Container conveying device

Abstract

To perform discharge from each single-row conveyor while appropriately maintaining a spacing between containers in a container conveying device which discharges containers to a downstream conveyor by switching a plurality of single-row conveyors.SOLUTION: A container conveying device 10 comprises: an upstream conveyor 12; a plurality of single-row conveyors 14A-14H; an upstream connection device 18 which connects any of the single-row conveyors 14A-14H to the upstream conveyor 12; a downstream conveyor 16; and a downstream connection device 20 which connects any of the single-row conveyors 14A-14H to the downstream conveyor 16. Each single-row conveyor 14A-14H is provided with first and second sensors 24, 26. When, among the single-row conveyors 14A-14H, the first sensor 24 of the conveyor discharging containers is turned into an OFF (light-transmitting) state and, before the second sensor 26 is turned into an OFF state, if the first sensor 24 is not turned into an ON (light-shielded) state, the conveyor to be discharged is switched to a different single-row conveyor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a container transport device capable of temporarily storing containers. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in a beverage production line, container processing devices such as fillers, cappers, labelers, and casers are arranged in sequence, with each device performing a specific process. It is rare for all devices to stop during operation of such a beverage production line, and one of the devices will stop or slow down for some reason. For this reason, a known container transport device is one in which an accumulation conveyor is arranged parallel to a transport conveyor connecting a shrink tunnel and a container processing device (caser), and the upstream section of the accumulation conveyor is connected to the transport conveyor via a branching device, and the downstream section is connected to the transport conveyor via a merging device (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] In Patent Document 1, a first sensor is installed slightly downstream of the branching device on the conveyor. When the rearmost containers remaining on the conveyor due to the stoppage of the downstream caser reach the first sensor, the branching guide is switched from the conveyor to the accumulation conveyor. This causes containers discharged from the upstream shrink tunnel to be stored on the accumulation conveyor. When the downstream caser resumes operation, the containers stored on the accumulation conveyor are discharged downstream following the containers on the conveyor via the merging device. A second sensor is installed slightly upstream of the merging device on the conveyor. When the rearmost container passes the second sensor while containers are being dispensed, the second sensor turns on. If this state continues for a predetermined time, the merging guide of the merging device is switched from the conveyor to the accumulation conveyor, and the containers stored on the accumulation conveyor are dispensed onto the conveyor. That is, a waiting time corresponding to the predetermined time is set for switching the merging guide from the transport conveyor to the accumulation conveyor. This is to prevent a container from being left behind on the transport conveyor when a gap of a certain size or more occurs between containers upstream for some reason (rejection of a container, contact with the guide, container sampling, etc.). If the second sensor turns on even though the last container has not passed, the merging guide will be switched as it determines that the last container has passed. Therefore, this waiting time (the predetermined time) had to be set according to the longest expected gap. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4317970 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, as described above, if the waiting time is adjusted to the longest expected gap, a large gap will occur between the last container on the transfer conveyor and the subsequent container being transferred from the accumulation conveyor during the waiting time. To eliminate this gap, it is necessary to increase the conveying speed of the containers discharged from the accumulation conveyor or reduce the capacity of the downstream container processing device. However, increasing the upstream conveying speed and reducing the downstream conveying speed not only creates a risk of containers colliding and being crushed, but also complicates the control of the entire container transfer device. Furthermore, because the processing capacity of the downstream container processing device must be increased or decreased until the gap is adjusted, the downstream container processing device cannot operate stably and the load on the device increases.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a container transport device that switches between multiple single-row conveyors to dispense containers onto a downstream conveyor, and to enable dispensing from each single-row conveyor without creating large gaps between containers when switching between the single-row conveyors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A first aspect of the present invention is a container transport device comprising an upstream conveyor for transporting containers in a single file, a double-file conveyor having a plurality of single-file conveyors for transporting containers in a single file, upstream connection means for selectively connecting the upstream conveyor to any one of the single-file conveyors of the double-file conveyor, a downstream conveyor for transporting containers in a single file, and downstream connection means for connecting any one of the single-file conveyors of the double-file conveyor to the downstream conveyor, and the container transport device transports containers from the upstream conveyor to the downstream conveyor via any one of the single-file conveyors of the double-file conveyor, and switches to a different single-file conveyor by operation of the upstream connection means to store the containers, the container transport device further comprising: first detection means provided on each single-file conveyor of the double-file conveyor for detecting a container being transported; and a control means to which detection signals from the first and second detection means are input and which controls the operation of each single-row conveyor of the double-row conveying means, the upstream connecting means and the downstream connecting means. The control means is characterized in that, after dispensing a container from one single-row conveyor of the double-row conveying means connected to the downstream connecting means, when switching to dispensing a container from a different single-row conveyor of the double-row conveying means, if the first detection means detects that a container has disappeared and the first detection means does not detect a container between the time when the second detection means next detects that the container has disappeared, the control means starts driving a different single-row conveyor that is stopped and on which a container is stored.

