Guide width adjusting device

Abstract

To provide a guide width adjusting device capable of smoothly transmitting an operation on the upstream side to an operation on the downstream side and transmitting the same amount of operation from the upstream to the downstream side even if a conveying path is curved.SOLUTION: A guide width adjusting device of the invention comprises: a plurality of guide advancing / retracting machines 21 provided at intervals in the conveying direction for one or both of a pair of guide bodies 11, 12; a transmission link 31 for connecting two guide advancing / retracting machines 21 adjacent upstream and downstream in the conveying direction; an upstream-side rocking link; a downstream-side rocking link; a transmission link; and an upstream-side rocking link, wherein the upstream-side rocking link, the downstream-side rocking link, the transmission link 31, and a fixed node connecting a position to be pin-coupled of the upstream-side rocking link and a position to be pin-coupled of the downstream-side rocking link constitute a parallel link mechanism.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a guide device that guides multiple conveyed articles from both sides. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, a conveyor system for conveying beverage containers and other articles along an article conveying path in a factory or the like is provided with a guide device including a pair of guide members on both sides of the article conveying path. The guide device is provided with a mechanism for adjusting the distance (guide width) between the pair of guide members according to the size, shape, etc. of the article being conveyed.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses such a guide width adjustment device. In this disclosure, "adjustable guide width" means that the width can be adjusted steplessly as desired. Patent Document 1 proposes a guide device that can adjust the guide width using a small number of driving means. In Patent Document 1, the guide width is adjusted using a linear cam. This linear cam includes a cam plate, which is a driver having a cam groove, and a cam pin, which is a follower engaged with the cam groove. The guide width is adjusted according to the movement of the cam pin. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-23789 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the guide device of Patent Document 1, if the upstream linear cam and the downstream linear cam are connected by a straight rod, the cam plate of the downstream linear cam can be moved by the same distance as the distance the cam plate of the upstream linear cam is moved. However, the use of the linear cam is premised on the conveying path being straight, and if the conveying path is curved, for example, in the shape of an arc, the movement direction of the upstream cam plate and the movement direction of the downstream cam plate do not match. Therefore, friction occurs between the cam plate and the cam pin, and the operation of the upstream linear cam may not be smoothly transmitted to the downstream linear cam. In addition, there is a problem that the movement amount of the upstream cam plate and the downstream cam plate do not match in principle, and an accurate guide width cannot be set. In this disclosure, upstream and downstream are specified by the direction of conveyance of the article and have a relative meaning.

[0006] Based on the above, the present disclosure aims to provide a guide width adjustment device that can smoothly transmit upstream movement to downstream movement, not only when the conveying path is straight but also when the conveying path is curved, but also that can transmit the same amount of movement from upstream to downstream. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The guide width adjustment device according to the present disclosure is A plurality of guide advancing and retreating mechanisms are provided at intervals in the conveying direction of the conveying path for one or both of the pair of guide bodies; and a transmission link connecting two adjacent guide advancing and retracting devices upstream and downstream in the conveying direction. Each guide advancement mechanism is A swing link that is pin-connected at a fixed swing center; A drive arm that swings together with the swing link; The guide drive body moves back and forth in the width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction in accordance with the swinging motion of the drive arm, thereby moving the guide body back and forth. Each of the upstream and downstream swing links is pin-connected to a transfer link. an upstream swing link; A downstream swing link; A transmission link; The fixed joint connecting the pin-connected position of the upstream swing link and the pin-connected position of the downstream swing link constitutes a parallel link mechanism. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the guide device of the present disclosure, a parallel link mechanism is used, so that the movement of the upstream side can be transmitted smoothly and with the same amount of movement to the movement of the downstream side, not only when the conveying path is straight, but also when the conveying path is curved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a guide device according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is another enlarged partial view of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is another enlarged partial view of FIG. [Diagram 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a link member used in the guide device. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the principle of an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is another diagram for explaining the principle of the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is another diagram for explaining the principle of the embodiment. [Figure 9] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a case where the guide body is offset. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, a guide device 10 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The guide device 10, together with the conveyor device 50, constitutes an article conveying device 1. The guide device 10 guides the article conveyed by the conveyor device 50 from both sides of the width direction Y of the conveyor path R. The guide device 10 has a function of arbitrarily adjusting the guide width, and can smoothly transmit the operation of the upstream side to the operation of the downstream side with the same amount of operation even if the conveyor path R is curved. The guide device 10 uses a four-bar link mechanism, particularly a parallel link mechanism, to connect the upstream guide mover to the downstream guide mover. Since the four-bar link mechanism operates each link member by a revolute pair, it can smoothly transmit the operation of the upstream guide mover to the downstream guide mover with the same amount of operation even if the conveyor path R is curved.

