Fruit vegetable handover conveying device and fruit vegetable boxing device

Abstract

To provide a fruit vegetable handover conveying device and a fruit vegetable boxing device that contribute to automation of fruit vegetable boxing operations.SOLUTION: A fruit vegetable handover conveying device according to the present application is a device that takes over and conveys fruit vegetables on a pool conveyor, and comprises a conveyance body and a plurality of fruit vegetable mounting bodies. The conveyance body includes a plurality of conveyors. Among the plurality of fruit vegetable mounting bodies, at least one or more fruit vegetable mounting bodies are attached to one or two or more of the conveyors, and at least one or more other fruit vegetable mounting bodies are attached to another one or two or more of the conveyors. The fruit vegetable mounting body moves in the rotational direction of the conveyor following the rotation thereof to which the fruit vegetable mounting body is attached, and is configured to take over fruit vegetables on the conveyor during this movement. The fruit vegetable boxing device according to the present application comprises the fruit vegetable handover conveying device and a boxing unit that takes fruit vegetables from the fruit vegetable mounting bodies of the fruit vegetable handover conveying device and boxes them.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fruit and vegetable transfer device that takes over and transfers fruits and vegetables sorted by grade, and a fruit and vegetable boxing device that boxes the fruits and vegetables transferred by the fruit and vegetable transfer device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a device for sorting long fruits and vegetables (long fruits and vegetables) such as cucumbers, eggplants, bitter gourds, carrots, zucchinis, etc. and round fruits and vegetables (round fruits and vegetables) such as tomatoes, persimmons, peaches, apples, mangoes, pears, and dekopons by grade, a fruit and vegetable sorting device (Patent Documents 1 and 2) previously developed by the present inventor is known.

[0003] As shown in FIG. 12, the above-mentioned fruit and vegetable sorting device includes a bucket A for loading and transporting fruits and vegetables, a measuring device B for measuring the size, shape, etc. of the fruits and vegetables during transportation, a fruit extraction conveyor C for extracting the fruits and vegetables whose grades are determined based on the measurement results by the measuring device B from the bucket A, and a transfer conveyor D for taking over and transporting the fruits and vegetables on the fruit extraction conveyor C.

[0004] In this fruit and vegetable sorting device, the size, shape, etc. of the fruits and vegetables loaded on the bucket A and being transported are measured by the measuring device B, the fruits and vegetables whose grades are determined based on the measurement results are taken out by the fruit extraction conveyor C, and the fruits and vegetables on the fruit extraction conveyor C are taken over by the transfer conveyor D.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Fruit and vegetables sorted by grade, such as those transferred by the transfer carrier D, are packed in boxes by grade and shipped. However, conventional fruit and vegetable sorting devices only perform the sorting of fruit and vegetables by grade, and the subsequent boxing operation had to be carried out manually.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and the problem to be solved is to provide a fruit and vegetable transfer device that contributes to the automation of the boxing operation of fruit and vegetables, and a fruit and vegetable boxing device equipped with the fruit and vegetable transfer device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] [Fruit and Vegetable Transfer Device] The fruit and vegetable transfer device of the present application is a device that takes over and transfers fruit and vegetables on a pool conveyor, and includes a transfer body and a plurality of fruit and vegetable carriers. The transfer body includes a plurality of conveyors. Among the plurality of fruit and vegetable carriers, at least one or more fruit and vegetable carriers are attached to one or two or more of the plurality of conveyors, and at least one or more other fruit and vegetable carriers are attached to one or two or more other conveyors of the plurality of conveyors. The fruit and vegetable carrier is configured to move in the rotation direction as the conveyor to which the fruit and vegetable carrier is attached rotates, and take over the fruit and vegetables on the conveyor during the movement.

[0009] In the fruit and vegetable transfer device of the present application, a plurality of fruit and vegetable carriers can be provided in a plurality of units with a plurality of carriers as one unit.

[0010] In the fruit and vegetable transfer device of the present application, a plurality of fruit and vegetable carriers belonging to the same unit can be attached to a common conveyor.

[0011] In the fruit and vegetable transfer device of the present application, a unit attached to one or two or more conveyors and another unit attached to one or two or more other conveyors can be provided alternately.

[0012] In the fruit and vegetable transfer device of the present application, it is also possible to ensure a space of at least one unit or more between two or more units.

[0013] In the fruit and vegetable transfer device of the present application, among a plurality of conveyors, it is also possible to provide a fixture for attaching an additional fruit and vegetable carrier at a position on the front or rear side of the unit.

