conveyor

Abstract

To provide a conveyor which facilitates maintenance work such as inspection and replacement of components such as a roller for moving a placed cargo.SOLUTION: A conveyor 100 includes: a cargo receiving body 110 for moving a placed cargo WK; and a cargo receiving body holder 120 for detachably holding the cargo receiving body 110. The cargo receiving body 110 includes: a rotating body 111 which rotates to move the cargo WK; a shaft body 112 for penetrating the rotating body 111 to hold the rotating body so as to rotate, and connecting two rotating body holding bodies 113 with each other; and a rotating body holding body 113 for holding the rotating body 111 so as to rotate via the shaft body 112. The cargo receiving body holder 120 includes a fitting part 121 fitted in the cargo receiving body 110 to detachably hold it.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveyor that moves objects placed thereon. [Background technology]

[0002] There have been conveyors for moving objects placed on the conveyor belt. For example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses a conveyor in which a roller is sandwiched between two long frames, and the roller and the frame are integrally assembled. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-119211 A

[0004] However, in the conveyor described in Patent Document 1, the rollers and the frame are integrally configured, which causes a problem in that maintenance work such as inspection or replacement of the rollers is difficult.

[0005] The present invention has been made to address the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a conveyor in which maintenance work such as inspection or replacement of rollers can be easily performed. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, the present invention is characterized in that it is a conveyor for moving loaded luggage horizontally, which comprises a luggage receiver on which the luggage is placed, and a luggage receiver holder that is installed on a mounting surface on which the conveyor is installed and holds the luggage receiver, and the luggage receiver holder holds the luggage receiver in a removable manner.

[0007] According to this, since the luggage receiver holder of the conveyor detachably holds the luggage receiver, maintenance work for the luggage receiver can be easily performed.

[0008] Another feature of the present invention is that in the conveyor, the luggage receiver rotates in the conveying direction.

[0009] According to this, the conveyor can easily move luggage since the luggage receiver rotates in the transport direction.

[0010] Another feature of the present invention is that in the conveyor, the load receiver comprises a rotating body and a rotating body holder for rotatably holding the rotating body.

[0011] According to this, since the luggage receiver of the conveyor includes a rotor and a rotor holder that rotatably holds the rotor, the structure of the luggage receiver holder can be simplified and multiple types of rotors of different sizes or shapes can be easily attached to one luggage receiver holder. Furthermore, since the conveyor can improve maintainability by replacing only the rotor holder when the rotor holder is damaged without replacing the entire luggage receiver holder.

[0012] Another feature of the present invention is that in the conveyor, the load receiver comprises a plurality of rotating bodies.

[0013] According to this, since the luggage receiver of the conveyor is equipped with multiple rotating bodies, the luggage placed on the luggage receiver can be stably supported at multiple positions, and by arranging the multiple rotating bodies in the transport direction of the luggage, the luggage can be moved smoothly in the transport direction.

[0014] Another feature of the present invention is that, in the conveyor, the luggage receiver holder holds the luggage receiver so as to be detachable in the vertical direction.

[0015] According to this, since the luggage receiver holder of the conveyor holds the luggage receiver so as to be freely detachable in the vertical direction, the luggage receiver can be easily attached and detached.

[0016] Another feature of the present invention resides in that, in the conveyor, the load receiver and the load receiver holder are fitted to each other.

[0017] According to this, since the conveyor has a luggage receiver and a luggage receiver holder that are fitted together, the conveyor can move luggage accurately by suppressing positional deviation of the luggage receiver relative to the luggage receiver holder with a simple configuration.

[0018] Another feature of the present invention is that in the conveyor, the luggage receiver holder holds the luggage receiver in a state in which the luggage receiver is placed directly on the installation surface.

[0019] According to this, the conveyor has a luggage receiver holder that holds the luggage receiver directly on the installation surface, so that the load received by the luggage receiver can be dissipated onto the installation surface, preventing damage to the luggage receiver holder and simplifying the configuration of the luggage receiver holder.

[0020] Another feature of the present invention is that in the conveyor, the load receiver holder is made of an elastic body that is elastically deformable.

[0021] According to this, the conveyor has a luggage receiver holder made of an elastic material that can elastically deform, making it easy to attach and detach the luggage receiver, and the elastic force of the luggage receiver holder can prevent damage to the luggage receiver.

[0022] Another feature of the present invention is that in the conveyor, the load receiver holder is made of foamed resin.

[0023] According to this, since the luggage receiver holder of the conveyor is made of foamed resin, damage to the luggage receiver when luggage is placed on it can be suppressed. Also, since the luggage receiver holder can be made lightweight, the luggage receiver holder can be easily transported, installed, and removed.

