moved in opposite directions by rotating the handle 53. In this way, the clamping gap adjustment mechanism 50 can easily adjust the clamping gap W of the transported object 300 by changing the gap between the support blocks 51 by rotating the adjustment shaft 52 with the handle 53.

[0029] The pinch conveyor device 1 of this embodiment has a transport conveyor 70 that sends the transported object 300, which has been pinched and transported downstream by the pinch conveyor unit 10, to the weighing device 60 in the downstream direction. The transport conveyor 70 is a conveyor that transports the transported object 300 downstream, and is disposed so that an upper surface 70a is located a predetermined distance below the conveyor belt 14 of the pinch conveyor unit 10. The transport conveyor 70 receives the transported object 300, which has been sent downstream by the pinch conveyor unit 10, on its upper surface 70a, and transports it downstream.

[0030] The support part 11 supporting the pinch conveyor unit 10 is disposed at a position opposite to the pinch surface 14a of the conveyor belt 14 in the width direction of the pinch conveyor unit 10. The support part 11 has a first support part 11A supported by a stand 75 and a second support part 11B moving together with the pinch conveyor unit 10. The first support part 11A has a lower end fixed to a support block 51 of the pinch gap adjustment mechanism 50. The second support part 11B has an upper end fixed to the pinch conveyor unit 10. Between the first support part 11A and the second support part 11B, there is a moving mechanism 35 for moving the second support part 11B so that the moving direction is vertical to the first support part 11A. The moving mechanism 35 of this embodiment has a bending member 30 having a rotation axis 31 along the conveying direction of the transported object 300, in the opposite direction to the clamping surface 14a of the conveyor belt 14 in the width direction of the pair of clamping conveyor units 10. The bending member 30 is provided between the first support part 11A and the second support part 11B. The first support part 11A and the second support part 11B are pillar members having the same cross-sectional shape, and are connected by the bending member 30 in the opposite direction to the clamping surface 14a in the width direction of the clamping conveyor unit 10. A hinge can be used as the bending member 30.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 2(A), a guide plate 32 is provided at the lower end of the second support portion 11B along two surfaces of the upper end portion of the first support portion 11A. The guide plate 32 is disposed so as to be perpendicular to the rotation axis 31 of the bending member 30, and has an arc-shaped guide groove 33 at a predetermined position centered on the rotation axis 31. The guide groove 33 is provided on the guide plate 32 at an angle with respect to the vertical direction centered on the rotation axis 31. The guide groove 33 in this embodiment is provided within a range of a predetermined angle θ. The predetermined angle θ can be, for example, an angle that can form a space for cleaning between the pinch conveyor unit 10 and the transport conveyor 70. The first support portion 11A has a fixing bolt 34 as a fixing member that engages with the guide groove 33 and fixes the guide plate 32 to the first support portion 11A. The fixing bolt 34 can be a hexagonal bolt, a hexagonal socket bolt, or the like. The fixing bolt 34 can be, for example, a bolt with a lever, which can be easily operated without using tools. With the fixing bolt 34 loosened, the second support part 11B can be moved upward around the rotation shaft 31 within the range of a predetermined angle θ of the guide groove 33. Moreover, when returning the second support part 11B to its original position, with the fixing bolt 34 loosened, it can be moved downward.

[0032] In the pinch conveyor device 1 of this embodiment, the pair of pinch conveyor units 10 are integrated with the first support portion 11A and the second support portion 11B by fixing the guide plate 32 with the fixing bolt 34 in a state where the second support portion 11B is in vertical contact with the first support portion 11A. In this state, the pinch conveyor device 1 can appropriately support the pinch conveyor unit 10 in a normal operating state.