[0014] [Fruit and vegetable boxing device] The fruit and vegetable boxing device of the present application is a device for taking out fruit and vegetables and boxing them, and includes the fruit and vegetable transfer device of the present application and a boxing unit that takes out fruit and vegetables from the fruit and vegetable carrier of the fruit and vegetable transfer device and boxes them.

[0015] In the fruit and vegetable boxing device of the present application, it is possible to use one having two or more fruit taking-out bodies as the boxing unit. In this case, the boxing unit can be one provided with a spacing adjustment mechanism for adjusting the spacing between two or more fruit taking-out bodies.

[0016] In the fruit and vegetable boxing device of the present application, the spacing adjustment mechanism can be configured to make the spacing between two or more fruit taking-out bodies after fruit taking-out narrower than the spacing at the time of fruit taking-out before boxing the fruit and vegetables. [Advantages of the Invention]

[0017] According to the fruit and vegetable transfer device and the fruit and vegetable boxing device of the present invention, it is possible to automate the fruit and vegetable boxing operation. [Brief Description of the Drawings]

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] (Embodiment 1) An example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention can be used for boxing various fruits and vegetables. Here, the case where the fruit and vegetable is a round fruit and vegetable, tomato, will be described as an example.

[0020] As an example, the fruit and vegetable boxing device 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2(a)(b) includes a fruit and vegetable transfer device 20 that takes over and conveys the fruits and vegetables sorted by equal grades from the pool conveyor X, and a boxing unit 30 that takes out the fruits and vegetables conveyed by the fruit and vegetable transfer device 20 and boxes them.

[0021] - Fruit and Vegetable Transfer Device - First, an example of the fruit and vegetable transfer device 20 will be described. The fruit and vegetable transfer device 20 of this embodiment includes a conveyor 210 and a fruit and vegetable placing body 220 attached to the conveyor 210.

[0022] The conveyor 210 is a device for conveying the attached fruit and vegetable carrier 220. As an example, the conveyor 210 shown in FIG. 1 includes two conveyors arranged in parallel (hereinafter, one is referred to as the "first conveyor 211" and the other is referred to as the "second conveyor 212").

[0023] The first conveyor 211 is a vertically rotating belt conveyor, and includes a front pulley (hereinafter referred to as the "first front pulley 211a") and a rear pulley (hereinafter referred to as the "first rear pulley 211b") arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction, and an endless belt (hereinafter referred to as the "first belt 211c") endlessly wound around the outer circumferences of the first front pulley 211a and the first rear pulley 211b, and a belt receiver (not shown) for supporting the first belt 211c.

[0024] Similarly, the second conveyor 212 is also a vertically rotating belt conveyor, and includes a front pulley (hereinafter referred to as the "second front pulley 212a") and a rear pulley (hereinafter referred to as the "second rear pulley 212b") arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction, and an endless belt (hereinafter referred to as the "second belt 212c") endlessly wound around the outer circumferences of the second front pulley 212a and the second rear pulley 212b, and a belt receiver (not shown) for supporting the second belt 212c.

[0025] A single connecting shaft (hereinafter referred to as the "front connecting shaft 215a") is inserted through the first front pulley 211a and the second front pulley 212a. A motor (hereinafter referred to as the "front side motor M1") is connected to the front connecting shaft 215a, and the front connecting shaft 215a is rotated by the front side motor M1.

[0026] The front connecting shaft 215a is fixed to the first front pulley 211a, and when the front connecting shaft 215a is rotated by the front side motor M1, the first front pulley 211a and the first belt 211c wound around it are rotated.

[0027] On one hand, the second leading pulley 212a incorporates a bearing 212d (Fig. 3). Even if the leading connecting shaft 215a rotates by the leading motor M1, the second leading pulley 212a and the second belt 212c wound around it do not rotate and are designed to idle.

[0028] A single connecting shaft (hereinafter referred to as the "rear connecting shaft 215b") separate from the leading connecting shaft 215a is inserted through the first rear pulley 211b and the second rear pulley 212b. A motor (hereinafter referred to as the "rear motor M2") is connected to the rear connecting shaft 215b, and the rear connecting shaft 215b is rotated by the rear motor M2.

[0029] The rear connecting shaft 215b is fixed to the second rear pulley 212b. When the rear connecting shaft 215b rotates by the rear motor M2, the second rear pulley 212b and the second belt 212c wound around it rotate.

[0030] On one hand, the first rear pulley 211b incorporates a bearing 211d (Fig. 3). Even if the rear connecting shaft 215b rotates by the rear motor M2, the first rear pulley 211b and the first belt 211c wound around it do not rotate and are designed to idle.

