Sorting device

Abstract

To provide a sorting device that can reduce the manufacturing and maintenance costs of chute units and improve the workability of baggage recovery.SOLUTION: A sorting device 1 includes conveyance lines 12 and 14 for conveying a package P1 in a predetermined direction; a recovery line 20 having a plurality of chutes 50 arranged in a row along the conveyance lines; and a sorting mechanism 16 for sorting packages on the conveyance lines into corresponding chutes. Each chute 50 is a box having a rectangular contour that gradually becomes smaller toward the bottom in a plan view and having an open top. A plurality of chute units 22 is arranged in a row along the recovery line 20. Each chute unit 22 includes a plurality of support frame parts 39 that can support the chute 50 by engaging with an outer peripheral part 53 of the chute 50 inserted from above.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sorting device for sorting packages delivered by mail or the like.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in order to cope with the increase in the volume of deliveries and the diversification of packages, various sorting devices for automatically sorting packages according to the delivery address have been developed, such as flat sorters for sorting large mail items and packet sorters for sorting small packages.

[0003] In addition to the increase in the handling volume of small packages, the EC market is growing and expanding. However, there are only large-sized sorting machines in the product lineup, and the installation of machines is limited due to the space situation within the facility. Therefore, the introduction of a space-saving sorting device for sorting small packages is expected at postal bases where sorting operations are performed.

[0004] For example, as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a sorting device in which a plurality of chute units are arranged side by side along a conveyance line is known. In this type of sorting device, each chute unit is provided with a plurality of shelves, and a chute for collecting sorted packages is placed on each shelf.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In the introduction and maintenance of a sorting device equipped with a plurality of chute units as described above, further improvements are required in terms of cost reduction and workability improvement.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a sorting device capable of reducing the manufacturing cost and maintenance cost of chute units and improving the workability regarding the collection of packages.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] The sorting device according to the present invention includes a conveyance line for conveying packages in a predetermined direction, a collection line having a plurality of chutes arranged side by side along the conveyance line, and a sorting mechanism for sorting the packages on the conveyance line to the corresponding chutes. As the chute, a box having a rectangular contour whose outer shape in plan view gradually becomes smaller downward and whose upper surface is open is used. A plurality of chute units are arranged side by side along the collection line, and each of the chute units includes a plurality of support frame portions capable of supporting the chute by engaging with the outer peripheral portion of the chute inserted from above.

Effects of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, by using an easily available box as the chute, the costs at the time of installation and replacement of the chute can be reduced. Further, since the chute is supported by the support frame portion of the chute unit, in the chute unit, compared with the case where a shelf portion for placing the chute is installed, the structure can be simplified, and thus the manufacturing cost can be reduced. Furthermore, an operator can easily position the chute simply by inserting it from above into the support frame portion. Also, even when the chute and the support frame portion are disposed at an arbitrary angle, the chute is held at a predetermined position by being surrounded by the support frame portion. Therefore, in the chute unit, since the support frame portion is provided to be inclined at a convenient angle, the chute is supported in a posture inclined at an angle that is easy to work. Furthermore, various types of chutes can be created by changing the support frame portion. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost and maintenance cost of the chute unit, and to improve the workability regarding the collection of luggage.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the terms indicating specific directions used in the following description (for example, terms including "up", "down", "front", "rear", "front surface", "back surface", "side", "left", "right", "lateral") indicate the directions in the postures of the devices and components in the usage state shown in the accompanying drawings. The use of these terms is for facilitating the understanding of the invention with reference to the drawings, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited by the meanings of these terms. Further, the following description is merely illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

[0012] [Overall Configuration] First, the overall configuration of the sorting device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the plan view shown in FIG. 1, the front view shown in FIG. 2, and the enlarged side view shown in FIG. 3.

[0013] The sorting device 1 is configured to automatically sort small packages P1 according to the delivery destination address. The types of packages P1 to be sorted by the sorting device 1 include, for example, irregular-shaped postal items, registered postal items, and parcels, and more specifically, Yu Packet (registered trademark), Letter Pack (registered trademark), and packages restrained by strings and the like.