[0011] [Conveyor device 50: see FIG. 1] The conveyor device 50 includes a first conveyor section 50A that conveys articles in a conveying direction X and extends straight, a third conveyor section 50C that conveys articles in the conveying direction X and extends straight, and a second conveyor section 50B that curves in an arc shape and connects the first conveyor section 50A and the third conveyor section 50C. The first conveyor section 50A and the third conveyor section 50C extend in directions perpendicular to each other. The division of the first conveyor section 50A to the third conveyor section 50C is provided for the convenience of explanation and does not mean that they are mechanically divided. The conveyor device 50 includes, for example, an endless conveyor belt and a motor (not shown) that drives the conveyor belt.

[0012] [Guide device 10: see Figure 1] The guide device 10 includes a pair of guide bodies 11 and 12, and a width adjusting device 20 that adjusts the distance between the guide bodies 11 and 12, that is, the guide width GW. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the width adjustment device 20 is installed on both sides of the transport path R, but the width adjustment device 20 may be provided on one side of the transport path R and a fixed guide may be provided on the other side.

[0013] [Guide body 11, 12] The guide bodies 11 and 12 are disposed with the transport path R therebetween, with a guide width GW therebetween in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction X, which is the transport direction. The guide body 11 is provided on one side of the conveying path R and is divided into a first guide portion 11A, a second guide portion 11B and a third guide portion 11C corresponding to the first conveying portion 50A, the second conveying portion 50B and the third conveying portion 50C of the conveyor device 50. The guide body 12 is provided on the other side of the conveying path R and is divided into a first guide portion 12A, a second guide portion 12B and a third guide portion 12C corresponding to the first conveying portion 50A, the second conveying portion 50B and the third conveying portion 50C of the conveyor device 50. Guide body 11 and guide body 12 are arranged opposite each other at first guide portion 11A and first guide portion 12A, second guide portion 11B and second guide portion 12B, and third guide portion 11C and third guide portion 12C.

[0014] The material constituting the guide bodies 11 and 12 is arbitrary and may be appropriately selected from metal, resin, wood, etc. For example, both guide bodies 11 and 12 may be made of a metal material, and a layer made of a resin material may be provided on the inner surfaces of the guide bodies 11 and 12 facing each other.

[0015] [Width adjustment device 20: see Figures 1 and 2] 1, the width adjustment device 20 adjusts the guide width GW, which is the distance between the pair of guide bodies 11, 12, in accordance with specifications such as the shape and dimensions of an article. The task of adjusting the guide width GW of the pair of guide bodies 11, 12 is generally referred to as changing the type of conveyor guide. The width adjustment device 20 of the guide bodies 11, 12 includes a plurality of guide advancing and retracting machines 21 arranged along the extension direction of each of the guide bodies 11, 12, and a transmission link 31 that connects adjacent guide advancing and retracting machines 21 upstream (U) and downstream (L). A parallel link mechanism is included between adjacent guide advancing and retracting machines 21 and the transmission link 31 that connects adjacent guide advancing and retracting machines 21. As is well known, the parallel link mechanism refers to a four-bar link mechanism in which the opposing links are equal in length.

[0016] The guide advancing and retracting machine 21 will be described with reference to Fig. 2, in which the one disposed upstream (U) is referred to as the guide advancing and retracting machine 21A, and the one disposed downstream (L) is referred to as the guide advancing and retracting machine 21B. However, the guide advancing and retracting machine 21A and the guide advancing and retracting machine 21B have the same configuration and dimensions. In this embodiment, the guide advancing and retracting machine 21A will be described as the driving side of the parallel link mechanism, and the guide advancing and retracting machine 21B will be described as the driven side.

[0017] [Guide advance / retract mechanism 21A] The guide advancing and retracting machine 21A includes a swing link 22A capable of swinging in a forward and reverse direction around a pin joint 27A whose position is fixed as the center of a rotation pair, and a drive arm 23A rigidly connected to the swing link 22A and capable of forward or reverse rotation in synchronization with the swing link 22A around the pin joint 27A. The guide advancing and retracting machine 21A includes a guide moving body 25A that advances and retreats in the width direction Y by forward or reverse rotation of the drive arm 23A.

