Device and method for feeding tray

Abstract

To make it possible to stably hold a tray various in shape.SOLUTION: A device for feeding a tray comprises a separation mechanism 10 that attracts an underside of a lowermost-positioned tray T of a group of stacked trays obtained by stacking a plurality of trays T and lowers and separates the tray T from the group of stacked trays and a carrier mechanism 20 that allows the tray T separated from stacked trays by the separation mechanism 10 to rest thereon and carries the tray T to a predetermined point. The separation mechanism 10 has an attraction assembly 11 that is arranged to ascend / descend below the group of stacked trays and raising-and-lowering means 12 that raises and lowers the attraction assembly 11. The attraction assembly 11 has an attraction member 112 that attracts an underside of the tray T and a support member 114 that supports the tray T at a point T1 in an underside thereof recessed greater than a point T2 to be attracted by the attraction member 112.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tray supplying device and a tray supplying method. [Background technology]

[0002] As shown in Patent Document 1, a conventional tray supplying device is configured to adsorb the underside of the tray located at the bottom of a stacked tray group in which multiple trays are stacked, and separate that tray from the stacked tray group.

[0003] Recently, with the diversification of the types, serving amounts, and serving styles of food that can be served on trays, the number of types of trays has increased. Among these trays are trays with special shapes that have bumps and grooves formed on the underside.

[0004] However, compared to trays with a general specification that have a flat bottom surface, trays with such special shapes have a limited area of ​​their bottom surface that can be adsorbed, and even if that limited area is adsorbed and the tray is separated from the stacked trays, the separated tray will tilt or wobble, making it difficult to hold it stably. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6331197 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to make it possible to stably hold trays of various shapes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In other words, the tray supply device of the present invention comprises a separation mechanism which adsorbs the underside of the tray located at the lowest end of a stacked tray group in which a number of trays are stacked, and lowers and separates the tray from the stacked tray group, and a transport mechanism on which the tray separated from the stacked tray group by the separation mechanism is placed and transports the tray to a predetermined location, wherein the separation mechanism comprises a suction assembly which is arranged below the stacked tray group and can be raised and lowered, and a lifting means for raising and lowering the suction assembly, and the suction assembly has an suction member which adsorbs the underside of the tray, and a support member which supports a portion of the underside of the tray which is recessed further than the portion adsorbed by the suction member.

[0008] With a tray supply device configured in this manner, the suction member suctions the underside of the tray, while the support member supports the area of ​​the underside of the tray that is recessed below the suction point. This means that in addition to the suction point, it is also possible to support the area outside the suction point in the width direction (the direction perpendicular to the tray transport direction). This makes it possible to stably hold even trays with special shapes that have uneven surfaces on their undersides, preventing them from tilting or wobbling after separation.

[0009] It is preferable that the plurality of suction assemblies having different shapes, positions or numbers of the support members are replaceable with respect to the lifting means. With this configuration, the suction assembly can be replaced with an appropriate one depending on the shape and size of the tray, and the tray supply device can be applied to supply a wide variety of trays.

[0010] It is preferable that the separating means further comprises positioning means interposed between the suction assembly and the lifting means for positioning the suction assembly relative to the lifting means. With this configuration, the suction assembly can be easily attached to an appropriate position relative to the lifting means.

[0011] It is preferable that the conveying mechanism is configured to have a plurality of conveying belts arranged at intervals in the width direction, and that the suction assembly is raised and lowered by the lifting means, so that the suction assembly appears and disappears between the plurality of conveying belts. With this configuration, the suction assembly can be raised between the conveyor belts to suction the bottommost tray of the stack of trays, and then the suction assembly can be lowered to separate the tray from the stack of trays. The suction assembly can then be lowered further to embed it between the conveyor belts, allowing the tray to be placed on the conveyor belts. In other words, the above-mentioned configuration allows for smooth suction, separation, and placement of the tray.

[0012] In such a configuration in which the suction assembly appears and disappears between the conveyor belts, in order to stably hold large trays, it is preferable to make the suction assembly large in size as well; in this case, the gap between the conveyor belts needs to be widened to allow the suction assembly to appear and disappear. However, with this configuration, when changing to a smaller sized tray, there is a risk that the tray will not be able to be placed securely because the spacing between the conveyor belts is wide and the tray will get stuck in the gaps between the conveyor belts.

