Driving device and chain conveyor system

Abstract

To provide a driving device capable of smoothly performing synchronous driving without requiring additional take-up and without using other attached devices even when a plurality of driving devices are used for a conveyor chain.SOLUTION: A drive unit 100 for driving a conveyor chain C has: a frame body 110; a sprocket shaft 120; and a drive unit 140 that is attached to an arm member 130 and rotates and drives the sprocket shaft 120, wherein the frame body 110 has: a braking unit 150 that brakes the rotation of the arm member 130; and a synchronizing unit 170 that controls the rotation drive by the driving unit 140.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a drive device for driving a conveyor chain in a chain conveyor system having a conveyor chain, and to a chain conveyor system using the drive device. [Background technology]

[0002] Chain conveyor systems having conveyor chains, such as overhead conveyors and floor conveyors, are well known. Also known is a chain conveyor system that has a take-up located downstream of the drive device and away from the work area in order to adjust the tension of the conveyor chain (see, for example, Patent Document 1, etc.). Further, as a driving device for driving a conveyor chain, a device equipped with a mechanism for protecting against an overload is also known (for example, see Patent Document 2, etc.). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 08-134531 [Patent Document 2] Publication number 07-005314 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In such a chain conveyor system, if the route is long or the weight to be conveyed is large, it is possible to use multiple drive devices for the conveyor chain to generate a large driving force. In this case, multiple drives must be synchronized, and the conveyor chain must be tensioned properly to achieve accurate synchronization. However, because multiple drive units are placed to distribute the tension of the conveyor chain, at least one must often be installed within the work area, but this can make it difficult to install a take-up unit downstream of the drive unit because it is located within the work area.

[0005] The present invention solves the problems of the prior art as described above, and provides a drive unit that can smoothly synchronize and drive even when multiple drive units are used for a conveyor chain, without the need to add take-ups or other accessories. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The drive unit of the present invention is a drive unit for driving a conveyor chain, which drive unit has a frame body, a sprocket shaft, an arm member that rotates in a plane perpendicular to the sprocket shaft, and a drive unit attached to the arm member that rotates the sprocket shaft, and the frame body has a braking unit that brakes the rotation of the arm member, and a synchronization unit that controls the rotational drive by the drive unit, thereby solving the above-mentioned problem. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the drive unit of claim 1 and the chain conveyor system of claim 8, by having an arm member that rotates in a plane perpendicular to the sprocket shaft and a braking unit that brakes the rotation of the arm member, the drive force can be detected by utilizing the fact that the arm member rotates due to the reaction force when the drive unit drives the conveyor chain, and by using the braking unit to brake the rotation of the arm member in the opposite direction to when it is driven when it is not driven, when adjusting the tension with the drive unit on the upstream side in a section where there is no take-up stopped, even if a sudden rotational force is applied to the arm member of the drive unit, it is possible to mitigate and absorb the impact, and it is possible to smoothly adjust the tension and start driving. In addition, the rotation speed can be controlled by the synchronization unit, making it possible to maintain appropriate tension in the conveyor chain after driving begins.

[0008] According to the configuration described in claim 2, by appropriately setting the driving force of the actuator, it is possible to easily optimize the braking force of the rotation of the arm member, and it is also possible to smoothly adjust the tension and start driving. Furthermore, by using a rack and pinion mechanism, it is possible to apply a constant braking force regardless of the rotation angle of the arm member, making it possible to more easily optimize the braking force applied to the rotation of the arm member. According to the configuration of claim 3, by having a reciprocating motion detector that detects the reciprocating motion of the rack member or actuator and thereby detects the rotation of the arm member, there is a high degree of freedom in the installation position of the reciprocating motion detector, and it is also possible to detect the rotation of the arm member by simply detecting the reciprocating motion. According to the configuration described in claim 4, the motor shaft of the drive motor is arranged so as to be parallel to the sprocket shaft, thereby making it possible to reduce the rotational moment when the arm member rotates, making it easier to brake the rotation of the arm member.

