Workpiece selective transport device

Abstract

To provide a bin selective transport device which selects a bin (a workpiece) flowing through a selection area and transports the bin to a discharge area.SOLUTION: A bin selective transport device includes: a transport discharge unit which transports and discharges a bin; and a suction unit 28 attached to the transport discharge unit. The suction unit 28 includes: a second body unit 52 attached to the transport discharge unit; and a second moving unit part 54 supported movably in a vertical direction by the second body unit 52. The second moving unit part 54 includes: a main pad 62 which suctions and holds the bin; and a pair of auxiliary pads 74 which auxetically suctions the bin. The pair of auxiliary pads 74 is disposed at both sides with reference to a transport discharge axis of the main pad 62 and an upstream side of the main pad when viewed in a transport discharge direction with reference to a perpendicularly traverse axis of the main pad 62 extending in a perpendicularly traverse direction relative to the transport discharge axis.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a work sorting and conveying device that sorts and conveys work (for example, bins) moved by a belt conveyor or the like. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, a can / bottle sorting and compression machine is in practical use, which sorts bottles and cans as workpieces and compresses the sorted cans into ingots (see Non-Patent Document 1). This can / bottle sorting and compression machine includes a first conveyor belt mechanism for flowing a sorted mixture of bottles and cans, a second conveyor belt mechanism for flowing the sorted cans, and a compression means for compressing the cans. A sorter is stationed on the first conveyor belt mechanism, and this sorter manually selects bottles from the sorted mixture (bottles and cans) moved by the conveyor belt. A magnetic conveyor mechanism is also attached to the second conveyor belt mechanism, and steel cans made of steel are magnetically attracted and transported by the magnetic conveyor mechanism, while aluminum cans made of aluminum are not magnetically attracted and continue to flow.

[0003] The compression means includes a first compression section for compressing steel cans and a second compression section for compressing aluminum cans. Steel cans transported by the magnetic transport mechanism are sent to the first compression section where they are formed into ingots, while aluminum cans are sent directly to the second compression section where they are formed into ingots.

[0004] In such can and bottle sorting and compression machines, the bottles are manually sorted from the sorted mixture by an operator, which poses the problem of requiring manpower for the tedious sorting work and incurring labor costs for this sorting work.

[0005] For this reason, a bin identifier has been proposed that recognizes the color, shape, etc. of bins to identify them (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This bin identifier automatically recognizes the color, shape, etc. of bins moved by a conveyor belt mechanism to identify them. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0006] [Non-Patent Document 1] Information about the product "Can and Bottle Sorting Compressor" listed on the Fujitex Corporation website (https: / / www.fjtex.co.jp / kankyo / products / press / can / 69) [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7026808 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, although the above-mentioned bin identification machine discloses a method for identifying bins, this identification method has not been applied to an actual identification device, and there has been a demand for the realization of a work sorting and transporting device that sorts and transports work such as bins.

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a work sorting and conveying device that sorts work such as bins flowing through a sorting area and conveys them to a discharge area. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The work sorting and conveying device of the present invention is a work sorting and conveying device that sorts workpieces conveyed through a sorting area of ​​a conveying path and conveys them to a discharge area, The apparatus includes a main body, a transport / discharge unit attached to the main body, and a suction unit attached to the transport / discharge unit, the conveying and discharging unit includes a first main body portion attached to the device main body, a first moving unit portion supported on the first main body portion so as to be movable between the sorting area and the discharging area, and a first drive source for reciprocating the first moving unit portion in the conveying and discharging direction, the suction unit includes a second main body attached to the first moving unit, a second moving unit supported on the second main body so as to be movable in a predetermined direction, and a second drive source for reciprocating the second moving unit in the predetermined direction; the second moving unit includes a main pad that adsorbs the workpiece and an auxiliary pad that auxiliary adsorbs the workpiece, the main pad is attached to the second moving unit, and the auxiliary pad is attached to the second body, The workpiece being transported through the sorting area is adsorbed and held by the main pad and moved to the auxiliary adsorption position, and is then adsorbed and held by the main pad and the auxiliary pad at the auxiliary adsorption position, and then moved in the transport / discharge direction.

[0011] In such a work sorting and conveying device, it is preferable to provide a plurality of auxiliary pads in the second moving unit section, and to position the center of at least one of the plurality of auxiliary pads on one side of a conveying and discharging axis that passes through the center of the main pad and extends in the conveying and discharging direction, and to position the center of at least one other of the auxiliary pads on the other side of the conveying and discharging axis.By configuring in this way, the center of one auxiliary pad and the center of another auxiliary pad are positioned on both sides of the conveying and discharging axis that passes through the center of the main pad, and the work can be stably adsorbed and held.

[0012] It is also preferable to provide a pair of auxiliary pads in the second moving unit section of the suction unit, with the centers of the pair of auxiliary pads disposed on both sides of the conveying / discharging axis and upstream of a vertical horizontal axis extending perpendicularly to the conveying / discharging axis and passing through the center of the main pad in the conveying / discharging direction. When conveyance in the conveying / discharging direction begins with a workpiece held by suction, the upstream side of the workpiece in the conveying / discharging direction tends to move downward, but the pair of auxiliary pads act to hold the upstream side of the workpiece by suction and suppress the upward movement (in other words, suppress the downward movement of the downstream side), thereby preventing the workpiece from falling when conveyance in the conveying / discharging direction begins.