[0033] <Upward movement of the clamping conveyor unit> As shown in FIG. 2(B), the pinch conveyor device 1 can move the second support part 11B and the pinch conveyor unit 10 upward together around the rotation axis 31 of the bending member 30 by loosening the fixing bolt 34. That is, the pinch conveyor unit 10 can move upward by rotating the second support part 11B around the rotation axis 31 of the bending member 30 relative to the first support part 11A. In this state, the pinch conveyor device 1 can be in a state in which a space is formed below the pinch conveyor unit 10. The second support part 11B can be moved stably with the guide plate 32 aligned with the first support part 11A. The second support part 11B can be moved until the end of the guide groove 33 of the guide plate 32 abuts against the fixing bolt 34. When the guide plate 32 is fixed to the first support portion 11A with the fixing bolt 34 at a position where the guide groove 33 abuts against the fixing bolt 34, the second support portion 11B can maintain the clamping conveyor unit 10 in an upwardly moved position.

[0034] In this manner, the pinch conveyor device 1 of this embodiment can move the conveyor belt 14 upward relative to the transport conveyor 70 by moving the pinch conveyor unit 10 upward together with the second support portion 11B relative to the first support portion 11A. This allows a space to be formed between the lower end of the conveyor belt 14 of the pinch conveyor unit 10 and the upper surface 70a of the transport conveyor 70. By forming a space above the transport conveyor 70, it becomes possible to easily clean the transport conveyor 70 without removing the pinch conveyor unit 10 or changing the pinch interval W.

[0035] <Downward movement of the clamping conveyor unit> In addition, as shown in FIG. 2(B), the clamping conveyor device 1 can move the second support part 11B and the clamping conveyor unit 10 downward together around the pivot axis 31 of the bending member 30 by loosening the fixing bolt 34.

[0036] This allows the pinch conveyor unit 10 to return to its original state together with the second support portion 11B. By returning the pinch conveyor unit 10 to its original state, the pinch interval W returns to the initially set width. Therefore, the pinch interval W does not need to be reset by the pinch interval adjustment mechanism 50, or can be returned to the initially set width with only minor adjustment.

[0037] <Nip conveyor unit> As shown in Fig. 3, the pair of pinch conveyor units 10 in this embodiment have the same configuration. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the pinch conveyor unit 10 at the position indicated by the arrows IV-IV in Fig. 2, and shows an enlarged cross-section of only one of the pinch conveyor units 10. The pair of pinch conveyor units 10 have the same configuration and are arranged symmetrically.

[0038] The pinch conveyor unit 10 has a connecting member 16 with an L-shaped cross section fixed to the upper part of the support part 11, and a plate-shaped base member 17 fixed to the connecting member 16. The base member 17 is supported by the support part 11 via the connecting member 16. The support part 11 is disposed downstream of the middle part of the pinch conveyor unit 10 in the longitudinal direction. The pinch conveyor unit 10 is supported by the support part 11 at a position downstream of the middle part of the longitudinal direction, so that a carry-in conveyor 190 (FIG. 8) for the transported object 300 can be disposed below in the upstream direction. The pinch conveyor unit 10 receives the transported object 300 carried in by the carry-in conveyor 190 by pinching it with the pinch conveyor unit 10, and transports it in the downstream direction.

[0039] The base member 17 supports the upper end of the rotating shaft 12a of the drive roller 12 and the upper end of the rotating shaft 13a of the driven roller 13. The lower end of the rotating shaft 12a of the drive roller 12 and the lower end of the rotating shaft 13a of the driven roller 13 are supported by a lower base member 18 fixed to the base member 17. The driving roller 12 and the driven roller 13 rotate in such a manner that the rotating shafts 12a and 13a do not rotate, but the surrounding rollers rotate. In the pinch conveyor unit 10, the driven roller 13 is disposed in the upstream direction, and the driving roller 12 is disposed in the downstream direction.

[0040] A conveyor belt 14 is stretched between the drive roller 12 and the driven roller 13. The conveyor belt 14 is covered by a cover member 40 on the sides other than the clamping surface 14a of the conveyed object 300. The cover member 40 in this embodiment has a first cover member 41 that covers the upstream side of the driven roller 13 and the downstream side of the drive roller 12, and a second cover member 42 that covers the conveyor belt 14 in the opposite direction to the clamping surface 14a. The first cover member 41 and the second cover member 42 are fixed to the base member 17 by bolts 44. The first cover member 41 provided on the upstream side of the driven roller 13 has a guide plate 45 that guides the conveyed object 300 carried in by the carry-in conveyor 190 between the pair of clamping conveyor units 10.