[0024] Another feature of the present invention is that in the conveyor, one luggage receiver holder holds a plurality of luggage receivers.

[0025] According to this, since the conveyor has one luggage receiver holder that holds a plurality of luggage receivers, the installation, removal and maintenance of the luggage receiver holder can be simplified.

[0026] Another feature of the present invention is that in the conveyor, the load receiver holder is formed in a band shape and holds the load receivers discontinuously along the longitudinal direction.

[0027] According to this, since the luggage receiver holders of the conveyor hold the luggage receivers intermittently along the longitudinal direction, the installation area of ​​the luggage receivers can be reduced, thereby reducing costs.

[0028] Another feature of the present invention is that in the conveyor, the load receiving body holders are provided in a pair on the left and right at a distance sufficient to accommodate a pair of left and right forks of a lift device such as a pallet truck or a forklift that has a pair of left and right forks for lifting loads and performs loading and unloading.

[0029] According to this, the conveyor is provided in a pair on the left and right sides with a spacing that can accommodate a pair of left and right forks on a lift device such as a pallet truck or forklift, which has a pair of left and right forks for lifting luggage and performs loading and unloading, so that luggage can be transported using a lift device such as a pallet truck or a forklift.

[0030] Another feature of the present invention is that the conveyor further comprises a sliding plate on which the luggage is placed and which slides on the luggage receiver.

[0031] According to this, the conveyor further includes a sliding plate on which the luggage is placed and which slides over the luggage receiver, so that the sliding plate slides over the luggage receiver, making it easier to move the luggage and distributing the load of the luggage on the luggage receiver. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an outline of an external configuration of a conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view showing a load receiver constituting the conveyor shown in FIG. 1, separated in the horizontal direction. [Diagram 3] 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the conveyor taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 2 is a perspective view showing a state where a luggage receiver constituting the conveyor shown in FIG. 1 is fitted into a luggage receiver holder. [Diagram 5] 2 is a perspective view showing the outline of the external configuration of a load receiver holder constituting the conveyor shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of use of the conveyor shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 7] 7 is a partial enlarged view of the conveyor in use, showing an enlarged portion surrounded by a dashed circle 7 in FIG. 6. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a typical flow of first-in, first-out management. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a luggage carrier according to a modified example of the present invention. [Figure 10] 1A and 1B show a conveyor according to another modified example of the present invention, in which 1A is a perspective view showing the outline of the external configuration of the conveyor, and 1B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the conveyor taken along line 10-10 in 1A. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a luggage carrier according to another modified example of the present invention. [Figure 12]12(A) and 12(B) show a conveyor according to another modified example of the present invention, where 12(A) is a perspective view showing the outline of the external configuration of the conveyor, and 12(B) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the conveyor taken along line 12-12 in 12(A). [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a conveyor according to another modified example of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a load carrier holder according to another modified example of the present invention, in which the load carrier holder is separated. [Figure 15] 15(A) and 15(B) show a conveyor according to another modified example of the present invention, in which 15(A) is a perspective view showing the outline of the external configuration of the conveyor, and 15(B) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the conveyor taken along line 15-15 in 15(A). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0033] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a conveyor according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the outline of the external configuration of a conveyor 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] (Configuration of conveyor 100) The conveyor 100 is a device that is installed on the floor (installation surface G) of a warehouse where luggage WK is stored, and moves the luggage WK in a specific direction. Here, the luggage WK refers to the objects to be transported and a loading platform (a so-called pallet) for transporting the objects together. As shown in FIG. 1, the conveyor 100 mainly includes a luggage receiver 110 and a luggage receiver holder 120.

[0035] The luggage receiver 110 is a component for placing luggage WK thereon and moving the placed luggage WK in a specific direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the luggage receiver 110 mainly includes a rotor 111, a shaft 112, and a rotor holder 113.

[0036] The rotating body 111 is a component for moving the luggage WK by rotating, and is configured by forming a metal material (such as stainless steel) or a resin material (such as polyethylene or polypropylene) into a cylindrical shape. The rotating body 111 is held by a rotating body holder 113 in a freely rotatable state by a shaft body 112. In this embodiment, six rotating bodies 111 are held by one rotating body holder 113, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0037] The shaft 112 is a component for holding the rotor 111 in a rotatable state and for connecting the two rotor holders 113 to each other, and is configured by forming a metal material (such as stainless steel) into a rod shape. In this embodiment, the shaft 112 is formed into a pin shape with a diameter of 3 mm. The shaft 112 passes through a through hole formed in the center of the rotor 111 and extending in the axial direction, and both ends are supported by the two rotor holders 113, respectively.