[0014] The sorting device 1 is a relatively small packet sorter that can be installed in a relatively small space having a short-side dimension of about 5 meters and a long-side dimension of about 18 meters, for example. Therefore, the sorting device 1 can be installed in a space approximately the same as the installation space of a general document sorter. The sorting device 1 sorts and accumulates 40 cm × 40 cm packages at 84 locations. While not provided with a mechanism for accumulating them, it has achieved a longitudinal dimension of 18 meters, which is approximately the same as that of a document sorter, through measures such as arranging conveyors with different angles step by step and arranging belts with different friction shapes. Also, the sorting device 1 has a processing capacity of 6,000 pieces per hour and a load-bearing capacity of 15 kg.

[0015] The sorting device 1 includes a transport unit 8 for transporting the package P1 to be sorted. The transport unit 8 has a supply line 10 to which the package P1 is supplied and transport lines 12, 14 for transporting the package P1 supplied to the supply line 10 in a predetermined direction. The supply line 10 and the transport lines 12, 14 are constituted by, for example, roller conveyors, but may be constituted by other types of conveyors (for example, belt conveyors).

[0016] In the present embodiment, the transport lines 12, 14 have a two-stage configuration including an upper-stage transport line 12 and a lower-stage transport line 14 arranged at intervals in the vertical direction. The lower-stage transport line 14 is connected to the downstream side of the upper-stage transport line 12. The transport direction on the lower-stage transport line 14 is opposite to the transport direction on the upper-stage transport line 12.

[0017] The upper conveying line 12 and the lower conveying line 14 are supported by a common pedestal 9 (see Fig. 3) installed on the installation surface S1. Note that the pedestal 9 and the conveying lines 12 and 14 may be configured by being divided into a plurality of units in the length direction. In this case, the pedestal 9 and the conveying lines 12 and 14 may be divided at lengths (for example, 1900 mm) according to the chute unit 22 described later and unitized respectively. The height from the installation surface S1 of the sorting device 1 to the conveying surface can be, for example, 1600 mm in the upper conveying line 12 and 945 mm in the lower conveying line 14, but these heights can be changed as appropriate.

[0018] Although not shown in the figure, a BCR type and / or OCR type reading device for reading the delivery destination information of the package P1 and an input device for inputting the delivery destination information of the package P1 are provided upstream of the supply line 10 or the conveying line 12. Based on the information obtained by these reading devices and / or input devices, the sorting operation of the package P1 is controlled.

[0019] The sorting device 1 further includes a collection line 20 having a plurality of chutes 50 arranged side by side along the conveying lines 12 and 14, and a sorting mechanism 16 for sorting the package P1 on the conveying lines 12 and 14 to the corresponding chute 50.

[0020] In the present embodiment, the collection lines 20 are provided in one row each on the front side and the back side of the conveying lines 12 and 14. Along each row of the collection lines 20, a plurality (for example, seven) of chute units 22 are arranged side by side. However, the number of chute units 22 can be changed as appropriate according to the need. The configuration of the chute unit 22 will be described in detail later.

[0021] Each shooting unit 22 supports, for example, six shoots 50, which are divided into upper and lower rows. Therefore, in this embodiment, 42 shoots 50 are arranged in each row of the recovery line 20. However, the number of shoots 50 arranged in the recovery line 20 can be appropriately changed as required. The configuration of the shoot 50 will be described in detail later.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the sorting mechanism 16 includes a sorting unit 17 provided at each position corresponding to the shoot 50 in the conveying lines 12 and 14, and a guide unit 18 that guides the load P1 from the sorting unit 17 to the shoot 50.