[0013] Therefore, it is preferable that the intervals between the plurality of conveyor belts are variable. With this configuration, when the tray size is large, the gap between the conveyor belts can be widened so that a large suction assembly can be used to stably hold the tray, while when the tray size is small, the gap between the conveyor belts can be narrowed so that the tray can be securely placed on the conveyor belt.

[0014] However, when adsorbing and separating extra-large trays that exceed standard specifications, even if the bottom surface is flat, it is difficult with conventional device configurations to stably hold the separated trays, and it is desirable to increase the size of the suction assembly. In this case, however, as described above, it is necessary to leave the conveyor belts spaced apart widely, and there is a possibility that small trays cannot be placed securely on the conveyor belts.

[0015] Therefore, the tray supply device of the present invention comprises a separation mechanism that adsorbs the underside of the tray located at the bottom of a stacked tray group in which multiple trays are stacked, and lowers and separates the tray from the stacked tray group, and a transport mechanism on which the tray separated from the stacked tray group by the separation mechanism is placed and transports the tray to a predetermined location, and is characterized in that the transport mechanism comprises multiple transport belts arranged at intervals in the width direction, and the intervals are variable.

[0016] With a tray supply device configured in this manner, the spacing between the conveying belts is variable, so that, as described above, the spacing between the conveying belts can be widened when the tray size is large, and the spacing between the conveying belts can be narrowed when the tray size is small, thereby enabling trays of various sizes to be supplied stably.

[0017] It is preferable that the separation mechanism comprises a liftable suction assembly arranged under the stacked tray group, and a lifting means for lifting and lowering the suction assembly, and that the spacing between the multiple conveying belts is changeable depending on the size of the suction assembly or the size of the tray. With this configuration, the interval between the conveyor belts can be appropriately changed depending on the size of the suction assembly or tray.

[0018] In addition, the tray supply method of the present invention includes a separation step of adsorbing the underside of the tray located at the bottom of a stacked tray group in which a plurality of trays are stacked, and lowering and separating the tray from the stacked tray group, and a transport step of transporting the tray separated from the stacked tray group by the separation step to a predetermined location, characterized in that in the separation step, the underside of the tray is adsorbed and a portion of the underside of the tray that is recessed below the adsorption portion is supported.

[0019] Furthermore, the tray supply method of the present invention includes a separation step of adsorbing the underside of the tray located at the bottom of a stacked tray group in which a number of trays are stacked, and lowering and separating the tray from the stacked tray group, and a transport step of transporting the tray separated from the stacked tray group by the separation step to a predetermined location using a number of transport belts, wherein the multiple transport belts are arranged at intervals in the width direction, and the tray is placed on the multiple transport belts after the interval is changed.

[0020] Such a tray supplying method according to the present invention can achieve the same effects as the above-mentioned tray supplying device. Effect of the Invention

[0021] According to the present invention configured in this manner, trays of various shapes can be stably held. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a tray supplying device in one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a tray supplying device in the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a separation mechanism of the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a separation mechanism of the embodiment. [Diagram 5]FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the attraction member in the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a conveying mechanism of the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a support member of the embodiment. [Figure 8] Schematic diagram showing a type of suction assembly of the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of the suction assembly of the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the interval between conveyor belts in the embodiment; [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a support member according to another embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a support member according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a tray supplying device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0024] (Configuration of the tray supply device 100 according to this embodiment) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the tray supply device 100 of this embodiment separates the tray T located at the bottom of a stacked tray group Tx in which multiple trays T are stacked, from the stacked tray group Tx, and supplies the separated tray T to a predetermined location.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 2, the tray T of this embodiment has a placement surface Ta (i.e., bottom surface) on which food is placed that is curved and bulges upward, and a lower surface Tb, which is the surface behind the placement surface Ta, has projections and recesses. However, the shape of the tray T is not limited to this, and various shapes may be used.

[0026] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, this tray supply device 100 includes a separation mechanism 10 that separates the tray T located at the bottom from the stacked tray group Tx, and a conveying mechanism 20 that conveys the separated tray T to a predetermined location.