[0018] The swing link 22A and the drive arm 23A are L-shaped in plan view, and can be molded as one piece by, for example, pressing a metal plate. In this case, a pin hole penetrating from front to back is formed at the intersection of the swing link 22A and the drive arm 23A, and a pin connection 27A is formed through this pin hole. When the swing link 22A is rotated forward or backward, the drive arm 23A is also rotated forward or backward. Note that, as an example, the swing link 22A and the drive arm 23A are perpendicular to each other here, but they may be at an angle other than perpendicular.

[0019] The swing link 22A is connected to a transmission link 31 at the other end away from the one end where the pin connection 27A is formed, with the pin connection 28A serving as the center of a rotation pair. The transmission link 31 is connected to a swing link 22B of the guide advancement / retraction device 21B. In FIG. 2, the dashed circle indicates the movement trajectory of the pin connection 28A when the swing links 22A, 22B, etc. make one rotation. When the swing links 22A, 22B, etc. are collectively referred to, they are written as swing link 22. The drive arm 23A, etc. are also referred to as drive arm 23. A cam pin 24A is fixed to the other end of the drive arm 23A, which is away from the one end where the pin connection 27A is formed. The cam pin 24A is inserted into a cam groove 26A formed in the guide moving body 25A. Here, an example is shown in which cam pin 24A is provided on drive arm 23A and cam groove 26A is provided on guide movable body 25A, but the cam mechanism in this embodiment is not limited to this. For example, a groove equivalent to cam groove 26A may be provided on drive arm 23A, and a pin equivalent to cam pin 24A may be provided on guide movable body 25A. The same applies to the cam mechanisms in drive arm 23B and guide movable body 25B described below.

[0020] The guide driver 25A has a cam groove 26A formed on one end (rear end) side, and the other end (tip) side is connected to the guide body 11 (12). The cam groove 26A is an elongated hole extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the guide driver 25A. When the guide movable body 25A moves forward or backward in the width direction Y with the forward or reverse rotation of the swing link 22A and the drive arm 23A, the guide body 11 (12) connected to the tip also moves forward or backward in the width direction Y. This adjusts the guide width GW.

[0021] [Guide advance / retract mechanism 21B] As described below, the guide advancing and retracting machine 21B has the same mechanical configuration as the guide advancing and retracting machine 21A. However, in this embodiment, the guide advancing and retracting machine 21A is the driving side in the parallel link mechanism, and the guide advancing and retracting machine 21B is the driven side, and therefore some of the component names are different. The guide advancing and retracting machine 21B includes a swing link 22B that can rotate forward and backward around a pin joint 27B whose position is fixed as the center of a rotation pair, and a drive arm 23B that is rigidly connected to the swing link 22B and can rotate forward or backward in synchronization with the swing link 22B around the pin joint 27A. The guide advancing and retracting machine 21B includes a guide moving body 25B that moves forward and backward in the width direction Y by the forward or reverse rotation of the drive arm 23B.

[0022] The swing link 22B and the drive arm 23B are L-shaped in a plan view. In this case, a pin hole penetrating from the front to the back is formed at the intersection of the swing link 22B and the drive arm 23B, and a pin connection 27B is made by this pin hole. When the swing link 22B rotates forward or backward, the drive arm 23B also rotates forward or backward.

[0023] The swing link 22B is connected at the other end away from the one end connected to the pin connection 27B to a transmission link 31 with the pin connection 28B as the center of a rotation pair. The transmission link 31 is connected to the swing link 22A of the guide advancing and retracting device 21A. A cam pin 24B is fixed to the other end of the drive arm 23B, which is away from the one end where the pin connection 27B is formed. The cam pin 24B is inserted into a cam groove 26B formed in the guide moving body 25B.

[0024] The guide driver 25B has a cam groove 26B formed on one end (rear end) side, and the other end (tip) side is connected to the guide body 11 (12). The cam groove 26B is an elongated hole extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the guide driver 25B. When the guide movable body 25B moves forward and backward in the width direction Y with the forward and reverse rotation of the swing link 22B and the drive arm 23B, the guide body 11 (12) connected to the tip also moves forward and backward in the width direction Y. This adjusts the guide width GW.

[0025] Here, if the length of the swing link 22A is L1 and the length of the swing link 22B is L2, the swing links 22A and 22B have a relationship of L1=L2. Here, the relationship between the two adjacent swing links 22A and 22B has been described, but it is necessary that the swing links 22 of all the guide advancing and retracting machines 21 constituting the guide device 10 have the same length in order to make the advancing and retracting movement distances of the guide plates 11, 12 in the multiple guide advancing and retracting machines 21 equal. The line segment connecting pin joint 27A and pin joint 27B can be regarded as fixed joint 29 because the positions of pin joint 27A and pin joint 27B are fixed. If the length of fixed joint 29 is L3 and the length of transmission link 31 is L4, then there is a relationship of L3=L4. Fixed joint 29 can exist without a corresponding member in terms of the mechanism, but a corresponding member may exist. When guide movable body 25A and guide movable body 25B are parallel to each other, they have the same length. However, depending on the positions and distances of pin joints 27A and 27B, the lengths of the two may differ.

