Tray peeling mechanism, tray supply device, and toray peeling method

Abstract

To stably peel off a tray located at the lowest end while roughly adjusting the direction of air and the position of a fall prevention member such as a plate.SOLUTION: A tray peeling mechanism 10 that discharges air toward a gap between a tray T1 located at the lowest end in a stacked tray group Tx which a plurality of trays are stacked, and a second tray T2 located one tray above it, and peels off the tray T1 located at the lowest end from the stacked tray group Tx, is configured to switch from a standby state in which air is discharged from a lateral direction toward a lower side than the gap between the tray T1 located at the lowest end and the second tray T2 to a peeling state in which air is discharged toward the gap between the tray T1 located at the lowest end and the second tray T2 by lowering the stacked tray group Tx or by raising an air discharge destination.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tray peeling mechanism, a tray supply device, and a tray peeling method.

Background Art

[0002] As a tray peeling mechanism for peeling the lowermost tray from a stack of trays, as shown in Patent Document 1, there is one configured to adsorb the lower surface of the lowermost tray and pull the tray away from the stack of trays.

[0003] In such a configuration, when pulling the lowermost tray, it is troublesome if the remaining trays fall completely. Therefore, first, air is blown into the gap between the adsorbed lowermost tray and the second tray located above it, and the force of this air is used to push up the trays after the second tray, and at the same time, a plate is inserted into the gap.

[0004] If this state is created, even if the adsorbed lowermost tray is pulled away, the trays after the second tray will be supported by the plate and will not fall, so only the lowermost tray can be peeled from the stack of trays.

[0005] However, with the above-described configuration, in order to stably insert the plate into the gap between the lowermost tray and the second tray, the adjustment of the air direction and the position adjustment of the plate in the previous stage become strict, and there is a problem that the difficulty of the adjustment work is high.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to stably peel off the tray located at the lowermost end while roughly adjusting the direction of air or the like.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] That is, the tray peeling mechanism according to the present invention discharges air toward the gap between the tray located at the lowermost end among a group of stacked trays and the second tray located above the lowermost tray, and peels off the tray located at the lowermost end from the group of stacked trays. The air is discharged laterally downward from the gap between the tray located at the lowermost end and the second tray. From the standby state where the air is discharged, by lowering the group of stacked trays or by raising the air discharge destination, the air is discharged toward the gap between the tray located at the lowermost end and the second tray. It is configured to switch to the peeling state, and a fall prevention member that moves between a fall prevention position where it is possible to prevent the fall of the trays after the second tray pushed up by the air in the peeling state and a retracted position retracted from the fall prevention position, and the fall prevention member When in the fall prevention position, it is characterized by comprising a movement support member that moves to a predetermined position while supporting the tray located at the lowermost end.

[0009] According to the tray peeling mechanism configured as described above, since the group of stacked trays is lowered or the air discharge destination is raised, the air is discharged downward from the gap between the lowermost tray and the second tray. From the standby state where the air is discharged, the air discharge destination can be relatively raised with respect to the group of stacked trays. As a result, even if the adjustment of the direction of the air and the position adjustment of the fall prevention member are rough, the timing at which the air is discharged into the gap between the lowermost tray and the second tray will surely come, and the fall prevention member can be moved to the fall prevention position at that timing. Therefore, according to the present invention described above, it is possible to stably peel off the tray located at the lowermost end from the stack of trays while roughly adjusting the direction of the air and the position of the fall prevention member.

[0010] As an embodiment for relatively raising the air discharge destination with respect to the stack of trays, examples include raising the direction and position of the air discharge portion. In this case, however, a mechanism for raising the direction and position of the discharge portion is separately required, leading to an increase in the size and cost of the apparatus. Therefore, it is preferable that the moving support member descends from the first position where it supports the stack of trays to a second position lower than the first position while adsorbing and holding the tray located at the lowermost end, and the air is discharged into the gap between the tray located at the lowermost end and the second tray during the descent. With such a configuration, it is possible to relatively raise the air discharge destination with respect to the stack of trays by using an existing mechanism for raising and lowering the moving support member, and it is possible to suppress an increase in the size and cost of the apparatus.

[0011] When the moving support member moves from the first position to the second position, it is preferable to pull down the tray located at the lowermost end at a speed faster than the speed at which the second and subsequent trays freely fall. With such a configuration, a gap due to a speed difference is generated between the tray located at the lowermost end and the second tray, so that air easily enters the gap, and the tray located at the lowermost end can be more reliably peeled off from the stack of trays.

[0012] In the peeled state, it is preferable that the separation distance between the tray located at the lowermost end and the second tray is maintained at a distance such that an upward airflow that pushes up the second tray is generated by the air discharged between these trays. With such a configuration, it is possible to float the second and subsequent trays by the upward airflow, so that a time margin can be created when moving the fall prevention member to the fall prevention position.

[0013] It is preferable that the discharge part that discharges the air faces horizontally or obliquely upward. With such a configuration, it is easy to generate the upward airflow described above.

[0014] By the way, in generating the upward airflow described above, it is preferable that the air flow rate is large. However, if the air flow rate is large despite the small number of stacked sheets, there is a risk that the trays from the second sheet onward will be blown away by the air. Therefore, it is preferable that the air flow rate is changed according to the number of stacked sheets of the stacked tray group. With such a configuration, when the number of stacked sheets of the stacked tray group is large, the flow rate is increased, and when the number of stacked sheets decreases, the flow rate is decreased, so that an effective upward airflow can be generated while preventing the trays from being blown away when the number of sheets decreases.

[0015] It is preferable that the fall prevention member is interposed in the gap between the tray located at the lowermost end and the second tray at the fall prevention position and retracts from the gap between the tray located at the lowermost end and the second tray at the retraction position. With such a configuration, the fall of the trays from the second sheet onward can be prevented by the simple configuration and operation of the fall prevention member.