[0013] Furthermore, in such a work sorting and conveying device, it is preferable that the central axes of the pair of auxiliary pads are inclined inward toward the conveying and discharging axis of the main pad, and also inclined toward the downstream side of the main pad in the conveying and discharging direction.By configuring in this manner, it is possible to stably adsorb and hold the large diameter cylindrical portion when conveying, for example, a bottle, and it is also possible to stably adsorb and hold and convey the bottle when conveying it in the conveying and discharging direction.

[0014] Furthermore, it is preferable that the central axes of the pair of auxiliary pads are inclined at an angle of 20 to 60 degrees toward the conveying / discharging axis of the main pad, and at an angle of 70 to 85 degrees downstream in the conveying / discharging direction of the main pad.By inclining them in this manner, when conveying, for example, bottles, their large-diameter cylindrical parts can be more stably adsorbed and held for conveyance.

[0015] The main pad has a main suction portion formed in a short bellows shape, so that the main suction portion can be pressed against a workpiece such as a bottle to securely suction it, and the pair of auxiliary pads have auxiliary suction portions formed in a long bellows shape, so that the main pad can bend to fit the outer shape of the workpiece such as a bottle to securely suction hold the bottle. Furthermore, the inner diameter of the suction opening of the main suction portion is smaller than the inner diameter of the suction opening of the auxiliary suction portions of the pair of auxiliary pads, so that the opening of the main pad can act more reliably on the outer surface of the bottle.

[0016] Furthermore, it is preferable to provide a cylindrical damper in association with the suction unit, attach the cylinder side of the cylindrical damper to the second main body portion, and attach the output side of the cylindrical damper to a moving member that moves integrally with the main pad, and configure this moving member so that it is allowed to move relative to the second main body portion.By configuring it in this way, when a workpiece (such as a bin) is sucked up, or when the workpiece is moved and stopped at the auxiliary suction position, the moving member moves relative to the second main body portion, thereby causing the output side to move relative to the cylinder side of the cylindrical damper, and the relative movement between the cylinder side and the output side can cushion the impact.

[0017] Furthermore, it is preferable to attach an auxiliary pad mounting member to the second main body portion of the suction unit via elastic means, and to attach an auxiliary pad to this auxiliary pad mounting member.By configuring in this manner, when the workpiece suction-held on the main pad moves to the auxiliary suction position and is suction-held on the auxiliary pad, the elastic means elastically deforms, making it possible to absorb the impact caused by this suction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the work sorting and transporting device of the present invention, it comprises a transporting and discharging unit attached to the device main body and an adsorption unit attached to this transporting and discharging unit, and the adsorption unit comprises a second main body portion attached to the transporting and discharging unit and a second moving unit portion supported movably on this second main body portion, and this second moving unit includes a main pad that adsorbs the work and an auxiliary pad that auxiliary adsorbs the work, so that the main pad and auxiliary pad can adsorb and hold the work (e.g., a bin) and transport and discharge it. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing a simplified view of an embodiment of a work sorting and conveying device according to the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a suction unit of the workpiece sorting and transporting device of FIG. 1. [Figure 3]FIG. 3(a) is a diagram showing the state in which the second moving unit part of the suction unit has adsorbed a bottle, and FIG. 3(b) is a diagram showing the state in which this second moving unit part has risen to the elevated position. [Figure 4] 3 is a partially enlarged view showing an adsorption portion of the adsorption unit of FIG. 2; FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating the positional relationship between the main pad and the auxiliary pad. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the positional relationship between the main pad and the auxiliary pad. [Figure 7] Figure 7(a) is a diagram for explaining the positional relationship between the main pad and the auxiliary pad when the cylindrical part of the workpiece is held by suction, and Figure 7(b) is a diagram for explaining the positional relationship between the main pad and the auxiliary pad when the flat top part of the workpiece is held by suction. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations when sorting and transporting workpieces. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a starting state when a workpiece sorting and transporting operation is started. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state when the transport and discharge unit is moved to the sorting area. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the state when the second moving unit part of the suction unit is lowered to pick up the bottle. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the second moving unit part of the suction unit is raised to a raised position. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state when the transport and discharge unit is moved to the discharge area. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the state when the bottle is discharged from the discharge area. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the work sorting and conveying device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, the sorting of workpieces will be described as being applied to sorting bins having a large diameter cylindrical portion, for example. However, the present invention is not limited to such bins, and can be similarly applied to flat or spherical bins, etc.

[0021] In Figures 1 and 2, the illustrated bin sorting and conveying device 2 as a work sorting and conveying device is installed, for example, on one side (left side in Figure 1) of the bin conveying device 4 as a work conveying device, and a bin recovery device 6 as a work recovery device is installed in the discharge area R on the other side (right side in Figure 1) of this bin conveying device 4.

[0022] The bin conveying device 4 includes a conveying device main body 8, on top of which is provided a conveying belt mechanism 10 that extends in a predetermined direction (perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 1). The conveying belt mechanism 10 includes a drive roller and a driven roller (not shown) that are spaced apart in a predetermined direction, and an endless conveying belt 12 is wound around the drive roller and the driven roller. A plurality of support rollers 14 (one of which is shown in FIG. 1) are rotatably disposed between the drive roller (not shown) and the driven roller (not shown). An upper run 16 of the endless conveying belt 12 is supported by the support rollers 14 and moves in a predetermined direction. Bins P (workpieces) to be sorted are supplied to one end of the conveying belt mechanism 10 and are moved in the predetermined direction by the movement of the upper run 16 of the conveying belt 12.