[0038] The rotating body holder 113 is a component for supporting the rotating body 111 via the shaft body 112, and is made of a metal material (such as stainless steel) or a resin material (such as polyacetal, polyethylene, or polypropylene). This rotating body holder 113 is made of two plate-like bodies arranged parallel to each other at both ends of the rotating body 111. In this embodiment, the rotating body holder 113 is formed to extend long in order to hold multiple rotating bodies 111 along the conveying direction of the luggage WK. That is, the rotating body holder 113 is made up of a pair of left and right rotating bodies when viewed from the longitudinal direction.

[0039] In addition, in each plate-like body constituting the rotating body holder 113, bottomed holes are formed at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction on the inner surfaces facing each other, and both ends of the shaft body 112 are press-fitted into the bottomed holes in the rotating body holder 113. As a result, the rotating body holder 113 is configured by assembling two plate-like materials via the shaft body 112 that holds the rotating body 111. In this embodiment, the rotating body holder 113 is configured with bottomed holes provided at positions where the upper surface of each rotating body 111 protrudes from the upper surface of the rotating body holder 113, as shown in FIG. 3. In addition, the rotating body holder 113 is configured with bottomed holes provided at positions where each rotating body 111 is supported in a floating state above the installation surface G, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0040] The luggage receiver holder 120 is a part that is installed on the installation surface G to detachably hold the luggage receiver 110, and is made of a metal material (such as stainless steel), a resin material, or an elastomer material (including rubber). In this embodiment, the luggage receiver holder 120 is made of a foam material having elasticity (such as polypropylene). This luggage receiver holder 120 is made of two plate-shaped bodies arranged parallel to each other at an interval that takes into consideration the size of the luggage WK or the width into which the forks of the lift device can enter. In this case, each plate-shaped body that constitutes the luggage receiver holder 120 is formed to have a thickness thinner than the luggage receiver 110 as shown in FIG. 3, and is formed in a strip shape extending in the conveying direction. This luggage receiver holder 120 has a fitting portion 121 for fitting and holding the luggage receiver 110 as shown in FIG. 4.

[0041] The fitting portion 121 is a portion for fitting the luggage receiver 110 and the luggage receiver holder 120 together to hold the luggage receiver 110. In this embodiment, the fitting portion 121 is configured as a through hole that penetrates the luggage receiver holder 120 in the plate thickness direction and has a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the luggage receiver 110, as shown in Fig. 4. In this embodiment, the fitting portion 121 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape in a plan view.

[0042] As a result, the fitting portions 121 fit into the luggage receiver 110 when the lower surface of the luggage receiver 110 is placed on the installation surface G. As shown in Fig. 5, the fitting portions 121 are formed such that three fitting portions are formed for one luggage receiver holder 120 at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction.

[0043] (How to install the conveyor 100) Next, a method for installing the thus configured conveyor 100 will be described. First, an operator prepares the baggage receivers 110 and the baggage receiver holders 120.

[0044] Specifically, the worker prepares the rotors 111, shafts 112, and rotor holders 113 that constitute the baggage receiver 110. In this embodiment, the worker prepares six rotors 111 and six shafts 112 for one baggage receiver 110, and two rotor holders 113. In this case, the rotors 111 and rotor holders 113 are prepared by molding polypropylene material containing an additive to prevent static electricity into the respective shapes. As a molding method, molding can be performed by a known injection molding method that molds a resin material into an arbitrary shape. In addition, the shafts 112 are prepared as pin-shaped round bars made of stainless steel material with a diameter of 3 mm and a width of 36 mm.

[0045] Next, the worker presses one end of each shaft 112 into each bottomed hole formed in one of the rotor holders 113 to fit them together. Next, the worker places the rotors 111 through each shaft 112 fixed to one of the rotor holders 113. Next, the worker presses the other end of each shaft 112 with the rotor 111 disposed thereon into each bottomed hole formed in the other rotor holder 113 to fit them together. In this way, the load receiver 110 that rotatably holds the rotor 111 is manufactured.

[0046] Next, the worker prepares a plurality of thin plates made of a hard foamed resin material that constitutes the luggage receiver holder 120. In this embodiment, the hard foamed resin material is a hard foamed material with a closed cell structure made by foaming polypropylene three times. In this case, the worker can prepare two plate-like bodies that constitute each luggage receiver holder 120 by cutting the thin plate-like hard foamed material into strips of appropriate length and width using a cutter or a known cutting device. Here, if the transport distance of the luggage WK is long, the worker can divide the plate-like bodies into pieces of appropriate length.