[0016] Here, when the total weight of the stacked tray group is heavy due to a large number of stacked sheets or large-sized trays one by one, even if air is blown into the gap between the tray located at the lowermost end and the second tray, the trays from the second sheet onward cannot be lifted. Such a problem can be prevented by imposing a limit on the number of stacked sheets, but in that case, the number of times of setting new trays increases, leading to a decrease in workability.

[0017] Therefore, it further includes a holding member that moves between a holding position for holding one or more trays located at a predetermined height among the stack of trays and a release position for releasing those trays. In a state where the holding member is moved from the release position to the holding position, it is preferable to switch from the standby state to the peeling state. With such a configuration, when switching from the standby state to the peeling state, since the trays above the predetermined height are held by the holding member, when air is blown into the gap between the lowermost tray and the second tray from the bottom, the number of trays that need to be lifted can be reduced. Thereby, even if the total weight of the stack of trays becomes heavy due to a large number of stacked sheets or large trays, it is possible to reliably peel the lowermost tray.

[0018] Preferably, the position of the holding member and the position of the air discharge portion can be integrally adjusted. With such a configuration, it is possible to facilitate setup changes such as when the size of the tray changes.

[0019] When the number of trays held by the holding member decreases (to about several sheets), the trays tend to be held in an inclined state. Then, when the holding member moves to the release position, the trays may fall while still inclined, leading to subsequent peeling failures. Therefore, it is preferable that the holding member has a holding surface for holding one or more trays at the holding position, and one or more concave grooves extending along the horizontal direction are provided on the holding surface. With such a configuration, since the concave grooves extending along the horizontal direction are provided on the holding surface of the holding member, the flange of the tray is caught in these concave grooves, and the tray can be held horizontally. Here, the "extending along the horizontal direction" includes not only the mode of "extending parallel to the horizontal direction", but also the mode of "extending in a direction slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal direction" to such an extent that the above-mentioned peeling failure does not occur.

[0020] By the way, when the number of trays in the stacked tray group decreases, when discharging air into the gap between the tray located at the lowermost end and the second tray located one above it, there is a risk that the trays after the second tray will bounce up greatly and jump out of the tray stacker. Therefore, it is preferable that the holding member is configured to move from the release position to a position beyond the holding position when the stacked tray group is in a state below the predetermined height. If so, the holding member at the front position can be positioned above the stacked tray group, so that the upward bounce of the tray when discharging air can be prevented.

[0021] It is preferable that the holding member is a surface extending along a flange protruding from the side wall of the tray, and has an anti-bounce surface at the front position for preventing the upward bounce of the stacked tray group pushed up by the air. If so, the tray that is about to float can be pressed by the surface, so that the upward bounce of the tray can be more reliably prevented.

[0022] If the holding member at the front position is located inside the edge of the tray when viewed from above, the bottom of the lifted tray will hit the holding member. Then, the holding member returning from the front position to the release position will hit the inner surface of the flange of the tray and damage the flange. Therefore, it is preferable that the holding member extends along the flange of the tray to be held, and has a long portion that holds the tray on its front surface, and bent portions bent from both longitudinal ends, one longitudinal end, or the lower end of the long portion to the back side of the long portion. If so, the bent portion presses the flange of the lifted tray, so that the bottom surface of the tray does not hit the holding member, and damage to the tray can be prevented.

[0023] Further, the tray supply device according to the present invention is characterized by comprising the above-described tray peeling mechanism and a tray transport mechanism on which the tray peeled by the tray peeling mechanism is placed and which transports the tray to a predetermined location.

[0024] Furthermore, the tray peeling method according to the present invention is a tray peeling method in which air is discharged toward the gap between the lowermost tray among a stack of trays and the second tray located one above it, to peel the lowermost tray from the stack of trays, and includes a step of switching from a standby state in which the air is discharged laterally downward from below the gap between the lowermost tray and the second tray to a peeling state in which the air is discharged toward the gap between the lowermost tray and the second tray by lowering the stack of trays or raising the discharge destination of the air; a step of preventing the trays after the second tray, which are pushed up by the air in the peeling state, from falling; and a step of moving the lowermost tray to a predetermined location while supporting it in a state where the fall of the trays after the second tray is prevented.

[0025] With such a tray supply device and tray peeling method according to the present invention, the same operational effects as those of the above-described tray peeling mechanism can be achieved.

[0026] In addition, the tray peeling mechanism according to the present invention discharges air toward the gap between the lowermost tray among a stack of trays and the second tray located above it, and peels the lowermost tray from the stack of trays. The air is discharged laterally from below the gap between the lowermost tray and the second tray. From the standby state where the air is discharged, by lowering the stack of trays or raising the discharge destination of the air, it is configured to switch to a peeling state where the air is discharged toward the gap between the lowermost tray and the second tray. In the peeling state, it is characterized by including a moving support member that moves the lowermost tray to a predetermined position while supporting it.

[0027] According to the tray peeling mechanism configured as described above, since the stack of trays is lowered or the discharge destination of the air is raised, the discharge destination of the air can be relatively raised with respect to the stack of trays from the standby state where the air is discharged downward from below the gap between the lowermost tray and the second tray. As a result, even if the orientation adjustment of the air is rough, the timing when the air is discharged into the gap between the lowermost tray and the second tray will surely come. And after this timing, if the trays after the second tray are prevented from falling, it is possible to stably peel the lowermost tray from the stack of trays while roughly adjusting the orientation of the air.

[0028] When the moving support member moves the lowermost tray to the predetermined position, it is preferable that the trays after the second tray are pushed up by the air. If this is the case, since the trays after the second tray are prevented from falling by the air, it is possible to eliminate the need for the plate described in the background art and the drive source for driving this plate. As a result, it becomes unnecessary to adjust the position of the conventional plate, and the space where the plate and the drive source were arranged can be effectively utilized, and moreover, the cost can be reduced by reducing the number of parts.