[0023] With this configuration, the bins P (workpieces) to be sorted are moved along the conveying path by the upper running part 16 of the conveying belt 12 that defines the conveying path. A sorting area Q is provided at a predetermined portion of the conveying path, and the bins P (workpieces) flowing along the conveying path are sorted in this sorting area Q by the bin sorting and conveying device 2, conveyed to the discharge area R, and then discharged to the bin recovery device 6, as will be described later.

[0024] The bottle collection device 6 is, for example, composed of a collection container 18 with an open top, and the bottles P collected in this collection container 18 are then washed and reused. The bottle collection device 6 may also be composed of a collection and conveying device (not shown). The collection and conveying device may, for example, be equipped with a collection and conveying belt mechanism (not shown) similar to the conveying belt mechanism 10 of the bottle conveying device 4. In this case, for example, the bottles P (work) from the bottle sorting and conveying device 2 are discharged to the upper running part of the collection and conveying belt mechanism of the collection and conveying device, and are conveyed downstream by this collection and conveying belt mechanism to be reused.

[0025] Next, we will explain the bottle sorting and conveying device 2. The illustrated bottle sorting and conveying device 2 includes a device main body 22 installed adjacent to the bottle conveying device 4, and a mounting support part 24 is provided at the upper end of the device main body 22, and this mounting support part 24 extends from the device main body 22 to above the conveying path of the bottle conveying device 4. A conveying and discharging unit 26 is attached to this mounting support part 24, and a suction unit 28 is attached to this conveying and discharging unit 26.

[0026] The illustrated conveying / discharging unit 26 includes a first main body portion 30 attached to the attachment support portion 24 of the device main body 22, and a first moving unit portion 32 movably supported by the first main body portion 30. The first main body portion 30 is made up of, for example, an elongated member with a rectangular cross section, and one side portion (the lower side in FIG. 1) of one end side (base side) of the first main body portion 30 is attached to the attachment support portion 24 of the device main body 22, and the other end side (tip side) extends beyond the sorting area Q to above the discharge area R.

[0027] A first support mechanism 34 is interposed between the first main body 30 and the first moving unit 32. The first support mechanism 34 includes a pair of first guide support parts 36 attached to one side (the lower side in FIG. 1) and the other side (the upper side in FIG. 1) of the first main body 30, and the pair of first guide support parts 36 extend from one end to the other end of the first main body 30. In addition, first guided parts (not shown) (forming part of the first support mechanism 34) are provided on the first moving unit 32 side, and the pair of guided parts are guided and supported by the corresponding first guide support parts 36 on the first main body 30 side.

[0028] In this embodiment, the first moving unit 32 is provided with a first electric motor 38 as a first drive source for driving the first moving unit 32, and a first drive mechanism 40 is disposed between the first electric motor 38 and the first main body 30. The illustrated first drive mechanism 40 is composed of a rack 42 and a pinion (not shown), the rack 42 extends from one end to the other end of the first main body 30, and the pinion is attached to the output portion of the first electric motor 38, and this pinion is meshed with the rack 42.

[0029] As configured in this manner, when the first electric motor 38 rotates in a predetermined direction (or the direction opposite to the predetermined direction), the pinion (not shown) rotates integrally with its output portion, and the action of the pinion and rack 42 causes the first moving unit portion 32 to move in the direction indicated by arrow 44 (or arrow 46) along the first guide support portion 36 of the first support mechanism 34.

[0030] Next, the suction unit 28 will be described. The illustrated suction unit 28 includes a second main body 52 attached to the first movable unit 32 of the conveying / discharging unit 26, and a second movable unit 54 movably supported by the second main body 52. ​​The second main body 52 is formed of an elongated plate-like member. A housing 58 of an actuator unit 56 is attached to the second main body 52, and a movable table 60 is movably mounted on the housing 58 of the actuator unit 56. A main pad 62 for suction-holding the bottles P is attached to the movable table 60. The movable table 60 of the actuator unit 56 constitutes a part of the second movable unit 54, which includes the main pad 62, and the housing 58 of the actuator unit 56 also constitutes a part of the second main body 52.

[0031] In this embodiment, a second support mechanism 64 is interposed between the housing 58 on the second main body 52 side and the second moving unit 54 (moving table 60). The second support mechanism 64 includes second guide support portions 66 provided on both sides of the housing 58 on the second main body 52 side, and the pair of second guide support portions 66 extend from one end (e.g., the upper end) of the housing 58 to the other end (e.g., the lower end) of the housing 58. In addition, second guided portions (not shown) (forming part of the second support mechanism 64) are provided on the moving table 60 on the second moving unit 54 side, and the pair of second guided portions are guided and supported by the corresponding second guide support portions 66 on the second main body 30 side.

[0032] In this embodiment, the second main body 52 is provided with a second electric motor 68 as a second drive source for driving the second moving unit 54, and a drive transmission mechanism (not shown) and a second drive mechanism (not shown) are provided between the second electric motor 68 and the second moving unit 54 (moving table 60). Although not shown, the drive transmission mechanism may be composed of, for example, a drive toothed pulley, a driven toothed pulley, and a toothed belt wound around them, with the drive toothed pulley attached to the output portion of the second electric motor 68 and the driven toothed pulley attached to the second drive mechanism. The second drive mechanism (not shown) may be composed of, for example, a ball screw means (not shown), with a screw shaft (not shown) of the ball screw means rotatably supported within the housing 58 and a nut member (not shown) attached to the moving table 60, the nut member threadedly engaging with the screw shaft.

[0033] 2, the drive transmission mechanism (not shown) is covered by cover member 62, and the second drive mechanism (not shown) is covered by shield band 65. One end of shield band 65 is attached to the upper end of movable table 60, and the other end is attached to the lower end of movable table 60. By configuring in this manner, shield band 65 has no end, and as movable table 60 moves, shield band 65 moves while covering the second drive mechanism (not shown).