[0027] (Separation mechanism 10) The separation mechanism 10 operates based on a control signal from a control device (not shown) and adsorbs the underside Tb of the tray T located at the lowest end of the stacked tray group Tx, and lowers the tray T from the stacked tray group Tx to separate it.

[0028] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the separation mechanism 10 has a suction assembly 11 that is arranged below the stacked tray group Tx and can be raised and lowered, and a lifting means 12 that lifts and lowers the suction assembly 11.

[0029] Here, since the suction assembly 11 is a distinctive feature, the lifting means 12 will be described first, and then the suction assembly 11 will be described.

[0030] (Lifting means 12) As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the lifting means 12 has a base 121 to which the suction assembly 11 is attached, and an actuator 122 such as an air cylinder or a motor for lifting and lowering the base 121.

[0031] The base 121 has a mounting surface 123 on which the suction assembly 11 is mounted, and although there are no particular limitations on its specific shape, examples of the shape include a flat plate, a frame, or a block.

[0032] (Adsorption Assembly 11) The suction assembly 11, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, has a mounting member 111 that is attached to the lifting means 12 described above, and one or more suction members 112 provided on the mounting member 111.

[0033] (Mounting member 111) The mounting member 111 is installed and fixed on the above-mentioned installation surface 123, and the specific shape is not particularly limited, and examples of the shape include a flat plate shape, a frame shape, a block shape, etc. The mounting member 111 in this embodiment is fixed to the base 121 via a fastening member 13 such as a fixing bolt, as shown in Fig. 3.

[0034] (Adsorption member 112) The suction member 112 is used to suction the underside Tb of the tray T, and specifically, is connected to a negative pressure generating means (not shown) such as a suction pump via a piping member (not shown) such as a tube, and is a suction cup-like member having a suction port O that opens upward (towards the underside Tb of the tray T).

[0035] 3 and 4, the suction member 112 is supported by the mounting member 111 via a bellows-shaped elastic support 113, so that the suction port O can move up and down to some extent. Note that the elastic support 113 is not limited to a bellows-shaped one, and may be configured using a spring or the like.

[0036] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, a plurality of attraction members 112 are provided spaced apart from each other. More specifically, here, two attraction members 112 are provided spaced apart from each other along the conveying direction D of the tray T so as to attract a portion T2 (hereinafter referred to as an attraction portion T2) that avoids a recessed portion T1 (hereinafter referred to as a recessed portion T1) on the lower surface Tb of the tray T. Note that the attraction portion T2 here is a placement surface when the tray T is placed in a normal position, and is a flat surface. Then, a recessed portion T1 is formed in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the tray T from the attraction portion T2.

[0037] (Support member 114) Thus, the suction assembly 11 of this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, further includes a support member 114 that supports the above-mentioned recessed portion T1 of the tray T, in other words, a portion T1 that is higher than the suction portion T2.

[0038] This support member 114 is provided so as to protrude at least above the suction port O of the suction member 112, and its tip surface 114a is provided at a position where it can contact the recessed portion T1 of the tray T.

[0039] In this embodiment, a pair of support members 114 are provided at positions sandwiching the suction member 112.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, each support member 114 is a ridge extending along the conveyance direction D of the tray T from one side of the suction member 112 to the other side of the suction member 112.

[0041] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the support member 114 is provided on, for example, a long plate 115 attached to the above-described attachment member 111. Thereby, the support member 114 is supported by the attachment member 111 via the plate 115.

[0042] The support member 114 of this embodiment is provided so as to stand up from the plate 115 along the long side portion of the plate 115. Note that notches S are provided at each of the short side portions of the plate 115, and the above-described suction member 112 is disposed inside these notches S.

[0043] Incidentally, the shape, position, or number of the support members 114 is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and here, a plurality of types of suction assemblies 11 in which at least any one of the shape, position, or number of the support members 114 is different from each other are prepared.

[0044] Specifically prepared suction assemblies 11 include, as shown in FIG. 8, those for general use (FIG. 8a) used for a generally sized tray T that is frequently used, those for special shapes (FIG. 8b) used for a tray T with a special shape having unevenness formed on the lower surface Tb, those for extra-large sizes (FIG. 8c) used for an extra-large sized tray T, and the like.

[0045] The general-purpose and extra-large-size suction assemblies 11 are designed to have a flat lower surface Tb of the tray T, and are not provided with the support member 114 described above.