[0029] In the configuration in which the moving support member switches to the separated state by lowering the stacked tray group in the standby state, if the tray located at the lowermost end is rapidly lowered, the second tray from the bottom will be attracted to the lowermost tray, which may cause separation failure. Therefore, it is preferable that the moving speed of the moving support member when lowering the stacked tray group in the standby state is slower than the moving speed of the moving support member when moving the tray located at the lowermost end to the predetermined position in the separated state. If this is the case, the stacked tray group in the standby state can be lowered slowly, so that air can be reliably discharged into the gap between the tray located at the lowermost end and the second tray from the bottom.

Effect of the Invention

[0030] According to the present invention configured as described above, while roughly adjusting the direction of the air and the position of the fall prevention member, the tray located at the lowermost end can be stably separated.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0031]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

Figure 18

Figure 19

Figure 20

Figure 21

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0032] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a tray peeling mechanism and a tray supply device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0033] (Configuration of Tray Feeding Device 100 According to This Embodiment) As shown in FIG. 1, the tray feeding device 100 of this embodiment separates the tray T1 located at the lowermost end among a plurality of stacked trays T in the stacked tray group Tx, and supplies the separated tray T1 to a predetermined location.

[0034] Specifically, this tray feeding device 100 includes a tray peeling mechanism 10 that separates the tray T1 located at the lowermost end from the stacked tray group Tx, and a tray conveying mechanism 20 that conveys the separated tray T1 to a predetermined location.

[0035] In this embodiment, since there are features in this tray peeling mechanism 10, the details will be described below. The tray conveying mechanism 20 is a conveyor using a conveying belt 21, which is one or more endless belts here, but the specific configuration is not particularly limited and can be changed as appropriate.

[0036] (Tray Peeling Mechanism 10) The tray peeling mechanism 10 operates based on a control signal from a control device (not shown). As shown in FIG. 2, it discharges air toward the gap between the tray T1 located at the lowermost end in the stacked tray group Tx and the second tray T2 located one above it, and peels the tray T1 located at the lowermost end from the stacked tray group Tx. Here, the "gap" specifically refers to the gap between the upper edge (flange portion) of the tray T1 located at the lowermost end in the stacked tray group Tx and the upper edge (flange portion) of the second tray T2 located one above it, and more specifically, it is the gap between the upper surface of the upper edge (flange portion) of the tray T1 and the lower surface of the upper edge (flange portion) of the tray T2.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, this tray peeling mechanism 10 includes a moving support member 11 that moves a tray T1 located at the lowermost end to a predetermined position while supporting it, a discharge portion 12 for discharging air toward the gap between the tray T1 located at the lowermost end and the second tray T2, and a fall prevention member 13 for preventing the trays T after the second one from falling due to the air.

[0038] (Moving support member 11) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the moving support member 11 moves up and down while adsorbing and holding the lower surface of the tray T1 located at the lowermost end, and has a vertically movable adsorption assembly 111 disposed below the stacked tray group Tx and a lifting means 112 for lifting and lowering the adsorption assembly 111.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 2, the adsorption assembly 111 has a suction port for adsorbing the lower surface of the tray T. This suction port 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. Here, a plurality of suction ports are provided, but the number and arrangement of the suction ports may be changed as appropriate.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 1, the lifting means 112 has an actuator, such as an air cylinder or a motor, for lifting and lowering the adsorption assembly 111 to which the adsorption assembly 111 is attached.

[0041] (Discharge portion 12) The discharge portion 12 discharges air supplied from an air source (not shown), opens in a predetermined direction, and is arranged to discharge air in that direction.

[0042] Here, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the discharge portion 12 is in a slit shape and is directed slightly obliquely upward from the horizontal direction. As a result, the air is also discharged slightly obliquely upward from the horizontal direction.

[0043] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, when viewing the stack of trays Tx from above or below, discharge portions 12 are provided at four locations around the tray Tx located at the lowermost end. Specifically, a pair of discharge portions 12 are provided at each position sandwiching the tray Tx located at the lowermost end. As a result, each discharge portion 12 is arranged so as to be able to discharge air from four directions to the tray T1 located at the lowermost end.

[0044] (Falling prevention member 13) As shown in FIG. 4, the falling prevention member 13 moves between a falling prevention position P where it can prevent the trays T from the second one and subsequent from falling in a state where the trays T from the second one and subsequent are pushed up by the above-described air, and a retracted position Q retracted from the falling prevention position P. In FIG. 4, the description of the discharge portion 12 is omitted for ease of understanding.

[0045] The falling prevention member 13 of this embodiment has, for example, a plate-shaped tip that moves forward and backward by an air cylinder or the like. At the falling prevention position P, it is interposed between the tray T1 located at the lowermost end and the second tray T2, and at the retracted position Q, it retracts from between the tray T1 located at the lowermost end and the second tray T2.

[0046] Here, a pair of falling prevention members 13 are provided at each position sandwiching the stack of trays Tx. By approaching each other, they move to the falling prevention position P, and by separating from each other, they move to the retracted position Q.

[0047] (Holding member 14) Here, when the number of stacked trays in the stack of trays Tx is large or each tray T is large and the total weight of the stack of trays Tx is heavy, even if air is blown into the gap between the tray T1 located at the lowermost end and the second tray T2, it may become impossible to lift the trays T from the second one and subsequent.

[0048] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the tray peeling mechanism 10 of the present embodiment further includes a holding member 14 that moves between a holding position X for holding one or a plurality of trays T located at a predetermined height among the stacked tray group Tx and a release position Y for separating those trays T.