[0034] Because of this configuration, when the second electric motor 68 rotates in a predetermined direction (or the direction opposite to the predetermined direction), the screw shaft (not shown) of the second drive mechanism rotates in the predetermined direction (or the direction opposite to the predetermined direction) via a drive transmission mechanism (not shown), and the rotation of this screw shaft moves the nut member and the moving table 60, and as the moving table 60 moves, the second moving unit section 54 is lowered (or raised), for example, in the predetermined direction (or the direction opposite to the predetermined direction) indicated by arrow 70 (or arrow 72).

[0035] In this embodiment, the suction unit 28 is attached to the conveying / discharging unit 26. However, an intermediate movement unit (not shown) may be provided between the conveying / discharging unit 26 and the suction unit 28 to reciprocate the suction unit 28 in the conveying direction of the bins P (workpieces) (i.e., the movement direction of the upper run 16 of the conveyor belt 12). In this case, although not shown, the intermediate movement unit may be composed of an intermediate main body, an intermediate movement support, an intermediate drive source, etc., and the intermediate main body (not shown) may be attached to the first movement unit 32 of the conveying / discharging unit 26, and the second main body 52 of the suction unit 28 may be attached to the intermediate movement support (not shown). With this configuration, when the intermediate drive source (e.g., an electric motor) rotates in a predetermined direction (or a direction opposite to the predetermined direction), the driving force from the intermediate drive source is transmitted to an intermediate drive transmission means (not shown). This intermediate drive transmission means moves the intermediate movement support means (not shown), for example, in the conveying direction (or a direction opposite to the conveying direction), and the suction unit 28 moves together with the intermediate movement support means.

[0036] In this embodiment, the suction unit 28 is provided with a pair of auxiliary pads 74 in addition to the main pad 62, and these three pads 62, 74 form a suction section. Referring to Figures 3 and 4 as well as Figure 2, the main pad 62 is provided on the second moving unit section 54 and is moved up and down by the reciprocating movement of the moving table 60 in a predetermined direction, for example, up and down movement, while the pair of auxiliary pads 74 are provided on the second main body section 52.

[0037] In this embodiment, an L-shaped bracket 76 is provided at the lower end of the movable table 60, and an upper ball spline nut 78 is attached to this bracket 76. A bent support protrusion 80 is provided at the lower end of the second main body portion 52, and a lower ball spline nut 82 is attached to this support protrusion 80, and a spline shaft 84 is slidably supported between the pair of ball spline nuts 78, 82. A connecting member 86 (constituting a movable member) is attached to this spline shaft 84, and this connecting member 86 is normally held in contact with the bracket 76 of the movable table 60 by the weight of the spline shaft 84 and other components, i.e., in the state shown in FIG. 3(b). However, if an impact occurs, for example, when a bin P (workpiece) is sucked onto the main pad 62, the main pad 62 and spline shaft 84 will slide upward relative to the movable table 60 (and bracket 76), as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 4.

[0038] A first pad mounting member 88 (i.e., main pad mounting member) is attached to the other end of the spline shaft 84 (the lower end protruding from the lower ball spline nut 82), and the main pad 62 is attached via this first pad mounting member 88. This first pad mounting member 88 has a pair of end walls 90 and three connecting members 91 that connect these end walls 90. With this configuration, an accommodation space is formed within the first pad mounting member 88, and this accommodation space is used to accommodate a first suction connection pipe 92, the lower end of which is attached to the lower end wall 90, and the main pad 62 is attached to the tip of the first suction connection pipe 92 thus attached.

[0039] A second pad mounting member 96 (i.e., an auxiliary pad mounting member) is attached to the support protrusion 80 of the second main body portion 52 using a plurality of (three in this example) mounting screws 94 (see FIG. 4). In this example, the shank 95 of each mounting screw 94 is inserted through a through-hole (not shown) formed in the second pad mounting member 96 and the support protrusion 80 of the second main body portion 52, and nuts 98 are attached to both sides of the end portion that passes through the support protrusion 80, thereby attaching the second pad mounting member 96 to the second main body portion 52.

[0040] A spring member 100 is attached to each mounting screw 94, with its shaft portion 95 fitted thereon. This spring member 100 elastically biases the second pad mounting member 96 downward (toward the head 97 of the mounting screw 94 in this example), and the second pad mounting member 96 is elastically held in abutment position against the head 97 of each mounting screw 94, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4. The mounting screws 94 and spring members 100 constitute elastic means, which elastically deforms to absorb impact, as will be described later. Second connecting pipes 102 are attached to both sides of the second pad mounting member 96, and second auxiliary pads 74 are attached to the tip of each second connecting pipe 102.

[0041] With this configuration, when a bin P is lifted and held by the pair of auxiliary pads 74, an impact is applied to the pair of auxiliary pads 74 as described below, but this impact can be absorbed by the elastic deformation of the spring member 100 (elastic means) caused by the lifting of the second pad mounting member 96. An opening 104 (see FIG. 2) is formed in the center of the second pad mounting member 96, and the spline shaft 84 to which the main pad 62 is attached extends downward through this opening 104.

[0042] The first connecting pipe 92, which is connected to the inside of the main pad 62, and the second connecting pipe 102, which is connected to the inside of the auxiliary pad 74, are connected to a suction pump 108 (which constitutes a vacuum source) via a vacuum line 106, and the suction force from this suction pump 108 acts on the main pad 62 and the pair of auxiliary pads 74 via the vacuum line 106, and this suction action is used to suck and hold the bin P (work).