[0026] The swing links 22A and 22B each form a rotational pair with respect to the fixed link 29, and furthermore, the swing links 22A and 22B each form a rotational pair with respect to the transmission link 31. Therefore, the four-bar link mechanism consisting of the fixed link 29, the swing links 22A, the swing links 22B, and the transmission link 31 forms a parallel link mechanism. Therefore, for example, when the swing link 22A is rotated clockwise by a predetermined angle (θ) in the figure, as shown in Figure 2, the swing link 22B also rotates clockwise by the predetermined angle (θ), and the cam pin 24A of the drive arm 23A pushes the guide moving body 25A to the left in the figure, and the cam pin 24B of the drive arm 23B pushes the guide moving body 25B to the left in the figure. Then, the guide body 11 connected to the guide driving body 25A and the guide moving body 25B moves to the left in the figure, that is, so as to narrow the guide width GW. At this time, since the lengths of the guide driving body 25A and the guide moving body 25B are the same, the distances that the guide moving body 11 is moved by each of the guide moving body 25A and the guide moving body 25B are also equal.

[0027] In the above, the operation of narrowing the guide width GW has been described, but when the swing link 22A is rotated in the opposite direction, the operation of widening the guide width GW can be performed. In addition, here, the two swing links 22A and 22B have been described, but the adjacent guide advancing and retracting devices 21 provided upstream (U) and downstream (L) from each of them also constitute a parallel link mechanism. Since a parallel link mechanism is formed, the lengths L1 and L2 of the swing links 22A and 22B of the upstream (U) guide advancing and retracting device 21 and the downstream (L) guide advancing and retracting device 21 respectively satisfy L1=L2 and are constant values ​​for all guide advancing and retracting devices 21. In contrast, the lengths L3 and L4 of the fixed joint 29 and the transmission link 31 respectively do not need to be constant values ​​as long as they satisfy L1=L2. Furthermore, although the guide advancing and retracting device 21 on the guide body 11 side has been described, the above description also applies to the guide advancing and retracting device 21 on the guide body 12 side.

[0028] [Adjusting the guide width GW: See Figure 3] Fig. 3 shows the operation of the guide advancing and retracting machine 21A and the guide advancing and retracting machine 21B, and the state of stepless adjustment of the guide width GW in the guide bodies 11, 12. In Fig. 3, the intermediate state of the guide width GW is shown by a solid line, the widest state of the guide width GW is shown by a dashed line, and the narrowest state of the guide width GW is shown by a dashed line. The guide device 10 can steplessly adjust the guide width GW within the range between the widest state and the narrowest state by controlling the amount of rotation of the swing links 22 of the multiple guide advancing and retracting machines 21.

[0029] [Parallel link mechanism in curved section: see Figure 4] The above has been described with respect to the straight-line guide bodies 11 and 12, but for curved portions such as the second guide portion 11B and the second guide portion 12B, it may not be possible to configure a parallel link mechanism between the upstream (U) and downstream (L) with the same configuration as the guide advancement / retraction mechanisms 21A and 21B. This will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0030] Of the curved guide bodies 11 and 12, three guide advancing and retracting machines 21C, 21D, and 21E are assumed to be provided along the inner guide body 12. Among these, the guide advancing and retracting machine 21C is located most upstream (U) and the guide advancing and retracting machine 21E is located most downstream (L). For guide advancing and retracting machine 21C and guide advancing and retracting machine 21D, if swing link 22C and swing link 22D1 are equal in length and transmission link 31CD and fixed joint 29CD are equal in length, a parallel link mechanism is established. Therefore, when swing link 22C of guide advancing and retracting machine 21C is rotated by a predetermined angle (θ), swing link 22D1 also rotates by a predetermined angle (θ), and guide advancing and retracting machine 21C and guide advancing and retracting machine 21D can each move guide body 12 by the same distance (D).