[0041] The pinch conveyor unit 10 is provided with an axis distance adjustment mechanism 20 at the rotating shaft 13a of the driven roller 13, which adjusts the axis distance L between the driven roller 13 and the driving roller 12. The axis distance adjustment mechanism 20 adjusts the axis distance L by moving the rotating shaft 13a of the driven roller 13 in a direction toward or away from the rotating shaft 12a of the driving roller 12.

[0042] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 8, a case is described in which the pinch conveyor device 1 is provided upstream of the weighing device 60 into which the transported object 300 is carried in the transport direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the pinch conveyor device 1 in this embodiment may be provided downstream of the weighing device 60 into which the transported object 300 is carried out in the transport direction. In addition, the pinch conveyor device 1 may be provided both upstream of the transported object 300 into which the transported object 300 is carried out in the transport direction and downstream of the transported object 300 out of which the transported object 300 is carried out in the transport direction.

[0043] <Axle adjustment mechanism> The shaft distance adjustment mechanism 20 has adjustment bolts 21 as adjustment members provided at both ends of the rotating shaft 13a of the driven roller 13, and guide grooves 22 as guide parts provided on the base member 17 and the lower base member 18, which guide both ends of the rotating shaft 13a in the direction in which the shaft distance L between the driving roller 12 and the shafts of the driven roller 13 changes. The rotating shaft 13a of the driven roller 13 has a guide surface 13b that moves along the guide groove 22. The shaft distance adjustment mechanism 20 adjusts the shaft distance L between the driven roller 13 and the driving roller 12 by changing the position of the rotating shaft 13a along the guide groove 22 of the base member 17 with the adjustment bolts 21. The shaft distance adjustment mechanism 20 can adjust the positions of both ends of the rotating shaft 13a of the driven roller 13 independently.

[0044] The pinch conveyor unit 10 does not require a tension roller for the conveyor belt 14 by providing the shaft distance adjustment mechanism 20 on the rotating shaft 13a of the driven roller 13. Therefore, the pinch conveyor unit 10 can arrange the drive motor 15, which rotates the drive roller 12 by the drive belt 15a, close to the support part 11. In addition, when the pinch conveyor device 1 is provided on the upstream side where the transported object 300 is carried in in the transport direction, the drive motor 15 can be arranged downstream from the middle part in the longitudinal direction of the pinch conveyor unit 10. The pinch conveyor unit 10 can reduce the moment acting on the drive motor 15 with respect to the support part 11 by bringing the drive motor 15 close to the support part 11. The pinch conveyor unit 10 can reduce vibration by reducing the moment of the drive motor 15 acting on the support part 11.

[0045] Furthermore, the width of the pinch conveyor unit 10 can be reduced by eliminating the need for a tension roller for the conveyor belt 14, and the drive motor 15 can be arranged close to the support portion 11, making the unit compact. Making the pinch conveyor unit 10 compact also makes it possible to make the pinch conveyor device 1 more compact.

[0046] Furthermore, the pinch conveyor unit 10 can adjust the tension of the conveyor belt 14 applied between the drive roller 12 and the driven roller 13 to an appropriate state by adjusting the axial distance L between the driven roller 13 and the drive roller 12 at the upper and lower positions of both ends. By adjusting the tension at the upper and lower positions, the conveyor belt 14 runs at an appropriate position without meandering.

[0047] When the pinch conveyor device 1 is provided downstream in the conveying direction where the transported object 300 is transported, the drive motor 15 can be disposed upstream of the middle part in the longitudinal direction of the pinch conveyor unit 10. The pinch conveyor unit 10 can be made compact by eliminating the need for a tension roller for the conveyor belt 14, and the drive motor 15 can be disposed close to the support part 11. By making the pinch conveyor unit 10 compact, the pinch conveyor device 1 can be made compact.