[0047] Next, the worker forms fitting portions 121 on each plate surface of the cut plate-like body. Specifically, the worker cuts out and forms the luggage receiver holder 120 in the shape of a through hole using a cutting tool such as a cutter. In this embodiment, the worker cuts into a rectangular shape in a plan view that corresponds to the external shape of the luggage receiver 110. Also, in this embodiment, the worker forms three fitting portions at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction of one luggage receiver holder 120.

[0048] This allows the worker to manufacture a baggage receiver holder 120 that extends in a strip shape and has three fitting portions 121 lined up in the longitudinal direction. Note that the fitting portions 121 of the baggage receiver holder 120 can also be molded integrally using an injection molding method or the like. Also, it goes without saying that the number of fitting portions 121 to be molded is appropriately determined according to the transport specifications of the baggage WK.

[0049] Next, the worker installs the conveyor 100 on the installation surface G. In this case, the installation surface G may be the floor surface of a warehouse where luggage is stored in a factory. Specifically, the worker determines the distance between the two plate-like bodies that constitute the luggage receiver holder 120, and determines the installation position of the luggage receiver holder 120. In this case, the worker determines the distance between the two plate-like bodies in consideration of the size of the luggage WK and the space for the forks of the lift device.

[0050] Next, the worker installs the luggage receiver holder 120 at the installation position. Specifically, the worker lines up the luggage receiver holders 120 along the conveyance direction and installs them on the installation surface G. In this case, the worker attaches double-sided tape to the underside of each luggage receiver holder 120, and then lines up the luggage receiver holders 120 with their short-side ends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in contact with each other, and adheres them to the installation surface G.

[0051] As a result, each of the luggage receiver holders 120 is fixed onto the installation surface G in a state in which it is continuously connected along the conveyance direction. In this case, the worker can install the luggage receiver holders 120 on the installation surface G without using fasteners such as bolts, which can suppress damage to the installation surface G and facilitate the installation of the luggage receiver holders 120. The worker can also install each of the luggage receiver holders 120 intermittently along the conveyance direction with gaps between them.

[0052] Next, the worker attaches each luggage receiver 110 to each luggage receiver holder 120 fixed on the installation surface G. In this case, the worker attaches each luggage receiver 110 by fitting it into each fitting portion 121 from above the luggage receiver holder 120. In this way, the luggage receiver 110 is attached in a state where it is held in a detachable manner by the luggage receiver holder 120.

[0053] (How to use Conveyor 100) Next, a method of using the conveyor 100 will be described. First, an operator places a load WK on the conveyor 100 installed on the installation surface G using a lift device. Here, the lift device is a loading machine or device equipped with a pair of left and right forks for lifting loads or a loading platform on which loads are loaded from below, and for transporting such loads. Specifically, the lift device refers to a pallet truck, a forklift, a fork lifter, or the like. In this embodiment, a pallet truck is adopted as the lift device.

[0054] First, the worker inserts the forks of the lift device into an opening formed in the side of the loading platform (pallet) of the package WK to lift the package WK. Next, the worker transports the package WK to a location where the bottom surface of the package WK is located above the conveyor 100, and then lowers the forks to place the package WK on the conveyor 100. Next, the worker pulls the forks out of the opening of the loading platform (pallet) to enable the package WK to move on the conveyor 100, as shown in Figures 6 and 7.

[0055] Next, the worker moves the luggage WK placed on the conveyor 100 to a desired position on the conveyor 100 by manually pushing the luggage WK placed on the conveyor 100 in the conveying direction. Note that since the two plate-like bodies constituting the luggage receiver holder 120 of the conveyor 100 are installed on the installation surface G with a gap therebetween that allows the forks of the lift device to enter, the worker can directly transport the luggage WK to any position on the conveyor 100 using the lift device and place it on the conveyor 100.

[0056] By using such a conveyor 100, an operator can easily perform, for example, first-in, first-out management. Here, first-in, first-out is a management method when carrying in or carrying out luggage, and is a technique for avoiding long-term storage of luggage and preventing deterioration by giving priority to carrying out luggage that was carried in first. Specifically, first-in, first-out management is a management method in which, as shown in FIG. 8, luggage (packages U to Z) arranged in the order in which they were carried in (i.e., alphabetical order) is carried out with priority given to the luggage that was brought in first (i.e., luggage U) and the other luggage that was not carried out (i.e., luggage Y and Z) are rearranged in their designated positions.