[0049] Here, the holding members 14 are provided at respective positions sandwiching the stacked tray group Tx, and they move to the holding position X by approaching each other and move to the release position Y by separating from each other.

[0050] Specifically, this holding member 14 is, for example, a plate-shaped member that moves forward and backward by an air cylinder or the like, and has a predetermined length dimension along the height direction of the stacked tray group Tx.

[0051] As a result, the holding member 14 at the holding position X comes into contact with a plurality of consecutive trays T located in a predetermined height range of the stacked tray group Tx, and holds these trays T all at once. However, the trays T stacked above these trays T are also held while not being in contact with this holding member 14.

[0052] In addition, in the present embodiment, the above-described holding member 14 and the discharge part 12 are supported by a common member (not shown), and the position of the holding member 14 and the position of the discharge part 12 can be integrally adjusted.

[0053] (Operation of Tray Peeling Mechanism 10) Subsequently, the operation of the above-described tray peeling mechanism 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 6 and the schematic diagrams of FIGS. 7 to 11.

[0054] First, as shown in FIG. 7, in a state where the user has finished stacking a desired number of trays T to form the stacked tray group Tx, the moving support member 11 is raised to the first position M1 (S1).

[0055] This first position M1 is a position where the moving support member 11 supports the lower surface of the tray T1 located at the lowermost end and supports the stacked tray group Tx, whereby the tray peeling mechanism 10 is in an initial state.

[0056] From this initial state, in this embodiment, the suction of the tray T1 located at the lowermost end by the moving support member 11, the holding of the tray T at a predetermined height position by the holding member 14, and the ejection of air from the ejection portion 12 are performed simultaneously (S2).

[0057] As a result, the tray peeling mechanism 10 of this embodiment enters a standby state A as shown in FIG. 8 before peeling the tray T1 located at the lowermost end from the stacked tray group Tx.

[0058] Note that the suction of the tray T1 located at the lowermost end is performed by opening and closing a valve on the pipe connected to the suction assembly 111 described above. The holding of the tray T at a predetermined height position is performed by moving the holding member 14 from the release position Y to the holding position X. The ejection of air is performed by opening and closing a valve on the pipe connected to the ejection portion 12.

[0059] However, it is not necessarily required to perform all the operations in S2 simultaneously. For example, the suction of the tray T1 located at the lowermost end by the moving support member 11 and the holding of the tray T at a predetermined height position by the holding member 14 are performed, and then, after a predetermined waiting time has elapsed, the ejection of air from the ejection portion 12 is performed. A time difference may be provided for each operation in S2.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 8, the above-described standby state A is a state in which air is ejected laterally downward from below the gap between the tray T1 located at the lowermost end and the second tray T2. Here, the term "laterally" includes not only the meaning of "horizontally" but also the meaning of "from slightly obliquely above or slightly obliquely below the horizontal direction".

[0061] That is, in the present embodiment, the orientation of the discharge unit 12 is adjusted in advance so that the air discharged from the discharge unit 12 in the standby state A is blown onto the outer peripheral surface of the tray T1 located at the lowermost end.

[0062] As described above, the discharge unit 12 of the present embodiment is arranged to face slightly obliquely upward from the horizontal direction. In this discharge unit 12, it is provided in a posture of looking up at the upper end of the tray T1 located at the lowermost end in the standby state A.

[0063] However, as shown in FIG. 9, the tray peeling mechanism 10 of the present embodiment is configured to switch from the above-described standby state A to a peeling state B in which air is discharged toward the gap between the tray T1 located at the lowermost end and the second tray T2 by lowering the stacked tray group Tx.

[0064] More specifically, here, the moving support member 11 at the first position M1 is lowered to the second position M2 lower than the first position M1, thereby switching from the standby state A to the peeling state B (S3).

[0065] That is, the second position M2 is set so that when the moving support member 11 descends from the first position M1 to the second position M2 while sucking and holding the tray T1 located at the lowermost end, the timing at which air is discharged into the gap between the tray T1 located at the lowermost end and the second tray T2 during the descent is reached.

[0066] In this S3, when the moving support member 11 moves from the first position M1 to the second position M2, the tray T1 located at the lowermost end adsorbed and held by the moving support member 11 is pulled down at a speed faster than the free-fall speed of the trays T after the second one.

[0067] That is, the speed at which the movement support member 11 moves from the first position M1 to the second position M2 is made faster than the free-fall speed of the trays T from the second one onward. More specifically, the acceleration when the movement support member 11 at the first position M1 starts to descend toward the second position M2 is made at least greater than the gravitational acceleration.

[0068] Due to such a speed difference, when the movement support member 11 moves from the first position M1 to the second position M2, a slight gap is created between the tray T1 located at the lowermost end and the second tray T2.

[0069] And by creating a timing at which air is discharged between the tray T1 located at the lowermost end and the second tray T2 while creating such a gap, air can easily enter the gap, and the subsequent trays T from the second one are pushed up by the air.

[0070] In addition, in the present embodiment, in a state where the above-described holding member 14 is being moved from the release position Y to the holding position X, the standby state A is switched to the separation state B. At this time, the trays T below the tray T held by the holding member 14 are in a free state, and these free-state trays T will be pushed up by air.

[0071] In this separation state B, as shown in FIG. 9, the state where the subsequent trays T from the second one are floating by the force of air is maintained. That is, in this separation state B, the separation distance between the tray T1 located at the lowermost end and the second tray T2 is maintained at a distance such that an upward airflow that pushes up the second tray T2 is generated by the air discharged between these trays T1 and T2.

[0072] Next, in this separation state B, as shown in FIG. 10, the fall prevention member 13 is moved from the retracted position Q to the fall prevention position P (S4).