[0043] In this embodiment, the pressure reducing line 106 branches into two branch lines, i.e., first and second branch lines 105 and 107. The first branch line 105 is connected to the main pad 62 and is provided with a first on-off valve V1. The second branch line 107 is connected to the pair of auxiliary pads 74 and is provided with a second on-off valve V2.

[0044] In this embodiment, suction force from one suction pump (vacuum source) is applied to the main pad 62 and the pair of auxiliary pads 74, but two suction pumps (not shown) with different suction forces may be used, with the first suction pump with stronger suction force connected to, for example, the main pad 62 and the second suction pump with weaker suction force connected to, for example, the auxiliary pad 74.

[0045] In this embodiment, a cylinder-type damper 110 is disposed as a buffer means between the second moving unit 54 (specifically, the bracket 76 of the moving table 60) and a moving member that moves integrally with the main pad 62 (in this embodiment, the connecting member 86 attached to the spline shaft 84). The cylinder-type damper 110 includes a cylinder portion 112 and an output portion 114 that moves relative to the cylinder portion 112, with the cylinder portion 112 attached to the second moving unit 54 side (in this example, the bracket 76) and the output portion 114 attached to the spline shaft 84 side that moves integrally with the main pad 62 (in this example, the connecting member 86).

[0046] Because of this configuration, as shown in Figures 3(a) and 4, when the spline shaft 84 (connecting member 86) moves, for example, upward relative to the moving table 60 (bracket 76), the output part 114 of the cylinder-type damper 110 moves upward relative to the cylinder part 112, and the upward movement of the output part 114 provides a damping effect, thereby reducing impact.

[0047] 1, first and second abutment members 116, 118 are provided on the first main body 30 of the conveying / discharging unit 26. The first abutment member 116 is provided at one end of the first main body 30 (in this example, the end on the device main body 22 side), and abutting against this first abutment member 116 stops the first moving unit 32 from moving beyond the first abutment member. The second abutment member 118 is provided at the other end of the first main body 30 (in this example, the end on the bottle collection device 6 side), and abutting against this second abutment member 118 stops the first moving unit 32 from moving beyond the second abutment member 118.

[0048] Next, the main pad 62 and the pair of auxiliary pads 74 that suck the bottle P (workpiece) will be described, mainly with reference to Figures 4 to 6. In this embodiment, the main pad 62 has a main suction portion 120 formed in a short bellows shape, and this main suction portion 120 has, for example, one or two bellows portions. By configuring it in this way, the main suction portion 120 does not undergo large elastic deformation, and as a result, for example, the vicinity of the top of the circular cross section of the large-diameter cylindrical portion P1 of the bottle P (the portion of the bottle P with the larger outer diameter) can be reliably sucked and held.

[0049] The auxiliary pad 74 also has an auxiliary suction portion 122 formed in a long bellows shape, with the auxiliary suction portion 122 having, for example, three to five bellows portions. This configuration allows the auxiliary suction portion 122 to undergo large elastic deformation, making it possible to suction and hold various bottles P with different outer diameters of the large-diameter cylindrical portion P1.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 5, for the main pad 62 and the auxiliary pad 74, for example, the inner diameter NR of the suction port of the auxiliary suction portion 122 of the auxiliary pad 74 is larger than the inner diameter MR of the suction port of the main suction portion 120 of the main pad 62. By configuring them in this manner, it becomes possible to reliably suction and hold various bottles P having different outer diameter sizes of the large cylindrical portion P1.

[0051] The size and number of bellows portions of the main suction portion 120 of the main pad 62 and the auxiliary suction portion 122 of the auxiliary pad 74, as well as the inner diameter of their suction ports, are appropriately set depending on the size and shape of the bin P (workpiece) to be sucked. The shape of the main suction portion 120 of the main pad 62 is set taking into consideration the transport state of the bin P (workpiece), and the shape of the auxiliary suction portion 122 of the auxiliary pad 74 is set taking into consideration the state in which the bin P (workpiece) is sucked in cooperation with the main pad 62.

[0052] The main pad 62 and the pair of auxiliary pads 74 are preferably arranged as follows: If the center of the main pad 62 is C1 and the center of the auxiliary pad 74 is C2, as shown in Fig. 6, the centers C2 of the pair of auxiliary pads 74 are preferably arranged on both sides of a transport / discharge axis 126 that passes through the center C1 of the main pad 62 and extends in the transport / discharge direction indicated by arrow 124. By arranging them in this manner, the auxiliary pads 74 can suction both sides of the suction area of ​​a bin P (workpiece) held by the main pad 62, ensuring reliable suction and holding of the bin P.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 6, the center C2 of the pair of auxiliary pads 74 is preferably configured to be located upstream of a vertical horizontal axis 128 that passes through the center C1 of the main pad 62 and extends in a vertical horizontal direction relative to the conveying / discharging axis 126, as viewed in the conveying / discharging direction indicated by the arrow 124.

[0054] When transporting a bin P (workpiece) in the transport-discharge direction (the direction indicated by arrow 124) while it is being held by suction, the downstream side of the bin P in the transport-discharge direction tends to drop downward (in other words, the upstream side of the bin P in the transport-discharge direction tends to rise upward), but a pair of auxiliary pads 74 hold this upstream side by suction, effectively suppressing the upward movement, thereby preventing the bin P from falling when transport in the transport-discharge direction begins.