[0057] This management method requires the movement of other luggage every time a luggage is removed, and using the lift device P to move each luggage one by one is cumbersome. In addition, rearranging the luggage requires a large space, which limits the number of luggage that can be stored. In such a case, a worker can move the luggage in the first-out direction by arranging the luggage WK on the conveyor 100 without using the lift device P, making first-in, first-out management easy.

[0058] Next, when performing maintenance work on the conveyor 100, the worker can perform maintenance work on the luggage receiver 110 by pulling the luggage receiver 110 upward and removing it from the luggage receiver holder 120. In this case, the worker can pull out each shaft 112 from each bottomed hole of the rotating body holder 113 in the luggage receiver 110, and then remove the rotating body 111 from each shaft 112 to disassemble the luggage receiver 110 into each of the items that make up the luggage receiver 110, and perform maintenance work on each of the rotating body 111, the shaft 112, and the rotating body holder 113. In addition, the worker can replace any one of the luggage receiver 110, the rotating body 111, the shaft 112, the rotating body holder 113, and the luggage receiver holder 120, or a combination thereof. In this case, the worker can remove the luggage receiver holder 120 by peeling it off from the installation surface G. Furthermore, the worker can replace one luggage receiver holder 120 with a luggage receiver 110 having a rotating body 111 of a different size or shape.

[0059] Next, the worker removes the conveyor 100 from the installation surface G. Specifically, the worker uses the lift device to move the luggage WK from the luggage receivers 110, and then removes each luggage receiver 110 from each luggage receiver holder 120, and removes each luggage receiver holder 120 installed on the installation surface G. This allows the worker to remove the conveyor 100 from the installation surface G.

[0060] As can be understood from the above operation description, according to the above embodiment, the conveyor 100 has a luggage receiver holder 120 installed on the installation surface G which holds the luggage receiver 110 in a removable manner, making it easy to perform maintenance work on the luggage receiver 110.

[0061] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. In the description of each modification, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same parts as those in the above-described embodiment, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0062] For example, in the above embodiment, the luggage receiver 110 is configured to include the rotor 111, the shaft 112, and the rotor holder 113. However, the luggage receiver 110 may be configured to be capable of moving the luggage WK. Therefore, for example, as in the conveyor 200 shown in FIG. 9, the luggage receiver 210 may be configured by forming a resin material having slidability into a plate or block shape (including a spherical shape) and fitting it into a through hole (or a bottomed hole) formed in the luggage receiver holder 220. In this case, the luggage receiver 210 formed in a plate or block shape may be configured with a resin material having slidability (for example, Teflon (registered trademark) or monomer cast nylon) only on the placement surface side on which the luggage WK is placed, or a silicone coating may be formed on the placement surface to improve the slidability of the placement surface. Furthermore, the luggage receiver 210 formed in a plate or block shape may be configured by providing one or more protrusions (not shown) on the placement surface on which the luggage WK is placed.

[0063] As another example, as shown in FIG. 10(A), the conveyor 300 may be configured to include a baggage receiver 310 and a baggage receiver holder 320. The baggage receiver 310 is formed as a solid rod having a circular cross section and extending horizontally. The baggage receiver holder 320 is formed as a strip-shaped plate extending in the conveying direction of the baggage WK, and fitting portions 321 (three in this modification) are formed intermittently along the conveying direction. The fitting portion 321 is a portion that holds the baggage receiver 310 in a rotatably fitted state, and is configured as a rectangular through hole in a plan view. Specifically, the fitting portion 321 is configured as a through hole having a length substantially equal to the longitudinal length of the baggage receiver 310 and a length slightly longer than the diameter of the baggage receiver 310, as shown in FIG. 10(B). In other words, the fitting portion 321 is formed to a size that can accommodate one baggage receiver 310. As a result, the conveyor 300 is detachably fitted with the luggage receiver 310 in a state in which the luggage receiver 310 can rotate within the fitting portion 321 and can roll within the opening range of the fitting portion 321 in the conveying direction of the luggage WK.

[0064] When using the conveyor 300 configured in this manner, the luggage receiver 310 rotates or rolls within the fitting portion 321 of the luggage receiver holder 320 installed on the installation surface G, thereby moving the luggage WK placed on the luggage receiver 310.