[0046] In addition, the extra-large size tray has a dimension (e.g., 250 mm) along the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction when viewed in a plane (hereinafter referred to as the width direction) that is larger than the dimension along the width direction of the standard size tray (e.g., 170 mm to 200 mm), and the suction assembly 11 for this extra-large size has a dimension along the width direction that is larger than that of the standard size tray.

[0047] (Replacement of suction assembly 11) These suction assemblies 11 are replaceable with respect to the lifting means 12, and in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the suction assemblies 11 can be replaced by removing the fastening members 13 that fasten the lifting means 12 and the suction assemblies 11 together.

[0048] The embodiment for making the suction assembly 11 replaceable is not limited to this, and may be modified as appropriate, for example by using a plunger to attach and detach the suction assembly 11 to and from the lifting means 12 with a single touch.

[0049] (Positioning means 14) In the above-described configuration, a positioning means 14 for positioning the suction assembly 11 with respect to the lifting means 12 is interposed between the suction assembly 11 and the lifting means 12, as shown in FIGS.

[0050] This positioning means 14 consists, for example, of a recess 141 provided on one of the suction assembly 11 and the lifting means 12, and a protrusion 142 provided on the other and fitting snugly into the recess 141, and is configured so that the suction assembly 11 is positioned relative to the lifting means 12 by fitting the protrusion 142 into the recess 141.

[0051] In this embodiment, the convex portion 142 is a positioning pin, and the concave portion 141 is an insertion hole into which the positioning pin is inserted without any play, but the specific embodiment is not limited to this and may be changed as appropriate.

[0052] (Transport mechanism 20) 6, the conveying mechanism 20 has a plurality of conveying belts 21, and in this embodiment, two conveying belts 21 are arranged in the width direction with a gap L therebetween. Note that the number of conveying belts 21 is not limited to this, and may be three or more.

[0053] (Movement of suction assembly 11) In such a configuration, the above-mentioned suction assembly 11 is arranged so as to protrude and retract between adjacent conveyor belts 21, and specifically, by raising and lowering the suction assembly 11 using the above-mentioned lifting means 12, the suction assembly 11 protrudes and retracts vertically between the two conveyor belts 21.

[0054] As a result, the suction assembly 11 moves up and down between an upper position P where the suction port O is located above the upper surface of the conveyor belt 21 (the supporting surface on which the tray T is placed) and a lower position Q where the suction port O is located below the upper surface of the conveyor belt 21, as shown in Figure 9.

[0055] Then, by raising the suction assembly 11 between the conveyor belts 21 to the raised position P, the tray T located at the lowest end of the stacked tray group Tx can be adsorbed while the recessed area T1 is supported by the support member 114, and by lowering the suction assembly 11 from there, the tray T can be separated from the stacked tray group Tx. Then, the suction assembly 11 is lowered to the lowered position Q so that the suction assembly 11 is embedded between the conveyor belts 21, and the separated tray T can be placed on the conveyor belts 21 at a placement position R along the way.

[0056] (Spacing L of conveyor belt 21) As shown in FIG. 10, the conveying mechanism 20 is configured so that the spacing L between the multiple conveying belts 21 described above can be changed, and in this embodiment, the spacing L between the two conveying belts 21 can be changed between a narrow state M in which the spacing L is narrow, and a wide state N in which the spacing L is wider than the narrow state M.

[0057] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the conveying mechanism 20 of this embodiment is provided with a plurality of holding members 22 such as rollers or guide members that rotatably hold the conveying belt 21, and the endless conveying belt 21 is wound around these multiple holding members 22.

[0058] In this embodiment, the pair of conveyor belts 21 are arranged at a distance L in the width direction, and the holding members 22 corresponding to each of the conveyor belts 21 are also arranged at a distance in the width direction in the same manner.

[0059] As shown in Figure 6, a meandering suppression groove 221 is formed on the outer surface of each holding member 22 to suppress meandering of the conveying belt 21 during operation, while an engagement portion 211 is provided on the back surface of the conveying belt 21 to engage with the meandering suppression groove 221.

[0060] In such a configuration, a plurality of meandering suppression grooves 221 are formed on the outer surface of each retaining member 22. Specifically, a first meandering suppression groove 221 and a second meandering suppression groove 221 are formed widthwise outward of the first meandering suppression groove.