[0031] Next, the adjacent guide advancing and retracting devices 21D and 21E will be described. A swing link 22D1 and a swing link 22D2 are assumed for the guide advancing and retracting machine 21D, and a swing link 22E1 and a swing link 22E2 are assumed for the guide advancing and retracting machine 21E. The swing link 22D1 and the swing link 22E1 form a parallel link mechanism, and the swing link 22D2 and the swing link 22E2 form a parallel link mechanism. In this embodiment, either parallel link mechanism can be adopted, but it is preferable to adopt a parallel link mechanism including the swing link 22D2 and the swing link 22E2 as elements. This difference is based on the fact that the fixed joint 29DE between the guide advancing and retracting machine 21D and the guide advancing and retracting machine 21E is inclined with respect to the fixed joint 29CD between the guide advancing and retracting machine 21C and the guide advancing and retracting machine 21D. When the swing link 22D1 of the guide advancement / retraction machine 21D rotates by a predetermined angle (θ), the swing link 22E1 of the guide advancement / retraction machine 21E can also rotate by a predetermined angle (θ). The same applies to the swing link 22D2 of the guide advancement / retraction machine 21D and the swing link 22E2 of the guide advancement / retraction machine 21E2. Here, when comparing the angle α1 between the swing link 22E1 and the transmission link 31DE1 and the angle α2 between the swing link 22E2 and the transmission link 31DE2, there is a relationship of angle α1<angle α2. If the force that the transmission links 31DE1 and 31DE2 push the swing links 22E1 and 22E2 is F1 and the force that the swing links 22E1 and 22E2 receive from the transmission links 31DE1 and 31DE2 is F2, F1 and F2 have the relationship of the following formula (3). In other words, the closer the angle α is to 90°, the larger the force F2 becomes, which is advantageous. Therefore, it is preferable to set the swing link 22D2 at a position in the rotational direction different from that of the swing link 22D1. F2=F1·cos(90°-α) …Equation (3) When α=90°, F2=F1 and F2 is maximum When α=0°, F2=0 and F2 is minimum.

[0032] [Example of swing link and drive arm configuration: See Figure 5] In the above description, the swing link 22 and the drive arm 23 are illustrated as line segments, but it is preferable that the swing link 22 and the drive arm 23 are formed as an integrated link member. An example of this will be described with reference to FIG. The link member 100 is an example in which one swing link 22 and one drive arm 23 are integrally formed, and as an example, the swing link 22 and drive arm 23 are perpendicular to each other. This perpendicular relationship between the swing link 22 and drive arm 23 is referred to as standard. When the guide bodies 11, 12 are arranged straight, a parallel link mechanism can be configured between the upstream (U) guide advancement / retraction device 21 and the downstream (L) guide advancement / retraction device 21 by using the same L-shaped link member 100. In the link member 100, the transmission link 31 belonging to the upstream (U) side and the transmission link (31) belonging to the downstream (D) side are pin-connected at the same position 28 on the swing link 22. That is, in the link member 100, the transmission link 31 belonging to the upstream (U) side and the transmission link (31) belonging to the downstream (D) side share a common pin connection.

[0033] The link members 101, 102, and 103 are presumed to be used in the curved third conveying section 50C, and each is a single member, but mechanically includes two swing links 22X1, 22X2, swing links 22X3, 22X4, and swing links 22X5, 22X6. Each of the link members 101, 102, and 103 includes one drive arm 23, and is integrally formed with the two swing links. The link members 101, 102, and 103 have different intervals between the two pin connections 28X1, X2, the pin connections 28X3, X4, and the pin connections 28X5, X6. The pin connections 28X1 and 28X2, the pin connections 28X3 and X4, and the pin connections 28X5 and 28X6 are offset from each other in the planar direction.

[0034] In the case where two swing links 22, 22 are provided in a combination of two link members, the transmission links 31, 31 are pin-connected to the respective swing links 22, so it is necessary to prevent the transmission links 31, 31 from interfering with each other. As an example, as shown at the bottom of Fig. 5, one transmission link 31 can be disposed above the swing link 22, and the other transmission link 31 can be disposed below the swing link 22. In short, the pair of transmission links 31, 31 can be disposed with their positions shifted in the up-down direction.

[0035] [Setting up the parallel link mechanism in the curved section: see Figure 6] Next, a method for setting a parallelogram between the guide advancing and retracting device 21 on the upstream (U) and the guide advancing and retracting device 21 on the downstream (L) in the curved portion, that is, design guidelines for the parallel link mechanism, will be described with reference to FIG. In the guide advancing and retracting machines 21F, 21G, 21H, and 21I, the above-mentioned standard link member (100) is used, and the guide moving body 25 is provided in the tangent direction of the movement trajectory indicated by the dashed line at the tip of the drive arm 23. However, the swing link of the standard link member indicated by the thick dashed line in the guide advancing and retracting machine 21F and the swing link of the standard link member indicated by the thick dashed line in the guide advancing and retracting machine 21G are not parallel. Therefore, if standard link members are used together, a parallel link mechanism cannot be configured. Therefore, each standard swing link is inclined. The angle at which this swing link is inclined depends on the inclination angle θ described below.