[0065] As another alternative, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, the conveyor 400 can be configured to include a luggage receiver 410 and a luggage receiver holder 420. The luggage receiver 410 is configured by a rotating body 411 formed of a horizontally extending cylindrical body and a shaft body 412 formed of a rod-shaped pin extending horizontally penetrating the rotating body 411. The luggage receiver holder 420 is configured by forming an elastic body into a band-shaped plate body extending in the conveying direction of the luggage WK, and fitting parts 421 (three in this modification) are formed intermittently along the conveying direction. The fitting parts 421 are parts that hold the luggage receiver 410, and are configured as through holes that are square in plan view. Specifically, the fitting parts 421 are configured as through holes that are slightly longer than the diameter of the rotating body 411 that constitutes the luggage receiver 410 and slightly shorter than the axial length of the shaft body 412. The shaft 412 penetrating the rotor 411 is held with both ends inserted into opposing wall surfaces of the fitting portion 421. In this case, the shaft 412 is held in the fitting portion 421 at a height position where the lower surface of the rotor 411 is placed on the installation surface G.

[0066] When the conveyor 400 configured in this manner is used, the rotating body 411 on which the luggage WK is placed rotates within the fitting portion 421 to move the luggage WK or slide the luggage WK in a non-rotating state.

[0067] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the rotating body 111 is formed in a cylindrical shape. However, the rotating body 111 can be formed in a spherical shape. For example, the baggage receiver 110 can be formed by sandwiching the spherical rotating body 114 between the rotating body base 115a and the cover body 115b, each of which is formed in a plate shape, as shown in Figs. 12(A) and (B). In this case, the rotating body base 115a is formed with a plurality of recesses that respectively hold the lower parts of the multiple rotating bodies 114 in a slidable state. Moreover, the cover body 115b is formed with a plurality of through holes that cover the upper parts of the rotating bodies 114 held on the rotating body base 115a in an exposed state. This cover body 115b is attached to the rotating body base 115a via an attachment means such as a fitting portion or double-sided tape (not shown).

[0068] FIG. 13 shows a baggage receiver 110 having a rotating body base 116a and a cover body 116b having a different configuration from the rotating body base 115a and the cover body 115b shown in FIG. 12. Specifically, the rotating body base 116a has a plurality of recesses that slidably hold the lower parts of the plurality of rotating bodies 114, and an annular fitting recess into which the cover body 116b fits is formed around each of these recesses. The cover body 116b is formed in a cylindrical shape that covers the upper parts of the rotating bodies 114 held on the rotating body base 116a while exposing them. The cover body 116b is attached in a state of being pressed into the fitting recesses in the rotating body base 116a. That is, the cover body 116b individually covers each rotating body 114 held on the rotating body base 116a.

[0069] As another alternative, for example, the luggage receiver 110 can be configured with a rotor holder (not shown) having an elastically deformable recess that holds the spherical rotor 114 in a freely slidable state. In this case, the luggage receiver 110 can attach and detach the rotor 114 to and from the recess by elastically deforming the opening of the recess. By configuring the rotor 111 to be spherical in this way, the conveyor 100 can move the luggage WK in any direction in the horizontal direction, unlike the above embodiment.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the luggage receiver holder 120 is configured to hold the luggage receiver 110 so as to be detachable in the vertical direction. However, the luggage receiver holder 120 can also be configured to hold the luggage receiver 110 so as to be detachable in a direction different from the vertical direction, for example, in the horizontal direction. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, the luggage receiver holder 120 is configured such that one of two walls perpendicular to the conveying direction in the four walls constituting the fitting portion 121, a wall 120a, is separable from two walls adjacent to the wall 120a and extending along the conveying direction, so that the luggage receiver 110 can be attached and detached not only in the vertical direction but also in the horizontal direction (in this modified example, either one of the conveying directions).

[0071] Also, in the above embodiment, the luggage receiver holder 120 is configured to include the fitting portion 121 into which the luggage receiver 110 fits. However, the luggage receiver holder 120 may be configured to at least detachably hold the luggage receiver 110. Therefore, the luggage receiver holder 120 may be configured to be formed in a flat plate shape omitting the fitting portion 121, and the luggage receiver 110 placed on the upper surface of the flat plate may be fixed with a fastener such as a bolt.

[0072] In the above embodiment, fitting portion 121 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape in a plan view. However, fitting portion 121 only needs to be configured in a shape that can fit with at least baggage receiver 110. Therefore, fitting portion 121 can be configured to have a recess or protrusion on the surface that contacts baggage receiver 110, and to fit with a protrusion or recess provided on baggage receiver 110.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the luggage receiver holder 120 is configured to hold the luggage receiver 110 in a state in which the luggage receiver 110 is placed on the installation surface G. However, the luggage receiver holder 120 can be configured to hold the luggage receiver 110 in a state in which the luggage receiver 110 is floating above the installation surface G. This allows the conveyor 100 to be installed while minimizing damage to the installation surface G.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the luggage receiver holder 120 is fixed to the installation surface G by double-sided tape. However, the means for fixing the luggage receiver holder 120 to the installation surface G is not particularly limited, and a fastener such as a bolt, a hook-and-loop fastener, an adhesive, an adhesive gel sheet, or the like can be used.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the luggage receiver holder 120 is made of a hard foam material having elasticity. However, the luggage receiver holder 120 may be made of a material having no elasticity, such as a resin material, a metal material, or wood.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the luggage receiver holder 120 is formed in a belt shape extending along the conveying direction. However, the luggage receiver holder 120 can be formed in any shape according to the conveying path of the luggage WK. For example, the luggage receiver holder 120 can be formed in a shape having a curved or inclined surface according to the conveying path that is curved or inclined.