[0031] Timing pulleys or the like can be used for the first leading pulley 211a, the first rear pulley 211b, the second leading pulley 212a, and the second rear pulley 212b, and timing belts or the like can be used for the first belt 211c and the second belt 212c. Also, stepping motors or the like can be used for the leading motor M1 and the rear motor M2.

[0032] Above the front end side of the pool conveyor X, a first sensor S1 for detecting that the leading fruit and vegetable has reached the take-out position is provided. Above the front end side of the upper traveling part of the carrier 210, a second sensor S2 for detecting that the leading fruit and vegetable (fruit and vegetable mounting body 220) has reached a predetermined take-out position is provided.

[0033] The first conveyor 211 and the second conveyor 212 are configured to operate not only based on the signals transmitted from the first sensor S1 and the second sensor S2, but also based on signals transmitted from the boxing unit 30 and the like.

[0034] The fruit and vegetable placing body 220 is a member that takes out and takes over the fruits and vegetables on the pool conveyor X. The fruit and vegetable placing body 220 is provided straddling a plurality of conveyors (in this embodiment, two conveyors, the first conveyor 211 and the second conveyor 212).

[0035] As an example, the fruit and vegetable placing body 220 shown in FIG. 4 includes a base portion 220a and a standing wall 220b erected on the upper surface side of the base portion 220a.

[0036] The base portion 220a has a rectangular shape in plan view, and two wheels 220c that rest on the support portion 216 described later project outwardly on both outer sides in the width direction. The two wheels 220c are provided at intervals in the front-rear direction of the traveling direction.

[0037] For the wheels 220c, in addition to bearing rollers, rubber rollers, resin rollers, etc. can be used. When the wheels 220c rest on the support portion 216, it is possible to prevent the first belt 211c and the second belt 212c from being deflected downward due to the weight of the fruit and vegetable placing body 220.

[0038] The standing wall 220b is a portion that constitutes a placement recess 220d on which fruits and vegetables are placed. In this embodiment, five standing walls 220b are provided at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the base portion 220a. The number of standing walls 220b is an example, and it may be more or less than five.

[0039] The gap between each standing wall 220b is a portion where the pool conveyor X can fit when taking out the fruits and vegetables on the pool conveyor X. The width of the interval between each standing wall 220b can be appropriately set according to the width of the pool conveyor X.

[0040] On the upper surface of each standing wall 220b, there is a placement recess 220d on which fruits and vegetables are placed. Among the sharp portions 220e of each standing wall 220b, the sharp portion 220e on the rear side in the moving direction of the fruits and vegetables placing body 220 functions as a locking claw for taking out the fruits and vegetables on the pool conveyor X. The fruits and vegetables placed in the placement recess 220d are prevented from falling in the front-rear direction by the front and rear sharp portions 220e.

[0041] A plurality of (six in the example shown in FIG. 1) fruits and vegetables placing bodies 220 are provided as one unit U, and a plurality of units are provided. The number of fruits and vegetables placing bodies 220 constituting the unit U may be more or less than this. At the front or rear position of each unit U, there is a fixture for attaching an additional fruits and vegetables placing body 220 so that the fruits and vegetables placing body 220 can be added.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 3, each unit U is provided at intervals in the running direction of the carrier 210 so as not to interfere with each other. It is preferable to secure a space of at least one unit or more between the plurality of units U.

[0043] The hatched portion in FIG. 3 indicates the portion where the fruits and vegetables placing body 220 is fixed. As shown in this figure, each fruits and vegetables placing body 220 is not fixed to both the first conveyor 211 and the second conveyor 212, but is fixed to only one of them.

[0044] For example, in the example of FIG. 3, the fruits and vegetables placing body 220 fixed to the first conveyor 211 is not fixed to the second conveyor 212, and the fruits and vegetables placing body 220 fixed to the second conveyor 212 is not fixed to the first conveyor 211.

[0045] Therefore, when the first conveyor 211 runs, only the fruits and vegetables placing body 220 fixed to the first conveyor 211 moves in its running direction, and the fruits and vegetables placing body 220 fixed to the second conveyor 212 stops in place without moving.

[0046] On the contrary, only the fruit and vegetable carrier 220 fixed to the second conveyor 212 moves in its traveling direction due to the traveling of the second conveyor 212, and the fruit and vegetable carrier 220 fixed to the first conveyor 211 stops in place without moving.