[0048] <Configuration of shaft distance adjustment mechanism> 5, the guide groove 22 of the shaft distance adjustment mechanism 20 has an opening 24 that opens the top side of the adjustment bolt 21. The adjustment bolt 21 of the shaft distance adjustment mechanism 20 is screwed into a female thread portion 25 provided on the rotating shaft 13a, and its tip portion abuts against the deepest portion 23 of the guide groove 22. The head 21a of the adjustment bolt 21 is rotatable from the direction of the opening 24. For example, a hexagonal socket bolt can be used as the adjustment bolt 21, and the head 21a can be rotated from the direction of the opening 24 using a hexagonal wrench.

[0049] When the adjustment bolt 21 is screwed in, the rotation shaft 13a of the driven roller 13 moves along the guide groove 22 in a direction away from the drive roller 12. When the adjustment bolt 21 is loosened, the rotation shaft 13a of the driven roller 13 moves along the guide groove 22 in a direction toward the drive roller 12. In this way, the axis distance adjustment mechanism 20 can easily adjust the axis distance L between the drive roller 12 and the driven roller 13 by the screwing direction and amount of the adjustment bolt 21.

[0050] 3 and 5, the first cover member 41 covering the upstream side of the driven roller 13 is provided with an open portion 43 that does not block the upper side of the guide groove 22 provided in the base member 17. The open portion 43 is also configured not to block the side of the opening 24 of the base member 17. This open portion 43 makes it possible to easily rotate the adjustment bolt 21 provided on the rotation shaft 13a of the driven roller 13 without removing the first cover member 41.

[0051] In addition, the adjustment work of the adjustment bolt 21 provided on the rotating shaft 13a of the driven roller 13 is performed from the upstream direction of the clamping conveyor unit 10, and can be easily performed from the open area in the direction where the input conveyor 190 (Figure 7) is provided.

[0052] Here, when the pinch conveyor device 1 is provided downstream of the weighing device 60 into which the transported objects 300 are brought in in the transport direction, the first cover member 41 is provided so as to cover the downstream side of the driven roller 13. In this case, the configuration of the first cover member 41 provided on the base member 17 is the same as that described above, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0053] In addition, the adjustment work of the adjustment bolt 21 provided on the rotating shaft 13a of the driven roller 13 is performed from the open downstream direction of the clamping conveyor unit 10, and can be easily performed from the open portion without removing the first cover member 41.

[0054] <Replacing the conveyor belt> The shaft distance adjustment mechanism 20 can set the shaft distance L at which the conveyor belt 14 can be removed by loosening the adjustment bolt 21 to move the driven roller 13 closer to the driving roller 12. As shown in FIG. 2(B), the first pinching conveyor device 1 can be set to a state in which the pinching conveyor unit 10 is moved upward to form a space between the pinching conveyor unit 10 and the transport conveyor 70. In this state, if the shaft distance adjustment mechanism 20 is used to reduce the shaft distance L, the conveyor belt 14 can be removed downward toward the space between the pinching conveyor unit 10 and the transport conveyor 70. Therefore, the first pinching conveyor device 1 can also replace the conveyor belt 14 without disassembling the pinching conveyor unit 10.

[0055] After replacing the conveyor belt 14 of the transport conveyor 70, by returning the second support portion 11B to its original state, the pair of pinch conveyor units 10 can be returned to their original state, and the pinch gap W of the pinch gap adjustment mechanism 50 can also be returned to its original state. The pinch gap adjustment mechanism 50 of the pinch conveyor device in this embodiment makes it possible to omit the task of adjusting the pinch gap W after cleaning the transport conveyor 70, or to make only fine adjustments.

[0056] <Other examples of movement mechanisms> As shown in Fig. 6(A) to Fig. 6(C), the moving mechanism 35 that moves the second support portion 11B upward relative to the first support portion 11A may have another configuration. An example will be described below, but the moving mechanism 35 that moves the second support portion 11B upward is not limited to this. The same components as the moving mechanism 35 described above are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0057] Fig. 6(A) is an example of a moving mechanism 35 in which the guide groove 33 of the guide plate 32 shown in Fig. 2 is replaced with a notched groove 36. This moving mechanism 35 can move the second support part 11B and the pinch conveyor unit 10 upward together by loosening the fixing bolt 34 and aligning the notched groove 36 of the second support part 11B with the fixing bolt 34 around the rotation axis 31 of the bending member 30. By fixing the guide plate 32 to the first support part 11A with the fixing bolt 34, the pinch conveyor unit 10 can be maintained in a state in which it has been moved upward.