[0073] Specifically, by moving the plate, which is the fall prevention member 13, from the retracted position Q to the fall prevention position P, it is interposed in the gap between the tray T1 located at the lowermost end and the second tray T2. However, in this state, the trays T after the second one still maintain a floating state, and a non-contact positional relationship is maintained between these trays T and the fall prevention member 13.

[0074] Then, in the state where the fall prevention member 13 is at the fall prevention position P, as shown in FIG. 11, the air is stopped, and the movement support member 11 starts to descend from the second position M2 (S5), and while adsorbing and holding the tray T1 located at the lowermost end, it is moved onto the conveying belt 21, which is a predetermined location.

[0075] Note that the operations in S5 do not necessarily have to be performed simultaneously. For example, after stopping the air, the movement support member 11 may be moved, or conversely, after moving the movement support member 11, the air may be stopped.

[0076] In this embodiment, in S5, the movement support member 11 is lowered to the third position M3, which is lower than the second position M2. However, in S5, it is not necessarily required to lower the movement support member 11, and it may be moved to a predetermined location through various paths such as moving in the horizontal direction.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 11, the third position M3 of this embodiment is the position where the movement support member 11 places the lowermost tray T1 that it is adsorbing and holding on the conveying belt 21 of the tray conveying mechanism 20. Thereby, the lowermost tray T1 peeled off from the stacked tray group Tx is carried out by the conveying belt 21.

[0078] In this embodiment, after starting to lower the movement support member 11 from the second position M2 in S5 and before reaching the third position M3, during the descent, the adsorption of the tray T1 located at the lowermost end by the movement support member 11 is stopped, and the holding member 14 is moved from the holding position X to the release position Y (S6).

[0079] Note that the operations in S6 do not necessarily have to be performed simultaneously. For example, after stopping the suction, the holding member 14 may be moved, or conversely, after moving the holding member 14, the suction may be stopped.

[0080] Thereafter, the movement support member 11 is raised again to the first position M1 (S7), and the fall prevention member 13 is moved from the fall prevention position P to the retracted position Q (S8).

[0081] As a result, it returns to the state of FIG. 7 described above, and thereafter, the operations of S2 to S8 are repeated.

[0082] (Flow rate switching) In the above-described configuration, the tray peeling mechanism 10 of the present embodiment is configured such that the flow rate of the air discharged from the discharge unit 12 is changed according to the number of stacked trays in the stacked tray group Tx.

[0083] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the tray peeling mechanism 10 has a height sensor Sh for detecting the stacking height of the stacked tray group Tx.

[0084] This height sensor Sh is, for example, an optical one, and detects whether the stacking height of the stacked tray group Tx is equal to or greater than a predetermined height. Note that the specific configuration of the sensor here includes a light source provided at a position sandwiching the stacked tray group Tx and a light receiver that receives the light emitted from this light source.

[0085] However, the height sensor Sh may be a distance measuring sensor that measures the distance from above to the tray T located at the uppermost end of the stacked tray group Tx, or a load sensor that detects the weight of the stacked tray group Tx, and the specific configuration may be changed as appropriate.

[0086] Then, the detection result by this sensor is output to a control device (not shown), and the control device switches the flow rate of the air discharged from the discharge unit 12 based on this detection result.

[0087] More specifically, when the stacking height of the stack of trays Tx is equal to or greater than a predetermined height, this control device controls the flow rate of the air discharged from the discharge unit 12 to a first flow rate. When the stacking height of the stack of trays Tx is less than the predetermined height, the control device switches the flow rate of the air discharged from the discharge unit 12 to a second flow rate that is smaller than the first flow rate.

[0088] (Function and Effect of Tray Separation Mechanism 10 According to This Embodiment) According to the tray separation mechanism 10 configured as described above, since the stack of trays Tx is lowered from the standby state A, the discharge destination of the air toward the space below the lowermost tray T1 can be relatively raised with respect to the stack of trays Tx. As a result, even if the orientation adjustment of the air and the position adjustment of the fall prevention member 13 are rough, the timing at which air is discharged into the gap between the lowermost tray T1 and the second tray T2 will surely come, and the fall prevention member 13 can be moved to the fall prevention position P at that timing. Therefore, it is possible to stably peel off the tray T1 located at the lowermost end from the stack of trays Tx while roughly adjusting the orientation of the air and the position of the fall prevention member 13.

[0089] In addition, since the peeling state B is reached while the moving support member 11 is being lowered from the first position M1 to the second position M2, the discharge destination of the air can be relatively raised with respect to the stack of trays Tx by using an existing mechanism for raising and lowering the moving support member 11, and an increase in the size and cost of the apparatus can be suppressed.

[0090] Furthermore, since the tray T1 located at the lowermost end is pulled down at a speed faster than the free-fall speed of the trays T after the second tray, a gap can be created between the tray T1 located at the lowermost end and the second tray T2 due to this speed difference. As a result, air can more easily enter the gap, and the tray T1 located at the lowermost end can be more reliably peeled off from the stack of trays Tx.

[0091] Moreover, in the separated state B, the distance between the lowermost tray T1 and the second tray T2 is maintained at a distance such that an upward airflow that pushes up the second tray T2 is generated. Therefore, the subsequent trays T after the second tray can be lifted by this upward airflow, and it becomes possible to create a time margin when moving the fall prevention member 13 to the fall prevention position P.

[0092] In addition, since the discharge part 12 that discharges air faces slightly obliquely upward rather than horizontally, it is easy to generate the above-described upward airflow.

[0093] When the number of stacked trays Tx is large, the flow rate of the air discharged from the discharge part 12 is set to the first flow rate which is a large flow rate. When the number of stacked trays decreases, it is switched to the small second flow rate. Therefore, while generating an effective upward airflow, it is possible to prevent the trays T from being blown away when the number of trays decreases.