[0036] The guide advancing and retracting machine 21F arranged upstream (U) and the guide driver 25 provided therein are aligned along a straight line α, and the guide advancing and retracting machine 21G and the guide driver 25 provided therein are aligned along a straight line β. The angle formed by the straight lines α and β is defined as the inclination angle θ.

[0037] If the angles of inclination with respect to a standard swing link in guide advancement / retraction machine 21F and guide advancement / retraction machine 21G are θ11 and θ21, respectively, then swing link 22F, swing link 22G, transmission link 31, and fixed joint 29 can configure a parallel link mechanism by satisfying the following formula (1). θ11 and θ21 are also angles of inclination with respect to straight lines α and β, respectively. The same is true for the guide advancing and retracting machine 21H and the guide advancing and retracting machine 21I, and by satisfying formula (2), the swing link 22H, the swing link 22I, the transmission link 31, and the fixed joint 29 can configure a parallel link mechanism. Note that the signs of the angles θ11, θ12, θ21, and θ22 are positive in the direction of the arrow in the figure. Also, any of the angles θ11 to θ22 may be zero. θ11+θ21=θ … Equation (1) θ12+θ22=θ … Equation (2)

[0038] As described above, in the curved portion, if the inclination angle θ is arbitrarily allocated to the upstream (U) guide advancing and retracting device 21 and the downstream (L) guide advancing and retracting device 21, a parallel link mechanism can be ensured.

[0039] [Example of development: see Figures 7 and 8] An example in which the above-described technique is further developed for a curved portion will be described with reference to FIGS. Guide advancing and retracting units 21J to 21S are arranged along guide body 11 and guide body 12 as shown in Fig. 7. The relative angles (inclination angles) formed by each of guide advancing and retracting units 21J to 21S are defined as follows. Note that (S1), (X), etc. indicate S1, X, etc. in Fig. 7 and indicate the positions of guide advancing and retracting unit 21J, etc. The same applies to S1, X, etc. in Fig. 8. Guide advance / retract mechanism 21J, 21O (S1) and guide advance / retract mechanism 21K, 21P (X): A° Guide advance / retract mechanism 21K, 21P(X) and guide advance / retract mechanism 21L, 21Q(Y): B° Guide advance / retract mechanism 21L, 21Q(Y) and guide advance / retract mechanism 21M, 21R(Z): C° Guide advance / retract mechanism 21M, 21R (Z) and guide advance / retract mechanism 21N, 21S (S2): D°

[0040] FIG. 8 shows an example of the angles allocated to the guide advancing and retracting devices 21J to 21S. A standard L-shaped link member 100 is applied to the guide advancing and retracting devices 21J, 21O (S1) and the guide advancing and retracting devices 21N, 21S (S2) belonging to the straight portions (S1, S2). For the guide advancing and retracting machines 21K, 21P belonging to the entrance portion (X) of the curved section, the sway link 22X1 connected to each of the upstream (U) guide advancing and retracting machines 21J, 21O by a transmission link 31 is shifted by A° counterclockwise in the figure from the standard sway link 22, and the sway link 22X2 connected to the downstream (L) guide advancing and retracting machines 21L, 21Q by a transmission link 31 is shifted by B° / 2 clockwise in the figure from the standard sway link 22.

[0041] For the guide advancing and retracting machines 21L, 21Q belonging to the middle part (Y) of the curved section, the sway link 22X3 connected to each of the upstream (U) guide advancing and retracting machines 21K, 21P by a transmission link 31 is shifted by B° / 2 counterclockwise in the figure from the standard sway link 22, and the sway link 22X4 connected to the downstream (L) guide advancing and retracting machines 21M, 21R by a transmission link 31 is shifted by C° / 2 clockwise in the figure from the standard sway link 22. For the guide advancing and retracting machines 21M, 21R belonging to the exit portion (Z) of the curved section, the sway link 22X5 connected to each of the upstream (U) guide advancing and retracting machines 21L, 21Q by a transmission link 31 is shifted counterclockwise by C° / 2 from the standard sway link 22 in the figure, and the sway link 22X6 connected to the downstream (L) guide advancing and retracting machines 21N, 21S by a transmission link 31 is shifted clockwise by D° from the standard sway link 22. The distribution of the above angles is shown in the link members 101 to 103 in FIG.