[0055] The pair of auxiliary pads 74 are preferably further configured as follows: As can be seen from Figures 5 and 6, the central axis 130 extending in the axial direction of the auxiliary pad 74 is preferably inclined inward toward the conveying / discharging axis 126 passing through the center C1 of the main pad 62, and is also preferably inclined toward the downstream side of the main pad 62 in the conveying / discharging direction. With this configuration, the pair of auxiliary pads 74 are positioned obliquely toward the central axis 132 passing through the center C1 of the main pad 62, thereby enabling the large-diameter cylindrical portion P1 of the bottle P to be reliably suction-held.

[0056] The inward tilt angle θ (see FIG. 6) of the central axis 130 of each auxiliary pad 74 is preferably 20 to 60 degrees, and this tilt angle θ is desirably increased when the inertia of the bin P (workpiece) is large at the start of transport in the transport / discharge direction. The tilt angle β (see FIG. 5) of this central axis 130 toward the downstream side in the transport / discharge direction (the direction of arrow 124) is preferably 70 to 85 degrees.

[0057] To reliably hold a bottle P (workpiece) by suction, it is desirable to position the main pad 62 and the pair of auxiliary pads 74 so that they do not overlap. Referring to Figure 7(a), consider the case where the main pad 62 and the auxiliary pad 74 come into contact when suctioning the large-diameter cylindrical portion P1 of a bottle P, for example. Let L1 be the central axis of the main pad 62, L2 be the central axis of the auxiliary pad 74, and L3 be the axis connecting the contact point S of the main pad 62 and auxiliary pad 74 with the center CC of the large-diameter cylindrical portion P1. Let R (mm) be the radius of the large-diameter cylindrical portion P1 of the bottle P, A (mm) be the outer diameter of the main pad 62, and B (mm) be the outer diameter of the auxiliary pad 74. The angle γ1 between the central axis L1 of the main pad 62 and the axis L3 passing through the contact point S is given by: γ1=sin -1 (2R / A) ···(1) The angle γ2 between the central axis L2 of the auxiliary pad 74 and the axis L3 passing through the contact area S is γ2=sin -1 (2R / B) ···(2) The angle γ3 between the central axis L1 of the main pad 62 and the central axis L2 of the auxiliary pad 74 is γ3=γ1+γ2=sin -1 (2R / A)+sin -1 (2R / B) ···(3) Therefore, by using the auxiliary pad 74 to suck a portion of the large cylindrical portion P1 of the bottle P that is slightly away from this γ3, the bottle can be strongly sucked and held without interfering with the main pad 62.

[0058] Next, referring to Figure 7(b), consider the case where, for example, a flat portion of the workpiece W is sucked. The central axis of the main pad 62 is L1, the central axis of the auxiliary pad 74 is L2, and the central axis L1 of the main pad 62 passes through the center of the workpiece W. In this case as well, if the outer diameter of the main pad 62 is A (mm), the outer diameter of the auxiliary pad 74 is B (mm), and the distance from the center of the plate to the outside of the auxiliary pad 74 is R1, then the distance r between the central axis L1 of the main pad 62 and the central axis L2 of the auxiliary pad 74 is r=R1-(B / 2) (4) In this case, by sucking the vicinity of this portion of the workpiece W with the auxiliary pad 74, it is possible to strongly suck and hold the workpiece W without interfering with the main pad 62.

[0059] In the above-described embodiment, the bin P (workpiece) is suction-held and transported by the main pad 62 and a pair of auxiliary pads 74. However, it is not necessary to use a pair of auxiliary pads 74; one or three or more auxiliary pads may be used. For example, when using multiple auxiliary pads, it is preferable that the center of at least one of the multiple auxiliary pads is located on one side of a transport / discharge axis that passes through the center of the main pad and extends in the transport / discharge direction, and that the center of at least one other of the multiple auxiliary pads is located on the other side of this transport / discharge axis. By arranging them in this manner, the bin P (workpiece) can be stably suction-held by the main pad 62 and the multiple auxiliary pads 74.

[0060] The sorting and conveying of bottles by this bottle sorting and conveying device 2 is performed, for example, according to the flowchart shown in Fig. 8. Referring mainly to Figs. 8 to 14, when sorting and conveying of bottles P begins, the first moving unit section 32 and the suction unit 28 (second main body section 52 and second moving unit section 54) of the conveying and discharging unit 26 are positioned, for example, as shown in Fig. 9. That is, the first moving unit section 32 (the suction unit 28 attached thereto) is positioned above the discharge area R (see Fig. 1) of the bottle recovery device 6.

[0061] When sorting and transporting the bins P (workpieces) transported by the conveyor belt mechanism 10 of the bin transport device 4 to the discharge area R, as shown in FIG. 10, the first moving unit section 32 (the suction unit 28 attached thereto) of the transport / discharge unit 26 is moved above the sorting area Q of the transport path of the bin transport device 4 (step S1). The first electric motor 38 is rotated in a predetermined direction. The rotational force from this first electric motor 38 is transmitted to the first moving unit section 32 via the first drive mechanism 40, and the first moving unit section 32 and the suction unit 28 attached thereto are moved above the sorting area Q in the direction indicated by the arrow 44 (see Figures 1 and 10).

[0062] At this time, although not shown, for example, a camera means (not shown) captures an image of the bin P (work) being transported by the conveyor belt mechanism 10, and a controller (not shown) processes the image information as required to identify the bin P (work) to be sorted, and the first moving unit 32 is moved to a position where it can pick up the specific bin P (specific work) based on a sorting signal from this controller.