[0047] In this embodiment, all the fruit and vegetable carriers 220 belonging to the same unit U are fixed to the same conveyor. For example, when the fruit and vegetable carrier 220 belonging to a certain unit U is fixed to the first conveyor 211, the fruit and vegetable carriers 220 belonging to the units U before and after it are fixed to the second conveyor 212.

[0048] As a result, the units U composed of a plurality of fruit and vegetable carriers 220 fixed to the first conveyor 211 and the units U composed of a plurality of fruit and vegetable carriers 220 fixed to the second conveyor 212 are alternately arranged.

[0049] On the outer periphery of the carrier 210, there is provided a support portion 216 (FIGS. 1 and 2) that supports from below the fruit and vegetable carrier 220 that passes through the first forward pulley 211a and the second forward pulley 212a and returns to the side of the first rear pulley 211b and the second rear pulley 212b.

[0050] The support portion 216 is a portion on which the wheels 220c provided on the fruit and vegetable carrier 220 are placed, and is arranged on both outer sides in the width direction of the carrier 210. When the wheels 220c are placed on the support portion 216, the first belt 211c and the second belt 212c are prevented from being deflected by the weight of the fruit and vegetable carrier 220.

[0051] -Packing Unit- Next, the packing unit 30 will be described. The packing unit 30 is for taking out the fruits and vegetables conveyed by the fruit and vegetable transfer device 20 and packing them in boxes.

[0052] As an example, the packing unit 30 shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) includes a mounting base 31, an air cylinder 32 fixed to the mounting base 31, and a movable body 33 connected to the tip of the rod of the air cylinder 32.

[0053] Between the mounting base 31 and the movable body 33, a pantograph-shaped telescopic body 34 that expands and contracts in the front-rear direction (the telescopic direction of the rod) is provided. On the telescopic body 34, two telescopic body guides 34a for guiding the telescopic body 34 are provided at intervals in the vertical direction.

[0054] The mounting base 31, the air cylinder 32, the movable body 33, and the telescopic body 34 of this embodiment function as a mechanism (spacing adjustment mechanism) for adjusting the spacing between two or more suction arms 35 (fruit and vegetable extraction bodies) described later.

[0055] On the telescopic body 34 of this embodiment, a suction arm 35 for taking out fruits and vegetables on the placement recess 220d by suction is provided. A plurality of suction arms 35 are provided at intervals in the telescopic direction of the telescopic body 34.

[0056] The intervals between the plurality of suction arms 35 are made equal to the intervals of the placement recesses 220d of the fruit and vegetable placement body 220 when the telescopic body 34 extends. The suction arms 35 are positioned above the fruit and vegetable placement body 220.

[0057] In this embodiment, with the telescopic body 34 extended, after taking out the fruits and vegetables on the fruit and vegetable placement body 220 with the suction arms 35, by contracting the telescopic body 34, the intervals between the plurality of fruits and vegetables adsorbed by the suction arms 35 can be reduced. This interval is set to the same interval as the packing interval.

[0058] By making it possible to change the intervals between the suction arms 35 when taking out fruits and vegetables and when packing them in a box, the fruits and vegetables can be aligned without gaps and packed in a box. The installation intervals of the suction arms 35 can be set to appropriate intervals according to the size of the fruits and vegetables to be packed in a box, the size of the box, etc.

[0059] In this embodiment, at the timing when the suction operation by the suction arm 35 is completed, a signal indicating that the suction operation is completed is sent to a control unit (not shown), and based on that signal, the fruit and vegetable placement body 220 is moved forward.

[0060] Note that the fruit and vegetable extractor may be other than the suction arm as long as it can extract the fruits and vegetables on the fruit and vegetable placing body 220.

[0061] In this embodiment, a remaining fruit and vegetable conveyor 40 (FIG. 1) is provided at the front of the conveyor 210 to extract and convey the fruits and vegetables remaining on the fruit and vegetable placing body 220. As an example, the remaining fruit and vegetable conveyor 40 shown in FIG. 1 includes four belt conveyors (hereinafter referred to as "narrow conveyors") rotated by a motor (not shown). The width of the narrow conveyor is made narrower than the interval between the standing walls 220b of the fruit and vegetable placing body 220.

[0062] The remaining fruit and vegetable conveyor 40 is provided such that its starting end is located above the front of the terminal side of the conveyor 210. A slight gap is secured between the terminal of the conveyor 210 and the starting end of the remaining fruit and vegetable conveyor 40 so that the two do not interfere with each other. This gap is set to such a size that fruits and vegetables do not fall.