[0008] The second invention of the present invention is a container transport device according to the first invention, characterized in that the first detection means is a sensor used to switch the single-row conveyor connected to the upstream connection means.

[0009] The third invention of the present invention is a container conveying device according to the first or second invention, characterized in that the second detection means is a sensor used to detect the first container in a row of containers being conveyed and to stop the row of containers at a predetermined stopping position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, in a container transport device that switches between multiple single-row conveyors to dispense containers onto a downstream conveyor, containers can be dispensed from each single-row conveyor without creating large gaps between containers when switching between the single-row conveyors. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing the arrangement of a container transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating, in time sequence, the operation of dispensing containers accumulated on a multi-row conveyor in this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the arrangement of a container conveying device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] In this embodiment, container conveying device 10 connects an upstream container processing device (e.g., a filler) not shown and a downstream container processing device (e.g., a labeler) not shown. Containers dispensed from the upstream container processing device are transported by a single-row upstream conveyor 12 connected to the upstream container processing device, and then transported via a double-row conveyor 14 consisting of multiple (e.g., eight) parallel single-row conveyors 14A-14H to a single-row downstream conveyor 16 connected to the downstream container processing device.

[0014] The downstream end of the upstream conveyor 12 is sequentially and selectively connectable to the upstream ends of each of the single-line conveyors 14A-14H through an upstream connecting device 18. The upstream connecting device 18 includes a branch guide 18A whose upstream end is pivotally supported by the downstream end of the upstream conveyor 12 and connected to the upstream conveyor 12. The branch guide 18A rotates around the downstream end of the upstream conveyor 12, thereby connecting its downstream end to the upstream ends of each of the single-line conveyors 14A-14H. The branch guide 18A includes a guide body pivotally supported by a rotating shaft, an extendable portion nested within the guide body and capable of moving back and forth along the guide direction, and a straight portion connected to the downstream end of the extendable portion via the rotating shaft. The straight portion is connected to a slider along the conveying direction and is capable of reciprocating across the width of the single-line conveyor depending on which of the single-line conveyors 14A-14H is connected to it. The slider is also movable back and forth along the conveying direction, and when the slider moves back and forth in the conveying direction, the straight portion also moves back and forth in the conveying direction, and the extendable portion extends and retracts relative to the guide body.

[0015] Meanwhile, the downstream end of each of the single-row conveyors 14A-14H can be selectively connected to the downstream conveyor 16 through a downstream connection device 20 equipped with a plurality (e.g., seven) of merging guides 20A-20G. Each of the merging guides 20A-20G is a guide member that rotates around its downstream end, and its upstream end swings between a plurality of conveying lanes (e.g., two rows).

[0016] In this embodiment, the merging guides 20A-20G are arranged in multiple stages (for example, three stages), with four merging guides 20A-20D arranged on the first stage and two merging guides 20E and 20F arranged on the second stage. Furthermore, one merging guide 20G is arranged on the third stage. That is, two adjacent rows of conveyors among the eight single-row conveyors 14A-14H are merged into one row by the merging guides 20A-20D, respectively, to form four rows. The second-stage merging guides 20E and 20F further merge the four rows of lanes formed by the first-stage merging guides 20A-20D into two rows by merging two adjacent rows at a time. The third-stage merging guide 20G then merges the two rows of lanes formed by the second-stage merging guides 20E and 20F into one row, connecting them to the single-row downstream conveyor 16. In this embodiment, the merging guides are arranged in three rows, but they may also be arranged in two rows (8 rows → 4 rows → 1 row, or 8 rows → 2 rows → 1 row), or one merging guide may be used to merge 8 rows into 1 row.

[0017] With the above configuration, any one of the eight single-row conveyors 14A-14H is selectively connected to the downstream conveyor 16 by switching the merging guides 20A-20G. Note that Fig. 1 exemplarily shows a state in which the upstream conveyor 12 and the downstream conveyor 16 are connected to the single-row conveyor 14A by the upstream connection device 18 and the downstream connection device 20.

[0018] At predetermined positions downstream of each single-row conveyor 14A to 14H of the double-row conveyor 14, first and second sensors 24 and 26 for detecting the presence or absence of containers on the conveyor are provided in this order from the upstream side, separated by a predetermined distance (a distance greater than the maximum distance that is probabilistically expected to occur between containers for some reason on the upstream side), and a third sensor 28 for detecting the presence or absence of a container is provided at a position corresponding to the upstream end of the merging guide 20G.