[0009] According to the configuration of claim 5, the rotatable arm member for adjusting the tension is also used as a safety mechanism for use in the event of an overload, making it possible to simplify the configuration of the device. According to the configuration of the present invention, the driving force of the sprocket shaft from the drive unit can be more reliably transmitted to the conveyor chain via the caterpillar chain. According to the configuration described in claim 7, when the load is light, power can be transmitted to only the necessary number of multiple drive units, and power transmission to the remaining drive units can be physically cut off, thereby preventing unused drive units from becoming a load. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a drive device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a side view of a drive unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of a drive unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a drive device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram of a chain conveyor system using a drive device according to an embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, a drive device 100, one embodiment of the present invention, has a frame body 110, a sprocket shaft 120 rotatably supported by the frame body 110, an arm member 130 that rotates in a plane perpendicular to the sprocket shaft 120, and a drive unit 140 attached to the arm member 130 for rotating and driving the sprocket shaft 120. The sprocket shaft 120 has a sprocket 121 around which a caterpillar chain 122 is wound. The drive unit 140 has a drive motor 141 and a reduction mechanism 143 , and the drive motor 141 is disposed so that its motor shaft 142 is parallel to the sprocket shaft 120 .

[0012] The frame body 110 has a braking unit 150 that brakes the rotation of the arm member 130 in the opposite direction to when it is driven, a synchronization unit 170 that controls the rotational drive by the drive unit 140, and a detection unit 160 that detects the rotation of the arm member 130 due to the reaction force when it is driven. The brake unit 150 has a rack member 151 that engages with a pinion gear portion 131 provided on the arm member 130, and an air cylinder 152 that is an actuator capable of reciprocating the rack member 151. The frame 110 is also provided with a limit switch 153 which is a reciprocating motion detector that detects the reciprocating motion of the rack member 151 and detects the rotation of the arm member 130 in the opposite direction when it is not driven to when it is driven. The detection unit 160 has a load-opposing spring 161 that is pressed against the tip 132 of the arm member 130, which rotates under the load of the rotational drive by the drive unit 140, and a limit switch 162, which is a detector that detects movement of the load-opposing spring 161 beyond a predetermined amount.

[0013] The caterpillar chain 122 is looped between a sprocket 121 provided on a sprocket shaft 120 and a driven sprocket 124, and is configured so that engaging claws K provided on the caterpillar chain 122 engage with the conveyor chain C by a switching mechanism 123 that guides the caterpillar chain in the free span section, thereby transmitting power. The switching mechanism 123 has a guide member 125 that guides the caterpillar chain 122 in the free span section, and the guide member 125 is configured to be movable between a guide position and a position where the guide is released.

[0014] In this embodiment, the guide member 125 is configured to be movable between a guide position and a position where the guide is released by swinging about a hinge 127 by operating an operating member 126. The caterpillar chain 122 is configured such that when the guide member 125 is in the guide position, the engagement claws K engage with the conveyor chain C, and when the guide member 125 is in a position to release the guide, the engagement claws K do not engage with the conveyor chain C and power transmission is physically released. In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, in a section where the engaging claws K on the caterpillar chain 122 can engage with the conveyor chain C, a backup roller B is provided below the conveyor chain C in FIG. 4, so as to ensure reliable engagement.

[0015] The synchronization unit 170 is configured to receive a rotation signal from another driving device and control the rotation speed of the driving motor 141 of the driving unit 140, and in this embodiment, it is configured to detect the rotation speed of the sprocket shaft 120 using an absolute encoder and compare it with the rotation signal of the sprocket shaft 120 (or electric motor) of the other driving device to control the rotation of the driving motor 141.

[0016] The tension adjustment operation of the conveyor chain C when the driving device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention configured as described above is used as a second driving device in a chain conveyor system CS as shown generally in FIG. 6 will be described. The chain conveyor system CS is laid out so that a conveyor chain C transports objects in a working area L in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure, and a main drive unit M is disposed to drive the conveyor chain C which is routed around a position away from the working area L, and a drive unit 100, one embodiment of the present invention, is disposed directly within the working area L. In addition, a take-up T is located downstream of the main drive unit M to absorb slack and tension fluctuations in the conveyor chain C. However, since the drive unit 100 is provided within the work area L and it is difficult to locate a take-up downstream of the drive unit 100, no take-up is located downstream of the drive unit 100. In addition, the portion of conveyor chain C indicated by a solid line in FIG. 6 is the portion that directly works on the transported object.

[0017] The drive device 100 operates at the same speed as the main drive device M by controlling the rotation speed of the drive motor 141 of the drive unit 140 through the synchronization unit 170 in response to a rotation signal from the main drive device M. When adjusting the tension on the downstream side of the drive unit 100 upstream of the main drive unit M, such as when starting up the chain conveyor system CS, there is no take-up in that section, so it is necessary to start the main drive unit M with the drive unit 100 stopped to remove the slack. However, at the same time that the slack is removed, a large rotational force is generated in the arm member 130 that supports the drive unit 140 of the drive unit 100.