[0061] Then, by engaging the engagement portions 211 of the pair of conveyor belts 21 with the first meandering suppression groove 221 (the meandering suppression groove 211 on the inner side in the width direction) and winding the conveyor belts 21 around the holding member 22, the conveyor mechanism 20 is in the narrow width state M described above.

[0062] On the other hand, by engaging the engagement portions 211 of the pair of conveyor belts 21 with the second meandering suppression groove 221 (the meandering suppression groove 211 on the outer side in the width direction) and winding the conveyor belts 21 around the holding member 22, the conveyor mechanism 20 is in the wide state N described above.

[0063] In this embodiment, the conveying mechanism 20 is configured to be able to change from one of the narrow state M or the wide state N to the other by manually removing the pair of conveying belts 21 from the holding member 22 in which either the first meandering suppression groove 221 or the second meandering suppression groove 221 is formed, and manually rehanging the belts 21 on the holding member 22 in which the other is formed.

[0064] (Functions and Effects of the Tray Supply Device 100 According to the Present Embodiment) According to the tray supply device 100 configured in this manner, the suction member 112 suctions the underside Tb of the tray T, while the support member 114 supports a recessed area T1 on the underside Tb of the tray T that is widthwise outer than the suction point T2. Therefore, even if the tray T has a special shape in which unevenness is formed on the underside Tb, it can be stably held while preventing tilting or wobbling after separation.

[0065] In addition, since multiple suction assemblies 11 having different shapes, positions, or numbers of support members 114 can be replaced with respect to the lifting means 12, the suction assembly 11 can be replaced with an appropriate one depending on the shape, size, etc. of the tray T, and the tray supply device 100 can be applied to a wide variety of trays T.

[0066] Furthermore, since the separation mechanism 10 is provided with the positioning means 14 for positioning the suction assembly 11 relative to the lifting means 12, the suction assembly 11 can be easily attached to the lifting means 12 at an appropriate position.

[0067] Furthermore, since the spacing L of the conveying belts 21 can be changed depending on the size of the suction assembly 11 or the size of the tray T, as shown in FIG. 10, when the size of the tray T is large, the spacing L of the conveying belts 21 can be widened to stably hold the tray T using a large-sized suction assembly 11, whereas when the size of the tray T is small, the spacing L of the conveying belts 21 can be narrowed to ensure that the tray T is placed securely on the conveying belts 21.

[0068] (Another embodiment of the tray supply device 100) It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[0069] For example, the tray supplying device 100 does not necessarily need to be equipped with an adsorption assembly 11 provided with a support member 114, and if only flat trays T having no irregularities on the lower surface Tb are to be supplied, the device may be configured to include only an adsorption assembly 11 without a support member 114 as shown in Figures 8a and 8c.

[0070] Furthermore, if it is not anticipated that extra-large sized trays T will be supplied, and only trays T of standard size or a size close to standard size will be supplied, the spacing L between the conveyor belts 21 does not need to be variable and may be fixed.

[0071] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the support members 114 have been described as extending along the conveying direction D of the tray T, but they may be block-shaped and arranged around the suction port O, as shown in Fig. 11. Here, the block-shaped support members 114 are provided so as to be positioned at the four corners of a rectangle in a plan view.

[0072] In order to prevent the support member 114 from damaging the lower surface Tb of the tray T, the tip surface 114a of the support member 114 may be curved as shown in FIG.

[0073] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the support members 114 are provided on both sides of the attraction member 112 so as to sandwich the attraction member 112 therebetween, but they may be provided on only one side of the attraction member 112 .

[0074] Moreover, in the above embodiment, a plurality of types of suction assemblies 11 are replaceable with respect to the lifting means 12, but a plurality of types of support members 114 having different shapes or sizes may be configured to be replaceable with respect to the mounting member 111.

[0075] Additionally, in the above embodiment, the conveying mechanism 20 is configured so that the distance L between the pair of conveying belts 21 can be changed in stages. However, the conveying mechanism 20 may be configured so that the distance L can be changed continuously.