[0019] During normal operation, containers dispensed from the upstream processing device through the upstream conveyor 12 are transported by the upstream connecting device 18 and the downstream connecting device 20 through one of the single-row conveyors (14A-14H) of the double-row conveyor 14 to the downstream conveyor 16 and then sent to the downstream processing device. The single-row conveyor (14A-14H) that transports containers during normal operation in the double-row conveyor 14 may be configured to always use a specific single-row conveyor, or may be configured to alternately use multiple single-row conveyors.

[0020] For example, if the downstream processing device is stopped or decelerated for some reason, the upstream connection device 18 switches the connection from the currently selected single-line conveyor (any of 14A-14H) to another single-line conveyor, and accumulates containers on the other single-line conveyor in sequence. When switching the single-line conveyor that transports containers within the multi-line conveyor 14 or when accumulating containers on the multi-line conveyor 14, the connection of the branch guide 18A to the single-line conveyors 14A-14H is switched to the next single-line conveyor in a predetermined order when a container is detected by the first sensor 24 of each single-line conveyor. When a container is detected by the second sensor 26 during accumulation, the single-line conveyor is decelerated, and the leading container on that single-line conveyor is stopped at a predetermined stop position slightly downstream of the second sensor 26.

[0021] Next, with reference to Figures 2(a) to 2(d), the dispensing process operation of the present embodiment for containers accumulated on the multi-track conveyor 14 will be described. Figures 2(a) to 2(d) are enlarged plan views of the downstream conveyor 16 from the downstream side of the multi-track conveyor 14, and chronologically show the process when the operation of the downstream processing device is resumed and the accumulated containers are dispensed from the multi-track conveyor 14. Note that in Figures 2(a) to 2(d), the portion of the transport path where the containers are present is depicted in bold. Furthermore, the first to third sensors 24, 26, and 28 are, for example, photoelectric sensors that are in an OFF (light-transmitting) state when no containers are detected and in an ON (light-blocking) state when a container is detected, with the ON and OFF states indicated by solid black and white, respectively.

[0022] 2(a) shows a state in which all single-line conveyors 14A-14H of the multi-line conveyor 14 are filled with accumulation containers, and then, for example, the single-line conveyor 14H starts dispensing containers. At this time, the single-line conveyor 14H is connected to the downstream conveyor 16 through merging guides 20D, 20F, and 20G of the downstream connecting device 20, and the containers are dispensed from the single-line conveyor 14H to the downstream conveyor 16 through the downstream connecting device 20. Meanwhile, the other single-line conveyors 14A-14G except for the single-line conveyor 14H are stopped, and containers are accumulated up to the position where the second sensor 26 is provided.

[0023] Therefore, in the state shown in FIG. 2(a), the first, second sensors 24, 26 and third sensors 28 of all of the single-file conveyors 14A to 14H are in a state of detecting a container.

[0024] In Figure 2(a), the single-file conveyor 14H is operated at a speed V. Then, as shown in Figure 2(b), when the last container on the single-file conveyor 14H passes in front of the first sensor 24, the first sensor 24 no longer detects the container and is turned off. Further containers are transported on the single-file conveyor 14H, and as shown in Figure 2(c), when the last container on the single-file conveyor 14H passes in front of the second sensor 26, the second sensor 26 no longer detects the container and is turned off.

[0025] Furthermore, if the first sensor 24 does not detect a container between the time when the first sensor 24 stops detecting a container and the time when the second sensor 26 stops detecting a container (if the first sensor 24 remains in the OFF state during this time), the next single-file conveyor to dispense an accumulation container (a single-file conveyor different from the single-file conveyor currently dispensing) immediately starts operating at speed V, as shown in Figure 2(c), and the other single-file conveyor that is stopped at the stop position starts operating, thereby starting to transport the container. Note that the next single-file conveyor can be started not only immediately after the last container C passes the second sensor 26, but also after it has moved a predetermined distance from the second sensor 26 to match the position of the head of the row of containers.

[0026] In the dispensing process of this embodiment, the dispensing single-line conveyors circulate in the order of [14A, 14E, 14D, 14H, 14C, 14G, 14B, 14F]. Since FIG. 2 shows the dispensing process starting from single-line conveyor 14H, the next conveyor to be dispensed is single-line conveyor 14C. Therefore, when dispensing from single-line conveyor 14H begins, merging guides 20B and 20E are connected to single-line conveyor 14C.

[0027] In the dispensing processing operation of this embodiment, when the last container on the single-row conveyor that started dispensing first passes the second sensor 26, dispensing from the next single-row conveyor immediately begins.Therefore, as shown in Figure 2(d), when the last container on the single-row conveyor that started dispensing first passes the third sensor 28 (i.e., when it passes the upstream end of the swinging merging guide 20G), the front-row container of the containers dispensed from the next single-row conveyor immediately reaches the position of the third sensor 28.