[0063] In this embodiment, the upper surface of the placing recess 220d of the fruit and vegetable placing body 220 and the upper surface of the remaining fruit and vegetable conveyor 40 are flush or substantially flush. By aligning the upper surfaces of the conveyor 210 and the remaining fruit and vegetable conveyor 40 at the same height, the movement of the fruits and vegetables becomes smooth, and risks such as dropping can be suppressed.

[0064] In the remaining fruit and vegetable conveyor 40, the fruits and vegetables not taken out by the boxing unit 30 are collected. Specifically, when the fruit and vegetable placing body 220 with fruits and vegetables placed in the placing recess 220d descends along the first front pulley 211a and the second front pulley 212a, the fruits and vegetables in the placing recess 220d are taken over onto the remaining fruit and vegetable conveyor 40 by the rotation of the narrow conveyor. Note that the remaining fruit and vegetable conveyor 40 may be provided as necessary and can be omitted when not necessary.

[0065] In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, the fruit and vegetable boxing device 10 may be provided with an empty box conveyor 50 for conveying empty boxes, a stacking device 51 for stacking boxed fruits and vegetables, and a discharge conveyor 52 for conveying the stacked boxes of boxed fruits and vegetables.

[0066] The empty box conveyor 50 and the discharge conveyor 52 can be provided, for example, on the side of the conveyor 210 in parallel with the conveyor 210. In this case, the empty box conveyor 50 can be arranged above and the discharge conveyor 52 can be arranged below with a space therebetween in the vertical direction, and the stacking device 51 can be provided on the downstream side of the empty box conveyor 50 and the upstream side of the discharge conveyor 52.

[0067] In this case, the empty boxes conveyed by the empty box conveyor 50 are filled with fruits and vegetables, and the boxes are sequentially sent to the stacking device 51 and stacked in a predetermined number of stages while being sent out. After that, the stacked boxes containing fruits and vegetables are sent out to the discharge conveyor 52, so that the stacked boxes can be conveyed to the downstream side of the discharge conveyor 52. If the end point of the discharge conveyor 52 is set as the shipping yard, the boxing to shipping can be carried out in a series of processes.

[0068] If it is not necessary to stack the boxes containing fruits and vegetables, instead of the stacking device 51, a relay device or the like having a function of taking over the boxes containing fruits and vegetables and discharging them to the discharge conveyor 52 can be provided.

[0069] (Operation) Next, the operation of the fruit and vegetable boxing device 10 of this embodiment will be described. (1) When the first sensor S1 detects that fruits and vegetables have reached a predetermined position on the pool conveyor X, the first belt 211c rotates according to the detection signal, and the fruits and vegetables on the pool conveyor X are taken over by the fruit and vegetable carrier 220 fixed to the first belt 211c. This operation is performed for all the fruit and vegetable carriers 220 constituting one unit U. (2) When fruits and vegetables are placed on all of the fruit and vegetable carriers 220 that make up the unit U, the first belt 211c rotates until the leading fruit and vegetable carrier 220 reaches a predetermined position. When the second sensor S2 detects that the leading fruit and vegetable carrier 220 has reached the predetermined position, the first belt 211c stops at the said predetermined position in response to the detection signal. (3) When the first belt 211c stops at the predetermined position, the boxing unit 30 starts operating in response to the stop signal, and the fruits and vegetables on the fruit and vegetable carrier 220 are taken out by the suction arm 35 and boxed. (4) When the operation of taking out and boxing with the suction arm 35 is completed, the first belt 211c rotates in response to the completion signal transmitted from the boxing unit 30, and the fruit and vegetable carrier 220 fixed to the first belt 211c moves forward. At this time, the fruits and vegetables remaining on the fruit and vegetable carrier 220 without being taken out by the boxing unit 30 are taken over by the remaining fruit and vegetable carrier 40 and conveyed forward.

[0070] In this embodiment, when the second sensor S2 detects that the fruit and vegetable carrier 220 that makes up the leading unit U has reached the predetermined position as described in (2) above, and the first sensor S1 detects that the fruits and vegetables have reached a predetermined position on the pool conveyor X, the fruits and vegetables on the pool conveyor X are successively taken over by the fruit and vegetable carriers 220 that make up the subsequent unit U in the manner of (1) above. Thereafter, in the same manner as (2) to (4) above, the movement of the fruit and vegetable carrier 220 to the predetermined position, the boxing of the fruits and vegetables on the fruit and vegetable carrier 220, and the delivery of the fruit and vegetable carrier 220 are performed.