[0094] Since the fall prevention member 13 is interposed in the gap between the lowermost tray T1 and the second tray T2 at the fall prevention position P and retracts from the gap between the lowermost tray T1 and the second tray T2 at the retracted position Q, it is possible to prevent the subsequent trays T after the second tray from falling with a simple configuration and operation.

[0095] Also, when switching from the standby state A to the separated state B, since the trays T above a predetermined height are held by the holding member 14, when air is blown into the gap between the lowermost tray T1 and the second tray T2, the number of trays T that need to be lifted can be reduced. As a result, even if the total weight of the stacked tray group Tx becomes heavy due to a large number of stacked trays or large trays T, it becomes possible to surely separate the lowermost tray T1.

[0096] In addition, since the position of the holding member 14 and the position of the air discharge part 12 can be integrally adjusted, it is possible to easily perform setup changes such as when the size of the tray T changes.

[0097] (Another Embodiment of Tray Separation Mechanism 10) Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0098] For example, as the tray separation mechanism 10 according to the present invention, in the above embodiment, it was configured to switch from the standby state A to the separation state B by lowering the stacked tray group Tx. However, it may be configured to switch to the separation state B by raising the air discharge destination from the standby state A. That is, as long as the tray separation mechanism 10 is configured to switch to the separation state B by relatively raising the air discharge destination with respect to the stacked tray group Tx. Note that as a mode of raising the air discharge destination, the direction of the discharge part 12 that discharges air may be directed upward, or the position of the discharge part 12 may be raised.

[0099] Also, as the discharge part 12, in the above embodiment, it was arranged to face slightly obliquely upward rather than in the horizontal direction. However, it may be arranged to face in the horizontal direction, or it may be arranged to face slightly obliquely downward rather than in the horizontal direction.

[0100] Furthermore, as the flow rate of the air discharged from the discharge part 12, as long as a flow rate sufficient to surely push up the trays T from the second sheet onward can be ensured, the tray separation mechanism 10 may not be provided with the holding member 14.

[0101] Moreover, in the above embodiment, the flow rate discharged from the discharge part 12 was switched to the first flow rate or the second flow rate. However, it may be switched to three-stage flow rates, or the flow rate may be continuously controlled based on the detection result of the height sensor Sh.

[0102] In addition, if the number of free trays T not held by the holding member 14 is small, for example, about several sheets, the switching of the air flow rate may not be performed, and it may be fixed to a small flow rate constantly, for example.

[0103] As the moving support member 11, it is not necessarily required to adsorb as long as it can hold the tray T located at the lowermost end, and the specific configuration may be changed as appropriate.

[0104] (Another Embodiment of the Holding Member 14) Regarding the holding member 14, the embodiments shown in FIGS. 12 to 17 can also be cited.

[0105] This holding member 14, similar to the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, moves between a holding position X for holding one or a plurality of trays T located at a predetermined height in the stacked tray group Tx and a release position Y for separating those trays T.

[0106] Also, similar to the above-described embodiment, a pair of holding members 14 are provided at positions sandwiching one or a plurality of trays T located at a predetermined height, and each holding member 14 has a holding surface 141 for holding one or a plurality of trays T at the holding position X.

[0107] These pair of holding members 14, the opposing surfaces facing each other, that is, the front surface facing one or a plurality of trays T located at a predetermined height, functions as the holding surface 141 for holding the tray T.

[0108] As shown in FIG. 14, each holding member 14 has a long portion 142 that extends along the flange protruding from the side wall of the tray T and holds the tray T with its front surface, which is the holding surface 141, and bent portions 143 that are bent from one longitudinal end and the other longitudinal end of the long portion 142 to the back side of the long portion 142.

[0109] Note that the shape of the holding member 14 is not limited to the above-described one. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, the bent portion 143 may be bent from the lower end portion of the long portion 142, and although not shown, the bent portion 143 may be bent from one longitudinal end portion of the long portion 142.

[0110] However, as shown in FIGS. 12 to 15, the holding member 14 of the present embodiment is provided with one or a plurality of concave grooves 144 extending along the horizontal direction on the holding surface 141 described above.

[0111] Here, the "extending along the horizontal direction" means a concept that includes not only the mode of "extending parallel to the horizontal direction" but also the mode of "extending in a direction slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal direction". Further, the "direction slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal direction" is a direction inclined to such an extent that peeling failure of the tray T does not occur with respect to the horizontal direction, and specifically, it is an inclination range of ±10 degrees with respect to the horizontal direction.

[0112] Here, a plurality of concave grooves 144 provided in multiple upper and lower stages at intervals from each other extend parallel to each other, and each concave groove 144 extends parallel to the horizontal direction from one longitudinal end portion to the other longitudinal end portion of the long portion 142.

[0113] As shown in FIG. 16, the width dimension L1, which is the dimension along the vertical direction of each concave groove 144, is set to be larger than the thickness dimension L2 of the flange F of the tray T, and the depth dimension L3 of each concave groove 144 is set to be smaller than the protruding dimension L4 of the flange F of the tray T as shown in FIG. 16.

[0114] By the way, as described with reference to FIG. 9 in the above embodiment, in the state where the holding member 14 at the holding position X holds the tray T, the tray T below that tray T is in a free state, and those free trays T will be pushed up by air.

[0115] Here, when the stacked tray group Tx falls below a predetermined height, there is no tray T held by the holding member 14 at the holding position X, and the tray T pushed up by air may bounce between the pair of holding members 14, for example, in a slightly inclined posture.

[0116] To prevent such bouncing, the holding member 14 here is configured to move from the release position Y to the forward position Z beyond the holding position X when the stack of trays Tx is below a predetermined height, as shown in FIG. 17.

[0117] And the holding member 14 of the present embodiment has a bounce prevention surface 145 at the forward position Z to prevent the stack of trays Tx pushed up by air from bouncing.