[0077] In the above embodiment, the luggage receiver holder 120 is configured such that one luggage receiver holder 120 holds a plurality of luggage receivers 110. However, the luggage receiver holder 120 may be configured such that one luggage receiver holder 120 holds a single luggage receiver 110, or further such that a plurality of luggage receiver holders 120 hold a single luggage receiver 110.

[0078] In the above embodiment, the luggage receiver holder 120 is configured to hold one luggage receiver 110 in a state where the luggage receiver 110 is fitted into one fitting portion 121. However, the luggage receiver holder 120 may be configured to hold a plurality of luggage receivers 110 in a state where the luggage receivers 110 are fitted into one fitting portion 121.

[0079] Also, in the above embodiment, the luggage receiver holders 120 are configured in two rows along the transport direction of the luggage WK. However, the luggage receiver holders 120 can be configured in one row or three or more rows along the transport direction of the luggage WK. Here, when the luggage receiver holders 120 are configured in one row, the length of the luggage receiver holders 120 in the width direction can be made long. As a result, the luggage receiver holders 120 configured in one row can make it easier to place or move the luggage WK on the luggage receiver 110.

[0080] In the above embodiment, the luggage receiver holder 120 has two plate-shaped bodies spaced apart so that the forks of a lift device can enter. However, the luggage receiver holder 120 may have two plate-shaped bodies spaced apart at any interval, and for example, when a lift device is not used to transport luggage WK, the two plate-shaped bodies may be spaced apart so closely that the forks of the lift device cannot enter.

[0081] In the above embodiment, the luggage receiver holder 120 is assumed to have an installation surface G that is the floor surface of a warehouse where luggage is stored in a factory. However, the installation surface G on which the luggage receiver holder 120 is installed is not particularly limited to the floor surface of a warehouse, and may be installed on the top surface of a table, for example.

[0082] In the above embodiment, the conveyor 100 is configured such that the luggage receiver 110 directly supports the luggage WK. However, the conveyor 100 can be configured such that the luggage receiver 110 supports the luggage WK via a sliding plate 130 that slides on the luggage receiver 110, as shown in Figures 15(A) and (B), respectively.

[0083] Here, the sliding plate 130 is a component on which the luggage WK is placed and which slides on the luggage receiver 110 to move the luggage WK in the conveying direction.

[0084] The plate body 131 is a component for moving the placed baggage WK in the conveying direction by sliding on the baggage receiver 110, and is made of a metal material (for example, stainless steel or a steel plate plated with zinc or the like (for example, a bonded steel plate)) or a resin material. As shown in FIG. 15(A), the plate body 131 is made of a long plate extending along the conveying direction of the conveyor 100. In this case, the plate body 131 is formed to a length that allows it to slide on the baggage receiver 110 with the baggage WK placed thereon. In addition, the length of the plate body 131 in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (the width direction of the plate body 131) is formed to be slightly longer than the length of the baggage receiver holder 120 in the width direction.

[0085] The guide portion 132 is a component for guiding the plate body 131 in the transport direction of the luggage WK, and is integrally formed of the same material as the plate body 131. The guide portion 132 is two plate-like bodies extending along the transport direction of the conveyor 100, and is provided in a hanging state below both edges of the plate body 131 in the transport direction, as shown in Fig. 15(B). Also, the guide portion 132 is formed at a height such that, when the two plate-like bodies are provided on the plate body 131, their lower surfaces are lower than the upper surface of the luggage receiver holder 120 and do not reach the installation surface G, as shown in Fig. 15(B).

[0086] When producing this sliding plate 130, an operator can prepare the sliding plate 130 in which the plate body 131 and the two guide portions 132 are integrally formed by pressing the bonded steel plate constituting the sliding plate 130 so that the cross section has a C-shape. Note that in this embodiment, the operator presses the bonded steel plate, which is a steel plate that has already been plated, to form the sliding plate 130, but the sliding plate 130 can also be formed by pressing a metal plate so that it has a C-shape and then plating it.