[0071] In this embodiment, since the fruit and vegetable carrier 220 is provided on different belt conveyors (the first conveyor 211 and the second conveyor 212) for each unit U, while the fruits and vegetables on the fruit and vegetable carrier 220 that makes up the leading unit U are being boxed, the fruits and vegetables on the pool conveyor X can be taken over by the fruit and vegetable carriers 220 that make up the subsequent unit U, increasing the number of fruit and vegetable handovers per unit time and improving the work efficiency.

[0072] (Embodiment 2) Another example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, the case of a cucumber, which is a long fruit and vegetable, will be taken as an example. The basic configuration of this embodiment is the same as that of Embodiment 1. The difference lies mainly in the configurations of the carrier 210 and the fruit and vegetable mounting body 220. In the following, the description of the parts common to Embodiment 1 will be omitted as appropriate, and the description will focus on the parts different from Embodiment 1.

[0073] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8(a) and (b), the carrier 210 of this embodiment includes four conveyors arranged in parallel (hereinafter, each will be referred to as the "first conveyor 211", "second conveyor 212", "third conveyor 213", and "fourth conveyor 214").

[0074] Similar to Embodiment 1, each of the conveyors 211 to 214 includes a front pulley 211a to 214a, a rear pulley 211b to 214b, and an endless belt 211c to 214c.

[0075] A single connecting shaft (front connecting shaft 215a) is inserted through the front pulleys 211a to 214a of the four conveyors 211 to 214. A motor (front-side motor M1) is connected to the front connecting shaft 215a, and the front connecting shaft 215a is rotated by the front-side motor M1.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 9, the front connecting shaft 215a is fixed to the front pulley 211a of the first conveyor 211 and the front pulley 213a of the third conveyor 213. When the front connecting shaft 215a is rotated by the front-side motor M1, the endless belt 211c of the first conveyor 211 and the endless belt 213c of the third conveyor 213 are rotated.

[0077] On the other hand, bearings 214d (FIG. 9) are built into the front pulleys 212a of the second conveyor 212 and the front pulleys 214a of the fourth conveyor 214. Even when the front connecting shaft 215a is rotated by the front-side motor M1, the endless belt 212c of the second conveyor 212 and the endless belt 214c of the fourth conveyor 214 do not rotate and are idling.

[0078] A single connecting shaft (rear connecting shaft 215b), different from the front connecting shaft 215a, is inserted through the rear pulleys 211b to 214b of the four conveyors 211 to 214. A motor (rear motor M2) is connected to the rear connecting shaft 215b, and the rear connecting shaft 215b is rotated by the rear motor M2.

[0079] As shown in Fig. 9, the rear connecting shaft 215b is fixed to the rear pulley 212b of the second conveyor 212 and the rear pulley 214b of the fourth conveyor 214. When the rear connecting shaft 215b is rotated by the rear motor M2, the endless belts 212c of the second conveyor 212 and 214c of the fourth conveyor 214 are rotated.

[0080] On the other hand, bearings 213d (Fig. 9) are built into the rear pulleys 211b of the first conveyor 211 and 213b of the third conveyor 213. Even when the rear connecting shaft 215b is rotated by the rear motor M2, the endless belts 211c of the first conveyor 211 and 213c of the third conveyor 213 do not rotate and are designed to idle.

[0081] Similar to the fruit and vegetable carrier 220 of Embodiment 1, the fruit and vegetable carrier 220 of this embodiment also includes a base portion 220a and a standing wall 220b erected on the upper surface side of the base portion 220a. As shown in Fig. 10, the base portion 220a is a horizontally long thick member, and two wheels 220c similar to those of the fruit and vegetable carrier 220 of Embodiment 1 project from each of the outer sides in the longitudinal direction.

[0082] In this embodiment, eight standing walls 220b are provided at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the base portion 220a. The number of standing walls 220b is an example and may be more or less than eight.

[0083] In addition, the interval between the standing walls 220b functions as a passage so as not to interfere with the pool conveyor X, the width of the interval between each of the standing walls 220b can be appropriately set according to the width of the pool conveyor X on which fruits and vegetables are placed, a placement recess 220d on which fruits and vegetables are placed is provided on the upper surface of each of the standing walls 220b, the pointed portion 220e on the rear side in the moving direction of the fruit and vegetable placing body 220 of each of the standing walls 220b functions as a locking claw for taking out fruits and vegetables, and the fruits and vegetables accommodated in the placement recess 220d are prevented from falling in the front-rear direction by the pointed portion 220e, which is the same as in the case of Embodiment 1.