[0063] 11, the second moving unit 54 (i.e., the main pad 62) of the suction unit 32 is lowered (step S2). The second electric motor 68 is rotated in a predetermined direction, and the rotational force is transmitted from the second electric motor 68 to the second moving unit 54 via a drive transmission mechanism (not shown) and a second drive mechanism (not shown). The second moving unit 54 (moving table 60, spline shaft 84, main pad 62, etc.) is lowered in the direction indicated by arrow 142.

[0064] At this time, as can be understood from the above description, the connecting member 86 attached to the spline shaft 84 of the second moving unit section 54 is held in contact with the bracket 76 of the moving table 60, and in this contact state, the spline shaft 84, main pad 62, and cylinder-type damper 110 are lowered integrally with this connecting member 86 as the moving table 60 descends.

[0065] When the second moving unit 54 starts to descend in this manner, the first opening / closing valve V1 opens, and the suction force from the suction pump 108 (see Figure 4) acts on the main pad 62 via the reduced pressure line 106 and the first branch line 105, and suction by the main pad 62 begins (step S3).

[0066] When the main pad 62 of the second moving unit 54 descends to the bin P (workpiece) to be sorted, the main pad 62 sucks and holds the bin P, as shown in Figure 3(a) (step S4). During this suction, the main suction portion 120 (see Figure 4) of the main pad 62 may come into contact with the surface of the bin P, potentially causing an impact. However, when this impact occurs, the main pad 62 rises relative to the moving table 60. When the main pad 62 rises in this manner, the lift of the main pad 62 is transmitted via the spline shaft 84 and the connecting member 86 to the output portion 114 of the cylindrical damper 110, causing the output portion 114 to rise relative to the cylinder portion 112. This cushions the impact generated when the bin P is sucked, ensuring reliable suction.

[0067] After the main pad 62 has attracted the bottle P, the second moving unit 54 (i.e., the main pad 62) is raised (step S5), as shown in Figure 12. The second electric motor 68 is rotated in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction, and the rotational force from the second electric motor 68 is transmitted to the second moving unit 54 via a drive transmission mechanism (not shown) and a second drive mechanism (not shown), causing the second moving unit 54 (including the main pad 62 with the bottle P attracted thereto) to be raised in the direction indicated by arrow 144 (see Figure 12).

[0068] At this time, the second moving unit part 54 is raised, and this rise moves the connecting member 86, spline shaft 84 and main pad 62 (the pin P held by suction thereon) upward, and also moves the cylinder-type damper 110 (cylinder 112 and output part 114) connected to the connecting member 86 upward.

[0069] When the second moving unit part 54 starts to rise in this manner, the second opening / closing valve V2 opens, and the suction force of the suction pump 108 (see Figure 4) acts on the pair of auxiliary pads 74 via the reduced pressure line 106 and the second branch line 107, and suction by the pair of auxiliary pads 74 begins (step S6).

[0070] In this embodiment, the suction force from the decompression line 106 is controlled by separate lines, and this suction force is applied independently to the main pad 62 and the auxiliary pad 74. However, instead of this configuration, it may be controlled by a common line, and this suction force may be applied simultaneously to the main pad 62 and the auxiliary pad 74. In this case, suction of the pair of auxiliary pads 74 begins simultaneously with the start of suction of the main pad 62 in step S4.

[0071] In this way, when the second moving unit 54 moves to the auxiliary suction position (the position shown in Figures 1, 3(b) and 4, also referred to as the raised position), as shown in Figure 3(b), the bin P held by the main pad 62 moves upward to the pair of auxiliary pads 74, which then suction-hold the bin P, and the selected bin P (work) is suction-held by the main pad 62 and the pair of auxiliary pads 74 (step S7).

[0072] When the second moving unit 54 rises to this auxiliary suction position and stops, an impact may occur due to the inertia of the vial P. However, this impact is buffered as follows: As with the case of suctioning a vial P, the main pad 62 (and the vial P held thereon), spline shaft 84, and connecting member 86 of the second moving unit 54 rise relative to the moving table 60 (bracket 76). Furthermore, the output portion 114 of the cylindrical damper 110 rises relative to its cylinder portion 112 via the connecting member 86. This relative rise buffers the impact on the main pad 62. As for the impact on the auxiliary pad 74, the second pad mounting member 96 moves upward against the elastic biasing force of multiple (three in this embodiment) spring members 100 (elastic means), and the elastic deformation of these spring members 100 absorbs the impact.

[0073] Thereafter, the first moving unit section 32 (the suction unit 28 attached thereto) of the conveying and discharging unit 26 is moved above the discharge area R of the bottle recovery device 6 (step S8). The first electric motor 38 is rotated in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction, and the rotational force from this first electric motor 38 is transmitted to the first moving unit section 32 via the first drive mechanism 40, so that the first moving unit section 32 and the suction unit 28 attached thereto are moved in the direction indicated by the arrow 46 (see FIGS. 1 and 13) (conveying and discharging direction 124).

[0074] When the bin P starts moving toward the discharge area R, the downstream part of the bin P (work) tends to drop downward due to its own weight when viewed in the conveying and discharging direction (the direction indicated by arrow 124 in Figures 5 and 6), and this tendency becomes greater the faster the starting speed of movement.This tendency creates the risk of the bin P falling, but in this bin sorting and conveying device 2, the main pad 62 and a pair of auxiliary pads 74 are arranged as described above, so the bin P can be reliably prevented from falling.