[0058] FIG. 6(B) is an example of a moving mechanism 35 that moves the second support part 11B upward as a whole relative to the first support part 11A. This moving mechanism 35 moves the second support part 11B in the vertical direction by rotating the screw jack 37 so that the guide groove 38 of the guide plate 32 is aligned with the fixing bolt 34. The screw jack 37 is rotated in one direction to raise the second support part 11B and the pinch conveyor unit 10 together. The guide plate 32 is fixed to the first support part 11A by the fixing bolt 34, so that the pinch conveyor unit 10 can be kept in a state of being moved upward. The screw jack 37 is rotated in the other direction to lower the second support part 11B and the pinch conveyor unit 10 together.

[0059] 6(C) is an example of a moving mechanism 35 that moves the upstream side of the nip conveyor unit 10 upward. The moving mechanism 35 of this example is provided with a bending member 30 at a downstream position between the first support portion 11A and the second support portion 11B. The configuration of this moving mechanism 35 is the same as that of FIG. 2 except for the bending member 30, so it will be omitted. This moving mechanism 35 can move the upstream side of the nip conveyor unit 10 and the upstream side of the second support portion 11B upward around the rotation axis 31 of the bending member 30. The configuration for moving the nip conveyor unit 10 upward is not limited to these examples.

[0060] 6(A) to (C), the moving mechanism 35 for moving the pinch conveyor unit 10 includes cases where the second support part 11B and the pinch conveyor unit 10 are moved integrally not only upward but also downward. The downward movement is the reverse of the upward movement, and therefore the explanation thereof is omitted.

[0061] <Weighing system equipped with a clamping conveyor device> As shown in Figures 7 and 8, a weighing system 2 equipped with a first clamping conveyor device 1 can reduce vibrations of the clamping conveyor device 1, thereby enabling the clamping conveyor device 1 and the weighing device 60 to use a single platform 75. Even if the platform 75 is shared, the vibrations of the clamping conveyor device 1 do not affect the weight measurement of the transported object 300 by the weighing device 60. Using a single platform 75 makes it possible to make the weighing system 2 more compact. Making the weighing system 2 more compact makes it possible to reduce equipment costs, transportation costs, etc.

[0062] The weighing system 2 has a control device 80 that controls the operation of the clamping conveyor device 1 and the weighing device 60. The control device 80 controls the transport conveyor 70 of the clamping conveyor device 1 to have the same feed speed as the weighing conveyor 61. The control device 80 spreads the individual transported objects 300 at predetermined intervals in the clamping conveyor unit 10 and places them on the transport conveyor 70 so that they can be transported by the weighing conveyor 61. The control device 80 has a processor, a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, an I / O interface, etc. The control device 80 controls the operation of the drive motor 15 of the clamping conveyor device 1 and the transport conveyor 70. The weighing device 60 controls the operation of the weighing conveyor 61 and measures the weight of the transported objects 300 passing on the weighing conveyor 61.

[0063] <Second clamping conveyor device> As shown in Fig. 9, in the second pinch conveyor device 3 according to the second embodiment, a pair of pinch conveyor units 90 each include a pinch gap adjustment mechanism 50. The figure shows only one of the pinch conveyor units 90. In the pinch conveyor unit 90, the same components as those shown in Fig. 4 above are denoted by the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted, and only different components will be explained.