[0023] As the sorting unit 17, for example, a turning roller type direction changing mechanism composed of a turntable having a plurality of rollers is used. When the load P1 reaches the sorting unit 17 rotationally controlled based on the information acquired by the above reading device and / or input device, the moving direction of the load P1 is changed, and the load P1 is conveyed while being guided by the guide unit 18 from the sorting unit 17 toward the corresponding shoot 50. However, as the sorting unit 17, a direction changing mechanism of a method other than the turning roller type (for example, a diverter type or a push type) may be used.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3, the guide unit 18 is composed of, for example, a guide plate inclined downward from the conveying surface of the conveying lines 12 and 14 toward directly above the shoot 50. The guide unit 18 is provided over the entire length of the recovery line 20 (see FIG. 1). The load P1 sorted from the conveying lines 12 and 14 in the sorting unit 17 is guided to the shoot 50 while sliding down along the upper surface of the guide unit 18.

[0025] [Shoot] Referring to FIGS. 3, 4, and 9, the configuration of the chute 50 will be described. FIG. 4(a) is a front view of the chute unit 22, FIG. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 4(a) when the chute unit 22 is viewed from the side, FIG. 9(a) is a plan view of the chute 50 in the use state, FIG. 9(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D of FIG. 9(a) when the chute 50 is viewed from the front side, and FIG. 9(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E of FIG. 9(a) when the chute 50 is viewed from the side.

[0026] As the chute 50, a box having a rectangular contour whose outer shape in plan view gradually becomes smaller downward and whose upper surface is open is used. Specifically, the chute 50 may be a Toro box mainly used for storing aquatic products (for example, "Toro box No. G130 deep" or "Toro box No. G100 deep" manufactured by Gifu Plastic Industry Co., Ltd.). In this way, by using an easily available box as the chute 50, the costs for installation and replacement of the chute 50 can be reduced.

[0027] The chute 50 has a rectangular bottom surface portion 51, a rectangular upper surface opening 52 larger than the bottom surface portion 51, and a peripheral wall portion 53 (53a, 53b, 53c, 53d) spanning between the peripheral edge of the upper surface opening 52 and the peripheral edge of the bottom surface portion 51. The peripheral wall portion 53 constitutes the outer peripheral portion of the chute 50. The peripheral wall portion 53 is composed of four side wall portions 53a, 53b, 53c, 53d that are inclined so as to expand upward.

[0028] Further, the chute 50 has a flange portion 56 that projects outward from the peripheral edge of the upper surface opening 52. The flange portion 56 is provided in a rectangular frame shape. The flange portion 56 is formed in an L-shaped cross section that is bent downward at the outer edge portion.

[0029] Furthermore, the chute 50 includes a plurality of through holes 58 that penetrate the flange portion 56 in the vertical direction. The through holes 58 are arranged at intervals, for example, three in each of the pair of long sides of the flange portion 56 and two in each of the pair of short sides of the flange portion 56. The through holes 58 are not formed for use in the sorting device 1 of the present embodiment but are originally provided in the box.

[0030] The size of the chute 50 is not limited. For example, the outer dimensions in a plan view may be 900 mm in the longitudinal direction and 600 mm in the short transverse direction, and the dimension in the height direction may be 345 mm or 245 mm.

[0031] [Chute Unit] The configuration of the chute unit 22 will be mainly described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. FIG. 4 shows the chute unit 22 with the chute 50 supported, and FIGS. 5 and 6 show the chute unit 22 with the chute 50 removed. Further, FIG. 5(a) is a front view of the chute unit 22, FIG. 5(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 5(a) when the chute unit 22 is viewed from the side, FIG. 6(a) is a plan view of the chute unit 22, FIG. 6(b) is a plan view showing a base portion 26 and a stand portion 28, which will be described later, constituting the chute unit 22, and FIG. 6(c) is a plan view showing a frame unit 30, which will be described later, constituting the chute unit 22.

[0032] The chute unit 22 includes a base portion 26 placed on an installation surface S1 (see FIG. 3), a pair of stand portions 28 rising from the base portion 26, and, for example, two frame units 30 (30A, 30B) installed between the pair of stand portions 28.

[0033] Particularly, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the base portion 26 is composed of a rectangular frame in plan view. The base portion 26 has a pair of front and rear first horizontal extension portions 26a and 26b that extend parallel to each other in the lateral direction along the horizontal plane, and a pair of left and right second horizontal extension portions 26c and 26d that extend parallel to each other in the vertical direction (front-rear direction) with respect to the first horizontal extension portions 26a and 26b along the horizontal plane. The first horizontal extension portions 26a and 26b are longer than the second horizontal extension portions 26c and 26d.