[0028] During this short period, the third sensor 28 does not detect a container and remains in an OFF state. When the third sensor 28 turns OFF, the merging guide 20G is immediately rotated, and its upstream end is switched to the other lane. To confirm that the third sensor 28 is also the last container, a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a container can be provided at a predetermined position upstream of the third sensor 28 (e.g., upstream of the merging guides 20E and 20F). That is, by confirming that the sensor does not turn ON between the time the sensor turns OFF and the time the third sensor 28 next turns OFF, it is possible to reconfirm that the container is the last container. In FIG. 2(d), the merging guide 20F is switched to the merging guide 20E side, and the single-line conveyor 14C is connected to the downstream conveyor 16. At this time, the merging guide 20D is switched from the single-line conveyor 14H, which has completed dispensing, to the single-line conveyor 14G, which will dispense next after the single-line conveyor 14C.

[0029] On the other hand, if there is a gap between the containers being accumulated upstream for some reason, the first sensor 24 of the single-line conveyor currently dispensing will be turned ON again between the time it turns OFF and the time it turns OFF the second sensor 26, so the next single-line conveyor will not start operating and no containers will be left behind on the single-line conveyor that is dispensing first.

[0030] The signals from the first to third sensors are sent to a control device (not shown), and the conveyors, branch guides, and merging guides of this embodiment are controlled by the control device based on these signals.

[0031] As described above, according to the container transport device of this embodiment, by providing first and second sensors on the upstream and downstream sides, respectively, at the downstream portion of each single-line conveyor of the multi-line conveyor to detect the presence or absence of containers, the container at the end of each single-line conveyor can be accurately identified, and after the end of the last container is detected, the dispensing of containers from the next single-line conveyor can be started immediately without waiting. This makes it possible to stably supply containers to downstream equipment at appropriate intervals while minimizing gaps that may occur between the end of the preceding container row and the start of the following container row.

[0032] Furthermore, when container rows merge at the downstream connecting device, a sensor must detect the end of the preceding container row. In the dispensing process of this embodiment, the single-row conveyors that perform dispensing are rotated in a specific order so that a row of containers dispensed first from a single-row conveyor and a row of containers subsequently dispensed from another single-row conveyor always merge at the most downstream junction guide. This allows a sensor to be installed only in the most downstream junction guide, minimizing the number of sensors installed in the downstream connecting device and eliminating the need for related adjustments. Note that if the same sensors are installed in multiple junction guides, the dispensing order of the circulating single-row conveyors can be set arbitrarily.

[0033] Furthermore, although the double-row conveyor in this embodiment is composed of eight rows of single-row conveyors, the number of single-row conveyors is not limited to this embodiment, and the number of containers that can be accumulated on each single-row conveyor may be different. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 10 Container transport device 12 Upstream conveyor 14 Double-row conveyor (double-row conveying means) 14A~14H Single-row conveyor 16 Downstream conveyor 18 Upstream connection device (upstream connection means) 18A Branch guide 20 Downstream connection device (downstream connection means) 20A~20G Merging Guide 24 First sensor (first detection means) 26 Second sensor (second detection means) 28 Third sensor (third detection means)

Claims

1. a container transport device comprising an upstream conveyor for transporting containers in a single file, a double-file conveyor having a plurality of files of single-file conveyors for transporting containers in a single file, an upstream connection means for selectively connecting the upstream conveyor to any one of the single-file conveyors of the double-file conveyor, a downstream conveyor for transporting containers in a single file, and a downstream connection means for connecting any one of the single-file conveyors of the double-file conveyor to the downstream conveyor, wherein containers are transported from the upstream conveyor to the downstream conveyor via any one of the single-file conveyors of the double-file conveyor, and the containers are stored by switching to a different single-file conveyor by operation of the upstream connection means; a first detection means provided on each single-row conveyor of the double-row conveying means for detecting a container being conveyed; a second detecting means provided downstream of the first detecting means on each single-row conveyor of the double-row conveying means for detecting a container being conveyed; a control means to which the detection signals of the first detection means and the second detection means are input and which controls the operation of each single-row conveyor of the double-row conveying means, the upstream connection means and the downstream connection means, The control means is characterized in that, when switching to dispensing a container from a different single-row conveyor of the double-row conveying means after dispensing a container from one single-row conveyor of the double-row conveying means connected to the downstream connection means, if the first detection means detects that a container has disappeared and the first detection means does not detect a container between the time when the second detection means detects that the container has disappeared, the control means starts driving a different single-row conveyor that is stopped and on which a container is stored.

2. 2. The container transport device according to claim 1, wherein the first detecting means is a sensor used to switch the single-file conveyor connected to the upstream connecting means.

3. 3. The container conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the second detection means is a sensor used to detect the leading container in a row of containers being conveyed and to stop the row of containers at a predetermined stopping position.

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