[0042] The above means that by specifying multiple inclination angles θ in the curved portion and specifying their distribution, it is possible to narrow down the types of link members to be prepared even if multiple curved portions exist. Specifically, when configuring a parallel link mechanism for a guide advancement / retraction device in a curved portion, there is a possibility that the types of link members will increase. Preparing link members of various shapes is an obstacle to efficiently manufacturing a guide device. However, by using the design indexes described above, it is possible to minimize the types of link members and efficiently manufacture a guide device.

[0043] In Figure 8, at the same pin connection 28 position in the swing link 22 of the link member 100, it is pin-connected to the transmission link (31) connected to the swing link 22 on the upstream (U) side (first position), and is also pin-connected to the transmission link (31) connected to the swing link (22) on the downstream (L) side (second position). 8, at the position of the pin connection 28X1 in the swing link 22X1 of the link member 101, it is pin-connected to the transmission link (31) connected to the swing link 22 on the upstream (U) side (third position), and at the position of the pin connection 28X2 in the swing link 22X2 of the link member 101, it is pin-connected to the transmission link (31) connected to the swing link 22 on the downstream (L) side (fourth position). The third position and the fourth position are different positions. The same applies to the link members 102 and 103.

[0044] [In the case of offset between straight lines: see Figure 9] In addition to straight and curved transport paths R, as shown in Fig. 9, there are cases where a straight transport path R1 and a straight transport path R2 provided downstream (L) of the transport path R1 are provided with a gap in the width direction Y. This is called an offset between straight paths. In the case of this offset, it is clear that a parallel link mechanism is formed by a single type link member 100, and there is no need to apply double type link members 101 to 103. In cases where there are multiple offset parts, if a parallel link mechanism is arranged without an index, the link member will be of double type, and the types will also vary depending on the offset angle, etc. However, by arranging, for example, θ=0°, θ11=0°, θ21=0° based on the above-mentioned formulas (1) and (2), it is possible to standardize with a single-type link member 100, which contributes to efficient manufacturing.

[0045] [effect] As described above, according to the guide device 10, since the parallel link mechanism is used, the motion of the upstream side can be transmitted smoothly and with the same amount of motion to the downstream side, not only when the conveying path is straight but also when the conveying path is curved. Furthermore, even if the conveying path is curved, by providing two oscillating links on one link member, such as link members 101 to 103, a parallel link mechanism can be formed between adjacent guide advancement / retraction devices on the upstream (U) and downstream (L). Furthermore, the number of types of link members, including single and double types, can be minimized by using the design guidelines based on equations (1) and (2).

[0046] [Note] From the above disclosure, the following is understood: [Appendix 1] a plurality of guide advancing / retracting devices (21) provided at intervals in the conveying direction (X) of the conveying path for one or both of the pair of guide bodies (11, 12); a transmission link (31) connecting two adjacent guide advancing and retracting devices (21) on the upstream (U) and downstream (L) in the conveying direction (X), Each guide mechanism (21) is A swing link (22) that is pin-connected at a fixed swing center; a drive arm (23) that swings together with the swing link (22); a guide drive body (25) that moves back and forth in a width direction (Y) perpendicular to the conveying direction (X) in accordance with the swinging motion of the drive arm (23) to move the guide body back and forth; Each of the upstream (U) and downstream (L) swing links (22) is pin-connected to a transmission link (31), A swing link (22) on the upstream (U) side; A swing link (22) on the downstream (L) side; A transmission link (31); A guide width adjustment device (20) in which a parallel link mechanism is formed by a fixed joint (29) that connects the pin connection position of the sway link (22) on the upstream (U) side and the pin connection position of the sway link (22) on the downstream (L) side.

[0047] [Appendix 2] In the guide advancement / retraction device (21) of Appendix 1, preferably, The swing link (22) and the drive arm (23) are integrally provided with a link member (100-103).

[0048] [Appendix 3] In Supplementary Note 2, the link member (100) provided on the straight conveying path (R) is preferably The transmission link (31) belonging to the upstream (U) side and the transmission link (31) belonging to the downstream (D) side are pin-connected at the same position (28) on the swing link (22).

[0049] [Appendix 4] In the link member (100) in Appendix 3, the swing link (22) and the drive arm (23) preferably intersect at right angles.

[0050] [Appendix 5] In Supplementary Note 2, the link members (101-103) provided on the curved conveying path (R) are preferably A transmission link (31) belonging to either the upstream (U) side or the downstream (D) side is pin-connected to the swing link (22) at a first position (28X1), A transmission link (31) belonging to the downstream (D) side is pin-connected to the other of the upstream (U) side and the downstream (D) side at a second position (28X2) of the swing link (22), The first position (28X1) and the second position (28X2) are offset from each other in the planar direction of the swing link (22).