[0034] The first horizontal extension portions 26a and 26b and the second horizontal extension portions 26c and 26d are each composed of, for example, a long metal member, and are joined to each other at both ends by, for example, welding.

[0035] A plurality of casters 27 are attached to the lower surface of the base portion 26. Specifically, two casters 27 are attached to the lower surface of each of the second horizontal extension portions 26c and 26d with a space therebetween. By rolling these casters 27, the operator W1 can easily move the chute unit 22 as needed. Stoppers may be provided on some or all of the casters 27.

[0036] Particularly, as shown in FIG. 5(b), each stand portion 28 includes a pair of front and rear upward extension portions 28a and 28b that extend upward from the upper surface of the second horizontal extension portions 26c and 26d of the base portion 26, and an upper end connecting portion 28c that connects between the upper end portions of the pair of upward extension portions 28a and 28b.

[0037] The upward extension portions 28a and 28b and the upper end connecting portion 28c are each composed of, for example, a long metal member. The lower end portions of the upward extension portions 28a and 28b are joined to the second horizontal extension portions 26c and 26d of the base portion 26 by, for example, welding. Both end portions of the upper end connecting portion 28c are joined to the upper end portions of the upward extension portions 28a and 28b by, for example, welding.

[0038] The upper ends of the pair of stand portions 28 are connected to each other via, for example, a pair of front and rear connecting members 29 extending in the lateral direction. The pair of connecting members 29 are constituted by, for example, long members made of metal, and are arranged in parallel with a space therebetween in the front-rear direction. Both ends of each connecting member 29 are coupled to the upper end connecting portion 28c of the stand portion 28 by, for example, welding.

[0039] Particularly, as shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), in the present embodiment, two-stage frame units 30 (30A, 30B) are provided with a space therebetween in the vertical direction. The installation height of these frame units 30 is set in consideration of workability. Also, in accordance with the height position of the frame unit 30, the installation heights of the corresponding conveying lines 12, 14 are set.

[0040] Particularly, as shown in FIG. 6(c), each frame unit 30 includes a rectangular frame-shaped outer peripheral portion 32 and, for example, two partition portions 34 that partition the inner space of the outer peripheral portion 32 in the lateral direction to form a support frame portion 39.

[0041] The outer peripheral portion 32 has a pair of front and rear horizontal extension portions 32a, 32b that extend in parallel with each other in the lateral direction along the horizontal plane, and a pair of left and right inclined extension portions 32c, 32d that extend in parallel with each other in the front-rear direction while being inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. The horizontal extension portions 32a, 32b are longer than the inclined extension portions 32c, 32d. The front horizontal extension portion 32a is disposed at a lower position than the rear horizontal extension portion 32b. Thereby, the frame unit 30 is inclined downward toward the front (opposite side to the conveying lines 12, 14).

[0042] The horizontal extension portions 32a, 32b and the inclined extension portions 32c, 32d are constituted by, for example, long members made of metal, and are coupled to each other by, for example, welding at both ends thereof. Also, the outer side surfaces of the pair of inclined extension portions 32c, 32d are coupled to the pair of upper extension portions 28a, 28b of the stand portion 28 by, for example, welding (see FIG. 6(a)). Thereby, the frame unit 30 is supported by the pair of stand portions 28.

[0043] The two partition parts 34 are arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction and extend parallel to the inclined extension parts 32c and 32d respectively. The partition parts 34 are each composed of, for example, a long metal member, and are connected to the front horizontal extension part 32a at each front end by, for example, welding, and are connected to the rear horizontal extension part 32b at each rear end by, for example, welding.

[0044] By partitioning the inner space of the frame unit 30 by these partition parts 34, three rectangular support frame parts 39 are formed so as to be arranged side by side in the horizontal direction in the frame unit 30. The inner dimensions (dimensions of the inner peripheral part) of these support frame parts 39 are equal to each other, smaller than the outer dimensions of the upper end part of the chute 50, and larger than the outer dimensions of the lower end part of the chute 50.