[0075] That is, as can be seen from Figures 5 and 6, when the bin P (work) starts to move in the conveying / discharging direction (arrow 124), the downstream side of the bin P (work) tends to drop downward due to its own weight (in other words, its upstream side tends to rise upward), but at this time, since the upstream side of the bin P is held by suction by a pair of auxiliary pads 74, the upward movement of the upstream side of the bin P (in other words, the downward movement of its downstream side) is suppressed by the pair of auxiliary pads 74 and the bin P is kept in an approximately horizontal state, thereby preventing the bin P from falling when it starts to move.

[0076] When the first moving unit 32 (and the suction unit 28 attached thereto) moves to above the discharge area R, the sorted and transported bottles P (workpieces) are discharged (step S9). As shown in Figure 14, the first and second on-off valves V1, V2 are closed, the suction action from the suction pump 108 ends, and the suction and holding of the bottles P by the main pad 62 and the pair of auxiliary pads 74 is released, and the bottles P (workpieces) suction-transported by the suction unit 28 are collected into the bottle collection device 6.

[0077] The above-mentioned sorting and transporting of bins P is performed by repeatedly performing steps S1 to S10 until there are no more bins P (workpieces) to be sorted. When there are no more bins P to be sorted, the process proceeds to step S11, and the sorting and transporting work of bins P is completed.

[0078] The above describes one embodiment of a bin sorting and conveying device as an example of a work sorting and conveying device according to the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and various modifications and alterations are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 2. Bin sorting and conveying device 4 Bottle transport device 6 Bottle collection device 26 Conveying and discharging unit 28 Suction unit 30 First main body part 32 First Mobile Unit 52 Second main body part 54 Second Mobile Unit 62 Main Pad 74 Auxiliary Pad 84 Spline shaft 86 Connecting member 88 First pad mounting member 96 Second pad mounting member 108 Suction Pump 110 Cylinder type damper P Bin (Work) Q Sorting area R emission area

Claims

1. A work sorting and conveying device that sorts workpieces conveyed through a sorting area of ​​a conveying path and conveys them to a discharge area, The apparatus includes a main body, a transport / discharge unit attached to the main body, and a suction unit attached to the transport / discharge unit, the conveying and discharging unit includes a first main body portion attached to the device main body, a first moving unit portion supported on the first main body portion so as to be movable between the sorting area and the discharging area, and a first drive source for reciprocating the first moving unit portion in the conveying and discharging direction, the suction unit includes a second main body attached to the first moving unit, a second moving unit supported on the second main body so as to be movable in a predetermined direction, and a second drive source for reciprocating the second moving unit in the predetermined direction; the second moving unit includes a main pad that adsorbs the workpiece and an auxiliary pad that auxiliary adsorbs the workpiece, the main pad being attached to the second moving unit, and the auxiliary pad being attached to the second body; A work sorting and conveying device characterized in that the workpieces conveyed through the sorting area are adsorbed and held by the main pad and moved to an auxiliary adsorption position, and then adsorbed and held by the main pad and the auxiliary pad at the auxiliary adsorption position, and then moved in the conveying and discharging direction.

2. The work sorting and transporting device described in claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of auxiliary pads are provided on the second moving unit portion of the suction unit, and the center of at least one of the plurality of auxiliary pads is arranged on one side of a transport and discharge axis that passes through the center of the main pad and extends in the transport and discharge direction, and the center of at least one other of the plurality of auxiliary pads is arranged on the other side of the transport and discharge axis.

3. The work sorting and conveying device described in claim 2, characterized in that a pair of auxiliary pads are provided on the second moving unit portion of the suction unit, and the centers of the pair of auxiliary pads are arranged on both sides of the conveying and discharging axis line that passes through the center of the main pad and extends in the conveying and discharging direction, and are arranged upstream of the vertical horizontal axis line that passes through the center of the main pad and extends in a vertical horizontal direction relative to the conveying and discharging axis line when viewed in the conveying and discharging direction.

4. 4. The work sorting and conveying device according to claim 3, wherein the central axes extending in the axial direction of the pair of auxiliary pads are inclined inward toward the conveying and discharging axis of the main pad, and are also inclined toward the downstream side of the main pad in the conveying and discharging direction.

5. The work sorting and conveying device according to claim 4, characterized in that the central axes of the pair of auxiliary pads are inclined at an angle of 20 to 60 degrees toward the conveying and discharging axis of the main pad, and are inclined at an angle of 70 to 85 degrees toward the downstream side of the main pad in the conveying and discharging direction.

6. 4. The work sorting and transporting device according to claim 3, wherein the main pad has a main suction portion formed in a short bellows shape, the pair of auxiliary pads have auxiliary suction portions formed in a long bellows shape, and the inner diameter of the suction port of the main suction portion of the main pad is smaller than the inner diameter of the suction port of the auxiliary suction portion of the pair of auxiliary pads.

7. 2. The work sorting and conveying device according to claim 1, wherein a cylindrical damper for absorbing impact is provided in association with the suction unit, the cylinder side of the cylindrical damper is attached to the second main body portion side of the suction unit, and the output side of the cylindrical damper is attached to a moving member side that moves integrally with the main pad, the moving member is configured to be allowed to move relative to the second main body portion, and when the output side of the cylindrical damper moves relative to the second main body portion, the impact is buffered by the relative movement between the cylinder side and the output side.

8. 2. The work sorting and transporting device according to claim 1, wherein an auxiliary pad mounting member is attached to the second main body portion of the suction unit via an elastic means, the auxiliary pad is attached to the auxiliary pad mounting member, and when the workpiece held by suction on the main pad moves to the auxiliary suction position, the auxiliary pad suctions and holds the workpiece, and the elastic means elastically deforms to absorb impact during suction.

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