[0084] Similar to the case of Embodiment 1, a plurality of (eight in the example shown in FIG. 7) each fruit and vegetable placing body 220 are provided as one unit U, and a plurality of units are provided. The number of the fruit and vegetable placing bodies 220 constituting each unit U may be more or less than this.

[0085] In addition, each unit U is provided at intervals in the traveling direction of the carrier 210, and the interval is preferably at least one unit or more, which is the same as in the case of Embodiment 1.

[0086] The hatched portion in FIG. 9 indicates the portion where the fruit and vegetable placing body 220 is fixed. As shown in this figure, each fruit and vegetable placing body 220 in this embodiment is fixed to two of the first conveyor 211 and the third conveyor 213 or two of the second conveyor 212 and the fourth conveyor 214.

[0087] For example, in the example of FIG. 9, the fruit and vegetable placing body 220 fixed to the first conveyor 211 and the third conveyor 213 is not fixed to the second conveyor 212 and the fourth conveyor 214, and the fruit and vegetable placing body 220 fixed to the second conveyor 212 and the fourth conveyor 214 is not fixed to the first conveyor 211 and the third conveyor 213.

[0088] Therefore, only the fruit and vegetable carriers 220 fixed to the first conveyor 211 and the third conveyor 213 move due to the running of the first conveyor 211 and the third conveyor 213, and the fruit and vegetable carriers 220 fixed to the second conveyor 212 and the fourth conveyor 214 stop on the spot without moving.

[0089] Conversely, only the fruit and vegetable carriers 220 fixed to the second conveyor 212 and the fourth conveyor 214 move due to the running of the second conveyor 212 and the fourth conveyor 214, and the fruit and vegetable carriers 220 fixed to the first conveyor 211 and the third conveyor 213 stop on the spot without moving.

[0090] In this embodiment, the belts to which the common fruit and vegetable carriers 220 are fixed are configured such that the first conveyor 211 and the third conveyor 213 rotate synchronously, and the second conveyor 212 and the fourth conveyor 214 rotate synchronously.

[0091] Note that the combination of the synchronously rotating belts shown here is an example, and other combinations may be used. Also, the number of synchronously rotating belts may be the same or different. For example, they do not have to be the same number, such as one and three.

[0092] Similar to the case of Embodiment 1, in this embodiment as well, the fruit and vegetable carriers 220 belonging to the same unit U are fixed to the same conveyor. For example, when the fruit and vegetable carriers 220 belonging to a certain unit U are fixed to the first conveyor 211 and the third conveyor 213, the fruit and vegetable carriers 220 belonging to the units U before and after that are fixed to the second conveyor 212 and the fourth conveyor 214.

[0093] As a result, the units U composed of the plurality of fruit and vegetable carriers 220 fixed to the first conveyor 211 and the third conveyor 213 and the units U composed of the plurality of fruit and vegetable carriers 220 fixed to the second conveyor 212 and the fourth conveyor 214 are arranged alternately.

[0094] Similar to Embodiment 1, a boxing unit 30 for taking out the fruits and vegetables conveyed by the fruit and vegetable transfer device 20 and packing them in boxes is provided near the fruit and vegetable transfer device 20.

[0095] The basic configuration of the boxing unit 30 in this embodiment is the same as that in Embodiment 1. As shown in FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b), it includes a mounting base 31, an air cylinder 32 fixed to the mounting base 31, and a movable body 33 connected to the tip of the rod of the air cylinder 32. The operation of the boxing unit 30 is the same as that in Embodiment 1.

[0096] In addition to the above, providing a residual fruit and vegetable conveyor 40 at the front of the conveyor 210, providing an empty box conveyor 50, a staged device 51 and a discharge conveyor 52, and providing a relay device or the like instead of the stacking device 51 are the same as in the case of Embodiment 1.

[0097] The configurations of the above-described Embodiments 1 and 2 are examples, and the fruit and vegetable transfer device and the fruit and vegetable boxing device of the present application are not limited to this configuration. The fruit and vegetable transfer device and the fruit and vegetable boxing device of the present application can be modified by adding, omitting, replacing, etc. the configuration within the range that can achieve the intended purpose.

[0098] Note that the fruit and vegetable boxing device 10 of the present application can be preferably used as a device for boxing fruits and vegetables whose size, shape, etc. of the fruits and vegetables during conveyance are measured and the grade of the fruits and vegetables is determined based on the measurement results, such as a conventional fruit and vegetable sorting device as shown in FIG. 12. However, the configuration of the fruit and vegetable sorting device itself is not limited to that shown in FIG. 12.