[0064] In the second pinch conveyor device 3, the first support part 11A of the support part 11 is fixed to the frame 75, and the first support part 11A is maintained at a set position. The second support part 11B of the support part 11 has a support block 51 of the pinch gap adjustment mechanism 50 fixed to its upper end. The support block 51 is provided with a bearing part 51b at a position opposite to the conveyor belt 14 of the pinch conveyor unit 90. The adjustment shaft 52 is inserted into the bearing part 51b, and a handle 53 is provided at a position opposite to the conveyor belt 14 of the adjustment shaft 52. The support block 51 is provided with a base member 17 at its upper part. The base member 17 is provided with an adjustment block 17a from the center part in the width direction downward. The adjustment block 17a has a female screw part 51a into which the male screw part 52a of the adjustment shaft 52 is screwed. The adjustment shaft 52 is supported by the bearing portion 51b, and the male thread portion 52a is screwed into the female thread portion 51a. The base member 17 is slidable in the width direction along a guide portion 17b provided on the support block 51.

[0065] The pinching conveyor unit 90 of the second pinching conveyor device 3 can move the adjustment block 17a of the base member 17 in the width direction by rotating the adjustment shaft 52 with the handle 53. This allows the pinching conveyor unit 90 to move the pinching surface 14a of the conveyor belt 14 in the width direction. The second pinching conveyor device 3 adjusts the pinching interval W by moving the pinching surface 14a of the conveyor belt 14 in the width direction in each of the pair of pinching conveyor units 90.

[0066] In such a second pinch conveyor device 3, the pair of second support parts 11B and the pinch conveyor unit 90 can be moved upward integrally about the rotation axis 31 of the bending member 30 while the pair of first support parts 11A are held at a set position. Although the moving state of the pinch conveyor unit 90 in FIG. 9 is not shown to avoid the lines from becoming complicated, it is possible to move the second support part 11B and the pinch conveyor unit 90 upward as in FIG. 4. Therefore, the second pinch conveyor device 3 can also move the pinch conveyor unit 90 upward integrally with the second support part 11B to form a space between the upper surface 70a of the transport conveyor 70 and the pinch conveyor unit 90.

[0067] Therefore, the second pinch conveyor device 3 can easily clean the transport conveyor 70 from the space above. After cleaning the transport conveyor 70, the second support part 11B and the pinch conveyor unit 90 are moved downward together to return to their original state, so that the pinch conveyor unit 90 returns to its original position and the pinch interval W can be returned to its original state. Therefore, the work of adjusting the pinch interval W after cleaning the transport conveyor 70 can be omitted or limited to fine adjustment. In particular, since the second pinch conveyor device 3 adjusts the pinch interval W by adjusting each of the pair of pinch conveyor units 90, the transport conveyor 70 can be returned to its original state after cleaning, thereby reducing the effort and time required for readjustment.

[0068] In the second pinch conveyor device 3, the conveyor belt 14 can also be replaced by moving the pinch conveyor unit 90 upward and adjusting the center distance L between the drive roller 12 and the driven roller 13 with the center distance adjustment mechanism 20. The second pinch conveyor device 3 is similar to the first pinch conveyor device 1 except for the configuration for adjusting the pinch interval W.

[0069] In addition, the second pinch conveyor device 3 also includes a case where the pinch conveyor unit 90 is moved downward as well as upward. The downward movement of the pinch conveyor unit 90 is similar to that of the first pinch conveyor device 1 described above, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0070] <Other embodiments> The above-described embodiment shows one example, and the shaft distance adjustment mechanism 20 provided at the driven roller 13 of the pinch conveyor devices 1 and 3 is one example, and the shaft distance adjustment mechanism 20 may have another configuration. The present application may be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the present invention, and is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[0071] In addition, the above-mentioned embodiment has been described by taking the weighing system 2 equipped with the clamping conveyor device 1 as an example, but the clamping conveyor device 1 may be equipped in a device other than the weighing system 2. The clamping conveyor devices 1 and 3 can be used in, for example, a system in which the transported object 300 needs to be transported at predetermined intervals, and the present application is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0072] <Summary> In the above-mentioned pinch conveyor devices 1 and 3, the support part 11 supporting the pinch conveyor units 10 and 90 is provided with a first support part 11A and a second support part 11B, and the second support part 11B can be moved upward together with the pinch conveyor units 10 and 90 relative to the first support part 11A supported by the stand 75. This makes it possible to form a space above the transport conveyor 70 arranged at a downstream position without removing the pinch conveyor units 10 and 90 or changing the pinch interval W, and makes it possible to easily clean the transport conveyor 70. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1 First clamping conveyor device 2. Weighing System 3. Second clamping conveyor device 10. Clamping conveyor unit 11 Support part 11A 1st support part 11B 2nd support part 12 Drive roller 13 Driven roller 13a Rotation axis 13b Guide surface 14 Conveyor Belt 14a Clamping surface 15 Drive motor 17 Base material 18 Lower base member 20 Axis adjustment mechanism 21 Adjustment bolt (adjustment part) 22 Guide groove (guide part) 24 Opening 30 Bending member 31 Rotating shaft 32 Guide plate 33 Guide groove 34 Fixing bolt 35 Moving mechanism 40 Cover member 41 First cover member 43 Open area 50 Clamping interval adjustment mechanism 51 Support block 60 Weighing device 61 Weighing Conveyor 70 Transport Conveyor 70a top side 75 Mount 90 Clamping conveyor unit 300 Carried object θ Predetermined angle