[0118] This bounce prevention surface 145 is a surface extending along the flange of the tray T. Specifically, at least a part of the bottom surface of the above-described long portion 142 functions as the bounce prevention surface 145. Note that at least a part of the bottom surface of the above-described bent portion 143 may function as the bounce prevention surface 145.

[0119] According to the tray peeling mechanism 10 configured as described above, since the holding surface 141 of the holding member 14 is provided with the concave groove 144 extending along the horizontal direction, the flange of the tray T is caught in the concave groove 144, and the tray T can be held horizontally. Thus, it is possible to prevent defective peeling of the tray T.

[0120] Also, when the stack of trays Tx is below a predetermined height, the holding member 14 moves from the release position Y to the forward position Z beyond the holding position X, so that the holding member 14 at the forward position can be positioned above the stack of trays Tx. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the tray T from bouncing when discharging air by the holding member 14 at the forward position.

[0121] Furthermore, since the holding member 14 has the bounce prevention surface 145 extending along the flange protruding from the side wall of the tray T, the tray T that tries to bounce can be pressed by the surface, and the bounce of the tray T can be more reliably prevented.

[0122] By the way, if the holding member 14 at the leading position Z is located inside the edge of the tray T when viewed from above, the bottom of the lifted tray T will hit the holding member 14. Then, the holding member 14 returning from the leading position Z to the release position Y will hit the flange of the tray T and damage the tray T.

[0123] On the other hand, since the holding member 14 of the present embodiment has the bent portions 143 bent backward from both longitudinal ends of the elongated portion 142, the flange of the lifted tray T hits the bent portions 143, and the bottom surface of the tray T does not hit the holding member 14, so the tray T can be prevented from being damaged.

[0124] Furthermore, as the tray peeling mechanism 10 according to the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 18 to 20, it may not include the fall prevention member 13 in the above embodiment.

[0125] This tray peeling mechanism 10 is common to the above embodiment in that it switches between the standby state A and the peeling state B as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19.

[0126] On the other hand, while the moving support member 11 of the above embodiment moves to a predetermined position while supporting the tray T1 located at the lowermost end in a state where the air is stopped, the moving support member 11 of this embodiment moves to a predetermined position while supporting the tray T1 located at the lowermost end in the peeling state B where the air is discharged, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20. In this regard, the two are different.

[0127] Here, the moving support member 11 switches to the peeling state B by lowering the stacked tray group Tx in the standby state A, similar to the above embodiment.

[0128] More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, by lowering the moving support member 11 at the first position M1 to the second position M2 which is lower than the first position M1, the stacked tray group Tx in the standby state A descends, and it switches to the peeling state B in which air is discharged toward the gap between the tray T1 located at the lowermost end and the second tray T2.

[0129] Then, in this peeling state B, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, while continuously discharging air, the moving support member 11 starts to descend from the second position M2 to the third position M3, and while adsorbing and holding the tray T1 located at the lowermost end, it is moved onto the conveying belt 21 which is a predetermined location.

[0130] Here, when the moving support member 11 moves the tray T1 located at the lowermost end to a predetermined location, the trays T2 after the second one are pushed up by air instead of the fall prevention member 13 of the above-described embodiment. In other words, the trays T2 after the second one are held above the tray T1 located at the lowermost end by air.

[0131] By the way, when switching from the standby state A to the peeling state B (FIGS. 18 and 19), if the moving speed of the moving support member 11 is fast and the tray T1 located at the lowermost end is rapidly lowered, a negative pressure based on Bernoulli's theorem is generated between the tray T1 located at the lowermost end and the second tray T2 from the bottom, and the second tray T2 from the bottom may be attracted to the lowermost tray T1, resulting in poor peeling.

[0132] Therefore, in this embodiment, the moving speed of the moving support member 11 when lowering the stacked tray group Tx in the standby state A (the moving speed when reaching from FIG. 18 to FIG. 19) is made slower than the moving speed when moving the tray T1 located at the lowermost end to a predetermined location in the peeling state B (the moving speed when reaching from FIG. 19 to FIG. 20).

[0133] In this case, since the stacked tray group Tx in the standby state A can be slowly lowered, air can be surely discharged into the gap between the tray T1 located at the lowermost end and the second tray T2 from the bottom.

[0134] Moreover, since the movement support member 11 moves quickly when moving the tray T1 located at the lowermost end to a predetermined position, it is also possible to suppress a reduction in the processing ability (increase in tact time) of the tray peeling mechanism 10.

[0135] According to the tray peeling mechanism 10 configured as described above, as in the above embodiment, since the stacked tray group Tx is lowered, from the standby state A in which air is discharged downward from the gap between the lowermost tray T1 and the second tray T2, the air discharge destination can be relatively raised with respect to the stacked tray group Tx. Thereby, even if the adjustment of the direction of the air is rough, the timing at which air is discharged into the gap between the lowermost tray T1 and the second tray T2 will surely come, and thereafter, the trays after the second one will be held in a state of being pushed up by the air. Thereby, it is possible to stably peel off the tray T1 located at the lowermost end from the stacked tray group Tx while roughly adjusting the direction of the air.

[0136] Also, with the above-described configuration, it is possible to eliminate the need for the fall prevention member 13 of the above embodiment and a drive source such as an air cylinder for moving the fall prevention member 13, so that the space can be effectively utilized.

[0137] As an example, as shown in FIG. 21, the discharge part 12 can be made to have a long discharge port along the edge of the tray. Thereby, it becomes possible to more surely float the trays after the second one.

[0138] Furthermore, with the configuration of this embodiment, it is no longer necessary to adjust the position of the fall prevention member 13 that was conventionally required, and the cost can be reduced by reducing the number of parts.