[0045] As shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), the above-described chute 50 is inserted into each support frame part 39 from above. Thereby, the support frame part 39 can support the chute 50 by engaging with the peripheral wall part 53 of the chute 50 inserted from above. With such a configuration, the operator W1 can easily position the chute 50 simply by inserting it into the support frame part 39 from above.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 3, due to the inclination of the above-described frame unit 30, the support frame part 39 is arranged to incline downward toward the side opposite to the conveying lines 12 and 14. The inclination angle of the support frame part 39 with respect to the horizontal plane is, for example, 25 degrees, but can be appropriately changed in consideration of the function of the chute 50 supported by the support frame part 39.

[0047] With the support frame portion 39 inclined in this manner, the chute 50 is also supported in an inclined state. As a result, the load P1 collected in the chute 50 is stored in a portion on the side opposite to the transport lines 12 and 14 within the chute 50. Therefore, it is easier for the worker W1 who works on the side opposite to the transport lines 12 and 14 to take out the load P1 from the chute 50.

[0048] In addition, the support frame portion 39 formed on the lower frame unit 30B is arranged farther away from the transport lines 12 and 14 than the support frame portion 39 formed on the upper frame unit 30A. As a result, the chute 50 supported by the lower frame unit 30B is arranged closer to the front side as viewed from the worker W1 compared to the chute 50 supported by the upper frame unit 30A. Therefore, as viewed from the worker W1, it is difficult for the load P1 accumulated in the lower chute 50 to enter the blind spot caused by the upper chute 50. Therefore, for both the upper and lower chutes 50, the load P1 is easy to visually recognize and easy to take out.

[0049] According to the present embodiment, with the configuration of the chute unit 22 as described above, it is possible to improve workability when collecting the load P1 sorted by the sorting device 1.

[0050] In addition, the base portion 26, the stand portion 28, and the frame unit 30 that constitute the chute unit 22 are all formed by combining a plurality of long members. Therefore, compared to a conventional chute unit provided with a shelf portion, it is possible to simplify the structure of the chute unit 22 and thus reduce the manufacturing cost.

[0051] [Case stand] The worker W1 puts the load P1 accumulated in the chute 50 into a pallet case 70 (see FIG. 3) smaller than the chute 50 and transports it to the next workplace. An off-the-shelf product may be used as the pallet case 70. In the present embodiment, a case stand 60 capable of supporting the pallet case 70 is detachably provided on the chute 50.

[0052] With reference to FIGS. 7 to 9, the configuration of the case base 60 will be described. FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the chute 50, the case base 60, and the pallet case 70 as viewed from the front side. FIG. 8(a) is a plan view showing the case base 60, FIG. 8(b) is a front view showing the case base 60, and FIG. 8(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of FIG. 8(b) as viewed from the side of the case base 60. FIG. 9(a) is a plan view showing a state in which the pallet case 70 is supported on the chute 50 via the case base 60, FIG. 9(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D of FIG. 9(a) as viewed from the front side of the same state, and FIG. 9(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E of FIG. 9(a) as viewed from the side of the same state.

[0053] The case base 60 includes a support surface portion 61 that supports the bottom surface of the pallet case 70 in the internal space of the chute 50, a pair of side surface portions 62 that rise from the side edge portions on both sides of the support surface portion 61, a pair of protruding portions 63 that protrude outward from the upper edges of the pair of side surface portions 62, and a pair of engaging pins 65 that extend downward from the pair of protruding portions 63, respectively.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 7, the case base 60 is attached to the chute 50 by placing a pair of protruding portions 63 on the flange portion 56 of the chute 50 and inserting a pair of engaging pins 65 into the through holes 58 of the flange portion 56 of the chute 50. In this way, the case base 60 can be easily attached to the chute 50 by utilizing the flange portion 56 and the through holes 58 originally provided in the chute 50.