[0076] In addition, although the conveying mechanism 20 in the above embodiment is described as being configured to manually change the distance L between the pair of conveying belts 21, it may also be configured to automatically change the distance L by receiving a control signal from, for example, a control device (not shown). In this case, for example, an embodiment can be provided in which the control device receives the size of the suction assembly 11 or the size of the tray T and moves the pair of conveyor belts 21 so that the interval L corresponds to that size.

[0077] In addition, in the above embodiment, the distance L between the pair of conveyor belts 21 can be changed, but in addition to this distance L, the distance between the holding members 22, such as rollers or guide members that rotatably hold the conveyor belts 21, may also be changed.

[0078] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 100 ···Tray supply device T ···Tray Tx...Stacked tray group Ta Food placement surface Tb...Bottom surface T1: Depression T2: Adsorption point 10...Separation mechanism 11. Adsorption assembly 111 Mounting member 112 Adsorption member O...Suction port 113 Elastic support 114 Support member 114a...Tip surface 115 Plate S...Notch 12 Lifting means 121 ···Base 123...Installation surface 122 Actuator 13 Fastening member 14 Positioning means 141...Insertion hole 142 Locating pin D: Transport direction 20. Conveyor mechanism 21...Conveyor belt 211 Engagement portion L...interval P: Raised position Q...Descent position R Placement position M: Narrow width N: Wide state 22 Holding member 221 ....Meandering prevention groove

Claims

1. a separation mechanism that adsorbs the underside of a tray located at the bottom end of a stacked tray group in which a plurality of trays are stacked, and lowers and separates the tray from the stacked tray group; a conveying mechanism on which the tray separated from the stacked tray group by the separating mechanism is placed and which conveys the tray to a predetermined location; The separation mechanism includes: a liftable suction assembly disposed below the stack of trays; a lifting means for lifting and lowering the suction assembly, The suction assembly comprises: A suction member that suctions the lower surface of the tray; a support member for supporting a portion of the underside of the tray that is recessed relative to a portion that is attracted by the attracting member.

2. 2. The tray supplying device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said suction assemblies, each having a different shape, position or number of said support members, are replaceable with respect to said lifting means.

3. 3. The tray ejection device according to claim 2, wherein said separation mechanism further comprises positioning means interposed between said suction assembly and said lifting means for positioning said suction assembly relative to said lifting means.

4. the conveying mechanism is a conveying mechanism including a plurality of conveying belts arranged at intervals in a width direction thereof, 2. The tray supplying device according to claim 1, wherein said suction assembly is raised and lowered by said lifting means so that said suction assembly appears and disappears vertically between said plurality of conveyor belts.

5. 5. The tray ejection device according to claim 4, wherein the intervals between the plurality of conveyor belts are variable.

6. a separation mechanism that adsorbs the underside of a tray located at the bottom end of a stacked tray group in which a plurality of trays are stacked, and lowers and separates the tray from the stacked tray group; a conveying mechanism on which the tray separated from the stacked tray group by the separating mechanism is placed and which conveys the tray to a predetermined location; The tray supply device according to the present invention, wherein the conveying mechanism comprises a plurality of conveying belts arranged at intervals in the width direction thereof, the intervals being variable.

7. The separation mechanism includes a suction assembly that is arranged below the stacked trays and can be raised and lowered, and a lifting means for lifting and lowering the suction assembly, 7. The tray supplying device according to claim 6, wherein the intervals between the plurality of conveyor belts are changeable according to the size of the suction assembly or the size of the tray.

8. a separation step of sucking the bottom surface of a tray located at the bottom end of a stacked tray group in which a plurality of trays are stacked, and lowering and separating the tray from the stacked tray group; a conveying step of conveying the tray separated from the stacked tray group by the separating step to a predetermined location, A tray supplying method, characterized in that in the separating step, the lower surface of the tray is sucked and a portion of the lower surface of the tray that is recessed below the suction portion is supported.

9. a separation step of sucking the bottom surface of a tray located at the bottom end of a stacked tray group in which a plurality of trays are stacked, and lowering and separating the tray from the stacked tray group; a conveying step of conveying the tray separated from the stacked tray group by the separating step to a predetermined location using a plurality of conveyor belts; A tray supplying method, characterized in that the plurality of conveyor belts are arranged at intervals in the width direction, and the trays are placed on the plurality of conveyor belts after changing the intervals.

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