[0139] In addition, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0140] 100 ··· Tray supply device T ··· Tray Tx ··· Stacked tray group 10 ··· Tray peeling mechanism 20 ··· Tray conveyance mechanism 21 ··· Conveyor belt T1 ··· Tray located at the lowermost end T2 ··· Second tray 11 ··· Moving support member 111 ··· Suction assembly 112 ··· Lifting means 12 ··· Discharge part 13 ··· Fall prevention member P ··· Fall prevention position Q ··· Retracted position 14 ··· Holding member X ··· Holding position Y ··· Release position M1 ··· First position M2 ··· Second position M3 ··· Third position A ··· Standby state B ··· Peeling state Sh ··· Height sensor 141 ··· Holding surface Z ··· Forward position 142 ··· Long part 143 ··· Bending part 144 ··· Concave groove F ··· Flange L1 ··· Width dimension L2 ··· Thickness dimension L3 ··· Depth dimension L4 ··· Projection dimension 145 ··· Bounce prevention surface

Claims

1. A tray peeling mechanism that ejects air toward a gap between a bottommost tray in a stacked tray group in which a plurality of trays are stacked and a second tray located one tray above it, and peels off the bottommost tray from the stacked tray group, a standby state in which the air is discharged from the side toward a side below the gap between the tray located at the lowest end and the second tray is switched to a peeling state in which the air is discharged toward the gap between the tray located at the lowest end and the second tray by lowering the stacked tray group or by raising the destination of the air, a drop prevention member that moves between a drop prevention position capable of preventing the second and subsequent trays pushed up by the air in the peeled state from dropping and a retracted position retracted from the drop prevention position; a movable support member that supports the lowermost tray and moves it to a predetermined position while the fall prevention member is in the fall prevention position.

2. The tray peeling mechanism described in claim 1, characterized in that the movable support member descends from a first position supporting the stacked tray group to a second position lower than the first position while suction-holding the lowest tray, and the air is ejected into the gap between the lowest tray and the second tray during the descent.

3. 3. The tray peeling mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the movable support member moves from the first position to the second position, thereby pulling down the tray located at the bottom end at a speed faster than the free fall speed of the second and subsequent trays.

4. 2. The tray peeling mechanism according to claim 1, wherein in the peeling state, a distance between the lowest tray and the second tray is maintained at a distance such that an upward air current is generated to push up the second tray by the air ejected between the trays.

5. 2. The tray peeling mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the air outlet is oriented horizontally or obliquely upward.

6. 2. The tray peeling mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the flow rate of the air is changed according to the number of trays stacked in the stacked tray group.

7. The tray peeling mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the fall prevention member is interposed in the gap between the lowest tray and the second tray in the fall prevention position, and retracts from the gap between the lowest tray and the second tray in the retracted position.

8. A holding member that moves between a holding position that holds one or more trays located at a predetermined height among the stacked trays and a release position that releases the trays, 2. The tray peeling mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the tray peeling mechanism is switched from the standby state to the peeling state when the holding member is moved from the release position to the holding position.

9. 9. The tray peeling mechanism according to claim 8, wherein the position of the holding member and the position of the air outlet are integrally adjustable.

10. the holding member has a holding surface for holding one or more trays in the holding position; 9. The tray peeling mechanism according to claim 8, wherein the holding surface is provided with one or more recessed grooves extending horizontally.

11. 9. The tray peeling mechanism according to claim 8, wherein the holding member is configured to move from the release position to a position beyond the holding position when the stacked trays fall below the predetermined height.

12. The tray peeling mechanism according to claim 11, characterized in that the holding member has a surface extending along a flange protruding from the side wall of the tray, and has a bounce prevention surface at the forward position that prevents the stacked trays being pushed up by the air from bouncing up.

13. The holding member is a long portion that extends along the flange of the tray to be held and holds the tray at its front surface; 13. The tray peeling mechanism according to claim 12, further comprising a bent portion bent from either one of the longitudinal ends, one longitudinal end, or a lower end of the elongated portion toward a rear side of the elongated portion.

14. A tray peeling mechanism according to claim 1; a tray conveying mechanism on which the tray peeled off by the tray peeling mechanism is placed and which conveys the tray to a predetermined location.

15. A tray peeling method for peeling off the bottommost tray from a stacked tray group, the method comprising: discharging air toward a gap between a bottommost tray in a stacked tray group having a plurality of trays and a second tray located just above the bottommost tray, the method comprising the steps of: a step of switching from a standby state in which the air is discharged from a lateral direction toward a side below the gap between the tray located at the lowest end and the second tray to a peeling state in which the air is discharged toward the gap between the tray located at the lowest end and the second tray by lowering the stacked tray group or by raising the destination of the air; a step of preventing the second and subsequent trays pushed up by the air in the peeled state from falling; and moving the lowest tray to a predetermined location while supporting it in a state in which the second and subsequent trays are prevented from falling.

16. A tray peeling mechanism that ejects air toward a gap between a bottommost tray in a stacked tray group in which a plurality of trays are stacked and a second tray located one tray above it, and peels off the bottommost tray from the stacked tray group, a standby state in which the air is discharged from the side toward a side below the gap between the tray located at the lowest end and the second tray is switched to a peeling state in which the air is discharged toward the gap between the tray located at the lowest end and the second tray by lowering the stacked tray group or by raising the destination of the air, a movable support member that supports the lowermost tray and moves it to a predetermined position in the peeled state.

17. 17. The tray peeling mechanism according to claim 16, wherein the second and subsequent trays are pushed up by the air when the movable support member moves the tray located at the bottom end to the predetermined position.

18. the movable support member lowers the stacked tray group in the standby state to switch to the peeled state, The tray peeling mechanism according to claim 16, characterized in that the moving speed of the movable support member when lowering the stacked tray group in the standby state is slower than the moving speed of the movable support member when moving the tray located at the lowest end to the specified location in the peeling state.

Images