[0055] In the case base 60, the support surface portion 61 is provided so as to be arranged parallel to the protruding portion 63. Therefore, the case base 60 attached to the chute 50 and the pallet case 70 placed on the support surface portion 61 of the case base 60 are arranged in an inclined state similar to that of the chute 50 (see FIG. 3).

[0056] An opening 67 is provided in the side surface 62 of the case base 60, and the case base 60 is designed to be lightweight. Further, the case base 60 includes a positioning piece 66 that rises from the edge on the front side (opposite side to the transport lines 12, 14) of the support surface portion 61. Thereby, the pallet case 70 placed on the support surface portion 61 is positioned from the obliquely lower side by the positioning piece 66.

[0057] In this way, since the pallet case 70 is supported above the chute 50 via the case base 60, the operator W1 can immediately put the load P1 taken out from the chute 50 into the pallet case 70 and carry it out to another workplace (see FIG. 3).

[0058] With reference to FIGS. 10 and 11, the configuration of the case base 160 according to the modified example will be described. FIG. 10(a) is a plan view showing the case base 160, FIG. 10(b) is a front view showing the case base 160, and FIG. 10(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F-F of FIG. 10(b) as viewed from the side of the case base 160. FIG. 11(a) is a plan view showing a state in which the pallet case 70 is supported on the chute 50 via the case base 160, FIG. 11(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line G-G of FIG. 11(a) as viewed from the front side of the same state, and FIG. 11(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line H-H of FIG. 11(a) as viewed from the side of the same state.

[0059] In the case base 160 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the support surface portion 61 is provided to be inclined with respect to the overhanging portion 63 so as to become lower as it approaches the positioning piece 66. Other configurations of the case base 160 are the same as those of the case base 60 described above.

[0060] As shown in FIGS. 11(a) to 11(c), the case base 160 attached to the chute 50 and the pallet case 70 placed on the support surface portion 61 of the case base 160 are arranged to be inclined at a steeper angle than the chute 50. Therefore, the operator W1 (see FIG. 3) located on the front side of the chute 50 and the pallet case 70 can perform the operations of putting the load P1 taken out from the chute 50 into the pallet case 70 and taking out the pallet case 70 itself more smoothly.

[0061] Conventional packet sorters are roughly of two main types: those that drop packages into a chute, which is part of the machine's mechanism (hereinafter referred to as the "chute type"), and those that directly drop packages into a case placed near the packet sorter (hereinafter referred to as the "case direct-drop type"). Among these, the chute type has a large storage capacity (can store a large amount), but the machine becomes larger accordingly, and it is necessary to transfer the packages accumulated in the chute to a transport case. On the other hand, the case direct-drop type has a small storage capacity (quickly becomes full) and requires a large number of case replacement personnel, but the machine is more compact, and the operation of transferring packages to a transport case is unnecessary. In this embodiment, in order to utilize the advantages of both types, while making the compactness of the machine equivalent to that of the case direct-drop type, by using a deep storage box, the storage capacity is increased, and for the transfer operation to the transport case that inevitably occurs, a case stand is provided to shorten the distance from the storage box to the transport case, thereby improving the overall work efficiency.

[0062] As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to the above embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

[0063] For example, in the sorting device 1 described above, the upper and lower two-stage transport lines 12 and 14 are used, but a three-stage or more transport line, or only a single-stage transport line may be used.

[0064] Also, in the above embodiment, two frame units 30 (30A, 30B) are provided in the chute unit 22, but the number of frame units 30 provided in the chute unit 22 can be appropriately changed according to the number of stages of the transport line, and it may be one or three or more. When three or more frame units 30 are provided, it is preferable that the support frame portion 39 formed in the lower frame unit 30 is arranged further away from the transport lines 12 and 14.

[0065] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, three support frame portions 39 are formed in one frame unit 30, but the number of support frame portions 39 formed in the frame unit 30 can be appropriately changed.