[0018] When an overload is applied to the drive device 100, the rotation of the arm member 130 is restricted by the detection unit 160, but when the slack is removed, the rotation is in the opposite direction and the arm member 130 can rotate freely. However, a braking force is applied to the free rotation by a braking unit 150 composed of a rack member 151 that engages with a pinion gear portion 131 provided on the arm member 130 and an air cylinder 152 that can reciprocate the rack member 151.

[0019] When adjusting the tension downstream of the drive unit 100 upstream of the main drive unit M, the main drive unit M is started with the drive motor 141 of the drive unit 100 braked, and the rotation of the arm member 130 is detected by the limit switch 153, which is a reciprocating motion detector that detects the movement of the rack member 151, and the drive unit 100 is started, thereby eliminating the slack. At this time, even if a sudden rotational force is applied to the arm member 130 of the driving device 100, the braking unit 150 can soften and absorb the impact. In addition, the braking force can be adjusted by adjusting the pressure of the air cylinder 152, and the tension can be easily adjusted to give an appropriate tension to the conveyor chain C by adjusting the braking force. After the drive unit 100 is started, the drive speeds of the main drive unit M and the drive unit 100 are synchronized by the synchronization unit 170, making it possible to drive with a constant tension. In addition, immediately after starting the driving device 100, the speed is increased for a predetermined period of time compared to the main driving device M, and the driving device 100 is driven only for an amount equivalent to a slight rotation of the arm member 130, so that the tip 132 of the arm member 130 of the driving device 100 returns to its original position, and overload detection by the detection unit 160 can also be performed normally.

[0020] In addition, when the load of the conveyance is light and the conveyor can be driven only by the main drive unit M, as shown in FIG. 5, in the drive unit 100, the operating member 126 is operated to swing the guide member 125 around the hinge 127, thereby releasing the guide of the caterpillar chain 122 by the guide member 125, and the driven sprocket 124 moves leftward in FIG. 4, so that the free span section of the caterpillar chain 122 moves upward in FIG. 4, and the engagement between the engagement claw K provided on the caterpillar chain 122 and the conveyor chain C is also released, thereby physically cutting off the power transmission. In the above-described embodiment, one drive unit 100 is placed in the working area L of the chain conveyor system CS, but multiple drive units may be placed, and a main drive unit M having the same structure as the drive unit 100 may be placed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0021] 100 Drive unit 110... Frame 120 ··· Sprocket shaft 121 ··· Sprocket 122 ··· Caterpillar chain 123 Switching mechanism 124 ··· Driven sprocket 125 Guide member 126 ... Operating member 127 Hinge 130 Arm member 131 Pinion gear section 132...Tip 140 Drive unit 141 Drive motor 142 Motor shaft 143... Reduction mechanism 150 Braking unit 151 Rack member 152 Air cylinder (actuator) 153 Limit switch (reciprocating motion detector) 160 Detection unit 161 Load-bearing spring 162 Limit switch (detector) 170 Synchronous unit CS ··· Chain conveyor system C··· Conveyor Chain K Engagement claw B Backup roller M Main drive unit T ··· Take Up L...Work area

Claims

1. A drive device for driving a conveyor chain, comprising: the drive device includes a frame, a sprocket shaft, an arm member that rotates in a plane perpendicular to the sprocket shaft, and a drive unit that is attached to the arm member and drives the sprocket shaft to rotate; A drive device characterized in that the frame body has a braking unit that brakes the rotation of the arm member, and a synchronization unit that controls the rotational drive by the drive unit.

2. 2. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein the brake unit includes a rack member that engages with a pinion gear portion provided on the arm member, and an actuator that is capable of reciprocating the rack member.

3. 3. The driving device according to claim 2, wherein the frame has a reciprocating motion detector that detects the reciprocating motion of the rack member or the actuator to detect the rotation of the arm member.

4. The drive unit includes a drive motor and a reduction mechanism.

2. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein the drive motor is disposed so that its motor shaft is parallel to the sprocket shaft.

5. the frame body has a detection unit that detects the rotation of the arm member, 2. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit includes a load-opposing spring that is pressed against the arm member that rotates under the load of the rotational drive by the drive unit, and a detector that detects movement of the load-opposing spring by more than a predetermined amount.

6. The sprocket shaft is configured to drive a caterpillar chain; 2. The drive system of claim 1, wherein the caterpillar chain is configured to engage and drive a conveyor chain.

7. 6. The drive device according to claim 5, wherein the frame has a switching mechanism capable of switching between engagement and disengagement of the caterpillar chain and the conveyor chain.

8. 1. A chain conveyor system having multiple drives, comprising:

8. A chain conveyor system, wherein at least one of the plurality of drive units is the drive unit according to claim 1.

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