Claims

1. a pair of pinch conveyor units that pinch opposing portions of a transported object, a pair of support parts that respectively support the pair of pinch conveyor units, a pinch interval adjustment mechanism that adjusts the pinch interval of the transported object in the short side direction by the pair of pinch conveyor units, and a transport conveyor that transports the transported object sent by the pair of pinch conveyor units, The pair of support parts each include a first support part supported by a base, a second support part that moves together with each of the pair of pinching conveyor units in a vertical direction, and a movement mechanism that moves the second support part relative to the first support part, A clamping conveyor device, wherein the moving mechanism is configured to move the second support portion upward relative to the first support portion, thereby forming a space between the pair of clamping conveyor units and the transport conveyor.

2. The pair of support portions are disposed at positions opposite to the clamping surfaces in the width direction of the pair of clamping conveyor units, the moving mechanism includes a bending member having a rotation axis along a transport direction of the transported object in a direction opposite to the clamping surface between the first support portion and the second support portion, The pinch-conveyor device according to claim 1 , wherein the second support portion is configured to move by rotating about the rotation axis of the bending member.

3. the second support portion has a guide plate disposed along the first support portion so as to be perpendicular to the rotation axis, and a guide groove provided in the guide plate, 3. The pinch-conveyor device according to claim 2, wherein the first support portion has a fixing member that engages with the guide groove to fix the guide plate to the first support portion.

4. The pinch conveyor device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the moving mechanism is configured to return the clamping gap between the pair of pinch conveyor units to their original state by moving the second support portion downward to return it to its original state.

5. 3. The clamping conveyor device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the clamping gap adjustment mechanism comprises a pair of support blocks each supporting the first support portion, an adjustment shaft for moving the pair of support blocks in a direction narrowing the clamping gap or in a direction widening the clamping gap, and a handle for rotating the adjustment shaft.

6. Each of the pair of nipping conveyor units has A base member supported by the support portion; a drive roller and a driven roller whose rotation shafts are supported by the base member; a conveyor belt stretched between the drive roller and the driven roller; A drive motor that rotates the drive roller, the driven roller includes an axial distance adjustment mechanism that adjusts an axial distance between the driven roller and the drive roller between the base member and the driven roller in a longitudinal direction of the pair of nip conveyor units, the shaft distance adjustment mechanism includes guide portions provided on the base member and configured to guide both ends of the rotation shaft of the driven roller in a direction in which the shaft distance between the driven roller and the drive roller changes; 3. The nip-conveyor device according to claim 1, further comprising: an adjustment member provided on each of both ends of said rotating shaft for changing a position of said rotating shaft relative to said base member along said guide portion.

7. A method for operating a pinch conveyor device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising the steps of: moving the second support portion upward relative to the first support portion by the moving mechanism; a step of forming a space between the pair of pinch conveyor units and the transport conveyor by moving the second support portion upward relative to the first support portion; moving the second support downward to return it to its original position; A method of operating a pinch conveyor device comprising:

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