[0066] Hereinafter, the accompanying effects of this embodiment will be described. First, since there is no power mechanism in the chute, by making it possible to remove (switch mechanism) electrical wiring such as a pause button and an emergency stop button with a single connector, the chute can be easily detached and inspected. In addition, by making the connection to the pause button and the full indicator light wireless, it is effective in eliminating the disadvantages such as being prone to disconnection during maintenance in the case of wired and requiring time for maintenance. Furthermore, the chute of a general sorting machine is fixed and once deployed, its height cannot be changed permanently. However, by providing a mechanism that can be easily adjusted according to the height of the operator, the design takes into account workability. In addition, regarding the case stand inside the chute, not only is an iron plate laid, but supports can be added on both sides and flexible operation can be performed according to the actual work situation.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0067] 1 Sorting device 8 Conveyor unit 12 Upper conveyor line 14 Lower conveyor line 16 Sorting mechanism 17 Sorting section 18 Guide section 20 Recovery line 22 Chute unit 26 Base portion 28 Stand portion 30A Upper frame unit 30B Lower frame unit 32 Outer peripheral portion 34 Partition portion 39 Support frame portion 50 Chute 51 Bottom face portion 52 Upper surface opening 53 Peripheral wall portion (outer peripheral portion) 56 Flange portion 58 Through-hole 60 Case stand 61 Support surface 62 Side surface 63 Protruding part 65 Engagement pin 66 Positioning piece 70 Pallet case 160 Case stand P1 Load S1 Installation surface W1 Operator

Claims

1. A sorting device comprising: a conveying line for conveying a load in a predetermined direction; a collection line having a plurality of chutes arranged side by side along the conveying line; and a sorting mechanism for sorting the load on the conveying line to a corresponding chute. As the chute, a box having a rectangular contour whose outer shape in plan view gradually decreases downward and having an open upper surface is used. A plurality of chute units are arranged side by side along the collection line. Each of the chute units includes a plurality of support frame portions that can support the chute by engaging with the outer peripheral portion of the chute inserted from above. A sorting device characterized by the above.

2. The chute unit includes a base portion placed on an installation surface, a pair of stand portions rising from the base portion, and at least one frame unit installed between the pair of stand portions. The plurality of support frame portions are formed so as to be arranged in a lateral direction in the frame unit. The sorting device according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. The frame unit includes a rectangular frame-shaped outer peripheral portion and a partition portion that partitions the inner space of the outer peripheral portion in the lateral direction to form the support frame portion. The sorting device according to claim 2, characterized by the above.

4. The base portion, the stand portion, and the frame unit are each formed by combining a plurality of long members. The sorting device according to claim 3, characterized by the above.

5. In the chute unit, a plurality of stages of the frame units are provided at intervals in the vertical direction. In accordance with the height positions of the respective frame units, a plurality of stages of the conveying lines are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction. The sorting device according to claim 2, characterized by the above.

6. Among the plurality of support frame portions, the support frame portion formed in the lower frame unit is arranged farther away from the conveying line. The sorting device according to claim 5, characterized by the above.

7. The support frame portion is arranged to be inclined downward toward the side opposite to the conveying line. The sorting device according to claim 6, characterized by the above.

8. A case stand capable of supporting a pallet case for carrying out the load accumulated in the chute is detachably provided on the chute. The sorting device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that...

9. The chute includes a flange portion that projects outward from the periphery of the opening on the upper surface, and a plurality of through holes that penetrate the flange portion in the vertical direction. The case base includes a support surface portion that supports the bottom surface of the pallet case in the internal space of the chute, a pair of side surface portions that rise from the side edge portions of the support surface portion, a pair of projecting portions that project outward from the upper edges of the pair of side surface portions and are placed on the flange portion, and a pair of engaging pins that extend downward from the pair of projecting portions and are inserted into the through holes. The sorting device according to claim 8, characterized in that...

10. The case base includes a positioning piece that rises from the edge portion of the support surface portion on the side opposite to the conveying line and positions the pallet case. The sorting device according to claim 9, characterized in that...

11. In the case base, the support surface portion is provided so as to be arranged parallel to the projecting portion. The sorting device according to claim 10, characterized in that...

12. In the case base, the support surface portion is provided so as to be inclined with respect to the projecting portion so as to become lower as it approaches the positioning piece. The sorting device according to claim 10, characterized in that...

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