[0051] [Appendix 6] In Appendix 5, preferred link members (101 to 103) are: One drive arm (23); The mechanism includes two swing links (22X1, 22X2).

[0052] In Appendix 2, in the curved conveying path (R), preferably, A straight line along the guide driver (25) of the guide advancement / retraction device (21F) located on the upstream (U) side is defined as a straight line α, A straight line along the guide driver (25) of the guide advancement / retraction device (21G) located on the downstream (D) side is defined as a straight line β, If the angle between the lines α and β is the inclination angle θ, then The angle at which the swing link (22F) of the guide advancement / retraction mechanism (21F) located on the upstream (U) side is inclined with respect to the straight line α is defined as θ1n, The angle at which the swing link (22G) of the guide advancement / retraction mechanism (21G) located on the downstream (D) side is inclined with respect to the straight line α is defined as θ2n. θ1n+θ2n=θ ...satisfies equation (1).

[0053] In addition to the above, it is possible to select and discard the configurations given in the above embodiment, or to change them to other configurations as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1. Transport device 10 Guide device 11,12 Guide body 11A, 12A First guide section 11B, 12B Second guide section 11C, 12C 3rd guide section 20 Width adjustment device 21, 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D, 21E, 21F, 21G, 21H Guide advance / retract mechanism 21I, 21J, 21K, 21L, 21M, 21N, 21O, 21P Guide advance / retract mechanism 21Q, 21R, 21S Guide advance / retract mechanism 22A, 22B, 22C, 22D1, 22D2, 22E, 22F, 22G Swing link 22H, 22I, 22X1, 22X2, 22X3, 22X4, 22X5, 22X6 Swing link 23A, 23B Drive arm 24A, 24B Cam pin 25A, 25B Guide moving body 26A, 26B Cam groove 28, 27A, 28A, 27B, 28B, 28X1, 28X2, 28X3 pin coupling 28X4, 28X5, 28X6 pin combination 29 fixed clause 31, 31CD, 31DE Transmission Link 50 Conveyor equipment 50A First conveyor section 50B Second conveyor section 50C 3rd conveyor section R Transport Path

Claims

1. A plurality of guide advancing and retreating mechanisms are provided at intervals in the conveying direction of the conveying path for one or both of the pair of guide bodies; a transmission link connecting two adjacent guide advancing and retracting devices on the upstream and downstream sides in the conveying direction, Each of the guide advancement and retreat mechanisms is A swing link that is pin-connected at a fixed swing center; A drive arm that swings together with the swing link; a guide driving body that moves back and forth in a width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction in accordance with the swinging motion of the driving arm, and moves the guide body back and forth, Each of the upstream and downstream swing links is pin-connected to the transmission link; The upstream swing link; The downstream swing link; the transmission link; A guide width adjustment device, in which a fixed joint connecting the pin-connected position of the upstream swing link and the pin-connected position of the downstream swing link constitute a parallel link mechanism.

2. In the guide advancement / retraction device, a link member in which the swing link and the drive arm are integrated, The guide width adjustment device according to claim 1 .

3. The link member provided on the straight conveying path is the transmission link belonging to the upstream side and the transmission link belonging to the downstream side are pin-connected at the same position on the swing link; The guide width adjustment device according to claim 2 .

4. In the link member, The swing link and the drive arm are perpendicular to each other. The guide width adjustment device according to claim 3 .

5. The link member provided on the curved conveying path is The transmission link belonging to either the upstream side or the downstream side is pin-connected at a first position in the swing link, The transmission link is pin-connected to the other of the upstream side and the downstream side at a second position of the swing link, The first position and the second position are offset from each other in a planar direction of the swing link. The guide width adjustment device according to claim 2 .

6. The link member is One of the drive arms; The mechanism has two swing links. The guide width adjustment device according to claim 5 .

7. In the curved conveying path, A straight line along the guide drive body of the guide advancement / retraction device located on the upstream side is defined as a straight line α, A straight line along the guide driving body of the guide advancement / retraction device located on the downstream side is defined as a straight line β, If the angle between the straight lines α and β is an inclination angle θ, then The angle at which the swing link of the guide advancement / retraction mechanism located on the upstream side is inclined with respect to the straight line α is defined as θ1n, The angle at which the swing link of the guide advancement / retraction mechanism located on the downstream side is inclined with respect to the straight line α is defined as θ2n. The guide width adjusting device according to claim 2 , which satisfies the following formula (1): θ1n+θ2n=θ

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