Industrial Applicability

[0099] The fruit and vegetable transfer device and the fruit and vegetable boxing device of the present application can be used for the transfer and boxing of various fruits and vegetables. In addition to long fruits and vegetables (long-sized fruits and vegetables) such as cucumbers, eggplants, bitter gourds, carrots, zucchinis, etc., they can be particularly preferably used for boxing round fruits and vegetables (round ball fruits and vegetables) such as tomatoes, persimmons, peaches, apples, mangoes, pears, and decopons.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0100] 10 Fruit and vegetable boxing device 20 Fruit and vegetable transfer device 210 Carrier 211 First conveyor 211a Leading pulley (first leading pulley) 211b Rear pulley (first rear pulley) 211c Endless belt (first belt) 211d Bearing 212 Second conveyor 212a Leading pulley (second leading pulley) 212b Rear pulley (second rear pulley) 212c Endless belt (second belt) 212d Bearing 213 Third conveyor 213a Leading pulley 213b Rear pulley 213c Endless belt 213d Bearing 214 Fourth conveyor 214a Leading pulley 214b Rear pulley 214c Endless belt 214d Bearing 215a Leading connecting shaft 215b Rear connecting shaft 216 Support part 220 Fruit and vegetable placing body 220a Base part 220b Upright wall 220c Wheel 220d Placing recess 220e Sharp part 30 Boxing unit 31 Mounting base 32 Air cylinder 33 Movable body 34 Telescopic body 34a Telescopic body guide 35 Suction arm (fruit and vegetable extracting body) 40 Remaining fruit and vegetable carrier 50 Empty box conveyor 51 Completed device 52 Discharge conveyor A Bucket B Measuring device C Fruit and vegetable extraction conveyor D Transfer conveyor M1 Front-side motor M2 Rear-side motor S1 First sensor S2 Second sensor U Unit X Pool conveyor

Claims

1. A fruit and vegetable transfer device that takes over and transfers fruit and vegetables on a pool conveyor, comprising: a carrier and a plurality of fruit and vegetable carriers; the carrier comprises a plurality of conveyors; among the plurality of fruit and vegetable carriers, at least one or more fruit and vegetable carriers are attached to one or two or more of the plurality of conveyors, and at least one or more other fruit and vegetable carriers are attached to one or two or more other conveyors of the plurality of conveyors; the fruit and vegetable carrier moves in the rotation direction along with the rotation of the conveyor to which the fruit and vegetable carrier is attached, and takes over the fruit and vegetables on the conveyor during the movement; A fruit and vegetable transfer device characterized by the above.

2. In the fruit and vegetable transfer device according to Claim 1, the fruit and vegetable carriers are provided in a plurality of units with a plurality of them as one unit; A fruit and vegetable transfer device characterized by the above.

3. In the fruit and vegetable transfer device according to Claim 2, the plurality of fruit and vegetable carriers belonging to the same unit are attached to a common conveyor; A fruit and vegetable transfer device characterized by the above.

4. In the fruit and vegetable transfer device according to Claim 3, a unit attached to one or two or more conveyors and another unit attached to one or two or more other conveyors are provided alternately along the rotation direction of the plurality of conveyors; A fruit and vegetable transfer device characterized by the above.

5. In the fruit and vegetable transfer device according to Claim 4, at least a space equivalent to one unit or more is secured between two or more units; A fruit and vegetable transfer device characterized by the above.

6. In the fruit and vegetable transfer device according to Claim 4, among the plurality of conveyors, a fixture for attaching an additional fruit and vegetable carrier is provided at a position on the front side or the rear side of the unit; A fruit and vegetable transfer device characterized by the above.

7. In a fruit and vegetable boxing device for taking out and boxing fruit and vegetables, the fruit and vegetable transfer device according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, and a boxing unit for taking out and boxing fruit and vegetables from the fruit and vegetable carriers of the fruit and vegetable transfer device; A fruit and vegetable boxing device characterized by the above.

8. In the fruit and vegetable boxing device according to Claim 7, the boxing unit comprises two or more fruit taking-out bodies; A fruit and vegetable boxing device characterized by the above.

9. In the fruit and vegetable boxing device according to Claim 8, the boxing unit comprises a gap adjusting mechanism for adjusting the gap between two or more fruit taking-out bodies; A fruit and vegetable boxing device characterized by the above.

10. In the fruit and vegetable boxing device according to Claim 9, before boxing the fruits and vegetables, the interval adjuster makes the interval between two or more fruit taking-out bodies after taking out the fruits and vegetables narrower than the interval at the time of taking out the fruits and vegetables. The fruit and vegetable boxing device is characterized by the above.

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