[0087] Next, when using this sliding plate 130, an operator first attaches the load receptacle 110 of the conveyor 100 to the load receptacle holder 120, and then places the sliding plate 130 on the load receptacle 110.

[0088] Specifically, the worker places the sliding plate 130 on the luggage receiver 110 with the guide portion 132 of the sliding plate 130 facing downward. Next, similar to the above-mentioned transport work of the luggage WK, the worker uses the lift device to lift the luggage WK, moves the lift device to a location where the underside of the luggage WK is located above the sliding plate 130, and lowers the forks to place the luggage WK on the sliding plate 130. Next, the worker pulls the forks out of the opening of the loading platform (pallet) to enable the luggage WK to move on the conveyor 100.

[0089] Next, the worker manually pushes the luggage WK placed on the sliding plate 130 in the transport direction, causing the sliding plate 130 to slide on the luggage receiver 110 and move the luggage WK to the desired position. Next, when removing the sliding plate 130, the worker uses the lift device to move the luggage WK placed on the sliding plate 130 as described above, and then lifts the sliding plate 130 upward to remove it from the luggage receiver 110. This allows the worker to remove the sliding plate 130.

[0090] The sliding plate 130 configured in this manner can facilitate the movement of luggage WK placed on it by sliding on the luggage receiver 110. In addition, the guide portion 132 comes into contact with the side surface of the luggage receiver holder 120 to restrict the movement of the plate body 131 in the width direction, thereby preventing the sliding plate 130 from shifting out of position. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] G...Installation surface, WK...Luggage, P...Lift device, 100…Conveyor, 110: luggage receiver, 111: rotor, 112: shaft, 113: rotor holder, 114: Rotating body; 115a: Rotating body base; 115b: Cover body; 116a...rotating body base, 116b...cover body, 120: luggage receiver holder; 121: fitting portion; 120a...Wall part, 130: sliding plate; 131: plate body; 132: guide portion; 200... conveyor, 210... luggage receiver, 220... luggage receiver holder, 300... conveyor, 310... luggage receiver, 320... luggage receiver holder, 321... fitting portion, 400: conveyor; 410: baggage receiver; 411: rotating body; 412: shaft body; 420: baggage receiver holder; 421: fitting portion.

Claims

1. A conveyor for moving a load placed on the conveyor in a horizontal direction, A luggage receiver on which the luggage is placed; a luggage receiver holder that is installed on an installation surface on which the conveyor is installed and that holds the luggage receiver; A conveyor, wherein the luggage receiver holder removably holds the luggage receiver.

2. 2. The conveyor according to claim 1, The luggage receiver comprises: A conveyor that rotates in a conveying direction.

3. 3. The conveyor according to claim 2, The luggage receiver comprises: A conveyor comprising: a rotating body; and a rotating body holder that holds the rotating body so that the rotating body can rotate freely.

4. 4. The conveyor according to claim 3, The luggage receiver comprises: A conveyor comprising a plurality of the above-mentioned rotating bodies.

5. 2. The conveyor according to claim 1, The luggage carrier holder comprises: A conveyor characterized in that the luggage receiver is held so as to be freely detachable in the vertical direction.

6. 2. The conveyor according to claim 1, The luggage receiver and the luggage receiver holder are A conveyor characterized in that the conveyors are interfitting with each other.

7. 2. The conveyor according to claim 1, The luggage carrier holder comprises: A conveyor characterized in that the luggage receiver is held in a state where it is placed directly on the installation surface.

8. 2. The conveyor according to claim 1, The luggage carrier holder comprises: A conveyor comprising an elastic body that is elastically deformable.

9. 2. The conveyor according to claim 1, The luggage carrier holder comprises: A conveyor made of foamed resin.

10. 2. The conveyor according to claim 1, The luggage carrier holder comprises: A conveyor, characterized in that one of the luggage carrier holders holds a plurality of the luggage carriers.

11. 2. The conveyor according to claim 1, The luggage carrier holder comprises: It is formed in a strip shape, A conveyor which holds the load receptacles intermittently along its longitudinal direction.

12. 2. The conveyor according to claim 1, The luggage carrier holder comprises: A conveyor characterized in that a pair of left and right forks for lifting the cargo are provided on the left and right sides at a distance sufficient to accommodate the pair of left and right forks of a lift device such as a pallet truck or a forklift that handles cargo.

13. 2. The conveyor of claim 1, further comprising: A conveyor comprising a sliding plate on which the load is placed and which slides on the load receiver.

Images